Cebu Province News January 2019

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Province of Cebu - Archived News

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.
Cebu metro.jpg
Aerial View of Metro Cebu

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.

Pyrofest 11: Cebu wins fireworks show

By Cris Evert Lato-Ruffolo (/bjo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Chito Fireworks/Rambolet of Barangay Babag, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu topped the Pyrofest 11 musical fireworks competition held Saturday night, January 19, at the North Parking area of SM City Cebu.

The four-minute fireworks show of Chito Fireworks/Rambolet was also the crowd favorite, eliciting applause and cheers from the audience.

Other contestants were JNM Fireworks of Batangas (2nd place), DSS Fireworks of Dumaguete (3rd place), and Pyro Heaven of Bulacan.

This is the 11th year of the fireworks competition organized in partnership with SM City Cebu.

The four participants are the best contestants in the history of Pyrofest.

A crowd was already gathering at the parking area of SM City Cebu at 4 p.m. to secure the best spot during the fireworks show.

“The fireworks show has grown to be a tradition. We see the changes in this area as the years passed but we want to keep this tradition strong and going,” said Brian Lim, president of Pyroworks International Inc.

The show started at 7 p.m. with the contestant from Bulacan. This was followed by Cebu, Batangas and Dumaguete.

A three-minute sneak peek of “Pyrospectacular,” a grand pyromusical display by Pyroworks International Inc., was showcased to the public.

The main show will happen at 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 20 at the parking area fronting SM City Cebu’s Northwing.

Pyroworks promised that Pyrospectacular will be a 10-minute fireworks show that is synchronized to the music. It will also feature dance and surprise tracks from the public’s favorite shows.

Pyroworks is a 2010 Guinness World Record holder for most firework rockets launched in 30 seconds.

Sto. Niño de Cebu fluvial procession successful

By Luel Galarpe (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- The Señor Sto. Niño and Virgin of Guadalupe fluvial procession from Lapu-Lapu City to Cebu City early Saturday morning went smoothly and peacefully.

Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu Station (PCG-Cebu) spokesperson, Lt. Junior Grade Michael Encina, in an interview, said the fluvial procession finished earlier than expected and was a complete success.

Encina said no untoward incident happened during the seaborne procession, except for two accidents where two men fell into the sea.

Reports reaching the PCG-Cebu said a man accidentally fell at Pier 4 while waiting for the images of the Holy Mother and Child to pass by the area, while another male devotee lost his balance and fell from a tugboat in the middle of the procession.

The two individuals, who were not identified in the reports, were rescued by PCG personnel and disaster team volunteers.

Senior Supt. Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director, said the foot procession from Pier 1 to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño following the fluvial parade was also peaceful.

Garma said no untoward incident was reported until the Holy Mass at the basilica was over.

She said an estimated 130,000 devotees welcomed the Sto. Niño and Virgin of Guadalupe at the Port of Cebu and attended the mass at the basilica.

At 3 a.m. Saturday, the images of the Holy Mother and Child were brought to the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City from the National Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch in Mandaue City, where the Sto. Niño and Virgin of Guadalupe stayed on Friday night.

After the 4 a.m. mass at the Señora de Regla Church in Lapu-Lapu, the fluvial procession of the two images followed, bringing the Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe back to Cebu City.

Thousands of Marian, Sto. Nino devotees join Cebu-Mandaue ‘traslacion’

By Rosalie O. Abatayo (/gsg, INQUIRER.net)

MANDAUE CITY, Philppines – Devotees, young and old, joined the procession or ‘traslacion’ of the Holy Child and the Our Lady of Guadalupe early Friday morning from the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.

The images left the Basilica after the Misa de Traslacion at around 7 a.m. en route to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Barangay Centro, Mandaue City.

The carriages bearing the images of Señor Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe traversed M.J. Cuenco Avenue passing by Barangay Tejero, Lorega, Hipodromo and Mabolo.

Residents along the procession route brought and hoisted replicas of the Holy Child and the Blessed Virgin Mary, balloons and even children dressed like Señor Sto Niño.

Some made altars in front of their houses adorned with images of the Holy Child.

Residents and devotees welcomed the Holy Child and Blessed virgin Mary as the procession arrived at Barangay Subangdaku here around 8 a.m.

