Difference between revisions of "Cebu Province News October 2013"

Jump to navigation Jump to search
→ → Go back HOME to Zamboanga: the Portal to the Philippines.

Cebu Province News October 2013 (view source)

Revision as of 10:59, 31 October 2013

34,014 bytes added ,  10:59, 31 October 2013
→‎Davide: P446M for AIP projects
Line 12: Line 12:
</table></div>
</table></div>
<!--- DO NOT EDIT ABOVE THIS LINE --->
<!--- DO NOT EDIT ABOVE THIS LINE --->
==Classes in Cebu to resume Nov. 4==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=578201
*Sunday, October 20, 2013
:(PNA), CTB/PFN
MANILA, Oct. 20 (PNA) -- Classes in all public schools in Cebu province will remain suspended until Nov. 3.
This was revealed in the provincial government's Facebook account.
It added that administrators of private schools will make their own announcement on the matter.
"Classes in Cebu province will resume on Nov. 4 for public schools. The respective administrators of the private schools will make the announcement for their schools, Dr. Arden Monisit, Schools Division Superintendent, DepEd Region 7 said."
In Cebu City, Mayor Michael Rama made a similar announcement for public schools in the city.
The latter added that classes in public schools in all levels in Cebu City are suspended until Nov. 3."
As for classes in private schools in Cebu City, the Cebu City public information office said Rama will meet with representatives of the private schools Monday.
Meanwhile, in Bohol, Tagbilaran City Mayor John Yap II announced that classes in all levels in the city are "suspended indefinitely."
==Spain, Vatican may help restore churches==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/19/1246970/spain-vatican-may-help-restore-churches
*Saturday, October 19, 2013 12:00 am
:By Paolo S. Romero, Philippine Star News Service (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Experts and church officials are looking to the Spanish government, the Vatican as well as to the ordinary faithful to defray the huge cost of restoring the centuries-old Catholic churches damaged by the powerful earthquake in Cebu and Bohol.
Masses continued at the quadrangle of the damaged Basilica del Sto. Niño de Cebu against the backdrop of a crane hovering over its coral-made belfry now chopped by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Tuesday.
Its side entrance collapsed yesterday due to the hundreds of aftershocks hitting the region.
Apart from the basilica, other damaged churches include the Church of San Pedro Apostol, Loboc, Bohol; Church of Our Lady of Light, Loon, Bohol; Santissima Trinidad Parish, Loay, Bohol; Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Baclayon, Bohol; Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Dauis, Bohol; San Nicolas Church, Dimiao, Bohol; Santa Cruz Parish Church, Maribojoc, Bohol; Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Cebu city; and St. Catherine's Church, Carcar City-all constructed during the Spanish era.
"We are still continuing our assessment of the damage but right now what we're doing is palliative, and we are also securing the sites because there are so many precious artifacts underneath," Ludovico Badoy, Executive Director of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), told The STAR.
"Restoration is going to be a very expensive undertaking and this needs the combined effort of all," he said. "I think the Spanish government would want to participate, it's just a matter of us seeking their help."
Badoy, accompanied by representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways and private restoration experts, has been making the rounds of the damaged historical structures.
Several teams from the NHI were also dispatched to Bohol, which was the hardest hit. Local authorities in Bohol and Cebu were given strict instructions not to touch the rubble until the experts have arrived.
Using chalk and colored markers, experts and workers have begun the painstaking task of accounting for every brick and stone in the rubble of the basilica to salvage them and help ensure that original material is used as much as possible in the restoration.
"These churches tell our history, strengthened the faith of Catholics among us. Many of us were baptized here, married here, and our elders interred here," Badoy said.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said help might be forthcoming from Pope Francis, who is expected to issue any time soon a formal message of sympathy for the victims of the earthquake.
Palma said he was able to speak twice to Msgr. Giuseppe Pinto, the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines or the pope's envoy, to apprise him of the situation.
He said Pinto was expected to send a report to the pope on the damage to the churches.
