September 25, 2020
Protesters denounce Duterte’s indecisiveness
LEGAZPI CITY --- Some 100 militant activist from multi-sectoral progressive groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) stage on Monday, Sept. 21, protest rally marking the 48th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law at the Albay’s Penaranda Freedom Park here.
Nica Ombao, Gabriela-National Alliance of Filipino Women Bicol regional coordinator, said the protest action was to commemorate the fallen heroes that fought for democracy during the dark days of Martial Law.
Ombao said that aside from honoring the patriots that defended democracy against the Marcos dictatorship, the protesters reiterated their call against the unabated human rights violation committed by military and police authorities, and corruption in government amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Ombao, in an interview, assailed the widespread corruption in government particularly the irregularities in the distribution of the Social...
September 25, 2020
NAGA CITY --- Mayor Nelson Legacion said the city government is now completing the details of a proposal that seeks to upgrade its abattoir from Double “A” to Triple “A” category.
In his virtual press briefing on Monday, Sept. 21, he said the “AAA” category would allow the city slaughterhouse to cater to the butchering needs of neighboring towns in the 3rd district of Camarines Sur.
“The proposal, which is being prepared by a technical working group, will be presented to the Department of Agriculture and the National Meat Inspection Service in the hope that it would boost the city government’s aim to upgrade the facility’s category,” Legacion said.
The mayor said he is optimistic that the city government will get the P50-million grant from the national government once the proposal is approved. “What we need is to allocate 10 percent of the amount as the city’s counterpart fund,” he said.
According to Legacion, once the “AAA” standards are met, it would mean that Naga has a facility t...
September 25, 2020
LEGAZPI CITY --- A barangay captain and his treasurer in Albay town were gunned down by unidentified suspects on Monday (Sept. 22) afternoon, a police official said.
Major Domingo Tapel Jr., Guinobatan police chief, identified the fatalities as Luzviminda Dayandante, 50, barangay chairperson and Albert P. Orlina, 45, barangay treasurer, both of Batbat in Guinobatan, Albay.
Tapel said at around 3:45 PM on Sept. 22, the victims while on board a motorcycle passing through Sitio Gumian, Barangay Sinungtan, were fired upon by unidentified suspects.
“Based on police investigation, Dayandante sustained four gunshot wounds while Orlina suffered a gun shot at his back from M-16 rifle,” Tapel said.
He added that they are still investigating as to the motive of the killings.
Guinobatan Mayor Gemma Ongjoco, in an interview, confirmed that the victims visited her office to follow up on projects in their village hours before the killings.
Meanwhile, Albay 3rd district Rep. Fernando Cabredo, in a...
September 25, 2020
LEGAZPI CITY --- The Ako Bicol Party-List (AKB) has started its series of consultative meetings with officials of state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Bicol region to help boost their existing internet connectivity for their online classes.
“We are now planning that all universities in Bicol must upgrade their connectivity from internet up to the software and technology. Para ma digitize maray (to be able to digitize more), to transform from enrollment to online services,” AKB Rep. Elizaldy Co said on Monday, Sept. 21.
He said that schools must upgrade their information technology (IT) capabilities to be able to adopt to the rising demand for connectivity as a result of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
School officials who attended the latest meeting on Sept. 19 include those from the Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology (BISCAT), Camarines Sur Polytechnic College, Partido State University, Sorsogon State College, Catanduanes State University, and...
September 25, 2020
COASTAL CLEAN UP. Members of the SEACAD movement clean the beaches of San Miguel and Lamit Bays as part of their environmental advocacy and promotion of productivity among the youth amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo by SEACAD Youth Movement
Members of the Sustainable Environment Advocacy towards Coastal Advanced Development (SEACAD) group have conducted coastal clean up and distributed free vegetable seedlings to village resident of Tinambac town to ease hunger and provide livelihood amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The group is a local government unit (LGU) supported youth movement in Tinambac that implement pro-environment activities related to marine and coastal ecosystem.
...
September 25, 2020
CAMALIG, Albay---Though all roads leading to Naga City was closed for devotees of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia during her week-long feast due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, faithful from other parts of the Bicol region never stopped professing their devotion and strong faith in “Ina”, the patroness of Bicolandia.
