By Zyra Ponce The Bicol Medical Center (BMC) Regional Cancer Center head, Dr. Alma Bresnan, said that they have recorded a total number of 108 patients who were diagnosed with cervical cancer excluding the numbers of cancer patients in private hospitals. In an interview with Bresnan during the event dubbed as “Kapihan sa PIA” held at SM City Naga on Cervical Cancer Awareness, patients with cervical cancers rank second to 206 patients diagnosed with breast cancer while ther

By Jason B. Neola The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Bicol is now implementing the phase 3 of its Service Contracting Program (SCP) with drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs). The program allows commuters to avail free rides or libreng sakay in any of the participating PUVs where the drivers will receive a weekly performance-based subsidies based on the number of trips made, irrespective of the number of passengers. “Under SCP, PUV drivers are

By Paolo Gabriel D. Jamer A fire near two of Naga City’s top universities razed nine houses including a dormitory and an eatery rendering 10 families homeless, a report of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said. BFP said the fire incident transpired at Barangay Bagumbayan Sur in Naga City on May 19 at around 10:42 PM. Aside from BFP personnel who responded to the fire scene, the Naga City Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Firefighters Inc. or Naga White and Chin Po Tong Volunteer

By Jason B. Neola Aside from ensuring that Naga City’s alert level 1 status is maintained, the city government is readying preparations that are intended to achieve a successful celebration this year of what is known as Asia’s biggest Marian festival. Mayor Nelson Legacion has already instructed the heads of the different departments, offices, and units to actively participate in the planning, organizing, and management of various religious and civic activities with the Arch

By Paulo Papa A former FM radio station manager and broadcaster who later on became one of the campaign coordinators of presidential candidate Bong-Bong Marcos (BBM) in Camarines Sur was arrested by police authorities in Naga City on Sunday, May 22 by virtue of warrant of arrest issued by a Regional Trial Court (RTC). A report by the Naga City Police Office (NCPO) identified the former radio personality as Maria Victoria Gumabao, 54, former station manager of Home Radio. Guma

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) is bent on pushing for the passage of a proposed law that seeks to provide media workers more protection and benefits in the 19th Congress. The proposed Media Workers Welfare Act was approved in the House of Representatives in January 2021 but it languished in the Senate until it went on recess for the just-concluded May 9 national and local elections. In an interview at Ugnayan sa Bicol recently, PTFoMS Chief of Staff Pe

By Connie Calipay Some 372 personnel of the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5), including officers in the regional headquarters, submitted themselves for drug testing on May 18. In an interview, Maj. Malu Calubaquib, PRO-5 spokesperson, said the regional headquarters together with the provincial offices conducted a surprise random drug testing initiated by Brig. Gen. Mario Reyes, PRO-5 director, to both the uniformed and non-uniformed personnel. She said the results were

By Keren Anne Bernadas The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) V issued Wage Order No. RBV-20 granting a P55 wage increase for workers in the Bicol region in two tranches, P35 upon the effectivity of the wage order and another P20 on Dec. 1, 2022 bringing the new minimum wage rate in region to P365 for all sectors. The last wage order in the region took effect on Sept. 21, 2018. Also, the RTWPB issued Wage Order No. RBV-DW-02 granting a monthly increase

By Mylce Mella The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has recognized Dr. Orville Jess A. Pandes, Bicol Medical Center’s (BMC) Department of Psychiatry consultant, as one of the 2020 Distinguished International Fellows. According to the APA, “International Distinguished Fellows are internationally recognized for their demonstrated skill in administrative, educational and clinical settings. They are also noted for volunteering in mental health and medical activities of soci

Rather very late. Be that as it may, the suggestion by outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte for the abolition of the Partylist System is very much in order. To a large extent almost all of the partylist representatives have only multiplied to the fourth or fifth power the expenditures for the composition of the House of Representatives. But only the quantity and not the quality of legislation has been highlighted. Over the past several years most of the partylist legislators h

Have you checked your electric bill this month? I knew it would increase because I have been liberally turning on the air conditioner. That’s a lot better that sweating my swelters away all day. I just anticipated a somewhat 30% increase. I thought that would be reasonable. But a 100% increase is simply ridiculous. It’s like they basically took the usual bill and multiply the amount by two. Yes, two sounds like a small number, but that means that your usual P 2,500 bec

The night bus which plies the route between Bikol and Greater Manila Region has assumed its trip some months. For me though, this night bus - my night transportation - began only some three days ago. It was the Friday of last week, May 20, 2022, when I mustered enough courage to travel to Manila, the city where we assumed the virus for this country originated. The memories are viciously fresh. It was the 12th of March when I decided earlier than most to leave the city and chi

Dai ko ma cuenta an kaogmahan na samuyang namatean kan maka atubang mi an samuyang duwang Elementary classmates sa halipot na pag puli digdi sa Naga City. An duwa iyo sinda Cynthia Largado Azuela asin Ella Lane Cabanos Ardiente na parehong naka istar sa Metro Manila kaibahan an saindang maogmang familya. Sa sakuyang pag hihigop nin kape sa New China, solamente an sakuyang kaulay ulay iyo an sakuyang pinsan na kaklase sa elementarya si Victorio “Toyong” Salvador, sarong reti

Marhay, maraot si nangyari kan naka-aguing eleksyon. Nabisto ta si mga marhay na lider, politiko, botante, siguedores asin matitibay na Bikolano. Pwede man palan magkasararo an mga Bikolano maski manlaen-laen an tataramon poon Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes asin Masbate. Sa primerong pagkakataon poon kan panahon ni Raul Roco nagkaburunyog an mga Bikolano--- sa pagtulod kan kandidatura ni Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona-Robredo para Presidente kan

I was a college student when President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who was quite popular throughout his first term in office, declared martial law in 1972. Unlike some people today who never experienced what life was during martial law, I never had any illusions about the culture of cronyism and brutality that characterized the martial law years. I had friends who were tortured and killed during those years: Jun Quimpo, who worked with us as a community organizer in Tatalon, QC, was