Cebu City News January 2019

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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.

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Magellan's Cross in Cebu City
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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.
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Mormon Temple Lahug cebu city philippines

Feast of Santo Niño de Cebu

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

Montanesimo, the portrayal of Jesus as a child in regal vestments, is a pious practice in the Santero (sculpture) Culture among the nobility in 1300.

The trend was made popular by Juan de Martinez Montanes, a sculptor of Jaen, Spain, who was acknowledged as “Dios de la Mader” (God of Woodcarving).

The oldest Christian image in the Philippines is a carved wooden statue of the Child Jesus in kingly attire. It is the object of veneration every third Sunday of January in Cebu City, where thousands of voices, to the rhythm of drums, shout “Pit Señor! Viva Pit Señor!” while dancing in staccato steps in colorful attires.

‘Balaang Bata sa Sugbo’

Juan Camus, a Spanish mariner of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, found the “Balaang Bata sa Sugbo” (Holy Child of Cebu) inside a pine box amid the ruins of burned houses in a conflict between the natives and the soldiers of the expedition in 1565.

A church made of bamboo and mangrove palms was erected on the site where it was found. The statue was honored with a procession. The Basilica Menor de Cebu was built on the spot where the image was found.

The original feast day of Santo Niño de Cebu was April 28. Pope Innocent XIII (1721-1724) moved the feast day on the third Sunday of January to avoid conflict with Easter celebrations.

On April 28, 1965, the image was canonically crowned. On May 2, 1965, the Papal Bull Cubanula Religious was issued and the church where the Santo Niño was enshrined was raised to the level of Minor Basilica of Sto. Nino.

Gift to Humaway

Magellan, a Portuguese navigator, left Spain on September 20, 1519, with five ships and 250 men. His mission: sail around the world in honor of the King of Spain through a western route to the Spice Islands (Moluccas).

In 1521, he landed in Limasawa, Southern Leyte, and met Rajah Kulambu. The rajah introduced him to Rajah Humabon, the ruler of Cebu.

Magellan befriended Rajah Humabon. The ruler, his wife Humaway and about 500 men and 40 women were baptized on April 14, 1521, according to Pigafetta, the memoir writer of the expedition.

The Santo Niño was a baptismal gift to Humaway, the chief wife of Rajah Humabon, after her baptism by Fr. Pedro Valderrama. She was given the Christian name Juana, a local equivalent of Joanna, the mother of King Charles V of Castille, Spain. The Italian chronicler of the Spanish Expedition handed the Santo Niño image to Juana. A gift from Magellan, it was a “symbol of friendship and alliance between the tribe and Charles V of Spain.”

To Humabon, who was also baptized, was given an Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) bust of Christ when he appeared before Pontius Pilate.

Then Magellan proceeded to Mactan Islands, and had a fight with Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain of the tribe and his men. Magellan and his men were defeated, Magellan was killed on April 27, 1521.

Santo Niños in the world

The image of the Child Jesus is a popular portrayal among devotees of Jesus in the world. It is sometimes dressed according to the mores and customs of the people. The Infant Jesus of Prague, a favorite among devotees, is enshrined in the Discalced Church of Our Lady of Victorious on Mala Strana, Czech Republic. Like the Santo Niño of Cebu, it was brought as a precious souvenir by Maria Manriquez de Lara of Spain when she married Vratislav Pernstyn, a Czech nobleman in 1556.

The Bambino Gesu di Aracoeli (Child Jesus of Aracoeli), a 15th-century wooden statue of the Child Jesus, is enshrined in Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Altar in Heaven) in Rome, Italy.

The famous images of the Infant Jesus are the Mexican Niño de Atocha in Spain, the Little King of Grace in Beaune, France, and the Holy Child of Remedy in Madrid, Spain, among others.

40 ‘Beeps’ to serve Sinulog revelers from Cebu south

(SCG of Superbalita Cebu/JKV)

FORTY modern bus-jeeps or Beeps will be allowed to ferry passengers from a temporary terminal at the South Road Properties to two areas in downtown Cebu City during the Sinulog Grand Parade on Sunday, January 20.

This after the Persano Corporation was able to secure a special permit from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

But Eduardo Montealto Jr., LTFRB 7 director, clarified that the special permit for the 40 Beeps only takes effect during the Sinulog grand parade.

