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Human Events Stories

The Thin Line That Divides Everything in Our Lives

The big, influential businesses accumulate profits and get the government’s favorable attention much of the time. On the other side are hapless workers literally wrapped in the palms of big business, choking. Already, they howl and scream on the city streets yet get the caressing water guns of the government. Hence, workers are warped into a time very much comparable when there exist no justice for all but for the people wtih deep pockets and capital.

Filipinos to Shoulder P44 Billion in CCT Loan Repayment

Research group IBON calls on lawmakers deliberating on the budget for the controversial Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program to look into the resulting additional debt burden that Filipinos will shoulder to repay the program’s loans.

Cases of EJKs, Other Rights Violations Under Aquino Piling Up

After Justice Secretary Leila de Lima submitted her review on the case of the Morong 43, the legal team of Malacanang also reviewed de Lima’s review and forwarded recommendations to the President. Aquino already said twice that he would let the courts decide on the case of the health workers.

Bench at the Calabanga Plaza is a Mute Witness of Time

Fifty eight years last month, in November 18, 1952, the former mayor of Calabanga town unveiled a donation of a (cement) bench located at the plaza. Now with the onslaught of change and modest modernization, the bench still occupies its original location. But it has served its purpose and the passage of time clearly made its mark.

It’s 23rd World Aids Day on December 1st, 2010

Tomorrow, December 1, 2010, we observe the 23rd World Aids Day. We join the multitude of people in marking the day in a more significant way. We quote the message of UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on this post.

Rice Will Be a Many Splendored Thing to Importers Next Year

During the initial days of the new administration, many were shocked (sic) on how voluminous the past government imported rice from other Asian countries. The issue was heightened when some National Food Authority warehouses were found with rotting stockpiles of the commodity.

Sorsogon NPA’s Declare Unilateral Ceasefire

The threat of eruption of Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon and its possible challenges to the surrounding populace has one immediate positive effect, if we can qualify it as one. The provincial unit of the rebel movement in the province has made known their declaration of a unilateral suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) in areas near the volcano.

Paolbo’s Divine Mercy Parish to Build Pastoral Center

Alas, there is more on the drawing board for the Divine Mercy parish and community. The next project will be the proposed construction of another facility to service the growing religious community around Paolbo. Yes, the parish of Divine Mercy is set to build a new pastoral center building within […]

Advocacy Group Urges DFA to Bring Home OFWs in Distress

Advocacy group Migrante International on November 19th staged a picket in front of the department of foreign affairs (DFA) building in Manila to call on the government to facilitate the repatriation of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Adding Ease of Use on Desktop Functionality

Taking time out writing blog by changing desktop make-up and functionality for ease of use. With all the thousands of files saved on folders and subfolders, it takes awhile looking for particular saved material on my notebook.

New Albay Airport Benefits from PPP Initiative

The new airport in Daraga town of Albay, otherwise referred to as the southern Luzon international airport, is Bicol’s share in the PPP project being initiated by the PH government. Funding for its construction and completion will be sourced thru the new initiative.

Sorsogon’s Mt. Bulusan Erupts

Some 540 families in the towns of Irosin and Juban in Sorsogon province were evacuated Sunday as Mount Bulusan spewed thick ash clouds. The evacuees came from three villages directly affected and within the six kilometer permanent danger zone around the erupting volcano.

PPP: Less Gov’t Responsibility, More Public Debt

Through PPP projects, many crucial responsibilities of the government are being transferred to profit-oriented private corporations and banks, particularly the development and operation of core infrastructure such as roads and mass transportation network, power generation, and water supply and distribution, among others.

PPP: More Public Debt, Less Gov’t Responsibility

Experiences show PPPs did not guarantee savings for the government but even bloated the public debt. And it can only get worse under the Aquino government’s new schemes for more of PPPs.

Many PH Cities Depend on IRA share in 2006

One of the fastest growing city in terms of annual income and population of PH and the only one in the province of Rizal, Antipolo is one LGU that effectively host a mix of residential, commercial and industrial use. The city center overflows with devotees on Sundays and Holy days that city streets are devoted to foot traffic. One of the pitfall effect of urbanization which could be solved with effective planning.

Quezon Tops PH Cities Annual Income for 2006

The city of Quezon has a land area of 166.20 square km. or 64.2 square miles with a population of 2,679,450 or a density of 16,114/km2 (41,735/sq mi). It is roughly the size of the municipality of Calabanga (163.84 sq. km.) in terms of land area.

