Police Force Beefed Up for Peñafrancia Tercentenary
NAGA CITY (4 Sept)-MORE THAN 400 policemen who are mostly rookies and have newly graduated from the Public Safety Basic Recruitment Training at Camp Simeon Ola in Legazpi City will augment the current Naga Police force of some 200-man strong for the 20-day Tercentenary celebration of the Peñafrancia devotion this year.
Spokesman of the Camarines Sur Police Office, SPO4 Romulo Pabiano, said that with the scheduled big religious rites of the "Peñafrancia Tercentenary," Catholic bishops, clerics from all over the country, and Pope's emissaries from the Vatican are expected to come to this year's Peñafrancia festivities.
Pabiano said that Camarine Sur Police Director Sr. Supt. Jonathan Ablang has directed a separate force of a 42-man police team from the Provincial Police Office (PPO) to secure visiting Church dignitaries and ranking government officials.
Bikol News
A Large Drug Shipment Intercepted in Masbate
CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarines Sur Sep 8, 2010 - Joint elements of the AFP and PNP intercepted a shipment of shabu in Masbate port at around 10am today.
Senior Superintendent Thomas Seminiano, Masbate Provincial Police Commander said that he sent the combined elements of soldiers and policemen to arrest the drug dealers after receiving a tip-off from a 'reliable informant'.
Philippine Army Soldiers Invade Naga City for Bicol River Clean Up Drive
CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarines Sur - Philippine Army soldiers stormed Naga City's Bicol River to spearhead the river's clean up drive yesterday , a military report said.
LtCol Erwin De Asis, the 9th Infantry Division's Civilian-Military Operations (CMO) officer said that three hundred soldiers were sent to participate in the cleaning of the river's surroundings in preparation to the upcoming Penafrancia Festival.
Armed not with rifles and machineguns, the soldiers cleared the 2-kilometer river bank using bolos, rakes and even their bare hands starting at 8:00am.
5 Dead in Masbate Ambush
NAGA CITY (30 August) - FIVE PEOPLE travelling in an owner-type jeep died in an ambush perpetrated by heavily armed men in an isolated barangay road in Sitio Landing, Barangay Bulod in San Pascual, Burias, Masbate at about 2:30 PM last August 28.
This was reported by the San Pascual Municipal Police Station to a local radio in this city last August 30.
The San Pascual MPS made the report on the ambush incident on Naga radio due to the town's proximity to the Camarines Sur coast than to Masbate City which entailed better phone signals.
DENR Releases New Directives on Issuance of Permits
Legazpi City (2 September) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has recently issed Memorandum Order No. 2010-07 now authorizing the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) director and regional director, the provincial governor and city mayor of an independent city to issue Mineral Ore Export Permit or MOEP.
The Memorandum, signed by the then DENR Secretary Horacio C. Ramos, has authorized the MGB director to issue MOEP to first time applicants, with the succeeding issuances going under the authority of the MGB regional director.
Army Condemns NPA Killings in Bikol
CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, PILI, CAMARINES SUR - WITH THE Commemoration of the International Humanitarian Law Month this August, the Armed Forces' 9th Infantry Division based in this camp issued a statement condemning the series of summary executions perpetrated by communist rebels against civilians in Bikol.
The army reported that the latest victims were Joaquin Candea, 60, a resident of Cogon, Bulusan, Sorsogon, who was shot dead by a rebel hitman in Sabang, Bulusan town on Sunday afternoon (August 29).
Bikol Is Certified FMD-Free
SORSOGON CITY, Sept. 3 -- Livestock raisers of Bicol have reason to rejoice as the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) has already certified the region as a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)-free territory.
Sorsogon provincial veterinarian Enrique Espiritu on Friday said he received over the week a copy of the certification issued by the Organization Mondiale de la Sante Animale or WOAH saying 10 Philippine zones including Bicol are finally free of FMD.
Dengue Kills Eight, Downs Hundreds in Bikol
LEGAZPI CITY, Sept.3 -- The Department of Health (DOH) in Bikol on Friday said that at least eight people have died and 1,003 people were hospitalized in various parts of Bikol mainly due to dengue, a mosquito-borne disease.
The surge in dengue case in Bikol for the first two quarters of the year prompted health authorities to be on heightened alert by intensifying the agency surveillance units in the six provinces of Bikol.
Tourism in Bikol Remains Stable -– DoT
LEGAZPI CITY, Aug. 31- An official of the Department of Tourism (DoT) on Tuesday said that the tourism industry in Bikol remains stable despite adverse travel advisories from China and other countries to the Philippines after the bloody hostage drama last August 23 at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
Bicol tourism regional director Maria Ong-Ravanilla said that tourism in the region is holding steady so far.
"We are closely monitoring all local and foreign arrivals throughout the Bikol region and there has been no reported room cancellations so far," she said.
UNEP Joins Tercentenary Celebration
The University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP), known for its matriarch's deep religiosity and devotion to Mama Mary is all set to join thousand of Marian devotees around the globe as the highlight of the Tercentenary celebration draws closer.
