OPTIMISM. Incoming Albay Gov. Noel Rosal expresses optimism on Thursday (June 22, 2022) that Bicol's economy will start to improve in the last quarter of this year. He said although the region's annual average inflation rate increased from 2.7 percent in 2019 to 6.1 percent in 2021, the figure from January to May this year has already improved to 3.7 percent. (Photo from Noel Gie's Facebook page) LEGAZPI CITY - Former chairman of the Bicol Regional Development Council (RDC), incoming Albay Gov. Noel Rosal, on Thursday expressed optimism that the region's economy will start to improve in the last quarter of the year due to the ongoing opening of businesses that could provide employment to those who lost jobs amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. "I am optimistic that the continuing opening of the region's economy will boost employment growth until it finally goes back to its pre-pandemic condition before this year ends," Rosal said in an intervi