US envoy arriving in
Bacolod today
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Police security is up for the arrival of the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas Jr., in Bacolod City today.

The ambassador is expected to pay courtesy calls on Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, meet with local artists and attend the 3rd Bacolod Jazz Festival.

Leonardia said that during his meeting with ambassador he will give him an official invitation to the MassKara Festival in October this year. “I will inform the ambassador that there will be balikbayans from the USA and his presence at the MassKara will make it more significant,” Leonardia said.

The five-day national conference on Blessed John Paul II’s Nuptial Theology held in Bacolod ended yesterday, with participants saying they feel renewed in their mission to continue the Pope’s apostolic work and to strengthen their Family and Life Ministries.

Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, one of the delegates, said, “The conference was very successful. I myself feel renewed with this new evangelization.”

Pueblos said the nuptial theology is not new in its essence but the way it was presented in the conference—giving emphasis to the basic principles on family and marriage— was interesting and very inspiring.

The new agent-in-charge of the Bacolod National Bureau of Investigation,Ferdinand Lavin, yesterday said he will work at improvingthe NBI system of issuing clearances and is seeking additional agents to serve the needs of Negros Occidental.

Lavin, who replaces Jose Ermie Monsanto as NBI Bacolod chief, has served aschief of the NBI anti human trafficking, counter intelligence, anti organized crime, anti illegal recruitment, anti graft, anti fraud, and anti illegal recruitment divisions, as well as chiefof the NBI National Capital Region, and as NBI executive officer.

Initially, he said, he sees the need to augment the NBI Bacolod personal attending to its clearance services and the structure of their office to improve the flow for their clients.