Difference between revisions of "Cebu Province News October 2013"

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==3,000 cops to secure Cebu cemeteries ==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/10/31/3000-cops-secure-cebu-cemeteries-311425
*Thursday, October 31, 2013
:By Kevin A. Lagunda
THE police force in Central Visayas will implement tight security in airports, seaports and bus terminals as people go back to their respective hometowns today for the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Over 3,000 personnel will be deployed in Cebu Province and in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.
Camp Crame has given clearance to 130 personnel of the Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) 7 to leave their assignment in Zamboanga City and return to Cebu.
Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., Police Regional Office (PRO) deputy director for administration, told reporters said they are still on red alert; the gun ban is still in effect, while persons are not allowed to go inside cemeteries with liquor.
Security cameras will be installed in major cemeteries. There are at least 30 cemeteries in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
In Cebu City, closed-circuit television cameras will be installed in three major cemeteries: Calamba, Carreta and Queen City Memorial Gardens.
Public assistance desks will be placed in cemeteries and in public transport terminals, police said.
K9 units will be sent to the North Bus Terminal in Mandaue City and South Bus Terminal in Cebu City.
City police directors said they will also deploy force multipliers like tanods, members of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPAT) to augment and intelligence operatives to monitor activity of criminal groups.
Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, Lapu-Lapu City police chief, said he will deploy tourist cops to secure beaches and tourists.
In the Cebu province, there are at least 2,000 police personnel who will be deployed in the towns.
“We will conduct operations against thieves inside the cemeteries,” said Cebu Provincial Police Director Noel Gillamac. “We will also look out for fake priests who would dupe people.”
Regional Intelligence Division (RID) Chief Paul Labra II said they have not yet received reports about arrival of criminal groups from other provinces in Cebu.
==PRO7 to hold shoot fest to raise funds for quake affected members ==
*Source:http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2441383112673
*Wednesday, October 30, 2013
:By Ferliza Calizar-Contratista (mbcn/FCC/PIA7-Cebu)
CEBU CITY, October 30 (PIA)---Police to spearhead two shoot fests to raise funds for members affected by the earthquake.
Police Regional Office 7 deputy regional director for administration, PCSupt Generoso Cerbo Jr, said they have lined up activities to raise funds for the policemen that were affected by the 7.2 magnitude quake two weeks ago.
Cerbo in today’s Talakayan Sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) Forum admitted they have about 100 policemen who were directly affected by the quake and most of them are in Bohol.
PRO-7 regional information officer PSupt Renato Dugan said initially they were able to raise P200,000 a few days after the earthquake from fellow policemen and some stake holders.
Dugan added the Office of Cebu Provincial Police Director PSSupt Noel Gillamac will hold a Provincial Shooters Cup for his men in Cebu on November 14-17.
Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) on the other hand will also hold another shoot fest on November 22, 32 and 24 at the CPRA in Pusok Lapulapu City.
“Funds raised from the registration fees of both contests will go to the policemen affected by the earthquake in region 7,” Dugan said.
The contests will be open for all shooting enthusiasts police and civilian.
Other government agencies also did their part in helping colleagues who were or their family members injured during the earthquake.  Some of their houses were totally or partially damaged.
Philippine Information Agency 7 personnel also “passed the hat” while employees of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR-7) held a sports fest which proceeds were also donated to their affected colleagues.
==Canadian experts to share know-how to 6 Cebu cities==
*Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/516579/canadian-experts-to-share-know-how-to-6-cebu-cities
*Tuesday, October 29, 2013 12:24 pm
:By Aileen Garcia-Yap (Cebu Daily News)
SIX cities in Cebu were among the local government units (LGUs) identified to receive technical aid from a Canadian advocacy group.
Naga, Danao, Mandaue, Carcar, Lapu-Lapu and Bogo cities will be the local partner-LGUs of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in its program aimed at spurring more economic development in these areas, said Garth Frizzell, FMC member councilor for the City of Prince George, B.C.
The beneficiaries were announced through the Asia Partners Forum on Local Economic Development held in Cebu last week, which was attended by the FCM representatives.
“Through its local economic development work, FCM works to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of Canada’s international aid,” said Frizzell.
FCM’s program will provide ways for Canadian municipalities to partner with counterparts around the world, contribute knowledge, and foster cooperation across a global network of local governments.
Through the program, the Canadian experts will share their professional and technical know-how to program beneficiaries by working directly with them.
“They are looking for expertise in areas such as leadership, management and administration, engineering, urban planning, economic development, equitable delivery of services, diversity and intergovernmental relations,” Frizzell said.
Frizzell said that FCM believes that without strong leadership by local governments, it would be impossible to achieve results that will benefit the local economy.
STRATEGY
FCM’s partnership with the local counterparts is a strategy they think should help, Frizell added.
FCM partners will help LGUs come up with the best strategies to pursue community economic development, look at the best practices in their counterparts, come up with plans for more developmental initiatives, and evaluate the results of their work.
Aside from the Philippines, FCM also signed partnerships with other countries in the region like Vietnam and Cambodia.
“I’m pleased with the inclusion of these cities as FCM beneficiaries,” said Philip N. Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.
Tan, however, said that all the training provided will be for naught if people will elect local officials according to popularity and not on their capacity to serve.
“My concern is more on the understanding by the LGUs on how important economic growth is, and running the government like a business instead of running it for their vested interests,” Tan said.
“It is sad to say that we elected most people out of popularity not of competence,” he added.
Other business leaders also welcome the six cities’ inclusion in the FCM program.
“LGUs play a vital role in the economic development particularly in the rural areas,” said Lito Maderazo, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.
“Making them capable of providing an enabled environment for investment and business opportunities, and helping them to properly identify their natural and human resources will help localities accelerate inclusive growth,” Maderazo said.
Cebu Business Club president Gordon Alan Joseph agreed.
“This is obviously a good development because too many LGUs still rely on the IRA (internal revenue allotment) from the government which is supposed to help LGUs achieve self sufficiency but it hasn’t done that,” Joseph said.
“Hopefully with this capacity-building, the LGUs will able to spur economic development,” he said.
==Malaysian group inks deal for $160-M RE project in Cebu==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/10/28/1250135/malaysian-group-inks-deal-160-m-re-project-cebu
*Monday, October 28, 2013 12:00 am
:By Neil Jerome C. Morales (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - The Mudajaya Group of Malaysia has signed a partnership agreement with local players for a $160-million integrated renewable energy project in the Philippines.
“We are proposing to put up at least 200 MW of generating capacity...We hope to start with 50 MW and the indicative investment is $160 million,” said Anto Joseph, group managing director and CEO of Mudajaya Group Bhd.
Mudajaya Group, which owns 40 percent of Amihan wind project, yesterday signed a shareholders agreement with Filipino firms Amihan Energy Corp. (30 percent) and Visayan Wind Energy Holdings Corp. (30 percent).
“Our intention is to make this as one of the largest integrated wind farms in the Southeast Asian region,” Joseph said.
Visayan Wind chairman Esteban Peña Sy said this will be the first wind power generation project in Cebu.
Amihan wind energy project will put up wind mills in an 18,000-hectare leased lot within Cebu City, Balamban and Toledo City in Cebu.
The technical design for the wind project is being finalized to ensure long-term safety especially given the recent earthquake that hit Cebu.
Joseph said construction should begin in the next six to nine months, with partial commissioning of the wind farm likely to start late next year.
The parties are now in talks with various local and foreign banks for the funding of the wind project.
Depending on the energy demand in the next five to seven years, the partners might put up biomass and solar power projects in the vicinity to increase output to as much as 400 MW.
Amihan wind energy project aims to take advantage of the feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme, Joseph said.
The FIT scheme guarantees investments of renewable energy firms through fixed rates that would be shouldered by consumers over 20 years. Financial viability of renewable power projects are crucial for energy firms to secure bank financing.
Peña Sy said more power output is needed to support the fast-paced economic growth of the Philippines.
To date, the Philippines sources 35 percent its total power requirements from renewable energy sources.
Mudajaya Group is one of Forbes Asia’s 200 Best Under a Billion companies. It has $541 million in sales, $78 million in net income and $463 million market capitalization.
==Team checks quake damage to churches==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/27/1249978/team-checks-quake-damage-churches
*Sunday, October 27, 2013 12:00 am
:By Paul Gerschwiler and Florencio Moreño II /RHM (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Complying with a request by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI), we formed an ad hoc team with Msgr. Constantino Batoctoy, who runs the Boljoon Studies Center, to check on the damages that some of our precious heritage churches in Southern Cebu had suffered.
Our fact-finding trip brought us to Carcar City and the towns of Sibonga, Argao, Dalaguete, Boljoon.  We also checked on Samboan, Cebu.
In Carcar, we were received by Msgr. Rolando Jimenez, parish priest of the city and Vicar General of Cebu. Assistant parish priest Joseph Gabriente showed us around.
On several pillars of church, the decorative ornamentation has cracked, although the structural joints have not been damaged. Minor cracks can also be seen on several arches between the main nave and the aisles.
Carcar, however, can be considered as lucky. According to Msgr. Jimenez, a professional assessment of the safety of the structures confirmed that the church has been structurally unscathed by the forces of the quake.
In Sibonga, we were received by Fr. Junjun Almasol, assistant parish priest, and shown around by the Sacristan Luis Diez.
The church of Sibonga has structurally survived the temblors of the quake quite well. The renowned ceiling painting of the Sibonga church by Raymundo Francia is unharmed.  The structure, though, still needs to be assessed, as cracks can now be seen in one of the massive belfries and the pilasters and windows of the church.
Among the churches we have visited so far, the church in Dalaguete has suffered the most. In Dalaguete, we encountered damages that pose an immediate threat to the structural stability of the church.
The roof of its sacristy has caved in and its façade has moved away four inches from the vaulted ceiling. And this is a special concern as the ceiling features paintings done 1935 by Canuto Avila.  The conspicuous cracks now run at the center of the façade and along the length of the church’s bell tower. Also well visible is a vertical crack in the front wall along the lookout window.
As immediate measures, Prof. Riichi Miyake of the Fuji Women’s University in Hokkaido, Japan, who is currently in Dalaguete to help in the damage, suggested a support structure that will hold the misaligned front wall in its place. Another immediate measure will be the closure of the gap in the ceiling in order to prevent rainwater from entering and, thus, damaging the precious ceiling paintings.
Also, as relayed by Marivic Calderon, the first lady of Samboan town who accompanied Gov. Hilario Davide III and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale on an inspection tour of the churches after the earthquake, the Church of Saint Michael Archangel in Samboan was also not spared by the tremors. The belfry has leaned away a few inches from the church building and buttresses and walls show signs of stress.
The governor has already declared that aside from schools, the Cebu Provincial Government is also prioritizing the repairs of Cebu’s churches, which has been declared as heritage sites.
