City to hold first freedom day for gays and lesbians

ANGELES CITY — For the first time, gays and lesbians are being given the chance to openly express themselves in a parade regarded to be one of the highlights of the upcoming Fiestang Kuliat.

Hospital director seeks improvements

ANGELES CITY -- The newly installed director of the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (formerly Ospital Ning Angeles) seeks to uplift the status of the city hospital by converting it to a tertiar

Mayor reveals 8-point agenda

ANGELES CITY -- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan bared on Monday his eight-point agenda that would be the thrust of his three-year term.

Labor secretary graces family summit

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz graced the inaugural Philippine Global Family Summit and Caravan at the Tarlac Provincial Capitol.

Baldoz led the oath taking of the national officers of Global Workers & Family Federation Inc. (GWFFI), a private organization advocating for the general welfare and interest of the Filipino migrant workers and their families.

Internal revenue encourages public to pay online

CLARK FREEPORT -- The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has encouraged taxpayers to utilize the agency's electronic filing and payment system.

In an awareness campaign Wednesday, BIR Regional Director Araceli Francisco said their electronic filing and payment system (eFPS) allows taxpayers to electronically process and transmit tax return information including attachment and tax dues through the BIR website.

Red tide alert still up in Bataan, Zambales

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) renewed its appeal to the public to refrain from gathering and eating shellfish from the Bataan coastal waters and Masinloc Bay in Zambales as red tide toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning remains present in these areas.

Affected by the ban in Bataan are the municipalities of Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Abucay, Samal and Orani and the city of Balanga.

Subic yachting race to draw international teams

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- This February, the aces of Asian yachting will battle for supremacy in the second 200-mile Subic Bay-Boracay Offshore Race.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia said the exciting sporting event would serve as an excellent platform to further showcase the Subic Bay Freeport and help firm up Subic's quest for a distinctive spot in the yachting circuit.

Central Luzon among top 5 regions with most rabies cases

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- From 2005 until 2010, Central Luzon has been included among the top five regions in the country with high animal rabies cases.

Dr. Milagros Mananggit, Regional Rabies coordinator of the Department of Agriculture (DA), said that in 2005 and 2006, the region ranked second among all other regions in the country in terms of reported animal rabies cases.

Disaster reduction council bares 2012 programs

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- To be adequately ready for the occurrence of any disaster, the Central Luzon Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) has set its programs and projects for 2012, which will enable the local government units to cope with emergencies.

National artists grace 4th writers’ festival

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Three national artists graced the fourth Philippine Writers' Festival dubbed as “Taboan”, a yearly writers' conference spearheaded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Artists Virgilio Almario, Bienvenido Lumbera, and F. Sionil Jose, together with 86 poets, playwrights, fictionists and novelists from all parts of the country converged at the Fontana Leisure Park in Clark Freeport Zone for the festival, which started Wednesday until February 11.