CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and two charitable foundations opened Friday the first-ever training center for children and youth with disabilities in Central Luzon.

Located at Dolores Homesite in this city, the Good Shepherd Resource and Training Center (GSRTC) is a three-floor building which has 25 rooms. The center was funded by the Inocencio Magtoto Memorial Foundation Inc., (IMMFI) in partnership with the Liliane Foundation Philippines (LFP) and Embassy of Japan. (Mark Anthony N. Manuel)

Pantranco Benefits

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — After years of legal battle, employees of the defunct Pantranco North Express, Inc. will finally receive millions of pesos of benefits starting March 28, it was disclosed Saturday.

Pantranco Retrenched Employees Association (PANREA) president Romy Alfonso said each of the employees of Pantranco will receive P40,000 each to be distributed on March 28, 29 and 30. Alfonso said, however, the initial payment of P20,000 each will be given to the former employees of Pantranco while the rest will be given in the coming days. (Mar T. Supnad)

Renowned Pianist

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga – A world-renowned Filipina pianist recently held a concert in Pampanga as a tribute to her fellow Kapampangans. Cecile Licad, whom the New York Times described as “a combination of fragile grace and fiery power,” performed for the first time in this province in a concert dubbed, “An Evening with Chopin and Liszt,” performed at the Holy Angel University (HAU) here.

Her performance was a tribute to her fellow Kapampangans as her father is a native of Porac town. Licad first received international recognition in 1981 as one of the youngest musicians to receive the prestigious Leventritt Gold Medal, and she has appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and National Symphony, among others. (Mark Anthony N. Manuel)

Bulacan Movement

CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan-- More or less 6, 000 Bulakenyos from the first district of this province convened at the Bulacan Capitol Gym Friday afternoon for the fourth anniversary celebration of “Okey Ka Mare Ko” Movement spearheaded by Rep. Marivic R.Sy-Alvarado.

Aside from more than 500 raffle items given to the attendees, Alvarado also showed her appreciation to the women of the first district and awarded the “Katangi-tanging Kababaihan Ng Okey Ka Mare Ko Movement” where each awardee received a plaque of appreciation. (Freddie C. Velez)

Power Notice

LEGAZPI CITY (PNA)--The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has moved to March 28 the scheduled cut off of power supply to the Albay Electric Cooperative (Aleco) for the latter's failure to settle its outstanding electricity bills with the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) amounting to R112.6 million.

The NGCP said the extension was meant to give its direct consumers — like malls, hospitals and other big business establishments — notice before disconnection of electricity in the province.