For those traveling from Southern Cebu to Cebu City via the SRP, they can avail of Beeps waiting for them at the temporarily bus terminal near El Corso in El Pardo Street.

The Beeps can ferry passengers only up to the Compania Maritima near Cebu City Hall and at the Mambaling flyover and vice versa.

Montealto said the Beeps can only charge P8 per passenger.

Montealto instructed Beep operators to place a tarpaulin in front of their vehicles bearing its plate number and Sinulog.

He said they prioritized the southern part of Cebu City for the deployment of Beeps as buses at the North Bus Terminal are unaffected.

Montealto said they are still awaiting for other bus operators to apply for special permits so they can ferry passengers outside their usual route.

But he warned public utility vehicle (PUV) operators that if they are caught securing passengers outside their route and without special permits, they could face fines of up to P50,000 for jeepneys; P200,000 for vans for hire and P1 million for buses.

EMB-7 eyes pollution-free Sinulog celebration

ByBy Luel Galarpe (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- Aiming for a pollution-free Sinulog celebration, the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) and the government of Cebu City have put up 50 eco-stations along the grand parade route.

Environmental Management Regional Director William Cuñado, in an interview on Thursday, said the eco-stations will give the public the convenience in disposing of their trash properly.

Cuñado said revelers could throw their wastes in the eco-stations, where proper disposal sacks are provided for biodegradable, recyclable, and residual materials.

“We know it is very difficult to have a 100 percent pollution-free Sinulog celebration, but at least we can lessen the garbage that might be generated,” Cuñado said.

He also asked the public for their cooperation in achieving the undertaking and urged them to dispose of their garbage at the eco-stations nearest them during the grand parade on Sunday.

Cuñado said the undertaking is also in line with the National Zero Waste Month celebration, which carries the theme: “We and Alternative Technologies Partnering for Proper Waste Management.”

The eco-stations are currently manned by personnel from the Cebu City Department of Public Services (DPS), but the EMB-7 will add more manpower come Saturday and Sunday to ensure that the public will throw their garbage in the right containers.

The EMB-7 and Cebu City has partnered with a waste plastic recycling company, Guun Corp., for the collection of all residual wastes, while the DPS will take charge in the disposal of biodegradable and recyclable materials right after the celebration.

Exec: Cebu City gov’t, Capitol spent P1.1M for Devotee City

By Morexette Marie B. Erram (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of P1.1-million was spent by the Cebu City Government and the Cebu Provincial Government for this year’s Devotee City for Sinulog.

In a press conference today, Thursday (January 17), officials from Cebu City and the Capitol revealed that the money had been spent for the rental of the 20-foot container vans that would house out-of-town pilgrims, and the corresponding utilities needed.

Devotee City Supervisor Roberto Cabarrubias said a total of 58 containers were placed in a lot beside the Compania Maritima.

The utilities installed within the Devotee City site included 27 portable toilets, at least 10 shower rooms, and tents for the pilgrims’ outdoor activities.

Water is provided for free by the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).

Cabarrubias added that the city had shelled out P600,000 while the Capitol had provided P500,000.

“One container van can fit up to 50 people inside,” he said.

CPA to allow devotees to watch fluvial procession from Cebu City ports

By Doris C. Bongcac

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The management of the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) will be opening Cebu City port gates to devotees who wanted to watch Saturday morning’s fluvial procession.

An advisory posted on the Facebook page of the CPA – Police Operations Center at 5 p.m. today, January 16, said that they will allow spectators to occupy portions of pier 1, 2 and 3 while gates 1 and 3 have also been designated as pedestrian entrances.

However, port officials warned that devotees will be subjected to security inspection prior to their entry at the port premises.

“Cebu Port Authority Port Police will be providing augmentation security personnel, security screeners and K9 units to facilitate smooth and thorough inspection,” the post said.

Privately owned vehicles will not be allowed access in the area “except vehicles owned by pre-identified VIPs, emergency vehicles, law enforcement vehicles and vehicles owned by Cebu Port Authority.”

Owners of accredited vehicles are advised to use gate-7 located across Radisson Blu Hotel and the Bureau of Customs office.

