Second Sunday in Ordinary Time First Reading: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 R/ (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Gospel Reading: John 1:29-34 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him,

By Natalie Hazel Quimlat “The Black Nazare is a symbol of a new beginning." This was the message of Caceres Archbishop Emeritus Rolando Tria Tirona, O.C.D. as he celebrated the mass on the eve of the Feast of the Black Nazarene at the Holy Cross Parish in Tabuco, Naga City, January 9. "We enter a New Year with the Black Nazarene as our inspiration," he said. "We are invited to accept Jesus Christ as our guide as we cross this New Year." The image of the Black Nazarene, the Ca

By Sem. Samuel Jed Llorin It was my very first time to experience Manila’s celebration of the Feast of Jesus Nazareno. Several of us who had just arrived after the Christmas break volunteered to give communion during the Mass held at the Quirino Grandstand prior to the Traslacion, Present were thousands of devotees. Our group from UST is one of the several religious congregations and seminaries enjoined to render such service. There is a question I ask myself all the time: “W

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú / Catholic News Agency VATICAN --- Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a “Special Year of St. Francis” to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. During this time of grace, which will extend until January 2027, the faithful are granted the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence. This Franciscan Jubilee Year, considered a gift for the entire Church and an occasion for authentic spiritual renewal, was inaugurated on Jan. 10 with a decree

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- Lava welled up from the Philippines’ most active volcano, reaching heights of up to 100 meters early this morning in a spectacular yet increasingly dangerous eruption. The sporadic lava fountaining episode was observed on Mayon Volcano at 1:39 a.m. on Tuesday (Jan. 13), according to the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs). The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shared video footage of th

By Sally Altea LEGAZPI CITY --- Two hundred fifty police personnel were dispatched to evacuation centers and communities in the vicinity of Mayon Volcano in Albay for emergency response purposes amid Mayon’s unrest, the Police Provincial Office (PPO) said on Wednesday. The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office said a total of 1,593 individuals or 392 families have been relocated to evacuation centers after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology r

By Keren Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY --- Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian announced on Thursday that 100,000 food packs will be delivered this week in anticipation of a possible escalation of Mayon Volcano to alert level 4. This delivery is in addition to the 116,755 food packs that have already been allocated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for affected families since January 1, he said. “If more supplies are needed, we can quickly

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay What began as a medical mission originally intended for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Camarines Sur has expanded into a broader initiative, providing essential services to low-income residents throughout the province who struggle to prioritize medical care due to financial constraints. “Health on the Go” remains one of the flagship programs under the Ka Fuerte health agenda, delivering mobile clinics and preventive services directly to remote communiti

By Sally Atento-Altea LEGAZPI CITY --- Residents of Albay welcomed the signing of the 2026 national budget by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., expressing optimism as education received the highest allocation among government sectors. On Monday, the President signed the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Act for 2026, with over P1.34 trillion dedicated to education, the largest share of the national budget. “Education receives the highest allocation—amounting to over P1.34

By Rosalita Manlangit DAET, Camarines Norte --- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Camarines Norte is encouraging local government units (LGUs) to allocate funds to support and promote programs that will strengthen the One Town, One Product (OTOP) initiative in their respective municipalities. DTI Provincial Director Christie Rivera stated that the main objective of the OTOP program is to build a strong identity for each municipality through its unique, resource-based

By Keren Anne Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Health – Bicol Center for Health Development (DOH Bicol CHD) has increased medical support for rural health units assisting people displaced by the escalating unrest from Mayon Volcano. This support includes 29,682 boxes of ash masks, 2,500 water containers, 1,000 chlorine tablets, a 4,000-liter water tanker, medications for cough, fever, and colds, maintenance medications, and hygiene kits, all of which were delivered

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- Aside from evacuating residents, local authorities are also relocating farm animals from villages within the danger zone of the restive Mayon Volcano. Local officials involved in disaster management have been instructed to carry out mandatory evacuations of livestock from high-risk areas, according to the Albay Veterinary Office (AVO). “(There will be) a full implementation of animal hauling,” said Pancho Mella, the chief of AVO. Mella said t

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) clarified on Monday that families affected by Mayon Volcano’s unrest do not need to present identification cards to receive relief assistance at evacuation centers in Albay. In a social media advisory, DSWD Bicol Director Norman Laurio said only the Family Access Card in Emergencies and Disasters (FACED) form is required for families to receive relief items, such as family fo

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced on Wednesday the traffic rerouting plan for Maharlika Highway in Albay in the event of an explosive eruption at Mayon Volcano. In its advisory, the DPWH-Bicol said that it will implement three different rerouting schemes based on where volcanic ash and lahar fall. According to the agency, if lahar or ashfall occurs to the south of the volcano, the affected area will be the Camalig s

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The 9th Infantry Division (9ID) on Monday assured the public and local government units of continued assistance as unrest persists around Mayon Volcano. In a press briefing, Brig. Gen. Ariel Reyes, assistant commander of the 9ID and head of Task Force Sagip, said over 500 soldiers are deployed to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) in affected Albay municipalities. “Our HADR component of the 9ID is now focused on ass