“A time comes when silence is betrayal.” — Martin Luther King Jr., Beyond Vietnam (1967) I have spent my life trying to be faithful to two institutions. One taught me about duty. The other taught me about conscience. As a retired United States naval officer, I understand that the first responsibility of government is to protect its people. I also understand that those who command armies carry burdens that few of us can fully comprehend. As a Christian, I have also learned tha

By Rhaydz Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- In a bid to uplift marginalized farmers and fisherfolk, the state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) launched the Agrisenso Plus Lending Program Caravan alongside the Uswag Oragon MSME Fair, gathering more than 1,200 farmers, fishers, agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), and around 300 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Albay on Friday. May D. Arizabal, LANDBANK first vice president for SMLG-SME Mid Marketing Lending,

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-10 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. Second Reading: Romans 8:9, 11-13 Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your

By Natalie Hazel Quimlat The Archdiocese of Caceres celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of its elevation to a Metropolitan See on June 29 with a Diamond Jubilee Assembly and a Jubilee Mass. Held at the Archbishop Legaspi Hall of the Basilica Minore de Peñafrancia, the Assembly was an avenue to discuss the constitution and by-laws of the Youth Commission, Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Finance Council, and the Commission for the Construction and Consecration of Ecclesiastical Stru

By Natalie Hazel Quimlat Bishop Joel Baylon of Legazpi officially launched the celebratory phase of their Diocesan Diamond Jubilee on June 29, feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, by opening the Jubilee Door at the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral. Those who faithfully visit the Cathedral during the celebratory phase, which ends on December 31, and fulfill the necessary conditions may receive the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence. Themed “Biniyayaan, Inaantabayanan, Sinusugo”, Baylon called

By Natalie Hazel Quimlat On the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, June 29, the Diocese of Sorsogon celebrated its Diamond Jubilee with a eucharistic celebration and the opening of the second Diocesan Synod. Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown, graced the event as main presider and preacher. Speaking to his fellow Bishops, the clergy and lay faithful of the Diocese gathered at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Brown spoke of journeying together towa

By Jordan Domingo A 57-year-old man was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by police authorities on Monday morning, June 30, in Barangay La Opinion, Nabua, Camarines Sur, for alleged violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165. Identified only as alias “Migoy,” the suspected drug peddler is a married, unemployed resident of Nabua, Camarines Sur. According to the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office (CSPPO), elements of the Nabua M

The City Government of Naga, in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Coca-Cola Philippines, and the Camarines Sur Institute of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (CASIFMAS), has launched the Solid Waste Management Operations (SWMO) Level III Training Program in the city. The initiative marks the first official rollout of the program under the Trash Free Philippines (TFP) Program and aims to strengthen local capacities in ecological sol

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Disaster response agencies and local government units (LGUs) across the Bicol Region have intensified preparedness measures after the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) placed the region under red alert on Tuesday due to the potential effects of a low-pressure area (LPA), locally referred to as Pre-Henry. RDRRMC chair Bernardo Fortez, concurrently the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-5) regional director, directed t

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor ISCHEMIC heart diseases, neoplasms (cancer), and cerebrovascular diseases remained the top three leading causes of death in the Philippines in 2025. In a Facebook post on Monday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) noted that the findings are consistent with the data recorded during the same period in 2024, the PSA said. Ischemic heart diseases topped the list, claiming 122,339 lives, which accounted for 19.7 percent of the country’s total natio

By Franshen Rochelle A. Estrella The City Government of Naga conducted its first-ever Onboarding Program for newly hired employees, equipping them with the knowledge, values, and tools necessary to effectively serve the public and contribute to the city’s development goals. The onboarding program aims to help new employees properly integrate into the daily operations of the local government by introducing them to the city’s policies, employee benefits, workplace expectations,

By Benilda Recebido SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon --- Regulators are stepping up efforts to stop the sale of illegal vape products in Sorsogon, particularly to minors, following a significant rise in teen vaping from 7.5 percent to nearly 40 percent. Led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the multi-agency crackdown addresses low compliance rates, with only 19.25 percent of surveyed vape retailers strictly adhering to youth protection laws. “We conduct regular and intens

Poet, translator, independent filmmaker, and Savage Mind founder Kristian Sendon Cordero has been invited as a featured speaker at the 2026 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF), which will be held in Bali, Indonesia on October 20-25, 2026. Widely recognized as Southeast Asia’s flagship literary festival, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival brings together more than 150 of the world’s leading writers, thinkers, artists, and performers for five days of conversations, readings

By Mariel R. Estrella, PhD Camarines Sur’s coastal villages—Cagsao in Calabanga and Itangon in Bula—are living testaments to the harmony of nature and culture. Black-pebbled beaches, coral reefs, mangrove forests, tidal caves, and vibrant fiestas make them destinations of rare beauty. Yet, despite their richness, these communities remain peripheral—remote and disconnected from the mainstream tourism market. This proposition reframes this challenge into opportunity: link thes