By Ernie Delgado and Marlon Atun LEGAZPI CITY --- The Disaster Operation Center in Albay is on heightened alert, preparing for a possible eruption of Mayon Volcano. Governor Noel Rosal of Albay has alerted all disaster management councils in the cities, towns, and villages surrounding the volcano to be ready for emergency responses. “All are directed to stay on heightened alert and standby for official updates and further advisories from Phivolcs and local authorities,” Rosal

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Albay Police Provincial Office (APPO) activated border control points and intensified police visibility in towns and cities surrounding Mayon Volcano as a precautionary measure to maintain peace, order, and public safety following the raising of the alert status from 1 (low-level unrest) to 2 (increasing/moderate level of unrest). In a phone interview on Monday, APPO Director Col. Noel Nuñez said 133 police officers were deployed 24/7 in

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- The Police Regional Office in the Bicol region (PRO5) has issued a warning to internet users about scammers impersonating Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and officials from the Philippine National Police. PRO5 cautioned that these online scammers may exploit the holiday season by falsely claiming to be Remulla, Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Regional PNP Director Brig. Gen. Erosito Miranda, or other high-ranking PNP o

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5), in coordination with the Police Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon), is investigating the discovery of a female body wrapped in a blanket and placed inside a black plastic storage box at Pinagwarasan Bridge in Basud, Camarines Norte on Jan. 2. In a report on Tuesday, PRO-5 Acting Director Brig. Gen. Erosito Miranda ordered the immediate gathering of information and processing of the crime scene. Respo

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Police Regional Office (PRO) 5 (Bicol) and the Albay Provincial Police are strictly enforcing a ban on human activity within the 6-km. permanent danger zone (PDZ) following Mayon Volcano’s elevated alert level. In a statement on Saturday, PRO-5 acting Director Brig. Gen. Erosito Miranda said the order aligns with the official notice of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), which “strictly prohibits anyone, inc

The City Government of Naga on Monday, January 5, extended a P100, 000 cash gift to a Nagueña centenarian as a tribute to her longevity, wisdom, and contributions to society. The cash gift was personally handed over by Mayor Leni Robredo, together with Jim Reblando, program director of the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), during a family gathering hosted in honor of Mrs. Gloria Teresa Josefa O. Bagadion, who marked her 100th birthday the day before. Mrs. Bagadion, a

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Bicol Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council – Emergency Operations Center (RDRRMC-EOC) has been placed on red alert to prepare for the possible impacts of Mayon Volcano's increasing activity. Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director and Bicol RDRRMC chair Claudio Yucot said Wednesday that the alert status activates all response clusters. Camp coordination and camp management, food and non-food items, and protection have been assig

By Sally Atento-Altea LEGAZPI CITY --- The Civil Service Commission (CSC) Bicol Regional Office will introduce a digital format for the Civil Service Examination in 2026 to enhance accessibility and simplify the application process for examinees. CSC Bicol Regional Director Daisy Punzalan Bragais said that this initiative, called the Civil Service Digital Examination (CS DEX), aims to tackle challenges faced by applicants, such as the difficulty in securing exam slots due to

By THONY DIZON DAYS before the New Year’s Eve celebrations, environmental watchdog BAN Toxics appealed to the Philippine National Police and regulatory agencies to intensify enforcement against the manufacture, distribution, sale, and use of prohibited firecrackers to prevent physical injuries and harmful health exposures. During recent market monitoring, the group found several illegal firecrackers being sold by ambulant vendors along M. De Santos Street in Divisoria, Manil

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is urging local government units (LGUs) in the Bicol region to establish a center dedicated to human rights protection and advocacy in their communities. CHR Regional Director Arlene Alangco said that the Human Rights Action Center (HRAC) will manage complaints, provide information, and coordinate efforts on human rights issues at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay (village) levels. The CHR, an

By Ernie Delgado MASBATE CITY --- In the past two days, over 400 earthquakes have occurred along a fault beneath Burias Island in Masbate, about 500 kilometers south of Manila, including a magnitude-3.1 tremor on Christmas Eve. The series of earthquakes has been centered in Claveria, one of the two towns on Burias Island. The strongest in this seismic swarm occurred on Wednesday, December 24, at 9:22 a.m. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Ph

By Jay Salvosa The Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) community— composed of faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni representatives—gathered at the Administration Building of the Bagumbayan campus on 18 December 2025, at 4:00 p.m., to formally bid farewell to the university’s iconic wooden structure. The event, aptly titled “Looking Back, Moving Forward,” marked the community’s collective goodbye to the building, which is set to be deconstructed as part of the university’s

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay LEGAZPI CITY --- Children in the rural village of Monbon in Irosin, Sorsogon, have more to celebrate this Christmas. Their Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) organized several festive activities before Christmas Day. Twelve-year-old Jhoemico Lincuna joined a spelling bee and won first place, earning P1,000, while his team also took part in a quiz bee, finished second, and received P500 during the “Padurunungan: Academic and Literary Contest” on Monday, Decemb

By Rhaydz Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- Five members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed two days before Christmas in a broad daylight encounter between troops of the Army’s 83rd Infantry Battalion and the Philippine National Police in an outlying area of Barangay Burabod, Lagonoy, Camarines Sur, on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Army Major Frank Roldan, spokesperson of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division (9ID), identified the rebel casualties as Christopher Endrinal, alias Bal, h

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- Recent powerful typhoons and torrential rains have severely impacted agriculture in the Bicol region, leaving small farmers needing support. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) acknowledged their plight and implemented a response policy. On December 16, Tuesday, CHED Bicol announced its new policy “to serve only locally produced foods as snacks and meals during meetings and other occasions.” On its Facebook page, CHED Bicol said the pol