The Western Visayas Private Schools Athletic Association (WVPRISAA) will hold its general assembly and election of new set of officers at 9am of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University in Iloilo City, according to Roger A. Banzuela, WVPRISAA Technical director.

After the election, the new set of officers will have their first board meeting to tackle concerns in the previous association activity and the future holding of program of activities and the participation in the 2014 National PRISAA.

Tagum City in Davao Del Norte will be the venue of 2014 National PRISAA to be held in April, Banzuela said, adding that the month is the usual date of holding the event. This year’s event was held in Lingayen, Pangasinan last February due to the May 13 midterm election.

Games on Sunday (May 26)

11:00 NHOJS VS. PANASONIC
1:00 NBG VS. DEDING’S EATERY
2:30 SHARP VS. PESO BAYS

TEAM STANDING W-L
Sharp 3-1
NBG 3-1
Panasonic 3-1
Deding’s Eatery 2-2
PESO BAYS 1-3
NHOJS 0-4

The Big Three squads__Sharp, Negros Basketball Group and Panasonic are in for a final test in the last day of elimination of the Condura Cup of Basketball Unified Sports Group 2nd Invitational Tournament for 40 Up on Sunday at Po Hang gym of Bacolod Tay Tung High School here.

Sharp, which faces PESO BAYS, has the best quotient of 1.48 among the trio after giving Panasonic its worst beating, 104-73 last week. If the TV Makers stay sharp and repeat the teamwork it showed against the Ref Makers, the number one spot is theirs.

DUMAGUETE CITY - A do-or-die matches for three teams in Group A will take place Saturday for the last elimination matches for the bracket in the ongoing 2013 PFF Suzuki U23 National Cup at the Gov. Mariano Perdices Memorial Stadium football field.

But based on their standing, Cebu has the edge against the two other teams for having two wins and a draw and no loss card. Cebu will face Iloilo at 2pm Saturday. North Cotabato will play against Baguio-Benguet at 4pm.

Iloilo defeated Baguio-Benguet, 1-0 yesterday with Paul John Acuerdo hitting in the 43rd minute to improve its record with two wins and a loss; the same with North Cotabato that won over Iligan-Dipolog, 3-1 also yesterday.

There are athletes in the country who have inborn talents and potentials. That’s why there is always time to discover them in the grassroots development program. The program of the Department of Education is a good start. The Palarong Pambansa serves the best of it. But the only obstacle with it is "politics". The athletes discovered in that sporting event should be wholly supported in their training and study. But the outcome seems on the other side of the coin. After the athletes perform, they were left in a corner unattended. No follow up. If there are supports, it came before the games, but nothing after. Instead, the athletes with potentials and talents were courted by different schools that need them. Offers come and it is good for them.

Philippine National Games (PNG) is reportedly a venue of discovering potential athletes that will don the country’s colors someday in international sports competitions. Millions are being spent for the holding of PNG by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). In 2011 alone, more than 26 million pesos were spent in the hosting. How about this year? Does it serve its purpose?

7-Eleven, the country’s and the world’s biggest convenience store chain with almost 900 stores nationwide will soon open its first store in Western Visayas. The 24/7 store will be operated by AMG Negros Corporation , and will be located beside Convergys, the largest BPO in the country, in the ground floor of the tallest IT Center in Western Visayas, Two Sanparq- San Antonio Park Square, Lacson St. Mandalagan, Bacolod City owned by AU and Sons Merchandising, Inc .(AUSMI).

The highlight of the May festival of flowers – the Flores de Mayo – in tribute to the Virgin Mary is the Santacruzan.

And paying its tribute to the Virgin Mary will be the Bacolod Cultural Foundation. Inc, (BCF) which presents its annual Santac-ruzan Festival in Bacolod City on Sunday, May 26 at 4pm.

The Santacruzan is a procession commemorating St. Helena’s finding of the Holy Cross. She and her son Constantine the Great, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, made a pilgrimage to Calvary in search of the original cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified,

The procession will feature beautiful young ladies in glittering gowns and will begin at the old City Hall, Araneta St, then to Gonzaga St, onto Gatuslao St, Rizal St and ending at SM, North Level – site of the old SM Department Store.

7 Mos. to Deliberate, Only 10 Minutes to Approve it

By Danny B. Dangcalan

After more than four months, the Annual Budget for 2013 of the Negros Occidental provincial government amounting to P2.6 billion was finally approved during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) yesterday.

The approved budget represents P1,912,059,008 for general fund and P690,149,879 for the Economic Enterprise Development Department.

The budget was unanimously approved on third and final reading upon "mass motion" by Board Member Salvador Escalante Jr., chairman of the SP Commit-tee on Finance.

Is there a rift between the lawyer and the family of slain Kabankalan regional trial court judge Henry Arles?

This question cropped up among local media circles since Tuesday after lawyer Frank Britanico, who had been the legal counsel and spokesman of the Arles family since last year, disclosed that he has already withdrawn from the case. Britanico, brother-in-law of the murdered judge, sent a text message to the media Tuesday morning informing them that the judge’s daughter, Ma. Estelita "Ria" Arles, a lawyer, was expected to file a motion for partial reconsideration of the case before the Department of Justice (DOJ) that afternoon.

In the same text message, he disclosed that he had withdrawn from the case even before the DOJ released its decision.

Police Regional office (PRO) 6 Regional Director Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr. said, although some Filipinos have reportedly experienced harassment in Taiwan after the fatal shooting of Taiwanese fishermen off Batan Is. on May 9, no tension is monitored between Filipinos and Taiwanese tourists in Boracay Island and other parts of Western Visayas.

University of St. La Salle welcomes visitors from Kongju National University. From left: USLS Center for External Relations Director Rhoderick K. Samonte, Kongju National University Head of International Affairs Gongho Yoo, English for Global Communications Program Staff Marli Catalan, Kongju National University Director for International Affairs Ji Hoon Park, PhD, Lasallian Student Exchange for 2013-2017 Julian Diego Mapa, Lasallian Faculty Exchange for 2011-2013 Eda Mae Arcilla, Kongju National University Dean of the Division of International Studies Mooyul Huh, PhD, and Phil-Korea Educational Services, Inc. CEO Jae Yong Oh.*

Cruz said in a press conference that he already directed all police unit commanders to closely monitor the situation, especially in tourist destinations in their area of responsibility.

"Kailangan po natin sila babantayan kasi di rin tayo makakasiguro (We have to be on guard because we cannot really be sure of the situation)," he stressed.