By vJason Neola   NAGA CITY, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday, Feb. 21, personally inspected key waterways in the city that require de-clogging and assessed the structural condition of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum (JMR) following damages caused by recent earthquakes and typhoons. The President was joined by Mayor Leni Robredo and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, along with heads of concerned national government agencies, in a high-level inspection that underscored coordination between Malacañang and the LGU. During the visit, President Marcos formally turned over a P500-M check to the city government, earmarked exclusively for the renovation and retrofitting of the JMR Coliseum. The funding will transform the facility into a dual-purpose, world-class structure that will serve both as Naga’s primary evacuation center during disasters and as a premier venue for major city events and sports competitions. The coliseum sustained structural damage in previous calamities, prompting the city to seek national assistance for its rehabilitation. Mayor Robredo welcomed the support, saying the retrofitting will ensure the safety of evacuees and event-goers while strengthening the city’s disaster preparedness infrastructure. As part of “Oplan Kontra Baha,” the President, together with Secretary Dizon and Mayor Robredo, personally inspected dredging operations at Sagop Creek, one of the critical waterways contributing to flooding in nearby barangays. The flood mitigation initiative focuses on clearing creeks and drainage systems to restore proper water flow and prevent perennial flooding, especially during heavy rains. According to reports presented during the inspection, some 2,350 cubic meters of silt and sludge have already been removed from the city’s creek systems. National agencies committed to fast-track complementary interventions, including continued dredging, drainage improvement, and long-term flood control planning. The visit highlighted rare but significant collaboration between the national government under President Marcos and the Robredo-led local government of Naga. The President was welcomed by city officials, barangay captains, department heads, and local athletes, who gathered to witness the inspection and the ceremonial turnover of funds. The morale boost comes at a time when the city is in the thick of implementing various approaches, strategies, and innovations drawn from a series of high-level policy gatherings it recently convened, namely, the Basura Summit 2026: Naga City Solid Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability Summit, the Naga City Anti Drug Abuse Summit 2026, the Naga City Sports Stakeholders Summit 2026, and the Naga City Traffic, Transport and Mobility Summit 2026. Recommendations and action points from these summits are now being translated into concrete programs and reforms aimed at strengthening governance, public safety, environmental protection, grassroots sports development, and urban mobility across the city. City officials expressed optimism that the national government’s support will accelerate Naga’s infrastructure recovery and reinforce its long-term resilience against natural disasters. |

By Jason Neola   NAGA CITY, Philippines – Naga celebrates National Arts Month through the Karaw Festival, highlighted by the Kamotan Art Exhibit, which brings together the month of love and National Arts Month in one showcase. This year’s exhibit, running from February 10 to 28, is being held at the Right Wing, second floor of the City Hall building. Allen Reondanga, head of the City Events, Protocol, and Public Information Office (CEPPIO), said “Kamotan” is derived from the Bicol words kamot (hand) and muot (love). He explained that it is the hand that draws, paints, builds, and shapes—turning ideas into reality—while love gives meaning not only to the work but also to the person creating it. Love, he said, is made visible through art crafted by hand. In her speech during the opening of the exhibit, Mayor Leni Robredo described the event as a dream come true, as it was the product of collaboration among five arts groups in the city that chose to unite despite their differing priorities, ideas, and styles. The participating arts groups are An Kintab Arts Group, Salingoy Art Group, Artists Media Artworks, Bicol Artists Tribe, and Quadrant Art Group. The mayor said it is inspiring to see each arts group collaborating as a member of one big artistic family, helping one another. She added that this unity makes it easier for the city government to extend support and provide assistance to the local arts community. Robredo also observed that the passion for art among Nagueños has been steadily growing, similar to the transformation seen in Manila’s art scene. She noted that appreciation for art has changed significantly, with exhibits now drawing large audiences. “My dream for Naga is to expose the young not only to visual arts but to all forms of art,” she said.

