Cebu City News

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Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
Cebucity-aerial view.jpg
Aerial View of Cebu City

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.



Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

SM Foundation partners with Cebu City Government for farmers training

(PR)

SM Foundation, Inc., the heart of the SM Group of Companies, has partnered with the Cebu City government to train farmers & beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Cebu City under the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers Training Program.

SM Foundation, Inc. together with the Cebu City Agriculture Office, Department of Social Welfare Services, Department of Social Welfare & Development Region 7, and Macondray, formally launched the Farmers Training Program in San Nicolas Elementary School.

The project attracted 190 farmers from Cebu City. Under the KSK program of SM Foundation, the participants will be taught on effective backyard planting and small-scale farming techniques for fruits and vegetables every Wednesdays for 12-weeks. This helps improve the quality and quantity of their crops as well as provide organic food for their families. The foundation also assist farmers who form cooperatives by linking them to local markets and SM suppliers for a more stable source of income. SM Foundation also enables participants to become self-sufficient by equipping them with knowledge through urban gardening.

City Agriculturist Joey Baclayon, speaking on behalf of Cebu City mayor Edgardo Labella, thanked SM Foundation, Inc. for bringing this project once again to the city. Baclayon urged the participants to practice the new techniques they will learn from Macondray throughout the training so they can enhance their production and contribute to the city’s food security.

The participants are expected to graduate on November 13, 2019 in SM City Cebu.


CH to hasten CCMC construction

By Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — The current administration of the Cebu City government is eyeing to have a complete and functional Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) within its three-year term.

Both Mayor Edgardo Labella and Vice Mayor Michael Rama have envisioned to finish the construction of the 10-story CCMC building on Natalio Bacalso Avenue corner Panganiban Street.

Rama, chairman of the City Council’s committee on health and hospitals, said he will call for a meeting with the C.E Padilla, the project contractor, and the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works within the week to discuss possible measures to fast track the construction.

“We must be fast enough, quick enough. Dali ra kaayo ang three years. I don’t know if we can see a building maabot og ten floors and number two, a building nga fully operational and being managed, I wish being managed the way we envisioned it to be managed,” he said.

He said the completion of the hospital is one of the “big challenges” of the executive department.

Moreover, Rama said the seven floors of the new structural framework of the hospital building have already been completed as of last week.

“I went (last week) to visit the building. I am happy nga naabot og seventh floor. Not happy because 2016 unta, we were already of the pursuit nga in less than three years, mahuman na unta,” he told reporters.

It can be recalled that Rama, who was the mayor in 2013, ordered the condemned 45-year-old hospital demolished in February 2014. The old hospital was declared structurally unfit following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that rocked Cebu and Bohol in 2013.

In June 2015, the C.E. Padilla Construction, Inc. was given the green light to start the construction of the first phase of the project amounting to P514 million.

On January 23 this year, the contract for the second phase of the hospital building was also awarded to C.E Padilla Construction Inc. with a contract price of P283.4 million.

The second phase includes the installation of power lines, communication tools, and others. The city government has set aside P300 million for second phase.

City Engineer Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez said the first phase was completed in May, while the second phase is expected to be completed this October.

As of now, Enriquez said the contractor is still doing an assessment as to the ongoing construction.

Traffic lights in Cebu City to be upgraded, says mayor

(JJL)

ONCE upon a time, Cebu City boasted of state-of- the-art traffic lights.

That 30-year-old Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (Scats), wherein road sensors that detected the volume of vehicles at intersections managed traffic flow, now needs an upgrade.

At 7 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, the traffic lights at 14 major intersections in Cebu City suddenly shut down, stalling vehicles at rush hour and worsening traffic that had already been confronting motorists.

Part of the digital board that synchronizes traffic lights bogged down, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) spokesperson Ronie Nadera said.

It took time to fix it. The traffic lights were back on at 2 p.m.

Modernization

Mayor Edgardo Labella said the traffic system in Cebu City needs to be modernized.

“We will have to modernize our traffic equipment as soon as possible.... The City needs to work with the neighboring cities because it’s saddening to know that the other local government units adjacent to us have already upgraded their traffic system,” Labella said in a phone interview with SunStar Cebu.

The adjacent cities of Mandaue and Talisay are already using fixed-time signals that produce routine gaps in traffic. The lights are timed.

Labella said that as soon as possible, Cebu City will adopt the traffic light system being adopted by Mandaue and Talisay cities.

Affected areas

The areas affected by the sudden traffic lights shudtdown were the busy intersections of Gorordo-Escario, M.J Cuenco-J. Luna, V. Rama-B. Rodriguez, Legaspi-V.Gullas, M.J. Cuenco-T. Padilla, P. Lopez-Borromeo, J. Luna-A. Soriano, Katipunan-Salvador, Colon-Mabini, Osmeña Blvd.-R.R. Landon, Leon Kilat-Magallanes, Gorordo-Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop Reyes-Gorordo, and Osmeña Blvd.-D. Jakosalem Street.

Traffic enforcers were immediately deployed to these intersections, Nadera said.

Talisay City and Mandaue City had spent P14 million and P39.9 million for the modernization of their traffic lights system.

The system is equipped with digital timers, sensors, fiber optics to transmit images to the command center, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Labella said Cebu City’s traffic light system will be made part of Mega Cebu’s integrated intermodal transport system.

The City already has set a budget to modernize its traffic system. The next step is to hold a bidding on its procurement, Labella said.

Aside from the modernization of the traffic system, Labella said, the construction of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system by the end of 2019 will also help mitigate the traffic problems in the city.

The LRT will be the backbone of the transport system, he said.

Pilot area

Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the committee on transportation during the 14th Council, plans to reintroduce the non-contact apprehension of traffic violators in Cebu City.

Guardo said this technology was piloted at a portion of M.J. Cuenco Ave. in November 2018.

Guardo is expecting Leotek Electronics Corp., a subsidiary of Lite-On Technology Corp., the supplier, to give the City an assessment after a month-long dry run of its system product.

He said Leotek has not given the City feedback.

The technology installed on M.J. Cuenco Ave. was equipped with CCTV cameras with built-in computers capable of capturing and recording videos of traffic violators.

Socmed influencers to convene in Cebu

By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — Social media influencers from all over the Philippines will convene in Cebu to help develop the growing community of content creators or blogging community here.

Now on its second year, “Influencity” will bring in top bloggers from all over the Philippines to Cebu this coming August 17-18 2019 at the Ayala Center Cebu sharing their expertise on how to take advantage of posts in social media and ultimately monetize the posts.

About five social media personality bloggers from Manila, Davao and Iloilo are expected to participate in the event.

Organized by Clover Creatives, run by Cebu-based successful social media influencers Andrew “Doyzkie” Buenaviaje, Jean Yu, Toni Pina, and Marco Paulo Diala, the event banners the theme “A Wanderlust’s Fair,” as it will also highlights several travel destinations and affordable transportation access, as well as travel tips from young-blogger travelers.

The two-day event will have short talks focusing on travel, alongside a bazaar featuring content creators from Cebu and around the Philippines.

“Cebu is truly blessed with proximity. Getting from the heart of the metro to the highlands, or the beach, is just a few kilometers away. And with Mactan Cebu International Airport servicing a lot of domestic and international flights, the world has become an easier playground to explore,” said Buenaviaje.

Adventure blogger Miguel Gee Abas Jr. will give pointers on how to stretch one’s peso while making the trip work even with limited spending money.

Co-organizer Diala will also share some easy and quick lessons for a cooler Instagram feed during jaunts.

Each of Cebu’s content creator groups will have their respective talks as well, tackling on Food & Travel, Travel Vlogging and How to Travel in Style.

“The first Influencity was an avenue for content creators to meet up with their readers, and get to interact with them. This year, we also opened the venue for aspiring bloggers, vloggers and microbloggers, give them a chance to know more about Cebu’s blogging groups, and woo them to take part in an organization to help and guide them jumpstart their online presence,’’ added Buenaviaje.

Buenaviaje who has been in the blogging sphere for over a decade now, said the event hopes to teach and influence potential content creators on social media in how to capitalize or monetize their presence.

A growing number of brands now have already commissioned social media influencers and endorsers or brand ambassadors, based on their number of followers on social media accounts.

Task force to drive tax collection

By Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (/GAN, The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has issued an executive order creating a task force to profile, inspect, and map all real property units and business establishments in the city to intensify the collection of taxes and fees.

One of the functions of the task force is to inspect property owners and verify information they declare on the value of their properties.

Labella said he wants the city to have an efficient profiling of its real estate properties of the city.

“I’m very positive that if we can properly map and profile these properties, we can increase our taxable real property tax (RPT) rate base without necessarily increasing the tax rates,” the mayor said.

In 2018, the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office collected P1.4 billion which exceeded to its target of P1 billion for real property taxes.

For this year, the city targets to collect P1.1 billion from the RPT.

The task force is composed of the City Treasurer, City Assessor, Building Official, City Attorney, and other heads of offices.

“Failure and/or refusal without justifiable cause by any member of the Joint Inspection Team to perform any of their duties and functions shall be a ground for the imposition of administrative sanctions against the erring government official/employee,” read a portion of the EO.

Labella said he wants to ensure that all businesses and property owners are paying their tax dues to the city, stressing that he does not want to increase the tax rates to increase the collection of the city.

In the EO, Labella said the task force will evaluate the system to identify gaps and possible problems in the records.

He wanted the team to also verify the data declared in the tax declarations, business permit applications, and other documents.

Labella said the team should also submit regular reports to his office regarding the results and outcome of their assigned functions.

The creation of the task force is pursuant to the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 01 or the “Revised Standards in Processing Business Permits and Licensing in all Cities and Municipalities.”

The joint memorandum was issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Information and Communication Technology.

In the memorandum, the national government agencies recommended to the local government units the conduct of a joint inspection instead of an individual office or separate inspection of the offices.

5 Cebu City villages clear waterways

(from PAC of Superbalita Cebu/JKV)

FIVE barangays in Cebu City have heeded the call of Mayor Edgardo Labella to clean their waterways.

Tisa officials led by Barangay Captain Ringo Pacaña started clearing their drainage system. Their neighbors in Barangay Mambaling quickly followed suit.

Officials from Kasambagan led by their barangay captain, Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong; Banilad led by Barangay Captain Dennes Tabar; and Apas led by Barangay Captain Jingjing Cabigon also cleared waterways within their jurisdiction, particularly their portion of the Mahiga Creek.

Aside from removing waste from the creek, the three village officials also concreted portions of the Banilad-Talamban bridge to prevent it from being used by scavengers and rugby boys as a hiding place and a drug den.

Tabar said they conducted a similar operation in the Mahiga Creek with the help of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command and a mall in the vicinity a few months ago.

The mayor welcomed their initiative, adding that it was high time to forgo political alliances to serve their constituents.

“This is a very welcome development that our barangay officials are heeding our clarion call for us to clear our waterways. This is a good start and we will work hard to sustain our efforts to make our rivers clean again,” Labella said.

He reiterated his call to the other barangays to participate in the massive clean-up they will conduct in the Guadalupe River on Aug. 17.

Labella said they chose the Guadalupe River because aside from being located near the center of the city, it is also considered the dirtiest among the city’s waterways.

Last month, members of the Market Operation Division; Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement; City Environment and Natural Resources Office; and the Department of Public Services also cleared waterways in the city.

Cebu City Health Office readies anti-dengue plans, actions for schools, barangays

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Health Office plans to coordinate with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the barangays for their anti-dengue campaigns in schools and the barangays.

This is amid the Department of Health’s declaration last August 6 that dengue is now a national epidemic.

Read more: Dengue in Cebu City: Mayor Labella holds off declaration of state of calamity

Dr. Daisy Villa, City Health officer, said she would write the schools division superintendent of Cebu City so that they would be allowed to conduct information drives to students, search and destroy breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes, and misting operations.

Villa stressed the need of the anti-dengue drives in schools because of the importance of protecting students, whose bodies are more susceptible to the risk of death by dengue because of their weaker immune systems as compared to most of the grownups.

She said that the schools would need to be cleansed of possible breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes so that these insects would not have a chance to spread the disease.

Read more: Vice Mayor Rama: Comprehensive approach against dengue needed in Cebu City

For the barangays, Villa has already formed a dengue task force that is made up of the city’s sanitary inspectors, who will be assigned to implement anti-dengue measures in the city’s villages.

She said that members of the task force would be deployed in the barangays to conduct search and destroy of the mosquitoes breeding sites and recommend misting of fogging of the area if necessary.

She also said that she was hoping that the city government could provide vehicles to the dengue task force so that they could move faster in the barangays especially since they could not yet rely on the barangay health workers, who had yet to be fully activated by the city government.

”For the barangay health workers, we were not able to tap them yet because we are still waiting for their accomplishment reports. We need to have to get these reports to make sure the workers were doing their jobs before we can deploy them again,” said Villa.

In the meantime, members of the task force had been deployed to inspect the barangays and check or prevent the spread of dengue there.

Aside from this, Villa is also asking the public to help them in their anti-dengue campaign by cleaning their own homes and their surroundings as a deterrent from the dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Cebu City records P355B bank deposits in 2018, highest in CV

By CARLO LORENCIANA

CEBU has sustained the growth of money deposits held by its banking sector, topping other provinces outside the capital region in terms of deposit value.

The southern financial hub saw its banks holding P521.62 billion, making it the province outside Metro Manila sustaining the highest deposit amount as of end-2018.

Based on latest data from the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) obtained by SunStar Cebu, Cebu City, the provincial capital and business hub, posted the highest deposits in Central Visayas at P355.02 billion as of 2018.

Cebu had a total of 614 bank branches, 252 of them in Cebu City.

It also had a total of 2,688,890 bank accounts across the province.

Sustained growth seen

Cebu Bankers Club (CBC) president Neil Darwin Credo credited the strong bank deposit growth in Cebu to investors pouring money into the country’s second largest urban center.

“Big developers from Manila are coming over for new developments. Other foreign companies are having joint ventures with local companies, including big infrastructure projects,” the bank executive said.

“More developments, more investors, more overseas Filipino workers’ remittances will mean more deposits for banks,” Credo said.

CBC past president Maximo Eleccion said Cebu’s banking sector will sustain this growth, given the robust economic activity.

“Growth in deposits is expected because of the rapid development of the area,” Eleccion said.

“You can see almost all banks are expanding and opening new branches, because we want to support a lot of businesses that are also expanding.”

Construction, consumption drive banking activities

Cebu’s status as a trading hub and its robust consumption are also supporting this growth.

“We also see migration here in Cebu because of the high employment opportunities that are giving good and higher salaries,” Eleccion said.

“We are expecting growth in deposits to continue as evidenced by sprawling constructions that are giving more employment opportunities. Real estate developers are also bullish because of the high demand for residential areas to support migration to the metropolis,” he noted.

Aside from economic expansion, the increasing population in Cebu is also driving banking growth.

Other drivers cited include the increasing employment, robust consumer spending and household expenditure.

Based on the PDIC data, bank deposits in the whole Central Visayas—which covers Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor—hit P631.78 billion as of end-2018, with a total of 3,836,377 bank accounts.

The region also had a total of 849 bank branches.

Bank deposits in Bohol reached P50.93 billion; Negros Oriental, P55.58 billion; and Siquijor, P3.64 billion.

Savings and time deposits remained the main fund sources of local banks.

Other deposits include demand deposits and foreign currency deposit units.

ArthaLand acquires property in Cebu City

By V.M.P.Galang

ARTHALAND Corp. acquired a 2,245-square meter (sq.m.) property in Cebu City, where it plans to build an upscale residential condominium.

In a statement, ArthaLand said its special purpose company Bhavana Properties, Inc. bought the parcel of land from Union Bank of the Philippines. The property is at the corner of Samar Loop Road and Ayala, Hipodromo, in Cebu Business Park.

ArthaLand said it plans to develop the “first premier, dual certified, sustainable residential condominium in Southern Philippines” on the property.

“We are very optimistic about our prospects in Cebu City following the success of our Cebu Exchange, which is the largest green office building in the Philippines. There exists a growing desire for sustainable and high quality developments in the area which propels us to continuously look for opportunities to expand our presence,” Leo T. Po, executive vice-president and treasurer of ArthaLand, said in a statement.

Cebu City Rider Omega Triathlon Team ready for Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Philippines

By Mars G. Alison (/bmjo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu City Rider Omega Triathlon Team is raring to test its wares in the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Philippines this Sunday, August 11, 2019, at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu.

Head Coach Franz Baguio said the team already started tapering in their training last Monday, August 5, 2019 with the big race just a handful of days away.

