Cebu Province News August 2018

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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.

Cebu Landmasters’ 1h net income rises 30%

(PR)

CEBU Landmasters Inc. (CLI) announced that its net income jumped by 30 percent in the first six months as sales from its property projects surged.

Net profit from January to June climbed to P826 million from P633 million last year. Consolidated revenue reached P2.6 billion, growing by 45 percent year on year.

“We are pleased to report the company’s outstanding performance for the first half of 2018. With record-breaking sales accompanied by our fast-turnaround development, we are confident that this momentum can be sustained,” said Jose Soberano III, CLI president and chief executive officer.

Real estate sales, the company’s core business, increased by 45 percent to P2.585 billion from P1.788 billion last year. MesaVerte Residences in Cagayan de Oro City, Baseline Center in Cebu City, Casa Mira South in Naga City and Casa Mira Towers Labangon in Cebu City were the primary contributors to the robust performance.

For the first six months, the listed developer kept its target net profit margin of 30 percent as operating expense or OPEX ratio, the cost to operate a property versus its income, decreased to 10 percent from 13 percent.

CLI expects to end the year with P5.3 billion in revenue and P1.7 billion in net income. Reservation sales, or sales from developments not yet under construction, are projected at P7 billion, with P4.6 billion or 65 percent of the goal already achieved in the first half.

Soberano said CLI will meet its targets as it introduces fresh inventory to the market in the next months. These projects will be located in Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and in its new expansion sites in Iloilo, Bacolod and Bohol.

“We just launched Astra Centre, CLI’s second mixed-use property that will soon rise at the heart of AS Fortuna St. in Mandaue City, Cebu and is expected to change its landscape,” he said.

By August, the Cebu-based developer targets to fully spend the P2.15 billion raised from its initial public offering last year. The proceeds were used mainly to fund acquisitions and joint ventures, which are seen to start generating returns by next year.

Land acquisitions

The developer has bought a total of 767,917 sq.m. of land while 420,573 sq.m. were developed to new projects. This brings CLI’s landbank as of June 2018 to 976,302 sq.m, a 55 percent increase from 628,958 sq.m. during IPO. Of these, 26 percent is in Cebu, 41 percent in Mindanao and the rest in other parts of Visayas.

In June, the property firm signed an agreement with four of the largest banks to issue P5 billion worth of corporate notes, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the planned capital expenditures for the remaining months of the year.

Cebu airport, airlines gear up for expected Sino tourist surge

By Jose Santino S. Bunachita

Tourism stakeholders in Cebu are preparing for the expected influx of Chinese tourists in the next few months especially since there are more flights to China and from different parts of China to Cebu, and the biggest holidays in China will also be happening in October.

GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), the private operator of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) terminals, has implemented measures to make it easier for tourists especially the Chinese when they would arrive in Cebu.

These include the installation of way-finding and informational signages in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 with Mandarin translations aside from Hangul and Nihongo translations.

This is to ensure that airport processes and directions are well understood not just by Chinese tourists but also by the Korean and Japanese.

“We are mindful of the fact that our traffic growth in Cebu will be driven to a greater extent by our visitors from China. As such, we have taken various initiatives to prepare for this growth,” said GMCAC President Louie Ferrer.

Ferrer said that they had also partnered with the Department of Tourism (DOT) in producing “how to” videos which had detailed the airport processes and that would be aside from the marketing videos about Cebu as a destination that they had produced.

The videos are being promoted through the MCIA’s social media accounts in WeChat which is the top messaging and social media app in China, as well as Facebook.

Golden Week

According to the Chinese Consulate in Cebu, one of the biggest holidays in the People’s Republic of China is the Golden Week, which is a semi-annual, seven-day national holiday which begins on October 1 and ends on October 7.

During this week, employees and students have no work and classes and would often go on vacations abroad like in Cebu which has become popular among the Chinese for its beaches.

Another long holiday for the Chinese is their Spring Festival. It lasts for 23 days and falls usually on January or February.

Ready destinations

According to Cebu Association of Tour Operation Specialists (CATOS) President Alice Queblatin, operators and management of different tourist spots in Cebu should focus on readying their destinations for the influx of Chinese tourists.

She said that as much as local tour operators want to capture the Chinese market, it has been hard for them since language is a major challenge – Cebu does not have enough tour guides that can speak Mandarin.

