Schedule of activities for Ligao's 14th Cityhood Anniversary

The City Government of Ligao has prepared several activities for a week-long celebration of it's 14th Cityhood Anniversary starting on 18 March 2015. Malacañang also recently declared 24 March as special non-working day in Ligao City under Proclamation No. 965.

Day 1
18 March 2015 , Wednesday

TIME	EVENT/ACTIVITY	VENUE
8:00 AM	14TH CITYHOOD ANNIVERSARY MOTORCADE	City Pavilion (assembly)
9:00 AM	Opening of LPG-SEED Exhibit	City Hall Grounds
	Opening of 2nd Kurit Ligao Painting Exhibit	LAT Building, Ligao Nat'l. High School
	Regular Mass Blood Donation	Calzada Covered Court
	Financial Literacy Seminar	SP Hall
	PWD Mini Olympics	City Pavilion
	Mass Eye Screening	CHO Compound
10:00 AM	Blessing & Inauguration of Calzada- Maharlika Diversion Road	Barangay Calzada
1:00 PM	Mobile Civil Registration	Tuburan Barangay Hall
4:00 PM	Blessing & Inauguration of Batang-Pinit Farm to Market Road & Irrigation System	Barangay Pinit
7:00 PM	Beer Plaza	City Pavilion

Day 2
19 March 2015, Thursday

TIME	EVENT/ACTIVITY	VENUE
7:30 AM	FARMERS' DAY
	-  Parade	City Poblacion Area
9:00 AM	Opening of Agri-Trade Fair	City Hall Grounds
	LPG-SEED Exhibit
	2nd Kurit Ligao Painting Exhibit	LAT Building, Ligao Nat'l. High School
	Annual Medical Check- up of LGU Employees	CHO Compound
	Jobs Fair/Career Information & Guidance	City Park
	Financial Literacy Seminar	SP Hall
	Mass Baptism	St. Stephen's Protomartyr Parish Church
1:00 PM	Farmers Laro ng Lahi	City Pavilion
2:00 PM	Mass Confirmation	St. Stephen's Protomartyr Parish Church
5:00 PM	Zumba Total Dance Fitness for Health	City Pavilion
7:00 PM	Binibining Ligao 2015 Talent's Night	City Pavilion

Day 3
20 March 2015, Friday

TIME	EVENT/ACTIVITY	VENUE
8:00 AM	Tree-Planting	Barangay Herrera
	LPG-SEED Exhibit/Agri-Trade Fair	City Hall Grounds
	2nd Kurit Ligao Painting Exhibit	LAT Building, Ligao Nat'l. High School
9:00 AM	Jobs Fair	City Park
	Medical and Dental Mission	Paulba Covered Court/ Infirmary
	Laro ng Lahi (City Hall Employees)	City Pavilion
10:00 AM	Feeding Program	Upland Day Care Centers
2:00 PM	Pedicab Race	Centro Poblacion
4:00 PM	ARAW NG PARANGAL	City Pavilion
7:00 PM	MuziKabataan Band Concert	City Pavilion

Day 4
21 March 2015, Saturday

TIME	EVENT/ACTIVITY	VENUE
8:00 AM	LPG-SEED Exhibit/Agri-Trade Fair	City Hall Grounds
	2nd Kurit Ligao Painting Exhibit	LAT Building, Ligao Nat'l. High School
	National Invitational Chess Tournament	City Park
9:00 AM	COASTAL CARAVAN    -  Medical and Dental Mission    -  Laro ng Lahi
	-           Explore Batong Langoyon	Sitio Tambac, Maonon
	-           Medical & Dental Mission	Cabarian
	-           Coastal Clean-up and Mangrove Planting	Maonon, Cabarian & Catburawan
	-           Laro ng Lahi	Maonon, Cabarian & Catburawan
	-           Floating Cottages Display	Catburawan
	AMAZING RACE (Coastal Edition)	Coastal Brgys.
6:00 PM	AniMawari Cosplay Competition	City Pavilion

Day 5
22 March 2015, Sunday

TIME	EVENT/ACTIVITY	VENUE
6:00 AM	Francisco “Pacoy”  V.Gonzalez Memorial Cup  Mountain Bike Challenge 2015	City Pavilion (assembly)
8:00 AM	LPG-SEED Exhibit/Agri-Trade Fair	City Hall Grounds
	2nd Kurit Ligao Painting Exhibit	LAT Building, Ligao Nat'l. High School
	1st Inter-Festival Volleyball Tournament	City Pavilion
9:00 AM	Cityhood Babies Race 2015	LWCES (Binatagan)
	National Invitational Chess Tournament	City Park
7:00 PM	BINIBINING LIGAO 2015 CORONATION NIGHT	City Gymnasium

Day 6
23 March 2015, Monday

TIME	EVENT/ACTIVITY	VENUE
5:00 AM	Takbo-Panalo: Fun Run to Fitness and Wealth	Kawa-Kawa to City Pavilion
8:00 AM	Synchronized Estero  and River Clean-up	Amtic, Nabonton, Tinago, Calzada, Guilid, Sta. Cruz & Ranao - Ranao
	LPG-SEED Exhibit/Agri-Trade Fair	City Hall Grounds
	2nd Kurit Ligao Painting Exhibit	LAT Building, Ligao Nat'l. High School
9:00 AM	CHURCH MASS WEDDING	St. Stephen's Protomartyr Parish Church
	Medical & Dental Mission	Nasisi Covered Court
10:00 AM	Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan Caravan / Buntis Class
	Launching & Blessing of  Mobile Dental Clinic
3:00 PM	Recognition of Deserving DepEd Employees	City Pavilion
6:00 PM	GENESIS:A Benefit Concert featuring LNHS Voice Chorale (NAMCYA 2015 Champion)	St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish Church

