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==French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault historic visit to Cebu==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-lifestyle/2012/11/20/869255/french-prime-minister-jean-marc-ayrault-historic-visit-cebu
*Tuesday, November 20, 2012 12:00 am
:By Nestor Alonso II (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Very rare are the occasions when a visiting head of state comes to Cebu; usually their official trip to this country begins and ends in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. So when I heard that the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and a delegation of French officials and businessmen would be come to Cebu for the inauguration of the Alliance Française de Cebu, this was on occasion that I could not afford, excusez-moi, to miss.
The red-letter day was Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 12:15 p.m. and the invitation came with instruction to come an hour in advance for security checks. I followed the order faithfully and met Honorary Consul of Spain Jaime Picornell and wife Cecilia who also came on the dot.
I did some research on the life of the French Prime Minister and learned that he studied German in Nantes University, receiving a graduate teaching diploma and worked as a German language teacher. In 1976, he was elected to the General Council and "he subsequently became Mayor of Saint-Herblain, located in the western suburbs of Nantes, in 1977". He was the Mayor of Nantes from March 1989 to June 2012 and later was appointed as Prime Minister of France.
There are two reasons for his visit to Cebu: a briefing on the
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) because the project will be jointly financed by Agence Francaise de Development (US$52 million), World Bank ($110 million), Clean Technology Fund ($25 million) and the Philippine government ($25 million).
The second reason were reports that French culture is booming in Cebu through the efforts of a Filipino of French ancestry, Michel Lhuillier. Michel was born in French Indochina and he single-handedly moved to established "Petite France" in Cebu, first by organizing the Les Amis de la France and later, sponsoring Alliance Française de Cebu, a Filipino association of Francophile men and women. True, there were some efforts in the past to promote French culture here but to sponsor any activity or make an organization succeed, you need vast financial resources to achieve your objective.
In the past, I wrote that when you talk of culture, you talk about history, language, music, people, food and drinks. The latter two subjects are my field of interest, as a member of a French gourmet society, La Chaine des Rotissuers and as a food journalist.
It was a cocktail reception during the inauguration of the Alliance Française de Cebu and some of the dishes and wines served during the festivities are featured here. We had Tartelette Poire & Roquefort, Capuccinio de Carottes, Mojito de Crevette a la Mangue, Madeleine de Queue de Boeuf, Croquettes pied de cochon miel basilica and a Cebuano dish, the Kinilaw Duo.
Nearly everybody spoke French and inaugural address of the French Prime Minister was in French and I felt miserable that though I had opportunities in the past to study the French language, I failed to do so. But I did observe the facial expressions and the body language of the Jean-Marc Ayrault and Brigitte Ayrault that in the midst of a French Language Center in Cebu, eating French food, drinking French wine and conversing in the French language, the couple must have thought they were still in France.
==North Cebu resort gets facelift, eyes more international guests==
*Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/309280/north-cebu-resort-gets-facelift-eyes-more-international-guests
*Monday, November 19, 2012 10:09 am
:By Aileen Garcia-Yap (Cebu Daily News)
IT started as a resort property that compliments the city hotel property in Cebu City then known as Cebu Plaza Hotel in 1993.
Nineteen years later, Alegre Beach Resort and Spa is known as one of Cebu’s premier resort destinations, at par with other global brands now operating their properties in Cebu.
This year alone, Alegre Beach Resort and Spa was recognized by Travel Advisor as the Travellers’ Choice for 2012, the only resort in the country included in the list.
The property was recently bought by Pacific Tiger Group of companies owned by the younger brother of property founder Bryan Cockrel.
“Harry Cockrel bought the property from his brother last year and is now gearing to make Alegre’s brand known all over the world,” said Alegre Beach Resort and Spa sales and marketing manager Bruce Cortes Bollozos.
The property was opened in 1993 with only about 30 people to help in the operations.
With only seven hectares out of the 44 hectares of total land area, the resort offers an exclusive haven to those who want a more intimate time with loved ones in the northern part of Cebu.
“The property is in the northern town of Sogod, Cebu. Right now, we have 42 very well maintained rooms that we are also slowly renovating,” said Bollozos.
Before global hotel brands like Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa opened, Cebu already had Alegre Beach Resort and Spa.