“So these Chinese tourists bring their own guides. Their itineraries are very basic. What’s important is to make the destinations and activities ready for them,” she told CDN.

A distinct characteristic of Chinese tourists is that they always come in busloads and not as individual travelers, mainly due to the language issue.

This is why, Queblatin said tourism destinations should be able to properly accommodate huge groups of Chinese tourists.

Among the most popular tourist spot for the Chinese, according to Queblatin, is the whale shark watching in Oslob.

For some local players, she said they have also been able to prepare for the coming Chinese tourists like some transportation companies have already bought more buses to accommodate the Chinese.

Airlines

Aside from the preprations, airlines are also taking advantage of this peak season for Chinese tourists by increasing the frequency of their flights from mainland China to Cebu and vice versa.

Starting Sept. 1, Philippine Airlines (PAL) will double its Cebu-Beijing operations, currently served twice week, until Oct. 27 using an Airbus A321 aircraft.

Last month, local and foreign carriers also launched a number of additional flights to China.

This includd China Eastern, which launched its Cebu-Chengdu and Cebu-Nanjing flights last July 2 and July 25, respectively.

Cebu Pacific also started its twice a week chartered flights to Beijing last July 16.

DOLE-Central Visayas welcomes new director

By Luel Galarpe (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) has a new regional director.

Lawyer Johnson Cañete, who previously served as DOLE-6 (Western Visayas) regional chief, has replaced Atty. Alvin Villamor as DOLE-7 regional director effective August 9.

Cañete said Monday Villamor has been reassigned to head the DOLE office in the Bicol Region or DOLE-5.

“I’ve been away from DOLE-7 for 14 years and this time, I’m so happy to be back and for the warm welcome I received from everyone,” said the newly-installed true-blue Cebuano DOLE-7 head, who hails from Minglanilla, Cebu.

Cañete used to be a DOLE-7 mediator-arbiter and OIC-assistant regional director before he was appointed assistant regional director of DOLE-6.

He was later promoted to head the DOLE-National Capital Region office before going back to Western Visayas as DOLE-6 regional director.

During a brief program on Monday, Cañete urged all DOLE-7 personnel to start the week with enthusiasm and a smile while underscoring the significance of going beyond what is expected of them.

“Today, Region 7 will start with a clean slate. All of us must be able to start anew, leaving behind what was marked with negativity. I want to get to know everyone from a personal standpoint – seeing, meeting, and listening to them – as they individually dispose and carry out assigned tasks and responsibilities,” Cañete said.

Safari park adds LTE to experience

By LAUREEN MONDONEDO-YNOT (With PR)

VISITORS of the Cebu Safari and Adventure Park in Carmen, Cebu can add great connectivity to their experience with the launching of Smart’s LTE cell site in the area.

“Nothing beats an adventure where you can take a selfie and upload it right away and get comments from your friends,” said Anthony Ting, Smart provincial distributor, in his message delivered during the launch.

“Technology-wise, it’s not only about YouTube, browsing. If you look at LTE, it allows you to do more. It’s limitless technology,” said Alvin Ilano, Smart’s field operations head.

LTE stands for long-term evolution. Internal tests around the park showed LTE download speeds ranging from 20 to 30 Mbps and upload speeds at 12 to 15 Mbps. “But our commitment is to give more...to deliver a 110 percent customer experience,” added Ilano.

MLhuillier Group chair and Cebu Safari and Adventure Park owner Michel Lhuillier thanked Smart for bringing “to the wild” the fast LTE connection.

“There will be more exciting things to come and we need Smart LTE. It’s something to make people realize that this place exists,” he said, stressing he considers the place, which he discovered 37 years ago, as “heaven.” For Edward Loop, the park’s chief operations officer, having Smart LTE in the area will help make their operations more efficient.

“We are very grateful that we have this. We actually started our online payroll system now, thanks to the WiFi. We are becoming more efficient, and we believe that with the partnership, it will be more efficient for us and it helps us market our park here,” Loop said.

Getting the word out

Alex Caeg, senior vice president for customer development of Smart, assured Lhuillier and Loop that they will help bring Cebu Safari and Adventure Park not only to the people of the Visayas, but also to the rest of the world.

“Together with Smart, our intention is to bring the Cebu Safari closer to Visayas and the rest of the world,” he said.