He said the Vatican's historical and cultural office would likely coordinate with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' on the Cultural Heritage of the Church to map out a plan to restore the churches.
Palma said the importance of restoring the damaged churches could not be overemphasized as "they serve as a bridge from the past to our present and to the future."
"We know the faithful from all walks of life would support this undertaking," he told The STAR.
Cebu Rep. Ace Durano, a former tourism chief, said even if the government would want to fully restore the churches, it could only do so much.
"There is not only the financial constraints, but this could be questioned by some because the Constitution states that the government cannot favor a particular religious group," Durano said.
He said if foreign entities, such as the Spanish government, would want to donate funds, they would likely be coursed through the religious orders that run the churches.
Durano, however, said government assistance on some churches can be easily justified on the grounds that they are heritage or cultural sites.
Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap strongly pushed for "funding round" with international finance agencies for the restoration.
"These churches are really owned by the entire Filipino people," Yap said.
==‘Cebu bridges remain strong’==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/10/18/cebu-bridges-remain-strong-309261
*Friday, October 18, 2013
:By Elias O. Baquero and Justin K. Vestil
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is checking bridges and public buildings in Cebu for damage caused by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake last Tuesday.
DPWH Regional Director Ador Canlas said initial safety inspections by engineering districts in Central Visayas revealed that there is less damage on infrastructure in Cebu compared to Bohol.
Cebu bridges remain strong and passable, he said.
In Bohol, three bridges in Maribojoc and Loon became impassable. Damage was also observed on 13 other Bohol bridges, although these are still passable.
:Materials
Canlas said materials for the reconstruction of the three destroyed bridges in Bohol will be delivered from Iloilo City next week and DPWH will construct the steel bridges in one month.
Canlas said members of the Structural Engineers of the Philippines will help DPWH check public schoolbuildings, markers, and municipal and city halls as ordered by President Benigno Aquino III the other day.
The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 urged heads of colleges and universities in the region to ensure that their facilities remain safe for their students and faculty.
Dr. Amelia Biglete, Ched 7 director, urged school administrators to ensure that precautionary measures are undertaken once classes resume.
:Classes
She also said make-up classes should be conducted.
Classes in all levels in public and private schools have been suspended since Wednesday while schoolbuildings and facilities are being assessed for damage.
Most schools will resume classes on Monday.
As this developed, Sen. Bam Aquino proposed the establishment of a P15-billion rehabilitation fund to help Cebu, Bohol and other parts or the country which were affected by the earthquake.
:Fund
Sen. Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, said the bulk of the fund will be used to rehabilitate old churches and other tourist spots, such as the Chocolate Hills in Carmen town and the centuries-old colonial churches in the municipalities of Loboc, Baclayon, Dauis and Loon.
He said the fund will also be used to rehabilitate establishments and other infrastructure destroyed by the earthquake in Cebu.
The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) 7 based at Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. reported that aside from the two bell towers of Basilica del Sto. Niño, the earthquake also damaged the Dalaguete Church, St. Francis de Assisi Church in Dumanjug and the church in Bogo City.
OCD 7 reported that the offices of the Department of Education (DepEd) 7; Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 and DTI Cebu; the city halls of Talisay and Bogo Cities; municipal halls of Alcoy and Pinamungajan; buildings at the Cebu Capitol compound; the Cebu International Convention Center; and the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
The Boljoon Municipal Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) building reportedly collapsed during the quake.
OCD 7 also recorded the collapse of the Budget Builders building on Natalio Bacalso Ave. in Cebu City; and damages at Gaisano Capital in Talisay City, and Gaisano Grand Mall and Prince Warehouse Supermarket in Minglanilla town.
==Cebu malls, banks open after checking buildings==
*Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/508951/cebu-malls-banks-open-after-checking-buildings
*Thursday, October 17, 2013 11:48 am
:By Aileen Garcia-Yap, Doris C. Bongcac (Cebu Daily News)
DTI province chief monitors store goods, prices
Several malls and retail chains in Cebu and most banks opened for business yesterday despite aftershocks felt a day after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Cebu and the Visayas.
