Allow me to splurge in luxury and exaggeration in talking about my sister’s flower plants in her small front yard in Legaspi city. She has appointed enough elbow room and growth space- actually all of the space thereabout- for her source of surprise and delight. She spend good times meticulously […]
The prevailing Philippine mining laws grant the Department of Environment and Natural Resources the sole authority to approve large-scale mining. Neither the provincial or local governments enjoy the same authority. At last, the powers that be in the government showed the true color of their skins.
Riding a motor bike on a rainy afternoon is a no-no recommendation when the destination is that portion of the national road that traverses the area about barangay Sibobo. Quite a coincidence we were right in the vicinity of the gravel-and-sand mining operation on the mountainous part bordering the area.
The calm, salty sea of San Miguel bay kiss the breakwaters of Sabang, Sibobo and other shoreline villages of Calabanga in a clockwork manner. So much unlike as those that brought a devastating tsunami caused by an earthquake that hit the Japanese prefecture of Fukushima and surrounding areas last Friday.
Albay Governor Joey Salceda has ordered the reactivation of evacuation plans for landslide and flood prone areas and residents in six towns following the continuous and heavy rains almost all throughout the Bicol region, and most heavily Albay for the past six days.
Some 540 families in the towns of Irosin and Juban in Sorsogon province were evacuated Sunday as Mount Bulusan spewed thick ash clouds. The evacuees came from three villages directly affected and within the six kilometer permanent danger zone around the erupting volcano.
Masteral students enrolled at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture-Calabanga rolled their sleeves for a day of community service. Mostly teachers from the state schools in the municipality, they went out to the nearby shoreline for a beach clean-up. All are pursuing masteral studies but met together in the environmental governance class for the first semester of 2010-2011.
Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon continued to show signs of increasing volcanic activities, recording explosion-type quakes and belching a 200-meter high white steam clouds above the crater rim, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
After a devastating typhoon, villagers would immediately act to salvage whatever household items could be useful and still serviceable. Us in Bicol having undergone the same experience more than many times in the past several years as our fellow Filipinos in northern Luzon, can not help but feel the sorrow and pain of typhoon victims.
Extraordinary times like this we wish to ourselves that some extra able super guy (Superman??) would come, rescue not only young ladies in distress but the public as well. But for our country there should be many.
We are on an intense weather watch due to the tropical disturbance by typhoon Juan (international code name: megi). But rather than get the bulletin from the local channels, we have to rely on the internet which are much more detailed (words and graphic) with updates as often as the sites get one, without the interruption of lengthy advertisements except those pay per click links.
The official opening of tercentenary celebration of the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia winds down this Saturday with the traditional fluvial procession. It is the combined procession and river boat ride of the images from the Metropolitan Cathedral back to the Basilica Minore by way of the Naga river.
This afternoon, the official festivities on the celebration of the tercentenary of Peñafrancia in the region kicks off at the Basilica Minore in barangay Balatas of Naga city. The revered images of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro will be transported via a long and winding procession on the city streets after the traditional high mass at the home church of the images.
Legazpi city: Summer has long been gone here. It starts just when the school year ends in March. So students connect summer to days without the regular classes, homeworks and tests. No tensions, more of fun, outings (to the beach and movies?) and also malling (now a favorite past time […]
Since this post is too graphic, we advise caution and discretion in viewing with adult supervision. And check-out the videos below the post text.
With all these exploration and mining actions in the Bicol region initiated by the national government which contradicts itself, and at times awarded to foreign companies that solely enjoy the benefits and fruits of the national patrimony, whom do we ask for relief?
So how do we get a good impression of the vicinity about the poblacion- Parada of Calabanga, other than taking a snap from the window of a plane or helicopter or using the Google satellite-generated image?
With the looming prospect of the San Miguel bay to exploratory mining for iron ore deposit, we surmised the immediate areas that maybe opened. Here we conceptualized that prospective zone of one kilometer from the shore and three kilometers outward. The same area runs in conflict with municipal ordinance that […]
On Wednesday, I went early to the market if only to avoid the rush and hustle as many people surely will be a crowd too many, buying and selling food stuff.
Viewed by the ricefields at the back of our house, Kanibag hill is a balding mound of soil, a geological anomally, perched on the shoulders of Mount Isarog.
At 6:28 in the evening, stalls at the only public market in the town start turning off lights one by one.