300K join annual ‘Walk With Jesus,’ first Mass to kick off Fiesta Señor

By Ador Vincent Mayol (/elb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A sea of candlelight illumined the length of Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City as the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu was brought in a procession on Thursday dawn to mark the start of the 454th Fiesta Señor celebration.

Devotees—young and old—carried their own images of the Sto. Niño, prayed the holy rosary, and sang liturgical hymns broadcast live on radio and amplified by speakers during the “Walk with Jesus” procession and the first novena Mass.

The two-kilometer prayer walk that begn at 4 a. m. opens this year’s activities in honor of the Child Jesus.

There were no fireworks or balloons along the procession route following an appeal from the Augustinian priests in charge of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to maintain the solemnity of the event and for public safety.

The Cebu City Police Office said at least 300,000 devotees, or four times bigger than last year’s 80,000, took part in the opening salvo and first novena Mass.

The flower-decked carroza that carried the image of the Sto. Niño arrived at the basilica at 4:55 a.m.

The 3,500-capacity church courtyard was packed, with thousands more staying on the streets outside of the basilica.

They watched the Eucharistic celebration through large LED screens and television monitors installed around the church complex.

In his homily, Fr. Pacifico “Jun” Nohara Jr., the rector of the basilica, said the number of people who woke up early to attend the procession showed their deep devotion to the child Jesus.

“That’s sacrifice. That’s how we love the child Jesus,” he said.

As part of tradition, the fiesta’s Hermano and Hermana Mayores for 2019 – Lawyer Paul Yabao and wife Dioscora, were officially presented to the people during the Mass that saw. about 50 diocesan and religious priests as concelebrants.

This year’s celebration carries the theme “Sto. Nino: Guide of God’s Children to Service and Humility ” which is patterned after the pastoral thrust of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on the Year of the Youth.

In 2013, the CBCP launched a nine-year “spiritual journey towards the 500th annniversary of the Christianization of the Philippines in 2021 with different themes for each year.

At the end of the first novena Mass, Nohara carried the image of the Sto. Niño and led people in dancing the traditional one-step-forward two-steps-backward Sinulog dance for about five minutes.

The basilica complex, which has been the center of the four-century-old devotion to the Sto. Niño, will be open 22 hours from January 10 to 20 to accommodate the multitude of Sto. Niño devotees who come to pay homage to the original image of the Sto. Niño, which is enthroned in a glass case at a side chapel inside the Basilica.

The church will be closed from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. to allow the janitors to clean the basilica.

Except on January 10 and 18 when there are dawn processions, 11 Masses will be held at the Pilgrim Center every day leading to the feast of the Sto. Nino.

Augustinian priests in Cebu City to donate fireworks money to poor

By Ador Vincent Mayol (Senior Reporter, Inquirer Visayas /lb)

CEBU CITY — In solidarity with the poor, the Augustinian fathers of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City will not stage any fireworks display on the eve of the Fiesta Señor this month.

Fr. Pacifico “Jun” Nohara, OSA, rector of the centuries-old basilica, said they deemed it proper to donate the money for the fireworks display to the underprivileged.

“The fireworks were costly. Like we did last year, I think it would be better to forego any fireworks display so that we can use the amount to help our brothers and sisters who are in need,” he said.

In previous years, the basilica spent about P130,000 for the fireworks display after the one-hour traditional Sinulog dance at the church’s Pilgrim Center.

Last year, the Augustinian fathers—the caretakers of the basilica and the original image of the Santo Niño—decided not to hold any fireworks display and instead donate the money for the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City, for typhoon victims, and for the renovation of a church in Leyte province.

“We have the same arrangement this year,” Nohara said.

Fiesta Señor masses to air live on FB for devotees worldwide

By John Rey Saavedra (PNA)

CEBU CITY - Devotees of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu who could not join in person the nine-day novena masses and the fiesta day concelebrated masses need not worry anymore as the Augustinian friars on Monday announced they will use the social media platform for this year’s celebration.

Father Pacifico Nohara Jr. said there will be four holy masses of the day at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño Pilgrim Center that will go live over Facebook.