In particular, the churches of Argao, Dalaguete, and Boljoon have been named by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as National Historical Landmarks. The church of Sibonga has also been given a historical marker by the NHCP.
The National Museum has likewise recognized the Boljoon church as a National Cultural Treasure.
In Boljoon, we had an ocular inspection of the church and a word with the repairs foreman Boy Cairo, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Boljoon Heritage Foundation. Obvious are the stress cracks in the outer cement finish all over the bell tower.  It seems, however, that these cracks have no significance to the stability of the bell tower and would be easy to repair.
A major damage to the church caused by the earthquake is on the right side above the lateral door to the shrine. The wall above the door featuring a small round window has entirely detached from the massive pillars and is tilting outwards.  Repair works on that damage are already ongoing.
The most serious damage, however, predates the earthquake of 15 October.
The back wall of the church (retablo side) is tilting since quite a while. The detachment measured just before the earthquake has reached a gap of six inches. The earthquake added two inches to the gap of the detachment; it is now eight inches wide.
The good news is that the front façade did not suffer any cracks and is still standing straight. According to Boy, the nave of the church survived the quake fairly well, apart from the damage described above.
Structurally, the Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio church in Boljoon is the oldest of all. The original basic structure of its nave dates back to the early 1700s and so does the watchtower turned belfry.
After all the moro raids, typhoons and earthquakes, the old lady once again essentially stood her ground. (Gerschwiler is an Argao resident and author of the heritage book “Boljoon: A Cultural Sketch”. Moreño is curator of RAFI’s Casa Gorordo Museum.)
==Cebu, Bohol coconut farmers to get incentives==
*Source:http://business.inquirer.net/149339/cebu-bohol-coconut-farmers-to-get-incentives
*Saturday, October 26, 2013 4:59 am
:By Ronnel W. Domingo (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Some 4,500 coconut farmers in Cebu and Bohol are expected to receive a total of P8.2 million in incentives through the Philippine Coconut Authority’s cash-for-work program.
PCA administrator Euclides G. Forbes said in a statement the release of funds is in line with the agency’s support for rehabilitation and relief operations in the wake of the devastation caused by the recent earthquake.
Forbes said that under the PCA’s participatory coconut planting project (PCPP), farmer-participants who have successfully raised, transplanted and stabilized seedlings will receive P40 per seedling.
“The PCA decided to release said funds due to the calamity and even if the farmers have not yet finished the project,” he said, meaning that the seedlings have yet to grow past two feet high.
Farmers who are participating in the PCPP have logged a total of 454,880 seedlings, most of which are in Cebu.
Forbes said these seedlings form part of the target of 17.5 million coconut seedlings to be planted this year.
Earlier, Forbes said the PCA was on pace to achieve by yearend its target as it follows through with the PCPP.
He said that if the target was met, the agency would have chalked up 41.3 million seedlings since President Aquino assumed office in mid-2010.
This would be a record number for any administration, topping the 35 million seedlings planted during the nine-year Arroyo administration.
From July 2010 to December 2012, some 23.8 million seedlings have been planted.
Data from the agency show that 5.9 million seedlings were planted during Corazon Aquino’s term, 6.1 million during the Ramos administration, and 24.4 million during the Estrada administration.
Also, the PCA said it intends to repeat last year’s record of fertilizing 20 million coconut trees.
The PCA has bought more than P1 billion worth of salt fertilizer through public bidding since 2008 and has been distributing the stock for free.
Moreover, the budget for coconut-related projects saw an increase of more than thrice from P500 million in 2011 to P1.7 billion in 2013.
Of this year’s budget, one-third is earmarked for intercropping, research, training and market development for coco-based products such as sugar, virgin coconut oil and flour.
==DOTC makes P17.5-B Mactan-Cebu Airport project more attractive to investors==
*Source:http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/332538/economy/companies/dotc-makes-p17-5-b-mactan-cebu-airport-project-more-attractive-to-investors
*Friday, October 25, 2013 5:38 pm
:(VS, GMA News)
To encourage pre-qualified bidders for the P17.5-billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport's passenger terminal, the Department of Transportation and Communications on Friday said there will be a 25-year moratorium on the construction of new airports in the islands of Cebu and Mactan.
Also, other airports in the island won't be allowed to be upgraded to international gateway status, Transportation Undersecretary Perpetuo Lotilla noted in a Special Bid Bulletin 15, saying the new timetable is five years longer than the original  moratorium under the original draft of the concession agreement.
The government will also transfer the operation and maintenance of the aprons to the concessionaire, including the right to generate income and flexibility in increasing capacity.
“The grantors shall procure that during the subsistence of this concession agreement, neither the grantors nor any government authority shall, at any time before the end of the 25th contract year, operate or cause to be operated a new international or domestic airport for handling scheduled commercial passenger traffic taking off or landing in the Mactan and Cebu islands,” the bulletin read.
The government also would not allow the construction of any commercial car park and competing hotel facilities within a 500-meter radius from the perimeter of the land in which the airport is located and controlled by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority.
But DOTC said the moratorium is limited within Mactan and Cebu and does not cover the Bantayan and Camotes islands. It also does not apply to the development of other modes of transportation as well as new and existing airports exclusively servicing chartered flights.
==In Mandaue City: Teachers, kids to go thru stress debriefing==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/metro-cebu/2013/10/24/1248866/mandaue-city-teachers-kids-go-thru-stress-debriefing
*Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:00 am
:By Flor Z. Perolina (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Public school children in Lapu-Lapu City, some suspected of still suffering from emotional shock, will undergo stress debriefing following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake and aftershocks that rocked the island last October 15.
Violeta Cavada, head of the City Social Welfare Services, said teachers will be debriefed first.
“Inig human og stress debriefing sa mga teachers, sila na pud ang mubuhat ana sa mga bata,” Cavada said.
She said some children may have experienced sleepless nights, loss of appetite, and emotional shock.
Bidlisiw, the foundation that looks after children’s welfare, has prepared a module for the teachers and children.
The foundation will conduct the training of the teachers.
==Employees who worked during day of Cebu, Bohol quake entitled to twice their wages, DOLE clarifies ==
*Source:http://www.interaksyon.com/article/73329/employees-who-worked-during-day-of-cebu-bohol-quake-entitled-to-twice-their-wages-dole-clarifies
*Wednesday, October 23, 2013 3:41 pm
:(InterAksyon.com)
Employees in Cebu and Bohol who rendered work on October 15—a regular holiday that was marked by a destructive earthquake in those provinces—are entitled to twice their daily wages.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz issued this clarification on Wednesday during her visit to Tagbilaran City.
Since October 15 is “a regular holiday in observance of Eidul-Adha, employees who worked on that day “is entitled to 200 percent of the amount of his daily wage for eight hours of work, or 100 percent holiday pay, and proportionate daily wage depending on the number of hours worked,” Baldoz said in a statement.
“A worker who did not report for work shall be paid 100 percent of his daily wage,” she added.
Meanwhile, for succeeding days covered by the declaration of state of calamity in quake-stricken provinces, employees who were unable to render work, “the 'no-work, no-pay' principle shall apply, unless there is favorable company policy, practice, or collective baragaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on the said day.”
Employees with leave credits may be allowed to use them, enabling them to receive compensation on these days, the statement that quoted Baldoz said. 
On the other hand, if the employee worked on a day covered by a state of calamity, he or she shall be paid 100 percent of his daily wage, Baldoz said.
"I urge private sector employers to voluntarily comply with the holiday pay rules," she said, reiterating that “proper observance of these pay rules is decent and moral and encourages productive and proficient workers.”
During her visit to Tagbilaran, Baldoz urged employers to ensure the safety of their work premises and secure clearance from competent authorities before resuming business operations and allowing the re-entry of workers to affected buildings and worksites.
She also cited Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Advisory No. 08-A Series of 2013, which underscored the importance of a business establishment’s Safety Committee as required under the law.
Composed of trained first-aiders, nurses, doctors, and safety officers, the Safety Committee “in every private business establishment should be physically present in the establishments during the state of calamity," Baldoz told DOLE regional and DOLE Bohol provincial officials during her visit.
"Employers should also provide first aid medicines and ensure that immediate medical attention is rendered to injured workers by coordinating with the nearest hospital to facilitate workers' access to medical services during emergency situations. They may also provide such other extra incentives or benefits to employees who reported for work during the emergency," she added.
(Those who have questions regarding pay and other labor-related matters can call up the DOLE Hotline 527-8000, the nearest DOLE regional office in your area (for DOLE-NCR 400-6011), or the Bureau of Working Conditions at tel. no. 527-3000, local 301 or 302.)
==Cebu sends relief team to Bohol==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/21/1247713/uv-holds-relief-drive-cebu-and-bohol
*Tuesday, October 22, 2013
:By Rachelle M. Nessia (rmn/PIA Cebu)
CEBU, Oct. 22 (PIA) --- Cebu provincial government and its Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management (ODRREM) sent a disaster relief team to deliver relief goods to earthquake-stricken areas in Bohol province.
This despite Cebu also suffering from the brunt of the killer earthquake that hit central Philippines on Oct. 15.
“We are also doing our share in helping Bohol, aduna tay mga hinabang nga pidala didto (we also sent assistance there),” said Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III  in an interview Monday.
Davide said the deployment team in Bohol also brought with them donations from private organizations that were coursed through Cebu provincial government.
ODRREM in its Facebook page posted Sunday that they their relief team in Bohol has started coordinating with Bohol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) operations center.
The team set up their base of operation at Maribojoc town.
By Sunday, the Cebu disaster relief team in Bohol have deployed two trucks, one in Maribojoc town and another in Tagbilaran City.
Cebu provincial government also posted photos and updates on its official Facebook page of Capitol workers and staff from the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Cebu Chapter re-packing relief goods to be sent to Bohol.
Bohol continues to reel from the effects of the deadly quake that struck central Philippines on Oct. 15.
As of Oct. 21, 9:00 p.m., casualties from the quake reached 190 with 604 injured.
Of the total deaths, 177 are from Bohol, 12 from Cebu, and one from Siquijor.
==UV holds relief drive for Cebu and Bohol==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/21/1247713/uv-holds-relief-drive-cebu-and-bohol
*Monday, October 21, 2013 12:00 am
:(The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas is calling on its alumni, faculty, staff, students and all Cebuanos to help the earthquake victims in Cebu and Bohol through the Visayanian Tabang sa Sugbo ug Bohol.
UV Executive Vice President and The Freeman chairman Jose "Dodong" R. Gullas said it has been part of the university's culture to help those in need. "We helped our brothers and sisters in Guinsaogun in Leyte, Cagayan de Oro City and in Guihunglan in Negros. Now it is time to help our fellow Cebuanos and our neighbor Boholanos," he said.
Donations of bottled water, canned goods and other ready to eat food are accepted at the UV Main Campus in Colon (c/o The Office of the Executive Vice President) and at the Gullas Medical Center in Banilad (c/o Medical Director Dr. Leticia Abinuman).
Gullas and his wife Nena, who are also behind the JRG Halad Museum, have already pledged to donate water for the earthquake victims.
==Classes in Cebu to resume Nov. 4==
==Classes in Cebu to resume Nov. 4==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=578201
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=578201