Operations resumed after inspections were made to check the structural stability of buildings in Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu and Consolacion, Shopwise, and Metro Gaisano Colon and Lapu-Lapu branches and S&R in North Reclamation Area.
A team of engineers checked the Ayala Center and declared it “structurally safe and sound,” said Cebu Holdings Inc. corporate communications manager Jeanette Japzon.
The SM Group also inspected their two malls in Cebu City and Consolacion town.
Smaller establishments like APM Mall opened at 10 a.m. as well as Crossroads in Banilad, Cebu City.
Some remained closed yesterday like Elizabeth Mall in N. Bacalso Avenue, Pacific Mall in Mandaue City, Metro Ayala, Gaisano Countrymall and Parkmall in Mandaue City.
assess buildings
“We expect everything to settle down and get back to normal in three to four days. With all the aftershocks, people are still afraid to go to work, so even if businesses are operating, a lot of people are still absent,” said Philip N. Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president yesterday.
Property damage assessments are ongoing but most Mandaue Chamber member establishments are already operating, he said.
Tan said they encouraged everyone to check thoroughly their establishments including underground storage tanks of gasoline stations to avoid any accidents.
“We are hoping that the damage is minimal. We can never say there’s no impact on business especially in malls that will not go on regular operations yet,” said Tan.
Cebu Business Club President Gordon Alan Joseph said he let his staff off yesterday because he understood that people still don’t want to leave their homes after the quake.
Glenn Anthony Soco, Coffee Dream franchise owner, also cancelled work at his office and allowed his staff to go home.
Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lito Maderazo also said that most of their members are back in regular operations.
Maderazo said the chamber will meet soon to plan what help they can send to Bohol which was hardest hit by Tuesday’s earthquake.
bankers
Most banks in Cebu also resumed operations yesterday, said Cebu Bankers Club former president Prudencio Gesta.
All branches of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. resumed operations except for the Osmeña Boulevard branch because the building is still being checked, said Gesta.
Filipino Cebuano Business Club president Rey Calooy said that most of their members who are micro, small and medium enterprise owners also resumed operations yesterday although many employees did not report for work.
No cost estimates of damage were given because assessment is still ongoing, said the businessmen.
price freeze
Nelia Navarro, Department of Trade and Industry Cebu provincial director, assured that Cebu city and province has enough supply of food and other basic commodities amid the closure of some commercial establishments.
Navarro said that a “price freeze” will be implemented while Cebu City and other parts of the province are still under a state of calamity.
state of calamity
The Cebu City Council on Tuesday declared a state of calamity in the city in order to access calamity funds for quick disaster response.
Department stores are required to keep three weeks worth of stocks while product warehouses are required to have supplies that will last at least three months.
So far, there are no reports of food hoarding, she said, even as 11 teams of commodity inspectors were fielded to visit establishments in Cebu.
“We want to make sure that no business will take advantage of the disaster,” she said.
==Davide highlights tourism as key driver in local economy==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-business/2013/10/16/1245872/davide-highlights-tourism-key-driver-local-economy
*Wednesday, October 16, 2013 12:00 am
:By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento /JMD (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III continues to emphasize tourism as one of the priority areas that his administration would focus on, pointing out that the sector is considered to be a key industry for the progress of the province.
Davide, who recently graced the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 gala night held at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, acknowledged the role of tourism as a key driver in the economic development of the country.
"Tourism accelerates the flow of the economy," Davide said.
He also said that tourists can be considered as valuable import commodity given their expenses on food, transportation and other needs while staying in a particular area.
This in return, he added, could help increase the income and purchasing power of the members in the community.
He further noted that although tourism efforts should be maintained by the government and the private sector, Cebuanos should still respect the tradition of the community and protect the environment.
"We do not need to be like any other country, we just want to enhance Cebu's own natural attractions and showcase its true beauty to the world," Davide stated.
Earlier, Cebu City was hailed as one of the three Philippine cities recognized by the Swiss firm New7Wonders.