    NAGA CITY, Philippines — Naga City welcomed distinguished guests of the Naga City Sports Stakeholders’ Summit with a curated city tour showcasing the city’s strength in sports, faith, heritage, and creative culture ahead of the February 16 to 17 summit. The delegation visited Maxburn Elite Fitness Gym and journeyed through Naga City’s revered Marian landmarks, including the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace where they paid a courtesy call to Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon, Porta Mariae, and the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, where they experienced the sacred tradition of Pagmamanto. The tour also included a stop at Savage Mind: Arts, Books, Cinema to experience the city’s creative pulse. Among the guests were Olympians, national athletes, coaches, and sports advocates including Hidilyn Diaz OLY, Akiko Thomson OLY, Gretchen Ho, Coach Noli Ayo, Coach Julius Naranjo, Jessie Lacuna OLY, Henry Dagmil OLY, Santi Edralin, Rechie Tugawin, and Councilor Charo Soriano. More than a tour, it was a warm introduction to a city where sports, culture, faith, and community come together at the center of it all.          

    IRIGA CITY, Philippines — The 2026 Tinagba Festival Street Dance Exhibition dazzled the crowd with electrifying performances, vibrant costumes, and powerful rhythms that truly embodied the spirit of Tinagba. 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦! 1𝗦𝗧 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘: Zeferino Arroyo High School 𝟮𝗡𝗗 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘: Rinconada National Technical Vocational School 𝟯𝗥𝗗 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘: San Antonio National High School To all participating contingents, thank you for showcasing the rich culture and talent of our Irigueño youth. (Lungsod ng Iriga) Arriba Iriga!

By Jason Neola   NAGA CITY, Philippines — The City Government of Naga, Helen Keller International, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strengthened their partnership through a memorandum of agreement that will boost the implementation of Barangay First 1,000 Days (BF1KD) Phase 3, which aims to improve the health of mothers and their children through proper nutrition. During the project launch held last February 3, 2026, Mayor Leni Robredo thanked the two partner organizations for supporting the city in further strengthening its health and nutrition campaign in Naga’s 27 barangays. The mayor also said that the city’s health workers, including Barangay Health Workers, are highly motivated and genuinely focused on implementing Naga’s health programs. She added that the city needs partnerships like these to help ensure an outcomes-oriented approach—meaning efforts are geared toward achieving good results and not merely focused on activities and processes. Even before she assumed office last year, Robredo has been advocating for a data-driven governance, emphasizing the expeditious gathering of accurate data and indicators from communities to enhance local government programs and advocacies including healthcare and education agenda. She emphasized that one way to translate the competence and passion of health workers into better results is through the efficient collection of accurate data from the barangays. This data serves as the basis for determining the appropriate actions needed to provide proper nutrition and good health to children, especially during the first 1,000 days of life. According to Robredo, being data-driven is the path toward achieving good nutrition and health—key factors in attaining better education outcomes or improved learning results, which can be seen in children’s performance in school.

By Jason Neola   NAGA CITY, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to begin now the rehabilitation of the Metro Naga Sports Complex (MNSC) after it received the Notice to Proceed, which authorizes the said government agency to carry out the planned rehabilitation and improvement of the facility. According to the notice, the rehabilitation works will start on January 23, 2026, with a contract completion date of January 18, 2027. The implementing agency for the project is the DPWH 3rd Engineering District. Robredo also reported that the winning contract cost is P144,603,914.84, and the winning bidder is Delmar Construction and Supplies. Mayor Leni Robredo said that a budget of up to P150 million was secured to implement Phase 1 of the MNSC project. The office of Senator Chiz Escudero provided significant assistance in facilitating the release of the said funds. In her message during the ground-breaking ceremony yesterday, February 2, Mayor Robredo said she consulted the city’s athletic associations in the planning and design of the floor plan to ensure that their requested facilities would be included in Phase 1. These include a large hall, cubicles, athletes’ quarters for female and male athletes, a gym, meeting rooms, numerous comfort rooms, and other requirements of the associations. According to the mayor, the rehabilitation will also focus on the grandstand and the running lane, as well as a separate walkway for ordinary citizens who wish to exercise, especially early in the morning.          

