Society
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Sablayan Holds Unique Wedding Ceremony During Tuna Festival
Eight fishermen exchanged vows with their partners in a distinctive at-sea wedding ceremony on Friday, held aboard their fishing boats as part of the annual Tuna Festival in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro. The event, which has…
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DOT Issues 2025 Holy Week Travel Advisory
The Department of Tourism (DOT) released travel guidelines Friday to help tourists navigate the busy Holy Week period, when millions of Filipinos traditionally travel to provincial destinations. The advisory urges travelers to book only DOT-accredited…
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DOTr Cracks Down on Overloaded Vessels After Holy Week Incident
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has issued a stern warning to shipping companies after a vessel bound for Romblon province allegedly sold tickets beyond its capacity, leaving passengers stranded at port. Sec. Vince Dizon ordered…
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DPWH MIMAROPA Reactivates Motorists’ Assistance Team for Holy Week 2025
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – MIMAROPA has reactivated its “Lakbay Alalay” Motorist Roadside Assistance Centers in anticipation of the influx of travelers for Holy Week 2025. The assistance program will operate…
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Developer Justifies Fencing of Disputed Calapan Land
A major land dispute has intensified in Calapan City as Menakor Corporation has erected fencing around a 158-hectare property that includes city hall and several government offices, insisting the action is legally justified to prevent…
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PH Gov’t Steps Up Development in Occidental Mindoro to Eliminate Insurgency
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) announced Monday plans to intensify socio-economic development in Occidental Mindoro province as insurgency-hit areas achieve “stable internal peace and security” status. The program…
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NBI Arrests Suspect for Human Trafficking in Oriental Mindoro
Law enforcement authorities have arrested a man for human trafficking and rescued three minors in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has announced. The operation took place last week in a hotel…
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One Month On: Mindoro Student’s Disappearance Leaves Authorities Baffled; Family Offers P250,000 Reward
A Mindoreño family is desperately searching for answers one month after their son vanished from a passenger vessel, with authorities still unable to determine what happened. Aivan Ramos Montalan, a 20-year-old tourism student from Saint…
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Land Dispute Escalates in Calapan City as Fence Construction Threatens Families
Hundreds of farming families in Oriental Mindoro are facing potential displacement following the construction of a fence on contested agricultural land, media reports said. More than 300 families in Barangay Guinobatan, Calapan City held a…
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Insurgency is Weakening in Mindoro, says NICA
Communist insurgent groups in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro are “significantly weakening” and could soon be dismantled, according to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). NICA MIMAROPA Regional Director Pedro Gabayan told a government press forum…
Founder’S Profile
Romel “Direk” Ferriol Bernardo
Bernardo Creative Ventures, Inc., the company behind Direk Fuels, Oriental Mindoro’s homegrown gas station chain, and Direk Builders, which rents out heavy equipment, is expanding its portfolio by venturing into online media and content production.
The company’s entry into news media is not surprising, as its founder and CEO, Romel “Direk” Bernardo, was a television writer, producer, and director for over 15 years. From 2002 to 2007, he served as a researcher, writer, and producer for GMA-7’s top-rating show Imbestigador before becoming the executive producer for ABS-CBN’s award-winning documentary program, The Correspondents.