“Everyone in the team is working hard to represent Cebu City in this international race,” said Baguio, who is an International Triathlon Union (ITU) Level 1 coach. “All is set for the team. Wishing everything goes well as planned. Everyone in the team has prepared and trained hard for this race.”

The team has two elite racers—Banjo Norte, who will be gunning for his third Asian Elite title, and Jorry Ycong.

Ycong won the Asian Elite title in the inaugural Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao in 2018 but has never won the title here in Cebu.

The team also has several members competing in the age group categories including Baguio.

These are Jonathan Pagaura, Vic Montebon, Justice Sousa, Alton Lorenzo Amor, Paul Jake Castillo, Cianyl Gonzalez, Katherine Jumapao, Lorna Amor, Marivic Tan, June Marq Ocaña, Fr. Jean-Christophe Covacho, and Christopher Capistrano.

They also have two entries in the Mixed Relay division. One team will be manned by Karen Mae Indaya, Jessie “Donkey” Sanchez and Jonel Arnel Emia, while the other will be composed of Stella Marie Matutina, Lee Stephen Fat, and April Eloisa Ylanan.

The triumvirate of Indaya, Sanchez and Emia won the Mixed Relay title in the 2019 Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao held last March.

The Cebu City Rider Omega Triathlon Team has been joining other races such as the recent Sogod 8080 and Penong’s 5150 as part of its build-up for the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Philippines.

World-class dealership:Toyota Cebu City

By CHRISTIAN B. QUILO (S)

IT IS the dawn of a new era for Toyota Cebu City as it re-opens to the public with a world-class dealership.

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) first made roots in Cebu way back in 1990, establishing Toyota Cebu City as the company’s first dealership outside of Manila. It was also the seventh franchise in the whole country. Twenty-nine years later, Toyota Cebu City now has 1,100 employees and seven dealerships in Central Visayas, namely Cebu City, Mandaue North, Mandaue South, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay, Dumaguete and Tagbilaran.

Last June 14, the new Toyota Cebu City dealership had its blessing and inauguration ceremonies, with executives both from TMP, and Toyota Cebu City Group and its employees in attendance.

In 2017, the original building was demolished to make way for the new edifice that stands now—a massive two-storey dealership.

“The small space made it difficult for the company to cater to its clients. The new showroom design will surely be worthy of the Toyota name worldwide,” said Toyota Cebu City Inc. president Jose Cuenco.

According to Cuenco, the revamped dealership is also the company’s way of renewing its pledge to serve its loyal customers through the years. With its new facilities, Toyota Cebu City aims to uphold service with the highest standards consistent across all of its outlets.

Aside from the spacious showroom and service bay, the newly upgraded dealership has a customer relations area, kiddie corner, customer lounge, parts & accessories section, clinic & lactation room, and VIP cubicles.

On the night of the blessing and inauguration, general manager Kirsten Cuenco–Nakayama recognized members from the different departments, from sales to human resources, and their efforts in helping make Toyota Cebu City the topnotch dealership that it is today.

“We never want to fail our customers because Toyota is all about customer satisfaction,” said Cuenco–Nakayama.

The re-opening of the new Toyota Cebu City dealership also came at an opportune time as the group is also set to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.

Toyota Cebu City is located along M.J. Cuenco Ave., Cebu City.

PRC Youth Council to host film festival in Cebu City

(S)

THE Philippine Red Cross Youth (RCY) Cebu chapter will host a two-day film festival with the theme “International Humanitarian Law: Even Wars Have Limits.”

Now on its second year, the film festival will be held at the SM Cebu Cinema 1 on Aug. 24-25, 2019.

A total of nine groups are participating in this year’s film festival. These are the RCY Councils of the Cebu City National Science High School, Cebu Doctors’ University, Cebu Institute of Technology-University, University of the Philippines Cebu, Saint Theresa’s College of Cebu, University of San Carlos, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, Don Bosco Technical College-Cebu Inc. and the RCY volunteers from the Community-Based Council.

Tickets for the upcoming event will be sold for P100. These will be made available at the Philippine Red Cross Cebu chapter office, which stands beside the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum on Osmeña Blvd. in Cebu City and at different RCY councils.

NHCP plans to build park in Cebu City

(JJL)

THE statue of local hero Lapu-Lapu might be raised in Cebu’s version of Luneta Park.

This was revealed by National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairman Rene Escalante, who said his office is planning to put up a “quincentennial park” at the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City with the monument of the Mactan chieftain, who fought and defeated foreign explorers led by Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan during the “Battle of Mactan” in 1521.

The park is planned to be constructed as part of the preparations for the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021.

The NHCP is negotiating with the Cebu City Government for the project, Escalante said.

During his meeting with Mayor Edgardo Labella, Escalante said the mayor is willing to donate a piece of SRP lot for the park.

“It will be similar to Luneta Park (in Manila), but our hero here is Lapu-Lapu,” Escalante told reporters on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019.

Based on the NHCP’s plans, the quincentennial park will feature Lapu-Lapu’s national monument and a museum.

The NHCP might construct a grandstand for big events if the City would donate a large area at the SRP.

The NCHP sees the need to celebrate Lapu-Lapu’s “big role in the history of Cebu, as well as of the country,” according to Escalante.

“We really want to elevate the status of Lapu-Lapu to the national and international levels,”

he said.

Escalante said it was too early to reveal their plans for the park; but with Labella’s supportive stance, he is confident the plan will be realized.

Cebu City Council approves P190.3M for garbage collection, disposal

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/celr)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has approved the P190.3 million supplemental budget that Mayor Edgardo Labella has requested to address the city’s garbage collection and disposal problems.

In a special session held on Thursday, August 1, the Council approved the supplemental budget that would allow the city to pay for a private hauler to collect and dispose garbage.

Engineer Joel Biton, head of the Department of Public Services, said the money will be used to pay for the daily expense of collecting and disposing at least 600 tons of garbage.

It costs P324, 400 per day to collect and dispose 600 tons of garbage.

Biton said the city could save up to P2,000 per ton with the new scheme compared to the rental arrangements set by the previous administration.

Under the new scheme, the city will pay for a three-shift service on a per hour basis from the private hauler instead of the 24-hour service during the previous administration.

Councilor Eduardo Rama, Jr., said the old scheme was costing money from the city even during the hours when the haulers were not rendering any work.

Opposition councilors questionned the P190.3 million amount noting that there is still an unreleased P5 million budget from the previous administration.

Councilor Nestor Archival, minority floor leader, was concerned that hauling the garbage from the Barangay Inayawan transfer station to the Binaliw landfill, where the private hauler has been disposing the garbage at present, is causing the city to spend more money.

He suggested that the money will be given to the barangays especially those belonging to the north district so they can dispose the garbage themselves.

Administration Councilor Joel Garganera agreed with Archival saying that the barangays should also educate its constituents on proper segregation and reduction of trash.

Vice Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama said he will convene all the members of the City Council to thoroughly discuss various suggestions on garbage collection and disposal.

Rama said these suggestions will be raised to Mayor Edgardo Labella.

Cebu City hopeful to get Unesco’s ‘creative city’ badge

By CARLO LORENCIANA

THE creative community in Cebu is anticipating the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (Unesco) decision on the city’s bid to become a creative city before the year ends.

Patricia Kyle Mendoza, president of Matic Hub, said they had already submitted Cebu’s application to Unesco, a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Paris.

“We will know by end of this year. Whether we get this designation or not, we will still continue with the road mapping,” she said.

Matic Hub is an enabling space for Cebu’s creative sector.

Part of the long-term plan for Cebu’s creative industry is the proposed creation of a design museum, to be dubbed as Newd, whose location is yet to be identified.

In a recent interview, Butch Carungay, Matic board member, also said the museum, which will feature furniture, fashion, painting and sculpture, among others, will soon serve as a converging point for Cebu’s creative players.

He said whether or not Cebu gets the Unesco designation this year or in the next round in 2021, the bid team has agreed to pursue the sector’s action plan.

“We’re hoping we get it,” he said.

Carungay noted Cebu has sought the Unesco classification as a creative city under the design category, the highest designation among the seven categories.

Member cities of Unesco’s Creative Cities Network represent seven creative fields, including design, film, literature, media arts, gastronomy, crafts and folk art and music.

Carungay admitted that Cebu’s creative industry still needs to do a lot of work especially in terms of infrastructure.

For instance, he cited that Singapore took five years to apply for its bid as a creative city while it only took two months for Cebu to prepare for the Unesco application, he said.

Meanwhile, the 2019 Cebu Design Week is slated on September 8 to 15, 2019, where Cebu’s creative players converge.

The celebration aims to bridge the disparate creative fields and industries through events that will feature designs, arts and culture.

It is also a good opportunity for local designers to gather and collaborate.

National Museum to convert Malacañang sa Sugbo into a museum

By Irene R. Sino Cruz (/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The National Museum plans to transform the Malacañang sa Sugbo into a museum.

Secretary Michael Dino, Presidential Assistant to the Visayas, made this disclosure in a statement sent to reporters on Saturday.

Dino said he received a letter from National Museum Chairperson Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas expressing interest in re-establishing their presence in Cebu City through the restoration and conversion of the Malacañang sa Sugbo into a museum.

In her letter, Bernas said that Malacañang sa Sugbo would complete the Central Visayas regional museums of the National Museum. There is now an existing National Museum branch in Tagbilaran City, Bohol and a forthcoming branch museum in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, which is scheduled to be opened in 2021.

“I personally consider the ongoing absence of the NM (National Museum) in the international gateway and educational, cultural and tourism hub of the central Philippines to be incomprehensible and have made rectifying this glaring deficiency one of my top priorities as Chairperson,” added Bernas in her June 20 letter.

The National Museum also assured Secretary Dino and the Office of the President that they would be responsible for funding the maintenance, repair, restoration, conversion, and operation of the building once Malacañang sa Sugbo will be transferred to their management.

“I am informed that the agency’s current MOOE appropriations are sufficient to cater to necessary security and basic maintenance in the current fiscal year, and that management and technical staff are ready to formulate a detailed program for necessary infrastructure and equipment capital outlays in time for the 2020 budget,” said Bernas.

With Bernas’ assurance that they have the funding for the restoration and operation of Malacañang sa Sugbo, Dino said he did not hesitate to ask for approval from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. He added that he got a verbal approval for the proposal from the two Cabinet officials.

Secretary Dino then wrote a letter to Executive Secretary Medialdea last July 8 asking for the consideration and approval of Bernas’ request. “It must be noted that there exists no National Museum in Cebu, which is at odds with Cebu being the queen city of the south, and the main hub for education, business, and economy outside of Metro Manila,” said Secretary Dino in his letter to the executive secretary. He also plans to write similar letter to Secretary Dominguez.

This development is timely for the quincentennial commemoration of Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines, which will be celebrated in 2021.

Dino noted that the Malacañang sa Sugbo structure itself is a testament to the design and architectural skill of the Filipinos. Visayan historical artifacts could be housed in the planned museum.

“I believe that restoring the Malacañang sa Sugbo to its former glory and making it a national museum would not only protect our cultural heritage but also enrich the Cebuano culture, and stand to be a showcase to the whole world,” Secretary Dino reiterated.

Malacañang sa Sugbo is formerly the Aduana building originally built in 1910 to house the Bureau of Customs in the Port of Cebu. In 2004, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo converted it to Malacañang sa Sugbo but it has been idle since the end of the Arroyo’s administration in 2010. It has reportedly suffered serious damage after the October 15, 2013 Bohol earthquake.

Philippine Eagle Foundation to hold Cebu fund raising activity

(PR/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Philippine Eagle Foundation is organizing a special fund raising activity in Cebu City on Thursday, July 18, to help raise funds for their Protecting Forests campaign.

The foundation will be showing the award winning film Bird of Prey from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. of the same day at the ASpace Cebu. Tickets to the special screening are sold at P300 each.

“The film tells the story of how a family of Philippine Eagles survive in today’s forest landscape and the several factors that pushed the species to the brink of extinction. Ultimately, the film aims to inspire and mobilize people from all walks of life to do more for the Philippine Eagle, its habitat, and the people who share its forest home,” said a press statement from the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

Proceeds from the fund raising activity will support forest rangers who protect the Philippine eagle.

Ambulances to start roving Cebu City’s streets on July 15

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Starting Monday, July 15, Cebu City residents will see ambulances roaming around the city streets waiting to respond to any medical emergency.

Councilor David Tumulak, the chairman of the committee on disaster risk reduction and management, said at least 10 ambulances would be roaming around their specific areas of responsibility.

This has been a practice back in 2014 in the term of then Mayor now Vice Mayor Michael Rama, to keep the ambulances moving and active throughout the day instead of simply parking somewhere near the barangay halls.

“This will be operational 24/7 and placed in 10 strategic areas for easy deployment in the case of an emergency,” said Tumulak.

Among the areas where they will be deployed will be the downtown area where accidents are prone to happen because of the constant moving traffic and pedestrians.

Another four ambulances will also be deployed in the mountain barangays to respond to emergencies in the area especially with the constant rains causing the softening of the soil making paths dangerous.

Along with the ambulances, 104 medics will be manning the ambulance in its 24 hours operations ensuring the public of immediate medical care in times of emergencies.

Tumulak said he believed the presence of ambulances around the city would be an essential way to keep the public safe.

The constantly moving ambulances will be able to respond faster to any accident because the nearest ambulance to the incident can easily respond.

The councilor said that in status quo, it would more than 10 minutes for an ambulance to arrive to an emergency scene.

He said a time that could mean life and death to an individual in need of medical attention.

“The city is very concerned with the lives of the people. The priority is to save lives and make the response faster,” said Tumulak.

He said an additional 30 medical personnel would join the team from the barangays in the next few weeks to help man the ambulance.

He said that he was hoping that the city government could allocate more budget to purchase more ambulances in the future so more areas could be covered.

Major travel and tour festival opens in Cebu City

By Minerva Newman

CEBU CITY – More than 100 tour and travel operators in Cebu have set up booths at the Ayala Activity Center for the 6th International Travel Festival (ITF) that opened Friday.

The festival is the largest travel show in Central Visayas.

ITF general manager Stephanie Villahermosa said the ITF is an annual event organized by the leaders and stakeholders in the travel and tour industry to bring to the traveling public not only the best travel deals but also the source of inspiration.

Villahermosa said when it comes to travel most people rely on trade shows and consumer fairs and the ITF for six years now has always been one of the most anticipated festivals in Cebu in July as people looked forward to cheaper travel deals.

Event themes through the years include endless wonders, endless possibilities as people widen their world to just go because at the festival all possible dream travel destinations are covered including world cruises, Villahermosa added.

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) development officer Gelena Dimpas that events like these are what the DOT is lobbying and promoting to increase tourist arrivals. Travel fairs create inspirations closer to travelers from a mere dream into an exciting reality.

Cebu’s improved connectivity with 1,600 flights to other countries has made the ITF an event to watch and it has brought increasing demand of international and local tourism products and services more accessible to travelers, Dimpas said.

“In 2018 tourist arrivals came from South Korea, China, US, Japan, Australia among others and the country especially Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor have developed new tour packages including farm, culinary, culture, faith, and Island tourism,” Dimpas noted.

The ITF 2019 organizers said that China is an emerging destination for Filipinos including Hanoi, Cambodia, Beijing, Shanghai while domestic beaches in Siargao, Boracay, Coron, and other islands are trending destinations which travelers can find during the travel festival.

Harry Inoferio, Senior AVP for Sales, Philippine Airlines (PAL) said that exchanges between countries are important too in opening more routes. “It is in travel fairs and exhibitions that people discover their dream destinations at cheaper prices.

There are usual staple packages in travel festivals that include Japan, Korea, Hongkong, Singapore, Bangkok, Guam, North America. For family and leisure, mostly South East Asia, Europe, North America and this year we have Australia, Dubai, and Tel-Aviv that are becoming very popular as travel destinations by Filipinos.

Cebu City promises financial and legal support to CCPO

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government promised the new director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Police Colonel Gemma Cruz Vinluan, that the local government unit will provide all the help it can give to the CCPO, may it be financial subsidies or legal aide, in support to the police force.

City Legal Officer Lawyer Rey Gealon represented Mayor Edgardo Labella in the turnover ceremony at the CCPO headquarters in Camp Sotero Cabahug and delivered the good news to the city’s police force.

Gealon said the Labella will continue the city’s assistance to the CCPO in the form of fuel subsidee, allocation of vehicles, additional firearms and ammunition, and financial assistance.

Labella in previous statements already expressed his plans to increase the P2,000 financial assistance of the city’s policemen and said he will work on it with the help of the council.

“At the same time, your Cebu City government are looking for other forms of support to the police force, including rice and meal subsidies,” said Gealon.

Gealon added that the City Legal Office will help the police who are facing “malicious” cases filed while conducting legitimate operations. The City’s lawyers will be defending the policemen in court to help them in their legal battles.

