A 10-man delegation of South Korean dignitaries, led by Congressman Lee Hwa Soo, visited Legazpi City last January 20, 2009. They paid a courtesy call on Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal. Members of the City Council of Legazpi were also present to welcome the visitors. According to Paolo Kang, spokesman of the group, the purpose of the visit is to promote cultural and trade ties between Legazpi City and South Korea, specifically the city of Asan.

Some P15 billion in foreign investment has been set aside to pump prime the energy development prospects to make Albay among the national renewable energy capital of the country, a ranking official of a local electric cooperative said on Monday. Lawyer Rodolfo Bonafe, board chairman of the Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO), said the investment fund would finance renewable energy projects within the next three to four years boosting the province energy development.

For improving the lives of the people in Albay through a new, dynamic and forward moving socio-economic strategies designed to pole vault the province into one of the country’s investment and tourism hub, Albay Governor Joey Salceda is among the top awardees by the Biz News Asia, the country’s largest magazine in circulation in the Philippines.

The Metro Integrated Transport Terminal (MITT) started operation on Monday giving commuters from all over Albay province the experience of a world-class transport terminal. Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal led the formal opening of the state of the art terminal l at the corner of Tahao and Alternate roads in a simple ceremony attended by top executives of the province.

Real estate and mall developers Ayala Land, Megaworld and the SM Group are exploring a possible partnership with Misibis Land Inc. for the development of the Embarcadero retail and ICT complex in Legazpi, Albay. This was revealed to The STAR by Bicolano businessman Elizaldy S. Co whose real estate arm, Misibis Land, is investing P1.6 billion to develop the 51,000 square meter Embarcadero fronting Albay Bay and with a commanding view of the famous Mayon Volcano.

In December 2001, Landco Pacific Corporation opened Landco Business Park in Legazpi. The masterplanned business park is envisioned to be the city’s premier central business district. Centrally located in the Legazpi Port District, Landco Business Park is easily accessible to all major thoroughfares, as well as the integrated terminal and the Legazpi Public Market.

With the church maintaining its strong opposition for any form of gambling, the city government opted to stop the potential of casino operation despite initial popular support from the business community and the public. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. applied for a casino operation on a 24-hour basis at the soon-to-operate P1 billion commercial complex known as Embarcadero.

State-owned CIIF-Oil Mills Group is recommissioning starting tomorrow its P400-million copra-crushing plant in Arimbay, Legazpi City, which can immediately bring in $3.75 million in foreign-exchange earnings per month if its output is exported. Jesus Arranza, CIIF-Oil Mills president and CEO, said President Arroyo will join the local coconut farmers, community leaders, Legaspi Oil Co. chair Josefa Imperial Aquino and other officials of the Oil Mills Group in the re-opening ceremony of the facility.

Accessibility to all modes of transportation has always been one of Legazpi’s advantages. The city has a bustling airport, a vibrant seaport and will soon have a new, modern and high-tech integrated land transport terminal that will serve not only the city of Legazpi but the entire Bicol Region as well. The new Legazpi City Integrated Transport Terminal will start operation in August. Wow Legazpi cornered Mayor Noel Rosal while inspecting the facility last week. Here’s a transcript of our conversation:

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. will spend nearly a billion pesos for a five-year period to roll out landline telephones and Internet services in the Bicol region. PLDT’s project to install and operate a local telephone service that integrates information communications technology in Legaspi City, Tabaco City, Municipalities of Polangui, Bacacay, Oas, Guinobatan and Daraga, all in the province of Albay, was approved by the National Telecommunications Commission on July 17. PLDT’s CPCN is valid 18 months from date of the order.

The Bicol Region will eventually get its own international airport that promises to spur and accelerate the region’s economic development. Despite its vast natural resources including mineral deposits, geothermal power and tourism potentials, Bicol has remained among the poorest regions of the country today. The new Bicol International Airport will be developed on a 140-hectare prime land straddling areas of Daraga and Camalig towns.