Caeg also revealed that Smart has partnered with some airlines and they have been giving SIM cards and tourist kits to foreign travelers to help promote Cebu.

The tourist kit highlights the travel destinations in the province, and Smart will include the Cebu Safari and Adventure Park in the list, said Patrick Tang, the company’s regional marketing head for Visayas and Mindanao.

Aside from promoting Cebu Safari to the rest of the Philippines and the world, the partnership is also one of Smart’s ways to promote the strength of its LTE, added Tang.

“We will always ensure that our capacity and coverage will be ahead of the curve, with respect to the inbound traffic that the Cebu Safari is expecting in the following months...It’s very important to bring the face of Cebu Safari to the rest of the Philippines and the world,” said Caeg.

Coverage

Other tourist destinations powered by Smart LTE include those in Oslob, Moalboal, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Toledo City, and Bogo City in Cebu.

Smart has also expanded its LTE capacity in areas in Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Minglanilla, and Talisay, while it has also been rolled out in Balamban, Barili, Catmon, Madridejos, Sibonga and Tabuelan.

But for Cebuanos to enjoy the best LTE experience, they need to have an LTE SIM card and an LTE-capable smartphone.

“Our Smart Prepaid and Smart Postpaid customers can check if their SIMs are LTE-ready by texting SIMCHECK to 5832 for free,” said Alexis Winters, Smart distribution dales senior manager, in a press release.

“Smart, TNT, and Sun customers can also easily upgrade to an LTE SIM without changing their existing number by going to a nearby Smart Store or through an LTE-Ready Self-Service Upgrade SIM, which is available for P10 a Smart loading partners nationwide, with free 1GB data valid for three days upon upgrading,” Winters added.

‘Taytayan’ to aid in wildlife conservation

(KOC)

MARINE and wildlife preservation of Olango Island will be one of the beneficiaries of Lapu-Lapu City’s coffee-table book “Taytayan.”

Slated for launch this November during the City’s Tourism Expo, the 200-page coffee table book will chronicle the rich history and heritage of the city.

A budget of P1.3 million was set aside for this project, which is a collaboration between the Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Council and Soline Publishing Inc., said Hembler Mendoza, head of the city’s tourism council.

Mendoza said the publication will enhance the tourists’ appreciation and expand their knowledge about the city. It will take readers to Lapu-Lapu’s rich past, present and future developments.

“Taytayan doesn’t wish to become a scholarly book. It is for easy reading. This is not (purely) a history book but more on heritage,” said Iris Nikki Oguis, business unit manager of Soline Publishing Company Inc.

“We think this is momentous because, as we wish to become a heritage destination, we need to have a published work chronicling all the tangibles and intangibles of Lapu-Lapu City,” said Oguis.

Soline will initially print 1,000 copies. It will be sold at a starting price of P1,500. Mendoza said proceeds of the coffee table book will be used to support various tourism initiatives of the city.

One of these projects is the Wildlife Festival in Olango Island next year to drum up awareness on wildlife protection and conservation among local stakeholders.

According to Mendoza, they are doing an inventory of all marine and wildlife resources in the island.

Olango’s main attraction is the wildlife sanctuary, which supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found in the Philippines.

According to olangowildlifesanctuary.org, there are 97 species of birds in Olango, 48 of which are migratory species while the rest are resident birds of the island.

The island is a major refueling station for approximately 40,000 migratory birds. The website noted that 1,030 hectares of sandflats and mangroves in the island is a haven for the birds that come from Siberia, Northern China and Japan.

In 1987, approximately 10,000 migratory birds were discovered on Olango Island. Then Philippine President Corazon Aquino signed a law that declared Olango Island a protected area in 1992.

Calbayog, Cebu get closer with new 300-seater fast craft

By Roel Amazona (PNA)

CALBAYOG CITY -- For the first time, this city will be connected to Cebu through fast craft operated by a local transport company, reducing sea travel time from 12 hours to just five hours.

On Wednesday, VS Grand Ferries Corporation formally inaugurated MV Sea Cat, the company’s first fast craft. It is a 300-seater air conditioned vessel powered by twin brand new engines.

Leading the inauguration were Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Fernando Juan Perez, Samar (1st District) Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino, and VS Grand Ferries Corp. owner Arthur Vaughn Zosa.

