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==Tigerair eyes Cebu as next international hub ==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-business/2013/08/10/1073771/tigerair-eyes-cebu-next-international-hub
*Saturday, August 10, 2013 12:00 am
:By Ehda M. Dagooc  /JOB (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Low-cost airline Tiger Airways Philippines (Tigerair Philippines) is eyeing to make Cebu as its new hub, next to Clark.
This was announced yesterday by Tigerair Philippines president and chief executive officer Olive Ramos in a press conference held at Crown Regency Hotel.
Tigerair Philippines, which is 40 percent owned by Singaporean Tiger Air Holdings, entered the promising low budget air transport industry in the Philippines in July of last year. The 60 percent stake is owned by a consortium of Filipino investors.
At present, the airline flies to 14 destinations, four of these are out of Clark to different countries in Asia, like Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, and one direct flight from Kalibo to Singapore.
Cebu, known as one of the favorite destinations for business and leisure, has huge potential in hosting more domestic and international flights, she said.
Tigerair Philippines is currently working with the Civil Aviation Board (CAB) to get air entitlements to fly from Cebu to Japan, Korea, and China. She hopes to get the entitlements for these target destinations within this year.
To complement its aggressive expansion plan, Ramos also bared the company's plan to lease more aircrafts starting next year.
She added a Tiger Lounge will be opened at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in September this year,  to efficiently service its growing customers.
Tigerair Philippines aims to be the leading airline and travel partner connecting Filipinos to the rest of the country and across Asia-Pacific. As a company, it believes that travelers should get the best value for money by offering excellent service standards of safety, security, and reliability.
"We strongly believe that travel experience begins at the airport—from the check-in process to leading you  to your seat and flying you smoothly to your destination is what Tigerair is all about," Ramos concluded.
==School-based immunization launched ==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/08/09/1070281/school-based-immunization-launched
*Friday, August 9, 2013 12:00 am
:By Zheila Kaye V. Asentista, USJ-R /MIT (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - In line with the National Immunization Month for Adolescents, the Department of Health (DOH) Region 7, in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepED), launched the first free school-based adolescent immunization held in Abellana National School Gym yesterday.
The prioritized school-based adolescent immunization is for all first year to fourth year (Grade seven to ten) high school students in public schools. Each student will be injected with two vaccines on each arm, particularly Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) and Tetanus-Diphteria (TD).
For the whole month of August, a total of 341,371 targeted number of students will be vaccinated by the DOH in selected areas specifically in Cebu City, Lapu-lapu, Mandaue, and the rest of the province of Cebu and Bohol.
Dr. Jeanette Pauline Arellano, DOH Medical Officer IV, said that immunization is important not only for infants but also for adolescents.
“Importante ang paghatag og adolescent immunization because it will protect from various infections and diseases,” she said. The MMR vaccine will protect people from contracting measles, mumps, or rubella throughout their lives according.
Letters of consent are sent to parents for their child to be immunized but it is not mandatory. MMR vaccines shall not be given to pregnant female eligible targets. The DOH and DepEd will conduct screening for all female students before immunization.
Remaining provinces in Central Visayas, namely Negros Oriental and Siquijor, were not included in the targeted population.
“Budget is intended based sa gi-prioritize nga province gikan sa central office. Naay cases nga measles sa Bohol ug Cebu, but after the successful vaccination for all the targeted population, we will proceed to other provinces,” said DOH – Expanded Program in Immunization Nurse Coordinator Ashtriedley Cabinatan.
The National Epidemiology Center (NEC) survey from 2010 to 2011 revealed that there are 1,157 to 1,562 confirmed cases of measles and 24 to 31 probable diphtheria cases among adolescents.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who was guest speaker of the program, encouraged the students of ANS to be healthy. “It has been said that health is wealth. Eat and take care of your body so that you will have a healthy mind and body, and if you have healthy mind and body you will become a better citizen because you will be able to learn so much.”
Jane Anne Alcao, a grade seven student of ANS who availed the free vaccination said that she is happy when she was vaccinated. “Need kaayo ni namo aron layo mi sa mga sakit. Wala raman ko masakitan pag-inject, (We need this to stay healthy. The injection didn’t hurt.)” she said.
