November 20, 2020
Army troopers gunned down an alleged member of the new people’s army in Milagros town, Masbate who turned out to be a working journalist.
Police identified the victim as Ronnie Villamor, 50, resident of Celestina Subdivision, Barangay Nursery, Masbate City and a reporter of Dos Cantos, a local newspaper in Masbate.
According to Major Aldrin Rosales, chief of Milagros Municipal Police Station, Villamor was shot dead during a military operation at Barangay Matanglad, around 1:00 PM on Saturday, Nov. 14.
In his report, Rosales said a platoon of scout rangers led by a certain Lt. Maydim Jomadil went to the area to check on the information about the reported presence of alleged five armed men.
Upon seeing the approaching troopers, the five individuals allegedly scampered in different directions but one of them took off on a motorcycle, the report added.
Military troopers blocked his escape route as he pulled out a handgun, which prompted the soldiers to shoot him, Rosales said.
But local...
November 20, 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday, Nov. 15, gave the green light on the proposal to dredge the Bicol River, the eight largest tributary in the country.
Duterte, in a visit to Camarines Sur on Sunday, approved the proposal in response to the appeal of Camarines Sur Gov. Miguel Luis Villafuerte for the dredging of the entire Bicol River based on the World Bank (WB) study.
Villafuerte said heavy siltation of the river causes water to overflow in river banks during heavy downpour that triggers flooding in several low lying towns and cities of Camarines Sur.
He said every time heavy rains hit Camarines Norte and Albay,
these flood waters flow down to Camarines Sur through the Bicol River and its tributaries setting of widespread flooding in the province.
He said the Camarines Sur is the catch basin of floodwaters whenever rains and stormy weather befall the region.
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT. President Rodrigo R. Duterte answers questions from media after his meeting with nationa...
November 20, 2020
BULA, Camarines Sur---The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bicol has reported some P1.2-billion worth of damages in aquaculture and fishery due to strong winds and widespread flooding brought by Typhoons “Rolly” and “Ulysses.”
Nonie Enolva, BFAR spokesperson, told Bicol Mail that a total of P224,732,000 worth of damages in fishery were registered in Bicol due to Typhoon “Rolly” while around P1-billion damages were lost to the fishery sector due to Typhoon “Ulysess.”
She said “Rolly” affected most fisherfolk in Catanduanes where some P90.2 million worth of damages in fishing gears, boats, fish ponds, and fish cages were recorded, while fish catchers and aqua farmers in Camarines Sur suffered some P34.6 million in damages.
Enolva said that Catanduanes is a rich fishing ground for “galonggong” and “matambaka.” She added that the province’s aquaculture industry also produces crabs, milkfish, and tilapia.
Based from BFAR’s summary of dama...
November 20, 2020
Senate majority floor leader Juan Miguel Zubiri has distributed on Friday until Sunday, Nov. 13-15) some 700 sacks of rice to the severely affected families by the three typhoons that hit the Bicol region in the past weeks.
In a media briefing at the Albay Capitol Building, Zubiri said that he did not bring rice to Bicol but instead bought them from local farmers and traders out of his personal fund. He added that more relief goods are coming.
“We decided to just buy the sacks of rice from the local farmers and traders here in Bicol so that we could help them in selling their produce. And at the same time, we distributed these rice to the families grossly affected by Typhoons “Quinta,” “Rolly” and “Ulysses,” Zubiri said.
Zubiri also bats for the construction of sturdier evacuation centers, including schools buildings, to serve as safer shelter by the people during strong typhoons.
“Typhoons are getting stronger at this time. So we really need to adopt to them by building infrastructu...
November 20, 2020
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Bicol in partnership with the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center released its initial updates in connection with Typhoon “Ulysses,” which hit the entire Bicol region last Nov.11, this year.
According to information derived from their web page, as of Nov. 16, there were 433,850 persons or 133,741 families, 1,257 barangays and 87 municipalities/cities in Bicol region that were affected by the onslaught of the super typhoon.
Some 35,542 families and 140,015 people were displaced and brought to 785 evacuation centers across the region.
The information also stated that the province of Albay has the most number of persons affected by the typhoon, which has 215,974 affected persons or 58,681 families and 304 barangays with 55,221 persons displaced.