The parish church of Our Lady of La Porteria, one of the six in the town, gets the much needed roof renovation.
Thankfully enough we have this boat on the foreground. There’s the hint of blue in the sky but so faint and the general mood of the day is drab and dreary. The port at the city of Legazpi is the port of call for cargo and passenger ships that ply […]
This is a sky photo taken during our visit of the village of Balongay here in Calabanga.
It’s been more than two weeks now (and counting), the evacuees of about forty seven thousand people are huddled in designated safe centers in the province of Albay. The “former” residents who called their home the slopes of restive, almost perfect-coned Mayon volcano, spent their first Christmas and New Year, in cramped and crowded surroundings.
Resident volcanologists declared on Monday Mayon volcano continues its ash explosions which are more becoming stronger despite the evacuees eagerness to return to their homes within the danger zones.
It is Christmastime here in the areas surrounding the perfect-coned volcano of Mt. Mayon. And instead of snow, the towns experience ashfall showers and ground rumblings.
Residents of barangay Salvacion have to walk roads in disrepair, with asphalt washed away by flood and strong rains the past few months, a prevailing situation many times common to areas in the region.
Last Wednesday (11 November 2009), about 1:50 A.M. Mt. Mayon had a minor explosion lasting for about three minutes which brought ash fall on the towns surrounding the volcano.
Let’s spend an afternoon, and perhaps wait for the sun set, at the Rompeolas of Sorsogon city.
Very moody. The horizon is always adorned with thick clouds this side of the town.
Calabanga is one of the major rice producers in the province. With the looming unwelcome downpour coming, farmers are in deep trouble.
The series of frames here shows the deplorable and severe aftermath of tropical storm Ketsana, local name Ondoy, which caused flooding to a vast area in the national capital region and neighboring provinces due to the unabated torrential rain and wind.
The typhoon entered the eastern side of the big island of Luzon and made landfall between the provinces of Aurora and Quezon, even as rain started pouring earlier on Friday evening.
This is Mt. Isarog, a dead volcano nestled at the heart of Camarines Sur province, the highest forested peak in the southern portion of the island of Luzon with a height of 1,966 meters (6,450.13 feet) above sea level.
Sometimes can only wish for a good view of the sky clear and far from the electrical post with its tangled wires. We have to sacrifice a little in exchange for some convenience or I won’t be posting this skyview.
By the ricefield. The simple joy of living in a rural area.
We tend to our rice farm and look up to the sky for rains to come at times.
The once white, thick puffy clouds hovering above turned darker in due time, cool air sweep the area and then tiny droplets of crystal water began to pour from above.
Sitting by the plane window of an domestic Airbus319 series plane, I feel like floating on the pluffy clouds the aircraft was passing through.
Signal No. 3 on Masbate; No. 2 on Sorsogon, Albay and Burias; No. 1 on CamNorte, CamSur, Catanduanes as Typhoon Yolanda barrels through the islands Signal 4 on Samar, Samar, Leyte, S. Leyte, Biliran; Signal 3 on N. Samar, Masbate, N. Cebu, Bantayan, Siargao, Dinagat, as Typhoon Yolanda barrels through […]
Tropical cyclone ‘Karen’ (international name ‘Sakira’) intensified into a severe tropical storm Friday and threatened Catanduanes province to unleash maximum sustained winds of up to 100 kph. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its severe weather bulletin 7 released Friday afternoon that ‘Karen’ packed maximum sustained […]
Seven provinces are now under public storm signal No. 3 as typhoon “Glenda” has maintained its strength and continues to move westward towards Bicol region, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Tuesday. Public storm signal No. 3 (winds of 101-185 kilometers per hour is […]
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) confirmed 12 major transmission power lines in South Luzon damaged by the howler typhoon ‘Nina’ that plunged over 2 million service users. These are the 12 major transmission lines which sustained damages from typhoon Nina which plunged some provinces either into total […]
The parish church of Our Lady of La Porteria, one of the six in the town, gets the much needed roof renovation.
Typhoon Yolanda makes 5th landfall in Panay Island, Bicol provinces still affected. The howler slightly accelerated and made its fifth landfall in Concepcion, Iloilo on Friday noon, the state weather bureau said. In a press briefing in PAGASA, Weather Forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said the first landfall was around 4:40 a.m. […]
MANILA, Jan. 7 -– People in Luzon are in for colder weather as the temperature is expected to dip further in coming days brought about by the northeast monsoon or hanging amihan. The northeast monsoon is known to be at peak in January and February which now already prevails in […]
Sitting by the plane window of an domestic Airbus319 series plane, I feel like floating on the pluffy clouds the aircraft was passing through.
