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==Bantay Dagat Sugbo seizes truckload of brown algae==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/08/31/1155211/bantay-dagat-sugbo-seizes-truckload-brown-algae
*Saturday, August 31, 2013 12:00 am
:By Kristine B. Quintas and Michael Braga /QSB  (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - A truck load  of brown algae, locally known as “lusay,” was seized in a checkpoint conducted by the Provincial Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force (Bantay Dagat Sugbo) in Sabang, Danao City Thursday evening.
Retired Navy Captain Romeo Tapayan of Bantay Dagat Sugbo said the Isuzu truck with plate numbers ZGP 182 was intercepted in Danao City at 11:30 pm. The truck and its cargo were seized in violation of the Provincial Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ordinance in Cebu, which was approved in April 30, 2012.
The ordinance bans the “extraction, gathering and harvesting of Samo/Kwapo (Sargasum Polycystum) and other seaweeds species before they are ready for harvest.”
It provides than an administrative fine of P3, 000 may be imposed on each violator, and an additional administrative fine of P1, 000.00 per kilo of Samo/Kwapo and other seaweeds species per violator.
“Naa daw silay permit, but the law in their land cannot supersede the law of the province,” Tapayan added stating the provision of the ordinance.
Tapayan explained that “lusay” is a type of seaweeds where small fishes live. It is used in making plastics and fertilizers.
Truck driver Samson Lopes initially refused to divulge the origin of the seaweeds. However, the truck owner, known only as Marilla, after he refused to divulge his full name, together with his father-in-law, Alfonso Alvarez, appeared before the office of the Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force yesterday and asked for the release of the truck, saying they have a mayor’s permit to buy-and-sell brown algae.
“Unsa may illegal nga among nahimo nga naa man mi permit gikan sa among mayor didto sa Cawayan (Masbate). Igo ra man mi nagtransport dinhi sa Cebu” Marilla stressed.
He also pointed out that the algae were not extracted.
“Violation ni siya if imong langkaton, unya nadagsa ra man pod ni,” Marilla said.
Marilla and Alvarez are both from the province of Masbate and have been trading brown algae for two years.
The truck is now under the custody of the anti-illegal fishing task force while the driver and three other helpers were immediately released.
“Depende na ni Governor Hilario Davide kun ibaligya sa probinsya sa processor aron makakwarta ang province,” Tapayan said.
The Formation of Provincial Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Adjudication Board (FARAB) has yet to send a recommendation to the governor on whether to drop the case or file charges in court.
==PB eyes review of all NGOs==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/08/30/1151581/pb-eyes-review-all-ngos
*Friday, August 30, 2013 12:00 am
:By Gregg M. Rubio/JPM (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Vice Governor Agnes Magpale is eyeing the review of all accredited people’s organizations (POs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) in the Province of Cebu following reports of bogus organizations who took huge amount of funds from the lawmakers.
However, Magpale said that the Province of Cebu has really been very careful in giving financial assistance to NGOs after the controversial Perdido Lex in 2002 which tagged former vice governor John Henry Gregory Osmeña for alleged misused of P5 million.
The Provincial Board of Cebu effected the infamous accreditation of the non-existent Perdido Lex via Resolution No. 3968-2002.
Magpale said that the review is aimed at having more safety nets in accrediting any organizations.
Accredited organizations have their accreditation renewed yearly and the PB asked the officials to appear before the plenary for further questioning before it gets renewal.
“Duna gyuy interview, tan-awon gyud ang track record,” Magpale said.
PB Member Joven Mondigo Jr. who previously chaired the committee on accreditation said that after the Perdido Lex controversy, application for accreditation passed through rigid screening of documentary requirements such as the registration of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Once accredited, Mondigo said that the organizations cannot just easily get financial assistance from the Capitol as it passes through another requirement of having a memorandum of agreement.
The PB has to authorize the Governor to enter and sign the agreement of a particular organization requesting the financial assistance.
Mondigo said that they have accredited a lot of NGOs not necessarily to access financial assistance.
“Hasol gyud hinoon, maong ang uban magpa-accredit para lang seguro nga accredited sila sa provincial government,” Mondigo told The Freeman.
Mondigo added it has also been the practice of the provincial government that financial assistance for NGOs is coursed through the local government.
==Mandaue City to update drainage master plan==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=560136
*Thursday, August 29, 2013
:(PNA), FFC/EB
MANDAUE CITY, Aug. 29 (PNA) -- The Mandaue City Government intends to hire 17 engineers to review and update its drainage master plan.
