News

MANILA, Oct. 7, 2009-The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) has formally appointed its new head.

Jose Cuisia, Jr., a prominent businessman and a member of the Opus Dei, was recently appointed as Chairman of the independent poll watchdog.

Mr. Cuisia succeeds Henrietta de Villa who resigned last month to devote more time to her work as head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), which focuses on voter's education.

Namfrel is a poll watchdog accredited by the Commission on Elections to conduct quick count of votes.

LEGAZPI CITY, October 6, 2009--The Filipino community in Kuwait will celebrate the third annual feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia on Friday, October 9, at the Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait's Holy Family Cathedral Parish, Kuwait City.

Legazpi apostolic administrator Lucilo B. Quiambao said he was invited by Albayano priest Fr. Ruben Barrameda and Kuwait's Vicar Apostolic Camillo Ballin MCCJ to grace the occasion with his presence.

He and Fr. Rolando T. Panesa will leave for Kuwait today.

Twenty-eight (28) contingents coming from private and public schools from all over the region gathered at the vast UNEP ground on October 1, 2009 and paraded towards the main thoroughfares of Iriga City, all hopeful that they will take the top prize this year.  Eighteen (18) of them came from public schools while the remaining contingents came from private universities.    This, as the whole Rinconada community commemorates the annual holding of the Army ROTC Activation Day now on its 47^th year of existence.

LEGAZPI CITY, Oct. 8 -- A total of 150 naval reservists successfully completed the five-day training program on disaster response and mitigation cum humanitarian mission, sponsored by the Philippine Navy (PN) Naval Forces Southern Luzon.

The training program, dubbed as "Exercise Pagsasama ", commenced Monday until Oct. 5, this year at the PN-NAVFORSOL headquarters in Barangay Rawis, this city.

Lt. Darwin Nieva, PN Southern Luzon spokesman, said the program educated and equipped college students on disaster emergency assistance and rescue training.

NAGA CITY --- National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario says he sees bright future for the Bikolano artists, given their esteemed recognition, which should not go the way of their counterpart in the national search for artists that regretfully has been haunted by selection controversy marred by selfish agenda and political patronage and pressure.

"Nabibili na an national artist ngayon," he kidded aside but continued talking about the universal quest for truth and the value of honesty in all human endeavors, especially in the fields of arts, politics and culture.

LEGAZPI CITY (8 October) - WITH THE REPORTS concluded yesterday (Oct.7) on the clearing of landslides in Catanduanes province as a result of heavy rains brought by typhoon "Pepeng" in Bikol, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here has summed damages to infrastructures in the three affected provinces in Bikol at an estimated P 56- Million Pesos.

DPWH Asst. Regional Director Jaime Martinez told Vox Bikol that clearing operations on several landslides along the Circumferential Road leading to the capital town of Virac, Catanduanes were extensively cleared on Tuesday (October 6).

Heavy rains last Oct. 2, triggered landslides along the national highway in the towns of San Miguel, Pandan, Caramoran, San Andres and a partially cleared highway with a wash-out box-culvert in Bagamanok town.

MANILA, October 2, 2009-Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has announced that a special collection will be gathered at all the Sunday masses throughout the Archdiocese of Manila this weekend in parishes, chapels and malls to help the victims of typhoon Ondoy.

"This coming Sunday, October 4, a special collection will be made at all Sunday Masses, including the anticipated Masses, in Parishes, Chapels and Malls for the victims of the Ondoy disaster," the cardinal said adding:

Camarines Sur (2 October)-More than 1,000 couples walked down the aisle in the "Kasalan sa Ngalan ng Diyos" church mass wedding held at the St. James de Apostle Parish church, Libmanan under the sponsorship of the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur here October 1-2.

The two-day affair tops the spot as the biggest mass wedding ever conducted under the Kasalang Bayan Program held at various municipalities in Camarines Sur with some 526 couples sealing their wedding vows during the first day and at least 600 on the second day.

NAGA CITY (30 September) - - CARETAKERS OF THE 60-HECTARE Romualdez Ranch situated in barangays  Tambo and Del Rosario in Pamplona, Camarines Sur has sought police protection after illegal settlers had threatened with violence the ranch employees.

The Police Provincial Office (PPO) here reported that earlier, two ranch security guards of the SunStar Security Agency, a certain Rolly Arandia and Ading Padilla, were pelted with stones and hurled empty bottles by the squatters, prompting Arandia to fire his 12-gauge shotgun on the attackers.