On the other hand, Edrian Pacatang, a fourth year high school student of ANS who did not yet avail the vaccination, said in an interview with The Freeman that he is going to avail the free immunization.
“Since opportunity ni namo nga magpa-immunize, mas ok kay sure man nga naay proteksyon ang among lawas. Unya kami ang giuna, kami ang gitan-aw nila nga pag-asa sa atong country, (It’s an opportunity to protect our bodies. They see us as the hope of our nation that’s why they immunized us first.)” he said.
==LGUs urged to formulate land use plans integrating three critical components==
*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1071375857601
*Thursday, August 8, 2013
:By Juju Manubag-Empuerto (rmn/JSME/PIA-Cebu/DENR7).
CEBU CITY, Aug. 8 (PIA) -- Local government units in Central Visayas are urged to formulate their land use plans integrating three important components on disaster, coastal resources, and forest.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 Regional Executive Dir. Dr. Isabelo Montejo has encouraged the LGUs to craft their provincial or municipal land use plans that include disaster risk reduction and management, integrated coastal resources management, and forest land use.
A forest land use plan (FLUP) is a strategic framework for making land and resource use decisions for a given area.
The planning process strives for balance among all forest values: environmental, economic, and social.
The disaster risk reduction and management plan provides the legal basis for policies, plans and programs to deal with disasters and covers four thematic areas: the disaster prevention and mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, disaster rehabilitation and recovery.
Montejo bared that they are willing to extend the necessary technical assistance and support to LGUs in the formulation and approval of said plan at the municipal, city or provincial levels.
“The plan should be reflective on the unique and existing characteristics or features of a particular LGU taking into account the need to protect and conserve the environment and natural resources of the area,” Montejo said.
The integrated coastal resource management plan provides information on the social and economic condition of upland and marine ecosystem and elaborates on the current status of the resources, integrating ridge to reef habitats, ecological linkages, and the issues on the sustainability of resources.
“Director Montejo also directed the provincial environment and natural resources officers (PENROs) in the four provinces of Central Visayas region to closely work with the local chief executives within their area of jurisdiction to help in crafting the said plan," said Dr. Eddie Llamedo, DENR-7 Information Officer.
==Cebu Capitol’s 1,500 workers to get P15,000 CNA bonus each ==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=552569
*Wednesday, August 7, 2013
:(PNA), LAP/EB/
CEBU CITY, Aug. 7 (PNA) -- Some 1,500 Cebu Provincial Capitol employees will receive a collective negotiation agreement (CNA) bonus of P15,000 each in celebration of Cebu’s 444th founding anniversary.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, who announced the bonus, said another bonus will be given in line with the program on awards and incentives for service excellence, which was approved by the Civil Service Commission.
But he did not specify the amount.
Davide led other Cebu provincial officials and employees in a simpler celebration of the province’s founding day Tuesday.
Davide said employees who were hired until Dec. 31, 2012 will receive a CNA bonus of P15,000.
The bonus was supposed to be based on the modified performance evaluation system covering Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012, but Davide decided that the incentive will be given across the board, since it was a special day of the province.
Lawyer Ramil Abing, Davide's chief of staff, said even the employees who are no longer connected with the Capitol but were hired until the cutoff date of Dec. 31 will receive the P15,000 bonus.
The CNA bonus does not include elected officials.
However, Capitol employees who were hired in the beginning of the year will still receive a bonus if they belong to the top five performing offices.
The incentives award was based on the evaluation system to identify the top performing offices from the executive, legislative and hospitals covering July 1, 2012 up to June 30, 2013.
For the executive department, the top five performing offices were the Provincial Planning and Development, Budget, Accounting, Environment and Natural Resources and the Governor's Office.
For the legislative department, the awardees were the offices of the Vice Governor, Provincial Board (PB) Member Thadeo Ouano, Provincial Secretary, PB Member Peter John Calderon and PB Member Alex Binghay.
==‘P17.5B to be shouldered by MCIA private operator’ ==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/08/06/p175b-be-shouldered-mcia-private-operator-296324
*Tuesday, August 6, 2013 8:21 am
:By Elias O. Baquero
THE rehabilitation and privatization of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will cost P17.5 billion, which will be shouldered by the winning bidder of the project.