“Peace and order is one of the top agenda of this (Labella’s) administration. The mayor highlighted in his inaugural speech. This administration reaffirms its strong support to the PNP (Philippine National Police),” said Gealon.

The city also promised CCPO to allocate a budget for the renovation of the police stations in Carbon and Poblacion Pardo.

Meanwhile, the city is asking CCPO to work with them on a unified alert response system that would enable quick response by the police to areas of reported crime.

No support

Police Brigadier Debold Sinas, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said he is grateful for the support of Labella’s administration.

He said that in the past administration of former Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the support had been minimal with the dispute between Osmeña and Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, the former CCPO director.

“Sa past administration, and pulis murag pulubi ba nga hadlok-hadlokon. Tapos gusto gyod niya nga magpila didto mangayo. Mao akong instruction sa mga tawo, don’t go that low. Kung ayaw niya maghatag, di wag,” said Sinas.

(In the past administration, the police were like beggars who were being threatened. The former mayor wanted the men to pile in the city to beg. That’s why my instruction to the men was to not go that low. If the city did not want to give, then we don’t ask.)

Sinas said that for support to the police should be given without asking for anything in return as this support would help the police function in their duties to protect the city.

He hopes that with the new administration, the police will no longer be treated badly. (/bmjo)

UP Cebu’s FireCheck project wins digital innovation award

By Raul Constantine Tabanao (/dcb)

CEBU City, Philippines — Young developers and researchers from the University of the Philippines Cebu (UP-Cebu) received a special recognition for their proactive initiative app, “FireCheck” during the 7th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards held on July 5 at the Fairmont Makati Hotel in Makati City.

Deane Marie Yase, FireCheck science research specialist II, said that the team was happy and honored to have received the digital innovation award presented by global brand Kohler.

“The Philippine Property Awards is a giant. Having awarded a special recognition on digital innovation is an equally gigantic deal for us. The team is saturated with happiness, to say the least. We are but deeply honored to be selected, amongst the many, and be awarded the said special recognition,” Yase told CDN Digital.

FireCheck is an urban fire hazard mapping and fire spread modelling project that envisions to “put out fire before it begins” in densely populated and fire-risk urban areas in the three highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu province.

The project, which is the first of its kind in Metro Cebu and in the Philippines, was funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) through Grants-In-Aid (GIA) program.

The proactive approach will aid firefighters in the identification of the needed response procedure through its fire spread simulation in forecasting and damage estimation as well as in the development of an app for 3D-rendered community maps.

The team will fly to Bangkok, Thailand in November to also present their practical and technological innovation at the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit.

“We will address the region’s senior industry figures from more than a dozen property and technology markets in Asia-Pacific and will be speaking about technology education, the support from the UP Cebu board, and other technological or practical innovations we are working on that may impact the Philippine building sector.” she said.

Neri’s Ville Selfie Corner: Glimpses of Bali, New Zealand in this instagrammable spot in Cebu City

By Immae Lachica (/celr)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Bali has been regarded as one of the top travel destinations in the world because of its picturesque spots that would take anyone’s breath away.

Many of us mere mortals would want to go there and experience a portion of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love journey.

But if you have not scored any seat sale deals or found an affordable way to this Indonesian destination, chill.

There’s no need to fret because in Sitio Bombil, Barangay Lusaran in Cebu City, you will find a spot that will give you a glimpse and feel of what it is like in Bali.

Enter Neri’s Ville Selfie Corner, an instagrammable spot in Cebu City which opened to the public in September 2018.

This is a spot perfect for families and couples to make unforgettable memories as they take selfies and groufies with Cebu’s landscape as their background.

How to get there

The best way to get up there is for you to bring your own vehicle.

But for those who do not own a car or a motorcycle, you can always hop on a motorcycle-for-hire (habal-habal) or get in one of these jeepneys that ply the Pit-os via Talamban route.

Drop off point is at the gasoline station in Barangay Pit-os. Fare is only P15.

From the gasoline station, you can hire a motorcycle that will take you to Neri’s Ville Selfie Corner for P100 per person per way.

You can ask the driver to wait for you so he can drive you back to the gasoline station in Pit-os.

But if you own a car or a motorcycle, no need to worry because the road going to Neri’s Ville Selfie Corner is smooth; by this, we mean no bumpy road. Parking is also not a problem.

Travel time from Cebu City’s center to Pit-os is 30 to 45 minutes. Pit-os to Neri’s Ville will take you 20 to 30 minutes.

What to expect

For an entrance fee of P50, you can indulge in the “unlimited calmness” that Cebu’s mountains offer.

While you’re up there, order a cup of coffee along with some sweet treats at the quaint café that provides just the right ambiance for a destination as unique as Neri’s Ville.

You can also bring your own food if you wish to enjoy home-cooked meals. If you want to bring in food from the restaurant or your favorite fastfood chain you can do so as well because the owner is not charging any corkage fee just yet.

There are dining tables that you can use to share a hearty meal with family and friends.

Structures like the bird’s nest in Bali is replicated in Neri’s Ville Selfie Corner.

If you want to “go” to New Zealand, you can also have photos with the “hobbit houses” in Neri’s Ville.

What to prepare

As this place is great for photoshoots, make sure that all your gadgets are fully charged and their internal memories and storage cards have enough space for all those photographs that you will be capturing.

Do not forget to wear your best outdoor outfit too as a photoshoot, whether amateur or professional, is never complete without a striking model/subject.

Neri’s Ville Selfie Corner is open from Mondays to Sundays from 8 a. m. to 7 pm. so you can visit any day of the week, whenever your schedule permits.

With great company and picturesque view of Cebu, you’re in for a morning or afternoon with nature at Neri’s Ville Selfie Corner.

And hey, don’t forget to look up and thank the heavens for the magnificent landscape.

Global biz expert Jack Daly to hold workshop in Cebu

By Irene R. Sino Cruz (/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines–The newly-formed Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Philippines South chapter is bringing an international business growth expert to Cebu.

EO Philippines South will present Jack Daly’s Building a Winning Sales Culture – Driving Towards Hyper Sales Growth, a half-day workshop.

Steve Benitez, who was earlier named the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Entrepreneur of the Year, said Daly would bring great value to a company’s sales team.

“Jack Daly gives clarity on the critical aspects of running a high performance sales team,” said Benitez, an EO member.

“He also provides valuable tools, techniques, and procedures that your sales teams can begin implementing immediately,” he pointed out.

Daly has over 30 years of experience in sales and management and has a proven success record.

As a chief executive officer in 1980, he grew a fledgling mortgage company to 750 employees and 22 offices within 18 months.

Daly also built six businesses from scratch into national sized firms. Two of these were sold on Wall Street to First Boston and Salomon Brothers.

He now helps companies build there businesses.

Stanley Yap, EO Philippines South president, explained that the first time Daly came to the Philippines was two or three years ago when he conducted a workshop in Manila.

The workshop, which will be held at on August 5, 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, would be the first time Daly comes to Cebu City, Yap said.

He explained that EO is a global peer-to-peer network with more than 12,000 members and 173 chapters in 54 countries.

Created in 1987, the organization serves as a catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn and grow, leading to greater success in business.

EO Philippines South is the second chapter in the country, covering Visayas and Mindanao.

According to EO membership chair Brian Chua, the Philippine South chapter has 19 members. However, they intend to add at least 11 members by the yearend. Only those who are invited or nominated, and have passed the screening could be accepted as members, said Julie Vergara, EO Philippines South communications co-chair.

Vergara said the organization accept only those who pass the criteria as members.

A nominee has to be the decision maker of the company, and the company should have annual sales of $1million, Alegado explained.

Those interested to join the workshop are urged to contact 09778090023.

SEE CEBU – Animators, comic book artists, video game developers converged in Cebu City

(PR)

The dynamic Cebu Business Month team is continually paving the way for the creative industry to be in the limelight following the success of the recently concluded annual Sugbo Entertainment Expo (SEE).

Held last June 29-30 at the Robinsons Galleria, the 2-day event aimed to highlight the best local talents in the fields of Comics, Animation and Video Game Development. As well as to enlighten every one of the wider potential of the creative entertainment industry.

The event is a collaboration of the Enigma Kai, a start-up comic book studio which is venturing into animation; Cebu Animation Guild, a collection of the best animators in Cebu; and Cebu Game Dev, a collection of start-up video game developers. In partnership with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) as part of the Cebu Business Month (CBM) celebration.

Showcasing their art, the Animation Council of the Philippines, Game Developers Association of the Philippines, and Komikon joined the event. Toon City, who has worked with Disney and Warner Brothers; Toei Philippines, who has helped in the animation of some of the biggest anime namely: Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and One Piece; and Hugo Yonzon, who has worked on Darna, were also invited.

Read more: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/243204/see-cebu-animators-comic-book-artists-video-game-developers-converged-in-cebu-city#ixzz5tiFeqeuE Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Cebu City mulls payments of taxes through government banks

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/bmjo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines–Business establishment and entrepreneurs may soon no longer have to wait in long lines at the Cebu City Hall to pay their business taxes and permits.

This as the city government is looking to allow direct payments to government banks for faster transactions.

Mayor Edgardo Labella said he has instructed City Treasurer, Lawyer Jerome Castillo, to make representations to the depository banks of the city, including the Philippine Veterans Bank, Landbank of the Philippines, and Development Banks of the Philippines (DBP), to ask if the Cebu City taxpayers may be allowed to directly pay to them some of the regulatory fees of the city.

Labella eyes business taxes and real property taxes to be directly deposited to the banks to ensure safety and convenience of the taxpayers, and also ensure transparency since the money goes directly to the banks.

“It is business friendly and it is convenient for the tax payers,” said Labella.

The mayor said he will be requesting the City Legal Office to study this plan to see if there are legal ramifications. But he is somewhat confident that there will not be many legal impediments.

Also, the mayor said that the he will be seeking the City Council’s help on the matter because this change in the payment method may need legal intervention.

Labella assured that the depository banks of the city are all government-run banks and can be trusted with the taxpayer’s money.

The new mayor said that since this is part of his 10 goals of the city, he will continue to find ways to make the city more business friendly, especially to local entrepreneurs.

He said that the city will continue to innovate on business processes to help the business sector thrive in the city.

Cebu City library to go back 24/7

By Odessa O. Leyson (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Public Library (CCPL) is in need of 28 personnel for the resumption of its 24/7 operations.

Librarian Rosario Chua said CCPL needs nine employees per shift. There are three shifts.

“Each employee will render 40 hours per week. Three personnel will be assigned in the front desk, bag deposit and registration section, while five employees will be assigned in Filipino, Reference, Periodical and Technical sections. Four employees will handle the payroll processing, budget, personnel records, communications and other office works,” she said.

She said only two of the 14 casual employees hired during the previous administration were renewed.

Lawyer Floro Casas, city administrator, explained that the employees’ evaluation committee did not renew the service contracts of those casual and job order employees who actively participated in the May 13 midterm polls.

Casas, who led the committee along with Chief of Staff Mary Rose Salvatierra-Lubino and City Attorney Rey Gealon, said employees are supposed to be non-partisan.

Since June 29, the library operates from 8 am to 12 am owing to lack of manpower.

It was announced on CCPL Facebook page on Sunday.

”Due to manpower shortage, the Cebu City Public Library will temporarily limit its daily operation from 8AM to 12 Midnight starting June 29, 2019. Thank you,” said the CCPL management.

Mayor Edgardo Labella said the city will augment the library workforce to resume the 24/7 services.

“There will be no lack of employees because we will immediately augment employees to be able to continue for anything that would be beneficial to the people. This is not the type of governance that just cut it off because it came from the other administration,” Labella said.

He said Casas is now looking into the matter.

Casas said the city targets to finish the appointments within the week, so they can start deploying employees by next week.

“We hope to address the concern next week so we can resume the 24-hour services,” he said.

Labella vowed to continue the 24-hour services, an initiative of his predecessor Tomas Osmeña.

Osmeña ordered the 24-hour services of the library on March 9, 2018, in response to the suggestion of a student.

Labella is set to issue a memorandum for the library’s 24/7 operations.

“By all means, let’s continue it. Let’s stop politicking, let’s stop partisan posturing. That is really unhealthy. I will issue a memorandum that we will continue…We can place people there,” he said.

Stronger online presence for Pagsangyaw Season 2

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/bmjo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Pagsangyaw 2021, the evangelical program of the Archdiocese of Cebu in its component parishes, will be having a stronger presence online in its second season.

According to Commission on the Laity chairperson, Fe Barino, they saw in the first season of the Pagsangyaw that there was a growing need for catechism for modern Catholics, especially the youth. They saw that through social media and video-sharing sites, the program can be seen touching more lives.

This is the reason why they are planning to upload videos on a weekly basis and will encourage parishes to do livestream also on a weekly basis.

In the first season of Pagsangyaw, the segments were uploaded online and the feedback was positive with the younger generation and the Filipinos abroad.

Read more: Palma: Pagsangyaw Season 2 to inspire more people

The Basilica Mignore del Santo Niño, for example, does livestreams on Facebook for their Sunday Pagsangyaw speakers and the response have been positive with many Filipinos abroad, who have been studiously following the segments weekly.

Barino urged the faithful to look out for the videos on the Commission’s facebook page, Pagsangyaw 2021, and to subscribe to the Youtube Channel, LayKo Cebu, to get updates on the most recent segment.

The Pagsangyaw Season 2 will begin on Sunday, July 7, 2019, in all parishes and will feature talks from Archbishop Jose Palma. It will be broadcasted in the parishes of the archdiocese.

Barino hopes that the program, which aims to boost the evangelization of the Church, will reach more Filipinos in time for the 500th year anniversary of Catholicism in the Philippines on 2021.

One of the greatest challenge of Pagsangyaw for the Commission is the training of the laity speakers who will be speaking in their own parishes about their life in the faith.

Barino said they will be mobilizing the lay organizations to activate the other parishes that were unsuccessful in the implementation of Pangasangyaw in its first season.

Only 82 of 170 parishes in Cebu were able to participate in the first season of Pagsangyaw.

“We want to bring the Pangsangyaw to the faithful, to make them feel the essence of being Catholics especially during the anniversary in 2021,” said Barino.

Barino sees the opportunity of Season 2 to gather more faithful to speak out on how their faith played a role on their lives and bring together the Catholic community closer.

The Pagsangyaw Season 2 will be launched on Saturday, July 6, at the International Eucharistic Convention (IEC) Pavillion in Cebu City.

10-story serviced apartment hotel opens in November

(JOB)

A NEW 10-story high-end serviced apartment and hotel will soon rise in Cebu and is expected to be a “game-changer” in the industry, an official of the company said.

Stuart Shaw, sales and marketing director of 88th Avenue, said the high-rise tower will have 108 fully furnished rooms with a four-star rating.

“We’ve got a combination of a serviced apartment and hotel. We have a ground floor where there are bars and restaurants and a second floor for office space,” he said.

Its basement car parking can accommodate 200 vehicles. It also features an alfresco area where families can enjoy quality bonding time.

“The concept of having an area that’s pedestrianized, and bars and restaurants that’s going to predominantly fill our ground floor area will make people dine outside. The environment also lends itself well to families with children. We’re looking to make a little play area for the kids so parents can enjoy their dining, which gives it (project) a more family perspective,” Shaw said.

According to owner Riza Roble Hu, they saw a big demand for serviced apartment hotels in Cebu since the city is home to a bustling metropolis balanced with leisure and work.

“We’re open to foreigners and overseas Filipino workers who want to bring their families to the hotel and want to stay longer in Cebu. Everything is here in Cebu,” she said.

High demand

Because of its strategic proximity to the Cebu IT Park, Shaw said they also saw high interest from business processing management owners, company executives and business owners who are looking for a comfortable space where they can have a short-term or long-term stay.

“If you’re looking at the market, we believe that Cebu is looking for more serviced apartment options. With the nature of the businesses as well, you tend to find English and Korean schools here. It’s more entrepreneurial, so a lot of more small startup businesses are coming over here and looking to utilize the call center scene,” Shaw said.

Shaw said rooms of the serviced apartment hotel will be equipped with 50-inch flat screen TVs and super king-sized beds with memory foam mattresses.

Hu said they sourced their materials from the most trusted companies in China and they were hands-on in the process, from the biggest to the smallest details.

“We want to manage it ourselves,” she said.

88th Avenue will have four penthouses with Venetian-style sunken areas for jacuzzis and standard rooms. All rooms will have a balcony.

88th Avenue is located along Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad, Cebu City. It sits on a 7,500-square-meter property and is targeted to open in November 2019.