Latest revision as of 13:08, 10 November 2013

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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.

3,000 cops to secure Cebu cemeteries

By Kevin A. Lagunda

THE police force in Central Visayas will implement tight security in airports, seaports and bus terminals as people go back to their respective hometowns today for the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

Over 3,000 personnel will be deployed in Cebu Province and in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.

Camp Crame has given clearance to 130 personnel of the Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) 7 to leave their assignment in Zamboanga City and return to Cebu.

Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., Police Regional Office (PRO) deputy director for administration, told reporters said they are still on red alert; the gun ban is still in effect, while persons are not allowed to go inside cemeteries with liquor.

Security cameras will be installed in major cemeteries. There are at least 30 cemeteries in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

In Cebu City, closed-circuit television cameras will be installed in three major cemeteries: Calamba, Carreta and Queen City Memorial Gardens.

Public assistance desks will be placed in cemeteries and in public transport terminals, police said.

K9 units will be sent to the North Bus Terminal in Mandaue City and South Bus Terminal in Cebu City.

City police directors said they will also deploy force multipliers like tanods, members of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPAT) to augment and intelligence operatives to monitor activity of criminal groups.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, Lapu-Lapu City police chief, said he will deploy tourist cops to secure beaches and tourists.

In the Cebu province, there are at least 2,000 police personnel who will be deployed in the towns.

“We will conduct operations against thieves inside the cemeteries,” said Cebu Provincial Police Director Noel Gillamac. “We will also look out for fake priests who would dupe people.”

Regional Intelligence Division (RID) Chief Paul Labra II said they have not yet received reports about arrival of criminal groups from other provinces in Cebu.

PRO7 to hold shoot fest to raise funds for quake affected members

By Ferliza Calizar-Contratista (mbcn/FCC/PIA7-Cebu)

CEBU CITY, October 30 (PIA)---Police to spearhead two shoot fests to raise funds for members affected by the earthquake.

Police Regional Office 7 deputy regional director for administration, PCSupt Generoso Cerbo Jr, said they have lined up activities to raise funds for the policemen that were affected by the 7.2 magnitude quake two weeks ago.

Cerbo in today’s Talakayan Sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) Forum admitted they have about 100 policemen who were directly affected by the quake and most of them are in Bohol.

PRO-7 regional information officer PSupt Renato Dugan said initially they were able to raise P200,000 a few days after the earthquake from fellow policemen and some stake holders.

Dugan added the Office of Cebu Provincial Police Director PSSupt Noel Gillamac will hold a Provincial Shooters Cup for his men in Cebu on November 14-17.

Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) on the other hand will also hold another shoot fest on November 22, 32 and 24 at the CPRA in Pusok Lapulapu City.

“Funds raised from the registration fees of both contests will go to the policemen affected by the earthquake in region 7,” Dugan said.

The contests will be open for all shooting enthusiasts police and civilian.

Other government agencies also did their part in helping colleagues who were or their family members injured during the earthquake. Some of their houses were totally or partially damaged.

Philippine Information Agency 7 personnel also “passed the hat” while employees of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR-7) held a sports fest which proceeds were also donated to their affected colleagues.

Canadian experts to share know-how to 6 Cebu cities

By Aileen Garcia-Yap (Cebu Daily News)

SIX cities in Cebu were among the local government units (LGUs) identified to receive technical aid from a Canadian advocacy group.

Naga, Danao, Mandaue, Carcar, Lapu-Lapu and Bogo cities will be the local partner-LGUs of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in its program aimed at spurring more economic development in these areas, said Garth Frizzell, FMC member councilor for the City of Prince George, B.C.

The beneficiaries were announced through the Asia Partners Forum on Local Economic Development held in Cebu last week, which was attended by the FCM representatives.

“Through its local economic development work, FCM works to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of Canada’s international aid,” said Frizzell.

FCM’s program will provide ways for Canadian municipalities to partner with counterparts around the world, contribute knowledge, and foster cooperation across a global network of local governments.

Through the program, the Canadian experts will share their professional and technical know-how to program beneficiaries by working directly with them.

“They are looking for expertise in areas such as leadership, management and administration, engineering, urban planning, economic development, equitable delivery of services, diversity and intergovernmental relations,” Frizzell said.

Frizzell said that FCM believes that without strong leadership by local governments, it would be impossible to achieve results that will benefit the local economy.

STRATEGY

FCM’s partnership with the local counterparts is a strategy they think should help, Frizell added.

FCM partners will help LGUs come up with the best strategies to pursue community economic development, look at the best practices in their counterparts, come up with plans for more developmental initiatives, and evaluate the results of their work.

Aside from the Philippines, FCM also signed partnerships with other countries in the region like Vietnam and Cambodia.

“I’m pleased with the inclusion of these cities as FCM beneficiaries,” said Philip N. Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.

Tan, however, said that all the training provided will be for naught if people will elect local officials according to popularity and not on their capacity to serve.

“My concern is more on the understanding by the LGUs on how important economic growth is, and running the government like a business instead of running it for their vested interests,” Tan said.

“It is sad to say that we elected most people out of popularity not of competence,” he added.

Other business leaders also welcome the six cities’ inclusion in the FCM program.

“LGUs play a vital role in the economic development particularly in the rural areas,” said Lito Maderazo, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.

“Making them capable of providing an enabled environment for investment and business opportunities, and helping them to properly identify their natural and human resources will help localities accelerate inclusive growth,” Maderazo said.

Cebu Business Club president Gordon Alan Joseph agreed.

“This is obviously a good development because too many LGUs still rely on the IRA (internal revenue allotment) from the government which is supposed to help LGUs achieve self sufficiency but it hasn’t done that,” Joseph said.

“Hopefully with this capacity-building, the LGUs will able to spur economic development,” he said.

Malaysian group inks deal for $160-M RE project in Cebu

By Neil Jerome C. Morales (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Mudajaya Group of Malaysia has signed a partnership agreement with local players for a $160-million integrated renewable energy project in the Philippines.

“We are proposing to put up at least 200 MW of generating capacity...We hope to start with 50 MW and the indicative investment is $160 million,” said Anto Joseph, group managing director and CEO of Mudajaya Group Bhd.

Mudajaya Group, which owns 40 percent of Amihan wind project, yesterday signed a shareholders agreement with Filipino firms Amihan Energy Corp. (30 percent) and Visayan Wind Energy Holdings Corp. (30 percent).

“Our intention is to make this as one of the largest integrated wind farms in the Southeast Asian region,” Joseph said.

Visayan Wind chairman Esteban Peña Sy said this will be the first wind power generation project in Cebu.

Amihan wind energy project will put up wind mills in an 18,000-hectare leased lot within Cebu City, Balamban and Toledo City in Cebu.


The technical design for the wind project is being finalized to ensure long-term safety especially given the recent earthquake that hit Cebu.

Joseph said construction should begin in the next six to nine months, with partial commissioning of the wind farm likely to start late next year.

The parties are now in talks with various local and foreign banks for the funding of the wind project.

Depending on the energy demand in the next five to seven years, the partners might put up biomass and solar power projects in the vicinity to increase output to as much as 400 MW.

Amihan wind energy project aims to take advantage of the feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme, Joseph said.

The FIT scheme guarantees investments of renewable energy firms through fixed rates that would be shouldered by consumers over 20 years. Financial viability of renewable power projects are crucial for energy firms to secure bank financing.

Peña Sy said more power output is needed to support the fast-paced economic growth of the Philippines.

To date, the Philippines sources 35 percent its total power requirements from renewable energy sources.

Mudajaya Group is one of Forbes Asia’s 200 Best Under a Billion companies. It has $541 million in sales, $78 million in net income and $463 million market capitalization.

Team checks quake damage to churches

By Paul Gerschwiler and Florencio Moreño II /RHM (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Complying with a request by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI), we formed an ad hoc team with Msgr. Constantino Batoctoy, who runs the Boljoon Studies Center, to check on the damages that some of our precious heritage churches in Southern Cebu had suffered.

Our fact-finding trip brought us to Carcar City and the towns of Sibonga, Argao, Dalaguete, Boljoon. We also checked on Samboan, Cebu.

In Carcar, we were received by Msgr. Rolando Jimenez, parish priest of the city and Vicar General of Cebu. Assistant parish priest Joseph Gabriente showed us around.

On several pillars of church, the decorative ornamentation has cracked, although the structural joints have not been damaged. Minor cracks can also be seen on several arches between the main nave and the aisles.

Carcar, however, can be considered as lucky. According to Msgr. Jimenez, a professional assessment of the safety of the structures confirmed that the church has been structurally unscathed by the forces of the quake.

In Sibonga, we were received by Fr. Junjun Almasol, assistant parish priest, and shown around by the Sacristan Luis Diez.

The church of Sibonga has structurally survived the temblors of the quake quite well. The renowned ceiling painting of the Sibonga church by Raymundo Francia is unharmed. The structure, though, still needs to be assessed, as cracks can now be seen in one of the massive belfries and the pilasters and windows of the church.

Among the churches we have visited so far, the church in Dalaguete has suffered the most. In Dalaguete, we encountered damages that pose an immediate threat to the structural stability of the church.

The roof of its sacristy has caved in and its façade has moved away four inches from the vaulted ceiling. And this is a special concern as the ceiling features paintings done 1935 by Canuto Avila. The conspicuous cracks now run at the center of the façade and along the length of the church’s bell tower. Also well visible is a vertical crack in the front wall along the lookout window.

As immediate measures, Prof. Riichi Miyake of the Fuji Women’s University in Hokkaido, Japan, who is currently in Dalaguete to help in the damage, suggested a support structure that will hold the misaligned front wall in its place. Another immediate measure will be the closure of the gap in the ceiling in order to prevent rainwater from entering and, thus, damaging the precious ceiling paintings.

Also, as relayed by Marivic Calderon, the first lady of Samboan town who accompanied Gov. Hilario Davide III and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale on an inspection tour of the churches after the earthquake, the Church of Saint Michael Archangel in Samboan was also not spared by the tremors. The belfry has leaned away a few inches from the church building and buttresses and walls show signs of stress.

The governor has already declared that aside from schools, the Cebu Provincial Government is also prioritizing the repairs of Cebu’s churches, which has been declared as heritage sites.

In particular, the churches of Argao, Dalaguete, and Boljoon have been named by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as National Historical Landmarks. The church of Sibonga has also been given a historical marker by the NHCP.

The National Museum has likewise recognized the Boljoon church as a National Cultural Treasure.

In Boljoon, we had an ocular inspection of the church and a word with the repairs foreman Boy Cairo, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Boljoon Heritage Foundation. Obvious are the stress cracks in the outer cement finish all over the bell tower. It seems, however, that these cracks have no significance to the stability of the bell tower and would be easy to repair.

A major damage to the church caused by the earthquake is on the right side above the lateral door to the shrine. The wall above the door featuring a small round window has entirely detached from the massive pillars and is tilting outwards. Repair works on that damage are already ongoing.

The most serious damage, however, predates the earthquake of 15 October.

The back wall of the church (retablo side) is tilting since quite a while. The detachment measured just before the earthquake has reached a gap of six inches. The earthquake added two inches to the gap of the detachment; it is now eight inches wide.

The good news is that the front façade did not suffer any cracks and is still standing straight. According to Boy, the nave of the church survived the quake fairly well, apart from the damage described above.

Structurally, the Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio church in Boljoon is the oldest of all. The original basic structure of its nave dates back to the early 1700s and so does the watchtower turned belfry.

After all the moro raids, typhoons and earthquakes, the old lady once again essentially stood her ground. (Gerschwiler is an Argao resident and author of the heritage book “Boljoon: A Cultural Sketch”. Moreño is curator of RAFI’s Casa Gorordo Museum.)