Mandaue City Hall is prepared to spend P943,000 for the undertaking, an official said.
Mandaue City Planning Officer Florentino Nimor said the city’s existing master plan, created in the early 2000s, contains obsolete data.
“The hiring of engineers is now with the Bids and Awards Committee,” Nimor said.
Nimor is a member of the city’s drainage system and flood control management committee.
The existing master plan, he said, does not include a list of projects the city needs to implement.
It only maps out the city’s existing drainage lines and catchment areas, and lays down an organizational framework plan.
The new master plan will list down projects such as new drainage lines, Nimor said.
Funds for the projects will be taken from the City’s disaster risk reduction and management funds, and the budget under the local development investment plan.
Once hired, Nimor said the engineers will come up with a new master plan within five months.
Nimor said the amount needed for the new master plan will be taken from the unspent funds amounting to P2 million from the contract creating the first drainage master plan.
While the city has yet to come up with an updated drainage master plan, projects to alleviate flooding are ongoing.
These include the P25-million dredging project for the Tipolo Creek and drainage works on Plaridel St. and A.S. Fortuna St.
==As ICCCE 2013 opens today Cebu takes the spotlight==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-business/2013/08/28/1142711/iccce-2013-opens-today-cebu-takes-spotlight
*Wednesday, August 28, 2013 12:00 am
:By Joefel Ortega Banzon (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Now on its ninth run, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) decided to bring the world’s largest contact center conference and expo to Cebu for the first time, Cebu being the next big thing for the industry after Manila.
Today, Cebu, which is a major hub for contact centers and ranked among the Top 10 in Tholon’s Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations Report, will play host to the 2013 International Contact Center Conference & Expo(ICCCE).
With the theme “Where the World Meets the Philippines,” 75 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and around 1,500 local and foreign contact center professionals will converge at the conference slated on August 28-30 at Shangri-La’s Mactan and Radisson Blu in Cebu City.
The international conference is produced by CCAP in partnership with the local government units of Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
To showcase Cebu
CCAP executive director Jojo Uligan said, in a briefing with Cebu journalists, that they decided to hold this year’s ICCCE in Cebu because they want to showcase Cebu stressing that “Cebu, being a matured location, we need to highlight what Cebu has to offer.”
“We decided to do it here to showcase the opportunities in Cebu, and with us are CEOs of our member companies and a good chunk of them don’t have operations here in Cebu,” Uligan said.
He added that this will be a good chance for these CEOs to be aware of how large the BPO operation is in Cebu.
“We also want to showcase the infrastructure and that aside from the talent, here in Cebu you can do both business and leisure,” he said, “we know that there are opportunities but what else can we do in Cebu? ”
Uligan further said that aside from talent, the services offered in the industry is growing so they need to be updated as clients’ requirements are also growing, citing the question “can we cope up with that demand?”
Aside from showcasing Cebu’s talents and opportunities, Uligan said that there is a need to identify the niche market of Cebu, identify where Cebu is doing good, something that can be honestly claimed as a niche that is uniquely Cebu.
Industry Growth
The conference also aims to present a data on how the industry is behaving in terms of growth rate as well as projections on how the industry will be like at the end of 2013.
Uligan said the association conducts a survey to its members twice a year, during the first six months of the year and at the end of the year.
“The twice a year survey is more to calibrate at the same time testing our projection. There’s a huge difference between what happened in 2012 to 2013. There are interesting figures as to how the industry is behaving in terms of our growth rate but our projection is still going up. I’m sure that it’s not going down but then again we need to re-study our data because a lot of people will be following and looking at our projection,” he said.
Uligan then gave a rough estimate of the industry’s growth of 15% to 20% on talent and 10% to 15% on revenue but made it clear that they maintain a modest projection compared to the actual growth of the industry.
Ripple Effect
The contact center industry, which has emerged as a powerful economic driver of the country has created a ripple effect in various aspects. The industry roughly spends around P2.5 billion on goods and services.
As of 2012, the contact center industry has employed over 500,000 Filipinos, which is a huge leap from the 2,500 BPO workers recorded in 2001.
Export growth likewise increased by 7.6%, amounting to $51.99 billion.
And despite the declining telephony spending in the global market due to recession in the world’s biggest economies, the telecom business in the Philippines still managed to post an $8 million growth last year.
Furthermore, because the contact center sector generates demand for office spaces and buildings, it translated to upbeat growth in the real estate sector.