Zosa said choosing Calbayog as their homeport will give the people of Samar the opportunity to get to Cebu fast and safe. It will also give tourists visiting Cebu a more convenient option to visit Samar.

“Instead of going to Tacloban first before heading to Catbalogan or Calbayog in Samar, tourists from Cebu can now directly reach us, stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, have their tour and exit the province using our ports. With this, we expect to welcome more tourists,” said Zosa.

Zosa added that with the new route, travelers from Samar Island will enjoy improved accessibility to other parts of the Visayas, considering that there are regular trips from Cebu to Bohol, Iloilo and Bacolod.

“My ultimate ambition is for Calbayog to be like Cebu or Bohol. This will result in more development not only in the city of Calbayog, but also in the entire province of Samar,” Zosa added.

Zosa also revealed plans to launch the Catbalogan-Cebu route.

The fast craft leaves Calbayog at 8 a.m. for Cebu Port, and leaves at 2 p.m. for the return trip that arrives in Calbayog at 7 p.m. The fare is set at PHP1,300.

Perez lauded the management of SeaCat for investing in the transportation sector by providing easier means of connectivity to other regions.

“The problem of under developed transportation system is a stumbling (block) to growth and economic development,” he said.

“This launching of SeaCat is a concrete manifestation of how we should work as a nation, ultimately the involvement of the private sector as well as other stakeholders is much needed in order to lead our country into the next years ahead towards genuine and inclusive development,” he added.

VS Grandtours formed the VS Grand Ferries Corp. on its 20th year of operation in the local transport business.

Known as the city of waterfalls, Calbayog is the third largest city in the country in terms of land and water areas.

About 40 percent of the city's land area is plain and hilly, while the remaining are rugged mountain ranges with elevation ranging from 300 to 700 meters above sea level.

The city is 172 kilometers north of Tacloban, the regional capital.

Priland open to hospitality

(KOC)

CEBU-based property developer Priland Development Corp. is open to venture into hotel projects to ride on Cebu’s tourism wave.

Besides owning prime lots in the city center for office and residential use, Priland president Ramon Carlo Yap said they are also interested in building rooms to accommodate the growing number of tourists visiting Cebu.

The company owns properties in Mactan Island, one with a beachfront location, which can be converted into a hotel or condominium project or a combination of the two.

“We are open to hotel investment. But, this is still in the pipeline,” said Yap, adding that the company remains robust in diversifying their real estate portfolio, which now includes condominium and mixed-use (office and condo) towers.

If the Mactan project is realized, this will be Priland’s first venture in the hotel industry.

Colliers International Philippines is encouraging developers with massive landbank in Mactan and Mandaue City to pursue resort-oriented projects.

In its latest study, Colliers pointed out that “developing more leisure estates is a practical route for local and national developers trying to capture Cebu’s booming tourism sector.” Colliers suggested Cebu build more hotel rooms to house incoming guests who stay for at least three nights.

Cebu tallied 10,000 rooms with tourists at 4.9 million last year, which sustained hotel occupancy of 78 percent, higher than the 70 percent recorded in 2016.

To further capture opportunities in tourism, Colliers encouraged local developers with limited experience in operating hotels to team up with foreign brands.

“Given the surge in foreign visitors, Colliers believes that Cebu is becoming a feasible market for internationally recognized accommodation,” it said.

Besides the condo-office tower Vertex, Priland is set to develop five more projects this year. Yap said they are earmarking an estimated investment of P4 billion to P5 billion to build these projects.

He also disclosed the company’s plan to build a light industrial park in Consolacion.

Yap said they remain confident in expanding their projects in Cebu as the province’s economy show no signs of slowing down.

TRAIN boosts BOC’s income in Cebu ports

(EOB)

WITH the TRAIN Law and efforts to reduce smuggling, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu was able to collect P16 billion from January to July 2018, around P4 billion more than the P11.7 billion collected in the same period last year.

BOC Port of Cebu District Collector Elvira Cruz said the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law contributed to the high collection because it increased excise taxes on diesel and coal.

Cruz said the target collection for January to July this year was P14.79 billion.

The energy, food, construction and fuel industries are leaders in importation, resulting in the increase in collections, she said.

In the energy sector, the large importers of raw materials are Therma Visayas Inc., Cebu Energy Development Corp., E and P Green Energy Inc. and Kepco SPC Power Corp.

