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Briefs and findings

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Briefs on Bicol governance and public spending, each one carrying the DPWH records, LGU pages and audit findings behind the story.

P20 Rice in Bicol: Why Few LGUs Signed UpP20 rice is selling at NFA outlets across Bicol, but only a few local governments have signed up, and buyers must queue up for a strict ten kilo limit.Peñafrancia Regatta Lagonoy Marks 30 YearsThe Peñafrancia Regatta at Lagonoy North turned 30 this year, with sea and river processions on September 9 and 11, spanning five mayors' terms in all.Mayon Alert Level 2: What the Latest PHIVOLCS Data SaysMayon Alert Level 2 has not changed since 5 August, and PHIVOLCS now calls it decreased unrest. The sulfur figures, and what the readings do not settle.Naga City Awarded 716 Land Titles in a Year. The Audit Record Does Not Show It.Naga City awarded 716 land titles to eight homeowners associations over the past year through Kaantabay sa Kauswagan, its urban poor programme. The city is also moving roughly...Ibalong Z Drew 12,500 People to a Bikol Epic in a Region Where 42,000 Learners Struggle to ReadIbalong Z drew 12,500 people across six shows on a budget its team calls too small. What that says about Bicol theatre, and the 42,000 learners who can't read well.Government Salary Grades: What Every Rank Earns Under the 2025 ScheduleWhat government salary grades actually pay: an Administrative Aide I starts at 14,061 pesos a month while the President's grade tops out at 451,713 pesos.DPWH Puts Albay Infrastructure Projects at End of 2027, With the Regional Hospital at 36 PercentTwo Albay infrastructure projects are years late: a ₱3.5B hospital at 36 percent and a flyover at 12. What the new 2027 commitment actually promises.The Bicol Road Projects That Were Promised by 2022, and What the Record Still Does Not ShowSix Bicol road projects had names, lengths and completion dates in 2021. What the record states, what the arithmetic suggests, and what we could not verify.Supreme Court Rules a Bank Error Does Not Oblige a Depositor to Return the MoneyThe Supreme Court sided with a depositor who withdrew ₱76,000 after a teller's bank error. What extraordinary diligence means for anyone holding an account.Casureco III Franchise Renewal Goes to Consultation in Buhi, Camarines SurThe Casureco III franchise renewal went to public consultation in Buhi, Camarines Sur. What the record shows, and what members still do not know.Tito Valiente, Bicol Cultural Scholar and Film Critic, Dies at 70Tito Valiente spent his career arguing Bicol's histories deserved studying from Bicol. What his death at 70 leaves behind, and who carries the work now.Diocese of Legazpi Marks 250 Years of Devotion to Nuestra Señora de Salvacion in Tiwi, AlbayNuestra Señora de Salvacion has drawn devotion in Tiwi for 250 years. Why the diocese held the jubilee there and not in Legazpi, and what the record leaves out.Ombudsman Files 2nd Case vs Zaldy Co Over ₱77M Flood ProjectThe Ombudsman has filed a second malversation case against Zaldy Co over a ₱77M flood control project it says was never built. What the filing leaves out.Barangay Elections Postponement Now Rests With Congress as Naga Prepares for the November 2 BSKECongress decides the barangay elections postponement, not Comelec. What the delay costs Naga, the ₱30 million plebiscite question, and the dates that settle it.Eleven Camarines Sur towns clear the stunting threshold. The programme is in Masbate.NNC's 2025 Operation Timbang Plus data puts 22 Bicol municipalities at or above the 17.5 per cent stunting threshold. Eleven of them are in Camarines Sur.Mayon evacuees went home in August. The public record stops in June.About 1,132 families left the Mayon evacuation camps from 6 August 2026 after roughly seven months. The newest official figures on what the crisis cost are dated 5 June.
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