By Keren Anne Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY, Albay --- College students from Capuy, West District, Sorsogon City, expressed their gratitude to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the assistance they received through the Bagong Pilipinas Scholarship Program. During the awarding ceremony on September 15, the scholars said the support has encouraged them to persevere in their studies and work toward achieving their dreams. The Bagong Pilipinas Scholarship is supported through

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Health Bicol Center for Health Development (DOH Bicol CHD) has raised a Code Blue alert across the region following a 19-percent increase in dengue cases, prompting the mobilization of health resources and heightened preparedness. DOH-Bicol said Tuesday that records from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit showed 2,167 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Sept. 5, up 19 percent from the same period last year. The increas

By JORDAN DOMINGO The traditional Traslacion procession of the images of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and Divino Rostro remained peaceful and orderly on Friday, September 11, with an estimated 820,000 voyadores and pilgrims joining the religious event. The Emergency Operations Center-Incident Management Team (EOC-IMT), together with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), other governmen

By Paulo DS Papa The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group must identify the person behind a social media post threatening the Ateneo de Naga University Junior High School community in Barangay Pacol, Naga City, Mayor Leni Robredo said during a press briefing Tuesday morning, Sept. 15. A day earlier, a photo of an unidentified type of pistol was posted on social media along with threatening words, including “be prepared.” The post was also reposted by a certain Jay

Majority stockholder Ma. Lutgarda Panday-Calleja has declared that St. John Hospital is not for sale, amid reports that its president, Dr. Jose Pierre Panday, has been exploring the possibility of selling the medical facility. Calleja is set to call a special stakeholders meeting to discuss issues surrounding the management and future of St. John Hospital, including a reported plan to sell the medical facility. In a paper outlining the reasons for the meeting, Calleja raised

LEGAZPI CITY --- Albay is facing a surge in dengue cases that has prompted the provincial government to declare a state of calamity, even as Mayon Volcano emitted ash Sunday morning and remained under Alert Level 2. The Albay Provincial Health Office reported 1,785 dengue cases from January to September 8, 2026, including 14 deaths. Legazpi City recorded the highest number of cases at nearly 380 among the province’s 18 cities and municipalities. Meanwhile, Mayon Volcano emitt

Under Robredo’s leadership, the city government is leaving no stone unturned in its effort to contain the dengue surge, deploying every available resource—from mosquito-control operations and intensified surveillance to additional hospital beds, health personnel and home monitoring—to prevent further infections and ensure that patients receive the care they need. The Naga City Government has intensified its campaign against dengue as the number of cases continues to rise, wit

By Jordan Domingo The House of Representatives is in the thick of deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget, with Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Nelson S. Legacion saying his district is set to receive a bigger allocation than in previous years. Legacion said Congress is currently focused on scrutinizing the proposed budgets of government departments and agencies, including allocations for projects and programs in the different congressional districts across the cou

By Rhaydz Barcia DEVOUT Catholics from across Bicol flocked to Naga City on Friday, Sept. 11, for the annual traditional Traslacion procession of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, marking the start of the major religious activities honoring the region’s patroness. The Traslacion is the transfer of the images of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia and El Divino Rostro from the Peñafrancia Shrine to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, where the novena masses for Ina are held. The 2026 Traslacion

By Rhaydz Barcia The Philippine government has committed to a 75 percent net emissions reduction and avoidance target from 2025 to 2035, based on projected cumulative business-as-usual emissions, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna said Tuesday. “Our national trajectory is unequivocally defined by low-carbon and climate-resilient development, firmly anchored in our enhanced 2026 nationally determined contribution (NDC), approved by His Excellency P

By Ryan Mostar THE University of Nueva Caceres (UNC) conferred its first-ever honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, on Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez during its Academic Convocation 2026 on Tuesday, September 16. The university recognized Marquez for his distinguished career in law, public service and the administration of justice. Before the convocation, Marquez faced members of the local press, where questions focused on his years of service

By Rhaydz Barcia LEGAZPI CITY — Albay Gov. Noel Rosal has declared the province under a state of calamity following a surge in dengue cases that has killed 14 people and infected 1,785 others from January 1 to September 8, 2026. Albay is the first province in the Bicol region to declare a state of calamity over the dengue outbreak, while Naga City is the first city in the region to make a similar declaration due to the rising cases of the disease. Rosal said the declaration w

By Benilda Recebido SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon — Thirty micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from Sorsogon will showcase the province’s unique coconut products and craftsmanship in Metro Manila at the Kasanggayahan Sorsogon GoConut Trade Fair 2026. The event will take place from September 17 to 20 at the Level 2 Grand Atrium of Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City. The Sorsogon Provincial Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is organizing the event a

By Doods M. Santos If locals and tourists were to ask me about what to see next time they come around for the Peñafrancia festivities, it would not be the endless parades and processions, and especially not that purveyor of superficiality and sexual objectification masked as a pageant. It would be the one-act play “An Mga Voyador,” written by Gene Rey Francisco and directed by Jobert Grey Landeza. I confess that the play’s title did not attract me. Another take on the barefoo

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay THE city government is expanding its dengue response after recording 307 cases and six deaths since January, including children, prompting the declaration of a state of calamity. As of press time, Barangay Concepcion Pequeña recorded the highest number of cases at 85, followed by Cararayan, Concepcion Grande, San Felipe, and Carolina, which also reported high case counts. The Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the declaration through Joint and Collectiv