Cebu City News March 2017

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View of Cebu City from the bay
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Aerial View of Cebu City
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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.

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Cebu City Cathedral
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Magellan's Cross in Cebu City
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Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

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

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

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

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
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Mormon Temple Lahug cebu city philippines

Summer grassroots program set

By Calvin D. Cordova

ASPIRING athletes will get a chance to hone their skills for free as the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) will once again spearhead the staging of the Summer Grassroots Sports Training Program on April 17-May 12 in various public schools in Cebu City.

“We are expecting 10,000 participants and we have 600 volunteer coaches who will handle the various sports clinics,” said CCSC chairman Edward Hayco, who led the program’s press launching yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

A total of 24 sports disciplines will be offered in the program. These are arnis, archery, badminton, taekwondo, dancesports, karatedo, futsal, wushu, sepak takraw, table tennis, lawn tennis, beach volleyball, air rifle, chess, track and field, weightlifting, touch rugby, softball/baseball, boxing, scrabble, pencak silat, volleyball, gymnastics and muay thai.

“We will be scouting for talents during the program. Coaches are instructed to identify those who have the potentials and prepare them for their intramurals,” said Hayco.

The program is open to athletes 6 to 18 years old.

For the North District, venues are City Central School, Hipodromo Elementary School, Lahug Elem. Schl., Mabolo Elem. Schl., Tejero Elem. Schl., Zapatera Elem. Schl., Barrio Luz Elem. Schl. and Talamban Elem. Schl.

Clinics in the South District will be held at the Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elem. Schl., Pardo Elem. Schl., Mambaling Elem. Schl., Labangon Elem. Schl., Punta Princesa Elem. Schl., Inayawan Elem. Schl. and San Nicolas Elem. Schl.

Interested parties may contact the CCSC office at 520-8839.

CH receives public advisory system

By Razel V. Cuizon

SO the public will be well-informed during calamities and other emergencies, Smart Telecommunications Inc. and Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Co. turned over the Infocast Project to the Cebu City Government yesterday.

The project, which was given for free to the City, will be used to give out advisories.

Smart executives and Mayor Tomas Osmeña attended the launching of the project in the Social Hall of City Hall.

Greggy Senados of the Public Information Office (PIO) said that Smart Infocast is a web-based communications solutions that allows the City to send warnings, advisories, preparedness tips, and important announcements.

The City can send advisories to 25,000 Smart, PLDT, Talk and Text, and Sun Cellular subscribers daily.

Other mobile network subscribers can be covered if the City will load the system.

The barangay officials and school heads in the city as well as the public information officers of other local government units will be prioritized in the sending of advisories.

They will then help disseminate the information to others.

The Infocast Project will be managed by the PIO. The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office will have access to it at the Command and Control Center in Barangay Mambaling.

Published in the SunStar Cebu newspaper on March 30, 2017.

Latest issues of SunStar Cebu also available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Subscribe to our digital editions at epaper.sunstar.com.ph and get a free seven-day trial.

Lenten exhibit opens at the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu

By Ador Vincent S. Mayol

An exhibit of sacred images and tableaux depicting Jesus’ suffering and death are on display at the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu located beside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Renowned iconographer Clodoveo “Louie” Nacorda said the Lenten exhibit offers an opportunity for the faithful to deepen their faith, and to recall the passion of Christ.

“We deem it appropriate to have this exhibit for people to remember everything Jesus Christ did for mankind. We continue to evangelize through arts and religious heritage,” he said.

Nacorda, who owns all the images that are used in the exhibit, said displaying the pasos or the religious statues that portrays the passion and death of Jesus is a beautiful Filipino tradition that should be preserved.

“We keep it alive by showing all these (images),” he said.

Among the tableaux on display are Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem, the agony in the Garden of Gethsame, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning of thorns, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion, and the burial of Jesus.

Also present are the images of the Our Lady of Sorrows and the women who were in the passion narratives: St. Magdalene, St. Salome, and St. Maria Jacobe.

The Lenten exhibit was blessed by Msgr. Ruben Labajo, team moderator of the Cebu Cathedral, on Saturday, March 25.

It is open daily to the public free of charge from 9 a.m. to 12 noon; 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. until April 30.

At on April 8, Saturday, a lecture on the pasos images will be given by Dr. Nacorda at the Archdiocesan Museum from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

P101.3M for City Jail

By Razel V. Cuizon

To ease congestion, around P101.3 million was allocated by the National Government for the construction of a four-story building to expand the detention facility of the Cebu City Jail.

In a letter addressed to Councilor Dave Tumulak, Senior Supt. Dennis Rocamora of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) 7 said their regional office received around P329.3 million for the construction of more jail buildings.

The biggest part of it, Rocamora said, goes to the Cebu City Jail.

Tumulak said the City's jail facility is intended to accommodate 1,000 prisoners, but it has gone beyond its capacity limit.

He said the project will help decongestthat facility that currently houses some 4,100 detainees.

"The City Government is thankful to the National Government that it allocated funds for the city jail because our jail is the third most thickly populated jails all over the Philippines. We fully support the BJMP, especially in the processing of permits," Tumulak said.

The building will be built inside the city jail compound.

BJMP 7 is now bidding out the project and construction will follow right after.

Meanwhile, Tumulak said the City is planning to ask the Philippine National Police to augment the security in the city jail.

The councilor said that BJMP now has 75 jail officers securing the facility.

Surge of Cebu’s millennials eyed

By Aileen Garcia-Yap 9:41 pm
Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant opens as firm considers to bring in 2 more resto brands

With Cebu fast becoming a hub, a Manila-based company which operates 200 stores under 12 restaurant brands in the country has brought in the world’s most affordable Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant and is also looking to introduce two more brands in Cebu soon.