In a recent report of Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom, the cities of Cebu, Iloilo and Vigan bested more than 200 other cities to be part of the "long list" of 77 that was revealed by New7Wonders President Bernard Weber.
The list of the 77 cities was based on the online voting results that started in March 2012. There were more than 300 cities initially considered from the nominations across the world.
It will be then trimmed to a list of 28 cities and will be subjected to another online voting by October 21. The top New7Wonders Cities shall be announced during the last quarter of 2014.
It was in 2011 when the Palawan's famed Subterranean River National Park in Puerto Princesa City was dubbed as one of the world's New7Wonders of Nature.
==PSME, Mandaue agree to build biogas digestor at relocation site==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/metro-cebu/2013/10/15/1245511/psme-mandaue-agree-build-biogas-digestor-relocation-site
*Tuesday, October 15, 2013 12:00 am
:By Flor Z. Perolina (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME)-Mandaue Chapter for the installation of a technology that would process human wastes into energy in the 6.5-hectare relocation site in barangay Paknaan.
The Paknaan relocation site is now the new home to 1,200 beneficiaries who used to live in riverbanks.
The PSME-Mandaue will still conduct a feasibility study before the project is endorsed to the City Engineer’s Office and the city council.
The MOA stipulates that the design will be undertaken by PSME with no cost to the city government and once the project will be turned over, its maintenance and repair will be shouldered by the homeowners association with the assistance of the LGU.
The project is a biogas digestor, the technology that processes human waste and other biodegradable wastes to produce methane gas, which can then be used for lighting, cooking fuel, gas heater, and water heaters.
PSME has assured the project is safe and was already tested in General Santos City.
Engr. Fabio Senica Jr. said he put up a biogas digestor in General Santos in 2007. He said the project cost P8 million.
Senica has assured the technology is safe.
It consists of a bio-electric genser and fermentation chamber where wastes are processed for 15 to 30 days to produce methane gas and liquid fertilizer.
However, PSME is yet to determine the cost of the project. 
Joemarie Arib, PSME-Mandaue president, said the organization will help source out funds for the implementation of the project.
“One of our challenges is how to fund the project. But there are several private entities whom we can ask for grants,” Arib told reporters.
Mayor Jonas Cortes said the technology will be of great help to the beneficiaries.
“We’re not only building houses but we’re building communities,” Cortes said.
Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede said the technology can be applied to other areas in Mandaue if it is proven effective in the relocation site.
The city is observing the Mechanical Engineering Week, which is celebrated every third week of October.
==Nat’l historical body asked to intervene in tree-cutting row==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/14/1245101/natl-historical-body-asked-intervene-tree-cutting-row
*Monday, October 14, 2013 12:00 am
:By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon /JMO  (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Earth Justice Center will ask the National Historical Commission (NHC) to issue a cease and desist order against the cutting of trees to give way for the Naga-Carcar road in southern Cebu.
Lawyer Liza Osorio, co-founder of PECJ, said the commission has the power to issue such order against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
She said that under the law, heritage trees are entitled of protection.
Osorio said the group's other co-founder, Atty. Gloria Ramos, will personally go to the commission's office in Manila to ask for the order.
Osorio also said they will also demand for the DENR to provide them with a complete inventory of heritage trees in Naga and Carcar that are subject to cutting and earth balling.
"We have already sent our formal letter to DENR about our request but we were told nga ilaha pa daw huna-hunaon kung hatagan ba ni nila," Osorio said.
Osorio clarified they have nothing against the proposed infrastructure project.
"Di mi oppose sa project. Ang amoa lang nga these heritage trees dili maapektuhan," she said.
The proposed P1.25 billion project was initiated by then former First District Representative Eduardo Gullas.
Earlier, three barangays in Naga - Tinaan, Inuburan and Langtad - have issued barangay council resolutions and certification interposing no objection to the move to cut and earth-ball the trees.