CAMARINES SUR, Philippines – Ipinagmamalaki ngayon ng Philippine National Police si Police Major Inar Vic Florence, ng Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office, sa pagiging Top 1 Honors sa International Police Exchange Program na ginanap sa Abu Dhabi Police College, sa ilalim ng United Arab Emirates–Ministry of Interior (UAE-MOI), noong Enero 29. Sa 52 kalahok mula sa 35 bansa, si Florence ang kinilala sa kanyang natatanging pagganap at propesyonalismo sa buong programa. Sa naganap na graduation ceremony, na dinaluhan ng mga matataas na opisyal ng UAE, kabilang sina His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince ng Abu Dhabi, at His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister at Minister of Interior, si Florence ay umani ng papuri sa kanyang natatanging kagalingan. Ang International Police Exchange Program ay isang Level 4 post-secondary qualification sa Advanced Police Science na naglalayong paunlarin ang kaalaman, kasanayan, at kakayahan sa pamumuno ng mga kalahok, partikular sa modernong policing at pandaigdigang kooperasyon sa pagpapatupad ng batas. Ang tagumpay ni Florence ay patunay ng patuloy na pagkilala sa kakayahan ng mga Pilipinong Pulis at ng kanilang mahalagang papel sa pagpapalakas ng internasyonal na kooperasyon sa larangan ng kapayapaan at seguridad. Source: Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office      

By Maida Boragay   NAGA CITY, Philippines — Mayor Leni Robredo is reforming the local government’s bureaucracy to dismantle long-standing systems of political patronage and “bottom-heavy” staffing, aiming to transform City Hall into a professionalized institution with a highly skilled, merit-based workforce. The reform, guided by a preliminary assessment from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), seeks to right-size the city government following findings that the current setup lacks sufficient middle management to ensure smooth succession and professional growth. “We want the selection to be intentional and deliberate,” Robredo said during a press conference on Monday, January 26. She emphasized her “hands-off” approach to avoid the traditional accommodations often expected of local politicians. “It is difficult when a politician chooses because of the pressure to accommodate. We want City Hall to be very professional because, in the end, it is the institution that benefits,” the mayor added. The DAP’s first draft of the rationalization plan highlighted a critical structural flaw: while the city is teeming with administrative assistants, it lacks middle managers. This bottom-heavy distribution has left several offices unprepared for leadership transitions. The Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern (OSSP) Team, led by Project Head Johann dela Rosa, together with the City Human Resources Management Office (CHRMO) and in partnership with Department and Office Heads, will meet with priority offices to undertake the initial steps in analyzing daily service processes and workloads. The overhaul goes beyond restructuring departments, focusing instead on a city hall-wide upskilling program. Robredo revealed that Naga is partnering with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide specialized training for all personnel, including field workers and garbage collectors. The goal, she said, is to increase the market value of every city employee. “My dream for City Hall is the same dream I had at the OVP that after my term, the value of the employees here will be so high because they worked here,” Robredo explained. By identifying skill gaps per department, the CHRMO is moving away from generic seminars toward intentional, specialized training. This ensures that even younger staff, should they eventually seek “greener pastures,” will carry a formidable set of skills to support their future endeavors. Despite the restructuring, Robredo clarified that Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules will be strictly followed. Open positions will be competitive, meaning current assistants are not automatically promoted to higher roles. “When a position opens, everyone—including outsiders—will go through the same rigorous process,” she said.    

NAGA CITY, Philippines – The Local Government Unit of Naga is calling on communities in the city’s 27 barangays to actively participate in efforts to keep their surroundings clean to prevent prolonged flooding of streets and major roads during the rainy season. Mayor Leni Robredo stressed that community participation is crucial to the city’s campaign for a cleaner Naga, noting that the initiative is expected to result in de-clogged waterways, one of the key factors in mitigating floods. The city mayor made the statement during her program “Oras ni Mayor,” which airs every Saturday over DWIZ. According to Robredo, one of the primary causes of flooding in the city is the clogging of waterways in barangays, largely due to discarded plastic waste and other types of garbage. On the part of the city government, the mayor said that nearly a year has been spent conducting studies and analyses to determine the root causes of flooding in various parts of the city. In addition, the city continues to assess areas that have been identified as flood-prone, especially during heavy rains. She further explained that aside from encouraging residents to take part in maintaining cleanliness, the city also needs to implement measures to relocate families living near waterways to ensure that these waterways are not used as dumping areas for solid waste. “This initiative is already being undertaken through the Housing and Settlements Development Office (HSDO) to help ensure that families to be relocated will have decent shelter, while preventing garbage dumping in waterways that contributes to the flooding problem,” Robredo said. I via Jason Neola