However, when these other world class hotels opened, the Alegre management failed to keep up with the competition and didn’t aggressively push to market the brand.
“The main sales office was even located in Manila, which made marketing more difficult since the property is in Cebu,” said Bollozos.
Despite that, the resort maintained good occupancy rates from tourists mostly Japanese and Russians.  Bollozos said they were confident they could attract more clients this year.
Thus, after the Pacific Tiger Group, they moved the sales office to their Cebu City office to give more focus to marketing.
“The move will allow us better control of how we market our property especially that Cebu is enjoying a lot of tourists from all over the world,” said Bollozos.
Bollozos also assured they will deliver high quality service for their guests.
“We have about 110 people on board and we hire a lot of locals from Sogod. We are proud to say that they have extended to our guests the ‘Cebuano’ hospitality that our guests really appreciated,” said Bollozos.
Aside from the aggressive marketing push, the hotel-resort is also undergoing a facelift which is set to be completed by 2013.
Bollozos said they are working on the restaurant, spa, rooms, pool and other amenities in the property.
“Soon we will also be adding 44 new rooms to our property to cater to increasing number of guests that come to us,” said Bollozos.
Bollozos also said they were planning to tap the Australian market through the new chartered flights from Darwin Australia.
Bollozos said their resort would be the best place to go for those wanting some private downtime with loved ones.
“Because we have three coves or beach areas, people here don’t even notice the presence of other guests making it feel more relaxing and exclusive for them which is what a vacation should be,” said Bollozos.
==Public Works sets big event in Cebu==
*Source:http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/11/18/public-works-sets-big-event-in-cebu/
*Sunday, November 18, 2012 12:01 am
:(Manila Standard Today)
Field unit heads of the Department of Public Works and Highways will convene for a two-day assembly of the District Engineers League of the Philippines on November 20-21, 2012 in Cebu City.
District and Assistant District Engineers from the 183 district engineering offices nationwide gather for the staging of the 8th Annual Convention 2012 with the theme DELP Supports DPWHs New Systems Approach.
As frontliners of the Department, the District and Assistant District Engineers put into practice the programs and policies crafted by the DPWH management level to address the demand for better infrastructure that will help push rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth.
The DPWH in the district level is continuously working to ensure the safety of all infrastructure facilities and to guarantee the efficiency and quality in construction of all public works and highways.
As the principal infrastructure agency of the government, DPWH will address the rising necessity for better infrastructure with the District Offices spearheading the preservation and rehabilitation of national roads and bridges in the municipalities, cities and provinces.
To sustain the upswing of government spending particularly on infrastructure that will make the country more globally competitive, a discussion on financial matters, disbursement and obligation is among the topics to be discussed at the convention.
Equally important matter is the implementation of the Performance-Based Incentive Systems for government employees designed to reward performers for meeting their targets.
The competency of DPWH men in the field will be the hallmarks of good leadership which will be the key to the successful carrying out of development programs.
According to Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, the DPWH in partnership with the Civil Service Commission has carried out two (2) promotional examinations to validate the capability and competency of those holding managerial positions such as District and Assistant District Engineers to continue professionalizing the Department.
To increase productivity, efficiency and effectiveness, the DPWH has also embarked on the institutionalization of a Quality Management System that will standardize quality of public service delivery to become consistent with the requirement of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
==Cebu firm joins tech biz council for Silicon drive ==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2012/11/17/cebu-firm-joins-tech-biz-council-silicon-drive-253696
*Saturday, November 17, 2012
:Aileen Garcia-Yap (Reporter)
A CEBU-based software application company is working with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in seeking to capture a larger chunk of the $1-trillion Silicon Valley business.
Jerry Rapes, chief executive officer of Exist Global, said his company is among the eight Filipino companies that are part of the US-Philippines Business Support and Information Technology Delivery Council. The council will explore business opportunities and partnerships in California.
“The main objective of the council is to reach out to the companies in the Silicon Valley and show that Philippine information technology (IT) companies are ready for business,” said Rapes in an email interview.
The newly-formed council is spearheaded by the PTIC, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The council is supported by Philippine-grown companies like Terranex LLC, Rendition Digital, Exist Global, Ionics, Orange and Bronze, Ayannah, and Innerworks, as first pool of members.