DENR-7 Executive Director Isabelo Montejo said the barangay certification is one of the conditions for the issuance of a clearance from the DENR central office and the special tree cutting permit (STCP) issued to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, secretary-general of the Freedom from Debt Coalition-Cebu, said the Carcar City government has never given consent to the tree cutting and this was made known to the DENR.
"DENR never responded. The Carcar lgu was surprised to learn that DENR issued a permit. This only proves that securing consent from communities and lgus is only an afterthought as DENR would push through anyway," Pedrosa said.
Pedrosa added that aside from violating the Environmental Impact Assessment process, DENR and DPWH can be held liable for transgressing heritage laws.
Montejo explained this does not mean that DPWH 7 can now proceed with the cutting and earth-balling, as DPWH should comply with the other mandatory requirements.
He indicated the replacement of at least 13,800 of native and indigenous seedlings should be undertaken first before the actual cutting.
Montejo earlier emphasized that the eight or now seven acacia-trees (the other one fell down two months, ago which caused a ten-hour traffic) to be cut down are in an advanced stage of decay and could no longer be rehabilitated or applied with tree surgery.
He said that these trees are very dangerous or critical if they would continue to stay there as they pose danger to life and property. Besides, he said, the older the trees, the lower their capacity to absorb carbon.
"That's why we want to have a copy of the inventory, so that we can really assess the trees. Because even if these trees are already decayed, there are some ways to preserve it," Osorio added.
DENR-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said that based on the permit signed by Montejo as cleared by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr., some 42 trees, including the eight century-old acacia trees that are in an advanced stage of decay and clearly posing danger to life and property, will be removed or cut down.
Llamedo said at least 96 trees with 25 centimeters and below in diameter should be earth-balled while 16 acacia trees should not be cut down as they will be subjected to further tree surgery, correct pruning and rehabilitation of decayed branches and stubs.
At least 155 trees with an aggregate volume of 192.77 cubic meters of different species will be affected on the account of the May 11 and 16 of last year's inventory.
Llamedo added that of the 155 trees, 25 are century-old acacia trees with a diameter ranging from 92 centimeters to 226 centimeters. Of the 25, nine were considered defective and hazardous.
Gullas earlier said that the P1.25 billion Naga-Carcar road project will benefit not just Cebuanos but people from Negros and Bohol that use the road to reach Cebu City.
"The benefits are not only for Cebu province but inter-regional and intra-regional influence," Gullas said.
PEJC said that trees render valuable ecosystem services, which humans take for granted and we forget that without the trees, our quality of life will be affected.
PEJC added that trees are important because they produce oxygen, clean the soil, control noise pollution, slow storm water runoff, clean the air, act as windbreaks, fight soil erosion, and increase property values, among others.
Meanwhile, at least 50 of Ramos' law students from the University of Cebu held a "Save the Heritage Trees" caravan yesterday for their Environmental Law subject. Most of the second year law students are volunteers at PECJ.
The students gathered at the university and proceeded to Carcar to meet with Carcar City Councilor Roger Montesclaros, vice chairman of the committee on environment of the City Council.
Osorio said the Council is bent on passing a resolution for DENR to provide the latter an inventory of the heritage trees in the city that will be affected, among others.
In line with this controversy, a meeting is called for by DENR-7 to be attended by DPWH 7, the project manager or contractor, local government of Naga City, and other stakeholders today at the Community Environment and Natural Resources in Cebu City.
Osorio further said that PEJC is scheduled to have a dialogue with Vice Governor Agnes Magpale today on the said matter.
==Group still fighting for trees along Naga-Carcar stretch==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/13/1244745/group-still-fighting-trees-along-naga-carcar-stretch
*Sunday, October 13, 2013 12:00 am
:By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon /BRP (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Earth Justice Center is reaching out to stakeholders including the government to stop the cutting of heritage trees following the approval of three barangays in Naga City to the cutting and earthballing of trees that may be affected by a road widening project from Naga City to Carcar City.
“They can be sure that a legal action will be initiated if our move fails to move the government. We are reaching out to stakeholders including the government to stop this senseless and highly destructive act, said PEJC co-founder Gloria Ramos.