National Nutrition Council-7 launches Nutrition Month

By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — This year’s Nutrition Month kicked off yesterday carrying the theme, “Kumain nang wasto at maging aktibo...push natin ‘to!”

The National Nutrition Council-7, in cooperation with SM Seaside City Cebu, officially launched the event with a Nutri Fun Walk, Zumba, Move-Eat Fair, and the Amazing Nutri Race, among others, which was participated in by students, barangay health workers and government employees.

The participants pledged to support this year’s advocacy of eating right and engage in more physical activities and reduce sedentary lifestyle.

“Pushing the advocacy means that each and everyone can contribute to better nutrition and physical activity for a better health,” said NNC-7 regional nutrition program coordinator Parolita “Letlet” Mission.

Nutrition officials who graced the event encouraged everyone to advocate and realize the importance of healthy diet and exercise.

“With the rise of overweight and obesity and the non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases and diet-related cancers associated with it, the NNC zeroed in on healthy diet and physical activity as the focus of this year’s observance of Nutrition Month,” said Mission.

Mission added that the Nutrition Month campaign aims to encourage the food industry including farmers, manufacturers, distributors and food establishments to produce and make available healthier food options as well as advocate for the enactment of national and local legislation/policies and policies at the workplace, school and other venues that are supportive of an enabling environment for healthy diets and physical activity.

“This launching event will jumpstart the regional activities that would put flesh to the theme and push healthy diet and physical activity not only today or the month of July, but throughout the year,” Mission added.

Meanwhile, NNC’s social media campaign #ZumbAktibo Dance Challenge aimed at promoting dance as physical activity was also launched.

Nutrition Month is an annual campaign celebrated every year by virtue of Presidential Decree 491 in 1974 in order to create greater awareness on the importance of nutrition among Filipinos.

NNC is mandated under this law to coordinate and lead the nationwide campaign.

CH donates vehicles to city’s 80 barangays

By Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (/GAN, The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — Before the last adjournment of the 14th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Cebu City, the council approved the donation of city-owned vehicles to another 26 barangays in the city.

During the regular session last Tuesday, Councilor Sisinio Andales said all 80 barangays will receive their own share of the vehicles as he and Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, Jr. have been pushing for the approval of these donations to them.

“These vehicles are already in the possession of the barangays. We are just donating it to them,” he said.

Andales said some of the barangays already signed the Deed of Donation and Acceptance with outgoing Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Barangay Tisa will receive four units of vehicles while Barangays Mabolo, Suba, and Sudlon I will receive three units each from the city.

The barangays that will receive two units of vehicles each are Malubog, Sudlon II, Tejero, Toong, Tagbao, Lahug, Lorega San Miguel, Luz, and Pamutan while Barangays Taptap, Talamban, Tinago, Zapatera, Tabunan, Sto Niño, Pahina Central, Pahina San Nicolas, Pari-an, Pit-os, and Bonbon received one vehicle each.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera earlier asked for the basis of the identification of the vehicles that will be given to the barangays.

Andales said these vehicles have long been used by the barangays, adding that the outgoing administration just want to donate these vehicles so it won’t be affected by any change of administration.

It has been discussed in the City Council that the outgoing administration reportedly copied the idea of incoming Mayor Edgardo Labella who has been vocal during the campaign period of his plans to donate the vehicles to the barangays once he will be elected.

But, the allies of Osmeña defended him in the council and said that it is also the plan of the outgoing mayor.

Andales said the donation of these vehicles would mean that the barangays will shoulder the maintenance, repairs, and fuel allocation since they own these units already.

But Association of Barangay Councils Cebu City Chapter President and Kasambagan Chairman Franklyn Ong said he is hoping that Labella will continue to help and assist the barangays in maintaining the vehicles, stressing that the officials have not anticipated the donations and they have not allocated funds for it this year.

Ong said he will discuss these things with Labella who plans to gather all 80 barangay captains in the city once he assumes office.

During the previous weeks in the City Council, it approved the donation of over 130 vehicles to the different barangays in the city.

DOT, stakeholders to host 6th International Travel Festival

By JOHANNA MARIE O. BAJENTING (SunStar Cebu)

AS THE demand for international and local travel soars in the country, the Department of Tourism (DOT) Central Visayas and aviation and hospitality stakeholders will host the 6th International Travel Festival (ITF) this July in Cebu City.

Gelena Asis-Dimpas, DOT Central Visayas chief tourism operations officer, said the increased connectivity among airlines and airports boosted tourist arrivals in the region.

"The ITF, as it has been for the past five years, conveys the increasing demand to bring international and local tourism products and services closer to travelers," she said during the launching on Thursday, June 27, 2019.

Dimpas said events like the ITF would help in tourism development in Central Visayas as it gears toward reaching a balance between sustainable tourism and more domestic and foreign tourists.

"ITF complements to what we have been working on campaigning and lobbying for. There are four focal areas like the sustained increasing tourist arrivals, improved connectivity, safety and security programs and upgrading of time-tested tour packages in Cebu," Dimpas said.

The ITF saw growth from 92 exhibitors in 2017, 97 in 2018 and an expected 105 exhibitors on July 12 to July 14, 2019.

Philippine Airlines senior assistant vice president, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao sales, Harry Inoferio said affordable and competitive rates from various airlines would make traveling easier.

"We have always been growing our involvement in our major hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark and lately, Davao," Inoferio said.

Inoferio added that famous domestic destinations like Clark, Camiguin, Siargao, Bacolod and Iloilo among others remain to be favorites for leisure-loving travelers.

As for emerging destinations, he identified Cambodia and Vietnam to be two of the countries that are gaining traction among travelers.

"We have to look at the sustainability of the traffic," he said.

Stephanie Villahermosa, general manager of the ITF, also said destinations like Hanoi in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia and different provinces in China are also emerging.

In the domestic scene, places with famous beaches like Siargao, Boracay and Coron, Palawan remain to be a staple among travelers.

The 6th ITF will be held at Ayala Center Cebu.

Animation, comics artists converge in Cebu City

By Minerva Newman

CEBU CITY – Animation, comics, cartoons, video games, cosplay and game development hugged this weekend’s Sugbo Entertainment Expo 2019, an annual trade show that highlights the local creative entertainment industry, June 29-30 at the Robinson’s Galleria, Cebu City.

Local organizers Enigma Kai, a start-up comic book studio which is venturing into animation; Cebu Animation Guild, a collection of the best animators in Cebu; and Cebu Game Dev, a collection of start-up video game developers collaborated to put up this kind of event in Cebu as part of the activities for Cebu Business Month celebration since 2017.

“Each year the event grows bigger with more attendance and has been gaining more support as the years go by,” Enigma Kai president Anghelou said.

According to its chairman Lawrence Paglinawan, they invited “artists, creative people and anyone who are passionate about animation, comics and video games, as well as the business community to showcase a new industry that they can participate in.”

He said that, last year, they were able to invite two very accomplished comic book artists from Manila, Harvey Tolibaoan artist who has worked with Marvel and DC; and Elmer Damaso, one of the Philippines’s pioneering manga artists.

This year is going to be special because of the participation of some of the leaders of the animation, comics and video game industries from Manila to come to Cebu, Paglinawan said.

He added that top organizations in these fields such as: the Animation Council of the Philippines, Game Developers Association of the Philippines and Komikon are here to showcase their art.

Toon City, who has worked with Disney and Warner Brothers; and Toei Philippines, who has helped in the animation of some of the biggest anime namely: Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and One Piece are some of the top animation studios in the country are also here.

“We also have Hugo Yonzon, a man who has worked on Darnaand is a friend of the Ravelo family. Many of these guests are visiting Cebu for the first time officially and they will be giving talks regarding the wider potential of the creative entertainment industry,” Paglinawan added.

The event aims to highlight the best local talents in the fields of Comics, Animation and Video Game Development as well as to enlighten every one of the wider potentials of the creative entertainment industry and a good opportunity for parents to see the value in the creative field, he said.

Cebu to host Jump10 streetball

(RSC)

CEBU will be hosting the Jump10 Philippine Selection Tournament on July 19 to 20, 2019 at the Capitol Parish Gym in Cebu City with 12 teams clashing for the right to represent the country in an international stage.

The 5-on-5 street basketball tournament organized by the APX Sports is a qualifying event for the World Hoops Challenge in Shanghai, China in August. The champion team will bag a slot to China and the P100,000 cash prize.

“We have to collect the best talents that we have to be able to send a competitive team in China. Last year, I think the Philippines was close to last place. The goal for us this time is to at least improve our finish in the World Hoops Challenge,” said Jump10 Philippine Selection Tournament commissioner Gene Noel Gallarde on Friday’s press conference.

Tournament consultant and incoming Cebu City councilor Dondon Hontiveros said an event like this promotes the city’s sports tourism.

“One of the reasons why I ran for public office was because of sports. I want to promote Cebu through sports. We will be aggressive in supporting sporting events like this one,” said the legendary Cebuano cager Hontiveros.

“This is our first tournament and we start with an event with such a magnitude,” said APX Sports executive producer Patrick Maluya. “The aim of our group is to promote the local sporting scene and elevate the playing experience of every athlete.”

Jump10 is a street basketball tournament that uses different rules from the normal 5-on-5 game. A team will have only seven to eight players and a game is composed of two 12-minute halves.

“We have invited teams already. They’re from Cebu, Manila and also teams from Mindanao. This is a nationwide competition, everyone can join and it’s open to all players. About five teams are from Cebu,” said Gallarde. We want to bring back the streetball here.”

The champion team will compete in the Jump10 World Hoops Challenge. The winner of the World Hoops Challenge will pocket the $100,000 cash prize.

Cebu Chamber to Honor Entrepreneurs

(PR)

In recognition of outstanding Cebuano entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exemplary performance in their fields of business and applied ethical practices that reflect the ideals of corporate social responsibility, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will hold its annual Grand Chamber Awards (GCA) and Fellowship Night on June 28 at the Grand Ballroom of the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

As one of the highlighted events of the month-long celebration for the Cebu Business Month (CBM),CCCI will honor exemplary individuals as recipients of the Entrepreneur of the Year, Country Side Entrepreneur, Socially Responsible Entrepreneur, Young Entrepreneur, Small Business Entrepreneur and the Grand Chamber Awards of Distinction and Special Citation, all of whom has served as role models for the Cebuano’s to become world-class and globally competitive.

Business people, government officials, consuls and dignitaries among others will come together to witness this awarding of yet another batch of outstanding Cebuano entrepreneur. The event will feature the Ryan Cayabyab Singers, a vocal group under the direction of the Maestro Ryan Cayabyab in a night of musical spectacle.

Through this event, the Chamber aims to create more successful and outstanding entrepreneurs and increase Cebu’s middle-income society. More importantly, it will serve as venue for business leaders and stakeholders from industries to gather, meet, and establish new relations.

All the CCCI members are encouraged to join this gathering. For more information one may call 232-1423/ 0916-4641747look for Maribel Melgar or email maribel@cebuchamber.org/secretariat@cebubusinessmonth.com.

SUGOD Expo opens at the SM Seaside City Mall on Sunday

(PR/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Learn how you can transform social good into social impact during the Global Shapers Cebu Hub’s SUGOD Expo scheduled on Sunday, June 30 at the Mountain Wing of SM Seaside City Cebu.

Aspiring social entrepreneurs and advocacy supporters are in for a treat as this expo will gather individuals, agencies and organizations who are involved in doing activities that are aimed at social good.

The expo is free for all those wanted to join the different activities scheduled for the day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The event will feature Filipino-American television actress and social good advocate Antoinette Taus as its keynote speaker. They will also be having booths featuring social enterprise organizations, a panel of Cebuano change makers, homegrown music performances from KADASIG, speed networking and exciting raffle prizes.

SUGOD is a comprehensive eight-session program that ran from April to June 2019 to equip aspiring social enterprises with the fundamentals of starting or sustaining business with social impact.

The SUGOD Expo is also a culminating activity to celebrate the success of the Sugod sessions and highlight the social enterprise of SUGOD scholars.

SUGOD Expo is organized by the Global Shapers Community Cebu that is part of a worldwide network of hubs committed to create local positive impact in their cities. As part of the youth arm of the World Economic Forum, the Global Shapers Community Cebu hub is composed of young leaders ages 20-33 years old with the common desire to help improve the state of the world and of Cebu. The Cebu hub is guided by its four (4) pillars of engagement: Citizen Engagement, Environmental Conservation, Business Development, and Universal Education (C.E.B.U.)

SUGOD 2019 is supported by the Cebu Provincial Capitol, the Department of Trade and Industry, Angkas, Cebu Landmasters, Inc., Steel Art Billboards, BIG Hotel, SM Seaside City Cebu, Gothong Southern, Unilever, Travel Bee Management Corp., Sunpride, Total HRM, Nature’s Spring, Eastworld Philippines, Aldrigel, The Company, BAI Tv and Magic 92.3

Updates about the SUGOD Expo can be found on the Sugod Expo Facebook Events Page or at the Global Shapers Cebu Facebook Page.

CAPA sees growth of budget airlines

By Irene R. Sino Cruz (/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines–The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) sees growth for low cost carriers (LCCs) or budget airlines amid upheavals in the airline industry.

CAPA-Centre for Aviation Chairman Emeritus Peter Harbison made this statement during the ongoing CAPA 2019 LCCs in North Asia Summit held in a hotel in Cebu City.

This is the first time that the CAPA LCCs in North Asia Summit is held in the Philippines.

CAPA-Centre for Aviation provides independent and unbiased market analysis for decision makers in global aviation.

Harbison said that the airline industry face uncertain times due to several factors, such as the possibility of recession. He also quoted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as having downgraded the gross domestic product growth forecast for 2019.

Noting that several factors affected major economies, IMF project global economy to slow down from 3.6 percent in 2018 to 3.3 percent in 2019.

According to Harbison, the balance would shift from full service airlines to LCCs that have captured significant market share in Europe and North America, according to CAPA.

“LCCs accounted for 29 percent seat capacity within Asia Pacific in 2018 and virtually zero in 1998,” he said.

LCCs has captured more than 50 percent of domestic capacity in seven Asian markets and over 30 percent of international capacity in six Asian markets.

DOT shows off Cebu City to summit delegates

By Analou De Vera

More than 260 senior executive and industry experts are in Cebu from June 24 to 25 for the CAPA Centre for Aviation Low-Cost Carriers (LCC) in North Asia Summit 2019 to discuss key challenges and strategic issues of the industry in the region.

Before the summit, the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed the delegates the landmarks of Cebu City such as Magellan’s Cross, Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino, which is considered as one of the oldest churches in the country.

The group also visited Fort San Pedro, the Heritage of Cebu Monument, a tableau of sculptures that shows symbolic events that happened in Cebu; and the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House and the Casa Gorordo.

45 students finish Japanese language course

By JERRA MAE LIBREA

IT HAS always been a dream of Cherry Cagasan to work in Japan, and she knows that she needs to learn its language to be able to work there.

The 26-year-old student works as a project management office associate in one of the companies in I.T. Park in Lahug, Cebu City.

Cagasan said despite her stable job, she’s still inspired to work abroad.

“I’m inspired to work in Japan that’s why I enrolled myself here,” said Cagasan.

She said it is a great opportunity for her to be part of the first batch of students to take the Japanese lesson.

Despite that she is working and at the same time studying during weekends, she was motivated to continue also because she took it as an opportunity to be able to study Japanese language class for free. She said the regular class is expensive.

“It’s a stepping stone for the library to do such program because through it, we’re able to learn the beginner phase of Nihonggo class,” she said.

Cagasan graduated with an award as one of the outstanding performing students in their class.

Cagasan is among the 45 graduates of the Japanese language class in Cebu City Public Library.

The first batch is originally composed of 70 students, but only 45 have survived. Some stopped because of the schedule, while some transferred works or moved into new address.

The graduation was held on Sunday afternoon, June 23, which was attended by the outgoing Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

In an interview after the ceremony, Osmeña said he wants to see the said program to continue because a lot of people want to learn, but he said he is not in a position to decide on the matter.

The mayor said the Japanese language has a strong demand in Cebu, thus he is thinking of putting up a private endeavor just to cater those who are interested to learn.

“I want to let the people have the opportunity to learn,” said Osmeña.

The four-month Japanese class started on February, said the Cebu City Public Library chief librarian Rosario Chua.

Chua said when they opened the enrollment, there were around 5,000 who registered, thus they made it by batch.

“The mayor wants us to cater all of them so we make sure all those who registered, we contact them when it’s their time already,” said Chua.

The program involves the Japanese culture, language, tradition and practices, Chua said.

The original plan is to have the students have the 180-hour class which what the first batch had. To make sure they can cater those who registered, Chua said they made it to only 24 hours.

