Catanduanes

RDC to Highlight "Bicol Express" Modernization in Railway Summit

2013-05-16T18:12:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, May 16 (PIA) -- It will take only a travel time of six hours from Legaspi City to Manila with a railway service extending up to Matnog in Sorsogon where a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) sea port is located. These and more recommendations will be presented by the Regional Development Council (RDC) of the Bicol Region during the Railway Development Summit which will be held on June 21

1st Catanduanes Kite Fest Set

2013-05-07T08:25:00.000+08:00

VIRAC, Catanduanes, May 6 (PIA) -- The first ever kite festival dubbed “Buradol Festival” in the province is set on May 18 at the Catanduanes Athletic Complex in Virac town. Buradol is a local term for kite. According to Cross Country Farms and Parks, Inc., one of the organizers of the event, the activity aims to make the province a tourist destination aside from being a gateway for Bicol’s

US District Attorney Honors Catandunganon OFW for Heroism

2013-04-29T14:42:00.000+08:00

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 29 (PIA) -- “I felt happy because, as a Catandunganon, I was able to show to America that even if we come from a small province, we do have big hearts to help others; that it is an instinct on our part to help because God is always with us.” Still brimming with gratitude from her kababayan’s online praises for the recognition she got from the Unites States of America

Time for the Local Business Community to Work as One

2013-04-13T09:22:00.000+08:00

Three ranking members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and their staff were in Virac last week to meet a select group of local business personalities. Their objective: to establish a local chamber of commerce and industry, something that has been missing in the growing economy of Catanduanes. At this time when the local economy, in the very words of Governor Joseph Cua,

Skyjet Sets Maiden Flight to Catanduanes on April 16

2013-03-31T13:28:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, March 25 (PNA) -– Skyjet Airlines, a new player in the country’s aviation industry, will dispatch its maiden flight to Virac, Catanduanes, on April 16 to mark the beginning of its three-flight-a-week schedule in connecting the island province with Manila. Owned by Magnum Air, Inc., Skyjet will mount its 94-seater, four-engine British Aerospace 146-200 jet in servicing the route

NPC to Energize Catanduanes’ Tourism Island of Palumbanes

2013-03-26T11:41:00.000+08:00

CARAMORAN, Catanduanes, March 25 (PNA) -- Wooden poles interconnected by electricity lines now stand around the small community occupying Palumbanes Island, the fishing paradise that is emerging as a favorite tourist destination for its diving site gifted with rich marine life. Through this installation put in place by the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative (Ficelco), the island and the

New Bicol Tourism Development Cluster Now Includes Catanduanes

2013-03-15T17:19:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, March 15 (PNA) -- The South Bicol Tourism Development Area (TDA) headed by Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda has included the island province of Catanduanes in the Albay-Masbate-Sorsogon (ALMASOR) cluster. “I believe we have made a strong case for the inclusion of Catanduanes in the South Bicol TDA, more popularly known locally and globally as ALMASOR, the rising star of

WHO Pledges Help vs Endemic Cholera Problem in Catanduanes

2013-02-16T10:53:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 15 (PNA) -– The World Health Organization (WHO) has vowed to help address the cholera problem in Catanduanes which the Department of Health (DOH) considers as already endemic in that island province of Bicol. Endemic means there is usually a number of cases in any given month that are attributed to the absence of established source of safe water distribution system, the DOH

Delay in Bicol Airport Project Hit

2013-02-14T08:08:00.001+08:00

Four months after a bidding was held for the Bicol International Airport construction in Daraga, Albay, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has yet to award the contract for the project. Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the airport project was three years behind and the province could not afford to wait any longer for the DOTC’s green light. “Our airports, roads and ports

CamSur Takes Lead in Wind Energy Development in Bicol

2013-01-30T20:38:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 30 (PNA) -- There are various points across Bicol identified as perfect wind power resources, and the province of Camarines Sur is taking the lead to harness this natural power source. Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte over the week announced that works on the P5-billion wind energy farm had started with the construction of meteorological facilities at the

Gov't Pours in P6.6-B Worth of Infra Projects to Spur Bicol Economic Growth

2013-01-25T07:41:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 23 (PNA) -- The Bicol region received about P6.6 billion funding this year for vital infrastructure projects that are expected to bolster the region’s economic growth, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said. Danilo Dequito, DPWH regional director, said this year’s infrastructure funding is higher by 20 percent or P1.1 billion over last year’s P5.5 billion

DENR: Nearly 1 Million Seedlings Planted on 1,212 Hectares in 2012

2013-01-19T10:41:00.000+08:00

Nearly a million seedlings and mangrove propagules were planted on 1,212 hectares of forest and swamp land in the entire province in 2012, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provincial and community officers in Catanduanes reported last week. PENRO officer-in-charge Joaquin Ed Guerrero and CENRO officer-in-charge Luvimindo Chioco disclosed that the timber, fruit tree

BFAR, Catanduanes School Join Hands in Fish Hatchery Project

2013-01-09T16:59:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 7 (PNA) -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is working with the Catanduanes State University (CSU) in the operation of a fish hatchery facility designed to help the province of Catanduanes improve the performance of its fishery industry. The hatchery is now functioning as a modern facility for aquaculture, stock enhancement and genetic conservation

