By Keren Anne Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY --- The Bureau of Fire Protection in Bicol (BFP-5) is under “full alert” status during the holidays to ensure that all fire stations can promptly react to fire alarms. Fire Senior Superintendent Achilles Santiago, the acting director of BFP-5, announced that the alert status has been raised starting December 5, and will remain in effect until January 15, 2026. Santiago reported deploying 2,471 personnel in the region, with all BFP-5 firefig

By Rosalita Manlangit DAET, Camarines Norte --- The National Food Authority (NFA) assures that there is an ample supply of rice, enough to last for 21 days, in the province of Camarines Norte. NFA Assistant Branch Manager Marbin Malabanan reported that as of December 11, there are a total of 145,008 bags of palay (unmilled rice) and 3,279 bags of rice available at their satellite office in Barangay Lag-on, Daet, Camarines Norte. Malabanan explained that the NFA’s mandate is t

By Benilda Recebido SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon --- Thirty-nine graduates from Sorsogon State University (SorSU) Castilla campus have brought honor and prestige to their institution by passing the November 2025 Agriculture Licensure Examination (ALE), achieving an impressive overall passing rate of 90.70 percent. This accomplishment places SorSU Castilla as the fifth top-performing school for institutions with 40 to 99 candidates taking the 2025 ALE. To qualify as a top-performin

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) is distributing financial assistance through its Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program for over 12,000 families affected by Super Typhoon Uwan in the provinces of Catanduanes and Sorsogon. In a report on Wednesday, DSWD Bicol Regional Director Norman Laurio said the ECT payout began on Monday and would continue until Dec. 18, with a total fund of more than PHP96 million. Laur

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Police arrested at least 78 wanted persons and seized from them nearly PHP4 million worth of shabu in various police operations in the Bicol Region. PRO-5 acting Regional Director Brig. Gen. Erosito Miranda said the recorded arrest was from Dec. 5 to 16. During the period, illegal drugs valued at PHP3.9 million were confiscated, which included 9.20 grams of marijuana and 579.48 grams of shabu. The arrests of wanted persons comprised seven in

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- Police and military personnel recovered a New People's Army (NPA) arms cache containing high-powered firearms in Labo, Camarines Norte, the 9th Infantry Division (9ID) reported on Tuesday night. In an interview on Wednesday, 9ID spokesperson Maj. Frank Roldan said the firearms seized include 26 M14 rifles, ammunition, M14 and M16 magazines, following a tip-off from local residents from a remote area of Barangay Exciban. "The information abou

By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Commission on Higher Education in Bicol (CHED-5) is encouraging academic institutions to support and join the search for the Ten Outstanding Students of Bicol (TOSB) program initiated by the Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list. During the launch on Friday, CHED-5 Director Demetrio Anduyan Jr. said the institution’s commitment to investing in the development of future generations seeks to ensure societal progress. “To launch this 11th search, CHED

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has handed over a newly constructed shared service facility (SSF) worth P5 million to coconut farmers in Irosin, Sorsogon province. This initiative was part of DTI’s broader effort to increase the income of coconut farmers and create more jobs within their community. Flora See, DTI’s project focal point in Sorsogon, said that the Coco Coir Business Integration and Development (Cocobind) Inc.

By Ernie Delgado LEGAZPI CITY --- Achieving a peaceful and orderly situation in the Bicol region relies on eradicating extreme poverty, rather than solely on law enforcement and anti-crime operations, the newly-appointed chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) said on December 2. In his speech at his first meeting with members of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. emphasized the link between poverty an

By Ernie Delgado DAET, Camarines Norte --- Over 700 residents from various barangays in San Vicente, Camarines Norte, benefited from the “Serbisyo caravan” organized on November 28 by public information officers (PIOs) from government agencies. The caravan, led by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in collaboration with the Camarines Norte Communicators Network (CamNorteComNet), aimed to bring one-stop government services closer to the community. San Vicente Mayor Marian

By ERNIE DELGADO LEGAZPI CITY --- At least 27 major development projects worth P11.4 billion have secured the approval of Cabinet secretaries under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., marking one of the strongest national commitments yet to accelerate infrastructure, agriculture, health, and innovation initiatives across the Bicol region. The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) announced on December 2 that top officials from the central offices of key nationa

By Paulo DS Papa CABUSAO, Camarines Sur --- Police authorities said that the body discovered along the shores of Barangay Castillo in Cabusao, Camarines Sur on Tuesday, December 9, is believed to be Marfe Hufancia, 35, the primary suspect in the slay case of the Divinagracia sisters in Naga City. Claudette Divinagracia, 27, of Barangay Cotmo, San Fernando, was found dead with hack wounds early morning of Sunday, December 7, outside the perimeter walls of St. James Homes in Ba

By Rhaydz Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- The P500 budget for a traditional Christmas Eve Noche Buena, suggested by DTI Secretary Cristina Roque, is insufficient to meet the Pinggang Pinoy recommended portions of Go, Grow, and Glow foods for a healthy, balanced diet, according to Kea Cathryn M. Euste, Nutrition Officer II of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Bicol. “The P500 budget for the holidays is not enough to achieve a healthy, balanced diet that meets the food group require

By Ryan Mostar For more than two decades, Ateneo de Naga High School Batch ‘99 has quietly extended help to families, students, and community partners—small acts of service that, over the years, have grown into a shared commitment. That long-standing spirit of generosity now comes together under a unified initiative: Project Paglaom, inspired by the Bicolano word for hope. “Project Paglaom is our way of giving hope to those who need it most,” said Batch ’99 president Von Karl

By Rhaydz Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- Albay Governor Noel Rosal reopened the controversial Peñaranda Park as he lit a giant Disney castle-inspired Christmas tree on Friday night, braving intermittent rain to officially welcome the Christmas season. Rosal, whose first term as governor was cut short on December 1, 2022 following a disqualification case, was joined by Albay lawmakers Krisel Lagman (1st District) and Carlos Loria (2nd District), former governor and now Tabaco City V