Cebu, Bohol coconut farmers to get incentives

By Ronnel W. Domingo (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Some 4,500 coconut farmers in Cebu and Bohol are expected to receive a total of P8.2 million in incentives through the Philippine Coconut Authority’s cash-for-work program.

PCA administrator Euclides G. Forbes said in a statement the release of funds is in line with the agency’s support for rehabilitation and relief operations in the wake of the devastation caused by the recent earthquake.

Forbes said that under the PCA’s participatory coconut planting project (PCPP), farmer-participants who have successfully raised, transplanted and stabilized seedlings will receive P40 per seedling.

“The PCA decided to release said funds due to the calamity and even if the farmers have not yet finished the project,” he said, meaning that the seedlings have yet to grow past two feet high.

Farmers who are participating in the PCPP have logged a total of 454,880 seedlings, most of which are in Cebu.

Forbes said these seedlings form part of the target of 17.5 million coconut seedlings to be planted this year.

Earlier, Forbes said the PCA was on pace to achieve by yearend its target as it follows through with the PCPP.

He said that if the target was met, the agency would have chalked up 41.3 million seedlings since President Aquino assumed office in mid-2010.

This would be a record number for any administration, topping the 35 million seedlings planted during the nine-year Arroyo administration.

From July 2010 to December 2012, some 23.8 million seedlings have been planted.

Data from the agency show that 5.9 million seedlings were planted during Corazon Aquino’s term, 6.1 million during the Ramos administration, and 24.4 million during the Estrada administration.

Also, the PCA said it intends to repeat last year’s record of fertilizing 20 million coconut trees.

The PCA has bought more than P1 billion worth of salt fertilizer through public bidding since 2008 and has been distributing the stock for free.

Moreover, the budget for coconut-related projects saw an increase of more than thrice from P500 million in 2011 to P1.7 billion in 2013.

Of this year’s budget, one-third is earmarked for intercropping, research, training and market development for coco-based products such as sugar, virgin coconut oil and flour.

DOTC makes P17.5-B Mactan-Cebu Airport project more attractive to investors

(VS, GMA News)

To encourage pre-qualified bidders for the P17.5-billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport's passenger terminal, the Department of Transportation and Communications on Friday said there will be a 25-year moratorium on the construction of new airports in the islands of Cebu and Mactan.

Also, other airports in the island won't be allowed to be upgraded to international gateway status, Transportation Undersecretary Perpetuo Lotilla noted in a Special Bid Bulletin 15, saying the new timetable is five years longer than the original moratorium under the original draft of the concession agreement.

The government will also transfer the operation and maintenance of the aprons to the concessionaire, including the right to generate income and flexibility in increasing capacity.

“The grantors shall procure that during the subsistence of this concession agreement, neither the grantors nor any government authority shall, at any time before the end of the 25th contract year, operate or cause to be operated a new international or domestic airport for handling scheduled commercial passenger traffic taking off or landing in the Mactan and Cebu islands,” the bulletin read.

The government also would not allow the construction of any commercial car park and competing hotel facilities within a 500-meter radius from the perimeter of the land in which the airport is located and controlled by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority.

But DOTC said the moratorium is limited within Mactan and Cebu and does not cover the Bantayan and Camotes islands. It also does not apply to the development of other modes of transportation as well as new and existing airports exclusively servicing chartered flights.

In Mandaue City: Teachers, kids to go thru stress debriefing

By Flor Z. Perolina (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Public school children in Lapu-Lapu City, some suspected of still suffering from emotional shock, will undergo stress debriefing following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake and aftershocks that rocked the island last October 15.

Violeta Cavada, head of the City Social Welfare Services, said teachers will be debriefed first.

“Inig human og stress debriefing sa mga teachers, sila na pud ang mubuhat ana sa mga bata,” Cavada said.

She said some children may have experienced sleepless nights, loss of appetite, and emotional shock.

Bidlisiw, the foundation that looks after children’s welfare, has prepared a module for the teachers and children.

The foundation will conduct the training of the teachers.

Employees who worked during day of Cebu, Bohol quake entitled to twice their wages, DOLE clarifies

(InterAksyon.com)

Employees in Cebu and Bohol who rendered work on October 15—a regular holiday that was marked by a destructive earthquake in those provinces—are entitled to twice their daily wages.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz issued this clarification on Wednesday during her visit to Tagbilaran City.

Since October 15 is “a regular holiday in observance of Eidul-Adha, employees who worked on that day “is entitled to 200 percent of the amount of his daily wage for eight hours of work, or 100 percent holiday pay, and proportionate daily wage depending on the number of hours worked,” Baldoz said in a statement.

“A worker who did not report for work shall be paid 100 percent of his daily wage,” she added.

Meanwhile, for succeeding days covered by the declaration of state of calamity in quake-stricken provinces, employees who were unable to render work, “the 'no-work, no-pay' principle shall apply, unless there is favorable company policy, practice, or collective baragaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on the said day.”

Employees with leave credits may be allowed to use them, enabling them to receive compensation on these days, the statement that quoted Baldoz said.

On the other hand, if the employee worked on a day covered by a state of calamity, he or she shall be paid 100 percent of his daily wage, Baldoz said.

"I urge private sector employers to voluntarily comply with the holiday pay rules," she said, reiterating that “proper observance of these pay rules is decent and moral and encourages productive and proficient workers.”

During her visit to Tagbilaran, Baldoz urged employers to ensure the safety of their work premises and secure clearance from competent authorities before resuming business operations and allowing the re-entry of workers to affected buildings and worksites.

She also cited Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Advisory No. 08-A Series of 2013, which underscored the importance of a business establishment’s Safety Committee as required under the law.

Composed of trained first-aiders, nurses, doctors, and safety officers, the Safety Committee “in every private business establishment should be physically present in the establishments during the state of calamity," Baldoz told DOLE regional and DOLE Bohol provincial officials during her visit.

"Employers should also provide first aid medicines and ensure that immediate medical attention is rendered to injured workers by coordinating with the nearest hospital to facilitate workers' access to medical services during emergency situations. They may also provide such other extra incentives or benefits to employees who reported for work during the emergency," she added.

(Those who have questions regarding pay and other labor-related matters can call up the DOLE Hotline 527-8000, the nearest DOLE regional office in your area (for DOLE-NCR 400-6011), or the Bureau of Working Conditions at tel. no. 527-3000, local 301 or 302.)

Cebu sends relief team to Bohol

By Rachelle M. Nessia (rmn/PIA Cebu)

CEBU, Oct. 22 (PIA) --- Cebu provincial government and its Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management (ODRREM) sent a disaster relief team to deliver relief goods to earthquake-stricken areas in Bohol province.

This despite Cebu also suffering from the brunt of the killer earthquake that hit central Philippines on Oct. 15.

“We are also doing our share in helping Bohol, aduna tay mga hinabang nga pidala didto (we also sent assistance there),” said Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III in an interview Monday.

Davide said the deployment team in Bohol also brought with them donations from private organizations that were coursed through Cebu provincial government.

ODRREM in its Facebook page posted Sunday that they their relief team in Bohol has started coordinating with Bohol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) operations center.

The team set up their base of operation at Maribojoc town.

By Sunday, the Cebu disaster relief team in Bohol have deployed two trucks, one in Maribojoc town and another in Tagbilaran City.

Cebu provincial government also posted photos and updates on its official Facebook page of Capitol workers and staff from the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Cebu Chapter re-packing relief goods to be sent to Bohol.

Bohol continues to reel from the effects of the deadly quake that struck central Philippines on Oct. 15.

As of Oct. 21, 9:00 p.m., casualties from the quake reached 190 with 604 injured.

Of the total deaths, 177 are from Bohol, 12 from Cebu, and one from Siquijor.

UV holds relief drive for Cebu and Bohol

(The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas is calling on its alumni, faculty, staff, students and all Cebuanos to help the earthquake victims in Cebu and Bohol through the Visayanian Tabang sa Sugbo ug Bohol.

UV Executive Vice President and The Freeman chairman Jose "Dodong" R. Gullas said it has been part of the university's culture to help those in need. "We helped our brothers and sisters in Guinsaogun in Leyte, Cagayan de Oro City and in Guihunglan in Negros. Now it is time to help our fellow Cebuanos and our neighbor Boholanos," he said.

Donations of bottled water, canned goods and other ready to eat food are accepted at the UV Main Campus in Colon (c/o The Office of the Executive Vice President) and at the Gullas Medical Center in Banilad (c/o Medical Director Dr. Leticia Abinuman).

Gullas and his wife Nena, who are also behind the JRG Halad Museum, have already pledged to donate water for the earthquake victims.

Classes in Cebu to resume Nov. 4

(PNA), CTB/PFN

MANILA, Oct. 20 (PNA) -- Classes in all public schools in Cebu province will remain suspended until Nov. 3.

This was revealed in the provincial government's Facebook account.

It added that administrators of private schools will make their own announcement on the matter.

"Classes in Cebu province will resume on Nov. 4 for public schools. The respective administrators of the private schools will make the announcement for their schools, Dr. Arden Monisit, Schools Division Superintendent, DepEd Region 7 said."

In Cebu City, Mayor Michael Rama made a similar announcement for public schools in the city.

The latter added that classes in public schools in all levels in Cebu City are suspended until Nov. 3."

As for classes in private schools in Cebu City, the Cebu City public information office said Rama will meet with representatives of the private schools Monday.

Meanwhile, in Bohol, Tagbilaran City Mayor John Yap II announced that classes in all levels in the city are "suspended indefinitely."

Spain, Vatican may help restore churches

By Paolo S. Romero, Philippine Star News Service (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Experts and church officials are looking to the Spanish government, the Vatican as well as to the ordinary faithful to defray the huge cost of restoring the centuries-old Catholic churches damaged by the powerful earthquake in Cebu and Bohol.

Masses continued at the quadrangle of the damaged Basilica del Sto. Niño de Cebu against the backdrop of a crane hovering over its coral-made belfry now chopped by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Tuesday.

Its side entrance collapsed yesterday due to the hundreds of aftershocks hitting the region.

Apart from the basilica, other damaged churches include the Church of San Pedro Apostol, Loboc, Bohol; Church of Our Lady of Light, Loon, Bohol; Santissima Trinidad Parish, Loay, Bohol; Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Baclayon, Bohol; Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Dauis, Bohol; San Nicolas Church, Dimiao, Bohol; Santa Cruz Parish Church, Maribojoc, Bohol; Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Cebu city; and St. Catherine's Church, Carcar City-all constructed during the Spanish era.

"We are still continuing our assessment of the damage but right now what we're doing is palliative, and we are also securing the sites because there are so many precious artifacts underneath," Ludovico Badoy, Executive Director of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), told The STAR.

"Restoration is going to be a very expensive undertaking and this needs the combined effort of all," he said. "I think the Spanish government would want to participate, it's just a matter of us seeking their help."

Badoy, accompanied by representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways and private restoration experts, has been making the rounds of the damaged historical structures.

Several teams from the NHI were also dispatched to Bohol, which was the hardest hit. Local authorities in Bohol and Cebu were given strict instructions not to touch the rubble until the experts have arrived.

Using chalk and colored markers, experts and workers have begun the painstaking task of accounting for every brick and stone in the rubble of the basilica to salvage them and help ensure that original material is used as much as possible in the restoration.