FooDee Global Concepts officially opened the first Tim Ho Wan store outside of Metro Manila last Saturday.

In an interview on Friday, FooDee Global Concepts chief executive officer Rikki Dee said they believe in the Cebuano market, which he said has grown robustly over the years largely influenced by the surge of the millennials who are very updated.

According to Dee, people nowadays consume a lot of information. They are updated on the latest fashion, dining, attraction, destination and more; thus the demand for quality also increases.

The Cebuano market is no different he said, saying that Cebuanos now also dine a lot outside.

“In the past, people dine outside four times a week. Now it’s ten times a week.”

According to Dee, the Cebuano market has matured not only in the number of people here but also the economic DNA that makes up a market that attracts more investors like them to come and offer what they have.

“We have done some studies not only here (Cebu City) but also in its neighboring cities and we found out that the other cities are growing as well with a lot of developments unfolding. In terms of the purchasing power, Cebuanos are now earning well to be able to afford dining out more often,” he said.

Tim Ho Wan is located at the upper ground floor of the Mountain Wing of SM Seaside City. It is the seventh store in the country and the first outside of Metro Manila.

Dee said Tim Ho Wan is among the five brands under their group that are Michelin-starred.

Tim Ho Wan today is known as the “most affordable Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant in the world.”

Tim Ho Wan started as a 20-seater hole-in-wall eatery in Mongkok, Hong Kong in 2009 founded by chef Mak Kwai Oui and chef Leung Fai Keun.

Because of its quality offerings, the eatery quickly earned the Michelin Star after a year listed in the 2010 HK and Macau Michelin guide.

Since then, the restaurant expanded to Singapore, then to the Philippines in 2014.

It now has branches in Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, Macau and most recently in New York.

Dee said the Cebuanos, just like the rest of the Filipinos, know what it means to be a Michelin-starred restaurant as influenced by social media.

“When you say Michelin-starred, it tells of quality and we know for a fact that the Cebunao market will really pay for quality. That is the value that we are offering here,” he said.

FooDee Global Concepts currently has 12 restaurant brands under them and operates 200 stores nationwide.

Dee said that they are also looking to introduce two brands in Cebu soon which includes their gourmet burger brand Pound by Todd English.

Nine city scholars may graduate soon

By Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - At least nine former students of Asian College of Technology and/or Asian College of Technology International Education Foundation may get their college diploma in April after the city government assured it will pay the P135 million it owes the school for tuition fees of scholars.

“They completed Associate in Hospitality Management in Asian College of Technology and pursued Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management in Golden Success College Inc. They hope to graduate next month but were told they cannot graduate unless they can present their TOR (Transcript of Records) from ACT,” said Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

In 2015, ACT withheld the TORs of 2,600 city scholars because of the city’s unsettled dues.

The city, under the administration of former mayor Michael Rama, was reluctant in paying off the unsettled payment because of a case that found ACT’s owner, Cebu City South District Representative Rodrigo Abellanosa, guilty of grave misconduct for conflict of interest in the city government’s scholarship program. Close Ad X

This time, Osmeña said the city government is willing to pay for the dues.

“(City’s) legal department will study. I’m just waiting for clearance,” Osmeña said.

Councilor Nendell Hanz Abella, head of the City Council’s committee on education, said it is the city that is responsible for paying the accounts and not the students.

“I appeal to ACT to release the TORs of the students so that they can use it either to take the PRC Board examination or for employment,” he said

He said the city’s scholarship program will be useless if the students cannot make use of their TORs.

Lhea Mae Casucot, a city scholar and former student of ACT, was elated when informed she could secure her TOR soon.

Casucot said she has P20,000 pending payables at ACT.

She was among the students who met with Osmeña last week to ask for the mayor’s help.

In his March 20-letter, Osmeña told ACT President Joseph Stephen Descallar that the city government is willing to settle the P135 million that it owes the school.

Sought for comment, City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez said the city government is still waiting for the court to render its decision and ruling on the civil case filed by the previous administration, which asked the court if the city may be allowed to pay the tuition fee of the scholars.

Abellanosa, who was also city councilor when he signed the MOA on June 24, 2010, likewise participated in the accreditation of schools where city scholars could enroll in.

Recently, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the graft case the Office of the Ombudsman filed against Abellanosa.

With the dismissal of the case, Osmeña said he will ask permission from the Commission on Audit (COA) on how best to disburse city funds to solve the problem, once and for all.

Cebu City to relaunch Smart Infocast program

By Ferliza Calizar-Contratista (rmn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu)

CEBU CITY (PIA) – To beef up its communication efforts, the Cebu City Government is reviving its Infocast program with Smart Communications.

The city will re-launch later this month the Infocast program upon the initiative of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO).

Greg Senados of the Cebu City Public Information Office said Smart Infocast is a web-based communications solutions that allows the city to send warnings, advisories, preparedness tips, and important announcements to over 25,000 subscribers daily.

He said this will be launched on March 29 with members of the barangay disasters, health, department heads and members of the Cebu Association of City and Municipal Public Information Officers (CAOCAMPIO).

However, beginning March 19, the program has already been operating.

Atty. Mary Jane Paredes, corporate communications head of Smart, said that in Cebu province, those availing the program are Cebu Provincial Government, Carcar City, and Danao City.

Smart Infocast is the mobile network’s support to disaster risk reduction efforts of the Philippines particularly with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

It was initially laid out in 2012.

Currently, the Infocast has more than 800 users and 2 million subscribers.

Other provinces and cities that use Smart Infocast include Aurora, Batangas, Quezon, Albay, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos.