Starting Jan. 10 up to the Jan. 20 fiesta day, the Basilica’s media unit will have a Facebook live coverage on two morning masses (7 a.m. and 10 a.m.), one holy mass in the afternoon (4 p.m.), and another in the evening (7 p.m.).

“Devotees of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu from all over the country and abroad may join in the celebration by monitoring our four daily masses using their smartphones,” Fr. Nohara told the Philippine News Agency.

“The sick and those who are living in the far-flung areas who could not come in person at the Basilica may hear the novena masses through Facebook,” he added.

Netizens are also expected to make live coverages of different events in line with the celebration, Nohara said.

Activities which the crowd may share on social media are the "Walk with Jesus" on Jan. 10, the "Walk with Mary" on Jan. 18, the Traslacion on the same day, the fluvial procession and the solemn foot procession on the “vesperas” on Saturday, January 19.

Meanwhile, the National Telecommunications Commission in Central Visayas (NTC-7) has considered the recommendation of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to shut down the signal in Cebu City and neighboring cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay during the solemn procession in the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 19 and on Fiesta Señor on Sunday, January 20.

NTC-7 Regional Director Engineer Jesus Laureno said his office has affirmatively recommended to NTC central office in Manila the two-day signal shutdown.

Laureno assured CCPO Director Royina Garma the order from NTC will come out before the Fiesta Señor celebration.

Augustinian friar, Fr. Aladdin Luzon, chairperson of the Cluster on Safety, Security, Peace and Order of the Basilica, said their office is confident that the Philippine National Police in Central Visayas can handle the over-all peace and order situation in this city for this year’s Sinulog festivity.

The Basilica website also cited the assurance of the traffic groups from Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu during the Jan. 18 Traslacion.

Also, the city government is ready to handle the influx of local and foreign tourists visiting this city in time with the Sinulog celebration, said Councilor Dave Tumulak.

The city government has prepared nightly activities in two locations -- in the downtown Plaza Independencia and the Fuente Osmeña circle in the uptown area.

It also organized an 11-day Balik Cebu Booth at Level 1 of Ayala Center Cebu, featuring Cebu and the Cebuano cultures starting this Wednesday, Jan. 9 up to the 19th.

Along with booths are the exhibits of different images and icons of the Holy Child which shall be in the same mall for a 12-day Sto. Niño Exhibit on Jan. 9-20.

The Department of Trade and Industry is also organizing a Sinulog Trade Fair on Thursday, Jan. 10 at SM City Cebu.

Cebu City to promote proper waste management in cinemas

(Politiko Visayas)

The Cebu City Council is set to deliberate on the proposed ordinance mandating movie theaters in the city to play a one-minute video that will educate people on proper waste disposal.

The Freeman reported that Gaisano Cineplex and other cinema operators support the ordinance authored by Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr.

“Our company has been supportive to our local government’s campaigns and advocacies such as the proposed ordinance,” Gaisano said in its position paper.

But, the company suggested that the advocacy video, a three-minute video, should be cut short and conform to the rules and regulations of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

Gabuya, the chairman of the Committee on Public Services, said he amended the measure to a one-minute video from three based on the suggestions of cinema operators.

Under the proposed measure, cinema operators who fail to show the video clip will be penalized with a fine of P2,000.

Zonta Cebu 1 celebrates golden anniversary

(C‘EST CEBU - Honey Jarque Loop, The Philippine Star)

The Zonta Club of Cebu 1, the second oldest Zonta Club in the Philippines, celebrated its 50 years of advocacy and service with a joint celebration of the centennial year of Zonta International. All the events were led by Zonta 1 president Minnie Yuvienco and Area 3 District 17 director Stella Bernabe.

The festivities centered on this year’s theme, “No To Child Marriage.” The opening salvo was held at the Ayala Mall where close to 800 students from different schools eagerly listened to the discussion on the awareness of the causes and prevention of child marriage. There was also a symposium on child marriage at the University of San Jose Recoletos. The thrust has addressed the protection of women against violence specifically of early child marriage.

The highlight of the numerous events was the golden dinner held at Cebu Country Club. It featured poster exhibits of past presidents from 1968 to 2018. Founding president was the late Dr. Zuga Sotto Yuvienco. A recognition award was conferred on vice governor and vice chair of the Provincial Women Commission, Agnes Magpale. Guests of honor and speakers were District 17 governor Teresa Lin of Hong Kong and Area 3 Advocacy chair Daisy Arce.