"These churches tell our history, strengthened the faith of Catholics among us. Many of us were baptized here, married here, and our elders interred here," Badoy said.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said help might be forthcoming from Pope Francis, who is expected to issue any time soon a formal message of sympathy for the victims of the earthquake.

Palma said he was able to speak twice to Msgr. Giuseppe Pinto, the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines or the pope's envoy, to apprise him of the situation.

He said Pinto was expected to send a report to the pope on the damage to the churches.

He said the Vatican's historical and cultural office would likely coordinate with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' on the Cultural Heritage of the Church to map out a plan to restore the churches.

Palma said the importance of restoring the damaged churches could not be overemphasized as "they serve as a bridge from the past to our present and to the future."

"We know the faithful from all walks of life would support this undertaking," he told The STAR.

Cebu Rep. Ace Durano, a former tourism chief, said even if the government would want to fully restore the churches, it could only do so much.

"There is not only the financial constraints, but this could be questioned by some because the Constitution states that the government cannot favor a particular religious group," Durano said.

He said if foreign entities, such as the Spanish government, would want to donate funds, they would likely be coursed through the religious orders that run the churches.

Durano, however, said government assistance on some churches can be easily justified on the grounds that they are heritage or cultural sites.

Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap strongly pushed for "funding round" with international finance agencies for the restoration.

"These churches are really owned by the entire Filipino people," Yap said.

‘Cebu bridges remain strong’

By Elias O. Baquero and Justin K. Vestil

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is checking bridges and public buildings in Cebu for damage caused by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake last Tuesday.

DPWH Regional Director Ador Canlas said initial safety inspections by engineering districts in Central Visayas revealed that there is less damage on infrastructure in Cebu compared to Bohol.

Cebu bridges remain strong and passable, he said.

In Bohol, three bridges in Maribojoc and Loon became impassable. Damage was also observed on 13 other Bohol bridges, although these are still passable.

Materials

Canlas said materials for the reconstruction of the three destroyed bridges in Bohol will be delivered from Iloilo City next week and DPWH will construct the steel bridges in one month.

Canlas said members of the Structural Engineers of the Philippines will help DPWH check public schoolbuildings, markers, and municipal and city halls as ordered by President Benigno Aquino III the other day.

The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 urged heads of colleges and universities in the region to ensure that their facilities remain safe for their students and faculty.

Dr. Amelia Biglete, Ched 7 director, urged school administrators to ensure that precautionary measures are undertaken once classes resume.

Classes

She also said make-up classes should be conducted.

Classes in all levels in public and private schools have been suspended since Wednesday while schoolbuildings and facilities are being assessed for damage.

Most schools will resume classes on Monday.

As this developed, Sen. Bam Aquino proposed the establishment of a P15-billion rehabilitation fund to help Cebu, Bohol and other parts or the country which were affected by the earthquake.

Fund

Sen. Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, said the bulk of the fund will be used to rehabilitate old churches and other tourist spots, such as the Chocolate Hills in Carmen town and the centuries-old colonial churches in the municipalities of Loboc, Baclayon, Dauis and Loon.

He said the fund will also be used to rehabilitate establishments and other infrastructure destroyed by the earthquake in Cebu.

The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) 7 based at Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. reported that aside from the two bell towers of Basilica del Sto. Niño, the earthquake also damaged the Dalaguete Church, St. Francis de Assisi Church in Dumanjug and the church in Bogo City.

OCD 7 reported that the offices of the Department of Education (DepEd) 7; Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 and DTI Cebu; the city halls of Talisay and Bogo Cities; municipal halls of Alcoy and Pinamungajan; buildings at the Cebu Capitol compound; the Cebu International Convention Center; and the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

The Boljoon Municipal Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) building reportedly collapsed during the quake.

OCD 7 also recorded the collapse of the Budget Builders building on Natalio Bacalso Ave. in Cebu City; and damages at Gaisano Capital in Talisay City, and Gaisano Grand Mall and Prince Warehouse Supermarket in Minglanilla town.

Cebu malls, banks open after checking buildings

By Aileen Garcia-Yap, Doris C. Bongcac (Cebu Daily News)

DTI province chief monitors store goods, prices

Several malls and retail chains in Cebu and most banks opened for business yesterday despite aftershocks felt a day after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Cebu and the Visayas.

Operations resumed after inspections were made to check the structural stability of buildings in Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu and Consolacion, Shopwise, and Metro Gaisano Colon and Lapu-Lapu branches and S&R in North Reclamation Area.

A team of engineers checked the Ayala Center and declared it “structurally safe and sound,” said Cebu Holdings Inc. corporate communications manager Jeanette Japzon.

The SM Group also inspected their two malls in Cebu City and Consolacion town.

Smaller establishments like APM Mall opened at 10 a.m. as well as Crossroads in Banilad, Cebu City.

Some remained closed yesterday like Elizabeth Mall in N. Bacalso Avenue, Pacific Mall in Mandaue City, Metro Ayala, Gaisano Countrymall and Parkmall in Mandaue City.

assess buildings

“We expect everything to settle down and get back to normal in three to four days. With all the aftershocks, people are still afraid to go to work, so even if businesses are operating, a lot of people are still absent,” said Philip N. Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president yesterday.

Property damage assessments are ongoing but most Mandaue Chamber member establishments are already operating, he said.

Tan said they encouraged everyone to check thoroughly their establishments including underground storage tanks of gasoline stations to avoid any accidents.

“We are hoping that the damage is minimal. We can never say there’s no impact on business especially in malls that will not go on regular operations yet,” said Tan.

Cebu Business Club President Gordon Alan Joseph said he let his staff off yesterday because he understood that people still don’t want to leave their homes after the quake.

Glenn Anthony Soco, Coffee Dream franchise owner, also cancelled work at his office and allowed his staff to go home.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lito Maderazo also said that most of their members are back in regular operations.

Maderazo said the chamber will meet soon to plan what help they can send to Bohol which was hardest hit by Tuesday’s earthquake.

bankers

Most banks in Cebu also resumed operations yesterday, said Cebu Bankers Club former president Prudencio Gesta.

All branches of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. resumed operations except for the Osmeña Boulevard branch because the building is still being checked, said Gesta.

Filipino Cebuano Business Club president Rey Calooy said that most of their members who are micro, small and medium enterprise owners also resumed operations yesterday although many employees did not report for work.

No cost estimates of damage were given because assessment is still ongoing, said the businessmen.

price freeze

Nelia Navarro, Department of Trade and Industry Cebu provincial director, assured that Cebu city and province has enough supply of food and other basic commodities amid the closure of some commercial establishments.

Navarro said that a “price freeze” will be implemented while Cebu City and other parts of the province are still under a state of calamity.

state of calamity

The Cebu City Council on Tuesday declared a state of calamity in the city in order to access calamity funds for quick disaster response.

Department stores are required to keep three weeks worth of stocks while product warehouses are required to have supplies that will last at least three months.

So far, there are no reports of food hoarding, she said, even as 11 teams of commodity inspectors were fielded to visit establishments in Cebu.

“We want to make sure that no business will take advantage of the disaster,” she said.

Davide highlights tourism as key driver in local economy

By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento /JMD (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III continues to emphasize tourism as one of the priority areas that his administration would focus on, pointing out that the sector is considered to be a key industry for the progress of the province.

Davide, who recently graced the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 gala night held at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, acknowledged the role of tourism as a key driver in the economic development of the country.

"Tourism accelerates the flow of the economy," Davide said.

He also said that tourists can be considered as valuable import commodity given their expenses on food, transportation and other needs while staying in a particular area.

This in return, he added, could help increase the income and purchasing power of the members in the community.

He further noted that although tourism efforts should be maintained by the government and the private sector, Cebuanos should still respect the tradition of the community and protect the environment.

"We do not need to be like any other country, we just want to enhance Cebu's own natural attractions and showcase its true beauty to the world," Davide stated.

Earlier, Cebu City was hailed as one of the three Philippine cities recognized by the Swiss firm New7Wonders.

In a recent report of Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom, the cities of Cebu, Iloilo and Vigan bested more than 200 other cities to be part of the "long list" of 77 that was revealed by New7Wonders President Bernard Weber.

The list of the 77 cities was based on the online voting results that started in March 2012. There were more than 300 cities initially considered from the nominations across the world.

It will be then trimmed to a list of 28 cities and will be subjected to another online voting by October 21. The top New7Wonders Cities shall be announced during the last quarter of 2014.

It was in 2011 when the Palawan's famed Subterranean River National Park in Puerto Princesa City was dubbed as one of the world's New7Wonders of Nature.

PSME, Mandaue agree to build biogas digestor at relocation site

By Flor Z. Perolina (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME)-Mandaue Chapter for the installation of a technology that would process human wastes into energy in the 6.5-hectare relocation site in barangay Paknaan.

The Paknaan relocation site is now the new home to 1,200 beneficiaries who used to live in riverbanks.

The PSME-Mandaue will still conduct a feasibility study before the project is endorsed to the City Engineer’s Office and the city council.

The MOA stipulates that the design will be undertaken by PSME with no cost to the city government and once the project will be turned over, its maintenance and repair will be shouldered by the homeowners association with the assistance of the LGU.

The project is a biogas digestor, the technology that processes human waste and other biodegradable wastes to produce methane gas, which can then be used for lighting, cooking fuel, gas heater, and water heaters.

PSME has assured the project is safe and was already tested in General Santos City.

Engr. Fabio Senica Jr. said he put up a biogas digestor in General Santos in 2007. He said the project cost P8 million.

Senica has assured the technology is safe.

It consists of a bio-electric genser and fermentation chamber where wastes are processed for 15 to 30 days to produce methane gas and liquid fertilizer.

However, PSME is yet to determine the cost of the project.

Joemarie Arib, PSME-Mandaue president, said the organization will help source out funds for the implementation of the project.

“One of our challenges is how to fund the project. But there are several private entities whom we can ask for grants,” Arib told reporters.

Mayor Jonas Cortes said the technology will be of great help to the beneficiaries.

“We’re not only building houses but we’re building communities,” Cortes said.

Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede said the technology can be applied to other areas in Mandaue if it is proven effective in the relocation site.

The city is observing the Mechanical Engineering Week, which is celebrated every third week of October.

Nat’l historical body asked to intervene in tree-cutting row

By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon /JMO (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Earth Justice Center will ask the National Historical Commission (NHC) to issue a cease and desist order against the cutting of trees to give way for the Naga-Carcar road in southern Cebu.

Lawyer Liza Osorio, co-founder of PECJ, said the commission has the power to issue such order against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

She said that under the law, heritage trees are entitled of protection.

Osorio said the group's other co-founder, Atty. Gloria Ramos, will personally go to the commission's office in Manila to ask for the order.

Osorio also said they will also demand for the DENR to provide them with a complete inventory of heritage trees in Naga and Carcar that are subject to cutting and earth balling.

"We have already sent our formal letter to DENR about our request but we were told nga ilaha pa daw huna-hunaon kung hatagan ba ni nila," Osorio said.

Osorio clarified they have nothing against the proposed infrastructure project.

"Di mi oppose sa project. Ang amoa lang nga these heritage trees dili maapektuhan," she said.

The proposed P1.25 billion project was initiated by then former First District Representative Eduardo Gullas.