The government agencies who also availed of the Smart Infocast feature other than OCD are Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Department of Science and Technology(DOST), Department of Education (Deped) DRRM office, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine National Police Maritime Group (PNPMG).

March 25 is Earth Hour

By Razel V. Cuizon

THE Cebu City Government will host Earth Hour 2017 celebration, or the switching off of lights for an hour tomorrow, March 25.

Former Councilor Ma. Nida Cabrera, who serves as over-all chairman of the Earth Hour 2017, said the City has set aside P80,000 fund from the City Sponsored Activities for the event.

Cabrera pointed out the importance of joining the Earth Hour, which is also being observed globally. Earth Hour, which will be observed from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., is a global drive to reduce the effects of climate change.

It will be the first time for the City to host the event, in partnership with several non-government organizations.

Before the switch-off ceremony, a program will be held at Plaza Independencia.

Teoddy Navea, Secretary General of Sanlakas, said that his group will also organize a lecture with Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma as speaker to discuss the ill-effects of coal-fired power plants.

After the one-hour turning off of lights, Habagat Outdoor Equipment also organized a night bike ride, which is expected to gather at least 4,000 bikers.

NDRRMC to hold Q1 nat'l quake drill in Cebu City

(PNA), PRIAM F. NEPOMUCENO

MANILA, March 22 (PNA) -- In line with ongoing efforts to educate the public on what to do in case a major tremor strikes the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) will be holding its 1st Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) at the Provincial Capitol, Cebu City on March 31.

NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad, in a statement Wednesday, said the event will take place 2 p.m.

In line with this, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) launches its "Bida Ang Handa Campaign" which seeks to promote disaster preparedness through public participation in the NSED.

  1. BidaAngHanda is the official hashtag for this year's NSED.

Jalad said another goal of the campaign is to gather the maximum number of commitments via social media.

"The campaign involves the participation of the government, private, academe and media sectors as well as other stakeholders by generating a photo and or video of individuals doing a preparedness activity with the fan sign or spoken statement: 'Mag-da-Duck, Cover, and Hold kami sa March 31, 2017! Dahil bida ang handa," the NDRRMC chief stressed.

Continuing the symphonic tradition in Cebu City

By Antonio C. Hila (CONTRIBUTED, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

In 1991, pianist Ingrid Sala Santamaria ventured into the heroic task of providing musical education for Cebu’s musically talented individuals, many of whom learned music from the musical classes held by the Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation, Inc. in Cebu City.

The training was geared toward putting up a symphony orchestra to answer Cebu City’s musical needs.

Halfway through the 10-year development plan, the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra was born in 1995. By 2000 it had graduated into a mature Peace Philharmonic Philippines.

Throughout the decade, Sala Santamaria passionately managed the training of these budding musicians she literally gathered from one Cebu town to another. She personally attended to their training, inviting pedagogues from Manila and abroad, and managed the foundation’s financial and artistic concerns.

All those years, she starved “pianistically” as she did not play the piano, except on the rare occasions when the orchestra would need her to collaborate.

On her 77th birthday on Feb. 25, she was surprised by a “tribute,” a grand reunion concert by the alumni of the foundation.

Billed a “Grand Finale” concert, the event was organized by the siblings Hannah Magdadaro Go and Hazel Magdadaro Sanchez and their parents at the Pacific Ballroom of Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Cebu City.

Former members of the Cebu Youth symphony Orchestra (CYSO) and the Peace Philharmonic Philippines (PPP), and some alumni of the foundation and volunteer musicians from Japan, Australia and Manila who had played with CYSO and PPO, came over to partake of the celebration.

The Japanese musicians were Masamoto Toyoda (cello); Mizue Kikuchi Hoshi (violin 1); Chiseko Kubo (piano); Ai Iwamto Nagayama (French horn); Kazuko Uehara (viola); and Miyuki Nago (tuba).

Rey Lecciones (violin) came all the way from Perth, Australia.

From Manila came Sara Maria Gonzales (violin); concert master; Joseph Brian Simafranca (violin); Arnold Josue (cello), Ariel Perez (bassoon); Jeffrey Solares (violin); and Princess Christine Ybañez (violin).

Thriving music scene

It was a big orchestra that potently crafted a brilliant symphonic sound, conducted by its previous conductor, Rodelio Flores, who flew over from Oregon, where he and his family are now based.

Cebu has a thriving, dynamic musical environment. There are nine music studios being manned by alumni of CYSO and PPP. Four other vibrant orchestra groups exists in the city and environs: Cebu Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), Classic Youth Orchestra (CYO), Visayas Symphony Orchestra (VSO), and JRG Visayanian Orchestra and Sinfonia.

Of the over 100 alumni, 75 are based in Cebu and are actively engaged in musical playing. Twenty-one of them teach in colleges and schools in the province. Some alumni are also engaged as choral directors.

The program included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major; Sibelius’ “Valse Triste” and “Finlandia”; Green’s Overture on Philippine Folk Songs; and Grieg’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Major, with Sala Santamaria as soloist.

Reunited after several years, the musicians played with gusto, especially when they played “Happy Birthday” song in honor of their musical mother.

In her message, Sala Santamaria recalled that, years ago, putting up the orchestra was not a bed of roses. The hurdles were conquered, and now the orchestra she just played with was a robust harvest that continues to enrich the musical-cultural scene of the province of Cebu.

Tonight, she said, is “a monument, not necessarily for me alone because it is my birthday, but a toast for what music can do for humanity.”