MCIA Authority General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete said the amount makes up the estimated investment of the private company over the 20 years it will operate the airport.
Villarete was reacting to the question raised by businessman Bobby Lim Joseph, also consul general of Latvia and chairman emeritus of the National Independent Travel and Tours Association Cebu Inc., on the cost of the airport project.
Joseph pointed out that the Korean International Cooperation Agency (Koica), which was hired to conduct the feasibility study of the airport expansion and rehabilitation project, came up with only P5 billion.
Villarete, however, said the final report of Koica, released in October 2011, estimated the total cost of the first phase of project at P9.405 billion.
He said that under the private-public partnership (PPP), the construction of the new passenger terminal at the MCIA will be financed by a private company, which will operate the airport for 20 years.
“After the concession period is up, the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) will have the option of operating the terminal,” Villarete said.
Phase 2
“Koica has estimated phase two to cost P10.1 billion, slated to be done around 10 years from now. The transaction adviser procured by DOTC and the PPP Center, top consulting firms like the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt Ltd. (India) and its consortium partner Puyat Jacinto and Santos Law (Philippines) has actually scaled this down to P17.5 billion, and has a smaller unit cost than Bacolod and Iloilo airport terminals,” Villarete said.
“The project has passed the rigid evaluation and assessment of the Investment Coordinating Committee (ICC) and was approved by the Neda (National Economic and Development Authority) Board,” he added.
He said MCIA project is in the final stages of PPP procurement, which follows procedures set under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) law.
“We are into the second round of one-on-one meetings with the seven qualified bidders or consortia since the new BOT-IRR (implementing rules and regulations) allowed and mandated the bidders to submit queries and seek clarifications on the concession agreement,” Villarete said.
Award
He said that once the agreement is finalized, it will be sent to all the bidders, who will then prepare their bids.
“We hope that we can award the concession by year-end or early next year,” he said.
“The financial clause and other requisite procedures will follow before the turnover and the effective date. We're doing this as fast as we can under the law. We needed this four years ago,” Villarete said.
Villarete said the PPP allows government to implement projects without spending public funds.
“With the private sector as partner, government has access to more than adequate funding resources, up-to-date technologies and skilled manpower to manage the project, freeing up valuable government (public) resources that can be used to prioritize the delivery of basic services,” he said.
Villarete said many international airports are privately run. He cited those in the United Kingdom, Australia and Thailand, and major airports in India.
“This (PPP) is already a well-founded development scheme. But if there are further questions as to its propriety and viability, maybe we could refer them to the Neda PPP Center,” he said.
==Youth as heritage movers==
*Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/458861/youth-as-heritage-movers
*Monday, August 5, 2013 8:21 am
:(Inquirer.net)
There is more to a place than what meets the eye.
That is why a guide is necessary if someone is visiting a place if the
first time.
In Argao town, southern Cebu, learning its history and culture is made easier by the Argao Youth Heritage Society (AYHS), a group of heritage volunteers led by Rodel Campaner.
Campaner is a second year Industrial Engineering student of Cebu Technological University (CTU)-Argao campus. He is a scholar of the Cebu Tertiary Assistance Program.
For Campaner, 17, from the mountain barangay of Jampang, the youth should develop a passion for preserving heritage and its tangible artifacts, like the town plaza’s coral stone walls and the church’s intricately designed ceiling. Both were built during the Spanish period.
“I am always eager to learn more, especially about history and culture,” he said.
Argao town has emerged to become a heritage and eco-tourism destination in the province, and the AYHS was formed to guide foreign and local visitors.
Campaner was only 12 when he and 79 other schoolmates in high school joined the group in 2008. He said an Argao tourism office representative visited their school and recruited them as tour guide volunteers.
The volunteers underwent a series of workshops and trainings, which included the ethics of tour guiding, tour planning and tour packing.  The group also holds regular meetings every Saturday to enhance their skills in handling tourists.
cultural preservation
As president of AYHS, Campaner is always looking for ways to inspire others to work towards cultural preservation.
So when the municipality of Argao launched the Integrated Children’s Development Program (ICDP) in 2012, the AYHS members joined the group. The ICDP  is held on weekends in  April.
ICDP focuses on the growth of Argao’s youth in arts, sports and personality development.
