NAGA CITY—John Oliver Mimay, 32, and 13 others travelled for five hours from the town of Irosin in Sorsogon to this city to join a prayer rally against the widespread corruption involving politicians in infrastructure projects undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways and private contractors. The group composed of volunteers from the...
Author: Rey Anthony Ostria (Rey Anthony Ostria)
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Experience Sorsogon one delicious bite at a time
Sorsogon at the southernmost tip of the Bicol Peninsula usually draws local and foreign tourists to its coastal fringes. Among the top seaside destinations are Donsol and its whale sharks, Paguriran Island in Sorsogon City, Subic beaches in Matnog, and the surfing hubs in Gubat. But there’s an alternative experience that visitors shouldn’t miss: a...
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Mangroves offer refuge from climate risk to Sorsogon folk, whale sharks
DONSOL, Sorsogon—On his day off from his two jobs last November, after two strong typhoons battered the Bicol region including this coastal town popular among tourists eager for an “encounter” with whale sharks, Antolin Cuelana queued for relief goods at the basketball court in Barangay Ogod. The queue in Ogod, the largest barangay in Donsol,...
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Fear, isolation test resolve of residents in Albay town
LIBON, Albay—Delia Sario Elcano, 68, plodded through mud and past fallen power lines, barbed wires, slippery stones, and streams that were not there before. She had to take an unfamiliar path in temporarily abandoned residential lots because the usual route was covered with soil and rubble from a landslide. It was noon of Oct. 24...
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Leni Robredo’s political life goes full circle
NAGA CITY—Amid clamor from her supporters for her to run for the Senate after a failed presidential bid in 2022, former Vice President Leni Robredo has opted to seek the mayoral seat of Naga City in May next year, saying she would be “better and more passionate” in heading a local government and getting involved...
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Albay aims for 100% renewable energy in 2050
GUINOBATAN, Albay—Crizel Joyz Amano, 22, is back in town after signing up at a review center in Manila in preparation for a chemical engineering exam. Here in Albay, she must still regularly log in at 6 p.m. for an online review, all while dealing with the constant power interruptions in the province. “We experience almost-daily...
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Kiko Pangilinan mulls Senate run, challenges tech giants
LEGAZPI CITY—Former senator and Liberal Party president Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is mulling a comeback to the Senate in next year’s midterm elections, but this would depend on his prospects of winning. “I’m inclined to seek reelection, but I have not finalized my plans because I also want to see my chances [in the] polling,” he...