Immigration forum on March 23

(Sun.Star Cebu)

PROFESSIONALS and fresh graduates who are interested in taking their careers to the next level can look forward to the Enhance Visa immigration forum on March 23, 6 p.m., at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel, Cebu City.

The #ItsTimeToMove, an immigration forum for professionals who are interested in becoming New Zealand permanent residents, is open to all professionals especially in the fields of healthcare, business, computer science, engineering, agriculture and others.

Attendees will get to hear from the representative of one of Enhance Visa’s partners schools in New Zealand, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.

Through this forum, they will get the most reliable advice on how they can transition from students to working professionals and eventually becoming eligible for immigration.

“We have been partnering with various educational institutions in New Zealand which can offer our clients the best qualifications that are responsive to the country’s economic needs,” says Eden Dumont, Managing Director of Enhance Visa. “International education has been one of the ways in which migrants can achieve points to qualify for skilled migrant immigration to New Zealand.”

Enhance Visa has been providing immigration programs and pathways to Canada, Australia and New Zealand for the past 22 years. It seeks to help more Filipinos build their dreams of a more stable and permanent future for them and their families.

For more information on the latest immigration trends in New Zealand, contact Enhance Visa at 0917-799-7700 or visit www.enhanceimmigration.com.

Cebu graduate on topping med exam: It’s God’s work

By May B. Miasco (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - Poring over her medical books since her graduation, this year’s medical exam topnotcher Maude Tabigue said that acing the licensure exam was a work of God.

The Southwestern University alumna yesterday said that she only hoped to pass the exam but did not expect to be this year’s medical exam top placer.

With a rating of 87 percent, Tabigue, a 26-year-old native of Bohol, ranked fourth in the recently-concluded Physician Licensure Examination, wherein 813 of the 1,317 takers passed.

However, Tabigue said it was not a smooth sailing journey, in fact, two weeks prior to the exam she suffered from a systematic viral infection, a term being used to connote a health condition affecting the whole body. Typically, the virus enters the body leading to a local affectation with increasing chances of infecting the blood circulation and various body parts.

She stopped studying for quite some time to rest. And so, she decided to surrender her worries to the Lord.

“I was just praying while I answered the questions. It was a humbling experience… all I could do was to let go and let God take over,” she said.

She said she only aimed to pass the exam because it was difficult.

“After finishing the exam, I just cried and prayed for me and my friends to pass. Anything more would be a big bonus! It's all up to Him (God)!” said Tabigue.

Tabigue said her schoolmate who also took the exam messaged her through FB Messenger about the results.

"I couldn't believe it at first. It seemed impossible since I found the exam really difficult," said Tabigue, who prepared for the exam like enrolling in a review center in Cebu City.

She said the months she spent preparing for the exam have taught her "discipline, patience and endurance."

"Most importantly, it has strengthened my relationship with God," she said.

"Thanks to the prayer and good friends and fatherly advice from our mentor, Dr. Toom Vatanagul, that I managed to stay on track," she added.

She said she has no definite plans yet what to do next after passing the medical exam.

Tabigue was a consistent achiever since her elementary years. She graduated top of her class as valedictorian at the St. Anthony's Elementary School in Carmen, Bohol, and finished high school as class valedictorian at the Holy Spirit School in Tagbilaran City.

She also completed her degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing as magna cum laude in 2010 at the Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. On the same year, she passed the Nursing licensure exam.

"I enjoyed full scholarship throughout my medical education which immensely helped us financially," Tabigue said.

Tabigue is the only child of a public school teacher and a government hospital employee.

"They are my inspiration. They have sacrificed so much for me to realize my dreams. This is all for them," she said.

Terminal earns P1.2M

By Razel V. Cuizon

IN just four months, the Cebu City Government collected more than P1 million in fees in operating the vans-for-hire (V-hire) terminal in Barangay Kamagayan.

According to the City Treasury Office’s (CTO) report to Mayor Tomas Osmeña, City Hall earned at least P1.2 million in miscellaneous fees.

Since the City moved the terminal to the lot where the Citi Center Commercial Complex used to stand last November, CTO was able to collect a total of P610,070 fees. This is on top of the P650,105 collected for the past two months.

The terminal houses around 150 V-hires plying southern Cebu.

Osmeña said that the revenues justify his decision to allow the operation of the terminal, despite the questions raised by Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr.

Acting on Alcover’s privilege motion, the City Council asked the Office of the Mayor to stop the “illegal” operation of the terminal, saying the residents and the barangay were not consulted about it. “I’m in favor of it. Why? Because the people like it,” Osmeña said in his news conference last Wednesday.

Indigent seniors receive P1,500 cash aid

By Michelle Joy L. Padayhag

AT 85 years old, Adriana Layan of Barangay Banilad, Cebu City still works in a farm and sells body oil in Barangay Tunghaan, Minglanilla town to buy medicines and food for her family.

Layan has no choice but to work hard since her two children are jobless and only one of her eight grandchildren earns as a jeepney driver.

So it was with some relief and gratitude that Layan received the P1,500 cash aid yesterday from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Social Pension Program

Layan was among the 2,000 beneficiaries who received P1,500 at Plaza Sugbo in Cebu City.

With the cash aid, Layan said she can rest for a few days and then buy medicines for her arthritis without having to work in a farm and sell body oil.

“Nalipay g’yud ko nga nakadawat ko ani kay makatabang nako ni. Magpa misa unya ko kay dapat magpasalamat sa Ginoo sa grasya nga nadawat (I am very happy when I received the money since this could help me. I will offer mass because we need to thank God for the blessings received),” she said.

Layan will also use part of the amount to buy a can of adult milk. She temporarily lives in Barangay Tunghaan, Minglanilla town with her family and plants sweet potato, bananas and horse radish for food.

She also sells body oil for P100 per bottle or does massage.

When asked why she still needs to work despite her age, she simply answered, “Because we are poor.”

Leah Japson, head of the City Social Welfare and Services (CSWS), said the beneficiaries are indigent senior citizens with no monthly pension received from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Social Security System (SSS).

“These beneficiaries are identified as the poorest of the poor,” Japson said.

The DSWD coordinated with DSWS in identifying the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries of the Social Pension Program receive P500 per month. The distribution is done every quarter.

She also clarified that the cash assistance received yesterday by the senior citizens are separate from the annual P12,000 cash aid given by Cebu City Hall.

Abella dominates All Women Ultra

By May B. Miasco (The Freeman)

LIZANE Abella of the Spectrum Runners Club set a new event record and clinched the 6th All Women Ultramarathon (Awum) title at the Il Corso Grounds in South Road Properties, Cebu City yesterday.

The 28-year-old Abella completed the 50-kilometer race in 4 hours, 30 minutes and 32 seconds, shattering the record of 4:38 set by Mereeis Ramirez in 2014.

Abella dethroned her teammate, Presciosa Sanchez, who crossed the finish line in 4:59:01 for third place. The 2015 champion Sandra Soliano, also from Spectrum Runners Club, snagged second place with a time of 4:41:12.

“I did not expect to win since I just got back into running after I recovered for my right leg injury. I just prepared for two weeks for this race,” said the Minglanilla, Cebu native Abella. “I did not force my game and just maintained on my pace throughout the race. I just watched my movements because I was scared that my injury would get back.”

June Marq Ocana of Omega Pro Tri Team nabbed fourth place in 5:05:49, while Cagayan de Oro City’s Jennifer Red Sabela of Team Heaven took fifth place in 5:07:37.

Those who made the top 10 are Rona Lacanlale of Paksit Runner (5:15:16), Mari Marivic of Team CPPO (5:17:04), Wilma Theresa Lugay of Oval Runners (5:17:40), Janice Gabales of Team Heaven (5:18:26), and Rhoda Oporto of Paksit Runner (5:18:31).

The 6th Awum, part of the Women’s Month Celebration, had 300 female runners. There were 290 finishers, five failed to finish while the other five runners finished beyond the cutoff time.

“So much thanks to our sponsors, the different run clubs, triathlon teams, PNP personnel, barangay officials/ tanods, traffic enforcers, race marshal and most especially the Awumers themselves for making our 6th edition successful and enjoyable,” said race director Willie Estepa.

Cebu Country Club

By Mike Besa

Smack in the middle of Cebu City in Banilad sits the scenic Cebu Country Club. The club traces its beginnings to the early 1900s as a nine-hole golf course built by British and American executives. Today, almost a century later, it has blossomed into the premiere course in the Visayas. The course is beautiful. The trees that border the fairways are as mature as any golf course I’ve seen. The fairways are carabao grass but this is part of the charm here; it is golf the way my grandfather played it, the way it used to be.

The course is flat but is no pushover. The fairways are defined by mature tree lines, mounding and water; lots of it, making the course play much harder than it reads on the card. Its main defenses are its greens. The greens are small so you will miss a few of them. This puts a premium on your short game. The greens are planted with native zoysia which is inherently grainy. This makes them almost unreadable if you’re playing the course for the first time. You will encounter side-hill putts that break uphill and downhill putts that are slow; details that are impossible to decipher unless you’ve played it a few times. Fortunately, the fairways are wide for the most part allowing you to take driver and swing away. You’ll need to get as much distance off the tee as you can to give yourself a shorter approach shot to deal with. Just make sure you don’t drive it in the water.

That’s the other killjoy on the golf course; water and there’s a lot of it. Water is in play on eleven of the eighteen holes. A recent redesign changed two holes; the fifth and sixth substantially. Five is totally different; different tee, different green and the tee shot now carries a water hazard. The club added substantial length to number six, pushing the tee box back and angling it over what used to be the fifth green. They’re expanding the fairway to the right of the cart path on the left and once this is completed the path will run to the left of the expanded area. This will create a bit of a dogleg in the otherwise straight hole which will later be further accentuated when they expand the water hazard on the right to encroach even further on the right side of the fairway. The difficult green will then be pushed further to the right of the golfer bringing the bunker on the left side of the fairway into play. The changes have significantly increased the difficulty of the two holes. Number six is now the handicap one.

I can’t be sure, but number three seems like the course’s signature hole. It’s a gorgeous little par-3 with the green fronted by a pond with a couple of trees growing out of it. It’s also home to the club’s resident ducks and pigeons that are unafraid of humans and will waddle right up to you looking for a handout. Eight is a proper par 4; most will need a fairway wood or hybrid to reach the green even after a good tee shot. The par 5s are the most aesthetically pleasing; two, seven, eleven and sixteen are all beauties and offer real scoring opportunities to those that safely navigate their fairways. Eighteen is a tough finishing hole; there’s OB right and the hole doglegs around it. Bunkers guard the corner waiting for those that take too safe a line off the tee.

In addition to being a tough short track, this course has also produced a number of great champions. The legendary “Bantam” Ben Arda honed his game on these very fairways and former Philippine Open champion Rudy Lavares, who holds the four-day scoring record of the event, also calls Cebu Country Club home. He was best known for leading the Philippines to a second place finish in the World Cup in 1977 when he finished as runner-up to Gary Player in individual play. He was the Order of Merit leader in the local tour in the early 90′s and played the Old Course at St. Andrews in the Dunhill Cup as the representative of the Philippines.