Agri Dept. to Raise Bicol Output for Nat'l Rice Production

2012-12-27T06:01:00.000+08:00

The Department of Agriculture on Wednesday said it is focusing on the Bicol region to make a significant contribution to national rice production by putting in place organic farming that capitalizes on drought-tolerant varieties. The region's upland rice varieties are being developed for the market because of their potential for higher grain output and tolerance to drought — vital traits amid

SEAFDEC Opens Gates to Mud Crab Domestication

2012-12-17T12:49:00.000+08:00

TIGBAUAN, Iloilo – The complete life cycle of the mud crab is now documented, opening the gates for its domestication. That’s big time: next to China, the Philippines is the world’s second largest mud crab producer; it harvested 14,437 metric tons of mud crabs from aquaculture in 2010. “The study on the domestication of mud crab is the first ever reported in the Indo-west Pacific region,”

Boom in Philippines Cruise Tourism

2012-12-13T10:19:00.000+08:00

The Philippines is getting a share of cruise passenger traffic, largely due to the global interest in Southeast Asia as the newest cruise destination. The Department of Tourism (DOT) is bullish on cruise tourism, as visiting international cruise liners contribute significantly to foreign tourist arrivals. The latest to make its inaugural call at Philippine ports on October 26-27, 2012, was the

DOT, DENR & WBCP to Host the 8th Philippines Bird Festival

2012-12-07T07:03:00.000+08:00

The Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) will jointly host the celebration of the 8th Philippine Bird Festival on December 7 to 8, 2012 in the City of Manila. With this year’s theme of “Birdwatching. More Fun in the Philippines”, the annual event is considered to be the country’s largest celebration of

Duty Free Philippines Opens Store in Legazpi

2012-12-01T11:48:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, Nov. 30 (PNA) – Duty Free Philippines (DFP), a corporation accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT)opened its branch here recently. Maria Ong-Ravanilla, Bicol’s DOT regional director said DFP’s opened its branch in the city to provide the shopping needs of international travelers with an efficient service and convenient environment and to showcase the Bicolano traits of

Contribution of Tourism Industry to the Economy Posts 5.9 Percent in 2011

2012-11-28T10:18:00.000+08:00

As measured by the share of tourism direct gross value added (TDGVA) to total gross domestic product (GDP), the contribution of tourism industry to the economy was 5.9 percent in 2011. It averaged 5.8 percent during the years 2000-2010. TDGVA, an indicator which measures the value added of different industries in response to activities of both domestic and inbound visitors, amounted to PhP

Korean Investors to Build US$70-M Pro-Environment Energy Plant Near Mt. Isarog

2012-11-24T16:03:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, Nov. 23 (PNA) -- The Naga City government has converted a five-hectare public land near the foot of Mt. Isarog into an industrial site where a Korean firm will establish the “first of its kind in the Philippines” waste-to-energy plant costing US$ 70 million. Technically dubbed “Waste to Synthesis Gas Project,” the facility will convert the city’s solid waste to electric energy

DTI-Sorsogon Strongly Advocates for Pili Nut in Global Market

2012-11-21T15:18:00.000+08:00

SORSOGON CITY, Nov. 20 (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office here has convened anew pili nut farmers, producers, and other industry stakeholders to promote and make pili gain momentum in the local, and most especially, in the global market. The province remains the largest supplier of pili in Bicol region and has now developed processors in the province inching their way not

Napocor Considers RE Facilities for Off-Grid Areas

2012-11-20T09:26:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines—State-run National Power Corp. is set to sign an agreement with PNOC Renewables Corp. to explore opportunities in constructing renewable energy facilities in remote and off-grid areas and reduce the cost of subsidies for rural electrification. In an interview with reporters, Napocor president Froilan A. Tampinco said that the renewable energy arm of Philippine National Oil

Aquino Names 2nd State University in Bicol

2012-11-18T21:31:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY—There are now two state universities in Bicol. The second, signed into law by President Aquino, surprisingly is in the depressed island of Catanduanes, one of the six provinces in the region. Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda broke the news, saying the former Catanduanes State Colleges had earned the reputation of providing good education to students in the region. He said students

Agri Authorities to Rehabilitate Abaca Industry With 2.5-M Hybrid Plantlets by 2015

2012-11-14T14:24:00.000+08:00

LEGAZPI CITY, Nov. 13 (PNA) – Bicol’s abaca industry is expecting more vigor from a new rehabilitation program that puts together various government agencies in collective works toward a wide-scale propagation of hybrid planting materials targeting some 2.5 million plantlets by 2015. The program which was launched recently by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources

Bicol Eyes Tilapia Production for Export Market

2012-11-11T11:37:00.000+08:00

PILI, Camarines Sur, Nov. 8 (PNA) -- Bicol is taking the challenge of producing tilapia for both the domestic and export markets. Local fishery authorities say there is a big area for growth in the production in Bicol of both the small-sized tilapia which is a hit in the local market and the big-sized that is consistently gaining popularity abroad. The region had vast freshwater resources