Several groups of residents, workers and students from the schools along the procession route danced to the traditional Sinulog beat.

Sound systems, which reverberated the song ‘Batobalani sa Gugma’, also known as Gozos, were also put up by residents.

‘Traslacion’, the Spanish term for ‘to transfer’, is done every year to unite the Holy Family: Señor Sto. Niño, his mother the Our Lady of Guadalupe and foster father, St. Joseph.

The images will stay at the National Shrine of St. Joseph until dawn tomorrow.

The images will be transferred to the Our Lady of the Rule in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-lapu City before the images are be brought back to the Basilica through a fluvial procession.

Cebu Province eyes no 2. spot in CVIRAA

By RICHIEL S. CHAVEZ

CEBU Province is leaving no stone unturned in their preparation for both the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) meet on Feb. 17 to 22 in Dumaguete City and the 2019 Batang Pinoy Visayas Leg on Feb. 23 to March 2 in Iloilo City.

The Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu Province division wants to regain the second place ranking after falling to fifth spot in the Cviraa meet in Bohol last year. With that in mind, the delegation will have a 27-day centralized training starting next week in the Municipality of Carmen in northern Cebu.

“Our ranking last year was down. We hope we emulate the delegation’s performance during the Cviraa in City of Naga a few years back when we placed second overall,” the Cebu Provincial Schools division coordinator Nenita Jaralve told SunStar Cebu. “Second place is our aim. We’re not even thinking of the top spot because the meet is really dominated by Cebu City.”

The Cebu City Niños have been the overall champion in the Cviraa meet for the past 26 years.

Cebu Province will be sending 768 athletes and coaches. The Cviraa meet is the qualifying event for the 2019 Palarong Pambansa in Davao City.

Jaralve said this number is higher compared to last year’s delegation. The team will join in all regular and demonstration sports.

“Right now, we are here with the coaches, tournament managers and credential committee to complete the athletes’ credentials. Next week is the start of the training. Most of the venues of the centralized training are in Carmen,” she said.

On the other hand, the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission (CPSC) is also getting ready for the Batang Pinoy Visayas Leg, a grassroots event organized by the Philippine Sports Commission.

CPSC executive director Ramil Abing told SunStar Cebu in a separate interview that the Province of Cebu will be sending more than 300 athletes to Iloilo City.

The team of CPSC will also attend the Visayas delegation coordination meeting on Jan. 27 to 29.

“More or less 370 people in the delegation including the coaches. It’s higher compared to last year. More athletes will get the chance to qualify for the national finals,” he said.

The winners in the Visayas Leg will advance to the national finals together with the athletes from the Mindanao and Luzon qualifiers.

“Since the start of the year, we have instructed the coaches to conduct trainings and practices for the athletes,” Abing said.

With only one day separating the Cviraa meet and the Batang Pinoy Visayas qualifiers, Abing said it can’t be avoided that there will be a few athletes who will be affected with the schedules.

“We will adjust the athletes’ travel for Iloilo City,” he said.

Skyscanner: Cebu comes after Manila as top destinations for Filipino travelers in 2018

By Morexette Marie B. Erram (/elb)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu is named the second top destination among Filipino travelers in 2018 by online flight booking and travel metasearch company Skyscanner.

Skyscanner, which is based in Scotland, released its Travel Awards for Filipino Cities 2019 last January 11, with Manila and Cebu ranked as the first and second top destinations, respectively.

Also included in the Top 10 local destinations are Puerto Princesa, Davao, Caticlan, Iloilo, Busuanga, Tacloban, Bacolod and Tagbilaran, from third to tenth places, respectively.

According to Skyscanner, their rankings are based on their 2018 flight search data.

Meanwhile, Asian cities make up the list of Top 10 International Destinations among Filipinos, with Singapore leading the list.

Singapore was followed by Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei , Tokyo, Bangkok, Los Angeles , Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, and Bali, from second to 10th places, respectively.

The islands of Siargao and Camiguin, Iloilo, Angeles City in Pampanga, and San Jose town in Occidental Mindoro are named as Skyscanner’s “fastest growing domestic destinations” among Filipinos.

On the other hand, Jakarta and Bali in Indonesia, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, Macau, and Nagoyo in Japan are the top rising international destinations.

Skyscanner’s data also revealed that Zamboanga City has the most backpackers or solo travelers while families often fly to Angeles City.