At present, the AYHS with only 20 members left holds outreach programs in schools to recruit
more members.
The new AYHS members undergo a mock tour and critical review to determine if they are ready.
Argao, with the help of AYHS, also has its own version of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.’s (RAFI) Gabii sa Kabilin held
every May.
CABECERA TOUR
Local and foreign visitors are treated to a tour of Cabecera de Argao, a Spanish-era pueblo which is home to the historical municipal hall known as the Casa Real, St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church, the Puerta Marina, the Hall of Justice that is also called Cuartel and the town’s delicacy industry. Argao is famous for its torta, a baked delicacy made with tuba.
An educational tour of 100 students from the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) was Rodel’s most memorable experience when he handled their Cabecera tour in 2009.
Rodel, the youngest pioneering member of the group, said he was uneasy at first and was mindful of his English, but eventually he regained his confidence and breezed through the tour.
Later that year, he was one of the facilitators of a cultural tour of 20 Dutch visitors. With the help of residents, they shared discussions with the guests, caught land crabs, and toured them in the town’s Romahan (a field of Roma plants).
Last May, Campaner participated in RAFI’s Kool Adventure Camp challenge ropes course, which he said honed his leadership and coordination skills.
“A leader should be a good example to his fellow youth. If they can see a good role model, perhaps they would follow  in his steps,” he said.
==Ironman 70.3 Phl security ready for triathlon==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/08/04/1050271/ironman-70.3-phl-security-ready-triathlon
*Sunday, August 4, 2013  12:00 am
:By Jessa J. Agua, Niña G. Sumacot /BRP (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - To assist motorists and triathletes participating at the Ironman 70.3 Philippines, City Traffic Operations Management will deploy 180 personnel along the bike route.
The swim-bike-run race route covers the three cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Cebu.
CITOM earlier announced that pier area going to the South Road Properties will be closed to traffic, being part of the 70.3 kilometer race route.
Organizers and involved local government units had a smooth final preparation a day before today’s race.
“For organizers, just last-minute checkup to make sure we close on time. For others, last-minute check to make sure that CPA is also go on the preparations. No more last-minute changes,” CITOM executive director Rafael Christopher Yap said.
Gates at the Cebu Port Authority area must be closed to prevent unauthorized exits, Yap added.
Motorists will not be allowed to access the SRP tunnel since triathletes will be using it.
Last year, a Cebuano Ironman participant met an accident and died during the bike leg at the SRP. His wife, part of the relay team, waited for him in vain in Lapu-Lapu City.
Regardless of zero monitored threats, police in Central Visayas particularly in Metro Cebu won’t slack off and will keep their guard to secure the triathlon today.
Superintendent Pablo Labra II, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division of Police Regional Office-7, said they have not received any threats.
“But dili ta magkumpiyansa bisan og wala ta’y mga threat nadawat,” he said.
Labra said aside from the deployment from different police offices, the PRO-7 will also deploy covert police personnel to assist uniformed personnel in securing the event.
The policemen, Labra added, will be deployed from early morning today until the event finishes or until all participants safely leave the venue.
Senior Supt. Marino Natu-el, Jr., the outgoing Cebu City Police Office director, has also ordered the deployment of close to 250 police personnel and 100 assisting members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team for the road security.
“We’ll be providing route and area security along the road na maagian. Ubay-ubay na pulis atong ipakatap,” said Natu-el.
Motorists have been advised to avoid seaport roads today due to the triathlon and to follow rerouting signals.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office director Rey Lyndon Lawas has also assured to tighten the security not only in Lapu-Lapu City but including the three neighboring cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Talisay.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and other agencies will also be assisting the police. Medical stations will also be designated in key areas.
==Cebu guv wants new CV top cop to focus on drive vs. illegal drugs==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=551189
*Saturday, August 3, 2013
:(PNA), HBC/EB/
CEBU CITY, July 3 (PNA) -- Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III has said he wants new Police Regional Office 7 Director Danilo Constantino to focus on illegal drugs in the province.
Constantino, who paid a courtesy call on Davide Friday, said he assured the governor the police will do its best.
“The governor is very concerned about the illegal problem in the province. I assured him it is one of our priority programs, the campaign against illegal drugs,” said Constantino.
He said police will strengthen its intelligence operation so they can easily identify suspects.