For food, Cruz identified the importers as Eccosential Foods Inc., AD Gothong Manufacturing Corp. and Virginia Foods Inc.

For fuel, the large importers are Seaoil Philippines Inc. and Petronas Energy Philippines Inc.

13 industry partners hailed for support

(KOC)

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) aims to strengthen its partnership with the different stakeholders in the country to provide a sound leadership of the country’s financial sector.

Yesterday, 13 industry-partners from the region were recognized by the central bank for their “valuable information and statistical support” in the BSP’s endeavors and advocacies.

Redentor Paolo Alegre Jr., head of the BSP’s Department of Economic Statistics, said the strong alliance between the central bank and its stakeholders has allowed them to come up with timely and appropriate monetary policies, among others.

Alegre noted that the recognition is a call to reinforce partnerships in areas of policy and advocacy.

BSP is awarding 164 outstanding partners this year.

Iluminada Sicat, BSP Assistant Governor for regional operations, said the stakeholders’ proactive response to various surveys and programs has helped them better gauge the dynamics in the economy that enable them to deliver their mandate of maintaining price and stability, promote a sound and stable banking system, and ensuring a safe and efficient payment and settlement system.

“We are at the cusp of an evolving financial sector towards digitization. Amid these changes and creative disruptions, we at the BSP wish to underscore once more that our collaboration would enable us to multiply our strengths and weather these headwinds,” said Diwa Guinigundo, BSP’s Deputy Governor for Monetary and Economics Sector, in a statement.

Amid the high inflation in the region, Sicat said Central Visayas is poised for strong growth.

According to the second quarter Business Expectation Survey, Region 7 maintains an upbeat outlook in the economy driven by factors like government’s infrastructure projects, influx of tourists, accelerated business expansion, high consumer spending and sound macroeconomic policies.

For the third quarter, businesses anticipate more employment opportunities on the back of a busier business climate. They also expect a drop in inflation in the next quarter.

June inflation rate in the region stood at 6.4 percent. The region’s average inflation in the first half stood at five percent.

BSP recognized First Consolidated Bank Inc., and Kenko Tokina Slik Corp. as outstanding regional partners for Business Expectations Survey and Philippine Statistics Authority 7 as outstanding partner for reports on regional economic developments in the sources of information category.

Cebu Credit Surety Fund was likewise recognized as an outstanding CSF, Bank of the Philippines Islands-Cebu main branch and 96.7 Bai Radio DYEM FM and Negros Chronicles as outstanding regional partners, both in the currency program of the BSP.

Lee Super Plaza was named outstanding regional partner for coin recirculation category; DYAB Cebu and PIA-Negros Oriental for demonetization of the new design series category.

DepEd Cebu City Division and DepEd Siquijor Division recognized in the category on implementing BSP advocacy on the conduct of public information campaign.

University of Cebu-Main Campus and Negros Oriental State University were named outstanding partners in the category of knowledge resource network.

No work, classes today as Cebu celebrates 449th Founding Anniversary

(SCG of Superbalita)

THERE will be no work and classes throughout Cebu Province today as Cebu celebrates its 449th Founding Anniversary.

Republic Act 8952, which amended Republic Act 7698, declares Aug. 6 of every year a special non-working public holiday in Cebu, including its component cities and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

At 10 a.m. today, a mass will be offered at the Capitol Social Hall as part of the anniversary activities. A program follows at 1 p.m. where Capitol officials and employees are expected to perform.

Other activities this month in line with the celebration are the International Youth Day and Farmers’ Day, the Anniversary Futsal and Football Tournament in Badian, the Media Night, the 7th Cebu Provincial Quiz Bowl and Poster Making Contest, the Sportsfest and Governor’s Cup Awarding, a local jobs fair on Aug. 25, the 5th Emergency Responders’ Congress on Aug. 29 and the culmination of the Search for the Renaissance Cebuana on Aug. 31.

Cebu launches revised LGU incentive program as province celebrates 449th anniversary

(Business World)

THE BUDGET for the Our Cebu Program (OCP), an evaluation and incentive scheme for local government units (LGUs) under Cebu province, has been increased to almost P29 million from P9 million, officials announced last week as the province launched the celebration of its 449th anniversary.

