By Jason Neola   NAGA CITY, Philippines — In a bid to strengthen the local flower industry and uplift the livelihood of families engaged in flower growing and vending, the City Government of Naga is set to host the 1st Pacol Flower Festival from October 26 to November 3, 2025, in Barangay Pacol. Mayor Leni Robredo expressed optimism that the event will help improve the socio-economic conditions of local flower growers and vendors. “I encourage the sector to engage in the production of high-valued varieties,” the mayor said. “The city government is willing to extend assistance if only to make their livelihood generate more income by making it more vibrant and productive.” City Councilor Jude Diokno, who chairs the Committees on Environment and Energy, Tourism, and Investment, Trade and Economic Enterprise, emphasized that the festival aims to empower barangays to sustain the flower industry. “We hope this becomes a platform to institutionalize support for the sector and create an ordinance that will make the Pacol Flower Festival an annual event,” he said.   Robredo acknowledged that while Naga City does not share the same climate as Baguio City—home to the renowned Panagbenga Festival—it can still cultivate select high-value flower varieties suited to its environment. “It’s just a matter of finding out which varieties thrive here. We can choose from those grown in Baguio but focus only on what we are capable of cultivating,” she added. The flower festival, which is the brainchild of Councilor Diokno, will feature flower booth competition, the oath-taking of officers of the newly formed Cut-Flower Planters Association, and evening performances by acoustic bands and local artists, including caricature exhibits by local artists. To help local growers prolong the life of cut flowers and reduce dependency on costly Manila-sourced flowers, Robredo said the city government, with support from the Department of Agriculture, is open to providing greenhouses and cold storage facilities. These infrastructures aim to reduce post-harvest losses and improve the profitability of flower farming in the city. Highlighting her personal commitment, Mayor Robredo also shared that her family has allowed the use of their one-hectare property in Barangay Pacol for flower farming since the 1990s—an initiative that continues to benefit the local flower-growing community. Currently, around 20 families are directly engaged in flower cultivation and vending in Naga. Among the flowers to be showcased during the festival are sunflowers, roses, regatta, aster, palong-palong, and puto-puto flowers. Spearheaded by officials of Barangay Pacol, the Flower Vendors Association headed by Mario Camba, and the Flower Growers Association led by Diosdado Ador Jr., the event is shaping up to be a community-driven celebration. In preparation for the event, Councilor Vladimir Cayabas of Baguio City visited Naga on September 12, 2025, upon the invitation of Councilor Diokno, to share Baguio’s best practices in organizing its celebrated Panagbenga Festival. Diokno said the success of the Pacol Flower Festival will be evaluated based on three criteria: Sales reports and tourist attendance A feasibility study on the project’s sustainability, and The potential to institutionalize the event annually. As Naga City prepares for this pioneering celebration, stakeholders are hopeful that the Pacol Flower Festival will bloom into a long-term initiative for inclusive growth and local pride.  

By Ruben A. Veloria   ZAMBALES, Philippines — Business owners along accretion areas in the municipality of San Narciso in this province expressed full support to the reclassification of the area by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). This developed after the provincial government of Zambales, through Provincial Engineering Office head Engr. Domingo Mariano, hosted a dialogue between business owners, DENR officials, and Local Government of San Narciso to resolve land ownership in Barangay La Paz, San Narciso. Based on a survey conducted by CENRO There are now 273 claimants. Engr. Mariano was tasked by Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. to help resolve the problems related to land ownership and land use along the accretion or unclassified public land in the province. DENR officials headed by Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB) Regional Director Noel Lacadin, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Regional Director Martin Despi, and City ENR Officer Eduard Serdanilla, and Engr. Mariano who served as facilitator. San Narciso Mayor La Rainne Abad-Sarmiento, together with La Paz Barangay Chairman Bienvenido Paz Jr., resort owners with their newly elected spokesperson Domingo Ramos. Engr. Mariano explained that the local government wanted to resolve the issue on land ownership in La Paz, to give everyone concerned the opportunity to move legally and plan to improve their businesses. “I believe we have to decide now whether you (resort owners) have to cooperate with the DENR or continue to go against the law.” Meanwhile, Mayor Sarmiento said that EMB has already issued notice of violations to uncooperative business owners, including failure to present Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECC), building permit, waste management certificate; no business permit, non-compliance to current Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). Penalties for committing such violation may range to ₱25,000.00 annually.   Sarmiento urged resort owners to cooperate with the government and support the conduct of technical surveys for land classification, sustainable coastal management, and the creation of updated CLUP in Barangay La Paz, instead of denying the staff of DENR to do their works. For MGB, Lacadin said DENR has declared the whole area as a danger zone and prohibited the building of any permanent structure there, however to their surprise business structures sprouted like mushrooms in La Paz. “The shore line has already moved more than one kilometer from its original line, so was the structure. It is very dangerous because sea current will definitely reclaim the area again, and it is happening now, not because of the dredging activities,” said Lacadin. For the part of EMB, Despi noted that most of the businesses in La Paz have no legal documents to operate a business in the area, and urged the local government to ensure that they are suitable according to land use classification and compliant with the existing laws and ordinances. As the business owners admitted that they do need help of the DENR and local government to secure legal rights for the land they are now occupying, they sought the intervention of Engr Mariano and Mayor Sarmiento to help them confer with Gov. Ebdane the urgency of complying the requirement of DENR.  “It is a welcome development. And we hope that the long standing issues regarding the legality of ownership of accretion lands in La Paz would be resolved peacefully,” said Engr. Mariano. He added that the government is happy to note that the land owners are now more willing to cooperate with the local government and DENR for the future of their businesses here in Zambales. He added that Laz Paz is only the starting point and there are more to follow.    

SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna, Philippines — The first day of the vendor zoning and clustering experiment around Sampalok Lake showed encouraging results, with two registered vendor associations actively participating in the initiative led by the City Government. Tourism Officer for Special Projects An Mercado Alcantara conducted on-site inspections joined by the City Tourism Team and Dr. Marino Garcia, Chief of the City Traffic Management Office. The visit aimed to observe how the new layout and clustering system worked in actual operation. Under the trial setup, vending areas were clearly designated, while open park zones were kept free for visitors to enjoy unobstructed views of the lake. Vendors were not allowed to occupy the road. This approach seeks to strike a balance between order and accessibility, enhancing both vendor management and visitor experience. According to Alcantara, vendors demonstrated discipline and cooperation, not only complying with the new guidelines but also offering practical suggestions to improve implementation. “The greatest achievement today is the spirit of collaboration among the Tourism Office, the City Traffic Management Office, and the vendors themselves,” Alcantara said. “It’s a small but meaningful step toward a cleaner, safer, and more welcoming lakefront for everyone — proof that when we work together, even change can feel like hope.” Important Reminder: Only vendors registered with their respective associations and approved by the Tourism Office are allowed to participate in the ongoing zoning experiment. Unregistered vendors are prohibited from selling in the parks surrounding Sampalok Lake.  

By Rachel Magday   NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines – Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito  called for civility and unity, affirming the provincial government’s duty to respect court processes in the disputed mining exploration. He invited anti‑mining leaders to a “fruitful dialogue,” saying he wants to work with civil, responsible leaders to find solutions and prefers engagement over confrontation — even with protesters he believes are acting out of political interest. At the provincial government’s flag‑raising ceremony, Gambito said he will not be drawn into online attacks. “I am not silent, but I do not want to engage with disrespectful people on social media,” he said, noting a surge of harsh posts directed at him. He appealed for respect: “If they can’t respect the person, at least respect the position. If they disrespect the position, they also disrespect the people of Nueva Vizcaya who put me here.” He added that critics should not expect him to join scuffles at barricades — “I have other, more effective ways” — and said he has already relayed constituents’ concerns to the proper authorities, including President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos. The governor framed his role as the province’s “father,” saying pro‑ and anti‑mining groups are like “children” in conflict. “As a reasonable father,” he said, he must find ways to resolve misunderstandings rather than inflame tensions, and he urged community leaders not to provoke residents or make the conflict worse. “If the majority of Nueva Vizcaya residents do not want mining, so be it. I can very well serve the province with or without mining,” Gambito added, saying his priority is serving the people and finding a peaceful solution. His remarks followed an incident last Friday in Sitio Keon, Barangay Bitnong, Dupax del Norte, where anti‑mining protesters confronted police officers who were providing security to a court sheriff serving an order from RTC Branch 30 Judge Paul R. Attolba Jr. The order was related to a temporary restraining order (TRO) sought by Woogle Corporation to allow it to proceed with exploration activities. As an anti‑mining rally took place Monday morning at the People’s Stage at the provincial capitol, Gambito sent a same‑day invitation to church leaders — including Bishop Elmer Mangalinao of the Diocese of Bayombong, who attended the protest — the protesters’ lawyers and anti‑mining leaders from Barangay Bitnong for a dialogue in his office. He described the invite as a sincere effort to resolve the issue peacefully and find common ground. The group declined the office meeting and insisted the governor come to the rally instead. Gambito at first considered agreeing to that demand, but one of the more civil anti‑mining leaders advised him not to go for security reasons. PNP Provincial Director Paul Bometivo said the demonstration was peaceful. Police estimated about 400 people took part — including residents from Dupax del Norte and other towns in Nueva Vizcaya, clergy, local officials and youth leaders. During the program at the capitol, leaders delivered speeches voicing their opposition to the mining project. Afterward the crowd marched out of the capitol grounds and continued their rally in front of the municipal hall in Dupax del Norte. Gambito reiterated that his office remains open for good‑faith dialogue and called on all sides to help lower the temperature, respect institutions and work toward a peaceful resolution.