PH Not RP is Philippines ISO Country Code

We are bound in some specific ways with generally accepted standards and norms in our daily lives. So with government and industry transactions and liaisons are done in standards that will facilitate and ease the orderly and non-confusing conduct of business.

The Bicol Farmer and Double Talk on Rice

In time of domestic rice shortages, to whom the Philippine government rely more often than not. Or at least, for the immediate past year? No, not the Filipino farmer, are you kidding me!

CBSUA Masteral Students Clean-up Beach

Masteral students enrolled at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture-Calabanga rolled their sleeves for a day of community service. Mostly teachers from the state schools in the municipality, they went out to the nearby shoreline for a beach clean-up. All are pursuing masteral studies but met together in the environmental governance class for the first semester of 2010-2011.

CASURECO II: The Bane of a Boon

Tomorrow, we go to the polls, for the third time in a row in one year. First was the national election last May, then the Comelec-bungled barangay election last month. But tomorrow will be the selection of board of directors of the Camarines Sur II electric cooperative for resident-consumers of the nine towns of Siruma, Tinambac, Calabanga, Bombon, Canaman, Magarao, Milaor, Minalabac, Pili and Naga city.

Bicol Municipal LGU’s Income Trail Others

For purposes of checking out how Bicol municipal LGUs’ income compare outside of the region, thus we continue the series on this one. Twenty five towns of the Philippines earned between +P200M and +P1.05B for the year 2006. The National Capital Region’s San Juan dwarfed all others on this category.

Annual Income of Bicol Cities and Provinces for 2006

But while Bicol LGUs earn millions (in pesos), it does not follow that the constituents are also that rich. On the contrary, not much has changed on more than majority of the people’s earnings and income. Many families are still below the poverty threshold level around the region. So that there is the strong contrast of the government awashed with money and the people stricken in poverty.

Traditional Earners Top Bicol Municipal LGU’s 2006 Income

For the fiscal year of 2006, 33 out of 107 Bicol municipal LGUs earned an income over and above the P50M mark. Camarines Norte capital town of Daet topped with an annual income of P158M followed by Albay’s premier town of Daraga. CamSur’s Pili earned P77M to place 6th. Catanduanes capital of Virac earned P65M for the 17th.

Mt. Bulusan’s Seismic Activities Continue

Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon continued to show signs of increasing volcanic activities, recording explosion-type quakes and belching a 200-meter high white steam clouds above the crater rim, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Portrait of a Calabangueño as an Artist

During his elementary days, one would see him at their home front sari-sari store sketching komiks (yes, komiks was so popular that time) characters like the famous “Palos” and many more, honing his skills. At an early age he has shown the propensity and inclination for the visual arts, just […]

Something Happened on the Way to the Forum

Something happened during the past few days on the backside of this blog, Cbanga360(dot)net. And it was not funny at all. This writer got distraught had to stop writing post while thinking of the worst possibility- online posts, comments, images, data, may be lost forever if its repository- the SQL database get affected.

All Souls and All Saints Day Once Again

The ties that bind close family relatives makes the strong pull during certain occasions of the year. One of that is like today’s and tomorrow’s All Souls and All Saints day. However and whenever day the family would like to celebrate (Monday or Tuesday?), commemorate or memorialize again and again our dear departed rests on the schedule and preparations, but mostly on the first of the month as many could be seen around the cemeteries and memorial parks.

NCR Income Humbles Philippine Regions in 2005

To give us a broader and over-all picture of the total annual income of all LGUs, all provinces, all cities and all municipalities, would it be better if they are summed-up by region? So here it is, the table of consolidated income of all LGUs. This post finally closes the presentation on the 2005 income of Philippine towns, cities and provinces.

Premier Provinces of the Philippines in 2005

In our continuing presentation of the annual income of Bicol LGUs we take a look at how they compare in rank with others. The province of Rizal topped the list. Quite remarkable considering that many of its premier and urban towns were chopped from its jurisdiction when the National Capital region was created.

Barangay Election Postponed in Bicol Towns

Just thinking aloud, why is the Comelec shipping election paraphernalia a few days before the actual election, or midnight before election to be exact? So that it always comes to a frustrating situation where these materials either arrive late or never at all on actual election day.