Aside from the number of registrants, she said they also considered the number and availability of instructors.

According to Chua, there is an ongoing 24-hour Japanese language class.

Chua emphasized through the 180-hour class schedule, the first batch are already qualified to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test since the 180 hours is one of the requirements.

Chua said through this program, they were able to open the library to more people.

“Before, the library is just a structure filled with books, but now it’s also a place for teaching and learning,” said Chua.

Intl skateboarding superstars see potential for Cebu athletes

By Dale Israel [Leti Z. Boniol (Editor), Inquirer Visayas]

CEBU CITY — Visiting international skateboarding superstars saw a huge potential for skateboard athletes in Cebu City but they lacked the “park” where they can develop their skills.

During the World Go Skating Day rally on Friday, the local skating community was joined by superstar riders Alexis Ramirez of California, USA; Shaun Paul of Melbourne, Australia; Alex Lawton of Brisbane, Australia; and Cyril Jackson of Studio City, California.

The four skateboarding champs were surprised at how “huge” the skating community here in Cebu, which is also home to Asian Games skateboarding Gold Medal winner Margielyn Didal.

But they noticed that Cebu City skateboarders had to park to hone their skills.

“The level of skating is way high. These kids really need a skatepark so that it is where they go to skate. They really need that. All they need a facility where they can go and skate,” said Melbourne’s Shaun Paul in an interview.

For Cyril Jackson, the potential of getting more local skateboarding champs are happening. “The epidemic is already starting,” the DC brand endorser said.

Ramirez on the other hand, said if people want to help these kids become superstars, “then they should get that (skating) park (built) out there.”

While there are no skateparks yet in Cebu City, Jackson said private lots should share the space to skaters.

“They should somehow share the concrete that they have. They should allow you to skate more often and not getting chased by some security off.”

“Just give the securities some Sunday’s off,” Jackson quipped.

Lawton, on the other hand, said the skatepark need not be too expensive. All the skaters need are just a bunch of space where they can play. Four of the world’s skateboarding superstars are in Cebu for a series of events including the World Go Skateboarding Day last Friday and an exhibition competition with the local skateboarding community on Saturday.

Last Friday, June 21, at least 400 skateboarders registered and joined the “push rally” where they skated from Fuente Osmena Circle to Plaza Independencia park, a distance of about 4 km.

After Didal won the Gold Medal in the Asian Games, the Cebu City government promised to build a skatepark for local athletes here. The promise is still in the site development stage in the construction.

The four skateboarding superstars are in Cebu to kick off their Southeast Asian tour.

Local skateboarding champion, 13-year-old Renz Gilig of Barangay Pajo in Lapu-Lapu City was in awe as his idol skateboarders came down to Cebu.

He said he just follow them on video-sharing website, Youtube, and could not believe that he finally met them.

Gilig, who was one of the winners in the amateur skateboarding competitions in Manila and Iloilo cities, immediately asked four international athletes to sign his skateboard.

DVMF invites ‘aspin’ owners to participate in ‘Asong Pinoy’ Day

By Raul Constantine L. Tabanao (/bmjo)

Cebu City, Philippines—The Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) encourages dogs owners to participate in the ‘Asong Pinoy’ (ASPIN) Day, which will be held at the Plaza Sugbu on Sunday, June 23, 2019.

The annual celebration, which is organised by the Department of Verinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) in coordination with the Island Rescue Organization (IRO), aims to highlight “aspins” or “asong pinoy” and raise awareness that they are as important as pedigree dogs.

Dr. Jessica O. Maribojoc, city veterinarian, said that the ‘aspin’ adoptation display will start at 9 a.m. and will end at 5 p.m.

Aside from the adopt-a-dog program, the 1-day celebration also offers free veterinary medical services such as anti-rabies vaccination, deworming, and vitamin supplementation.

“Actually, dili lang buot pasabot nag aspin lang ang maka avail ana. Pwedi gihapon ta maka-kuan nila [pedigree dog] kay veterinary mission mani siya. But in regards to contest, naa tay criteria,” Dr. Maribojoc said.

(Actually, it doesn’t mean that only aspin can avail [the free veterinary medical services]. We can still entertain [pedigree dogs] because it is a veterinary mission. But in regards to contest, we have a criteria for that)

Dr. Maribojoc also encouraged dog owners to participate in their on-sight contests which will be held in the afternoon.

Last Asong Pinoy Day, DVMF recorded more than 200 dog owners who availed the free veterinary medical services in Cebu City.

A barter store that protects environment, inspires livelihood

By Immae Lachica (/celr)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — It has only been four days since the Plastic Barter Store opened but already it has collected a total of 212 kilos of plastic wastes.

The store located along Mabini Street in Barangay Sto. Niño is fast becoming the destination of street dwellers, who used to go to junk shops to sell whatever they find from scavenging reusable items or resaleable materials from trash cans.

Gina Espenilla, the store in-charge, says they have since welcomed families who exchanged their collected plastic wastes for rice, slippers or toys.

“So far, in the last four days, we noticed that those who come over are children and families. They bring in the plastic they collected, I weigh them and then depending on the weight, they can exchange it for slippers, rice or toys,” she tells CDN Digital in the Visayan language.

CDN Digital chanced upon nine-year-old Felicity on Wednesday morning, June 19, who came to the store to bater four kilos of plastic wastes with something her family can eat.

She left the store with one kilo of rice.

System

The Plastic Bar Store operates under a simple system: anyone with plastic wastes can come to the store and exchange these wastes for food, slippers, school supplies, water jugs, utensils or toys.

For example, two kilos of plastic wastes can be exchanged with a pair of slippers and small toys.

Four kilos of plastic wastes can be bartered for any of the following:

• A piece of clothing;
• School supplies of their choice, either a notebook or a box of crayons,
• A pair of socks;
• Apair of shoes; or
• A kilo of rice.

Six kilos of plastics can be exchanged with toy sets and sewing materials.

Eight kilos of plastics can be exchanged for two canned goods and one water bottle.

The first of its kind in Cebu, the store is made possible by the efforts of the Rotary Club of Metro Cebu under its 12 Basket Movement.

Barter

Felicity says it was her first time to visit the store.

She learned about it from their neighbors.

“Ganahan ko mo baylo dinhi kay makaon ang akong makuha, di kwarta” she says.

(I like to barter here because I get food, not money).

Explaining Felicity’s answer, Gina says that junk shops only pay P5 per kilo of plastic.

“Sometimes, they’re even cheated by junk shop people because they’re children,” she says.

“That’s why you see happy faces every time they go out of the store because they go home with clothes or food,” shares Gina.

Gina, who was once a scavenger herself, says she is grateful for this project because it took her out of the dumpsite in Barangay Umapad in Mandaue City.

She is now able to pay it forward by tending to a store that entertains street dwellers and scavengers.

“Those who come with only one kilo of plastic, I tell them to just deposit it here and then come back with more because they cannot exchange goods with only one kilo of plastic,” explains Gina.

The plastic wastes are kept in a storage area in the store.

The wastes will be transported to San Pio Village in Dumlog, Talisay City where their eco-hollow center is located.

Eco-hollow blocks

Eco-hollow blocks are made from the plastic wastes that were collected and will soon be sold to the market.

The proceeds of the eco-hollow blocks will go directly to the first group of livelihood beneficiaries, who are former dumpsite scavengers of Inayawan and Umapad.

Adrian Lee, chairman of the 12 Baskets Movement, says they have not yet started with the production of the eco-hollow blocks as they are still waiting for the electric connection of their production center.

Lee says both shredder and hollow block machines are powered by electricity.

Lee says they will produce hollow blocks, instead of bricks, since the former is more useful to the masses.

The hollow blocks will be sold at P12 to P14 per piece.

Everyone and anyone is welcomed to go to the store and exchange their plastic bottles and plastic wrappers with something from the store’s display.

Just make sure that you have at least two kilos of plastic to participate in this environment-friendly barter system.

With the response the Plastic Barter Store has been getting from the public, the future for a plastic-free Cebu looks brighter.

Free sign language classes at the Cebu City Public Library

By Immae Lachica (/bmjo)

Cebu City, Philippines—Those interested to learn sign language can do so at the Cebu City Public Library. And they can learn it for free.

The Cebu City Public Library, in a post on its Facebook page on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, said it will offer free sign language classes every Saturday from July 6, 2019 to August 31, 2019.

Sign language is a system of communication using visual gestures and signs.

The free sign language class is limited to only 100 slots.

“We already started our registrations yesterday (Tuesday) at the library and as of this morning, there are 20 plus registrants already,” said Rosario Chua, chief librarian of the Cebu City Public Library.

There will be two sessions for the classes, one in the morning from 9:00 a.m to 12:00 noon, and one in the afternoon from 1:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m.

Chua said the idea to offer free sign language classes popped up when a Special Education teacher from the Cebu Normal University volunteered to teach for free.

“Duna mi teacher nga si teacher Ms. Percy Alba nga SPED teacher sa Cebu Normal University, nga maoy ni offer sa iyang services to teach sign language for free,” said Chua. “Ganahan siya mo share sa iyang knowledge about sign language.”

(We have a teacher, teacher Ms. Percy Alba, a SPED teacher at the Cebu Normal University, who offered her services to teach sign language for free. She just likes to share her knowledge about sign language.)

Registration for the classes will only be up to June 28, 2019. There will then be an orientation the next day.

The 100 slots will be divided into two, 50 students in the morning and 50 students in the afternoon.

Those interested to join can call 517-2638 and look for Beth or go directly to the venue to register.

Civil registrar’s office of Cebu City is now ISO certified

(RVC)

THOSE who need to transact with Cebu City’s Office of the City Civil Registrar (OCCR) can expect high quality service and efficiency from its staff.

The OCCR recently acquired ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Management System certification from the International Organization for Standardization, which means the office is certified as fully compliant with international standards.

Lawyer Evangeline Abatayo, head of the OCCR, said she hopes that other City Hall departments will also be certified.

“Acquiring the certification was not really an easy process but with the help of our consultants, we we’re able to get the certification. Even our utilities and security guards were evaluated,” she said.

The certification, Abatayo said, means the OCCR is committed to improving the delivery of quality services, complying with regulatory requirements and enhancing customer satisfaction.

“The certification means that our management system and processes are compliant with the international standards,” she said.

The OCCR is responsible for the registration and processing of the late registration of a person’s birth, death and marriage, among other documents. It is also the office that issues marriage licenses.

The civil registrar is mandated to record acts, events, legal instruments and court decrees concerning the civil status of persons.

Abatayo said she is hopeful that incoming mayor Edgardo Labella will help them maintain the certification as they will be audited every year.

The OCCR is the first City Hall department that acquired such certification.

The office received the certification on May 9, 2019 with the help of the Human Resource and Development Office.

Abatayo said her office is also willing to assist other departments that aspire to get the certification to provide services that meet international standards.

In a Facebook post, outgoing Mayor Tomas Osmeña thanked everyone who made the certification possible.

“Usually given to private companies, the certification of the International Organization for Standardisation is not very common with LGUs. But because of the hard work of everyone involved, Cebu City now has a Quality Management System that is certified as fully compliant with international standards. Other departments are also following suit,” he wrote.

Keeping Cebu’s mountains clean and green

By Cris Evert Lato-Ruffolo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The rain poured hard on Cebu City at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, as 21 individuals hurriedly sought shelter inside a jeepney headed for the mountain village of Busay.

The destination was Chalet Hills, a campsite located nine kilometers from JY Square in Barangay Lahug and only a few meters away from the tourist magnet, Temple of Leah, for a special overnight camping trip.

It was special because the group was a combination of seasoned mountain climbers, outdoor enthusiasts and mothers with children, who volunteered to be part of the National Mountain Cleanup Day 2019.

“This is the first of two cleanup activities that we are organizing as part of our advocacy to keep Cebu’s mountains clean and green. We are blessed to have destinations here in Cebu to enjoy with nature. We don’t want to contribute to destroying them because we believe that it is our job to be stewards of this wonderful creation,” said Mercury “MC” Montebon, the main man behind MC Outdoors.

MC Outdoors is a non-profit initiative that provides outdoor literacy for individuals and groups who see the need to learn outdoor ethics and experience the outdoors.

MC is also the consultant of a local mountaineering group, Laktud, which stands for “Laag, Kat-kat, Tudlo” (roam, climb, point).

MC said both organizations aim to spread the awareness of taking care of the environment by adhering to the seven principles of Leave No Trace (LNT), which provides for an “easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors.”

MC said this is the sixth National Mountain Cleanup Day.

MC Outdoors is organizing two legs in Cebu: one in Chalet Hills last June 15 to 16 and another one in Mount Kan-irag or Sirao Peak on June 29 to 30.

Since he started scaling Cebu’s mountains in 2002, MC said most of the trash that are left in the campsites, rivers, waterfalls or even on and under the trees are wastes from food packaging.

Close to two decades of living an outdoor life has made MC realize that to influence others to take care of the environment, a mountaineer needs to get out of his shell and teach others.

He said it is important for outdoor experts and seasoned mountaineers to share their knowledge and skills to newbies or those who view hiking or trekking as a hobby.

“We cannot be snobs. We need to teach the newbies because who knows, they might really love the outdoors and continue on with trekking, hiking or mountaineering on a more serious level. It’s best that we teach them from the very beginning how to do it properly,” says MC.

Eagle scout

Raised by a father who is a scout and mountaineer, MC learned early on that taking care of the environment is more than just enjoying the view from the top; it also means taking responsibility that human actions have severe impact on nature.

He learned this as a young child raised by a father, who is a mountaineer.

The family is originally from Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.

His father, Edmond, was assigned in Biliran, Leyte so the young MC spent his elementary and high school years trained in scout activities.

“I became an Eagle Scout in Biliran. I was inspired by the examples of my Dad, who was a mountaineer from the 1960s to the late 90s,” says MC, now 35 years old.

Events organized by MC Outdoors are often advocacy-based and do not charge hefty registration fees.

He sells shirts and other camping essentials to fund projects such as building deep wells and giving away school supplies to children in mountainous areas.

In previous articles, the National Mountain Cleanup Day is said to have been inspired by medical anthropologist, Gideon Lasco, who put out the idea of a cleanup day on his blog, Pinoy Mountaineer.

Garbage

Common during climbs is the socials night where campers or mountaineers swap stories over drinks.

On the night of June 15, MC, along with seasoned mountaineer Rafael Babula, shared to volunteers essential tips in mountaineering including the seven LNT principles.

“It’s so easy to post pictures on social media that you climbed and enjoyed the outdoors. But the question is… are you a responsible hiker or climber? Or you are just doing it for the sake of publicity?” MC says.

Chalet Hills is considered as the easiest campsite to reach which only requires a 10- to 15-minute hike from the foot of the mountain in Sitio Babag, Barangay Busay.

Camping in Chalet Hills does not require any registration fee or environmental fee.

It is perhaps this reason that some individuals take it for granted.

During the cleanup day on June 16, volunteers gathered two sacks of garbage, mostly composed of plastics, which were disposed under the trees. Many of the trash were just lying around the vicinity of the campsite.

“We hope that with activities like this we can encourage and inspire more people to take care of our mountains,” says MC.

CDRRMO eyes safety measures in Cebu City’s landslide, flood-prone areas

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — With the onset of the rainy season in Cebu, the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) are getting ready to respond to any possibility of flooding and landslides.

Wesley Yñigo, CDRRMO operations chief, told CDN Digital that they would be meeting with the City Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRMMC) on June 17 to discuss preventive measures on how to reduce flooding in the lowlands and landslides in the uplands as the rainy season starts.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), that the rainy season had begun last June 14.

Read more: Rainy season here, but El Niño may last until November

With this, Yñigo said they would be focusing on the landslide-prone areas of Busay and other mountain barangays.

They would also check on the Trans-central Highway where slippery roads had resulted in major road accidents in the past.

He said it would be important to check the mountain areas because the soil there had been dry for four months and the rains might cause sudden softening of the ground that could result to either sinkholes or landslides.

He said they would put up danger sigsn in landslide-prone areas to warn residents and motorists passing these areas that the loose soil there could be dangerous when it would rain.

He also encouraged the residents in these areas to be vigilant and to report any loosening of the soil in the roadside cliffs so that massive landslides could be averted.

“They know the risks when they decided to live in the mountain areas, so I ask them to be vigilant and monitor their surroundings during the rainy season,” said Yñigo.

Aside from that, the CDRRMO will also be closely monitoring the city’s five major river systems and the residents living nearby for the possibility of a flash flood.

He said they would also be putting up signs in these flood-prone areas along riverbanks to warn the public about the risks of living near these rivers when it would rain.

The CDRRMO will also help address inland flooding in the city.

