DARAGA, Albay—The government is speeding up the acquisition of 200 hectares of land in Barangay Alobo, to build the P3.4-billion Southern Luzon International Airport in Daraga town, Mayor Cicero Tiumfante said Friday. He said officials had consulted 216 landowners to be affected by the airport’s construction in Alobo village, and he was optimistic they would agree to sell.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced on Monday (April 20) that the Philippine National Railways (PNR) is expected to resume train travel between Manila and Bicol region before the end of the year. The President said she was informed by PNR General Manager Manuel Andal that the rehabilitation of the Manila-Bicol-PNR line would be completed before the end of 2009 paving the resumption of the train service between the two points.

LEGAZPI CITY –- This booming city, the regional center of Bicol, is coming up with a P120-million modern bus terminal whose construction will be implemented through a build-operate and transfer (BOT) agreement with a local investor-contractor.

The National government has allocated P100 million for the construction of a two-kilometer access road between the national highway and the terminal complex of the proposed Bicol International Airport (BIA) in preparation for the full implementation of the flagship project.