As one of its activity in increasing awareness, Ramos’ Law students from the University of  Cebu will be having a “Save Cebu Trees Heritage” caravan today.
The Department of  Environment and Natural Resources-7 said that Naga City barangays Tinaan, Inoburan and Langtad have issued a barangay council resolution and a certification interposing no objection on the tree cutting and earthballing of these trees.
Isabelo Montejo, DENR-7 regional executive director said in a statement that the approval is one of the conditions of the clearance granted by the DENR-Central Office and the special tree cutting permit issued to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Montejo explained that this does not already mean that DPWH-7 can now proceed with the cutting and earth-balling, they should comply with the other mandatory requirements.
He indicated that replacement of at least 13,800 native and indigenous seedlings should be undertaken first before the actual cutting.
With this, a meeting was called for by DENR-7 to be attended by DPWH-7, the project manager or contractor, the Naga City government and other stakeholders on Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Community Environment and Natural Resources office in Cebu City.
Montejo emphasized that the acacia trees to be cut down are in an advanced stage of decay and can no longer be rehabilitated with tree surgery. He added they pose a danger to life and property the longer they stay there and that older the trees have lower capacity to absorb carbon.
There are 12 conditions to be complied with on the permit to cut, one of these is to leave alone an acacia tree that has reportedly been there since the 1600s.
DENR-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said that based on the permit signed by Montejo as cleared by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr., some 42 trees including the eight century-old acacia trees which are in an advanced stage of decay and clearly posing danger to life and property will be cut down.
Llamedo said that at least 96 trees with a diameter of  25 centimeters and below will be earthballed while 16 acacia trees should not be cut down as they will be subjected to further tree surgery, correct pruning and rehabilitation of decayed branches and stubs.
At least 155 trees with an aggregate volume of 192.77 cubic meters of different species will be affected.
Llamedo added that it was found out that of the 155 trees, 25 are century-old acacia trees with diameters ranging from 92 centimeters to 226 centimeters. Of the 25, nine were considered to be defective and hazardous.
Earlier, the project proponent, former First District congressman Eduardo Gullas said that the P1.25-billion Naga-Carcar road project is beneficial not just for Cebuanos but also for Boholanos and Negrenses who pass this road on the way to Cebu City.
“The benefits are not only for Cebu province but inter-regional and intra-regional influence,” Gullas had said.
PEJC said that trees render valuable ecosystem services, which humans take for granted and we forget that without the trees, our quality of life will be affected.
PEJC added that trees are important because it produce oxygen, clean the soil, control noise pollution, slow storm water runoff, clean the air, act as windbreaks, fight soil erosion, increase property values, among others.
==Tsuneishi shipyard launches bulk carrier Paradise Island==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-business/2013/10/12/1244295/tsuneishi-shipyard-launches-bulk-carrier-paradise-island
*Saturday, October 12, 2013 12:00 am
:By John M. Destacamento (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Japanese shipbuilder Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Cebu, Inc. (THICI) successfully launched the 58,000 deadweight metric ton type bulk carrier MV Paradise Island last October 9, 2013 at its shipyard in Balamban, Cebu.
Paradise Island is one of the 13 cargo vessels that the shipbuilding firm targets to launch in 2013 alone. The ship’s length is 190 meters, while its breadth is about 32.26 meters.
Tsuneishi also intends to launch this year a total of five cape size bulk carriers, each weighing at least 180,000 deadweight metric tons.
A joint venture of Aboitiz Company, THICI is one of the leading medium-sized shipbuilders in the world. Shipbuilding, ship repair and manufacturing of outfittings for ships and vessels constitute the main business of the company.
THICI ships out medium-sized vessels to different parts of the world from the town of Balamban, Cebu in the central Philippines.
According to Princes Mea Rosel, chief editor of Tsuneishi’s newsletter, the Japanese-owned merchant ship is specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as loads of coal and ore in its cargo holds.
