PGMA TO ATTEND CANONICAL INSTALLATION OF NEW BISHOP OF LEGAZPI DIOCESE

by MA Loterte

Legazpi City (9 December) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will visit Thursday (December 10) this city to attend and witness the Canonical installation of Most Rev. Joel Z. Baylon D.D. as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Legazpi,

The President is expected to arrive at the domestic airport here and will be met by Albay Governor Joey Salceda, Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, Representatives Al Francis Bichara, Edcel Lagman and Reno Lim of the Albay first, second, and third congressional districts, respectively, and Presidential Adviser for Bicol Tomasito Monzon.

The President will then proceed to the Saint Gregory the Great Cathedral in Old Albay district here for the Eucharistic Celebration and Canonical Installation rites.

Archibishop Leonardo de Legazpi of the Diocese of Caceres will preside over the Celebration of the Eucharist and Canonical Installation rites at 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon.

Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales of the Archdiocese of Manila and Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, along with some 31 bishops and 300 clergy from different dioceses across the country and abroad will also witness the installation of the new bishop of the diocese.

After the installation rites, the President will also pay homage to the newly appointed bishop of the Diocese of Legazpi.

Baylon, the former Bishop of the Diocese of Masbate, will be the 6th Bishop of the Diocese of Legazpi, and at 55 he is considered as the youngest senior Roman Catholic cleric to be installed in Bicol and among bishops across the country.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1978 and became Bishop on March 1998.

Baylon will take over the reigns of Acting Diocesan Administrator Bishop Lucilo Quiambao.

Diocese of Legazpi is comprised of 44 parishes in 15 towns and three cities of Albay province. (PIA V)


MINING FIRMS IN BICOL TOLD TO PREPARE ON THE ONSET OF TYPHOON SEASON

LEGAZPI CITY — The Bicol Mines Bureau has reminded recently mining firms Filminera Resources Corporation in Masbate; Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project, Goodfound Cement Corporation and UBS in Albay and United Paragon Mining Corporation and Johnson Gold Mining Corporation in Camarines Norte to prepare for the onset of the typhoon season.

Reynulfo Juan, MGB Bicol regional director, has reason to be alarmed since strong typhoons like Ondoy and Pepeng brought untold devastation in Metro Manila and Northern Luzon.

Juan told the six mining firms to be prepared by conducting simulation drills for all natural hazards that may be caused by typhoons like flooding and even fires including earthquake. They were also ordered to assess their waste dumps, tailings storage facilities, spillways and the volume of rainfall that may cause the effluent at the tailings facilities to spill.

He required the firms to submit (drill and assessment) report as proof of compliance. (MGB V/PIA)


BIR OPLAN:”IBOTO MO KANDIDATO, NAGBABAYAD NG BUWIS NA WASTO”

LEGAZPI CITY — Political candidates vying for any elective office must be the role model in complying with their tax obligations as this is a basic civic duty towards nation building.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is mandated under Revenue Regulations No. 8-2009 dated October 22, 2009, to strictly monitor the withholding tax payments of five per cent on campaign-related expenditures of political parties, campaign contributors and candidates for the forthcoming local and national elections.

All BIR regional directors were instructed during their meeting at the BIR Main Office in Quezon City with Commissioner Joel L. Tan-Torres to intensify this project in order to help meet the collection target for the remaining months of 2009.

The five per cent creditable withholding tax is not a tax on the candidate, political party or contributor but a tax on the income of the supplier of goods and services. It is collected through the candidates, political parties and contributors by the latter deducting the tax from the agreed transaction price upon making the payment and remit such amount to the BIR.

BIR regional director Diosdado R. Mendoza directed all Revenue District Officers (RDOs) to coordinate with the Commission o Elections (COMELEC) under their respective jurisdiction to get the list of candidates and political parties and require them to register with the BIR. In case the candidate is already registered, an update of information is only required using BIR Form 1905 which is the appropriate form. (RMPalmiano, BIR V/PIA)