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LEGAZPI CITY (June 29, 2009) - - THE FLOOD CONTROL COMPONENT of the hugely budgeted and biggest dam structure being constructed in Bikol under the Bicol River Basin and Watershed Management Project (BRBWMP) has been left-out in the current construction of the dam located in Barangay Malaguico, Sipocot, Camarines Sur, experts at the planning and design of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here had revealed.

PILI, Camarines Sur, July 2 (PNA) -- The Basic Solid Waste Management Training (BSWMT) program is now an option for students to enlist in, particularly those in Camarines Sur, in lieu of the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and other training courses under the National Service Training Program (NSTP) as provided under Republic Act 9163.

NAGA CITY,June 30 (PNA) -- The construction of the P1.3 billion skyway bridge project that will connect the 2nd District town of Canaman and Libmanan municipality in the 1st District of Camarines Sur is scheduled to start in October this year, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Tuesday.

District Engineer Gilbert Olfindo of the DPWH Camarines Sur 1st Engineering District Office said the opening of bids for the project is set on August 23, 2009 at the DPWH central office in Manila.

LEGAZPI CITY, June 30 (PNA) -- The sudden surrender of Florencio "Jun" Fernandez, the convicted killer of former Congressman Moises Espinosa, Sr., caught law enforcement authorities by surprise as they were still on heightened manhunt operation in Masbate.

Sketchy reports said the convict, after eight days in hiding since he bolted jail in Masbate on June 22, surrendered to lawyer Rainer Butalid, a former Vice Governor of Masbate and one Police Chief Supt. Lasaris from Camp Crame at around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday at undisclosed hideout in Masbate City.

IRIGA CITY --- Unknown to many, two years before the Bicol Association of Catholics Schools (BACS) decided not to participate in this year Peñafrancia Military Parade, the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP), a private, non-sectarian school, had already stopped joining the region's longest and widely participated military parade competition since school year 2007-2008 finding no relevant purpose in it, UNEP's top official said.

PILI, Camarines Sur (1 July 2009) - A total of 312 triathlon athletes, over 50 of them foreigners, have registered as of press time to compete in the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines slated August 23, 2009 at the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex here.

CASTILLA, Sorsogon, June 30 (PNA) -- The viability of cassava as source of bio-ethanol has been determined and Sorsogon province is a good prospect for a massive production of this lowly root crop, Vice-Governor Renato Laurinaria said here Tuesday.

"If cassava is becoming an important bio-fuel crop in other countries with more advanced national programs for bio-fuel production, our soils are also capable of large-scale production of the crop not only for food, livestock feeds but mainly for bio-ethanol," he stressed.

NAGA CITY July 27, 2009 - Induction of charter officers at the Naga City Civic Center today ushers in the blooming of a new lawn tennis club in Naga City--officially called the Naga City Peñafrancia Tennis Club, Inc.

Last month, we welcomed the news that the resumption of the PNR's operations in the region has been set for next year. The famed "Bikol Express" which ran from Manila to Sorsogon and vice versa but which halted because of super typhoons Milenyo and Reming in 2006, was announced to be returning to serve the community by May 2010.

THANK YOU, VOX BIKOL: Thank God, in the name of Jesus, for the opportunity that had been given to me to write a column for this prestigious newspaper starting today!

I wish to thank likewise the executive editor of this paper, Federico Jose Lagdameo, and the management and entire editorial staff, for their gracious accommodation of the articles we will be writing here.

I am once more, carefully and giddily, turning leaf after yellowed and brittle leaf of pre-war journals. It is the famed Philippine Journal of Education this time. Dean Francisco Benitez and his wife, Paz Marques Benitez are two individuals linked to this publication, which guided the early years of public educations.

MAPPING THE FUTURE is actually envisioning the future in visual terms.  James Canton's book, the Extreme Future (Penguin Group 2007), that gives a picture of the top trends that will reshape the world in the next 20 years, has powerfully captured the need to welcome the extreme future prepared.  Canton writes: "Maps are so much revealing, though, when they're studied closely in the context of when and where they were

Fruits alone are not enough?

Well, many a German would think so. The woman next door takes in food supplements in form of pills. Pills that contain pressed essence of fruit or vegetables. She would swear by those and thus she spends some 75 Euros (around Php 5000) a month for the additional supply of health.

On June 20, the Naga City Government launched its self-styled "Governance Institute." It is reportedly supported by World Bank money, so I will not quarrel with its establishment for now.

LAST WEEK, THIS PAPER featured four articles on the Church’s rejection of the secular celebrations, military parade, and other civic activities during the Peñafrancia week. Take note that I used ‘week’ instead of the ecclesiastical term ‘novena’ which is a little more than a week.

The passage of House Resolution 1109 gave the 14th Congress of the Philippines the authority to convene a constituent assembly and solely by itself amend our constitution.

MANILA - The Filipino people's vote against the convening of a constituent assembly has been cast. Between 10,000 to 15,000 people joined the rally in Makati on June 10 to show their indignation over the railroading of House Resolution 1109, which provides for the convening of Congress into a constituent assembly with the Senate and House voting as one.

The anti-Charter change (Chacha) and anti-Arroyo forces had barely a week to mount the muscle-flexing protest action yesterday in Ayala Avenue, Makati City and in major urban centers nationwide. They achieved a big measure of success by gathering thousands in Makati and hundreds if not thousands more in various cities and big towns nationwide.