Day 7
24 March 2015, Tuesday

TIME	EVENT/ACTIVITY	VENUE
8:00 AM	2nd Kurit Ligao Painting Exhibit	LAT Building, Ligao Nat'l. High School
	Thanksgiving Mass	Sangguniang Panlungsod Session Hall
9:00 AM	Youth Caravan 2015	City Gymnasium
1:00 PM	PARADE OF FESTIVALS	Tuburan - City Pavilion
7:00 PM	Anniversary Ball	City Pavilion

Source: City Government of Ligao

Albay Rep. Gonzalez wants efficient rehabilitation system for Manila-Bicol railways

During the meeting of Committee on Transportation with officials from the Philippine National Railways (PNR) and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) officials on 25 February 2015, Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando V. Gonzalez urged the PNR to rehabilitate the Manila-Bicol railways with an efficient system to help Bicolanos transport goods.

Albay 3rd District Rep. Fernando V. Gonzalez (right) during the meeting of Committee on Transportation on 25 February 2015 at the House of Representatives

The operation of Manila-Bicol railways has been suspended several times due to damages caused by calamities, neglect of maintenance, and persistent problem with informal settlers. Despite several rehabilitation projects made in the previous years, the railways failed to withstand damages. 

With the approved subsidy of P564.68 million by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), PNR will be rehabilitating tracks, bridges, and stations again this year. 

In which case, Rep. Gonzalez advised the PNR to make an efficient system of constructing and rehabilitating railways. “If you will put railroads, make sure you can sustain it…We would like to have an efficient system, for us Bicolanos,” said Rep. Gonzalez. 

Likewise, in order to ensure that utilization of railroads are cost-effective, affordable, and within the reach of ordinary citizens, certain subsidies are needed. The subsidy must be shouldered by the national government and not by PNR. In order for PNR to use its revenues for operations, salaries, and maintenance, and continue to upgrade and modernize, the same formula is done to operate MRT/LRT in Metro Manila. It is the national government that must pay for the subsidy to help lower the cost for ordinary citizens. 

Railways are the most cost-efficient channels for Bicolanos to transport goods. Alternatively, Bicolanos also transport goods via the Pan-Philippine Highway, commonly known as Maharlika Highway. But due to the high cost of transportation, products are sold at higher prices. “The Bicolanos can produce Papaya that is as cheaply as Batangas, Northern Luzon, and Quezon can produce,” said Rep. Gonzalez. However, Bicolanos need to raise the price to compensate for the high cost of transportation, he added.

PNR must rebuild the railway system to make it resilient. This way the system can be sustained even if subjected to extreme weather conditions. Rep. Gonzalez emphasized that PNR has to address the need for building better railways that can sustain damages. It would be a waste of financial resources to spend millions of pesos in building infrastructures that will eventually collapse every time a typhoon hits the area. He further suggested that PNR should allocate a necessary amount of money for the construction of high-quality railways instead of making installment budget allocations that can only provide for substandard railways. 

“Perhaps it is imperative, and very very important, that if you will be asked to make a railway, do it the right way, do it well, of [with] the necessary money and necessary investment. Huwag yung patingi-tingi na naman [Don’t make installment budget allocation again],“ Rep. Gonzalez explained. 

As Bicolanos rely on railway transportation, the inefficient operation of the railways contributed to poor investments in Bicol. In which case, Rep. Gonzalez called the attention of PNR officials to provide Bicolanos the services that they deserve. 

Albay Catholic devotees visit Kawakawa Hill for 6th Diocesan Youth Way of the Cross

Catholic devotees gather around at the 12th Station of the Cross to pray. 

Hundreds of students, seminarians, and Catholic devotees from different cities and municipalities of Albay gathered at Kawakawa Natural Park, Ligao City to participate in the 6th Diocesan Youth Way of the Cross on 28 February 2015.

Organized by the Commission on Youth, in partnership with Kawakawa Natural Park management headed by Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez, this year’s Youth Way of the Cross is themed, “Jesus looked at Peter (Lk 22: 61-62)…Jesus looked at the youth,” with Most Rev. Joel Z. Baylon, D.D. as the presider.

Beginning at The Last Supper, the devotees were lead by seminarians and Youth leaders in praying at the life-size sculptured Stations of the Cross, followed by a Holy Mass presided by Most Rev. Baylon. Similar to last year’s Youth Way of the Cross, Most Rev. Baylon had a dialogue with the youth instead of a homily.

Leading the pilgrims: Most Rev. Joel Z. Baylon leads a group of pilgrims uphill to the 2nd Station of the Cross.

The Youth Way of the Cross is performed every year at Kawakawa Hill during the Lenten season as a way of showing devotion to the Passion of Christ, and to invite the youth to enter the Catholic seminary. 

Security and medical assistance were also provided by the local government. Booths for food and refreshments were put up in the vicinity for the visitors. The Kawakawa management also provided personnel to guide the visitors in trekking the hill. Restrooms, trash cans, benches, and Nipa Huts are installed in the area for public use. 

Aside from participating in the Way of the Cross, visitors also enjoyed the beautiful scenery and fresh air at Kawakawa, relieving their physical exhaustion. Some took pictures of the animals, the breath-taking views, and even took “selfies” and “groufies” with their friends. 

Aside from the hill’s natural magnificence, people also visit the Kawakawa during summer to witness the blooming of Sunflower field which also coincides with the celebration of Ligao City’s foundation day. 

Written by Lala Peñafiel

For more photos on the 6th Diocesan Youth Way of the Cross, visit Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez' page here.