Viewpoints
Viva la Virgen!
The Marian month of September has arrived and for this year, its coming is made greatly significant due to the three hundredth year celebration of the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia that is being marked by the whole of Bikol. This September, the Tercentenary of the devotion to INA is grandly commemorated by the Bikolano people and all of INA's devotees.
Mag-awit nin Maogma
IGWANG MGA PARAKANTA o magin mga koro ngunyan na nahihilig sa pag-awit nin mga contemporary classical songs minsan dai nin pagkasabot. Ini si mga Espanyol o Italyanong pinasikat na Josh Groban asin Andrea Bocelli kaiba man an mga bagong tubong sinda Paul Potts, Russel Watson asin iba pa. Minsan nakakangirit na mina-awit kita kan mga kantang ini mantang daing pagkasabot, alagad kun sa lente nin sensibilidad hihilingon, makaherak.
Disipulo ni Kristo
Nagpopoon na an satong novena para sa Divino Rostro. Ini nagpapagirumdom sa sato na an Dyos igwang lalawgon. Asin an lalawgon na ini, lalawgon nin pagtios. Bako syang lalawgon na bagong hawas sa beauty parlor, kundi lalawgon na bagong hawas sa pagkayod tanganing iligtas an lambang kalag nin tawo.
An lalawgon na ini nag-aalok sa sato sa pagsunod sa saiya. An lalawgon na ini iyo an satong Kagurangnan, an Paratukdo. An lalawgon na ini pano nin Kadunongan.
INA’s Miracles
It is certainly great news that as we celebrate the 300th year of our devotion to Ina, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, we hear about the miraculous healing of our very own Archbishop Leonard Z. Legaspi. Indeed, we trust that his present remission from lung cancer would be a permanent cure. And we continue to pray for his good health.
Rudy F. Alano: Friend, Poet, Teacher
There were two great memories about being with Rudy before that Sunday of his stroke and the massive hemorrhage that followed. One was the lunch we had with at another friend's place. Grace Janer is that friend and that day was ordinary Tuesday. We were out on the porch and our conversation would drift from thoughts about friends and to the soft rains and the tiny birds darting in and out of trees and the blues and ballads we were playing.
Church News
Bishop Slams 25 Months of Bonus in MWSS
MANILA, Sept. 1, 2010- A Catholic bishop criticized reports that officials of water utility MWSS received P384 million in bonuses and allowances last year.
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said the excessive salaries and benefits of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System's employees is an abuse that must be investigated.
He said the 25 months of bonus last year plus their 12 months basic salary is a "form of corruption."
"They corrupt themselves... there is no reason for them to receive that amount," said Bastes.
PPCRV Pushes Use of Pre-printed Ballots for Village, SK Polls
MANILA, August 31, 2010- Election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPRCV) asked the poll body to utilize pre-printed ballots for the barangays and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls in October.
Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV national chairperson, said it would be good if said ballots under the automated elections system would be utilized in the Oct. 25 elections for the voters to be more familiarized with it.
Church to Hold Ramadan Outreach Program
MANILA, Sept. 3, 2010-In what they call an act of religious solidarity, Catholics are doing an outreach activity for Muslim inmates in Southern Philippines.
Basic needs such as toiletries, soap and medicines will be given to around 200 inmates in both the Marawi City and Provincial jails on September 7, the eve of the feast of the Virgin Mary.
"It will also be like a fiesta (celebration) because Maranaos have high regard for Mama Mary," said Marawi Bishop Edwin Dela Peña.
"So we want Mama Mary to be our bridge for peace (between Christians and Muslims), he said.
Vatican Names New Rector of Collegio Filippino
MANILA, Sept. 2, 2010-The Vatican has confirmed the appointment of Father Gregory Ramon Gaston as the next rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome.
The Congregation of the Catholic Education (for Seminaries and Educational Institutions) announced the appointment of the priest who has been assigned since 2008 at the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary in Makati City.
A communiqué about Gaston's appointment was also sent to the Manila Archdiocese by the congregations' prefect, Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski.
Features
Ateneo Choir's 1st Album
NAGA CITY-HERE is something earthly but is also ethereal. And much more, here, the two blends very well together.
After the Smoke Has Cleared in the Hostage-Taking Crisis, What Now?
"President Aquino accepted full responsibility over the bungling of the operations just to save the head of Local Government Sec. Jesse Robredo, especially since Congress has warned that it would make it difficult for Robredo to get its confirmation. Good for Robredo, but did President Aquino really realize his own accountability over the bungled operation?"
Major Major
Ang tanong ni William Baldwin, judge sa 2010 Miss Universe beauty pageant, kay Venus Raj, ang Miss Universe Philippines, "What is one big mistake that you've made in your life, and what did you do to make it right?"
Ang sagot ng mestiza (Indian Filipina) ay, "You know what sir in my 22 years of existence I can say there is nothing major major, I mean problem that I have done in my life because I am very confident with my family with the love that they are giving to me. So thank you so much that I am here!"