Earlier, three barangays in Naga - Tinaan, Inuburan and Langtad - have issued barangay council resolutions and certification interposing no objection to the move to cut and earth-ball the trees.

DENR-7 Executive Director Isabelo Montejo said the barangay certification is one of the conditions for the issuance of a clearance from the DENR central office and the special tree cutting permit (STCP) issued to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, secretary-general of the Freedom from Debt Coalition-Cebu, said the Carcar City government has never given consent to the tree cutting and this was made known to the DENR.

"DENR never responded. The Carcar lgu was surprised to learn that DENR issued a permit. This only proves that securing consent from communities and lgus is only an afterthought as DENR would push through anyway," Pedrosa said.

Pedrosa added that aside from violating the Environmental Impact Assessment process, DENR and DPWH can be held liable for transgressing heritage laws.

Montejo explained this does not mean that DPWH 7 can now proceed with the cutting and earth-balling, as DPWH should comply with the other mandatory requirements.

He indicated the replacement of at least 13,800 of native and indigenous seedlings should be undertaken first before the actual cutting.

Montejo earlier emphasized that the eight or now seven acacia-trees (the other one fell down two months, ago which caused a ten-hour traffic) to be cut down are in an advanced stage of decay and could no longer be rehabilitated or applied with tree surgery.

He said that these trees are very dangerous or critical if they would continue to stay there as they pose danger to life and property. Besides, he said, the older the trees, the lower their capacity to absorb carbon.

"That's why we want to have a copy of the inventory, so that we can really assess the trees. Because even if these trees are already decayed, there are some ways to preserve it," Osorio added.

DENR-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said that based on the permit signed by Montejo as cleared by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr., some 42 trees, including the eight century-old acacia trees that are in an advanced stage of decay and clearly posing danger to life and property, will be removed or cut down.

Llamedo said at least 96 trees with 25 centimeters and below in diameter should be earth-balled while 16 acacia trees should not be cut down as they will be subjected to further tree surgery, correct pruning and rehabilitation of decayed branches and stubs.

At least 155 trees with an aggregate volume of 192.77 cubic meters of different species will be affected on the account of the May 11 and 16 of last year's inventory.

Llamedo added that of the 155 trees, 25 are century-old acacia trees with a diameter ranging from 92 centimeters to 226 centimeters. Of the 25, nine were considered defective and hazardous.

Gullas earlier said that the P1.25 billion Naga-Carcar road project will benefit not just Cebuanos but people from Negros and Bohol that use the road to reach Cebu City.

"The benefits are not only for Cebu province but inter-regional and intra-regional influence," Gullas said.

PEJC said that trees render valuable ecosystem services, which humans take for granted and we forget that without the trees, our quality of life will be affected.

PEJC added that trees are important because they produce oxygen, clean the soil, control noise pollution, slow storm water runoff, clean the air, act as windbreaks, fight soil erosion, and increase property values, among others.

Meanwhile, at least 50 of Ramos' law students from the University of Cebu held a "Save the Heritage Trees" caravan yesterday for their Environmental Law subject. Most of the second year law students are volunteers at PECJ.

The students gathered at the university and proceeded to Carcar to meet with Carcar City Councilor Roger Montesclaros, vice chairman of the committee on environment of the City Council.

Osorio said the Council is bent on passing a resolution for DENR to provide the latter an inventory of the heritage trees in the city that will be affected, among others.

In line with this controversy, a meeting is called for by DENR-7 to be attended by DPWH 7, the project manager or contractor, local government of Naga City, and other stakeholders today at the Community Environment and Natural Resources in Cebu City.

Osorio further said that PEJC is scheduled to have a dialogue with Vice Governor Agnes Magpale today on the said matter.

Group still fighting for trees along Naga-Carcar stretch

By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon /BRP (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Earth Justice Center is reaching out to stakeholders including the government to stop the cutting of heritage trees following the approval of three barangays in Naga City to the cutting and earthballing of trees that may be affected by a road widening project from Naga City to Carcar City.

“They can be sure that a legal action will be initiated if our move fails to move the government. We are reaching out to stakeholders including the government to stop this senseless and highly destructive act, said PEJC co-founder Gloria Ramos.

As one of its activity in increasing awareness, Ramos’ Law students from the University of Cebu will be having a “Save Cebu Trees Heritage” caravan today.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 said that Naga City barangays Tinaan, Inoburan and Langtad have issued a barangay council resolution and a certification interposing no objection on the tree cutting and earthballing of these trees.

Isabelo Montejo, DENR-7 regional executive director said in a statement that the approval is one of the conditions of the clearance granted by the DENR-Central Office and the special tree cutting permit issued to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Montejo explained that this does not already mean that DPWH-7 can now proceed with the cutting and earth-balling, they should comply with the other mandatory requirements.

He indicated that replacement of at least 13,800 native and indigenous seedlings should be undertaken first before the actual cutting.

With this, a meeting was called for by DENR-7 to be attended by DPWH-7, the project manager or contractor, the Naga City government and other stakeholders on Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Community Environment and Natural Resources office in Cebu City.

Montejo emphasized that the acacia trees to be cut down are in an advanced stage of decay and can no longer be rehabilitated with tree surgery. He added they pose a danger to life and property the longer they stay there and that older the trees have lower capacity to absorb carbon.

There are 12 conditions to be complied with on the permit to cut, one of these is to leave alone an acacia tree that has reportedly been there since the 1600s.

DENR-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said that based on the permit signed by Montejo as cleared by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr., some 42 trees including the eight century-old acacia trees which are in an advanced stage of decay and clearly posing danger to life and property will be cut down.

Llamedo said that at least 96 trees with a diameter of 25 centimeters and below will be earthballed while 16 acacia trees should not be cut down as they will be subjected to further tree surgery, correct pruning and rehabilitation of decayed branches and stubs.

At least 155 trees with an aggregate volume of 192.77 cubic meters of different species will be affected.

Llamedo added that it was found out that of the 155 trees, 25 are century-old acacia trees with diameters ranging from 92 centimeters to 226 centimeters. Of the 25, nine were considered to be defective and hazardous.

Earlier, the project proponent, former First District congressman Eduardo Gullas said that the P1.25-billion Naga-Carcar road project is beneficial not just for Cebuanos but also for Boholanos and Negrenses who pass this road on the way to Cebu City.

“The benefits are not only for Cebu province but inter-regional and intra-regional influence,” Gullas had said.

PEJC said that trees render valuable ecosystem services, which humans take for granted and we forget that without the trees, our quality of life will be affected.

PEJC added that trees are important because it produce oxygen, clean the soil, control noise pollution, slow storm water runoff, clean the air, act as windbreaks, fight soil erosion, increase property values, among others.

Tsuneishi shipyard launches bulk carrier Paradise Island

By John M. Destacamento (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Japanese shipbuilder Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Cebu, Inc. (THICI) successfully launched the 58,000 deadweight metric ton type bulk carrier MV Paradise Island last October 9, 2013 at its shipyard in Balamban, Cebu.

Paradise Island is one of the 13 cargo vessels that the shipbuilding firm targets to launch in 2013 alone. The ship’s length is 190 meters, while its breadth is about 32.26 meters.

Tsuneishi also intends to launch this year a total of five cape size bulk carriers, each weighing at least 180,000 deadweight metric tons.

A joint venture of Aboitiz Company, THICI is one of the leading medium-sized shipbuilders in the world. Shipbuilding, ship repair and manufacturing of outfittings for ships and vessels constitute the main business of the company.

THICI ships out medium-sized vessels to different parts of the world from the town of Balamban, Cebu in the central Philippines.

According to Princes Mea Rosel, chief editor of Tsuneishi’s newsletter, the Japanese-owned merchant ship is specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as loads of coal and ore in its cargo holds.

Tsuneishi President Hitoshi Kono said while the industry is experiencing imbalances of supply and demand in the light of unfavorable weakening of global ship prices, “the company, despite this economic situation, stands firm in carrying its responsibilities and commitments, by tightly working together, keeping safety-first principle in mind and taking to heart the company values and Tsuneishi spirit.”

According to Tsuneishi’s top executives, the huge production target for 2013 validates the Philippines’ position as a top manufacturer of world-class ships.

An earlier report said that back in January this year, Austal Philippines' shipyard operations in Balamban recently completed its first ship, a highly advanced world-class trimaran design for the European wind farm market.

Austal is an Australian-based shipbuilding company in the Philippines.

Austal’s next ship, which is well underway, is a car and passenger ferry which will be the largest ferry ever built in the Philippines while another three wind farm vessels will follow.

The municipality of Balamban, in its website, says that it has rapidly grown into an industrial municipality with the shipbuilding industry located in Barangay Buanoy.

“More than a decade ago, this town was a mere fourth class municipality, but with our determination, coupled with a strong sense of responsibility, and whose vision for Balamban was and is, first and foremost, to uplift the economic life of our people, this once peopled with meager income town has become a multi-faceted first class municipality, boasting of an internationally-known shipbuilding industry,” the municipality’s website balamban.gov.ph says.

The booming shipbuilding industry in the town has also brought about positive economic impact on the constituents as it has opened and given jobs to thousands of workers from the community to the different municipalities, cities and provinces in the country, the website further says.

Early this year, President Benigno Aquino III during the grand opening of Austal Philippines, said that the Philippines now stands as the fourth largest shipbuilding country in the world.

The top three countries which share the market provided by the global shipbuilding industry are China (45 percent), South Korea (29 percent) and Japan (18 percent), an entry from Wikipedia reveals.

Capitol contractors to get paid

By Oscar C. Pineda

The Cebu Provincial Government will settle its payables to contractors amounting to P600 million, but it will only do so on a staggered basis.

The Provincial Board (PB) must also ratify the projects that were implemented without its authority.

Gov. Hilario Davide III, who met with 32 contractors and their representatives yesterday, said the contractors welcomed this new development.

Davide told them they will prioritize paying contractors of projects that are finished over those that are ongoing.

Understanding sought

“I told them that they have to help us kay dako kaayo ang among bayranan (we owe a huge amount), and I propose nga ang desisyon nato diri (what we’ll decide on) is staggered payment,” he told contractors.

“Kung obligasyon ni sa Provincial Government, bayran gyud ni (We will settle the Capitol’s obligations),” Davide said.

“Kasagaran niining mga project wala man mo agi og approval sa (Majority of these projects did not get approval of the) PB, that’s also one aspect kay di ta ganahan nga masabit ta sa (we don’t want to be questioned by) COA (Commission on Audit),” he said.

He said he will let the PB decide whether to ratify the projects.

Davide sought the help of Provincial Engineer Hector Jamora to assess the status of each project, and set priorities.

Not included

Jamora cited as priorities the P97.83-million 100-bed Danao Provincial Hospital, which is being implemented by Supreme ABF Construction; and the P63.659-million 100-bed Balamban Provincial Hospital being undertaken by WT Construction and Development Corp.

Jamora also cited the P76.030-million Sta. Fe Airport runway in Bantayan and the P70-908-million Camotes Airport in San Francisco, both being implemented by Sargaso Construction and Development Corp.

He said the contract to develop the Balili property in Naga City is not included in the P600-million payables.

Purchase of the lot is the subject of charges filed against former governor Gwendolyn Garcia and some Capitol officials who were dismissed from service.