In barangay Salugan here, where a miniature image of “Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia” is housed in a centennial Camagong wood inside the El Miro De Shie Integrated Farm, the statue of “Ina” was decorated by buddies Alwin Moralejo, a makeup artist and Ronald Lita, a local designer of Atelier Ronaldo, along with the children of village chieftain Shiela Dino and Edmiro Dino for the feast of “Ina.”
The Our Lady of Peñafrancia is the patron saint of El Miro De Shie Integrated Farm. On her feast day, every 3rd Sunday of September, the image of “Ina” is brought to St. John the Baptist Church by the youth and barangay officials for the solemnity celebration.
As the...
September 25, 2020
The Diocese of Legazpi and lawmakers in Albay have strongly condemned the killing of two village officials and called on authorities to bring to justice the perpetrators of the crime.
The Diocese of Legazpi through Fr. Rex Paul Arjona, executive director of Social Action Center (SAC), called on the authorities to conduct a full and impartial investigation of the killing of chairwoman Luzviminda "Ida" Dayandante and village treasurer Albert P. Orlina of Barangay Batbat,Guinobatan, Albay.
Arjona said that prior to the killing of Dayandante, she was complaining of being tagged as NPA supporter by unidentified individuals and groups.
"She was punong barangay and also the Barangay Pastoral Council chairprson of Batbat, Guinobatan. Yesterday, she and their barangay treasurer were gunned down by still unidentified assailants," he said.
"Few days before her death, she complained of being red-tagged as an NPA supporter, a charge she denied. We call for a full and impartial investigation of their m...
September 25, 2020
PILI, Camarines Sur --- The major high value crops commodities in Bicol posted notable growth in production based on the preliminary data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Data from PSA showed that pineapple and sweet potato posted the highest production growths among the high value crops in Bicol. Pineapple registered 13 percent growth from last year’s 95,082 MT to 107,357 MT volume of production in the first semester of 2020. Sweet potato or camote posted 12 percent growth from last year’s production of 62,974 MT to this year’s production of 70,645 MT.
Peanut posted a 7 percent growth from last year’s 815MT to 875MT in 2020. Mungbean or mongo recorded a 4 percent increase in production from 110 MT in 2019 to 115 MT in 2020. Okra posted a 6 percent increase in production from 755 MT in 2019 to 804 MT in 2020.
Commercial scale vegetable production in Bicol also increased. Native pechay posted a 3 percent increase from last year’s 10,318 MT to 10,635 MT in 2020. Squash post...
September 25, 2020
REQUEST. Gov. Al Francis Bichara (right) and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar during the Laging Handa network briefing on Sept. 18, 2020. (Screenshot from Radyo Pilipinas live broadcast)
LEGAZPI CITY --- Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara on Friday, Sept. 18, has requested for the upgrading of the People’s Television Network (PTV) station in the province, to be used as a tool for students’ distance learning this coming school year.
Bichara made the request to Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar during the Laging Handa network briefing recently.
“We have to upgrade, sana magagamit na ito ng mga estudyante (we are hoping it can be used by the students),” he said.
Bichara said before ABS-CBN’s closure, it was the only accessible TV station in Albay. “And now everyone is depending on cable TV, we don’t have open broadcasting. With the resources from the government, we can use this (PTV station) for those...
September 25, 2020
THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Bicol has came up with alternative modes in collecting data for this year’s Census of Population and Housing (CPH) to prevent coronavirus (Covid-19) infection among its enumerators and their respondents.
“Here in Bicol, we hired 7,981 census personnel and 615 of them are enumerators. There will be a strict coordination with the barangay officials who will assist the enumerators in the conduct of the 2020 CPH,” Cynthia Perdiz, PSA Bicol chief said.
Perdiz said that since Bicol region remains under modified general community quarantine, the households have four options to undergo the census. One is the traditional face-to-face interviews with strict compliance to minimum health standards, which can be completed within 15 to 30 minutes.
The other modes are telephone interview and a computer-aided questionnaire, which can be filled up and submitted online.
The last mode is households may also choose to fill up a self-administered questionnaire...