He said that they would coordinate with the City Engineering Office to discuss the declogging of drainage in the most flood-prone area in downtown Cebu City — Colon Street.

Read more: Motorists advised to avoid flooded streets in Cebu City

He said they would ask the City Engineering Office to declog and desilt the drainage in the area to prepare it for oncoming rains.

Yñigo said that they still had enough time to prepare because Pagasa predicted that the El Niño phenomenon would probably last until August or November.

He said because of this there would be lesser average rainfall volume for a while in Cebu.

According to Pagasa, until the El Niño would be over, the rains in Cebu would short and could be from moderate to heavy rains.

Cebu City hosts OTOP design conference

By Minerva Newman

CEBU CITY – About 200 designers, micro/small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs), field experts, market specialists, design specialists, OTOP hub operators are in Cebu City for the National One Town, One Product (OTOP) Design Conference.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Director for |Central Visayas Asteria Caberte said the conference aims to brief product designers commissioned the OTOP projects on new design trends, packaging standards, labeling requirements, intellectual property, market trends and business outlook.

“Creative product design has always been a challenge in improving the local OTOP,” Caberte told Manila Bulletin.

According to Leon Flores, OTOP Program manager and conference director, DTI wants to adopt the OTOP concept in all local government units.

Flores said there are 20 OTOP stores/hubs in all regions in the country except in Regions 4B, 8, 11 and 12.

The very first OTOP store opened in September 2018.

“In 2018 we assisted 7,151 MSMEs with 5,211 products from OTOP improved and developed which generated sales of P1.097 billion,” Flores said.

This year’s national conference was designed to provide essential information for local designers that can be used to enhance the marketability of OTOP offerings and provide a coordinated look and design direction in the areas of packaging.

He said DTI has a budget of P89 million for the OTOP program, P34.93 million of which is for product development and P33.14 million is for marketing and market access.

Caberte explained that the program enables localities and communities to determine, develop, support, and promote products or services rooted in its local culture.

Cebu start-up sells ‘plantable pencils’

By Gresheen Gift Libby (/bmjo)

Cebu City, Philippines—Instead of throwing away used up pencils, why not plant them?

A Cebu-based start-up is making this possible by selling pencils that contain seeds which can be planted once the pencils are used up.

The pencils are products of Eco Hub Cebu, which was put up by Mary Rose Arnejo, a former college instructor from the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U), in October 2018.

Arnejo said that she first saw the plantable pencil concept from Sprout World, which is the first company to produce the product.

These plantable pencils are regular pencils that are tipped with gelatine capsules that contain seeds of different varieties of plants such as mint, citronella, and sili (chili pepper).

The plantable pencils can be ordered through the Eco Hub Cebu Facebook page at an introductory price of P20.

Arnejo said that at the moment, they are sourcing their products from abroad. But they are planning to partner with a local community in order to be able to locally produce the pencils and to provide more job opportunities.

“Currently we only do the assembly of the pencils. But we’re looking at producing all parts locally so we can help more people have income,” she said.

Arnejo hopes that this unique product won’t just be a short-lived craze.

“We hope this is not another fad that will fade as instantly as how it escalated,” Arnejo stressed. “We do not need another fad. Rather, we need sustainable practices integrated into our daily activities.”

Arnejo explained that Eco Hub Cebu was put up to help the public switch to an eco-friendly lifestyle.

“I’ve noticed that the majority of our kababayans do not switch to eco-friendly lifestyle because they find the eco-products costly. (Example, the metal straw set that time was at P400) That’s why I came up with a start-up which will marry affordability with sustainability so people don’t have to choose between the two,” she said.

MCWD tests water in schools before classes start

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Personnel of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) are conducting free water testing to various elementary schools in Cebu City in preparation for the start of classes on June 3.

According to Charmaine Kara, MCWD spokesperson, the free water testing is conducted to ensure that school children will be able to “enjoy” potable water when classes start.

“We choose the schools with the highest populations. We are doing this to ensure that the water is potable from the tap because the tap water will be used by the children when they brush their teeth or wash their water containers,” said Kara.

The MCWD laboratory scientists were at the Barangay Banilad Elementary School to kick-start the activity on Wednesday afternoon, May 29.

The results are expected to be out within three to five working days and areas with infected water will be treated immediately.

She said that this had been an annual program of MCWD, their contribution to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Brigada Eskwela, which would call on the community to help prepare the schools for the pupils and students.

The MCWD will not only check for the potability of the water in the schools but will also check on the pipelines for any leaks to be repaired immediately.

For schools with privately owned wells, the MCWD will also get water sample for free water testing.

As for schools with two water supplies, MCWD and a private well, the MCWD discourages mixing the water from the different sources so it would be easier to trace the source in case of contamination.

Kara also said that MCWD would deliver water for the schools with the supplies greatly affected by the dry spell and would continue to do so until it would normalize.

Since the El Niño, the water supply for mosts schools had only been at ground floor level, and MCWD said the school would have to obtain a cistern and a pump to bring the water up to other levels.

The MCWD will also begin taking samples from Talamban National High School, Talamban Elementary School, Barrio Luz National High School, Lahug Elementary School, and Tejero Elementary School.

Other public schools will also be looked into for quality control including the Cebu Central School, Labangon Elementary School, and Tisa II Elementary School.

With this activity, the MCWD hopes that water will now be safer to use for the pupils and students in Cebu City.

Globe launches myBusiness Corner in Cebu

By Luel Galarpe (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- Globe Telecom unveiled its Globe myBusiness Corner in Cebu on Tuesday at the Globe Store in Ayala Center Cebu here.

Cleo Santos, sales head for Globe myBusiness, said the special corner -- the first in the Visayas and Mindanao area and the fourth to be opened nationwide -- will specifically cater to the needs of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) in Cebu.

Santos said Globe has recognized the full potential of MSMEs in the Philippines that's why they are setting up special myBusiness Corners in different parts of the country.

According to Santos, MSMEs account for 99.5 percent of the total business operations in the country and are a major contributor to the growth of the Philippine economy.

The Globe myBusiness Corner features an interactive space for MSME entrepreneurs where they can have special one-on-one consultation sessions with MSME experts to help them in their digitalization journey.

"We want our MSMEs to have easy access to business solutions. Since the Globe Store is a major touchpoint for inquiries and is considered a trusted business channel hub, it plays a critical role in serving our MSMEs," Santos said.

Also introduced during the launching was Robot "GIO" (Globe Information Officer), who will be asking entrepreneurs a series of questions that would help them identify their business' digital level.

Globe myBusiness is also offering internet connection and mobile plans to help entrepreneurs fast-track their business' tech-savviness.

"As the MSME arm of Globe, it is myBusiness' goal to help every enterprise reach its full potential. Through Globe myBusiness Corner and our MSME experts, we hope we can guide entrepreneurs towards success," said Santos.

Free talks, tartanilla rides as Cebu City celebrates heritage week from May 28 to 31

By Immae Lachica (/celr)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — It’s going to be an interesting week here in the Queen City of the South as the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) celebrates the first ever Cebu City Heritage Week.

Lined-up activities from May 28 to May 31 include native games, stories of myths and fables, tartanilla rides, museum visits and heritage talks, according to Bryner Diaz, officer-in-charge of the Cultural and Historical Affairs Office (CHAO).

“This is actually mandated by City Ordinance 2327 declaring the Last Friday of May as Gabii sa Kabilin or Night of Heritage. The said ordinance was amended by Ordinance No. 2474 declaring the last week of May as Cebu City Heritage Week,” said Diaz.

On May 28, Tuesday, from 9:00 a.m until noon, “Duwa nga Kinaraan” will be held at the Plaza Independencia.

In Duwa Kinaraan, children from ages 9 to 12 years will be able to experience playing games such as sungka, dama, takyan, tubig-tubig and kadang-kadang. Participants are required to register at the Fort San Pedro.

After playing games, head to the Public Library for “Urang Angkay” to hear stories of myths and fables of Cebu City from 1:00 p.m until 3:00 p.m.

On May 29, Wednesday, feed your mind with heritage talks by Architect Melva Java on “Cebu’s Heritage Architecture” from 10 a.m. to noon and Dr. Erlinda Alburo’s session on “Cebu Language as Heritage ” from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Along with these activities, the city government is also hosting the Osmeña Boulevard Heritage Tour from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 29 and 30.

On May 30, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, attend an ultimate throwback Thursday session with Dr. Joy Gerra as she talks about the History of Cebu.

Pasiyo sa Kabilin on May 30 and 31 will give you an opportunity to visit some museums and historical landmarks in Cebu City including Fort San Pedro, Plaza Independencia, Magellan’s Cross, Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, Cebu Archdiocesan Museum, Plaza Hamabar, Colon Obelisk, Cebu Heritage Monument, and the community behind Fort San Pedro.

Optional sites to be visited are the 1730 Jesuit House, Yap-Sandiego House and Casa Gorordo.

Diaz said Pasiyo sa Kabilin will have four sessions; two on May 30, Thursday, and another two on May 31, Friday. The tours will happen from 8 a.m. to noon, and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“These are guided tours. If the participant wants to enter the museums, he/she would need to pay the entrance fees. The tourism office will provide tour guides,” he told CDN Digital.

Completing your Cebu City Heritage Week experience are the free tartanilla rides on May 3o to 31 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Plaza Independencia.

Interested participants can go to the following sites to register for the specific activities:

• Fort San Pedro: Duwa sa Kinaraan
• CHAC Office (Rizal Memorial Library and Museum Building): Heritage Talks, Osmeña Boulevard Heritage Tour
• Cebu City Public Library: Urang Angkay
• Tourism Office (): Pasiyo sa Kabilin and tartanilla rides ND

Except for the museum entrance fees, all these activities are free on a first come, first serve basis.

Revisiting Cebu’s rich history

(JJL)

IT was like traveling back in time for 93-year-old Celsa Zamora, who participated in the Gabii sa Kabilin 2019 last Friday night, May 24.

Celsa, accompanied by her daughter Joy Zamora, said the event made her remember her teenage years.

Though she couldn’t walk anymore because of her age, Celsa didn’t feel tired since she enjoyed watching the performances, as well as listening to the music that reminded her of her past.

“Lingaw gyud kaayo ko (I’m having a great time),” Celsa said with a smile on her face.

Joy, who is 40, said it was their first time to join heritage night.

Joy said her friend, who is in charge of the museum at the St. Theresa’s College (STC), introduced her to the event.

She and her mother became interested because they had always wanted to go to the museums in Cebu City.

Joy said the heritage night is very significant since it teaches participants about Cebu’s rich history.

“Sakto gyud nga kabilin ang tawag ani (event) kay mga treaure gyud sa Cebu ang gipakita (They were right in calling this event heritage because it showcases Cebu’s treasures),” she said.

Joy and Celsa were waiting for a taxi outside the Halad Museum since they were meeting Joy’s friend at STC. The Zamoras are from Dalaguete town. They only came to the city to experience “heritage night.”

Celsa and Joy were among the many participants who witnessed the different performances and exhibits of the 18 participating sites.

At the Museo Sugbo, sarok-weaving from the northern town of Consolacion, pot-making from the southern town of Sibonga and the art of tattooing were highlighted. At the Halad Museum, Cebuano music was played.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy invited members of the public to look at its ship docked at the Aduana Port.

Capt. Romeo Rosales, Navy chief-of-staff, said they agreed to join the event because they wanted to give the public a glimpse of what their lives are like inside the vessel.

“Through this, we can show to the people the security we are doing, especially here in Cebu,” said Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, deputy commander of the 3rd Civil Relations Group of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, adding that the ship is armed.

During her speech in the opening program, Cebu City Councilor Margot Osmeña said she hopes this event will continue as a way of reminding the people about Cebu’s rich history.

This year’s theme is “Setting Sail” to mark the arrival of five ships from Spain, which started the colonization of the archipelago by the Spaniards for over 300 years.

Various competitions were held, including best blog or vlog and best photo for adults and trivia games for children.

Gabii sa Kabilin, which is on its 13th year, is an annual event wherein people get to visit various museums and heritage sites in one night.

It is organized by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. Culture and Heritage unit in partnership with local government units.

British envoy to help improve Cebu City library

By Dale Israel (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)

Amazed at the innovations of the Cebu City Public Library, British Ambassador Daniel Pruce said they were now working on how their government could help improve the 24-hour facility.

During his visit to Cebu on Thursday, May 23, Pruce took note of the movies being shown in the library at night, which were drawing attention from its patrons.

He said he was looking into the showing of British short films during the movie nights at the Library.

“They have midnight cinema shows and short films. I think it is a great way of bringing people into the library outside of usual hours,” Pruce said during a media briefing.

“(It is) demonstrating how the library can not only be a great repository of books but also of … other cultural activities,” he added.

” … we might have access to many British short films that might be suitable for one of those midnight screenings,” he said.

Aside from access to British short films, Pruce said they were also coordinating with non-government organizations in Cebu City on how they could help improve the materials inside the library.

Pruce was in Cebu City for the first time for a meeting with several stakeholders, including the promotion of tourism to British visitors.

He said an increasing number of British tourists were visiting Cebu. There was also a growing British community in the city.

He discussed with local media ways to expand the British government’s campaign on Media Freedom and Responsibility.

The British Ambassador also went to the Mactan Cebu International Airport, whose construction was done with British experts.

He also dropped by Cebu Provincial Police Office for a meeting.

The concept to open the Library all day was a request through social media to Mayor Tomas Osmena from a student in 2018.

The mayor immediately gave in to the request and provided the library services 24/7 since then.

CGBP to launch best programs in Cebu

(SunStar Cebu)

THE Center for Global Best Practices (CGBP) will bring its best programs to Seda Ayala Center Cebu in Cebu City on June 19-21, 2019.

The CGBP granted the clamor of business owners and decision-makers based in the Visayas for more world-class trainings.

On June 19, the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines will be discussed by a lecturer, including the changes brought by the law.

On the same day, there will be a lecture on the essential Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations issued from 2017 until the early part of 2019.

The second program on June 20 will tackle the best practices in implementing effective business controls.

Participants are expected to learn the best practices in designing and implementing controls that would help them safeguard their business assets, enhance the integrity of their financial reports and protect them from business operational risks.

The other discussions include the best practices in financial processes and controls, operational policies and good business examples.

Accountants attending the event will earn points as their presence will be credited to their continuing professional development requirement.

On June 21, a master class on writing the minutes of meetings will be held. The attendees will be informed about the legal guidelines on the meetings as mandated by the SEC.

The programs are open to the public and interested participants are encouraged by CGBP to avail of the early bird rate. Seats are limited and pre-registration is required.

CGBP is an accredited training provider of the Civil Service Commission.

To see CGBP’s complete list of its SEC-accredited programs such as the best practices in corporate governance, sustainability reporting, certification course for compliance officers, implementation of parliamentary procedures in meetings and other programs, visit its website at www.cgbp.org.

CGBP can be also reached through its Manila lines: (+632) 842-7148/59 and 556-8968/69, and Cebu lines: (+6332) 512-3106/07.

Students develop online app to ease parking space woes

By Immae Lachica (celr)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Are you finding it hard to find a parking space in Cebu?

Three students from the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) may just have the answer to your parking woes through an online application prototype called “CarSpace.”

Noel Daniel Seldura, 26, Kevin Cerdon, 24, Jesury Thomas Gadiane, 24, are sophomore students taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) at USJR who make up the team that developed CarSpace.

Eric Magto, the team’s mentor, said it took them three months to finish the prototype.

“CarSpace is a mobile application for drivers having a difficulty of looking for a parking space. We observed that there’s a difficulty in looking for a place to park,” says Magto.

This feat enabled the team to earn the top plum in the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), a technology competition organized by Smart Communications that aims to provide college students with the platform to create innovative applications that solve consumer pain points.

The USJR students bested 19 other teams hailing from different schools around the country after a rigorous screening process and a boot camp during the 15th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards.

The awarding ceremony was held on May 10, 2019, at Discovery Primea Hotel in Makati City.

The team took home a cash prize of P 300,00.

Magto says they only included parking lot owners, residential houses and owners of unutilized lots to provide parking spaces.

He says they did not include establishments such as malls and other commercial spaces in the app as it was not feasible for their start-up project during the time of development.

Magto says users only need to download the app and then check the nearby parking spaces and check the corresponding fees for the parking spaces.

But users may have to wait for two years before the app will be available for public download because the students said will still focus on experimenting on CarSpace.

Magto says the students will make the CarSpace prototype as their Capstone project for their thesis.

With an innovative project like this, let’s hope we don’t have to wait for two years for this app to be available.

Crossing our fingers!

Capitol to forego construction of P91 million parking building

By Rosalie O. Abatayo (/bmjo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Capitol will no longer pursue the construction of the proposed four-storey parking building pegged at P91 million.

