President Benigno C. Aquino III has appointed former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president, Jose Anselmo "Joel" Cadiz, the new Solicitor General. The Office of the Solicitor General is the law firm of the Philippine government. The Solicitor General has the same rank and qualifications as that of a Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals and will represent the People of the Philippines and the government, including its instrumentalities, in litigations.

Atty. Joel Cadiz was at the forefront of the opposition to the controversial Executive Order 464 issued by former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to prevent cabinet members and police and military generals from attending congressional inquiries without her approval. EO 464 effectively softened the senate investigation of alleged military involvement in rigging of the 2004 national elections and the NBN-ZTE deal scandal. Cadiz was one of the petitioners against the said executive order in 2005 and the state of emergency proclaimed by Arroyo in 2006 because of alleged coup attempt lead by General Danilo Lim.

MUSICIAN Joseph B. Reburiano describes the whole experience as a "collection of Bikol sacred songs arranged for chorus and orchestra in the contemporary musical idiom."

In celebration of the 300th year of Peñafrancia Devotion and the 70th year of Ateneo de Naga University, the AdNU Choir will launch its first album in a musical performance on Friday, July 30, 2010, 7pm, at the Church of Christ the King, Ateneo Campus.

Legazpi City (23 July) -- Albay's Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) is an ideal model in building a resilient, safe community during times of disaster events, a research study said.

In a research study by Oxfam, Bicol University and Albay province showed that Albay's DRRM model played a significant role in protecting lives of people and at the same time making communities strong and safe from and catastrophic event that may take place.

LEGAZPI CITY, July 19 -- The death toll in Bikol due to typhoon Basyang has risen to 17 while 32 are still missing, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the region said Monday.

At least 83 people have been rescued even as search and recovery operations continue for over a week now after "Basyang" battered Bikol.

OCD report said elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are continuously conducting search and recovery operations using air, sea and land assets in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes.

LEGAZPI CITY, July 22 - The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Bikol said it would review the legality and operation of the Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. (MVGC), a franchise holder of the Small Town Lottery (STL) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte.

LEGAZPI CITY (21 July) - Of the 192 directors of agencies and division chiefs in various government agencies in Bikjol, only 69 con-current executives are Career Executives Service Officers  (CESO), this was revealed by records  of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) regional office in Rawis, Legaspi City.

Legazpi City (23 July) -- The Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol has declared a malaria epidemic in Camarines Norte after 182 residents of one town in the province were stricken by the mosquito-borne disease.

Camilo Aquino, DOH Bicol Malaria Prevention and Control Program coordinator, bared Malaria cases were recorded in Jose Panganiban town, though the agency has declared an epidemic in the entire province to alert all local officials on the need to take immediate steps to prevent the spread of the disease.

Camp Elias Angeles, Pili, Camarines Sur (23 July) -- As if competing with typhoon "Basyang's" death toll, an off-duty militiaman was shot and killed by suspected Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) of the CPP-NPA-NDF in Camarines Norte at 2:00 am yesterday (July 22), a military report said.

Colonel Leoncio Cirunay, commander of the 22nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, has identified the fatality as CAA Jehn Villones, assigned with the 5th CAA Camarines Norte based in Labo town.

He said that many of his CAFGUS have reported about the death threats against them.

Sorsogon City- The Department of Energy is reviving its long-shelved project to explore the geothermal potential around Bulusan Volcano, a DOE official said in a recent visit here.

Ariel Fronda, head of the DOE's Geothermal Energy Management Division, said the project is being pursued again as part of the government's efforts to utilize renewable energy.

The exploration project has been awarded to SKI Construction Group, a Filipino-owned company

In an austere yet momentous occasion, the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) welcomed its new lawyers in a simple but sumptuous banquet.  The activity, which was held over the weekend, was spearheaded by the UNEP College of Law, under the headship of its Acting Dean and concurrently UNEP's President, Atty. Remelisa Alfelor-Moraleda.

Naga City (23 July) -- They shall be emulated for the good deed they extended, not for the traffic violation they have committed.

Thru City Ordinance 2007-021, traffic violators may settle their administrative fine for violation of traffic rules and regulations by donating blood and thus help in saving the lives of others.