The general population would readily welcome rain any time of the day to offset the sweltering effect of heat, like the short episode of raindrops yesterday afternoon in some parts of Camarines Sur. Yet, the country will remain storm-free in the next three days, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services […]
Thankfully enough we have this boat on the foreground. There’s the hint of blue in the sky but so faint and the general mood of the day is drab and dreary. The port at the city of Legazpi is the port of call for cargo and passenger ships that ply […]
The provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur have declared class suspensions in all levels effective on Monday, Dec. 14, as the severe tropical storm “Nona” continues to threaten the Samar provinces and the Bicol Region. Camarines Sur Gov. Miguel Villafuerte posted a memorandum announcing the province-wide suspension of classes in […]
The national disaster council on Sunday announced that the damages caused by super typhoon “Yolanda” to properties and infrastructures has hit the P22,659,851,383.76 mark. Damage to agriculture was estimated at P10,701,971,349.76, including P5,096,116,351.70 in crops and P2,184,011,881 in livestock. While damage to infrastructure was estimated at P11,957,880,034. As of Sunday, […]
The low pressure area located east of Borongan City has developed into a tropical depression now named ‘Ambo’ as the first tropical cyclone to affect the country this year, according to the state weather bureau. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said as of 11:30 a.m., ‘Ambo’ […]
Masteral students enrolled at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture-Calabanga rolled their sleeves for a day of community service. Mostly teachers from the state schools in the municipality, they went out to the nearby shoreline for a beach clean-up. All are pursuing masteral studies but met together in the environmental governance class for the first semester of 2010-2011.
At least 24 areas in Luzon including Metro Manila are still under public storm warning signals as typhoon “Lando” slightly weakens as it continues its slow movement towards the provinces of Apayao, Ilocos Norte and Abra, the state weather bureau said on Monday. As of 4 a.m., the center of […]
Expect there will be suspension of more classes in all levels for both private and publics schools in affected areas of the country due to prevailing inclement weather situations brought about the southwest monsoon and identified low pressure area. The 13 cities under the National Capital Region all have declared […]
Legazpi city: Summer has long been gone here. It starts just when the school year ends in March. So students connect summer to days without the regular classes, homeworks and tests. No tensions, more of fun, outings (to the beach and movies?) and also malling (now a favorite past time […]
MANILA, Dec. 20 — The death toll from super typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) rose to 6,100, with most of the fatality from Eastern Visayas, the national disaster council said on Friday. The running total of the death toll is broken into at the Calabarzon, 3; Mimaropa, 19; Bicol, 6; Western Visayas, […]
Stormy weather continues to prevail in most parts of Luzon including Metro Manila as Typhoon “Lando” has slightly weakened as it made its first landfall in the town of Casiguran, Aurora Province, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said. PAGASA weather forecaster Buddy Javier said that as […]
Heaven cries, Duterte’s second SONA will have rainshowers? As supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte flock around the venue of his second SONA, rainshowers is predicted to prevail in Metro Manila this Monday. The southwest monsoon also affects the western section of Luzon and the Visayas, state weather bureau PAGASA disclosed. […]
By the ricefield. The simple joy of living in a rural area.
We tend to our rice farm and look up to the sky for rains to come at times.
Allow me to splurge in luxury and exaggeration in talking about my sister’s flower plants in her small front yard in Legaspi city. She has appointed enough elbow room and growth space- actually all of the space thereabout- for her source of surprise and delight. She spend good times meticulously […]
LEGAZPI CITY, Dec. 6 — The provincial government of Albay on Saturday morning continued evacuating residents who are threatened by strong winds, mud and lahar flows, floods, landslides and storm surges. Those ordered to evacuate may reach about 600,000 people. Governor Jose Salceda on Friday issued a directive to government […]
After the passage of Typhoon ‘Nona,’ still four provinces are waiting for the full power restoration. On Wednesday, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said Aurora, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija and Sorsogon still have blackouts. Power was lost in Aurora on Thursday, affecting the towns of Dingalan, San Luis, […]