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

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Inflation in the Bicol Region rose to 2.3 percent in December 2025, up from 0.6 percent in November, the Philippine Statistics Authority Bicol (PSA-5) reported on Friday. At a press conference on Friday, Cynthia Perdiz, PSA-5 director, said the region’s average inflation for 2025 was recorded at 1.7 percent, lower than the 3.5 percent annual average record in 2024. Perdiz said the December increase was mainly driven by food and non-alcoholic

By Rhaydz Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- Albay Governor Noel Rosal has ordered the strict observance of “no man’s land” restrictions within the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) as unrest at Mayon Volcano intensified at the start of 2026. Rosal issued the directive on January 1, 2026, following the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (PHIVOLCS) decision to raise Mayon’s alert level from Alert Level 1 (low-level unrest) to Alert Level 2 (increasing or moderat

By Manuel T. Ugalde LEGAZPI CITY --- It began in Sorsogon on November 13, when an Engineer III allegedly took his own life after suffering from depression and stress linked to the ongoing probe by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). The incident was followed by another shocking case involving a senior female undersecretary, bringing the reported number of deaths connected to the probe to four within a one-month span. Senior Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabra

By Ryan Mostar THE Supreme Court (SC) has released the 2025 Philippine Bar Examination results, bringing months of anticipation for aspiring lawyers across the nation to a dramatic close. For examinees, the announcement marks a defining milestone in their pursuit of legal excellence and the long-sought license to practice law. Renowned as the country’s most prestigious and grueling professional licensure test, the Philippine Bar Examinations stand apart from all others, condu

By Rhaydz Barcia LEGAZPI CITY ---The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol has allocated ₱137 million in standby funds and relief stockpiles to assist families should Mount Mayon erupt in the coming days. DSWD Bicol Regional Director Norman S. Laurio said during an emergency meeting convened by Albay Governor Noel Ebriega Rosal on Monday that the department has ₱137 million worth of funds and relief supplies prepositioned in its warehouses amid the inte

THE Business One Stop Shop (B.O.S.S.) of the city government of Naga is once again in operation from January 5 to 31 at the Naga City People’s Hall, providing business owners a faster and more convenient way to process applications and renewals of business permits. The City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) said penalties will be imposed on applications for renewal of business permits and new business applications filed starting January 21 onwards. Aside from regular office days, the

The 2025 Ateneo de Naga University Grand Alumni Homecoming, held on December 30, 2025 at the Ateneo Covered Courts, was a joyful reunion that brought together generations of Ateneans in one unforgettable evening. Proudly hosted by Batch 2000, the Silver Jubilarians, the night was a beautiful blend of memories, recognition, music, and fun. Guiding the program with warmth and energy were the event hosts, Richard Nabua and Macy Zapata, who set the tone for an evening that felt b

CARAMOAN, Camarines Sur --- Police authorities and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have recovered the body of a fisherman who went missing after a motorized banca capsized in the territorial waters off Sitio Lipata, Barangay Gogon, Caramoan, on January 3, 2026. The victim was identified as Jose Cielo, 57, married, and a resident of Barangay Divino Rostro, San Andres, Catanduanes. He was earlier reported as Jose Almonte in initial police reports and was one of the three fishe

The City Government of Naga is set to conduct summits on solid waste management and traffic in January 2026 as part of its efforts to address pressing urban concerns through inclusive and participatory planning. Through its Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO), the city is pursuing the conduct of a “Basura Summit” that will bring together key sectors and stakeholders to help shape the city’s plan for the full implementation of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- Alert Level 3 has been raised over the Philippines’ most active volcano due to an active eruption and lava flow, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported Tuesday afternoon (Jan. 6). Phivolcs said that Mayon Volcano is showing early signs of an eruption, including a lava dome formation at its summit, indicating potential lava flow. Since Mayon’s alert level rose from 1 to 2 on New Year’s Day, rockfall events i

By Benilda Recebido SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon --- A total of 8,242 families in Sorsogon received financial assistance of more than P5,000 each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 5 (DSWD-5) under its Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program. The DSWD-5 reported that it distributed P42,734,821 to families whose houses were damaged by recent typhoons in the municipalities of Pilar, Gubat, Bulusan, Casiguran, and Irosin, as well as Sorsogon City. The as

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- Evacuation of families living in the immediate vicinity of Mayon Volcano has started due to the potential for a hazardous eruption within days or weeks, according to the Albay Provincial Information Office (PIO). On Tuesday afternoon, Tabaco City Mayor Rey Bragais announced that 156 families from five villages within Mayon’s 6-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) were relocated to safer shelters. In the town of Camalig, the local disaster m