The Parish Pastoral Council of Our Lady of Purification Parish ofSta. Maria will launch the first Chavacano songbook of liturgical and praise songs on Sunday, February 16,2003. The book titled, "AY CANTA YO A DIOS PARA SIEMPRE" is authored by Prof. Nonna Camins Conti who translated several liturgical songs and set the compositions into notation with accompanying guitar/piano chords.

The book also contains some of Prof. Conti''s original musical compositions for the church.

Both government forces and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels continue to suffer casualties in the series of clashes in Pikit, North Cotabato.

Southern Command reported yesterday that the sporadic clashes continues as M1LF rebels have been harassing military positions in the said town since last night.

Moro rebels have freed a Filipino trader they kidnapped in Jolo, Sulu as police forces prepared to mount a rescue operation, officials said on Thursday.

The hostage Arman Gigante, 26, was handed over to the police by village officials on Thursday after renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) released him before dawn.

A 27-year-old man is now the subject of police manhunt after he allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl yesterday morning.

A police report disclosed that the victim was taken about 4 p.m.

A resident of Casumpang Compound was shot and wounded yesterday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Junieboy Faleasantos, a laborer of a meat house. He sustained multiple bullet wounds in the body and was rushed to the Zamboanga AE Community Hospital in critical condition.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo, Jr. will keynote the general assembly of the Movement for a Better Zamboanga (MBZ) on Saturday, February 15, 2003 at the Celebrity Hall of the Grand Astoria Hotel.

MBZ chairman Fr. William H. Kreutz, SJ, said that Secretary Lorenzo, because his expensive background in agriculture and his close ties to Mindanao, will be able to give MBZ members relevant ideas on how to develop such a highly agricultural city as Zamboanga.

The new Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform, Roberto "Obet" Pagdanganan who took over the cabinet portfolio last Jan. 20 Hernani Braganza surprised the farmers of Patalon Agrarian Reform Community (ARC), 27 km. from the city proper with a quick visit in their area yesterday.

Almost 100 farmers who were awarded around 515 hectares of agricultural land in 1994 under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) were elated by his presence as the first DAR Secretary who ever visited their ARC and spent effort to shake hands with everyone.

Dr. Gerry M. Madrazo, Jr., a graduate of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, will receive the highest and most prestigious science education award given by he National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) of the United States.

The award, known as the "Carleton Award for National Leadership in the Field of Science Education," recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to and provided leadership in science at the national and international levels.