Tsuneishi President Hitoshi Kono said while the industry is experiencing imbalances of supply and demand in the light of unfavorable weakening of global ship prices, “the company, despite this economic situation, stands firm in carrying its responsibilities and commitments, by tightly working together, keeping safety-first principle in mind and taking to heart the company values and Tsuneishi spirit.”
According to Tsuneishi’s top executives, the huge production target for 2013 validates the Philippines’ position as a top manufacturer of world-class ships.
An earlier report said that back in January this year, Austal Philippines' shipyard operations in Balamban recently completed its first ship, a highly advanced world-class trimaran design for the European wind farm market.
Austal is an Australian-based shipbuilding company in the Philippines.
Austal’s  next ship, which is well underway, is a car and passenger ferry which will be the largest ferry ever built in the Philippines while another three wind farm vessels will follow.
The municipality of Balamban, in its website, says that it has rapidly grown into an industrial municipality with the shipbuilding industry located in Barangay Buanoy.
“More than a decade ago, this town was a mere fourth class municipality, but with our determination, coupled with a strong sense of responsibility, and whose vision for Balamban was and is, first and foremost, to uplift the economic life of our people, this once peopled with meager income town has become a multi-faceted first class municipality, boasting of an internationally-known shipbuilding industry,” the municipality’s website balamban.gov.ph says.
The booming shipbuilding industry in the town has also brought about positive economic impact on the constituents as it has opened and given jobs to thousands of workers from the community to the different municipalities, cities and provinces in the country, the website further says.
Early this year, President Benigno Aquino III during the grand opening of Austal Philippines, said that the Philippines now stands as the fourth largest shipbuilding country in the world.
The top three countries which share the market provided by the global shipbuilding industry are China (45 percent), South Korea (29 percent) and Japan (18 percent), an entry from Wikipedia reveals.
==Capitol contractors to get paid==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/10/11/capitol-contractors-get-paid-307979
*Friday, October 11, 2013
:By Oscar C. Pineda
The Cebu Provincial Government will settle its payables to contractors amounting to P600 million, but it will only do so on a staggered basis.
The Provincial Board (PB) must also ratify the projects that were implemented without its authority.
Gov. Hilario Davide III, who met with 32 contractors and their representatives yesterday, said the contractors welcomed this new development.
Davide told them they will prioritize paying contractors of projects that are finished over those that are ongoing.
Understanding sought
“I told them that they have to help us kay dako kaayo ang among bayranan (we owe a huge amount), and I propose nga ang desisyon nato diri (what we’ll decide on) is staggered payment,” he told contractors.
“Kung obligasyon ni sa Provincial Government, bayran gyud ni (We will settle the Capitol’s obligations),” Davide said.
“Kasagaran niining mga project wala man mo agi og approval sa (Majority of these projects did not get approval of the) PB, that’s also one aspect kay di ta ganahan nga masabit ta sa (we don’t want to be questioned by) COA (Commission on Audit),” he said.
He said he will let the PB decide whether to ratify the projects.
Davide sought the help of Provincial Engineer Hector Jamora to assess the status of each project, and set priorities.
Not included
Jamora cited as priorities the P97.83-million 100-bed Danao Provincial Hospital, which is being implemented by Supreme ABF Construction; and the P63.659-million 100-bed Balamban Provincial Hospital being undertaken by WT Construction and Development Corp.
Jamora also cited the P76.030-million Sta. Fe Airport runway in Bantayan and the P70-908-million Camotes Airport in San Francisco, both being implemented by Sargaso Construction and Development Corp.
He said the contract to develop the Balili property in Naga City is not included in the P600-million payables.
Purchase of the lot is the subject of charges filed against former governor Gwendolyn Garcia and some Capitol officials who were dismissed from service.
==Davide: P446M for AIP projects==
==Davide: P446M for AIP projects==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/10/1243592/davide-p446m-aip-projects
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/10/1243592/davide-p446m-aip-projects
Prdims
325,636

edits

Retrieved from "http://zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/696141"

Navigation menu