Provincial General Services Office (PGSO) head Jone Siegfred Sepe, vice chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), said they recommended to the Office of the Governor to forego the project and let the incoming administration decide if it will be implemented.

Governor Hilario Davide III, in a separate interview, said he favors the embargo of the project in order to leave it to the discretion of the new administration whether the project is still necessary.

The parking building, which was originally pegged at P84 million, has undergone three failed bidding since 2018. The contractor of the first bidding in 2019 had lapses in its technical requirements while the winning bidder in the second bidding last February 2019 failed in the post qualification process after the technical working group found that it has incurred beyond allowable delays in its other projects with other government agencies.

This March, the BAC opened a negotiated bidding for the project but also failed because all the bid offers were above the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), which is P91 million.

Read more: Following delays, construction cost of Capitol’s 4-storey parking building may increase

Sepe said the bidders cited that the increase in the cost of materials for the project makes it hard to complete the edifice for only P91 million.

“We submitted the project plan to the Provincial Engineering Office for review [of the proposed budget] and they saw that a new adjustment may be needed,” said Sepe.

However, since the term of the officials in the BAC will be ending as the new administration comes in on June 30, Sepe said it is more prudent to let the new set of BAC members decide on the fate of the building to prevent it from falling in a crossover.

Cebu City underpass to open in June for private vehicles

(Business World)

THE UNDERPASS project along Natalio Bacalso Avenue, which is seen to ease road congestion in the southern part of Cebu City, will open by June for private vehicles while authorities discuss possible new traffic schemes in the area.

Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) Operations Chief Francisco Ouano told The Freeman that last week’s temporary two-day opening of the underpass showed improved traffic flow.

Mr. Ouano said they will coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways regional office for a possible new traffic scheme in the south district, including whether to allow buses and mini buses to utilize the underpass.

These public utility vehicles currently use the Cebu South Coastal Road. Public utility jeepneys, as planned, will utilize the northbound and southbound side roads. Mr. Ouano said they will hold a dry run to observe traffic flow before the official opening.

‘Philippines-Australia Friendship Day’ celebration heads to Cebu City

(PR)

THE last days of summer are here and the Australian Embassy is giving Cebuanos a chance to celebrate it in style at the Philippines-Australia Friendship Day festival.

The Embassy is bringing a taste of Australia to Cebu with some fun activities at Ayala Center Cebu.

“Each year we take the Philippines-Australia Friendship Day celebration to a different city, and this year we are heading to Cebu,” said Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson AO.

On May 25, take a stroll down Melbourne’s Hosier Lane while browsing the retail, education and travel fair at the mall’s Activity Center. Shop for sweet Australian table grapes, ice cream and healthy snacks while checking out the best travel deals to Australia. Take that first step to realizing your dreams of an Australian holiday or overseas study by attending the study and visa information session beginning at 2 p.m. Join in on fun trivia games and get a chance to win Australian goodies.

Head to The Gallery at 4:30 p.m. for the community fashion parade where Cebu’s young and stylish will walk the runway for Cotton On, Ever New, Quicksilver, Roxy, BYS Cosmetics, Anthill and C&C. Afterward, head on to The Terraces for a free concert featuring homegrown talent Sepia Times, one of Sony Music Philippines’ newest artists. Then cap off the day by watching Australian short and feature films under the stars also at The Terraces.

Shoppers at Ayala Center Cebu will also get a chance to win two roundtrip tickets to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney via Qantas.

This year’s Philippines-Australia Friendship Day is part of the larger Australia Now celebration across Asean.

Philippine Chemistry Congress goes to Cebu

(PR)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu will become the center of the country’s chemistry world as the Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas (Chemical Society of the Philippines) in cooperation with the Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies (PFCS) hosts the 34th Philippine Chemistry Congress on May 28 to 30, 2019.

The Congress with the theme “CHEMbisyon 2019: Kimiko Para sa Sariling Bayan” will be held at the Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center, Lahug, Cebu City. Over 1,500 delegates, including local and international scientists, are expected to gather for the event to tackle research for inclusive development.

“This year’s theme “Kimiko Para sa Sariling Bayan” is a call for our greater involvement in confronting the challenges our country is facing,” said Glenn V. Alea, Ph.D., PFCS President.

“The things chemists do may not always seem to be accessible and relevant to the ordinary Filipino. We have to come forward, communicate, participate in setting directions and work together to bridge gaps and play a greater role in national development,” he added.

The Congress will feature prominent national and international experts who will deliver ten plenary lectures, fourteen keynotes, 110 oral presentations, and 188 poster papers. Participants will come from 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and The US.

Alea said the Congress’ various plenary and parallel sessions are meant to inspire participants with the latest research and developments, expand their networks with fellow scientists and professionals in the academe, industry, and government, as well as engage with productive discourse with other delegates.

There are plenary sessions on chemistry and food security and bionanotechnology. The two day sessions also features parallel sessions on food chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, analytical and functional film, environmental chemistry, forensic chemistry, surface chemistry, photochemistry, nanoscience, computational phychem, #Nagbalik-Chemistry, inorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical education, analytical labs, and natural products chemistry, among others.

Leon M. Payawan, Jr., Ph.D. President of Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas, said the Congress also emphasizes its being a youthful event by using the hashtag #34PCCMillenialVers2019. Over 80 percent of participants and members of the organizing committee are millenials born in 1981 and after.

“It is my hope that the millennial generation will take on the cudgel, and stand on the ‘shoulders of giants’ for the advancement of the Philippine chemistry community!” said Payawan.

For inquiries and registration, you may visit their official website at https://kkp.org.ph/34th-pcc/.

Hikvision, surveillance products expert, sets up shop in Cebu

By Marc Cosep (/dbs)

In their dedication towards progress and innovation, Hikvision, the world’s largest supplier of surveillance cameras, launches its new office here at the Queen City of the South — Cebu.

The move is part of their plan to strengthen their presence in the country with new innovation and technology ranging from security cameras to other surveillance products like drones.

By opening an office in Cebu, Ray Wu, general manager at Hikvision Philippines, said that Hikvision would be able to strengthen their relationships with partners giving them the service and attention they would need.

Their office will be opened on May 23, at the FLB Corporate Center at the Cebu Business Park.

With their most up-to-date and comprehensive product solutions like 8K cameras topped with their new advance Artificial intelligence (AI) and other video recording devices, Wu aims to position themselves as the top-ranking players in the country’s security market.

Right now, Hikvision continues to maximize their presence covering the 17 regions in the country with their Cebu office as their latest addition.

As an international brand, its products are also being enjoyed across 150 countries with 46 international and regional subsidiaries and branch offices including 85 branches throughout mainland China. Its outstanding capabilities and performance in the security and video surveillance industry have been recognized by leading analyst and firms globally.

Hikvision was ranked as the No. 1 worldwide complete video surveillance and products provider for seven consecutive years (2011-2017) by IHS Markit, a London-based global information provider formed in 2016.

They were also ranked No. 1 in the Security 5D by a&s Magazine from 2016-2017.

New Strategies

During the the event in Cebu, Hikvision also shares its strategies to continue staying on top of the game.

“AcuSence” products with false alarm filters and “ColorVu” cameras with 24-hour color monitoring for the for small- and medium-size businesses (SMB) are now in the pipeline.

Higher resolutions and better low-light performance products are also in the works including AI Technology and Vertical Solutions for intelligent business operations and small cities.

Integration of video surveillance access control and expanded application of thermal products for perimeter protection will soon make its way to their products.

As Hikvision gears towards a successful 2019, Wu hopes for a more better service and increasing partnership through more expansion projects in the country.

Cebu City senior citizens to receive P2K on Saturday

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City senior citizens are expected to receive the third tranche of their senior citizen allowance on Saturday, May 18, at their respective barangay halls.

According to Lourdes Limpangog, acting city director of the Senior Citizen’s Affairs, at least 75,000 registered senior citizens might get their April and May financial assistance worth P2,000 in the barangays.

If the senior citizen fails to get the financial assistance tomorrow, they are given 10 days to collect the money at the City Treasurer’s Office.

Limpangog said that the distribution must be inside a government building of the barangay and the distribution would start from 8 a.m. to noon.

For those who are not capable of receiving their financial assistance, the money will be delivered to their houses if they were registered to be with disability.

At least 4,000 senior citizens will have their financial assistance delivered to their households since they can no longer go to the barangay halls.

The seniors, who will be claiming their financial assistance, must bring their senior citizen identification (ID) cards and another original ID in order to claim the money.

The registered senior citizens in Cebu City are entitled to a P12,000 financial assistance from the city government. Registration for which are done in the Senior Citizens Affairs Office.

“I highly encourage that they (senior citizens) get their financial assistance tomorrow so they will not have to go to the City Hall to claim. We brought the service to the barangays for their convenience,” said Limpangog.

Limpangog also reminded the senior citizens that they would need to personally claim the financial assistance as any form of authorization letter would not be honored by the city.

City to award P65-million garbage deal to firm

(RVC)

THE Cebu City Government is set to award the P65-million contract for its solid waste disposal to the operator of the private landfill in Barangay Binaliw.

Ronald Malacora, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman, said ARN Builders passed the post- qualification process that they conducted.

Malacora said they were not able to award immediately the contract due to the election ban on government procurement.

ARN Builders placed the lowest calculated bid of P647.59 per ton of garbage disposed compared to the P675 per ton bid that Jomara Konstruct Corp. placed.

The City has a budget of P70 million for the garbage disposal starting July but it saved close to P5 million after ARN Builders placed a lower bid price.

After the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill was closed, the City has been outsourcing its garbage collection.

Starting July, the City will no longer outsourced its garbage collection and the Department of Public Services (DPS) will directly throw the wastes to a private landfill.

The set up is the reason why the City will also purchase additional 21 trucks that will be used for garbage collection.

This year, DPS only allocated P201 million for the hauling of garbage that covers from January 1 to June 30 only since the City will already dispose directly its garbage to the private landfill on July.

Cebu City police and rescuers conduct bomb explosion simulation

By Morexette Marie B. Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Law enforcers and rescue units in Cebu City conducted bomb-explosion simulation exercises in front of Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Tuesday noon, March 12, 2019.

The simulation exercises last around 30 minutes. It was participated by the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO).

Superintendent Alfeche Batuan, deputy city director for administration of CCPO, said the simulation exercises were intended for law enforcers and rescuers to refresh their skills on responding to disasters, such as bomb explosions.

“We also conducted this one (bomb explosion simulation) especially after what happened in Jolo, Sulu,” said Batuan.

Batuan said the drill was generally smooth but noted that several areas needed improvement.

“We needed improvements sa communication department. We found out that we needed a centralized communication center para tanan communication nato naay tarong nga system,” he added.

Below are photos during the drill:

Cebu City to release P10-M to address drought

By Luel Galarpe (PNA)

CEBU CITY – The city government is set to release PHP10 million to initially address the water supply problem in mountain villages that are now experiencing the effects of mild El Niño.

City Agriculture Department (CAD) officer-in-charge Apple Tribunalo, in an interview Monday, said they are now preparing the release of the PHP10 million after receiving reports that some farmlands in the mountain barangays have already cracked due to the dry spell.

Tribunalo said they have also received reports that some of the water springs in elevated areas have dried up.

“We have already sent a team to the upland barangays to assess the situation and we will continuously monitor these areas,” Tribunalo told the Philippine News Agency.

She said the PHP10-million budget will be used for the purchase of water containers and drums for storage, power sprayers, water pumps, and water hoses for irrigation to help the affected farmers and livestock raisers in the mountain barangays.

If the hot temperature continues and no rain will occur in the coming days, Tribunalo said they will wait for the assessment of the weather bureau before a state of calamity can be declared.

Should the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) classify the mountain barangays as drought-affected, Tribunalo said they will then put these areas under state of calamity.

The PAGASA classifies an area as drought-affected if the average rainfall is less than 60 percent for three consecutive months.

“In the event a state of calamity will be declared in the mountain barangays, an additional PHP15 million will be released from the city’s disaster funds for the affected villages,” Tribunalo said.

She said she hopes the dry condition in the upland villages would not worsen and damage the vegetables and crops in the coming days.

Tribunalo is also hoping that the farmers and livestock raisers in these areas would implement the water- and moisture-conservation techniques that the CAD had taught them to apply during the dry season.

The 29 upland barangays expected to be affected by the mild El Niño are Adlaon, Babag, Cambinocot, Guba, Kalunasan, Lusaran, Malubog, Pit-Os, Sapangdaku, Tabunan, Agsungot, Bacayan, Binaliw, Bonbon, Budlaan, Buhisan, Busay, Pulangbato, Pung-ol Sibugay, Sinsin, Sirao, Sudlon I, Sudlon II, Tagbao, Taptap, Mabini, Pamutan, Paril, and Toong.

5 thousand to clean Lahug river

By Odessa O. Leyson (/GAN,The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — Around 5,000 volunteers will be helping the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) in clearing the Lahug River from waste.

CCENRO Head Ma. Nida Cabrera said there are numerous schools in the city that assured to join the cleanup activity today.

These schools include the St. Theresa’s College, Don Bosco College, Southwestern University and Abellana National School.

However, Cabrera could not give a definite number of students that will be taking part in the river cleanup.

“Nag-expect mi nga mas daghan karon sa Lahug River kay naa’y mga eskwelahan niapil, so wala pami kibaw pila ang gikan sa schools,” she said.

The other volunteers are from business process outsourcing (BPO), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and business establishments.

The river rehabilitation and restoration will start at 6:30 a.m.

The activity is led by CCENRO along with the Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Public Services and other concerned agencies.

Cabrera said the 5,000 volunteers will be assigned in five stations. In the station 3 and station 5 are workers from City Hall.

The other stations are composed of private volunteers. Every station has Barangay Environmental Officers (BEOs) that will guide and lead the clean-up drive.

CCENRO will also install bio-fences along the stretches of these rivers. These bio-fences, which are made of recycled plastic bottles that are wrapped in fishnets, will trap garbage that will strew the rivers.

The Lahug River is 16 to 17 kilometers long which covered the Barangays Tejero, Tinago, and T. Padilla.

Based on their initial assessment, Cabrera admitted that the Lahug River has more trash compared to Bulacao River.

She said most of the households situated in Lahug riverside don’t have septic tanks. The wastes of these residents reportedly go directly to the river.

“Lahug, grabe ang problema mi karon diha. Basin sa gipang-invite for technical conference, wala’y mga CR, riverside of Lahug, mostly wala’y CR. Naa’y CR pero diretso sapa,” Cabrera said.

Right now, there is an ongoing profiling of waste contributors in the river so that CCENRO can meet with them to address the problem.

CCENRO is also planning to establish septic tanks in the area so that residents’ waste will no longer go to the river.

“Naa nami nakontak nga mo-provide nato tanke ibutang didto, kalot and semento takuban siya. Limpyo na ang mogawas na tubig. Ga-expect ta ang mga lugar nga walay kasilyas butangan ana,” Cabrera said.

She said those waste contributors will be called for a technical conference at City Hall to educate them in proper waste disposal.

“Issuehan citation ticket for technical conference. Gitagaan og higayon nga mahibaw sila nga mao ni angay buhaton and dili angay molabay diretso sa basura,” Cabrera said.

The next river cleanup activity will be on March 16 at the Guadalupe River.

Routes Asia 2019 opens in Cebu City today

By Irene R. Sino Cruz (/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Over 800 delegates are expected to attend this year’s Routes Asia held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

The delegates include 100 airline executives, 20 airport representatives and 30 tourism authorities.

The speakers scheduled for today’s session include Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. Andrew Aquaah-Harrison and Routes brand director Steve Small.

The topics will include the future of Asia Pacific air transportation and hub development and self-connection.

In an interview with Cebu Daily News Digital, Small explained that they chose Cebu as the venue for Routes Asia 2019 because of several factors. These include the opening of the new international terminal of Mactan Cebu Airport and the presence of hotels that could accommodate the delegates.

Cebu City Sports Commission to continue offering free Summer Grassroots Sports Training Program

By Mars G. Alison (/bmjo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – After a successful outing in the Batang Pinoy 2019 Visayas Qualifying Leg, the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) will continue to identify athletes with potentials through its Summer Grassroots Sports Training Program, which will kickoff on April 10, 2019.

Athletes who represent Cebu City in the Batang Pinoy, a talent identification program of the Philippine Sports Commission, mostly have trained or volunteered under CCSC’s grassroots program.

One of them is 13-year-old Aldrener Añora Igot, Jr. who bagged all the six gold medals that Cebu City got in the archery competition in the recently concluded Batang Pinoy 2019 Visayas Qualifying Leg in Iloilo City.