Billionaire Cities of the Philippines in 2005

There are similarities between the cities of Davao and Puerto Princesa. Both have large land area than any of the cities one can locate in the country. Same cities are outside of Metro Manila. Before, respective residents claim either of the two LGUs was the biggest in the Philippines in terms of territory covered. Checking their websites and Wikipedia recently, it seems that has been settled.

All Systems Go for Barangay Elections on Monday

All candidates for barangay position rests today as the campaign period ended Saturday midnight. The waiting game will be over as voters write their verdict in ballots tomorrow. One fact we are sure, there will be more non-winning candidates than winners.

The Aftermath of the Storm

After a devastating typhoon, villagers would immediately act to salvage whatever household items could be useful and still serviceable. Us in Bicol having undergone the same experience more than many times in the past several years as our fellow Filipinos in northern Luzon, can not help but feel the sorrow and pain of typhoon victims.

A Grand Lady is Coming Home

She came to America a few months after loving husband first stepped unto the soils of Long Beach. Ever since, she never transferred to another city. She worked hard for her daughter’s family to join her before but since it was far more important to give the grandson a choice she had to forego the dream even though they stayed for sometime with her.

Rich Towns, Poor Towns of RP

They are the cream of an elite group unto themselves. If they are human, they could be living “la vida loca.” But since they are neither, then they could be comparable to virtual money machines, search engine optimized, sucks every single centavo that comes near their sphere.

Waiting for Superman on Stormy Weather

Extraordinary times like this we wish to ourselves that some extra able super guy (Superman??) would come, rescue not only young ladies in distress but the public as well. But for our country there should be many.

Super Typhoon Juan (Megi) and Weather Watching

We are on an intense weather watch due to the tropical disturbance by typhoon Juan (international code name: megi). But rather than get the bulletin from the local channels, we have to rely on the internet which are much more detailed (words and graphic) with updates as often as the sites get one, without the interruption of lengthy advertisements except those pay per click links.

Legazpi and Camsur Occupies Income Leads in 2005

Looking deep at the 2005 income of cities and provinces of Bicol this time, the trend is no different from previous years. The moneys earned stay more on the uptrend. The cities of Legazpi and Naga are truly rivals. Sorsogon may seem to occupy the third position now and the next years to come.

Daet Ranks 1st in 2005 Bicol Earnings

There is no stumbling block on the surge of Camarines Norte’s capital of Daet to the top of regional ranking by income of Bicol municipalities for the year 2005. Albay province’s top earner Daraga did not even take the second spot and was relegated to number 3. LGU Labo (again, of Camarines Norte) ranked second.

A Call to Heal Our Rivers and Creeks

Blog Action Day 2010: WATER– Time is running out for our rivers and creeks. But we have time on our hands to save and salvage them. Let us put an end at dumping refuse and garbage on our rivers. Saving these waterways begin at home, spreading awareness in our communtiy and helping the local government. Let us organize and move. The time is now. Not tomorrow, but today.

CBSUA Staff and Students Clean-up Calabanga

We cannot help but raise two thumbs up for that endearing and commendable efforts shared by the educational community of Central Bicol State University of Agriculture in Calabanga. On August 26th this year, the Technology Department moved its staff, instructors and students for a fun clean-up drive about the town working hand-in-hand with the local government officials of Calabanga.

Forty Eight Bicol Towns Earn P2.5B in 2004

For the fiscal year of 2004, 48 Bicol towns out of 107 earned an income of P37M or more which totalled P2,478,990,989 out of the regional earnings of P3,951,780,429. Of these local government units, twenty breached the P50M yearly income while the reamaining 28 municipalities earned between P35 but less than P50M.

Naga and CamSur Shows 2003 Earning Power

The province of Camarines Sur and the city of Naga lead the list of top earners in their category for three consecutive years of 2001, 2002 and 2003. The perennial seconders are Albay province and Legazpi city for the same reference periods.

Daraga Town Leads in Bicol 2003 Income

Positioned in rank #1 is Albay province’s premiere town of Daraga with annual income of P108,615,847. Daet, the capital town of Camarines Norte earned P79,165,000 and ranked 2nd. Another town of Camarines Norte, Labo, had annual earnings of P78,378,000 and ranked 3rd. Big town Libmanan of Camarines Sur with earnings of P71,331,958 was ranked 4rth.