In the mid-1970s when the Philippine Amateur was played in this course, a wiry young kid from Bukidnon barely made the match play stages qualifying as the sixteenth and last seed. He beat the number one seed and went on to win the tournament becoming its youngest winner. His legend grew from there. His name is Frankie Miñoza.

Since the club is located smack in the middle of the city, the course gets a substantial amount of use. At the recently concluded Aboitiz Invitational, the organizers were pleasantly surprised at how much traffic the course got during the week. Also typical of a city club, the food is very, very good and the club’s expansive veranda is a wonderful place to enjoy it. The salpicado and the paksiw na isda are best sellers. Chase that down with the ice cream roll and you’ll be looking for a spot to curl up on for a nap.

Cebu Country Club is link to golf in the Philippines past, a glimpse into the game during its hey-day and is truly the first golf course of the Visayas. Its beauty and tranquillity are complimented by its accessibility and appeal to a broad spectrum of golfers and make it a must-play when in the Queen City of the South.

DOST brings Hybrid Electric Road Train to Cebu City

By Carmel Loise M. Matus (rmn/clm/PIA7)

CEBU (PIA) --- Mass transport is among the top things that the Cebuanos are clamoring about.

A survey in 2016 on Driver Satisfaction Index conducted by transport app Waze shows that Cebu City is the “worst place in the world to be a driver”. Waze indicated that Cebu wasn’t ranked in the 2015 study.

Cebu was followed in the list by Bogor, Indonesia; San Salvador, El Salvador; and Denpansar and Bandung in Indonesia.

So will employing mass transport help these traffic woes?

There is one mass transport vehicle that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has come up in order to address this.

As early as the year 2014, a team of Filipino engineers from the DOST’s Metal Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) introduced their locally crafted “Hybrid Electric Road Train”.

Samuel Parcon, supervising science and research specialist of DOST in Central Visayas, shared that the parts were even sourced out locally by these engineers.

There are two of these trains running now. The first one is in operation in Clark in Pampanga while the second one is here in Cebu City ready for testing.

So why is it called a road train?

Parcon explained that this train was designed to run on the road. But unlike the regular train, which runs much faster on rails, this road train may only run at a maximum speed of 50 kph.

What is the advantage of having this running on the road?

Parcon said it could carry a maximum of 240 passengers on its five fully-air conditioned coaches. You can just imagine going on board a real train but only running on concrete road.

Its length may be compared to that of a ten-wheeler truck since it is 40 meters long. It offers a spacious aisle and seating.

Traffic brings pollution especially emissions from vehicles but this road train is considered an eco-friendly mass transport since produces less smoke emission.

Aside from being eco-friendly, it is also designed to be energy-efficient, which means the train does not need electricity and suspended cables to operate. The entire train is powered by a 300-kVA generator set and dry cell batteries, which are all housed inside the fifth coach or the power coach.

Parcon said this Filipino innovation is waiting to be tested on some of the major thoroughfares in Cebu City.

They are currently working with the Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO) in order to identify the possible areas for its test run.

In 2015, DOST and the Cebu City government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to test if this mode of transportation is feasible here and if it can complement with the planned Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other means of public transportation.

“Dako gyud ni siya ug matabang kung mass transport ang hisgotan kay dako man ni ug capacity (This is a big help in terms of mass transport since this has a bigger capacity),” Parcon said.

Should the Cebu City government see that it is not viable here, Parcon said they are looking at offering it to other local government units who may be interested to use the technology.

The road train was brought here to Cebu City as part of DOST’s project on “Technology Promotion and Field Testing of Hybrid Road Train in Cebu City”.

CPVDC celebrates 25th listing anniversary

(PR)

RECENTLY cited as among the top companies in the country for best practices in corporate governance, Ayala-led Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corp. (CPVDC) commemorated its silver year in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) last March 3. The property firm debuted on the stock market on March 3, 1992.

CPVDC is a full-line real estate company which was initially a joint venture corporation between the Province of Cebu and Ayala Land. It developed what was then the old Lahug Airport in Cebu City into the Cebu IT Park, now home to 70 percent of Cebu’s BPO industry.

“We started operations in Cebu almost three decades ago because we recognized then the growth potential for business and the IT industry in the region and knew that Cebu was the right place to start,” CPVDC chair Bobby Dy said in his message.

“By 2019, with projects already under construction, we will double our existing leasing portfolio and significantly increase recurring income, as well as enhance the offerings in our development,” Dy added.

Among CPVDC’s current projects is Central Bloc, a stacked 2.2-hectare development that will consist of office, retail, and hotel components, all in the center of Cebu IT Park. Once completed, the development is envisioned to create a better work and lifestyle experience for the city’s young business professionals.

The PSE recently recognized CPVDC as among the Top 5 Listed Companies For Excellence in Corporate Governance in the last PSE Bell Awards for the company’s best practices in corporate governance.

“CPV is a prime example of how property companies should serve as conduit to economic investment… (It) has provided Cebuanos, and companies that established headquarters in the IT Park, the efficiency and productivity of being in a mixed-use development,” said PSE chairman Jose T. Pardo, in his welcome remarks during the ceremony.

Accenture Hosts Filipino Ambassadors at Its Cebu Delivery Center

(Metro Cebu)

Accenture in the Philippines recently hosted 30 diplomats at its delivery center in Cebu as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Economic Diplomacy Familiarization Tour.

The Filipino ambassadors to Singapore, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Turkey and Mexico, among others, were in the Queen City of the South to participate in the global conference organized by the Philippine government.