Davide: P446M for AIP projects

By Gregg M. Rubio/RHM (The Philippine Star)

CEBU, Philippines - After having said that a lesser budget of the Province of Cebu is expected for next year, Gov. Hilario Davide III announced yesterday that he would be proposing a P446-million allocation for development projects.

Davide said the amount represents the Capitol’s 20-percent Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share as “development fund” that would be used to finance items in the Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

The Local Finance Committee also met yesterday to draw up the AIP to be approved by the Provincial Development Council tomorrow.

Utilization of the development fund forms part of the AIP, which the PDC must approve before the executive department submits the 2014 annual budget to the Provincial Board (PB) for ratification.

Davide said the development fund would be used in social and economic endeavors, as well as administrative and environmental governance and services.

He has yet to reveal the exact amount for next year’s annual budget that his office would submit to the PB.

He earlier said, though, that it would lesser than this year’s P3.26 billion, which is 11 percent lower than the P3.6 billion originally proposed by then governor and now Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia.

In her proposed budget for the Capitol, Garcia set aside P520 million for development projects but the PB only approved P362 million.

Davide took over as governor after winning the elections last May. If his proposed appropriation for the AIP gets the PB’s nod, it would be 18.84 percent higher than this year’s P362 million.

Meanwhile, Davide said the active participation of different stakeholders during the recently concluded provincial summit was an eye opener for him as he reaches 100 days in office today.

He said the ideas shared by various sectors would help his young administration in doing more in the areas of health care, food security, business and tourism.

“Kini ato (Ours is a) work in progress ni, I don’t even call them accomplishments, I call this work in progress since day one sa atong panglingkod (when I sat as governor),” Davide told reporters.

He said there are various challenges to his administration’s thrust of promoting a culture of transparency and accountability in the Provincial Government, but he is not buckling.

“Ato ning atubangon gyud, di man ta molihay (We will face this, we are not shying away from this). We are prepared to meet every challenge to come our way,” the neophyte governor said.

‘PROTECT TREES’ : Green activists may sue gov’t agencies over tree-cutting permit

By Christine Emily L. Pantaleon (Cebu Daily News)

A group of environment activists may take legal action against two government agencies over a tree-cutting permit to remove trees, including eight century-old trees, along the Naga-Carcar road widening project in south Cebu.

“We are considering filing a case against them,” said lawyer Rose Liza Eisma-Osorio of the Philippine Earth Justice Center (PJEC) in an interview.

She said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) should be held liable for allowing the road project to conitnue without exploring other options so as not to harm 154 trees along the 3.1 km highway from barangays Tinaan in Naga City to Langtad in Carcar City.

Work started in 2003 to build a four-lane highway to Carcar. The brainchild of then 1st district Rep. Eduardo Gullas is his legacy project, now continued by his grandson, Rep. Samsam Gullas.

Last month, the DENR central office issued a special tree-cutting permit for the DPWH to remove 42 trees, including eight century-old acacia trees which are standing in the way of the national road project.

This came despite objections raised since last year by heritage and environment lobbyists, including the Movement for a Liveable Cebu and former Cebu City Councilor Jack Jakosalem, whose father Dionisio Jakosalem was the Cebu governor who had many of the trees planted in 1915.

Earth-balling remains a costly option at P1.5 million per tree.

Because of the heritage value of the older trees, the DPWH had to request permission from the DENR Secretary under Presidential Decree 953 and Executive Order 23.

Not all century-old narra trees will be removed.

Sixteen of them will remain in place and should only be rehabilitated, said DENR information officer Eddie Llamedo. They can’t be earth-balled or transferred under conditions of the permit.

He said PEJC is welcome to join in monitoring conditions required before the tree-cutting. The monitoring activity will be attended by DENR, DPWH and local government units (LGUs).

Llamedo said that out of the 154 trees along the highway, only 42 of them can be cut.

Another 96 trees with a diameter of 25 cm should be earthballed or uprooted and replanted in a different location. These include narra and avocado trees.

DPWH is required to take care of these trees for three years and maintain 80 percent survival rate. If a tree would die, it has to be replaced with 100 trees.

Only seven of the 24 acacia trees along the road can be cut because of its advanced state of deterioration while 16 should be kept in place.

Trees which can be cut down have a diameter of 26 cm. They were identified as bagalonga, bread fruit, gemilina, jack fruit, dul-dul, lanite, mahogany, mango, mansanitas, star apple, neem tree, talisay, taloot, tamarind and tambis.

Llamedo said 16 century-old acacia trees have to be maintained. DPWH is required to present another road-widening project design that does not affect them.

DPWH can only cut down acacia trees marked last May 2012 with the numbers 82, 86 87, 88, 110, 111, 112, 113.

One of these eight marked trees, already rotted due to disease, collapsed two months ago and almost hit a passing Ceres bus. The acccident tied up traffic in south Cebu for eight to 10 hours.

Llamedo said these old acacia trees were already in an advance state of deterioration and posed serious danger to life and properties.

However, Osorio of PEJC said the group still has to verify if these trees were really contaminated with disease and rotting.

“They knew in the first place that those trees exist. They should have explored options before they plan for their road widening project,” Osorio said.

She said the DPWH also started the road project before securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate.

DPWH-7 Regional Director Ador Canlas said his agency considered other options for the road-widening but they all involve cutting down the trees.

“There are really trees that will be affected in the alignment of the road-widening project. That is why it took us for more than a year to pursue the project,” he said.

The roadwork is being carried out by Adlawan Construction.

Canlas said that the agency is strictly complying with the conditions set by DENR before they could cut trees.

“We are not here to fight anybody. We are only here to comply with the project that we are working for,” Canlas said.

DENR set three conditions in the tree-cutting permit:

First, DPWH should get endorsements from barangays Langtad, Tinaan, and Inoburan in Naga City.

Second, DPWH should conduct a thorough study and assessment of biodiversity concerns and the impact of cutting of trees.

Third, DPWH should plant 13,800 indigenous native trees such as narra and mabolo as replacements.

In a previous interview, then Congressman Gullas, said his road project was intended to speed up economic activity in south Cebu.

“This road has a regional influence and that is the reason why as early as 1992, I envisioned a four-laned highway going to Carcar because Carcar now has a bypass road going to the next town,” Gullas said.

He observed that traffic is no longer well served by the existing two-lane road in south Cebu.

Canlas said DPWH will add three to four more lanes in the highway but that it will narrow the road to two lanes where the 16 century-old acacia trees are located.

5,000 join Alay Lakad in Mandaue

(The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Some 5,000 students, government employees, and members of civic groups participated in the annual “Alay Lakad” held Sunday at 6:30 a.m. in Mandaue City to raise funds for their scholarship program.

The event was a joint project of Junior Chamber International (JCI-Mandaue City), Alay Lakad Foundation, Inc –Mandaue and city government .

Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede led city officials while city schools division superintendent Virginia Zapanta led the academe.

Also present were officials of JCI-Mandaue led by its president Rodencio Vergara IV.

Also joining the activity were Dannish students who have immersed with the community (street) children as part of their 6-month internship program. Godofredo Castanares, president of Alay Lakad Foundation, Inc-Mandaue, said that at present the foundation is supporting the needs of 57 scholars 24 of whom are in college and the rest are in elementary, high school, technical schools, and in Alternative Learning System (ALS).

Majority of the scholars are community (street) children.

One of the scholars, Nina Mae Calambo, 19, from barangay Mantuyong, thanked all those behind the project.

Calambo, a first year college student taking up IT in Ama Computer and Learning Center is a daughter of a trisikad driver and a sidewalk vendor.

“I know God gave me this program as an instrument in attaining my ambition of becoming a professional someday,” she said.

Also present during the event were five community children aged 16 to 19 who recalled how they graduated from being “rugby boys” to students of ALS and graduates of Automative Mechanic from the Mandaue City Technical, Entrepreneurial and Skills Training (MCCTEST) Center.

“Every year donations are sent to the foundation and we are thinking of expanding our program to support the sports program of the city,” Castanares said.

The city has allotted half a million pesos for this annual activity aside from donations from other sectors.

Mayor Jonas Cortes in his message read by his executive secretary lawyer Jamaal Calipayan said everyone is part of the problem and part of the solution.

According to the mayor, who is out of town, joining the walk is one’s own way of contributing to the city’s progress and in attaining its vision.

“I share, we are Mandaue, I am Mandaue,” he said.

Awarded during the program were Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School as the biggest delegation, Don Gerardo Ouano National High School as the most lively, and group 3 of city hall employees composed of the departments of DGS, HUDO, JASSU, City Planning, motor pool and DAR as most lively.

CCTV surveillance training for businesses held in Cebu

By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento/JMD (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Acknowledging the significance of a security program in a business, the SecurityMatters magazine has successfully held the Cebu leg of its first ever closed-circuit television (CCTV) video surveillance course training last September 17 to 20 at the Sacred Heart Convention Center in Cebu City.

This was in cooperation with the Accommodation Establishment Security and Safety Coordinating Council, Inc (AESSCCI)-Cebu Chapter and Philippine Society for Industrial Security Region 7 (PSIS7).

Cebu is considered to be the flagship province in the country to host the training courses, housing the most number of CCTV video surveillance operators, supervisors, and managers.

The three course batches of participants who attended the event included operators in the tourism and hospitality industry, representatives from the industrial sectors such as those in research and development facilities, export processing zones, big shopping malls, and manufacturing plants, as well as supervisors and managers from various companies.

SecurityMatters magazine editor-in-chief Ace Esmeralda who served as the lead instructor of the Cebu leg, discussed topics concerning the crucial privacy aspects of CCTV systems based on the legal provisions of applicable national laws, ordinances of several cities, and pending house and senate bills on CCTV.

Esmeralda is a certified protection professional, certified security professional and certified campus security manager.

He is also currently the Regional Vice President of ASIS International, Region 33 – Philippines and the managing director of Ace and Associates Risk Management, Inc.

Esmeralda pointed out during the training course that even the vendors and installers of CCTV system fail to teach their users the basic technical aspects of the equipment and operations.

In an earlier interview with The Freeman, Esmeralda considered a strong asset protection program as a foundation for businesses in terms of loss prevention, protection of lives and properties and increase on the value of the projects.

This is high time, he said, for existing and emerging companies to invest on asset protection with the fast-paced economic development in Cebu.

He further noted that companies with effective asset protection group are less exposed to unknown and known risks.

Central Visayas coops set Congress in Mandaue Oct. 25-26

(PNA), CTB/EB/PR

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu, Oct. 6 (PNA) -- Officials and members of the different cooperatives in the region will meet in Mandaue City from October 25 to 26 for the Central Visayas Cooperative Congress.

The Congress is one of the major activities of the celebration of October as “Cooperative Month” which carries the theme, “Cooperatives pave the way for inclusive growth.”

The Cooperative Month will culminate on October 29.

Felipe Deri, regional director of Cooperative Development Authority, said President Benigno S. Aquino III counts the cooperatives as important in the country’s economy.

Victor Comeros of the Visayas Cooperative Training Office said the Cooperative Congress is being organized by the Regional Cooperative Development Councils.

The cooperative congress is open to all cooperatives in the region.