They also showed that travelers bound to El Nido in Palawan often stay five days and less, and book their flights “very close to the departure date” while those bound for Metro Manila stay for more than five days, and often book at least three months before their departure.

“The Filipino city that travels in business class the most is Manila. We also found out the share of users who book flights through mobile and desktop. Camiguin topped the list with maximum percentage of people who book through mobile,” added Skyscanner.

Skyscanner also said that December 22, 2018 was the date with the most number of flights booked while the least was recorded on July 29, 2018.

Tourist arrivals for Sinulog to jump by 4 percent: airport exec

By Luel Galarpe (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- Tourist arrivals for the Sinulog Festival are projected to increase by four percent this year, said a Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) official in a press conference Tuesday here.

Neneth Castillon, Terminal Operations head of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., said 223,000 tourists, both domestic and foreign, arrived for the Sinulog last year and they are expecting that more will come for the 2019 edition of the grandest festival in Southeast Asia.

“Our projection is tourist arrivals for the Sinulog will increase by four percent this year, especially because of the participation of a Korean contingent in the grand parade, and we have flights from Korea daily,” Castillon said.

Stephanie Rose Villarica, chief of Sinulog Foundation’s Marketing and Promotions, said the Wonju Dance Company from Korea is among the 24 contingents participating in the grand parade on January 20.

“The Korean contingent is composed of at least 20 members and they will be arriving anytime next week,” Villarica said.

She also said that all is set for the Sinulog celebration, which will officially kick off on Friday and all activities and events will be held at the Plaza Independencia and at the Fuente Osmeña Circle.

Villarica said there will be food bazaars, nightly concerts, and cultural shows both at the Plaza Independencia and Fuente Osmeña.

Cebu City Public Information officer Malou Tabar, on the other hand, said President Rodrigo Duterte has been invited to grace the Sinulog grand parade, but they have yet to receive word from Malacañang Palace of his attendance.

Tabar said senatorial candidates in the May 2019 elections are also welcome to join in the festivities as long as they won’t be making any campaign speeches during the program.

Meanwhile, the better, more advanced, yet friendlier Sinulog 2019 mobile application will also be launched on Friday.

City Councilor Dave Tumulak, who also chairs the Sinulog Foundation Executive Committee, said the mobile app would enchant digital savvy devotees of Señor Sto. Niño and Sinulog revelers.

“I’m looking forward to new features like getting rewards for posting photos of your Sinulog Moments and the opportunity of users to vote not only for their favorite Festival Queen, but also for their favorite contingent,” said Tumulak in a statement.

The mobile app also features schedules of activities lined up for the week-long celebration and route maps for the religious procession on January 19 as well as the grand parade on January 20.

The Sinulog Festival is celebrated annually on the third Sunday of January in honor of Cebu’s patron Sto. Niño.

Globe strengthens network coverage in Cebu’s rural areas

(PR)

MANILA -- Globe Telecom's management announced that the company has installed cell sites in the mountainous areas of Cebu City as part of its initiative to improve network coverage across the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, Globe said it has put up cell towers in barangays Bonbon and Guba to provide services to underserved and sparsely populated areas.

The company aims to further install communication facilities in barangays Tabunan, Sirao, and Babag to “connect thousands of households to the rest of the world”.

“This is part of our vision to provide each and every Filipino access to critical telecommunications services, especially those who live in underserved, sparsely-populated areas, as they need connectivity the most,” Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo said as he thanked the Cebu City local government for expediting the issuance of permits for the installation of the cell sites.

The company’s cell site deployment in uphill Cebu is part of its network modernization program in the country.

To date, Globe has deployed nearly 12,000 long-term evolution (LTE) sites by utilizing 700 MHz, 2600 MHz, and other spectrum assets making its LTE coverage available in about 90 percent of cities and municipalities across the Philippines.

Faith-based tourism in Cebu mulled

By Rosalie Abatayo (/bjo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Going around Cebu’s tourist spots will soon be more than just about the sights.

It will also be about understanding the faith behind stone churches and other structures that were built centuries ago.

The Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) has started working on developing faith-based tourism in Cebu, which is home to several centuries-old churches and Spanish structures.

Joselito ‘Boboi’ Costas, head of the PTO, said they were in the stage of preparing the community for this type of tourism.

