The province of Albay, because of its volcanic origins, is home to beaches with distinct black sands of the deepest ebony color. The black sand is a product of millions of years of natural erosion that pulverized the mighty volcanic rocks into fine-textured sands. Albay’s black sand beaches stretch across the province’s eastern seafront with the best ones found in the towns of Bacacay, Tiwi, Sto. Domingo, and the city of Legazpi.

The Bicol International Airport (Southern Luzon International Airport) is currently under construction in a 140-hectare prime land straddling Bicol’s premier town of Daraga and neighboring Camalig. The new airport, targeted for completion in 2013, will answer the need for a modern airport in Southern Luzon, which should cater to more business activities in the area and conveniently link Bicol to the rest of the country and the world. Here are some aerial snapshots of the ongoing construction of the airport and a glimpse of the recently completed BIA access road.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is set to resume regular trips to the Bicol Region by Friday next week, PNR officials told President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Tuesday. The PNR halted its daily train trips to the Bicol province after the San Cristobal bridge here was destroyed when typhoons “Milenyo” and “Reming” battered Southern Luzon one after the other in 2006. Now, with a newly constructed 50-meter bridge taking the place of the devastated San Cristobal bridge, the Bicol Train service, from Manila to Ligao, Albay will soon resume.

Low-cost carrier Airphil Express (formerly Air Philippines) returns to Legazpi City with a brand new A320 jet service. Airphil Express will fly daily from Manila to Legazpi and vice versa starting October 28, 2010. Designated as 2P 918, the flight will depart Manila at 9:25am and arrive at Legazpi at 10:25am. the return flight will depart Legazpi at 10:55 am and arrive in Manila at 11:55am. The new Airbus A320 planes can accommodate 177 passengers.

Gov. Joey Salceda is pushing Legazpi and the neighboring town of Daraga to become Metro Albay, a grand project that will make the metropolis a corridor of massive development in the region even before the completion of Daraga International Airport in 2013. “The Metro Albay, which is the twin cities of Legazpi and Daraga, will be the new urban center and economic capital of Bicol in the countryside,” Salceda declared. “This is the biggest project in the Bicol region which will be set up here, wherein Albay is expected to be the booming borough under the Aquino administration,” he added.

The City of Legazpi is all set to celebrate the 51st anniversary of its cityhood today, June 12, 2010. Legazpi was proclaimed a city for the third and last time on June 12, 1959 with a new charter under Republic Act No. 2234. The city government of Legazpi, together with the provincial government of Albay, will also celebrate the 112th Independence Day of the Republic of the Philippines. The celebrations will commence with a Holy Mass at the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral, Old Albay District at 7 am.

The city of Legazpi’s SmokeFree Campaign won the 1st Red Orchid Award under the LGU category together with Calauag, Quezon in CALABARZON, Maasin City in Eastern Visayas, Talisayan in Northern Mindanao and Davao City in the Davao Region. The Red Orchid award is given to tobacco-free DOH offices, DOH hospitals and local government units. The awarding was held in conjunction with the celebration of World No Tobacco Day. The Red Orchid Award was recieved Mayor Noel Rosal, Mayor-Elect Gie Rosal, Smoke-free committee chair Rose Olarte-Orbita and City Health Officer Dr. Fulbert Gillego.

The Regional Development Council (RDC) has officially endorsed the Albay’s Guinobatan-Camalig-Daraga-Legazpi (GUICADALE) platform project during the full council meeting held here, Wednesday. Albay governor and RDC chairman Joey Salceda explained that the project consists of circumferential road and new arterial roads cascading from the urban center of Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga, Legazpi City and Jovellar.

The Legazpi Domestic Airport is the 13th busiest airport in the Philippines in 2009 according to data on passenger traffic volume released by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). For 2009, Legazpi Airport (IATA: LGP) registered 412,875 passenger traffic up from 282,431 in 2008 or equivalent to 46.2 increase. Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines increased their passenger traffic volume by 44.50% and 30% respectively. The entry of ZestAir also helped boost passenger arrivals.

Albay province leads in the production of metallic minerals while Camarines Norte in non-metallic minerals in Bicol for the year 2009 valued at P2,424,934,601.34 and P21,728,191.25, respectively, records at the Bicol Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) showed.In metallic production, Albay is followed by Masbate with P2,197,935,207.43 and Camarines Norte with P31,948,615.54.

The City Commission on Elections (Comelec) here has proclaimed the newly elected set of local officials. Lawyer Jasmin Banzuela, election officer, proclaimed Geraldine Rosal and Viittorio Roces as newly elected mayor and vice mayor, respectively.