Trade Commissioner Michael Ignacio of the PTIC in Silicon Valley, in an email, said the initiative is not a government-funded program, although the government is working closely with the founding members to achieve common goals.
PTIC intends to build a strong market presence for Philippine companies all over the US and Canada.
Joining forces with these companies in marketing in San Francisco, Rapes said, would mean more access to clients, marketing support, and networking circles. These companies already have businesses in the Silicon Valley.
“We are just working on getting a larger chunk of the pie,” he said. Rapes said Exist maintains a “relatively big” client base in the US.
While the San Francisco Bay area is considered the hotbed of cutting-edge products and technologies, Maricel Legaspi, who runs marketing for Exist in San Francisco, said companies there, especially the start-ups, face the challenge of delivering more with less.
“Companies in the council, such as Exist, have a lot to offer to these companies,” Legaspi said.
Legaspi said the council is a working group, in which each company is set to
collaborate for the development of more business and the creation of a wider market, specifically the software and product development, business support, and electronics manufacturing services industries.
DTI records show forecasts that the market for global offshore software and product development, business process support, and electronic contract manufacturing services will hit $1 trillion in 2018.
==Cebu exporters seek exemption from wage hike==
*Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/307960/cebu-exporters-seek-exemption-from-wage-hike
*Friday, November 16, 2012 8:13 am
:Aileen Garcia-Yap (Reporter)
MORE Cebu exporters are seeking exemption from the P22 daily minimum wage increase recently approved by the Central Visayas wage board.
“The wage increase, continued strengthening of the peso, and high power rates combined are the signs of a perfect storm for us exporters,” said Mari Booth, Mehitabel Inc. vice president in an interview last Wednesday.
Booth and other exporters were at the City Sports Club last Wednesday for the presentation of the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2013.
Booth said the P20 minimum wage increase from last year added to the P22 increase that takes effect in December would increase their operation costs by 20 percent.
The wage increase pegged the minimum wage in Cebu City at P327 a day by midDecember.
Philexport president Venus Gensin said exporters felt orphaned because of lack of government support in the sector.
“The exporters have not fully recovered. Some have even lowered their operations just to hold on and these additional costs will really affect them,” said Gensin.
From an 1,000 employees in 2008, Mehitabel Inc. has reduced manpower to 350 to lower expenses.
“We have retrenched people to be able to cope. The situation is true to all exporters even in Manila. I know one which used to have 3,000 people and is now down to only 35 people,” said Booth.
Ruby Salutan of Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation said that another wage increase would hamper the recovery of the industry .
“We are awaiting the official memorandum this December and really hope that they will consider our situation,” said Booth adding that while other industries like tourism, real estate and retail are experiencing growth, this is not felt by exporters,” said Booth.
On the issue of currency, the exporters said the best exchange rate level would be P45 to a dollar.
“There was a projection that the exchange rate would still go down to P30 per dollar. That will kill all of us. We are barely managing now at P41. How much more at P30?” said Gensin.
While the government has acted on the power rate issue, exporters said that the government should do something to keep the exchange rate at a level that would benefit everyone including exporters and importers.
==Cebu guv agrees to fund northern town P35-M RoRo project ==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&nid=2&rid=471631
*Thursday, November 15, 2012
:(PNA), FFC/EB/RE
CEBU CITY, Nov. 15 (PNA) – Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has agreed that the provincial government will fund the P35-million Maya roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) port project in the northern Cebu town of Daanbantayan which got stalled for three years.
Daanbantayan Mayor Maria Luisa Loot said Gov. Garcia made a commitment to finish the Maya port project before the governor’s term ends next year.
Loot and her son, Provincial Board (PB) Member Sun Shimura, visited Garcia Wednesday to finalize the governor’s trip next week and the completion of her projects in their town and Malapascua island, one of Daanbantayan’s tourist attractions.
The RoRo port will open the town and northern districts in Cebu to the neighboring provinces like Masbate, Negros, Leyte, Samar and Iloilo.
Once it is completed, the town will have a share in the port’s earnings, said Loot.
A five-hectare area adjacent to the port will also be developed as a transport terminal, which the local government will manage.
”I appealed for the governor’s help with that port,” said Loot.
The details will depend on the memorandum of agreement (MOA) that the province will sign with Daanbantayan.