“Accenture is privileged to have been chosen to host this delegation of our top Filipino ambassadors. As a leader in the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry, this was a great opportunity to reinforce why the Philippines continues to be the premier destination for outsourced services, especially with the many changes in the current business environment brought about by the digital revolution,” said Lito Tayag, the company’s managing director for the Philippines.

The visit of the diplomats, who were accompanied by Ike Amigo, President and CEO of the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), coincided with the company’s celebrations for its 10th year of operations in Cebu. From only 85 employees in 2007, the company now employs more than 5,000 and operates in four facilities in the province.

“We were extremely proud to showcase the high-value work that our employees in the Philippines have been doing, particularly from our Cebu Delivery Center, and how this has helped our clients in other countries pivot to the new through digitally-driven services,” added Tayag.

Celia Anna M. Feria, Assistant Secretary at the Office of International Economic Relations of the DFA, thanked Accenture for supporting and opening its doors to the Economic Diplomacy Familiarization Tour. “We are grateful for Accenture’s unwavering support to the government and its efforts to promote the Philippines as a premier destination for IT-BPM services.”

This was seconded by Amigo, who added that the IBPAP has noted Accenture’s contribution to help accelerate the growth of the local IT-BPM industry towards achieving its Roadmap 2022 goals.

City searches for stories in brgys. that will inspire

By Rona Joyce T. Fernandez

THE Cebu City Government is searching the city’s 80 barangays for individuals who have success stories that will inspire the public.

The project is an offshoot of Istorya ng Pag-asa, a program launched yesterday by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with the City and the Junior Chamber International-Zugbuana Chapter.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who led the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the partners, said the country needs more positivity to counter the negativity caused by fake news, alternative facts and internet trolls.

“We are tired of news about fear and killings. Let’s look for positive news to nourish our sense of dignity as a nation. To build our people’s trust in liberty and freedom and to fight for truth in an age of lies,” she said.

In her speech, Robredo cited several success stories, including that of 2016 Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipina to bag a medal in weightlifting.

The vice president also congratulated Jay Kummer Teberio, the water vendor who has been awarded by Mayor Tomas Osmeña for inspiring the youth by his story of getting a college diploma despite his challenges in life.

“In the midst of hopelessness, let’s give hope. In the age of lies, let’s give them the truth. In the midst of darkness, let’s give them light. We cant wait for hope to find us, we need to find it ourselves. We need to feed it with extraordinary stories of ordinary people around us,” Robredo said.

CCMC gets permit for renovations

By Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health has issued a permit to construct to the existing Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) so that the hospital can be upgraded from a Level 1 to a Level 2 facility.

According to CCMC administrator Kenneth Siasar, it took two years for the city government to comply with the requirements before the DOH finally issued the permit to construct last January 25.

"We have to work on the modifications of the hospital para ma-upgrade na siya because there is a specification nga mo-lapse gani after a year, balik na sad ta og secure sa permit to construct," Siasar told The FREEMAN yesterday.

To emphasize, the permit to construct was awarded to the existing CCMC which is using the premises of the Bureau of Fire Protection-7 on N. Bacalso Avenue, and not to the new CCMC building whose construction is already ongoing. Close Ad X

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has given the green light for the existing hospital’s expansion last February 20.

The expansion will cost P19.5 million, which will be charged to a trust fund from the 70 percent revenue of CCMC from PhilHealth (facility fee) intended to maintain or upgrade the equipment, plant or facility. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

To recall, DOH downgraded CCMC's status to Level 1 after the city government demolished the old building in 2014 due to the damages it sustained from the October 2013 earthquake. Hospital operations have since been moved to the BFP-7 property adjacent to the old building.

Because of the downgrade, the city hospital’s capacity dropped to 108 beds from 300 beds.

Under the rules, a Level 1 hospital or an “emergency hospital” may provide only initial treatment and management to patients requiring immediate treatment and primary care for prevalent diseases in the area; general medicine, pediatrics, minor surgeries, and non-surgical gynecology; primary clinical laboratory, pharmacy and first level radiology; and nursing care for patients needing minimal supervised care.

As for Level 2 hospital, services include general medicine, pediatrics, surgery, anesthesia, obstetrics and gynecology, first level radiology, secondary clinical laboratory, pharmacy; and nursing care for patients needing intermediate supervised care.

Siasar said with the permit to construct already secured, they can now start working to regain the hospital’s Level 2 accreditation.

"We're given go signal to make modifications sa atong hospital karon like the operating room, surgical ward, the OB-Gyne ward, our organ imaging scan and pediatric emergency room," Siasar said.

But while the mayor has approved the hospital’s upgrade, Siasar said the contractor cannot commence the construction just yet since there are patients occupying the operating rooms.

"Atong himuon og three theaters instead of only one kay ang operating rooms, dapat three rooms na. So we need to renovate ang kanang gitawag na og biological utility operating room system," he said.

The permit to construct was issued by DOH Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, officier-in-charge at the DOH Health and Facilities and Services Bureau who approved the permit, said the department will inspect renovations and modifications made in the facility before the same could start operating.

She said the expansion and modifications should be in accordance with the floor plans, architectural and engineering drawings submitted by the city and approved by DOH.

Vergeire also said any additional construction beyond the approved designs and floor plans should be reported to DOH immediately.

Siasar admitted it has been a tedious process acquiring the permit to construct.

The new floor plan and other pertinent documents were first submitted to the DOH on April 14, 2015.

In August 2015, the city complied with the second submission of documents. Later in September that year, the DOH reviewed and assessed the documents.

The city then submitted documents to DOH again in April 2016. Five months after, the city complied with the recommendations of DOH and submitted another set of documents.

December of last year, the hospital management went to Manila to meet with DOH officials. Another meeting was set last January 7 this year with the engineers and hospital management to discuss the modifications.