And most importantly, the night economy generated by the industry paved way for the rise of small businesses. Fastfood outlets, 24/7 stores, restaurants and convenience stores started sprouting near BPO offices and buildings.
Uligan added that even the “Manong” and “Manang” selling packed food near contact center offices are reaping good profit from contact center employees.
Apart from the demand for food outlets, the rising employment population likewise generated a huge demand for transport services.
Challenges
However, amid its upbeat growth, the contact center industry is still faced with the same challenge, the shortage of talent.
Uligan said although the industry considers the cost of doing business, foreign exchange, infrastructure, power rates, and internet connectivity as the challenges that the industry needs to address, their major concern now lies on talent shortage.
He said it is an issue that has been hounding the industry from way back 10 to 11 years ago until the present stressing that “it is a major concern as we cannot grow if we don’t have the necessary skills that the industry needs.”
To address this, he said CCAP has tapped the academe for the inclusion of course units in the Service Management program in the country’s key state universities. The program started early this year.
Last year, CCAP also launched a scholarship program, in partnership with the Office of the President through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), wherein with a grant of P224 million, the association was able to provide trainings to 44,209 scholars, of which 73% were employed after the program.
With the success of the scholarship program, CCAP now waits for fresh funding from the government to implement the same program. CCAP will also be launching new set of scholars at the conference today.
==Mandaue City marks 44th Charter Day on Aug. 30 with a holiday ==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=558983
*Tuesday, August 27, 2013
:(PNA), LAP/EB/
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu, Aug. 27 (PNA) -- Mandaue City will mark its 44th Charter Day on August 30 with a holiday after Malacanang has declared a non-working holiday in the locality.
Mandaue became a city on June 21, 1969 under Republic Act 5519, the city’s charter.
But Presidential Proclamation 586 designated Aug. 30, 1969 as the date of the formal organization of the Mandaue City Government.
The city’s Charter Day anniversary celebration this year has the theme: “Mandaue: Cradle of Love, Prosperity and Opportunity.”
The Mandaue City Government lined up several activities for the celebration, including the ceremonial switch on of the city’s P39-million modern traffic light system and the signing of a sisterhood agreement between city officials and their counterparts from Gwangju City, South Korea.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and other officials will turn on the traffic lights at the Mandaue Integrated Response System Command Center beside the City Hall.
The traffic lights are equipped with security cameras to help decongest traffic and monitor accidents and crimes on the road.
The traffic lights, which will feature graphical illustration for deaf-mutes, are installed in nine road intersections.
Earlier, Cortes ordered utility companies to remove dangling wires blocking the closed circuit television cameras of the traffic lights.
Councilor Diosdado Suico, chair of the Charter Day executive committee, said the city will have a bigger celebration next year for its 45th cityhood anniversary.
Suico said the city set aside P5 million for this year’s Charter Day celebration.
==CPDRC sets ‘iron fist policy’==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/08/26/cpdrc-sets-iron-fist-policy-299704
*Monday, August 26, 2013
:By Flornisa M. Gitgano
THE Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) tightened its security against illegal drugs and prostitution.
Consultant on jail matters Marco Toral said they will use drug-sniffing dogs to detect drugs from persons who will get inside the jail facility starting Sept. 8.
Toral said this will be done at random.
They will hire drug-sniffing dogs since it would cost much if the Province will purchase one.
“Anybody caught will be charged,” Toral said.
Earlier, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III told the new Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Danilo Constantino to focus on illegal drugs since this is the common problem in the towns and cities.
Toral said they will implement an “iron fist policy” on Sept. 1 and reduce illegal drugs inside the CPDRC by 90 percent.
The jail guards will also search female visitors.
They have been following the ID system for every visitor who pays a visit to an inmate.
The CPDRC has also been strictly monitoring for possible prostitution inside.
Documents
Inmates’ partners also need to submit a barangay certificate as proof that they have been living together while the spouses will have to submit a marriage certificate to secure a visitor’s ID.
In August last year, a woman was recruited in Mindanao to work in Cebu, but was allegedly brought to the CPDRC and sold as a prostitute.
However, the jail consultant is confident that there is no more prostitution inside the jail facility.
Security cameras
The CPDRC has 26 cameras, but only 10 are working. Two of the ten functional cameras are on slow motion when viewed.
Toral said it may cost more than P75,000 for the repair of the cameras.
Last July 15, the inmates surrendered the things that are not allowed inside the jail facility.
