By Paulo DS Papa A 21-year-old gang leader may face charges for allegedly initiating newly recruited minors through beatings inside a cemetery in Barangay Concepcion Pequeña, Naga City. A video of the incident went viral on social media, showing several minors blindfolded and being repeatedly punched in different parts of their bodies, including their backs. Punong Barangay Francis Mendoza said he called the attention of the parents of the minors, aged 13 to 15, who are resid

NAGA CITY — Get ready for an unforgettable evening of praise, worship, and music as Ateneo de Naga University presents “One More Gift: A Bukas Palad Charity Concert.” This special event features the renowned Bukas Palad Music Ministry alongside JesCom’s Fr. Manoling V. Francisco, S.J., and is scheduled on 5 September 2026, 6:00 PM at the Ateneo de Naga University Covered Courts (Main Campus). Founded in 1986, Bukas Palad is a community of friends inspired by the spirituality

NAGA City Mayor Leni Robredo has issued two executive orders activating dedicated Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and Incident Management Teams (IMTs) for two major events expected to draw large crowds to the city—the 2026 Peñafrancia Festival and the 2026 Bar Examinations. Executive Order (EO) No. 036, issued on August 13, 2026, activates the Naga City EOC and IMT for small and major events during the month-long Peñafrancia Festival. The structures are intended to streng

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Three more communities in Naga City have gained security of tenure through the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), one of the housing initiatives under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program. Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) President and CEO Federico Laxa and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo awarded checks totaling more than PHP65.8 million to the Mabolo Village Homeowners’ Associa

By Jordan Domingo LEGAZPI CITY --- Mayon Volcano could be heading toward renewed eruptive activity following a sharp surge in sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions that reached 8,393 tonnes per day on Monday, the highest level recorded since volcanic gas concentrations began declining in July. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the abrupt increase in volcanic gas emissions could signal a shift toward renewed eruption at the summit crater, potentia

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) hosted its Trabahong Digital Job Fair (TDJF) in the Bicol region from August 13 to 14 at Robinsons Naga, marking the program’s second nationwide event. The job fair featured 22 local employers and five start-ups, offering approximately 1,200 job vacancies. It attracted a diverse crowd of jobseekers, career changers, freelancers, students, and entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in di

By Keren Anne Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 5 expects to complete the rollout of financial assistance through the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program for over 181,263 families in the Bicol region by August 15, Saturday. Michael Gerome Bellena, the chief administrative officer of DSWD FO5, reported that as of August 12, the agency has achieved a 71 percent completion r

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- A new musical adaptation of the Bicolano epic “Ibalong” is bringing the legendary story closer to younger audiences while putting Bicolano artists at the center of its production. In an interview Friday after the show, Alan Rañola, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Tourism, Culture and Arts, said the city government partnered with Tanghalang Pilipino and Sining Banwa to bring the epic back to the stage through “Ibalong Z: A Ne

By Ernie Delgado MASBATE CITY --- Over 14,300 low-income and near-poor families in Masbate province have each received a cash grant of P2,000 to help them cope with rising commodity prices due to the ongoing energy crisis. The assistance, provided under the expanded Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., was distributed during payouts that began on July 20 in the mining town of Aroroy. The

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay LEGAZPI CITY --- For educators who have dedicated decades to the classroom, career advancement has often been a significant challenge. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. addressed the lack of opportunities for teachers by implementing reforms in promotions within the Department of Education. The Expanded Career Progression (ECP) program, a merit-based initiative established through Executive Order 174, allows public school teachers to rise in

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- There is a possibility that eruption could recur in the country’s most active volcano in the coming days, state volcanologists said Tuesday. “(That’s why) the public must refrain from entering the 6-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), a prohibited area around the Mayon Volcano in Albay”, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in an advisory. Communities and local government units near the area should

By RHAYDZ BARCIA MALILIPOT, Albay --- After seven long months in a tent city, joy and relief filled the faces of Mayon Volcano evacuees as they finally packed their belongings and headed home Thursday following the lowering of the volcano’s alert level from 3 to 2. Among those eager to return to a normal life were siblings Adelina “Deling” Bilolo-Francisco, 83, and Domingo Bilolo, 69, residents of Barangay Calbayog in this town, who had endured the longest evacuation of their

By Jason B. Neola A trade fair that seeks to promote local entrepreneurship while highlighting the role of faith in community development will be held in Naga City from September 10 to 21, 2026. The 2026 Bishop Francisco Gainza Trade Fair (BFGTF) will be held at Robinsons Naga under the theme “Ina: Nurturing a Growing Church.” Organized by the Caritas-Caceres (Naga), Inc., the BFGTF aims to provide a venue for local producers, entrepreneurs, farmers, artisans and other commun

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- After spending seven months in evacuation centers, about 4,800 residents of Albay who had to leave their villages near the danger zone of the Philippines’ most active volcano were finally able to return home on Thursday, August 6. Their return followed the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (Phivolcs) decision on August 5 to lower the alert status of Mayon Volcano from Level 3 (indicating an increased tendency towards hazard

By: Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled underground detonation of a World War II explosive in Albay on Saturday, a local government reported, after it was discovered south of the erupting Mayon Volcano. Nearly 30 operatives from the Regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Unit (RECU) cordoned off the site in the town of Camalig, where the 500-kilogram aircraft bomb was first discovered on July 21. Residents of Camalig heard th