The Local School Board (LSB) chaired by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat has conferred with education officials to determine which public elementary and secondary schools need additonal teachers this coming school year.

Lobregat said the board is now in the process of selecting schools where to detail the locally-hired teachers that the city government will soon be hiring.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Monday night said her reform programs were working and that by the end of the year the budget deficit would be reduced by about P60 billion.

"We are on track as you can see with our fiscal targets this year, we are overshooting our revenue projections and we are doing everything we can -- catching tax dodgers, firing corrupt revenue officials, keeping an eye on austerity -- to ensure that we have a more successful repeat performance in the year to come," the President said during the centennial celebration of the Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc. at the Manila Hotel.

Malaysia is proud to help broker peace between the Philippine government and Muslim separatist rebels, the country''s deputy prime minister said yesterday during a visit to truce monitors.

Najib Razak, also Malaysia''s defense minister, flew in to Cotabato City join celebrations marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with 50 Malaysian and 10 Bruneian troops who recently began observing a year-old cease-fire between the Philippine military and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

I think all Zamboangue ¤ os will agree with me, If I make mention that Barangay Pasonanca deserves to be the center of tourism in our City of Zamboanga, with no prejudice against any of the Barangays.

I based this opinion on real facts. Pasonanca for one, has been endowed with a natural landscape, surrounded by hills, a forest with century old trees, with plants like wild orchids. ( I knew of someone who collected wild orchids from the forest. I wonder if we still have some in the forest of Pasonanca). It can also be a habitat for all kinds of animals, if we desire to do so, and above all, we have a springlike river that provides our City dam with water, an aviary, and the cool air that the inhabitants enjoy in the late afternoon and wee hours of the morning. It is definitely a beautiful place to bring our visitors, as we also have restaurants there. People who live there are very lucky!

Three Philippine National Red Cross Governors -- Mayor Celso Lobregat, Lourdes Quezon and Mario Nery -- conferred yesterday for the forthcoming 5th National Volunteers Conference that will be held here first week of December.

Lobregat said that at least 500 board of directors are expected to arrive in the city to participate in the national convention on December 3-5 at Astoria Regency.

The Malaysian-led international monitoring team (IMT) tasked to watch over developments of a low-level truce between government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has temporarily set up office inside Armed Forces of the Southern Command headquarters in this City.

This came about after officials failed to comply with its obligation pursuant to the IMT''s Terms of Reference (TOR).

The Development Bank of the Philippines Regional Management Office for Western Mindanao and Zamboanga Branch joined in the celebration of the bank''s family day through a tree planting activity and picnic in scenic Sta. Cruz Island last Saturday, Nov. 6.

DBP officers, employees and their family hied off to the island known for its unique pink sand beach to be the first organization to conduct a mangrove replanting activity in the Great Sta. Cruz Island. The project was undertaken in coordination with the Philippine Tourism Authority that facilitated the trip and provided the needed seedlings. A total of 100 tree seedlings of the "Bakauan" specie were planted in a designated mangrove area of the island.

Landbank released a total of P2.4 billion in loans and fund assistance for livelihood to less privileged farmers, small-scale entrepreneurs and fishermen in the region for the month of September alone.

In the loan assistance, Landbank personnel provided the loan recipients with training on management, hands-on small-scale business, farming and fishing and the direct transfer of technology with a less interest rate.

Wow! Zonta , a spectacular fashion show featuring some of Zamboanga City''s stylist women and beauty title holders, will be held at Astoria Regency in Pasonanca on Friday, November 12.

The fashion show is being presented by the Zonta Club of Zamboanga City under the leadership of President Dr. Cely Tan. This presentation is described as a show with a cause because its proceeds will go to the club''s Ayudahan Center in Canelar and for the club''s selected scholars.

More than 70 percent of children diagnosed with cancer at the largest government hospital in Mindanao, dropped out from treatment, a cancer specialist said.

Dr. Mae Concepcion Dolendo, pediatric oncologist at the Davao Medical Center (DMC), said the main reason of cancer patients for refusing to undergo treatment is the huge cost involved.

The Basilan provincial government, in coordination with the Army''s 18thIB, 32thIB and 55thIB, held a series of medical outreach missions in Tipo-Tipo, Lantawan, Maluso, Sumisip and Tuburan during the past few weeks.

Basilan Vice Gov. Al-Rasheed Sakalahul said during the outreach missions, they also conducted education campaing among the villagers to motivate them to change their mindset into an atmosphere of livelihood and economic progress.

New Southern Command Chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza has vowed to continue the fight against terrorism and other lawless groups in Southern Philippines.

"The first order of the day is for our forces to continue the government operation against terrorism and lawless elements. The Abu Sayyaf is now on the run and we will intensify our operation against them and other threat groups," Braganza told reporters after he assumed his new post last Thursday replacing Lt.Gen. Generoso Senga, who was designated as Philippine Army chief.

It will be recalled that when logging companies were operating in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s in Zamboanga Peninsula, before their yearly permits were renewed, they have to maintain a reforestation area which was mandatory requirement.

But due to corruption, the defunct Bureau of Forest Development (BFD) personnel connived with unscrupulous loggers by complying with the requirements only on paper.

Councilor Mannix Dalipe yesterday expressed regret over the non-prioritization of education in the city''s Annual Executive Budget for 2005.

Dalipe said he laments the fact that the city government has not given utmost priority to public education after it failed to allocate money in the next year''s general fund for the construction and/or rehabilitation of schoolbuildings and classrooms.

Decorated military officer Lt. Gen. Generoso Senga yesterday took over the helm of the 70,000-strong Philippine Army, vowing to continue implementing reforms within the organization.

"The Philippine Army remains at the forefront (in) the fight against the enemies of the State...and as it battles the threats to our nation''s security, it wages its own campaign to develop itself as an organization that is relevant, responsive and truly deserving of the people''s trust as their protector," Senga said during the turn-over ceremonies at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City.