The five-year old OCP, now on its “version 2”, has also been revised to make it more development-oriented rather than competition-driven. “Ranking LGUs will not anymore apply this time, but the LGU itself will be measured on its own standard and criteria, which means, it has to compete only to itself,” said Gov. Hilario P. Davide III during the launch.

Under the previous OCP system, cash incentives were only given to top performing LGUs as ranked among all of them. Vice-Gov. Agnes A. Magpale, the OCP project manager, said evaluators will now be using the rubric method for assessment in the form of matrix, which interprets and grades an LGUs’ work against its own criteria and standards.

There will also be mentors for every LGU to provide technical coaching and assistance, Ms. Magpale added.

Passport on Wheels makes stop in Cebu

By Calvin Cordova

CEBU CITY—Thousands of passport applications and renewals were processed during the Cebu stop of the Passport on Wheels (POW) program of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Michael Dino, secretary of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), said at least 4,000 individuals were able to apply or renew their passport through Passport on Wheels which started last Tuesday and ended Thursday at Oakridge Pavilion in Mandaue City.

Dino said the program was brought to Cebu with the help of Special Assistant to the President Bong Go.

Cebu was POW’s first stop in its Visayas leg. It will next be in Bohol.

“The objective of the Passport on Wheels is to make it very convenient for people to get their passports. There were a lot of complaints that it takes six to seven months before one can have an appointment online,” said Dino.

One of those who applied for a passport, Ray Anthony Balaba of Lapu-Lapu City, was impressed by the speed of the processing.

“The experience was good. It took me less than an hour to complete the whole process. It’s good that they brought this here because it’s very hard to get an appointment online,” Balaba said.

The DFA deployed at least 47 personnel to process the applications.

“We are bringing our services closer to the people especially those who are far from the consular offices,” said DFA principal assistant Mina Ganzon.

Seniors among star-studded Cebu 70.3 field

By Romina S. Austria (Editor, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

CEBU—Among the confirmed 1,767 participants of the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championships as of Thursday are three male triathletes in the oldest age group category of 70-74 years.

Japan’s Yoshimori Hirai and Horiuchi Tadashi and New Zealand’s Mike Ramsay will mix it up with over 30 professional entries and at least nine Asian Elite contenders—all Filipinos—in the 1.9-kilometer swim, 90-km bike, 21.2-km run race firing off Sunday starting at the beachfront of Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City.

Participants will then make their way from the swim exit at the boat ramp to the transition area at Mactan Newton beach for the 90-km bike leg. The 21.2-km run will start and end at Shangri-La.

The Cebu South Coastal Road used to host the bike route but local officials disallowed it this year after growing complaints on the traffic situation. Instead, bikers will take three laps to cover the new Mactan-Mandaue route.

At stake are 50 slots to the France worlds later this year, a total prize fund of $75,000 and trophies and medals by industrial designer and local son Kenneth Cobonpue, known the world over for handmade furniture pieces that use natural materials.

Three-time Cebu 70.3 champion Tim Reed and three-time world Ironman champion Craig Alexander of Australia and 2016 Xterra world champion Mauricio Mendez of Mexico head the male professional field.

The Mactan Newtown to hold grandest ‘Lechon Festival’ in Cebu

(BusinessMirror)

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — There is no denying that the best lechon anyone can get their hands on—a succulence fit for royalty, so to speak—can only be savored in the “Queen City of the South.”

Admit it or not, any festival wouldn’t be quite the celebration without everyone’s beloved dish: the famed lechon that Filipinos and the entire world has come to love. Now, in celebration of this culinary pride, The Mactan Newtown, in partnership with the city government of Lapu-Lapu, is once again putting the spotlight on the world-famous Cebu lechon, along with the rich history, artistry and skill that goes into preparing this celebrated dish, with its very own “Lechon Festival.”

From now to August 12, foodies can indulge in the finest lechon right off the grills of Cebu’s best lechon craftsmen as The Mactan Newtown Lechon Festival entices the palates of tourists and guests alike in an authentic showcase of Cebu’s mouthwatering culture.

“This annual gastronomic and cultural celebration is aimed at bringing awareness to small-scale and less-commercialized lechon businesses,” says Kevin Tan, head, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. “Apart from giving local businesses the platform to showcase

their lechon products, we are also looking to raise the status of this great dish as a main pillar of food tourism in Cebu.”

