For 4th year in a row, PH still most disaster-prone country
Among 193 worldwide, the Philippines is yet again the most disaster-prone country in the world. This is the fourth year in a row that the country topped the WorldRiskReport by the aid alliance Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (BEH) and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV). The indicators used for ranking the…
Peace walk calls for justice, empowerment of marginalized, stronger church-society unity
NOTE: This story was first published by BicoldotPH on Sept. 19, 2025. Please watch this video first: Images of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia and Inay Maria ng Magnificat, both mounted on a blue truck blaring songs and prayers, guided the pilgrims through the streets of Camarines Sur. As they passed, locals paused and made…
Masbate town women seek solutions as water, plastic woes strain environment
In Masbate, women are tackling problems they didn’t cause—from hauling water from long distances to recycling waste. Their efforts are vital, but how long can communities like theirs carry the weight of lack of basic services in a warming world? NOTE: This work was first published by BicoldotPH on Aug. 31, 2025, with funding support…
THROWBACK: House probe tackles ‘flood-control scam’ in Bicol
NOTE: The flood control issue is not new and investigations were already held by the House of Representatives. In January 2019, then House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur initiated a congressional inquiry into what he described as a “flood control scam” in the Bicol Region. The investigation, held in Naga City, examined…
Get a Ghibli postcard from Japan and help me fund this blogsite
Dear friends, I have Ghibli postcards at home and for my birthmonth October soon, I’ll be bringing them along my trip from Tokyo to Hokkaido and then back to Tokyo. I’m posting this in case anyone’s interested to receive handwritten personal messages on a postcard stamped with an eki stamp from any of the train…
List of Flood Control Projects in Bicol
The list of projects can also be found on the website https://sumbongsapangulo.ph/. However, that site does not allow sorting the projects by cost or completion date. You may also click on the province names below to view their corresponding data. Bicol Projects – Province Buttons Bicol Projects Search contractors, filter by province with one click,…
Japan Travel: What is a JR Pass? Should you get it? How do you use it?
[NOTE: THIS POST WILL BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED AS I WRITE MORE RA VS JAPAN POSTS, WHICH ARE COMPLEMENTARY POSTS TO MY YOUTUBE VIDEO FOUND HERE] Japan is home to the fastest, safest trains, the world’s busiest stations, the longest train bridge, and the longest suspended monorail system. So naturally, when you visit Japan, your experience…
The ‘Unlucky Town’: How a Pre-WWII Newspaper Argued About My Hometown’s Fate
In just a few days, it will mark exactly 86 years since the pre-World War II newspaper “An Parabareta” sparked a spirited debate about the supposed misfortunes of my hometown, Guinobatan. I was reminded this first when I saw someone on Reddit ask everyone in r/Bicol what they think are the ‘best and worst’ cities…
THROWBACK | In Catanduanes, ‘hosanahan’ still alive as a Lenten rite
NOTE: This story was first published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on March 25, 2024. I thought that since today is Easter Sunday, it would be nice to repost this here. I should have posted this a week ago, though, because this story is actually about the Palm Sunday celebration in the town of Caramoran,…
