LEGAZPI CITY, July 10 -- Mayon volcano has manifested increasing volcanic quakes, swelling of its edifice and intense crater glow, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to raise the volcano's alert status to Level 2.

DAET, CAMARINES NORTE -- THE SURGE OF NEW INCIDENTS OF ARMED ROBBERIES and killings in this capital town and nearby localities has drawn deep concern particularly on the business sector, who had initially raised some P 50, 000 pesos in cash rewards for the immediate arrest of suspected armed-robbery gang members. Earlier, Daet mayor Tito Sarion made an urgent appeal to the Cam. Norte police office and the local police to prevent further occurrence of the spate of robbery-holdups and murder of victims. with constituents here now fearing this new surge of crimes.

What would it take for Naga City Ordinance 95-070 to be enforced? For several months already, we have urged the Naga City government which issued the above the ordinance to attend to the judicious implementation of prohibiting smoking in public places and inside public transportation. It would seem, however, that same city government could not care less: its reputation as a "smoke-free city" gained through the passage of the said ordinance has also gone the way of its early moniker "An Maogmang Lugar." In other words, Naga City is neither "smoke-free" nor "maogma" anymore.

PILI, CAMARINES SUR -- THE VICE-MAYOR OF THIS CAPITAL TOWN has taken the oath of office to assume the post as Chief Executive of this town after incumbent Mayor Alexis San Luis died in a tragic vehicular accident last July 1 at Gumaca, Quezon province. New Pili Mayor Romeo S. Salazar vowed to continue the progressive development projects started by late Mayor San Luis, noting that the Capital town is a beneficiary to some P 90-Million worth of infrastructure projects.

Last month, we welcomed the news that the resumption of the PNR's operations in the region has been set for next year. The famed "Bikol Express" which ran from Manila to Sorsogon and vice versa but which halted because of super typhoons Milenyo and Reming in 2006, was announced to be returning to serve the community by May 2010.

PILI, Camarines Sur, July 2 (PNA) -- The Basic Solid Waste Management Training (BSWMT) program is now an option for students to enlist in, particularly those in Camarines Sur, in lieu of the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and other training courses under the National Service Training Program (NSTP) as provided under Republic Act 9163.

LEGAZPI CITY (June 29, 2009) - - THE FLOOD CONTROL COMPONENT of the hugely budgeted and biggest dam structure being constructed in Bikol under the Bicol River Basin and Watershed Management Project (BRBWMP) has been left-out in the current construction of the dam located in Barangay Malaguico, Sipocot, Camarines Sur, experts at the planning and design of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here had revealed.

NAGA CITY-Residents along two thoroughfares and one village in Naga City woke up Tuesday to find their streetlights turned off earlier than usual after operatives from the Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperative (Casureco II) had disconnected power supply, claiming that the city government had failed to pay P30 million power consumption debt. The general services department of the city government confirmed that Casureco II had disconnected power supply to city streetlights in Panganiban Avenue, Elias Angeles Street, and Barangay Dayangdang.

GAINZA, Camarines Sur-There are two things in Gainza that even perennial flooding cannot wash away-the aspiration of the town and the resiliency of its people. Beset by flooding, poverty, and out-migration of residents, the small and fifth class municipality (annual income: P15 million to P24 million) has struggled to keep its identity amid the urban sprawl of metropolitan Naga City.

NAGA CITY,June 30 (PNA) -- The construction of the P1.3 billion skyway bridge project that will connect the 2nd District town of Canaman and Libmanan municipality in the 1st District of Camarines Sur is scheduled to start in October this year, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Tuesday. District Engineer Gilbert Olfindo of the DPWH Camarines Sur 1st Engineering District Office said the opening of bids for the project is set on August 23, 2009 at the DPWH central office in Manila.