PILI, CAMARINES SUR—Journalism student Jevan Dex Miranda was a child when the inconceivable happened: bodies unearthed by a backhoe, families grieving while searching for their loved ones, and headlines marking the Philippines as the setting of the deadliest single attack on journalists in world history. Miranda was among the students, human rights advocates and media...
Author: Antonette Alzaga
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Under Naga’s ‘Carless Sunday’ program, Magsaysay Avenue becomes a playground
NAGA CITY— Magsaysay Avenue, normally a four-lane artery buzzing with traffic, transforms into a playground on Sunday nights. Under this city’s “Magsaysay Carless Sundays” program, the avenue is filled, not with motor vehicles, but with strolling families, children busy drawing on the street, cruising skaters, and fitness buffs moving to the beat of Zumba music....
Flooding in Barangay District III, San Miguel, Catanduanes —PHOTO FROM MDRRMO LGU SAN MIGUEL FB PAGE
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Supertyphoon ‘Uwan’ batters Bicol as it moves toward Aurora
NAGA CITY—Supertyphoon “Uwan” (internationally known as Fung-wong) pounded the Bicol region with torrential rains and violent winds that brought massive flooding in many areas as it moved toward Aurora early afternoon of Sunday. In Catanduanes, floodwaters swept parts of Virac, the capital town, including Barangay Gogon Centro, VTC (Virac Town Center) near the public market,...
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Young Bicolanos now a growing force in the festival honoring Our Lady of Peñafrancia
NAGA CITY—For most Filipinos, September signals the start of the Christmas countdown. But for the people of Bicol, it means the beginning of a season of deep devotion and the celebration of the Peñafrancia festival here. The festival, one of the country’s most revered and renowned religious celebrations, is marked by the feast of the...
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Mayor Leni Robredo takes office, pledges transparency and good governance in Naga City
NAGA CITY—In her first day in office as the first woman to hold the mayor’s seat in her home city, Leni Robredo vowed to “purge corruption” at City Hall and promote transparency and good governance. “We will make Naga once more a center of good governance, development, and innovation, enhancing and sustaining the good governance...
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A testament to faith stands strong in a coastal town in Camarines Sur
CALABANGA, CAMARINES SUR—In the heart of this first-class municipality by the coast, a testament to faith stands strong. The wooden figure Amang Hinulid and the passion play “An Pasyon ni Kristo” have become integral parts of Calabanga’s identity, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims each year and making the sacred tradition a source of pride...
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‘Pista nin Teatrong Bikolnon’ brings theater (and alternative election perspectives) to rural folk
“Pista nin Teatrong Bikolnon” again brought together communities and campus-based theater companies from across the Bicol region, celebrating its sixth year of taking plays in their rawest form to the ordinary people. This time, the festival carried the theme “Gimata: Reclaiming People’s Narratives,” which organizers aimed at highlighting the importance of community narratives and promoting...
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In this scorching weather, what does ‘heat index’ mean?
PILI, Camarines Sur — As the temperature soars, with many parts of the country including Metro Manila experiencing extremely warm weather, the term “heat index” has surfaced anew. In its March 6 advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned of “danger” as the heat index rose to 45⁰ C in Dagupan City...
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Bringing art from the galleries to the streets of Naga City
PILI, Camarines Sur—People typically go to air-conditioned rooms, enclosed building spaces, and narrow hallways to experience art. One artist, Manuel Dondon Medenilla, has made a dramatic distinction. Medenilla is holding an exhibition of his paintings, acrylic on canvas, on a sidewalk of Magsaysay Avenue in Naga City, to literally bring art closer to other people...
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Where love continues to live
EDITOR’S NOTE: With this new section called Young Voices, CoverStory opens space for young people feeling their way into the world and trying to formulate the rhyme and reason behind the paths they choose to take. I came across a post that presented a question: “How do you deal with grief?” Many had answers: Sit...