Costas said they had started to train locals to conserve their cultural heritage sites, giving the locals’ the chance to participate in their own tourism industry.

“Di man na madali-dali nga i-implement dayon nato. So, we’ll prepare the communities. We plan to start it [faith tourism] this year (2019) just to lay down groundwork or social preparation for this kind tourism kay we don’t want to rush it. Ultimately, we want the communities to benefit from it,” Costas said.

The PTO is currently having conservation works in a watchtower in Barangay Obong in Dalaguete town as a preparation for the launch of the faith-based tourism.

“In the case of Obong, we’re training the locals to work on the structures themselves. Gitudloan namo sila unsaon ang mga conservation measures. Sila na mismo ang nagpatching sa mga materials,” said Costas.

Costas said the PTO had seen more hope for the locals to appreciate and love their own destinations with this setup.

“It means that they want the community to be aware and to be conscious of their cultural heritage, and that would bring them to love their cultural heritage, which in turn will call them to action to protect the structures,” he added.

Cebu, Kuala Lumpur among top 10 destinations for Taiwan travelers

(The China Post/Asia News Network)

TAIPEI – Cebu and Kuala Lumpur are two of the most popular holiday destinations for Taiwanese travelers, making it into the top 10 list for the first time, according to a newly released annual report by Expedia, an online travel company.

The report, based on last year’s online travel booking statistics, says the 10 cities visited most by travelers from Taiwan are Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Seoul, Osaka, Shanghai, Cebu, Macau, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, in that order.

Cebu, which made it onto the top-10 list for the first time along with Kuala Lumpur, was also named as the primary up and coming tourist destination for Taiwanese travelers, with one of the major contributing factors seen as the launch of new budget airline flights to the Philippines.

Meanwhile, according to Expedia, Taiwanese prefer to stay in hotels rather than hostels or resorts during overseas or domestic travel.

Demand for bed-and-breakfast accommodation and daily rental apartments has grown 40 percent year-on-year among Taiwanese travelers, Expedia’s hotel booking data for the period from January to October 2018 shows.

Customs Cebu Port overshoots 2018 collection target by P1.6B

By Irene R. Sino Cruz (/dbs)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu overshot its collection target of P27.436 billion set for the year 2018 by 6.16 percent.

The Port of Cebu’s 2018 total collection reached P29.125 billion, a P1.689 billion increase over the 2017 collections, according to a post on the Bureau of Customs Facebook page.

The Port of Cebu includes the sub-ports of Mactan and Dumaguete.

It has completed its record of hitting the collection target for 12 months straight last year.

In December 2018, Port of Cebu collection generated a P686 million increase over the month’s target of P2.364 billion.

The Bureau of Customs credited the efforts of District Collector Atty. Elvira Cruz and sub-port collectors as well as the rest of the Customs employees.

Cebu’s feast of Sto. Niño starts Jan. 10

By Ador Vincent Mayol (Senior Reporter, Inquirer Visayas)

CEBU CITY — All is set for the feast of the Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu.

“We are now very prepared for the Fiesta Señor,” said Fr. Ric Anthony Reyes, OSA, spokesperson of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.

The Fiesta Señor 2019 will officially start at 4 a.m. on January 10, with the annual “Walk with Jesus,” a penitential 2-km foot procession from Fuente Osmeña to the Basilica.

This year’s fiesta Hermano and Hermana Mayores, lawyer Paul Yabao, and wife Dioscora will be installed during the liturgical celebration.

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

Except on Jan. 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. Niño on Jan. 20.

For the first time, the fluvial procession of the Sto. Niño de Cebu will start at the Muelle Osmeña in Lapu-Lapu City on Jan. 19.

Located just behind the National Shrine of Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla, the Muelle Osmeña was considered by organizers as the best location to kick off the annual sea procession of the child Jesus.

“It’s the closest seaport from the church,” said Father Reyes.

This would be the second time that the images of the Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe will drop by the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City shortly before the start of the fluvial procession.

The Augustinian fathers of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño earlier decided to extend the annual traslacion from Mandaue City to the adjacent island of Mactan, particularly in Lapu-Lapu City, in response to numerous requests from Oponganons who wanted to be visited by the images during the festivities.