Siasar said it was on January 15 when the DOH issued the permit to construct.

After the renovations, Siasar said they will call the DOH to inspect the hospital as part of steps to acquire the Level 2 certification.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the new CCMC hospital building has breached the halfway mark in construction.

For the new 10-story building, the city targets to spend at least P1.5 billion.

The city will then seek for the Level 3 hospital status once the new building will be completed and functional.

Business exec shows interest in Cebu City’s free medicines program

By Inna Mejia

The Cebu City government’s Long Life Medical Assistance Program will get a needed boost once a top business executive of an investment company makes good on his promise to help in the program.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that the president of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), Joey Lim, had shown interest in helping the city in the program especially in the procurement of the medicines.

“The most important thing is that he is in charge of hospitals. So he said they consolidated their medicine purchase and they buy hundreds of millions of pesos worth of medicines and it is much cheaper. So I told him, sakay na lang mi,” Osmeña said in a press briefing yesterday. ADVERTISEMENT

The Long Life Medical Assistance program aims to distribute free medicines to 24,000 beneficiaries in the city.

Osmeña said he planned to reach up to 40,000 constituents in the future.

As of now, the city spends P20 million for the program.

Osmeña said with the new development, the city could save a lot of money.

“Our problem is that we are spending a lot of money on medicines primarily because our suppliers here seem to be in connivance. They do not like to bid lower prices. So now, we are going to bypass all of them,” he said.

He admitted, though, that it would take time for the city to start purchasing medicines directly with Lim because of the bureaucratic procedure.

He however said that what is important is that there is a direction in the program.

“This is the kind of thing that makes my life as mayor interesting,” he said as he promised to start working on this development on Monday.

He said that it would be an efficient system and that his only concern would be the improvement of the quality of life of the city’s constituents at a cheaper cost for them.

Cebu graduate tops 2017 MedTech board

By Jay Ann Ramirez (SunStar Philippines)

CEBU CITY -- A Southwestern University graduate placed fourth in the February 2017 Medical Technologist Licensure Examination.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced in its website that Jobet Romar dela Cruz Gentallan placed fourth with a passing rate of 89.60 percent.

The other passers in the top 10 are:

1. Vanessa Leslie Rivera, Far Eastern University Manila -- 91.20 percent
2. David Marco Abaya Bildan, Saint Louis University -- 90.60 percent
3. George Vincent Giray Gellena, Remedios T. Romualdez Medical Foundation -- 89.70 percent
4. Jobet Romar dela Cruz Gentallan, Southwestern University -- 89.60 percent
5. Fatima Jane Paulene Obera Gade, Remedios T. Romualdez Medical Foundation -- 89.50 percent
Arnold Joseph Octaviano Geronimo, Saint Louis University -- 89.50 percent
6. Christopher Kim Pugoy Soriño, Universidad de Zamboanga -- 89.40 percent
7. Renz Michael Hart Velasco Bautista, Saint Louis University -- 89.20 percent
Rutchelle Joyce Feliciano Pugoy, Universidad de Zamboanga with 89.20 percent
8. Irekevin Tura Aytona, Our Lady of Fatima University in Quezon City -- 89.10 percent
9. Leonard Ray Cayetano Dizon Centro, Centro Escolar University-Manila -- 89 percent
10. Glendon Keane Pedro Andam, University of Baguio -- 88.80 percent
Julie Ann Alcantara de Guzman, Saint Louis University -- 88.80 percent

https://www.scribd.com/document/340700073/MedTech-2017-Board-Passers


The PRC announced on Thursday, March 2, that 2,378 out of 3,216 passed the board exam given by the Board of Medical Technology in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga last month.

It said those who failed to pass the board examination for Medical Technology but had obtained a general rating of at least 70 percent can register as Medical Laboratory Technician.

The PRC said that from March 9 to March 14, registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card and Certificate of Registration will be done online.

Those who will register are required to bring notice of admission, duly accomplished Oath Form (Panunumpa ng Propesyonal), two pieces passport size pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), and two sets of documentary stamps Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals, it added.

Registrants may visit www.prc.gov.ph.

The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examination will be announced later.

PAMI brings together economic experts in Cebu

(PR)

PHILAM Asset Management, Inc. (PAMI) flied in economic experts to Visayas for the third leg of their Economic Outlook series entitled “2017 Unboxed: Unleash the Market’s Potential”. The event was held in the grand ballroom of Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

The event was also in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Thematic to the holiday, PAMI opened the show with a dragon and lion dance performed by the Cebu Traditional Wushu dancers. Shortly after that, PAMI called on stage the panel speakers, Rex Mendoza of Rampver Strategic Advisors, Brian Murray of AIA, and Junie Banaag of PAMI and Vince Daffon both of Philam Life.

Specialists Sit Down The panel was opened with a discussion on the global economic overview by Brian Murray. Murray presented his views on the US and China economic situation.

Rex Mendoza shared his insight on the local economic outlook. He mentions that the factors that brought us the high growth rate over the past years are going to be the same factors that can carry us on and give us the growth in 2017 and the years beyond.

To discuss the equity market, Eduardo “Junie” Banaag addressed key themes to which investors are uncertain about. One point mentioned was that the change in leadership will not affect the country’s credit ratings. “Our credit ratings will remain the same”. The tax policy will change in the next 5 years and it will be for the better.” Vince Daffon explained the outlook for the local fixed income market in 2017, with the 10-year Philippine government bond yield expected to increase to 4.80% by December from 4.65% at end-2016. However, yields have gone down in January due mainly to prevailing uncertainty over the execution of economic policies planned both in the US and the Philippines.

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