District governor Teresa Lin expressed her appreciation of the initiatives of Zonta Club of Cebu 1 in sustaining their projects, sourcing out linkages and intensifying information networking to make known to the community the vision of Zonta International.

From 2019 to 2020, the Zonta Club of Cebu 1 will implement its partnership with the Cebu City Commission on Street Children.

ABL basketball game, Cebu City Marathon lead list of sporting events in Cebu in January

By Mars G. Alison (/bjo)

Cebu City, Philippines – The holiday break is over for athletes and student athletes as the first month of 2019 ushers in a slew of sporting events spearheaded by the Cebu City Marathon.

The Cebu City Marathon will be happening on Sunday, January 13, and will start and end at the Cebu Business Park.

About 4,000 runners will be competing in three race distances—the 42 kilometers, 21K and the 5K.

The first to be held, though, was the National Age Group Chess Championships 2019 Visayas Leg at the SM Seaside City Cebu. It started January 3 and is still ongoing.

Pawnpushers from all over the Visayas will be vying in the Under 8, U10, U12, U14, U16, snd U18.

The winners will get slots to the national finals.

To start action this weekend, January 5 and 6, is the Cebu City Airsoft Tournament Sinulog Cup 2019 Codename: Tarantula at the SRP Sugbu Grounds.

This two-day event will award plaques and trophies to the winners.

Also to come off wraps starting January 6 is the Cebu Provincial Meet in Carmen, north of Cebu.

The winners of this multi-sporting competition organized by the Department of Education will form the core of the Cebu Province team that will compete in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet happening in Dumaguete City in February.

Another event that will kickoff this January 5 is the 2019 Sansam Gullas Cup at the San Fernando Sports Complex.

Six teams will be vying for the title with the champion to get P80,000.

One of the most anticipated is the Asean Basketball League (ABL) basketball game between home team San Miguel Alab Pilipinas and Zhuhai Wolf Warriors at the Hoopsdome in Lapu-Lapu City on January 6, 2019.

Towards the end of January, on the 24th, is the Mayor’s Cup Sinulog Beach Volleyball which will be held at the sand court located at the back of Fort San Pedro.

The annual Sinulog Football Cup, however, has been moved to February to make way for the Sinulog festivities.

Sto. Niño fiesta kicks off with image visit to hospitals, jail

By John Rey Saavedra (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- The rain has no effect on the Augustinian friars and devotees of the Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu as they brought on Friday the pilgrim image of the Holy Child to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) in Natalio Bacalso Avenue in this city.

The visit of the holy image at the CCMC is the first part of the preliminary activities leading to the nine-day novena masses up to the 454th Fiesta Señor celebration at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu on January 20.

Hospital staff and the patients, some in tears and some soaked in rainwater, welcomed the holy image waving their hands. Augustinian friar, Father Pacifico Nohara Jr., the rector of the Basilica, celebrated the Holy Mass at the CCMC.

This year is the second time that the holy image visits CCMC and will stay for a night vigil by the hospital staff and patients, Father Nohara said.

On Saturday, the holy image will be brought to the regional hospital, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), in the uptown area in this city.

After VSMMC, the image will be brought to the Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital this January 6 and Chong Hua Hospital on January 7.

Fr. Nohara said the preliminary activities will culminate with a visit of the holy image to the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan in this city on January 8.

From the city jail, the holy image will be brought to the Guadalupe Parish Church in Barangay Guadalupe on January 9 for an overnight vigil.

By 3 a.m. on January 10, the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu image will be taken to Guadalupe Parish Church to Fuente Osmeña rotunda in preparation of the “Walk with Jesus” penitential foot procession from the rotunda passing by Osmeña Boulevard to the Basilica.

After the arrival of the image at the Basilica, Fr. Nohara will celebrate the first novena mass at the Basilica’s Pilgrim Center, open-air, theater-like structure that can accommodate 3,500 devotees.

On the ninth novena day on January 18, the devotees will gather again at the Fuente Osmeña rotunda 3 a.m. for the another penitential foot procession, this time to be called as “Walk with Mary” as the image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe will be brought to the Basilica.