Next is the province of Camarines Sur, which has 155,009 affected persons or 39,127 families and 579 barangays with 79,792 persons displaced.
...
November 20, 2020
Families whose houses were totally destroyed by super Typhoon “Rolly” will be moved to vacant houses in the existing relocation sites across Albay, or will be given new houses in the in lots that will be identified by the concerned local government units (LGUs), the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) said.
Some 2,615 families or 10,092 persons are still staying in the evacuation centers for two weeks already after their houses were either uprooted, flattened to the ground, or buried in lahar debris when super Typhoon “Rolly” battered Albay and other Bicol provinces on All Saints’ Day.
Apsemo had recorded 23,126 totally damaged houses and 96,919 partially damaged houses across Albay.
Cedric Daep, Apsemo chief, said that they are now starting to identify housing units inside the different relocation sites in Albay that are already vacated by their former occupants who migrated in some other places outside the province or have decided to go back to their origin...
November 20, 2020
A 4.3 magnitude quake jolted Catanduanes on Monday morning, Nov. 16, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Phivolcs seismic instrument detected the earthquake with tectonic origin at around 6:49 AM 22 kilometers south of Baras town in Catanduanes.
The Phivolcs instrument has measured the quake's depth at 84 kilometers.
Four hours earlier at 2:16 AM of the same day, a 2.6 magnitude quake jolted Masbate with epicenter 23 kilometers east of Pio V. Corpuz town.
Phivolcs said the quake was an aftershock of the strong earthquake that shook Masbate on Sunday (Nov. 15) afternoon with epicenter 18 kilometers east of the the town of Pio V. Corpuz.
The quake with tectonic origin was 18 kilometers in depth.
The Sunday strong quake was felt with Intensity in Pio V. Corpuz and Cataingan towns in Masbate, several towns in Samar, Leyte, and Cebu.
November 20, 2020
NAGA City councilor Elmer S. Baldemoro, chairperson of the Committee on Children of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has authored a new city ordinance that prohibits the conduct of caroling in and along the streets and roads of the city.
Baldemoro, who is also the chairperson of the Naga City Council for the Welfare and Protection of Children, said the ordinance also prohibits the conduct of similar activities to persons onboard any kind of vehicles, especially those caught in traffic jams.
The ordinance, which was enacted on Nov. 17, this year, cited Section 13, Article II and Section 3 (2), Article XV of the 1987 Constitution, which provide that the state recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being.
It also provides that the state shall defend the right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition, and special protections from all forms of neglect, abuse,...
November 20, 2020
GOVERNOR Joseph Cua has appealed for more assistance after Typhoon “Ulysses” battered the island province of Catanduanes on Nov. 11, this time hitting towns that were least damaged by super Typhoon “Rolly” on Nov. 1.
Cua said that several houses and infrastructures were again destroyed by “Ulysses” when it brought heavy to torrential rains that triggered landslides and inundated several low-lying areas in the northern side of the island, particularly Bagamanoc, Pandan, Caramoran, Gigmoto and portion of Viga.
“What seems ironic is the fact that these towns hit by “Ulysses” are the areas that were least affected by super Typhoon “Rolly” that had its landfall at the eastern side of Catanduanes. Therefore, all the towns in our province are now affected by these typhoons, which means more assistance that we will be needing,” Cua said.
Cua lamented that the one-percent progress in their recovery efforts after “Rolly” was again pulled back to zero by “Ulysses.”
“Our calamity funds are almost...
November 20, 2020
Some 130,000 religious people from 29 religions and 73 countries prayed together on Sunday, Nov. 15, for the end of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The global prayer service was broadcasted live on YouTube at 2:00 PM Manila time, led by Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a Christian church headquartered in South Korea.
All the members from South Korea and abroad participated to pray for the government, medical staff, patients, survivors, and citizens who are devoting their efforts during this pandemic. Religious people of different faiths who share this intention also joined to pray in accordance with their religious affiliation.
Chairman Man-hee Lee of Shincheonji Church encouraged the “religious people of the world” to gather in “one heart” and “put the crisis behind”.
Imam Akmad B. Wahab, national coordinator of the Imam Council of the Philippines, expressed his support, “This prayer gathering is another great move from Chairman Man-hee Lee. He is uniting us, regardless of religion, ra...