LEGAZPI CITY-THE BINITAYAN Detour bridge linking the critical river banks of Barangay Binitayan in Daraga, Albay to six other villages has been opened to traffic for all kinds of vehicles not exceeding 10 tons in weight early this week after its inauguration last July 1.

DPWH regional director Danilo C. Manalang said the Binitayan bridge-link which started construction in March and completed at the  at the end of June this year, is also being eyed as a diversion route to be connected to a provincial road near the Cagsawa Ruins leading to the national highway.

LEGAZPI CITY, July 9  - Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) field offices across the Bikol region have been alerted over the massive conversion of lands from agricultural uses to non-agricultural as a way for landowners to escape the coverage of the extended agrarian reform program.

LEGAZPI CITY, July 5 - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office in Bicol has announced the creation of an alliance with the local media here dubbed as DAMA-Bicol.

Alvin M. Villamor, DOLE-Bicol Regional Director said the DOLE & Media Alliance for Bicol codenamed "DAMA Bicol" is a pet project of the regional office that aims to improve the labor relations services of the office by forging a partnership with the tri-media in gathering labor complaints.

DAET, Camarines Norte, July 9 - Water shortage in some parts of the province, particularly those covered by Camarines Norte Water District (CNWD), is expected to get worse in the coming months starting July until November this year when surface water source reaches a critical low level caused by the long dry spell during the summer months, bared an official of the water utility office here.

PASACAO, CAM. SUR (7 July) - THE LOCAL police in this coastal town is still probing for the possible motive behind the bomb explosion that occurred inside the Meinhard Generics Pharmacy at the Oliver Lee Building at Barangay Sta. Rosa Del Sur near the town's port area early this week.

The drug store which is reportedly owned by Josephine Ranido Salazar sustained substantial damage during the blast, but firm's owner had not yet declared to the police the worth of damages on the establishment.

NAGA CITY---THE REMAINS of a Korean national still lies at the JL Espiritu Funeral Homes at the poblacion of Pasacao, Cam. Sur after the foreigner had committed suicide at a local beach resort in the said town last July 1, the Cam. Sur Police office here reported last July 6.

The Local police bared that according to the Koji's Beach Resort care-taker, Francia Magsino Barrameda, 28, the Korean indentified as Seung Hwan Kim, 66, was found with a nylon cord tied around his neck and hanging inside his rented cottage at the said resort in Barangay Caranan in this town.

Manila (9 July) -- The National Food Authority (NFA) in Bikol effected the transformation of all Tindahan Natin Outlets (TNOs) and Tindahan sa Parokya Outlets (TSPs) into Bigasan Sa Barangay Outlets (BBOs) and Bigasan Sa Parokya Outlets (BPOs) to distribute NFA rice at the regular price of P25.00 per kilogram effective June 24, 2010.

This was in compliance with the instruction of erstwhile Administrator Jessup P. Navarro received last June 23.

Legazpi City (9 July) -- All government workers are starting to receive their second tranche of salary increase under the Salary Standardization Law III effective June 24, 2010 pursuant to EO No.900 of the previous administration.

Assistant Regional Director Angelita Cells of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in Bikol has assured government workers in Region V that the corresponding cash requirement for their salary increase will be released as part of the cash program for the second half of the year.

Capping this year's title as 2010 National Project W.A.T.C.H Implementer, the whole Baao West Central School has all the reasons to celebrate for being the only school in Luzon to win the prestigious award.

For weeks, anxious Nagueños waited for their multi-awarded former city mayor to get appointed as the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Finally, nine days after the inauguration of  Noynoy Aquino as new Philippine President, spokesman Edwin Lacierda announced today that, indeed, Jesse M. Robredo is the new DILG secretary. President Aquino signed Robredo's appointment yesterday.

The PANGATAMAN-Bikol (Bicol Center for Environmental Protection) welcomed the planned visit of international actor Leonardo DiCaprio to Albay to launch environmental promotion and protection activities in the province.

According to Professor Joel Batanes, president of the Board of Trustees of PANGATAMAN-Bikol, "while it is welcome that an international environmental advocate will be coming here to boost our advocacy, it would be best if DiCaprio prioritize visiting eco-critical areas in the province rather than be more of a tourist."

Batanes said that the international celebrity should visit areas like Rapu-rapu Island and see the creeks that have been contaminated by mine tailings, Palanog in Camalig where a cement factory destroyed the local habitat, and Tiwi, where "a dubious solid waste injection project is being done."