Igot trained under CCSC’s grassroots program handled by Ma. Teresita F. Beltran.

In fact, most of Cebu City’s archers are products of the CCSC grassroots program.

At the moment, CCSC executive director Gayle Grace Dico said they will be offering the same sporting events for training and the same venues.

“For now we have nothing new but perhaps later on we will add [new] venues,” said Dico.

Training on offer will be for basketball, archery, air rifle, aris, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, muay thai, dancesports, futsal, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, scrabble, sepak takraw, softball, baseball, table tennis, taekwondo, touch rugby, track & field, volleyball, weightlifting, wushu and gymnastics.

The training will be open for kids aged six years old to 18 years old.

Venues for the training will be in North District Schools and South District Schools.

North District Schools include the Cebu City Central School, Hipodromo Elementary School, Lahug Elementary School, Mabolo Elementary School, Tejero Elementary School, Zapatera Elementary School, Bo. Luz Elementary School and Talamban Elementary School.

In the south are Don Vicente Rama Memorial, Elementary School Gym, Pardo Elementary School, Mambaling Elementary School, Labangon Elementary School, Punta Princesa Elementary School, Guadalupe Elementary School, Inayawan Elementary School, San Nicolas Elementary School, Opra Elementary School, Tisa Elementary School and at the Cebu City Sports Institute.

As always, the training is free of charge and is not only for Cebu City residents. Those from the towns can also join the training.

Last year, about 10,000 showed up for the trainings and Dico said they’re expecting more or less the same number this year.

For more information about the Summer Grassroots Sports Training program, those interested can call the CCSC office at 520-8839.

Asia’s biggest aviation forum takes off Sunday in Cebu

By Carlo S. Lorenciana (/JMD, The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — Over 800 delegates, including aviation bigwigs, are converging in Cebu this Sunday through next week for the 2019 Routes Asia, as the southern economic powerhouse looks to become a bustling aviation hub in Asia.

Asia's biggest route development forum is taking place at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino from March 10-12.

Cebu is hosting the 17th Routes Asia for the first time at a time of rapid growth in its aviation industry, following the opening of its modern passenger terminal last year.

Steve Dicdican, general manager at the state-run Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, said the airport's privatization has seen it a robust growth recently.

“The opening of the new international terminal follows a highly successful privatization, positioning the airport for rapid growth and making MCIA a model for other airports in the Philippines and throughout Asia as potential PPP (Public Private Partnership) opportunities are evaluated,” Dicdican said.

He said the airport further looks to develop more routes "that are responsive to tourism and economic growth of the province, region and country.”

The Routes Asia conference provides unique insight into some of the most crucial factors currently affecting aviation across the Asia-Pacific region.

The three-day event offers delegates further opportunities to hear from senior figures from the spheres of route development, airline network planning, airport and destination marketing, among others.

Across a series of panel debates, keynote addresses and a training session led by expert route development consultancy ASM, attendees can expect to expand their industry knowledge and gain exclusive insight, notably into the future plans of two of the region’s leading carriers during CEO keynote interviews.

These sessions will open the floor to Jaime J. Bautista, president and COO of Philippine Airlines, and Lance Y. Gokongwei, CEO of Cebu Pacific Air, who will share their traffic growth strategies, fleet order plans and international route expansion forecasts.

Underpass now 87% complete

By Odessa O. Leyson (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — After a year and almost six months of construction, the P638-million underpass along N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City is now 87 percent complete.

During the site inspection yesterday, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-7 Assistant Regional Director Engr. Mario Montejo said the project’s construction is on track since it is within the contract period.

He said WT Construction Inc. is now concreting the underground walls of the underpass after they have completed the boring of piles.

“As of now, 87 percent ang accomplishment. So, gamay nalang, substantially completed na. Then sa ilawom ang pavement and sige ta concrete ta sa wall, then phasing nalang,” Montejo said.

He said the contractor is also done with the installation of pumping stations of the underpass which are used to pump out water to the drainage system.

DPWH-7 Project Engineer Roy Dela Cruz said the contractor is now working on the walls, which are reinforced by conventional steel rods, steel mesh, or fibers.

The final work will be the putting up of concrete slab once the base part is finished.

“We expected by the end of March mahuman siya, however tungod sa mga rainy weather sa December 2018, naa pa’y typhoon, na-stalled siya gamay,” Dela Cruz said.

Montejo said the contractor has committed to finish the piling of works by the end of this month but due to the bad weather conditions, it was not able to comply.

But he emphasized that the contract period of WTCI is until May 2019 as they expected that the underpass project will be operational.

“On track pata, supposed to be the first commitment of the contractor is this month, but because of some delays, naa’y mga change orders, mausab-usab man gud ni tungod sa gagma’y kakulian. Na-target nato by May, end of May,” Montejo said.

Once the underpass will be open to vehicles, it will alleviate the traffic congestion in the south district.

Montejo said all southbound and northbound vehicles can utilize the underpass project. Those who would pass F. Llamas Street will have to access the side roads.

In August 2017, there is a monstrous traffic in the south district due to the construction of the underpass project.

At the comment section of The FREEMAN Facebook account, there are netizens who are doubtful that the underpass would really address the traffic.

Some of them slammed the authorities for causing traffic in the main thorough fares.

“Pagsure mo uy. Sige lang mo saad. Wala baya ninyo, tan-awa ang traffic diha kada adlaw. Purwesyo na kaayo mo sa mga taw,” Edgar Lacno commented.

At present, the traffic scheme in the south district is the southbound and northbound side roads are available to public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and private vehicles.

Identified diversion routes are also accessible to traffic such as Ganciang St., Caimito St., F. Llamas St., and others.

All buses, mini buses and delivery trucks will access the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR).

Horrendous traffic usually occurs during peak hours which are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. based on the assessment of Cebu City Transportation Office.

Meanwhile, Montejo said that after the construction of the underpass, they will proceed with the road widening of both lanes.

The legal department of DPWH-7 is negotiating with the affected structures so that they can implement the road widening on June.

“Ongoing ang negotiations, mo-resort na kung dili sila modawat sa offer nato, market value ang offer. Og dili gyud, mo-resort ta to expropriation, adto ta sa korte mo-deposit,” Montejo said.

The road widening project worth P17 million will be funded by the national agency.

The widening measures 400 meters in length and six meters in width.

Cebu City Gov’t to purchase 19 buses worth P152M

By RAZEL V. CUIZON

A TOTAL of 19 brand new big buses worth P152 million will be purchased by the Cebu City Government.

The bids and awards committee (BAC) is scheduled to hold a bidding for the purchase of the buses on Tuesday, March 5.

BAC head Ronald Malacora there are two interested bidders already that signified to join the bidding.

The buses will be used to augment the current free transportation that the city has been extending to the public, particularly to the business process outsourcing (BPO) workers.

“We will deploy that buses to transport passengers in areas where there are many passengers who are having a hard time catching a ride during peak hours,” Malacora said.

Since last year, the city has been providing free rides to the public, particularly to BPO workers for their safety considering that they work mostly during night time.

Malacora said this will be the first time that the city will purchase buses since most of its buses are donated.

At present, the city has 15 buses that are running.

“These are several years old buses already and maintenance is already high but we will still deploy these buses aside from the new ones that we are about to buy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malacora said five interested bidders signified interest to participate during the re-bidding for the purchase of P232.5 million worth of garbage compactor trucks.

Although BAC has already recommended to award the contract to Hino Motors, but Mayor Tomas Osmeña rejected it because he wanted more suppliers to participate the bidding.

Malacora said they will conduct another bidding on March 12.

The city plans to purchase new compactor trucks to save from paying huge amount in its garbage hauling fees.

DVMF eyes rabies-free Cebu City as it gears up for Rabies Awareness month

By Immae Lachica (/END)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City as a rabies free city.

This is the goal of the city’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) as it prepares for this month’s Rabies Awareness celebration.

Dr. Alice Utlang, head of DVMF said to Cebu Daily News Digital that they had been are doing a series of free vaccination around the city to slowly hit their target to make Cebu City completely rabies free.

Dr. Utlang also said that this would be the second year that they would be using the HSI MDV (humane society international mass dog vaccination) application.

She said that this application had helped them monitor the number of dogs in a barangay.

DVMF took pride in the improvements that they had been doing, and looking back, Dr. Utlang told Cebu Daily News Digital that Cebu City had come a long way in the efforts of eradicating rabies cases.

From being the No. 2 ranked city in the country for most number of cases of rabies in 2017, the city’s moved down to 8th spot in 2018.

This is because of DVMF’s efforts in doing information education campaigns, free vaccinations in barangays, house to house vaccination and even consultations for all dog and pet owners.

To celebrate Rabies Awareness Month, on March 4, Monday at the Plaza Sugbo grounds there will be an opening salvo with a short program of what is in store for all pet owners to take part for this month’s celebration of Rabies Awareness Month.

“Gi-awhag nako ang tanan nga mo avail sa atong mga libreng pagpabakuna sa atong mga iro aron kita maluwas sa kaso sa rabies” said Dr. Utlang.

For this year, there has only been one case of rabies that has been recorded by DVMF.

Cebu City to give P150 subsidy to each graduate of the 126 public schools in the city

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Graduates of all public elementary and high schools in Cebu City are expected to each receive a P150 subsidy this March for their graduation rites.

Councilor Joy Young, deputy mayor for scholarships and education, told Cebu Daily News Digital that they decided to grant the subsidy because of the Department of Education (DepEd) memorandum, issued in March 2018, that disallowed the schools from collecting fees from students for commencement exercises.

Young said that each of the elementary and senior high school graduate of the 126 public schools in the city would receive the subsidy.

“We are just finalizing the MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) between DepEd and the city to seal the deal,” said Young.

DepEd will distribute the subsidy to the different schools in the city, he said.

“Congratulation to the graduates! Thank you for your hard work,” said Young.

Meanwhile, Young said that he was supporting the proposal of DepEd to replace the graduation rites with a moving up ceremony for Grade Six “completers,” which was announced in the DepEd Memorandum No. 025 on Friday, March 1.

“If you look at it logically, elementary pupils will still go to high school. They will not graduate until Grade 12,” said Young.

He said parents should not spend so much for the graduation of these pupils and save the money for their high school education instead.

DepEd however clarified today, March 2, that the proposal has still to be reviewed by its executive committee.

“Should this be approved, DepEd assures all concerned that this will be announced with sufficient lead time. Apologies are extended for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused,” said the memo signed by Secretary Leonor Briones.

Cebu City Public Library’s newest offering: Korean Basic Language Class 101

By Immae Lachica (/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Following the success of their free Japanese language class offerings, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that the time has come for the city government to also teach basic Korean language to interested Cebuanos.

But the city’s latest offering will only be held for a day and will only accommodate the first 50 registrants.

“If you do not make (it to) the cutoff, don’t worry. Other classes will be scheduled soon as well as classes in Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, and German ,” Osmeña said in a Facebook post at noontime today, March 3.

Recognizing the high demand for Korean language classes, Mayor Osmeña posted an announcement on his Facebook page today that the Cebu City Public Library will be also hosting a free introductory Korean language class that is scheduled next weekend in partnership with WeTalk Inc., a teaching, learning and consultancy firm.

“Walay subtitles imong K-drama?” said the mayor’s post while inviting Cebuanos to register for their Korean language class offering.

Osmeña’s post said that classes will be held at the library’s second floor area from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 9, Saturday.

Online registration can be made through this link https://goo.gl/forms/CJzES7L9UqxKzSrG3

But the advisory “KOREAN BASIC LANGUAGE CLASS 101. Sorry, all slots are taken. Please Follow our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/ccpl1919, to get updates for other class schedule” was posted when Cebu Daily News Digital tried to access the link at 2 p.m. today or two hours after the mayor made his FB announcement.

Many of the 296 individuals who commented on the mayor’s FB post complained that all the 50 slots were already taken while others request for the holding of free French, Spanish and Mandarin classes among others.

Osmeña said that they are now studying the possibility of opening other foreign language classes at the city library in the coming days.

Cebu City Council to mull measure banning single-use plastic in the city

By Delta Dyrecka Letigio (/elb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Single-use plastics may be no longer be seen in Cebu City in the next three years if the proposed measure to completely ban the use of these kinds of plastic materials in supermarkets and other business establishments n the city will be passed by the City Council.

The city government is currently implementing a measure that prohibits business establishments, particularly groceries and supermarkets, from packing grocery items in plastic bags every Wednesday and Saturdays, as provided under Ordinance 2343 implemented in 2012 and amended in July 2018.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, in a memorandum on July 3, 2018, has also banned single-use plastic and use of styrofoams in all the offices of the city government effective August 1, 2018.

But if the proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Eduardo Rama, Jr. and Councilor Raymond Garcia will get the nod of the City Council, there will be a total ban of single-use plastic in Cebu City.

Garcia told Cebu Daily News Digital that the ban of plastic shopping bags in the city every Wednesdays and Saturdays is no longer enough to address the garbage problems of the city, since discarded plastic bags have been clogging canals and rivers, which have also led to severe flooding in the city during the rainy period.

“Dili na enough ang two days ra. It’s time that stop using single-use plastic,” said Garcia.

Garcia said his proposed measure will be up for discussion in next week’s council session, where it will be decided when to schedule the public hearing for the measure.

Garcia, however, said a total ban on single-use plastic will need to be implemented in phases, or a period of about three years, to give business establishments and manufacturers time to produce their own non-plastic packaging materials.

He said that in the first year, their target is to ban plastic shopping bags and straws, which he said are not necessities since consumers have easy access to alternatives such as eco bags and reusable straws.

Garcia also said that the implementation will need the cooperation of businesses as plastic materials are widely used in the manufacturing industry.

“Imong candy wrapper, plastic. Imong sudlanan sa sliced bread, plastic. Halos tanan gibutang sa plastic,” said Garcia.

Garcia hoped that the ordinance will be passed by the council after a public hearing.

City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) head Nida Cabrera welcomed the move, saying a total plastic ban in the city would likely reduce plastic wastes by 10 percent.

Plastic wastes — shopping bags, straws, utensils, plastic cups, and bottles, among others – comprise 26 percent of the total garbage collection in the city, according to Cabrera.

But since the proposed ordinance would only prohibit single-use plastic, other plastic wastes may still be collected even after the ordinance has been fully implemented.

Garcia hoped that people would support the ordinance despite the inconvenience it may cause to people.

“People need to get their priorities straight. We need to think of our environment,” said Garcia.

Cebu-based developer investing in four residential building projects

By Irene R. Sino Cruz (/dcb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Banking on the growing demand for residences here, Cebu-based developer 858 Mega Properties is investing millions of pesos in four residential building projects.

Serafin Uy Jr., president of 858 Mega Properties Inc., said the company will be spending about P800 million for four projects. These projects are Vistana Pearl Residences, Vistana Diamond Townhouses, Vistana Emerald Tower and Vistana Gold Island Resort & Residences.

Uy said they decided to venture into real estate development because they see bright prospects in the market.

He said the company first ventured into real estate development when they constructed the Vistana Ruby Residences at Junquera Extension, Cebu City. The company started construction of the project in 2014 and completed it in 2016.

They were able to sell all units of Ruby Residences in nine months, said Uy.

Uy, an engineer, explained that the family-owned company decided to go full blast by putting in money in their projects when they saw the sales performance of their first project.

The company’s second project is Vistana Pearl Residences, an eight-story midrise condo project located along Sikatuna Street, Cebu City, beside the Zapatera Elementary School. This project broke ground on June 8, 2017.

The target market comprises mostly students and parents who have children studying in Cebu City since it is quite near the universities.

Vistana Pearl has 65 studio and five one-bedroom units. It features a swimming pool, a fitness gym, a children’s playground, a multipurpose hall, a function room and a commercial area at the ground floor.

To assure residents of sufficient security, the building will have CCTV cameras, two high-speed card-key elevators and individual unit intercom to the front desk.

The unit will have 60×60 ceramic tiles, granite kitchen top, kitchen cabinets, stainless sink, 30×30 ceramic bathroom tiles and many other amenities.

Butch Guillen, president and chief executive officer of BG Summit Realty, expressed optimism over the project, saying they already sold several units. BG Summit Realty is the marketing arm of 858 Mega Properties.

Another ongoing project is the Vistana Diamond Townhouse, a nine-unit townhouse project located at Peace Valley, Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City.

Two other projects on the pipeline are the Vistana Diamond Tower, an 18-story residential condominium in Capitol Hills, and Vistana Gold Island Resort Residences that will be constructed in Olango Island.

The Olango residential project will include 16-units duplex villa residences, two units of presidential villas with own pool, and an eight-unit two-story townhouses with a common pool.

Cebu City Archived News

The older news reports are kept here.