ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, Philippines — A many of colors, sounds and bright lights dotted the usually busy street of Santo Rosario as the city celebrated the Lubenas ning Pasku where traditional lanterns or parols of Angeles were showcased by the different participating barangays. Lubenas is a colorful procession of lanterns paraded with colorful chants.

It began during the 1800s and is still being celebrated by a few Kapampangan towns and cities Saturday. Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan said the event is one way of reviving the rich cultural heritage of Angeles City.“ Technology, modernization and other advancements have surely taken over in the current age, but events like the Lubenas reinvigorate and revive our rich traditional culture,” the mayor said. (Franco G. Regala)

Quezon loan

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — To ensure social services and implementing programs on health, education, agriculture and tourism, the provincial government proposed omnibus term loan in the amount of P1,080 billion to a government bank as announced by Quezon Governor David C. Suarez, Friday.

Suarez told Manila Bulletin said that the proposed loan plan was being studied and scrutinized by the committees on laws and budget chaired by Quezon 2nd district board member Romano Talaga and Quezon 3rd district board member Lourdes de Luna-Pasatiempo, respectively and submitted to the legislative body for the passage of a resolution authorizing Suarez. (Danny Estacio)

Meat monitoring

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — Due to the Christmas season, the Quezon Provincial Veterinarian Office (PVO) intensified its campaign to monitor and control all entries coming in to various towns of the province from nearby towns on double-dead meats to all the public markets, announced here Friday.

Provincial Veterinary chief Dr. Gerald Montierro, said he instructed all municipal veterinarian offices to conduct quarantine checkpoint and cooperate with in monitoring the possible entry of hot meat in their area of jurisdiction. (Danny Estacio)

DENR acts

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — A legal team from the Department of Environment Natural Resources in Central Office, accompanied by the staff of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office  (PENRO-Bataan)  assured  Governor Enrique “Tet” Garcia  that the DENR will now start  to conduct an in depth investigation on the reported questionable Sumalo land case in Hermosa town. 

The DENR’s group of lawyers headed by Atty. Jessie M. Banas and PENRO chief Amado M. Villanueva,  met personally with Gov. Garcia inside the governor’s office here to discuss the issues surrounding the alleged take over by  the Litton family of the more than 200 hectares of government land in Sumalo that has been tilling and occupied by hundreds of families in the area since 1957. (Mar T Supnad)

Christmas gifts
 
ANGONO, RIZAL — Some 300 kids and senior citizens from several depressed communities of the town received an early Christmas gift from the municipal government and its partner non-government organizations Friday.

The office of Mayor Gerardo “Gerry” Calderon said  bags of goodies consisting of rice, noodles, canned meat, assorted clothes and toys were distributed to the beneficiaries of the gift-giving activity held at the Angono Municipal Gymnasium Friday. (Nel B. Andrade)