The governor will also check projects on Nov. 19 during her visit to Malapascua, where the province has led a campaign to remove and prevent illegal structures on the beach.
Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, 4th district) earlier said the Maya RoRo port would have been completed last June 2012.
But it got stalled, along with the Malapascua development projects, for three years while the conflict between the mayor and the governor escalated.
They appear to have reconciled last Aug. 30, during the town’s fiesta.
The RoRo port construction and the access road leading to it were jointly funded by the provincial government, Rep. Salimbangon and the National Government, through the Department of Public Works and Highways.
PB member Shimura said the funds for Maya RoRo port are sourced from the P100-million allocation intended for Cordova, Camotes and Daanbantayan ports, in the 2012 annual budget of the province.
The project’s first phase focused on the road connecting the causeway to the national highway. Construction of the causeway followed, after DPWH downloaded P20 million to Cebu provincial government.
Cebu’s 2012 socio-economic profile revealed there are a total of 110 ports in Cebu, of which 43 are public or government ports.
The fourth district has 14 private ports and nine government ports, including the Maya RoRo port that is still under construction.
An existing RoRo port in Barangay Pulangbato in Bogo City serves passengers and cargo to Masbate and neighboring provinces.
==Films enabling the nation screened in Cebu==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/feature/2012/11/14/films-enabling-nation-screened-cebu-253256
*Wednesday, November 14, 2012
:(PR)
THE Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival commemorated the National Deaf Awareness Week with the screening of four short films that deal with issues of the deaf at the Cebu Public Library last March 14.
In partnership with the Gualandi Volunteer Services Program and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines in Cebu, Dakila presented the short films “Feeling the Faith” by Paul Halili and Alan Obenza, “Kubli” by Dr. Liza Martinez, “Abot Kamay” by Victor Villanueva and “River of Dreams” by Mike Dagnalan.
According to Danielle Aballe of the Dakila Artists Collective in Cebu, “We hope that by showing films that give respect, empowerment and understanding to the disabled, every Filipino, despite impairments, be able to fulfill their social responsibilities towards a fully-abled nation.”
The screening was also the premiere of two short films that won production grants from the festival’s Hasik Advocacy Filmmaking Program and are now in competition with 10 other advocacy films for the ALAB awards of the Festival.
Kubli, made by Dra. Liza Martinez, is a story of a deaf rape victim, Bel, who is raped by her father and struggles to prove him guilty in a court with no sign language interpreters.
Abot Kamay by Cebuano filmmaker, Victor Villanueva, is a story of a deaf girl who wants to become an actress despite her disability.
Dr. Liza Martinez is one of the most prominent advocates and staunch defenders of PWD rights in the Philippines, while Victor Villanueva is a filmmaker more known for his romantic-comedy films such as the independent film hit, “My Paranormal Romance.”
“Kubli” is Dr. Liza’s first attempt in filmmaking, while “Abot Kamay” is Victor’s first engagement in advocacy filmmaking.
Aballe said: “These two films produced by Active Vista best exemplifies the marriage of art and advocacy, that when blended well can be a powerful tool to shape consciousness of the Filipino audience and inspire them to if not effect change, then, at the very least, change the way they look at things with hope that someday our society will be more accepting and understanding of the plight of persons with disabilities.”
==E-Gwen ordinance filed in Provincial Board==
*Source:http://www.cdn.ph/news_details.php?id=15115
*Tuesday, November 13, 2012
:By Carmel Loise Matus (Correspondent)
A program that rewards the best performing towns and cities in Cebu, as well as memorializes the governor’s name will be made permanent with the passage of a provincial ordinance.
The ordinance institutionalizing the e-Gwen program, (Expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures) was filed in the Provincial Board last Monday.
PB Member Thadeo Ouano sponsored the measure, which was referred for review to his committee on environment.
He said the ordinance aims to adopt the e-Gwen program “which is geared towards rebuilding each town in the Province of Cebu” in seven areas of sustainable development to make “vibrant, progressive and self-reliant communities” with environment as its main point of entry.
This is part of the effort “to create a model Cebu for both the present and the generations to come."
An e-Gwen Program council will be formed headed by the governor with an executive director and a secretary appointed by the governor.
Members of the council will include various Capitol departments, PB members, and its main private partner, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
The presidents of the League of Municipalities and of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and two representatives from the non-government organizations "that are champions of environment protection and preservation" are included.
