By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Despite Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-wong) battering the Bicol Region over the weekend with torrential rains and fierce winds, the town of Polangui in Albay emerged with zero casualties — which the mayor credited to early preparation and strong community cooperation. Mayor Jesciel Richard Salceda on Monday said despite heavy rainfall, flooding, and scattered debris in several barangays (villages), Polangueños remained safe. “Z

By Chris Lawrence Ochoa The 4th Naga College Foundation (NCF) Presidential Cup: Mario Villanueva Open Invitational Karatedo Tournament was successfully held on November 8, 2025, at Robinsons Naga, gathering karatekas from various provinces within and beyond the Bicol Region. Organized by the NCF Tigers Karatedo Team, the official varsity karate team of Naga College Foundation, the event highlighted outstanding displays of discipline, respect, and excellence among all particip

By Keren Anne Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY --- Arnel (not his real name) had lived in constant fear when communist insurgents dominated his village in Albay. He experienced panic attacks every time a representative from the New People’s Army (NPA) forced him to give part of his income from his convenience store and small farm to the terrorist organization. “If we don’t give, they threaten to kill us,” he said in an interview with the Integrated State Media. However, in recent years,

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- As Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung-Wong) battered the Bicol region on Sunday, residents shared on social media real-time weather updates and their troubles in their areas. Catanduanes and parts of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur experienced extreme, life-threatening conditions throughout the day, with sustained wind speeds reaching 185 kilometers per hour under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 5 in some provinces. The rest of the Bicol regi

By Paulo Papa ABOUT 27,000 residents at risk in flood-prone areas were safely evacuated by the Barangay and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (BDRRMC and CDRRMC) before and during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan. Jason Neola, public information officer at the LGU Naga, said the evacuees were rescued from their homes in various low-lying barangays and brought to safer grounds. He confirmed that by the morning after the typhoon’s passage, the evacuees had

By Ernie Delgado MASBATE CITY --- A magnitude 3.2 earthquake shook Burias as the island was being pummeled by Super Typhoon Uwan. The state earthquake monitoring bureau reported that the quake struck on Sunday evening (November 9) at a depth of approximately 28 kilometers off the southwest coast of Claveria, Masbate. The earthquake was felt mildly in Claveria, but residents panicked. Social media posts showed objects knocked off shelves. In a bulletin, the Philippine Institut

By Maida Boragay The local government of Naga has recognized the significant assistance provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the prepositioning of food packs ahead of the Super Typhoon Uwan, which hit the city over the weekend. This move was pivotal in ensuring prompt and efficient disaster response. A key feature of the city’s preparedness strategy was the strict enforcement of the DSWD policy: only evacuees would receive the food packs

By Rhaydz B. Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian flew to the island province of Catanduanes, one of the hardest-hit areas in Bicol, following the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-Wong) over the weekend. Gatchalian led a coordination meeting with Governor Patrick Alain Azanza, Representatives Jose “Bong” Joson Teves Jr. and Leo Rodriguez, and other local chief executives to assess the typhoon’s impact

LEGAZPI CITY --- Albay Governor Noel Rosal has declared the province under a state of calamity following widespread devastation caused by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-Wong). The declaration, in addition to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s nationwide directive, allows local government units (LGUs) to access their 5% calamity funds to assist families affected by the typhoon. “The 18 LGUs can use the calamity fund, but they cannot spend it all because December

By Rhaydz B. Barcia LEGAZPI CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division has dismissed the disqualification case filed by former Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Sarte Salceda against Governor Noel E. Rosal, saying it was filed beyond the allowed period. In a resolution dated November 5, 2025, but released Monday, the Comelec junked Salceda’s petition (Case No. APA 25-249 [DC]) seeking to nullify Rosal’s candidacy and proclamation in the May 12, 2025 ele

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 5 (Bicol) has distributed more than PHP44 million worth of humanitarian aid across the region following the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-wong). In an interview on Tuesday, Norman Laurio, DSWD-5 director, said that in addition to the 19,000 family food packs already prepositioned in the island province, an additional shipment of food packs has arrived

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Residents of Catanduanes are urgently in need of construction materials to rebuild homes destroyed by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-wong), which battered the province with fierce winds and heavy rains over the weekend, Governor Patrick Azanza said Monday. Azanza said the prepositioned 19,000 food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development would be insufficient for almost 90,000 individuals displaced by the supe

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Labor and Employment in Bicol (DOLE-5) has started finalizing arrangements for the implementation of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program. The initiative aims to assist residents of Camarines Norte and Catanduanes affected by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-wong). Imelda Gatinao, DOLE-5 regional director, said over PHP160 million has been allocated for emergency empl

By Ryan Mostar and Paulo DS Papa THE devastation left by Typhoon Tino in Cebu this week has drawn parallels to Typhoon Kristine, which caused severe flooding in Naga City and nearby towns in October 2024. Both storms brought torrential rains that submerged homes, displaced thousands, and exposed persistent gaps in local disaster preparedness. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded at least 52 confirmed deaths from Typhoon Tino, while mor

GARCHITORENA, Camarines Sur --- A barangay councilor was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by joint operatives of the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) and the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) under the supervision of Police Col Virgilio O. Olalia Jr., Provincial Director of the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office (CSPPO), on the evening of November 4, 2025 in Barangay 3, Garchitorena, Camarines Sur. The suspect, known by the alias “Do