These include 17 cellphones, 71 wood paddlers, bladed weapons, metal pipes and improvised heater.
Toral said they asked the inmates to turn over those things or they would conduct a greyhound operation.
==Officials eat seafood to assure wary consumers==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/08/24/officials-eat-seafood-assure-wary-consumers-299465
*Saturday, August 24, 2013
:By Jujemay G. Awit and Justin K. Vestil
JULIETA Labajo has been a fish vendor at the Pasil Fish Market in Cebu City for two decades.
She started by helping her mother, also a fish vendor, so she knows the ins and outs of the business.
Labajo said sea mishaps that involved casualties always brought down their sales. But the drop in their revenues after the sinking of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas is the lowest, so far.
“Dili man jud ingon ani ka-mingaw. Grabe jud ron (This is worse),” she said.
In Talisay City yesterday, local government officials—led by Mayor Johnny de los Reyes—also showed that it is safe to eat fish by having breakfast at the Tabunok Public Market.
Before the tragedy, Pasil fish vendors were able to sell an average of 50 tubs (banyera) a day.
Spill
Last Aug. 18, two days after the sinking of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas, people heard reports of the oil spill. Afraid that they would be eating oil-contaminated fish and shellfish, many people stopped buying products from the sea.
Labajo, president of the Pasil Toppers Association, said they would be happy to sell at least five tubs or banyeras a day.
Another fish vendor said they have been forced to sell one banyera of fish at half the price, or at P1,000 from P2,000.
Talisay fish vendors also complained of low sales due to the sinking of the vessel.
Apart from the oil spill, residents also feared that the fish in the waters off Talisay feasted on the bodies of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas passengers.
Safe
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 7 earlier issued an advisory telling the public to continue to eat fish despite the oil spill that affected the shores of Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova town.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella is concerned about the plight of fish vendors, many of whom do not have other means of livelihood.
To assure people that the fish at Pasil is safe, Labella together with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Councilor Hans Abella, City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete, Market Administrator Raquel Arce and Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council operations officer Alvin Santillana ate breakfast at the market.
The city officials had fish in tomato stew, raw fish in vinegar (kinilaw), grilled fish and squid and shrimp.
During his talk with the fish vendors, Labella urged them to organize a cooperative so they will not be at the mercy of loan sharks.
He said he wants the chairperson of the committee on cooperatives in the City Council to help the fish vendors organize a cooperative and find ways to manage their finances.
==P1.4 million set aside for mangrove rehab program==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/08/23/1124102/p1.4-million-set-aside-mangrove-rehab-program
*Friday, August 23, 2013 12:00 am
:By Marigold P. Lebumfacil/MBG (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) allotted P1.4 million for the mangrove rehabilitation and assistance of the fisher folks in Cordova who were affected by the oil spill.
The oil slick which resulted from the sinking of passenger ship MV St. Thomas Aquinas after it collided with MV Sulpicio Express Siete off Lawis Ledge, Talisay City has affected over 500 hectares of mangrove plantation and sea grasses in Cordova.
BFAR 7 Regional Director Andres Bojos said they started giving mangrove propagules last Wednesday afternoon to the fisher folks who could not go fishing because of the oil spill.
Bojos said they instructed these fisher folks to plant the propagules in plastic pots provided by BFAR 7.
BFAR also gave cash incentives for those who could plant the propagules and the fisher folks could get P6 for every alive mangrove.
Bojos said the mangrove propagules came from Bohol, Badian, Medellin and the City of Naga.
These mangrove rehabilitation activities are covered by the budget along with the food assistance that BFAR gave to the housewives of the fisher folks.
Aside from that, BFAR is also thinking of giving those who have motorized bancas gasoline allowance so that they can go fishing in areas not affected by the oil spill.
==LGU workers volunteer to clean oil slick==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/08/22/lgu-workers-volunteer-clean-oil-slick-299136
*Thursday, August 22, 2013
:By Flornisa M. Gitgano and Rebelander S. Basilan (PNA), JBP/PFN
SOME employees of the Provincial Capitol, Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova spent the special non-working holiday cleaning the coastlines affected by the oil spill.
Around 150 employees from the different departments in the Capitol volunteered for the cleanup drive near a resort in Barangay Poblacion, Cordova yesterday.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office officer-in-charge Czareem Joseph Estella said the Provincial General Services Office bought 50 sets of protective gear, including boots, masks and gloves for the volunteers.