After the 5:30 a.m. novena mass by Fr. Manuel Tan, both the image of Mary and the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu will be brought to the National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish in Mandaue City, 7 kilometers from the Basilica, in an annual rites known by the devotees as “Traslacion.”

On Jan. 19, after the holy mass and send-off rites, the holy images will be brought to the National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Regla Parish in Lapu-Lapu City, some 4.6 kilometers from the National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish in Centro, Mandaue City.

From the Nuestra Señora de Regla Parish, the holy images will be brought to the Muelle Osmeña docking area and will be placed in a Galleon for the fluvial procession.

The fluvial procession will end at the Pier 1 where the holy images will be unmounted from the Galleon and will be processioned to the Basilica.

After the arrival of the holy images at the Basilica, Fr. Nohara will preside the reenactment of the first mass, wedding and baptism, depicting Cebu’s chieftain Humabon and wife Juana’s acceptance of Christianity in 1521.

On Jan. 19, thousands of devotees will join in a yearly solemn procession of the image of Sto. Niño de Cebu. The friars announced this year’s procession will take a “reversed” route.

By 6 p.m. of the same day, Bishop John Du, the bishop of the Diocese of Palo, Leyte, will preside the pontifical mass at the Pilgrim Center. The mass will be followed by a religious ritual, dance-prayer dubbed as “Sinulog Pit Senyor.”

The religious community headed by Msgr. Frederick Kriekenbeek will hold a “mañanita mass” at 4 p.m. of the fiesta day on Jan. 20, which shall be followed by a pontifical mass to be led by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

Meanwhile, the Augustinian friars on Friday said they will collaborate with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the City Government of Cebu in securing the 454th Fiesta Señor celebration.

PRO-7 Director, Police Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas will deploy hundreds of both uniformed and civilian-clad policemen, while the Central Command headed by Lieutenant General Noel Clement will also deploy regular and reservist soldiers in different areas in Cebu City during the nine-day novena up to the Fiesta Señor celebration on Jan. 20.

Cebu City to accept business permit renewal in Galleria

By RAZEL V. CUIZON

STARTING Friday, January 4, the Cebu City Government will start the operation of its one-stop shop for the renewal of business permits in Robinsons Galleria Cebu.

The City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) estimates that there are around 39,000 business establishments in the city at present.

“Although the operation of the one-stop-shop will start on January 4, we will be open January 3, Thurday,and those taxpayers who will come to Robinsons will be entertained,” City Treasurer Arlene Rentuza said.

The City will use local taxes and shares from internal revenue allotment to fund the annual budget this year.

This include P2.5 billion from local taxes, which comprises income from the business tax, P1.9 billion from internal revenue allotment; P1.3 billion for non-tax revenue; P1 billion from real property tax; P1 billion share from the joint venture; and P250 million share from the ecozone.

Rentuza said that all transactions related to business permits will be entertained in Robinsons Galleria since they transferred all their computers there.

“While the one-stop shop is still there, there will be no transactions of the renewal of business permits in our office in City Hall,” she said.

Rentuza urged tax payers to pay their dues to the City to avoid penalties.

The shop with operate starting 9:00 a.m., which is an hour earlier than the mall's opening time.

It will be opened in Robinsons Galleria until Jan. 25.

Taxpayers will have to bring their requirements to make the processing easier.

These requirements include the duly-filled application forms, the preceding year’s income tax return with financial statements duly received by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), preceding year’s sales journal or percentage tax returns for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd quarters and for the months of October and November of 2018.

After sumbitting all the requirements, taxpayers will have to wait for the evaluation and assessment of their tax due before they proceed to payments and printing of Temporary Mayor’s Business Permit and verification of requirements and printing of final permit.

Make Cebu City a ‘city of coders’

By KATLENE O. CACHO

THE Cebu IT BPM.Organization (Cib.O) is working with the Cebu City Government and other industry stakeholders to make Cebu City the first city of coders in the Philippines.

Cib.O managing director Wilfredo Sa-a Jr. said they initially enrolled 30 senior high school teachers for a two-day coding training in October. They plan to mount another training session for the second batch of teachers in April, following the positive response of the trainees.