Every year, the Capitol gives out e-Gwen awards for the “Green Champion”, “Model Town” and “Good Neighbor” in a province-wide contest of local governments down to the barangays.
The awards will be lodged under the annual Garbo sa Sugbo awards of the Province during Cebu’s founding anniversary celebration.
E-Gwen was established in 2008 with RAFI with the vision to make Cebu “an ideal place to live, work, play, invest and do business.”
At first, the program tapped barangay councils by recognizing champion barangays which were able to solve community problems.
A scorecard system included criteria for cleanliness, sanitation and health; greening, creativity, artistry and aesthetic impact; nurturing culture and heritage; and governance systems and structures.
==6T athletes gather at Prov'l meet opening==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2012/11/12/865789/6t-athletes-gather-provl-meet-opening
*Monday, November 12, 2012 12:00 am
:By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon  (MBG/The Freeman)
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Rep. Pablo John Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district light the cauldron to signal the opening of the Cebu Provincial Sports and Cultural Festival in Asturias town yesterday. JOY TORREJOS
CEBU, Philippines - Over 6,000 athletes from the different elementary and high schools of the Province of Cebu gathered for the opening of this year's Cebu Provincial Sports and Cultural Festival held in the town of Asturias yesterday.
The event was started with a parade and was followed by a dance number from selected Asturia's students, employees and Mayor Alan Adlawan to the tune of the famous "Gangnam Style".
Arden Monisit, Division Superintendent of the Department of Education Cebu Province, said the best athletes will be chosen from the event to represent Cebu in the upcoming Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
The five-day event will culminate on November 16.  The  athletes will compete in various sports.
However, the opening was marred by the heavy rains yesterday that forced the athletes to seek shelter while several guests deliver their messages.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia was among those who graced the event with candidates of the One Cebu Party and guest, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar.
The Villar Foundation recognizes sports as means of instilling values of discipline, teamwork, honesty, sportsmanship and the passion for excellence.                                          "More than just preaching these virtues, I believe, nurturing them through sports will leave a stronger and more lasting impact among our people, especially the youth. It is important to instill these values among the youth because these are the same values that are necessary towards building a good future," Villar said in her speech.
Villar said that sportsmanship is very important as it means that we follow the rules of the game and that we are able to accept losing gracefully and celebrate victory in humility.
The Villar Foundation, she added, also organizes sports events like "Sports sa Barangay" and "Villiards".
==Talisay sets aside P27M for disaster preparedness==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/metro-cebu/2012/11/11/865417/talisay-sets-aside-p27m-disaster-preparedness
*Sunday, November 11, 2012 12:00 am
:(The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - After several weeks of formulating and finalizing the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan, Talisay appropriates over P27 million for disaster preparedness and mitigation and for quick response.
Councilor Celiapo Cabuenas, who is the chairman of the committee on social welfare and services, said the City Development Council has already approved the 2013 City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan and endorsed the plan to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for confirmation and adoption of the same to the Annual Investment Plan.
In a proposed resolution No. 2012-37-1, an appropriation of P19,113,654 for disaster preparedness and mitigation, which includes the procurement, maintenance of heavy equipment and disaster operation vehicles; the maintenance of Drainage, Dredging, Declogging; Riprapping and Slope Protection and Storm Surge Protection; Capability Building, trainings and Drills; Construction and Rehabilitation of Evacuation Centers; Purchase of Rescue Operation and Other Related Equipments for Disaster Operation and Purchase and Repair of Area Wide Calamity Related Alarm or Warning System.
An allocation of P8,191,567.10 is intended for quick response, which includes the Procurement of Supplies, food stuff, and drugs and medicines.
Cabuenas said the amount was taken from the five percent general fund of the City Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Fund (CDRRMF).
As mandated by Republic Act 10121 otherwise known as Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, every Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC) is mandated to come up with a Comprehensive Disaster Framework to encompass disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness.
“It is essential for a Comprehensive Disaster Framework to have an Annual Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan,” Cabuenas said.
==1st church-based eco park to open in Cebu==
==1st church-based eco park to open in Cebu==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2012/11/10/865023/1st-church-based-eco-park-open-cebu
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2012/11/10/865023/1st-church-based-eco-park-open-cebu
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