By Rhaydz B. Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Albay Governor Noel Rosal as the new chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Bicol on October 22, 2025, selecting him over Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte. In an appointment letter dated October 16, 2025, President Marcos confirmed Rosal’s three-year term as RDC chair, which will coincide with his regular term as a local elective official. The letter instructs Rosal to f

By Rhaydz B. Barcia LEGAZPI CITY ---The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office in Bicol has confirmed that Sunwest Construction Inc.’s fencing project in Barangay Tumpa, Camalig, located within the 4-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) of Mayon Volcano, has no Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). In a letter addressed to Albay Governor Noel Rosal, Geri-Geronimo R. Sañez, DENR Officer-in-Charge, clarified that no ECC has been issued for

By Benilda Recebido SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon --- Twenty-nine farmers from the Del Rosario Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (DARBA) in Pilar, Sorsogon, have graduated from the Farm Business School (FBS) program offered by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) after completing 17 sessions of practical and entrepreneurial training. This initiative, known as a “school without walls,” equips farmers with essential skills in agro-enterprise development, sustainable farmin

By Jason B. Neola IN a bid to strengthen the local flower industry and uplift the livelihood of families engaged in flower growing and vending, the City Government of Naga is set to host the 1st Pacol Flower Festival from October 26 to November 3, 2025, in Barangay Pacol. Mayor Leni Robredo expressed optimism that the event will help improve the socio-economic conditions of local flower growers and vendors. “I encourage the sector to engage in the production of high-valued va

By Paulo DS Papa The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in Camarines Sur has issued a firm reminder to local government units (LGUs) that received lottery revenue shares in 2024: submit your utilization reports, or risk forfeiting your next tranche of funds. PCSO Camarines Sur Acting Branch Manager Tito Aycardo Jr. stressed that LGUs must account for how they spent their lotto shares, particularly on programs aligned with the PCSO’s mandate of supporting charity and

By Benilda Recebido SORSOGON CITY --- Home cooks in the province of Sorsogon achieved a Guinness World Record on Thursday (October 16) for the largest nut brittle, made primarily with pili nuts, measuring about one-third the size of a standard basketball court. About 260 cooks from Sorsogon City and 14 municipalities helped create the record-setting confection using 1,430 kilos of pili nuts supplied by local farmers. The record attempt, conducted at the Sorsogon Provincial Gy

By Ernie Delgado MASBATE CITY, Masbate --- In keeping with his commitment to support victims of Typhoon Opong in Masbate until they fully recover, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. sent his special assistant on Monday, October 20, to oversee the distribution of aid to tourism workers and farmers in the province. During the event, over 800 affected tourism workers received cash assistance of P10,263 each through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Emerge

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Bicol University (BU) will resume classes and sports activities for its 2025 Olympics on Thursday, following a two-day suspension due to an incident that sent several students to the hospital. Under Memorandum Order No. 392, athletes who are unwell or still recovering will not be compelled to participate in the games. On Monday evening, students suffered suffocation and hyperventilation from the smoke coming from canisters used in gender rev

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Philippine National Railways (PNR) will soon cater to more passengers when the Naga City to Lupi Viejo route in Camarines Sur opens on Nov. 5. PNR General Manager Deovanni Miranda on Wednesday said commuters’ travel time on this route would take about an hour and 39 minutes, faster than other means of transport, which takes almost two hours. “We are continuously improving the infrastructure of the PNR so that we can provide affordable, s

By Keren Anne Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Bicol has received a mobile soil testing laboratory to help local farmers use fertilizers more effectively, and grow better crops. Frederick Forcadela, head of the Regional Soil Laboratory (RSL), confirmed on Monday (Oct. 13) that the Bureau of Soils and Water Management has provided the region with a Mobile Soil Laboratory (MSL), a fully equipped 10-wheeler truck that can test 44 different soi

By Ernie Delgado MASBATE CITY, Masbate --- Tourism workers displaced by Typhoon Opong which struck Masbate last month will receive training for alternative livelihoods. Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced this during the distribution of assistance in Masbate City last Monday, in which more than 800 affected tourism workers received P10,263 each in cash aid through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Emergency Cash Transfer program. “After the emergency

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay LEGAZPI CITY --- Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Regional Director Maria Amoroso announced Thursday (October 16) that the agency will distribute P10 million worth of construction materials to families affected by Typhoon Opong in Masbate. Amoroso said that DHSUD Bicol has already coordinated with the Masbate provincial government and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for the delivery of the con

Metro Naga, Philippines --- The Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (MNCCI) is thrilled to announce that we have been honored with two Most Outstanding Chamber Awards in the Philippines and South Luzon Area. The awards, presented in the City level, large Chamber category, were bestowed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) at the 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo 2025 held at the Mall of Asia, SMX Convention Plaza on October 21, 20

By Christine Kim Villafuerte In pursuit of empowering its people through good governance, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Infanta, Quezon—a first-class municipality—visited Naga City to learn from its 30-year experience in people empowerment. Recognizing Naga City as his “leadership heaven,” Infanta Mayor L.A. Ruanto expressed his desire to share his learnings and experiences with Infanta’s new set of officials and People’s Council members through a benchmarking activity h

By Ernie Delgado MASBATE CITY --- The head of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) in the Bicol region said on Thursday (October 16) that families in Masbate who were displaced by Typhoon Opong remain a top priority for the agency. Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA Bicol, DHSUD Regional Director Maria Amoroso confirmed that the powerful tropical cyclone has damaged over 90,000 homes, with more than 20,000 totally destroyed, and roughly 73,000 others