The St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church in Oas was founded in 1605 by Franciscan missionaries. Fray Marcos de Lisboa was its first pastor. The first Oas church was made of wood and cogon grass. In 1825, a bigger church with a rectory was built out of volcanic rocks and bricks. The construction of the new church was supervised by Fray Francisco de Anunciacion O. Peñaranda.

The Parish Church of St. Dominic de Guzman is the most prominent landmark in the quaint and picturesque town of Sto. Domingo. Built in 1820, the church is built with massive solid stone walls unsupported by pillars. Two dome-shaped belfries give a graceful symmetry to the church. Since cement was not yet used during the construction of the Sto. Domingo church, massive stone walls were built using a mixture of lime, egg albumin, and “tangguli” (or molasses) that serve as binder and hardener.

The Parish Church of Guinobatan, Albay is dedicated to Our Lady of Assumption. Guinobatan as a parish started as a visita of the Municipality of Camalig in 1672. By 1678, Don Francisco Bagamasbad, Chief of the ‘Tenientes Absolutos’, spearheaded a petition to the Governor-General of the Philippines to elevate the visita into an independent municipality. This effort achieved fruition in 1688 when the request was granted. Rev. Fr. Alfonso de Zafra was the first minister of the Parish of Guinobatan. Soon after, the first Guinobatan church was built.

The church of San Juan Bautista in Tabaco City is one of the most stately religious structures in the province of Albay. According to the Estado Geografico Estadistico Historico written in 1805 by Father De Huerta, the recorded history of the city began in 1587 through the missionary work of the Franciscan Fathers. A church dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the city’s patron saint, was first built in Tabaco in 1616 by Fr. Pedro De Alcareso. The construction of the present church started in 1864 and was completed in 1879. The Tabaco Church is unique among Philippine churches because the stones used to build the church bears the distinct marks of the masons.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) here is fast tracking the completion of its new office building along Rizal St. in Old Albay District to have a bigger Economic and Financial Learning Center (EFLC), an official of the agency reported. The new facility is expected to open this year.

The Center for Initiative Research for Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) in Albay calls on Albayanos to switch off their lights from 8:30 until 9:30 in the evening in response to the global observance of Earth Hour 2010 on March 27.

The Bicol International Airport project in Barangay Alobo in Daraga received an additional P23 million to complete its right-of-way acquisition which has so far attained close to a 75 percent mark of accomplishment. The amount is on top of the P82 million earlier released by Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to compensate the land owners whose property the new airport will occupy.

The Church of St. John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista) in Camalig is another imposing religious structure in the province of Albay. The church is built entirely out of solid blocks of volcanic rock from Mount Mayon. Christianity was brought to Camalig by Capt. Luis de Guzman together with Father Alonzo Jimenez, an Augustinian priest who came with the Legaspi expedition. Evangelization was started in 1578 by the Augustinian missionaries.

The Mayon Photography Club Inc., in cooperation with the Provincial Government of Albay is inviting you to the photography workshop and seminar entitled ” Spicy Albay 2 Photography Convention” on April 22-24, 2010 at People’s Hall, Albay Provincial Capitol, Old Albay District, Legazpi City. enowned Bicolano photographers will be sharing their knowledge and expertise as well as the latest techniques, technologies and trends in the field of photography. The convention is open to enthusiasts and professional photographers.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Porteria (Our Lady of the Gate) is the crowning glory of religious architecture in the province of Albay. Nestled majestically on top of a hill above the bustling town, the Daraga Church has stood for centuries as a testament to the unwavering faith and resilience of the Bicolano. The centuries-old church has been declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute last by virtue of the declaration signed by National Museum Director, Corazon S. Alvina last Oct. 29, 2007.

A college graduate in every Albayano home – that is the dream and vision of the Albay Higher Education Contribution Scheme, a novel education assistance program that will kick off in the 2010-2011 school year.