PB set to pass proposed Green Building ordinance

By AJ de la Torre/GMR (Freeman, The Philippine Star)

CEBU, Philippines - After a public hearing last Wednesday, the Provincial Board (PB) will be approving for the second hearing the proposed ordinance to implement the “green building program” in Cebu.

Authored by PB Member Thadeo Ouano, the chairman of the committee on environment and natural resources, the ordinance known as “Province of Cebu Green Building Program and promoting green building practices in private development projects,” aims to promote economic and environmental health for all cities and municipalities within the province.

The ordinance aims to accomplish this through the design, construction and operation of the buildings which the provincial government plans to start for all the buildings and projects under it.As for buildings and projects that are under component cities and municipalities and the national government as well as those owned by private entities, the ordinance, if approved, would be voluntary.

With the program, it plans to “enhance the long term public health and welfare by contributing to the overall reduction of greenhouse gas production and emission and improving the environment and economical health of the province.”

Based on the ordinance, this will be achieved by increasing energy efficiency in buildings and public works projects, encouraging water and resource conservation, reducing waste generated by construction projects, reducing long-term building operating and maintenance costs, improving indoor air quality and occupant health and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas production and emissions.

A Green Building Management Board will be created to supervise the program and will be chaired by Gov. Hilario Davide III and co-chaired by Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale.

Members of the board will include Ouano as the chair of the said PB committee, and representatives from the leagues of municipal or city mayors of the province, the Philippine Green Building Council or a green building accreditation body, from private building developers and from any relevant professional organization like the United Architects of the Philippines, Philippines Institute of Environmental Planners or the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers.

The board will be using the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) rating system of the Philippines, which “measures how a building excels above and beyond the existing local environmental regulations and standards.”

If a certain building will pass the certification of the board, it will be categorized as a “green building” which according to the proposed ordinance is “a designation given to buildings that have achieved the requirements of the green building rating system defined in the green building program.”

Further, the provincial government will be conducting a training workshop every year to further educate participants about the program.

If the ordinance would be approved, the provincial government will be appropriating an initial P5 million budget for its implementation.

Wanted: 80,000 jobs this year for Cebu

By Fernando Fajardo

Last week, I said here that “Cebu’s labor force is growing at 40,000 a month.” That was yearly, not monthly. How did I arrive at this figure?

The population of the whole island of Cebu which consists of the province of Cebu and the three highly-urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City, was placed at 4.2 million in the May 2010 census with a computed 2.2 percent annual growth rate from 2000 to 2010. Using the same growth rate, the projected population of Cebu would have reached 4.5 million as of May this year.

About 65 percent of the national population is of the working age 15 years old and over. Normally, about 65 percent is the labor force participation rate (LFPR). The LFPR goes up with a fast-rising economy and down when the economy is slowing or reversing direction. With 65 percent LFPR, Cebu is estimated to have a total labor force of about 1.9 million this year. If the labor force were to grow also at the same annual rate as the total population (2.2 percent), Cebu’s labor force should have increased by at least 40,000 this year.

Do not think, however, that Cebu needs to create only 40,000 new jobs if we were to avoid more joblessness and poverty this year. In addition to the annual increase in our labor force we must also reckon the existing unemployed workers. The country’s unemployment rate is around 7 percent to 8 percent annually. By just applying 7.0 percent unemployment rate to our total labor force (National Statistics Office does not give unemployment rate data by province and cities), Cebu would have about 130,000 unemployed workers. If Cebu wants to cut down the unemployment rate to say 5 percent this year, it must create not just 40,000 but 80,000 new jobs. If Cebu creates only 50,000 new jobs this year, this will only cut down the number of the unemployed from 130,000 to 120,000.

Job creation is the first important step towards reducing poverty. I wonder therefore what our local government units (LGU), with 40 percent of the national internal revenue going to them annually, are doing to create jobs in their respective localities.

Is job creation the LGUs’ priority? Do they know how to create more jobs other than creating new positions for the supporters of the newly-elected local officials? Do they know what kind of jobs to create and in what sector in the economy? And more than this, do they know what jobs and what sectors are secure enough to last for many years to come and pay well?

A business process outsourcing (BPO) job pays well when compared to many other jobs in Cebu, but how long will BPO hiring last? In ranking, Cebu is in the global top 10 BPO cities but many more cities in the world are also aiming to attract more BPOs, including here in the Philippines such as Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, for example. Is Cebu strong enough to maintain its global position?

Cebu has six operating special economic zones and a few other Peza-approved SEZs which are still hibernating like the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City. In the six operating economic zones, the number of locators is not growing fast enough despite the reported rapid growth of the national economy. Meanwhile, the SRP which was originally intended as an industrial economic center is instead turning into a high end residential and commercial area. What kind of jobs will be created there, how many and how lasting? Will this kind of development give more benefits to Cebu in the long run than the original intended use of the SRP?

Admittedly, tourism creates a lot of jobs although not as high paying as the BPO industry. However, while Cebu is one of the priority tourism destination areas as far as the national tourism plan is concerned, we still have to see one major Tourism Enterprise Zone operating here. Moreover, I also wonder if Cebu has an integrated and coordinated plan to promote Cebu as an international tourist destination area. As I see it, most of the promotions made for Cebu are made more to direct the tourists to one particular resort or hotel rather than the whole of Cebu as such. And that is because most of the promotional activities are done separately by the individual tourism business establishment.

Now the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) is fast closing in. Cebu, through the effort of some concerned business groups, made a strong pitch to host some of the 13 ministerial and senior officials level meetings to be held prior to the final meeting of 21 heads of states that comprise the Apec. Many cities also made their pitch. I have not heard yet of the final decisions where to hold these meetings but considering Cebu’s good facilities, it is assured of bagging at least two or even more of these meetings aside from being the best alternative site for the Heads of States Meeting which will be held in Manila. Yet we still have to see actions in preparing Cebu for this momentous event

Going back to job creation, what are our LGUs doing to help generate more jobs in our micro, small and medium scale enterprises? They comprise up to 98 percent of the total number of business establishments in the country. How many of them are found in Cebu? How fast are they growing? How profitable are they? How many of them have graduated into the large scale level? Are not many of them just disappearing annually and replaced by new ones who are also likely to disappear soon?

My point is this: Unless our LGUs are mindful enough of the economic and employment situation in their respective areas and undertake promotional activities to attract new investments that generate jobs, there can be no immediate and lasting solution to the so-called exclusive growth that still characterized the nation today. There will still be growth but only for the benefit of the few.

Cebuano developers pitch mobile app for taxi riders

By Ehda M. Dagooc /JMD (The Philippine Star)

CEBU, Philippines - Cebuano developers have introduced the first-of-its-kind technology application, providing taxi commuters easier access to commercial cab transportation within the Metro Cebu area.

Kennet Baylosis, Keith Levi Lumanog, and Eddie Ybanez have introduced the MiCab app to the Cebuano riding public, giving commuters access to taxi service anytime and anywhere around the metropolis.

“We are commuters ourselves and we wanted a remedy for this problem,” the MiCab developers said. “So we pooled our talents together and came up with an app that works as a taxi-dispatching service.”

MiCab app is a cab-hailing smartphone application intended to give the Cebuano riding public hassle-free conveyance and never require them to wait in queues on taxi stands or even outsmart and outrun each other on the streets as they can simply hail a cab to their location by just tapping on their mobile phones.

The three young developers got full backing of award-winning ICT company, the Next IX, in their startup venture.

Next IX chief executive officer and founder Bobby Suson said he offered to support the young trio of developers as he has seen the potential in the MiCab startup.

“This kind of app is already in Manila, why not have this in Cebu?” Suson said.

“Since the use of new technology in almost everything is inevitable, common sense only dictates that we should also be able to use our mobile phones to hail a taxi,” he said.

The app is just easy as ABC to use, according to MiCab founders. They said people only need to download the app, key in some basic personal information and their self-description for recognition purposes.

With MiCab, a user can request for a taxi by just tapping on the app, which will then send a signal to available cabs within a two-kilometer radius.

Taxi drivers are also equipped with smartphones which they can use to either accept or decline the request for pick-up. MiCab is charging the drivers P30 a day for the smartphones and data load credits.

For using the app, the passenger will only pay a minimal P5 charge on top of the taxi fare.

MiCab decided to team up with Ken Taxi which now has 60 of its cabs equipped with smartphones for this pilot program. MiCab aims to have at least 200 taxi units under its fleet.

The MiCab app is only available for Android devices at the moment, but the three young developers said it will soon be available for iOS and Windows devices this month.

PB gives go signal for third bridge study

By Gregg M. Rubio (Banat)

CEBU, Philippines - The conduct of the feasibility study of the third access linking the Island of Mactan and mainland Cebu is underway as the Provincial Board gave go signal for the start of the project.

The PB has authorized Gov. Hilario Davide III to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy for the conduct of the feasibility study.

To be included in the study are the necessary pre-development, traffic, engineering and other technical studies to determine the feasibility of the project.

Davide told reporters that they will set the signing of the MOA with MPTC and Cordova after the PB has passed the resolution sponsored by Board Member Grecilda Sanchez last session.

“MPTC shall conduct its pre-development studies at no cost to the Province and Cordova,” read the proposed MOA.

Davide said he had an informal talk with some MPTC officials during their visit at the Capitol last month.

“It’s a huge project kung madayun,” said Davide adding that it would still take a long process.

As proposed by MPTC, the project includes the design, construction, implementation, operation and maintenance of a third access located south of the existing Osmeña Bridge linking the Island of Mactan to Cebu City.

It also includes the main bridge structure, viaduct, causeway, and support arterial roads.

MPTC is also considering looking at various alignments extending the third access connection up to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

The rise in business establishments locating within the Province and the increase in passenger vehicles and the ever-growing population that have contributed to the traffic congestion in major thoroughfares in Metro Cebu are the major considerations for having a third access in addition to the two existing bridges.

Seeing the traffic problem on both bridges, the Metro Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) earlier passed a resolution appealing the authorities to hasten the opening of the third access.

The proposals under discussion at present include the opening of a tunnel from Cebu City to Cordova town which forms part of Mactan Island.

The second proposal was the construction of a third bridge from Cebu City passing through Shell Island to Cordova.

Talisay SP okays P2M road project

By Garry B. Lao (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City council has approved the P1.9-million asphalt overlay project intended for various roads in the city.

Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante said that prior to the implementation of the project, the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) needs to endorse it to the council for approval.

Villarante said the approval from the city council is needed in order ensure fairness and transparency in the bidding proces.

City Councilor Edward Alesna, chairman of the committee on budget and finance, has recommended that Gela Construction, the lowest calculated responsive bidder, has complied with all the requirements.

The council has given the green light to Mayor Johnny De los Reyes to enter into a contract with GELA construction.

At least 16 major roads in Talisay City are being rehabilitated.

Aside from the city government, first district Rep. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas said about P10 million of road-asphalting and rehabilitation projects are already being carried out by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Undergoing rehabilitation are Biasong road, Burgos road, Bascon road, Fresco Deiparine road, Fidel Bas road, Linao-Mohon road, Linao to Maghaway road, P. del Rosario street, Poblacion to Cansojong road, Polong Deiparine road, Pooc road to Cong. A. Bacaltos street, Rabaya street, Ramona Street, and Rizal street.

Gullas said these road projects are part of his infrastructure program planned for his district, which includes Talisay.

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