Cib.O partnered with the local school board, Department of Education-Cebu, Accenture, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Batch 1976 of the Cebu City National High School to mount the training.

The project is also in partnership with Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools. The organization’s vision is for every student in every school to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra.

Code.org is supported by organizations including Amazon, Facebook, Google, the Infosys Foundation, and Microsoft, among others.

“We believe that we have to teach our future talents more coding skills because eventually, more and more jobs will require this skill, so they’ll become more employable,” said Sa-a.

Coding is the computer language used to develop apps, websites and software.

“Cebu City is several steps ahead in this kind of initiative. Other cities are already starting,” said Sa-a.

“The goal for this project is to make Cebu City the first city of coders in the whole Philippines,” said Sa-a, adding that although there are numerous coding training in the country, these are being offered to college teachers.

Cib.O identified five pilot schools for this program. Ten teachers were trained from Cebu City National Science High School and five teachers each from Apas National High School, Don Carlos Gothong High School, Mabolo National High School and Tisa National High School.

Sa-a said they prioritized training the teachers for the program to be sustainable, as they aim to equip more teachers with coding skills that they can pass on to senior high students.

“We used a training approach that makes coding interesting for all teachers. We made it more fun, less traumatic that even teachers from other disciplines can deliver or pass the coding training, as long as they’re interested and committed,” he said.

From October to April, Sa-a said the teachers are enrolled in online courses, which are being monitoring on a weekly basis.

Besides senior high school teachers, they plan to include junior high and elementary teachers in the training.

Skills upgrade

With the fast evolving technology, students must have strong information technology (IT) skills in the early days of education, Sa-a said.

For this year, the IT and business process outsourcing industry is eyeing to get more high-value services such as shared services, health information management services, IT outsourcing, engineering services, and research and development services.

“Cebu is now slowly going to non-voice,” said Sa-a, adding that that city’s priority is to get more locators from the knowledge process outsourcing sphere.

However, he noted that while they continue to market Cebu in the global outsourcing industry, there is also a need for the academe to equip students with the right technology skills to capture these lucrative digital opportunities.

Cebu City Public Library visitors up 296% after opening 24/7

By Ryan Macasero (philstar.com)

MANILA, Philippines — A little over 103,000 people visited the Cebu City Public Library in 2018, according to librarian Rosario Chua.

This is compared to 26,000 who patronized the library in 2017, or an increase of 296 percent.

Librarian Rosario Chua told Philstar.com that they saw a significant increase in the number of visitors after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced in March that the city government would open the library to the public 24/7. This was done to give the public— especially students— a free alternative to coffee shops to study and research late at night.

“Prior to the 24/7 service, we we’re only open 40 hours a week. We found that most of our patrons come in on Saturdays and Sundays after 5 p.m.,” Chua said in Cebuano.

Cebu City became the first to open its public library 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, after student Mitch Roldan of the Cebu Institute of Technology University commented on Osmeña's Facebook page that she hoped they could open the library until late so students wouldn’t have to study in fast food restaurants.

Shortly after the opening, less than a week after Roldan’s post, the city government enhanced the library's Wi-Fi capabilities and put up a snack bar with coffee, although purchasing food is not required to use the facilities.

Osmeña said shortly after opening the library 24/7, “we need this program to help the students. The job of the government is to provide service and this is what we are doing now.”

More staff and security personnel were hired to allow the library’s round-the-clock operations.

“September saw the highest amount of visitors,” Chua said. “Over 18,000 visited the library in that month alone.”

The Rizal Memorial Library and Museum Building was opened in Cebu City in 1919 and will celebrate its centennial anniversary this April 13.

In preparation of its centennial celebration this year, the library is aiming to implement more improvements such as launching an automated RFID (radio-frequency-identification-system) for patrons, and dedicate resources for the deaf and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) communities.

Shortly after Cebu City opened its public library, the Quezon City Public Library said they were open to operating for 24/7, and did a test run of extended hours last July. The library, though, has not yet been opened 24/7.

A new public library set to open in Davao this April also plans to operate 24/7, according to a BusinessWorld report.

The Philippine Library Law or Republic Act 7743 (RA 7743) was signed into law in 1994 and requires local government units to build and maintain public libraries.

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