The Capitol employees used foam, old clothes and nets to contain the oil spill. The nets were the ones used during the Governor's Volleyball Cup and airsoft competition.
Some employees of the Provincial Engineering Office swam around the oil slick to place the nets. Others got on a boat to lay down the improvised booms made by other volunteers.
But Philippine Coast Guard personnel advised the volunteers, who were not wearing protective gear, to get out because the fuel poses a health hazard.
Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy went to the cleanup site and sent town workers to help Capitol employees.
Cordova municipal health officer Christopher Calimbas said they will provide cleanup volunteers and residents of affected areas with masks.
The City Government in Lapu-Lapu City also cleaned up the coastlines of affected barangays.
Andy Berame of the City Coastal Law Enforcement Task Force said they continue to monitor the shores of Barangays Canjulao, Calawisan, Looc and Babag for oil slick, although only a few traces of oil were left yesterday.
City residents and resorts continue to lay improvised oil spill booms.
Recycled
Berame said Lapu-Lapu City is willing to help its neighbor, Cordova, where most of the oil slick can be found.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said oil spill booms made of recycled plastic materials have been placed along the boundary of Lapu-Lapu and Cordova to prevent the spread of oil.
“The City is not greatly affected but we’re doing some preventive measures. We are checking the shores from time to time,” she told reporters yesterday.
Radaza said the local office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development is identifying affected fisherfolk for the distribution of relief goods.
Sitoy, on the other hand, said the Municipality of Cordova allotted P1.5 million for the purchase of rice to be distributed to affected residents.
Swimming
Radaza said hotels and resorts in Lapu-Lapu are not badly affected as they have taken measures to prevent the oil slick from reaching their shores.
Ian Ngujo, assistant banquet manager of Pacific Cebu Resort in Barangay Suba-Basbas, said they have not allowed their guests to swim in the sea since Friday night because of the oil slick.
“Some guests said they were disappointed because the beach is one of their reasons for taking a vacation,” he said in an interview with reporters.
But Ngujo said no bookings have been cancelled because of the oil spill.
Their dive shop also continues to operate because some diving spots have not been affected.
Kathy Rosas, recreation manager of Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, said they have closed their beach during the weekend as a precaution.
Monitor
Resort workers made an improvised oil spill boom using old towels and mattresses to protect their beach from oil slicks.
Johann Tejada, a marine biologist from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 7, said their team will continue to monitor the seawaters of Lapu-Lapu.
“The effect of the oil spill in Lapu-Lapu is only minimal,” he said.
Renan Cimafranca, regional epidemiologist of the Department of Health (DOH) 7, was also at the clean-up site in Cordova yesterday and warned the people not to compromise their health by eating fish or swimming.
In Mandaue City, Gov. Hilario Davide III inspected the coastal barangays on board a speed boat of the Maritime Police after he learned of reports that the city was already affected by the oil spill.
Davide said he did not see any oil slick except in Barangay Labogon, but this may have come from a nearby shipyard.
He instructed the PENRO to check on the possible oil spill.
==130 AFP soldiers lend helping hands in Cebu oil spill cleanup==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=557369
*Wednesday, August 21, 2013
:(PNA), JBP/PFN
MANILA, Aug. 21 (PNA) -- The AFP Central Command on Wednesday announced that four platoons of military personnel were dispatched to coastal areas of Cordova, Cebu to help in the ongoing oil spill cleanup there.
Cmdr. Elmer Base, Central Command operations center head, said that these personnel came from the Headquarters Central Command, 2nd Air Division, Naval Forces Central and the 53rd Engineering Brigade.
He added that these four platoons is made up of 130 men.
Base said that these personnel will help the Coast Guard in its oil spill clean-up efforts.
Cordova's rich fishing waters became polluted in wake of the collision of the M/V St. Thomas Aquinas I and the Sulpicio Express 7 last Aug. 16.
The collision sank the M/V St. Thomas Aquinas 1, causing it to leak thousands of liters of fuel oil.
Base also said that the death toll for this sinking has climbed to 71 of which 67 are passengers of the ill-fated ship while the remaining four are crewmen.
Still missing are 49 people of which 43 are passengers and six are crewmen of the ill-fated ship.
==Coastal villages urged to plant mangroves==
==Coastal villages urged to plant mangroves==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/metro-cebu/2013/08/20/1111701/coastal-villages-urged-plant-mangroves
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/metro-cebu/2013/08/20/1111701/coastal-villages-urged-plant-mangroves
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