Constantino said the police has an intelligence report about suspected violators.
Constantino said he will also run after illegal gamblers.
“The campaign against all illegal activities is in our program,” said Constantino.
Constantino said Davide has assured him the Cebu Capitol will support the PRO 7 in its operations.
==Cebu to launch SSF before end-2013==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-business/2013/08/02/1042651/cebu-launch-ssf-end-2013
*Friday, August 2, 2013 12:00 am
:By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento /JOB (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Following the recent launch of two shared service facilities (SSF) in Bohol and Siquijor, Cebu province will also have the same facility before yearend.
The SSF project was developed with the government’s thrust to augment the production volume and improve the quality of products manufactured by the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Central Visayas.
DTI Provincial Director Nelia Navarro said that the SSF project is aimed at improving the quality productivity of microenterprises by addressing the gaps and bottlenecks in the value chain of priority industry clusters through the provision of processing machines, equipment and tools for the common use of identified beneficiaries.
She added that it further enhances the competitiveness of these clusters through the use of quality-enhancing machinery and develops market-driven industries in support to the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project.
“The SSF project will help address the gap in production for these industries that require higher productivity levels but are actually deprived of the necessary equipment, technology and facility that they need,” she said.
The national government has approved a budget of P29.584 million for the SSF project that could benefit small-scale businesses and cooperatives and generate added employment opportunities in Region VII.
Navarro further revealed that the biggest chunk of this funding will be allocated for Cebu as it serves as the center for trade and commerce in Central Visayas given the various industries and markets present in the province.
==At half the usual budget Cebu’s 444th Anniversary Celebration starts today==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/08/01/1037931/half-usual-budget-cebus-444th-anniversary-celebration-starts-today
*Thursday, August 1, 2013 12:00 am
:By Gregg M. Rubio/MBG (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Gov. Hilario Davide III only approved barely half of the total budget allotted for the weeklong activities to celebrate the 444th founding anniversary of the Province of Cebu which kicks off today.
Included in the 2013 annual budget of the Province of Cebu is the P3 million for the founding anniversary celebration.
Acting Budget Officer Danilo Rodas disclosed that only P1.7 million was approved by Davide to be spent in this year’s celebration.
The Province of Cebu last year, under then governor Gwendolyn Garcia , spent P2.5 million out of the same amount of P3 million appropriation in the annual budget.
Davide earlier declared Capitol will only hold a weeklong celebration instead of the usual month-long activities as practiced during the time of Garcia.
Among the activities no longer included in this year’s celebration are the holding of the Governor’s Ball, which Davide finds extravagant, and the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo even if it has an appropriation of P5 million, P15 million lower than last year’s.
The flag raising ceremony today to be attended by provincial, city and municipal officials will mark the opening of the celebration to be followed by the opening of a one-week Agro-Fair at the back of the Capitol Building.
The Our Cebu Program will be launched today in coordination with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI).
The program is about capacitating each town and city of the Province of Cebu to make them attractive places to live, work, play, invest, and do business.
The program implements interventions and initiatives geared towards making Cebu a model province.
Tomorrow will be the health and wellness activities, free services of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; and legal clinic of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines at the Capitol gounds.
There will be “bangga sa komedya” and “bangga sa kanta” on Monday while the anniversary mass will be held Tuesday morning and the anniversary program will be after lunchtime.
The Gabii sa Sugbo will be held on Wednesday to be attended by the guests of the governor.
The Agro-Fair continues even on Saturday and Sunday until Tuesday which is the founding day.
August 6 is a special non-working holiday in the entire Province of Cebu including the highly urbanized cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.
Republic Act 8952 provides that the holiday for private and public offices is to be enjoyed all over Cebu, including Cebu City and other component cities.
In 1993, a resolution was approved by the Provincial Board stating that Spain’s King Philip II, in a royal cedula, appointed Miguel Lopez de Legazpi as Governor of Cebu on August 6, 1569.
Earlier, there was a dispute over whether Cebu City, as a highly urbanized city, is covered by RA 7698, which declares a special non-working public holiday in the province every August 6.
Former first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas introduced RA 8952 amending RA 7698 to include Cebu City in the declaration as well as other component cities which put to rest all arguments.
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