As in previous years, the traslacion or ritual transfer of the images of the Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe will start after the 5:30 a.m. Mass on January 18, from the basilica to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.

At 2 a.m. on Jan. 19, a send-off Mass will be celebrated at the National Shrine of St. Joseph. But unlike previous years, there would be no more foot procession that would bring the images of the Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Ouano Wharf.

Instead, the images would be transported in a motorcade to the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City for the 4 a.m. Mass.

The images would then be brought to the Muelle Osmeña for the start of the fluvial procession along the Mactan Channel.

But the images of the Sto. Niño de Cebu and the Our Lady of Guadalupe would sail down the Mactan Channel on board a new ship.

Father Reyes said the Roble Shipping Lines was chosen by the Augustinian fathers—the caretakers of the image of the child Jesus and the centuries-old church—to prepare the “galleon” replica during the fluvial procession.

In the 37-year history of the fluvial procession, the family of the late Ernesto Ouano Sr. of Mandaue City provided the yacht or galleon replica for the Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In 2018, however, the Augustinian fathers of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño decided to give other ship owners a chance to ferry the sacred images in response to several requests.

The Navy was subsequently chosen to bring the images of the Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe back to Cebu City during the sea procession last year.

Hotels report healthy bookings for Sinulog

(KOC / JOB)

HOTELS in Cebu are getting more bookings as the Sinulog Festival approaches.

Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu Inc. (HRRAC) president Carlo Suarez said occupancy is increasing in hotels in Cebu, as tourists book rooms in advance.

“Our occupancy is still increasing and we will be able to know if all hotels are fully booked one week prior to the Sinulog,” Suarez said.

For now, Suarez said they are not affected by the United Kingdom’s (UK) travel advisory to southern Cebu after the bombing in Cotabato City on Dec. 31.

“There is no negative feedback. So far, everybody’s happy,” he said.

The United Kingdom warned its citizens not to travel to Mindanao and Southern Cebu, following the bombing of South Seas Mall in Cotabato City that killed two persons and wounded 34 others.

Last year, Suarez said there were fewer tourists and he hopes that it will change this year.

“I received feedback that there were hotels that were slow during the Sinulog last year. Hopefully, with our efforts, there will be more people that will book rooms,” he said. “We’ll see if we will be busier this year compared to last year.”

Harolds Hotel general manager Ed Tongco said they have been receiving early reservations.

“We’re doing good and occupancy is getting better, especially since the Sinulog is near,” Tongco said.

Last year, the Sinulog drew a 1.4 million crowd.

The Sinulog Festival is celebrated every third Sunday of January in honor of Sto. Niño.

Meanwhile HRRAC will be working closely with national organizations to strengthen Cebu’s voice in the tourism industry.

Suarez said they will strengthen their ties with the Hotel Restaurant Association of the Philippines and Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc. to make Cebu’s organization solid, as it expects exciting times to continue in the tourism sector this year.

“What we want for Cebu now is to tap our Manila counterparts so our voices will also be heard, at the same time create a bigger voice for the industry,” said Suarez.

The strengthened partnership will also give HRRAC members the opportunity to learn best practices from the big players in Manila.

“We want to align with them in terms of hotel training, standardization, and all other concerns,” said Suarez.

This is the first time in recent years that the Cebu hospitality sector will officially join the national industry group.

As the voice of the industry, the organization composed of 95 members provides an avenue for strategic alliances among its member companies, associates, schools, and other stakeholders.

Suarez said with the bullish growth that the tourism sector is enjoying, it is but important for members to learn from each other and come up with collective initiatives to support the industry’s growth.

Firm to ferry Sto. Niño image, Lady of Guadalupe

(FROM SCG OF SUPERBALITA CEBU / KAL)

THE images of Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe will be carried for the first time by a shipping company for the seaborne parade on Jan. 19.

Fr. Ric Anthony Reyes, secretary of the Fiesta Señor committee, said Roble Shipping Lines was picked through drawing of lots.

The company will prepare the boat that will serve as the Spanish galleon replica that will carry the two religious icons.

Reyes told Superbalita Cebu on Thursday, Jan. 3, that the Roble family has already chosen the vessel that will be used in the seaborne parade.

The fiesta committee is also evaluating four other shipping companies for their capacity to carry devotees.

In the past 37 years, the family of Ernesto C. Ouano Sr. prepared the Spanish galleon replica and seaborne parade started from Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City. But this was stopped last year.