Big CamSur Towns Top 2003 Earnings

On this post, we check out changes and performance of Camsur towns’ earnings and expenditures for 2003. 13 towns earned beyond P35M. Libmanan maintained its hold on the 1st rank followed by capital town Pili, then Buhi (from 5th on 2002). Calabanga stayed on 4rth. Tinambac has a “carry-over data” from 2002, at 6th.

Money Talks in RP Classification of LGUs

In the year 2005, another classification took effect. Municipalities earning P50M or more are now classified as 1st class; P40M or more but less than P50M are 2nd class; P30M or more but less than P40M are 3rd Class; P20M or more but less than P30M are 4rth Class; P10M or more but less than P20M are 5th class; and, Below P10M are 6th class.

Camarines Sur Towns Earn More in 2002

This second post covers the year of 2002. Check out how towns, big and small, tumbled down in their rankings as others managed to stay on the top earning money and spending less. It is interesting to note how municipalities “played” with numbers in allocating tax money.

How CamSur Towns Fared On Their Annual Budget

We just got hold of information about income and expenditures of towns, cities and provinces. So this post begins a series related to that, and we will try to make the most logical presentation with analysis and comparison to better understand the data.

Albay Governor Unhappy on Electric Cooperative’s Predicament

Albay governor Joey Sarte Salceda is at his best when speaking in behalf of his provincial constituents. This time, he was thinking aloud about the disparity and inconvenience Albayanos receive when it comes to electricity service and pricing.

Calabanga Proposed as Commercial Growth Corridor

For a robust exchange of trade and commerce to prosper, the physical infrastructure obtaining in the area will play a vital role. Libmanan has access to several mode of transport facility, Calabanga has the one lane provincial road that leads either to Tinambac/Siruma or Naga and beyond.

The Mother and Queen of All Rivers in Southern Luzon

Easily, then, Bicol river is both the queen and mother of all rivers in southern Luzon due to its size and influence. It holds sway and impact on the fertile and floodplains of the provinces, dictating the state of economic well-being and status affecting thousands of lives of people- including farmers, fisherfolks, travellers, etc., around its sphere of natural terrain.

Crossing the Bicol River via Balongay

The banca operator is so experienced he managed to device a system of not going straight ahead after departing from Balongay but instead maneuvers a sharp curved route to curtail the push and shove of the current. Imagine being in a crib on a rocking motion. Just looking at the transport boat, do not expect amenities of comfort for the seat will be a piece of bamboo pole nailed across its rim.

Stepping Into the Real Balongay

At the edge of the river bank, a waiting shade serves as the landing-terminal point for arriving and departing passengers. One can let time pass just by sitting on the steps or on the cement seats. I did just that and kept awed and bewildered at how huge and overwhelming the Bicol river is.

Balongay and the Bridge of Broken Dream

Then I heard about the skyway bridges that will span the river, connecting the towns of Libmanan and Canaman. The structure will be built much farther inside and farther from Balongay. The loss of Calabanga and Cabusao became the gain of Libmanan and Canaman. Lucky folks of these towns.

The Season to Prepare and be Proactive

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration reminded us these weather systems are expected to affect the nation from October until December, more of the tail end of a cold front, inter-tropical convergence zone, easterly wave, ridge of high pressure area, the easterlies, and more tropical cyclones.

Peñafrancia Festival in Retrospect

“All’s well that ends well,” a popular saying that is often quoted by many and here we are, doing the same, for we just can not leave behind the immediately past regional event last week without this concluding piece. The Penafrancia tercentenary, religious festivities, celebration and fiesta all rolled into nine days in the Bicol region which centered its focal events in the city of Naga eclipsed the previous and many years of observance.

Winners of 2010 Peñafrancia Regional Civic Parade

Here’s the results of the civic parade competition during the Peñafrancia regional parade held in Naga city last week. All photos here are from the vantage point near or about the parade review stage at the Plaza Quezon.

Winners of 2010 Peñafrancia Regional Military Parade

Here’s the results of the military parade competition during the Peñafrancia festivities regional parade held in Naga city last week. Photo here is the winning form of the corp of cadets of the CBSUA-Calabanga.

Peñafrancia Fluvial and the Pagoda

We focus our attention on the volunteer devotees, the people that paddles manually the boats all stringed together pulling the “vancuerna” or “pagoda” or the barge that carries about one hundred fifty people including the images of the Virgin of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro.

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