Tan adds: “Through this, we hope to grow Cebu’s reputation further as a top tourist attraction, while also becoming a catalyst for regional economic growth and more livelihood opportunities.”

Weeklong ‘lechon’ festivities get under way

Experience a dining celebration like no other at the 500-seater Mactan Alfresco where you can savor the best iterations of Cebu’s beloved pork dish. Sample the signature lechon varieties from Cebu’s best lechon-makers, including delicious arrays of lechon-themed dishes and lechon pairings.

Making this delicious gathering even more appetizing is The Mactan Newtown’s introduction of exclusive lechon deals throughout the weeklong festival. From August 3 to 12, guests can avail themselves of a whooping price drop of P400 per kilo of lechon for a imited time only from all participating lechon sellers.

Festivalgoers can also immerse themselves through the entire lechon preparation process at Mactan Alfresco’s very own Lechon Pit. Here, they can witness how a lechon is made right before their very eyes—from seasoning to roasting at the coal pit, to portioning and serving on their own plates.

A festival of culture and colors

IN true Cebuano fashion, the festivity will also feature different cultural activities highlighted by the Grand Lechon Parade on August 3. Cebu’s best lechon-makers will also showcase their own creative lechon masterpieces during the parade, which will also feature lechon-themed floats, performers, and marching bands.

A street-dance party follows the grand parade with the celebration culminating in the evening at Lechon Night, where guests can feast on lechon, grilled meat and seafood while being treated to live performances from local bands. A mobile bar will also be stationed at the venue during the event, which will be capped off with a grand fireworks display.

More must-see cultural performances will be unraveled on August 4 and 5 and August 11 and 12 to give the crowd a glimpse of the province’s proudest moments in history. Immerse in Filipino culture and enjoy a fun twist to classic Pinoy games through exciting pocket activities that include giant versions of piko, tumbang preso and habulang biik also at the Mactan Alfresco from August 3 to 5 beginning 5 pm. As an added treat, guests can also shop for gifts, souvenir items and other delicacies at the Lechon Festival Fair.

The 30-hectare Mactan Newtown of Megaworld is the country’s first “live-work-play-learn” lifestyle township with its own beachfront in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Cebu.

Killer whale spotted off Sumilon Island?

By Lorraine Mitzi A. Ambrad (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — An orca, also known as killer whale, allegedly spotted in the waters off Sumilon Island in Oslob town, southern Cebu over the weekend has created a stir among the netizens.

The marine mammal was photographed and posted on Facebook through the account of Jay-r Lagahid Saturday evening.

It garnered over 2,000 reactions before the post was taken down by Lagahid, a local boatman and diver, Sunday morning for an unknown reason.

The FREEMAN tried to reach Lagahid through his mobile numbers, but all calls and text messages were left unanswered since Saturday.

Oslob Mayor Jun Tumulak confirmed the existence of the killer whale, which according to him was first sighted two years ago.

“Mga two years na kuno na nga nagpakita but dili sige. Mao ra’g magpautaw-utaw na sya sa sulog,” he told The FREEMAN in a text message.

The mayor said the local fishermen and personnel of the Department of Agriculture are now monitoring the orca.

“Wala ni siya magpuyo diri dapita. Moagi lang between Sumilon (Island) and Siquijor,” he said.

Oslob Tourism Officer Beth Benologa said the water between Sumilon and Siquijor is “like a highway for sea creatures as it leads to the open sea.”

Unlike whale sharks, she said, the sighting of a killer whale is quite unusual.

She recalled that a blue whale was also sighted off the town waters in 2016.

“Whale sharks are usual sights here, but killer and blue whales are rare,” she said.

Oslob is famous for its dive sites, beaches, and whale shark watching.

Orcas can be found in all oceans including in the Philippines, but they seem to prefer cooler, coastal waters. They are social animals and live in stable family groups called pods.

According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a leading organization in wildlife conservation and endangered species, orcas (Orcinus orca) are a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member.

With between 48 and 52 large, conical shaped teeth, orcas are one of the world’s most powerful predators.

They are black with white patches usually over the eyes, under the jaw, on the belly, and extending onto their sides. Female orcas can grow to 7.9 meters with a one-meter dorsal fin, and males can reach 8.5 meters with a 1.3-meter dorsal fin.

An orca leaves up from 50 to 80 years, according to the National Geographic.