The Philippine Navy boat carried the images in the 2018 seaborne parade, which started at the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) in Barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City.

For this year, the seaborne parade will start at the Muelle Osmeña in Lapu-Lapu City at 6 a.m.

Employment opportunities abound in 2019

(SunStar Cebu)

WITH the private sector’s continued infrastructure developments and the government’s Build, Build, Build program, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) 7 said employment opportunities will continue to rise this year.

As investments pour in Cebu, Efren Carreon, Neda 7 Regional Director, said there would be robust demand for workers.

“Our employment rate is doing good. In fact, there are many people coming from the other regions and other provinces coming to us because they’re looking for jobs,” Carreon said.

For 2019, the construction industry in Cebu is forecasted to generate more jobs and the demand will trickle to other areas in the country.

“There’s a shortage of workers. So other companies hire employees in some parts of the Visayas and as far as Mindanao,” he said.

Carreon said that construction firms are scouting the regions for more workers to fuel the steady growth of new buildings and structures in the Central Visayas.

“Our feedback from the construction industry is that they’re having difficulties finding workers because of the buildings that are being constructed at the same time,” he said.

For Carreon, more jobs will equate to more income for the working class which in turn propel the local economy through spending activities.

“The private sector’s construction is booming and the government’s Build, Build, Build program is also contributing so practically the demand for workers is high. This is good because there is additional income,” he said.

Rey Calooy, president of Filipino-Cebuano Business Club Inc., said there will be a rise in employment opportunities within the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector particularly in the area of digital marketing and information and technology security. He said many companies are now setting up their own digital teams to take care of their online marketing activities instead of hiring agencies to do these jobs for them.

Moreover, a lot of SMEs are also hiring people who will take care of their IT security. “Cybersecurity is a hot issue among companies and even small businesses are investing in technology and IT-skilled people to protect the business in this digital age,” said Calooy.

Records from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that Central Visayas had an employment rate of 95.2 percent as of October 2018 following the business expansion in industries like tourism, retail, hospitality and information technology and business process management.

The region’s unemployment rate was estimated at 4.8 percent and underemployment rate at 16 percent. (JOB with KOC)

DOTr to push through with Cebu BRT plan

By Miguel R. Camus

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will pursue an overhauled Cebu bus rapid transit (BRT) project as part of a so-called Intermodal Integrated Transport System.

Mark de Leon, DOTr undersecretary for roads, said the original P16-billion Cebu BRT that would span 23 kilometers would be “revalidated, reengineered and redesigned.”

“The scope will be different,” De Leon said, adding that the project would have “almost the same alignment.” Nevertheless, major changes such as those outlined would result in the project again requiring approval from the board of the National Economic and Development Authority.

The Cebu BRT was earlier designed to link the areas of Bulacao, Ayala and Talamban.

De Leon said part of the design overhaul would be the retrofitting of the proposed stations.

He said some would have connections to a possible Light Rail Transit Line that would run from Carcar to Danao, and Mandaue to the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

The DOTr, in July, revealed plans for its intermodal integrated transport system in Cebu.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade had said the central component was a $3-billion offer for an inner-city LRT. Also in the cards is a potential monorail project that will link MCIA to hotels and resorts on Mactan Island.

BRT projects in Cebu and Metro Manila were previously stalled as the DOTr was wary about their impact on congested roads.

BRT supporters, meanwhile, argued that BRT systems, which require a dedicated lane and specialized bus units, were an effective mass transit solution to traffic-strangled roads.

There are also two proposed Metro Manila BRTs.

The Metro Manila BRT Line 1 will run 12.3-km from Quezon Memorial Circle to Manila City Hall via Elliptical Road, Quezon Avenue, and Espana Boulevard.

The larger Metro Manila BRT Line 2 will span 48.6 km. It will have four main corridors: a main line along Edsa and spur corridors along Ayala Avenue to World Trade Center, Ortigas to Bonifacio Global City, and Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

While the Quezon Memorial Circle BRT remains in the cards, De Leon said the Edsa BRT was unlikely to move forward given that the Asian Development Bank, which was supposed to fund the project, had backed out.

“They have technical issues regarding the Edsa BRT. These are more on engineering concerns,” De Leon said.

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