Danny O. Calleja

CASIGURAN, Sorsogon, Nov. 18 - A wounded young dolphin that ran aground at the shoreline of Sorsogon Bay here on Wednesday was rescued by fishermen and released back to the sea after receiving treatment from a local veterinarian.

Fishermen Pedro Gualvez, Leolito Lagata and Isidro Olario were about to go fishing early morning today when they spotted the dolphin weakened by a wound sustained near its abdomen as it struggled the waves that dumped it into the shoreline.

GUBAT, Sorsogon, Sept. 17 (PNA) -- The Department of Energy (DoE) has recently awarded a coal operating contract (COC) to a private firm that offered a P15.20-million work commitment for the two-year exploration of the 3,000-hectare coal-rich property in this second class farming and fishing municipality.

PILI, Camarines Sur, Sept. 9- The Bicol Association of Magsasaka Siyentista (BAMS) is seriously pushing for the modified rapid composting (MRC) technology for environment-friendly and cost-effective farming.

Gerardo Canoy, a farmer leader, said MRC generates savings of about P5,000 on fertilizer costs for every hectare of rice farm.

Canoy is an implementer of the science and technology (S&T)-based demonstration farm here under the Techno Gabay Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Unit (RFU) for Bicol based in this provincial capital.

JUBAN, Sorsogon, Aug. 6 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has earmarked P7 million for the construction of 100 housing units under the government's core shelter program implemented nationwide for homeless families.

Town Mayor Maria Theresa Guab-Fragata here said on Thursday the construction of the housing units are in full swing and being undertaken by the beneficiaries themselves through the bayanihan system.

The municipal government provides a food-for-work assistance for the workers and their families, Fragata said.

MILAOR, Camarines Sur, July 28- The Department of Agriculture (DA) had recently completed the construction of a 15.4-kilometer farm-to-market road (FMR) in this farming town that would benefit over 2,000 hectares of farmlands and about 2,000 households.

VIRAC, Catanduanes, July 15- Gilbert Ebo, a former New People's Army (NPA) commander, became a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) of the Philippine Army (PA), but he confessed killing last February a man and a woman after robbing them of their cash and valuables in the nearby San Miguel town.

Presiding Judge Lelu Contreras of Virac Regional Trial Court (RTC) sentenced Ebo and Ricky de Mesa, who is also a former NPA rebel-turned CAFGU personnel, with 20 years straight imprisonment.

CASTILLA, Sorsogon, June 30 (PNA) -- The viability of cassava as source of bio-ethanol has been determined and Sorsogon province is a good prospect for a massive production of this lowly root crop, Vice-Governor Renato Laurinaria said here Tuesday.

"If cassava is becoming an important bio-fuel crop in other countries with more advanced national programs for bio-fuel production, our soils are also capable of large-scale production of the crop not only for food, livestock feeds but mainly for bio-ethanol," he stressed.

SORSOGON CITY, June 4 (PNA) -- He started here 25 years ago as a street peddler of bottled vinegar and soy sauce. Today, Francisco Aranda is a successful businessman credited for putting Sorsogon province on the coffee map of the Philippines.

In 2008, Aranda was named "Outstanding High Value Commercial Crop Farmer" in the prestigious Gawad Saka Awards of the Department of Agriculture (DA)and last May 15, he was among the five successful businessmen in Bicol given this year's Halyao Awards during the 5th Bicol Business Week celebrations in Naga City.

SORSOGON CITY, May 15 (PNA) - Certain provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 have been breached and thousands of poor families here would be groping in the dark.

This developed amidst non-receipt for the past 11 months of their royalty shares by the city and eight barangays that play host to a giant geothermal energy facility being operated by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC).