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==3,000 cops to secure Cebu cemeteries ==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/10/31/3000-cops-secure-cebu-cemeteries-311425
*Thursday, October 31, 2013
:By Kevin A. Lagunda
THE police force in Central Visayas will implement tight security in airports, seaports and bus terminals as people go back to their respective hometowns today for the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Over 3,000 personnel will be deployed in Cebu Province and in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.
Camp Crame has given clearance to 130 personnel of the Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) 7 to leave their assignment in Zamboanga City and return to Cebu.
Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., Police Regional Office (PRO) deputy director for administration, told reporters said they are still on red alert; the gun ban is still in effect, while persons are not allowed to go inside cemeteries with liquor.
Security cameras will be installed in major cemeteries. There are at least 30 cemeteries in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
In Cebu City, closed-circuit television cameras will be installed in three major cemeteries: Calamba, Carreta and Queen City Memorial Gardens.
Public assistance desks will be placed in cemeteries and in public transport terminals, police said.
K9 units will be sent to the North Bus Terminal in Mandaue City and South Bus Terminal in Cebu City.
City police directors said they will also deploy force multipliers like tanods, members of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPAT) to augment and intelligence operatives to monitor activity of criminal groups.
Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, Lapu-Lapu City police chief, said he will deploy tourist cops to secure beaches and tourists.
In the Cebu province, there are at least 2,000 police personnel who will be deployed in the towns.
“We will conduct operations against thieves inside the cemeteries,” said Cebu Provincial Police Director Noel Gillamac. “We will also look out for fake priests who would dupe people.”
Regional Intelligence Division (RID) Chief Paul Labra II said they have not yet received reports about arrival of criminal groups from other provinces in Cebu.
==PRO7 to hold shoot fest to raise funds for quake affected members ==
*Source:http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2441383112673
*Wednesday, October 30, 2013
:By Ferliza Calizar-Contratista (mbcn/FCC/PIA7-Cebu)
CEBU CITY, October 30 (PIA)---Police to spearhead two shoot fests to raise funds for members affected by the earthquake.
Police Regional Office 7 deputy regional director for administration, PCSupt Generoso Cerbo Jr, said they have lined up activities to raise funds for the policemen that were affected by the 7.2 magnitude quake two weeks ago.
Cerbo in today’s Talakayan Sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) Forum admitted they have about 100 policemen who were directly affected by the quake and most of them are in Bohol.
PRO-7 regional information officer PSupt Renato Dugan said initially they were able to raise P200,000 a few days after the earthquake from fellow policemen and some stake holders.
Dugan added the Office of Cebu Provincial Police Director PSSupt Noel Gillamac will hold a Provincial Shooters Cup for his men in Cebu on November 14-17.
Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) on the other hand will also hold another shoot fest on November 22, 32 and 24 at the CPRA in Pusok Lapulapu City.
“Funds raised from the registration fees of both contests will go to the policemen affected by the earthquake in region 7,” Dugan said.
The contests will be open for all shooting enthusiasts police and civilian.
Other government agencies also did their part in helping colleagues who were or their family members injured during the earthquake.  Some of their houses were totally or partially damaged.
Philippine Information Agency 7 personnel also “passed the hat” while employees of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR-7) held a sports fest which proceeds were also donated to their affected colleagues.
==Canadian experts to share know-how to 6 Cebu cities==
*Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/516579/canadian-experts-to-share-know-how-to-6-cebu-cities
*Tuesday, October 29, 2013 12:24 pm
:By Aileen Garcia-Yap (Cebu Daily News)
SIX cities in Cebu were among the local government units (LGUs) identified to receive technical aid from a Canadian advocacy group.
Naga, Danao, Mandaue, Carcar, Lapu-Lapu and Bogo cities will be the local partner-LGUs of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in its program aimed at spurring more economic development in these areas, said Garth Frizzell, FMC member councilor for the City of Prince George, B.C.
The beneficiaries were announced through the Asia Partners Forum on Local Economic Development held in Cebu last week, which was attended by the FCM representatives.
“Through its local economic development work, FCM works to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of Canada’s international aid,” said Frizzell.
FCM’s program will provide ways for Canadian municipalities to partner with counterparts around the world, contribute knowledge, and foster cooperation across a global network of local governments.
Through the program, the Canadian experts will share their professional and technical know-how to program beneficiaries by working directly with them.
“They are looking for expertise in areas such as leadership, management and administration, engineering, urban planning, economic development, equitable delivery of services, diversity and intergovernmental relations,” Frizzell said.
Frizzell said that FCM believes that without strong leadership by local governments, it would be impossible to achieve results that will benefit the local economy.
STRATEGY
FCM’s partnership with the local counterparts is a strategy they think should help, Frizell added.
FCM partners will help LGUs come up with the best strategies to pursue community economic development, look at the best practices in their counterparts, come up with plans for more developmental initiatives, and evaluate the results of their work.
Aside from the Philippines, FCM also signed partnerships with other countries in the region like Vietnam and Cambodia.
“I’m pleased with the inclusion of these cities as FCM beneficiaries,” said Philip N. Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.
Tan, however, said that all the training provided will be for naught if people will elect local officials according to popularity and not on their capacity to serve.
“My concern is more on the understanding by the LGUs on how important economic growth is, and running the government like a business instead of running it for their vested interests,” Tan said.
“It is sad to say that we elected most people out of popularity not of competence,” he added.
Other business leaders also welcome the six cities’ inclusion in the FCM program.
“LGUs play a vital role in the economic development particularly in the rural areas,” said Lito Maderazo, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.
“Making them capable of providing an enabled environment for investment and business opportunities, and helping them to properly identify their natural and human resources will help localities accelerate inclusive growth,” Maderazo said.
Cebu Business Club president Gordon Alan Joseph agreed.
“This is obviously a good development because too many LGUs still rely on the IRA (internal revenue allotment) from the government which is supposed to help LGUs achieve self sufficiency but it hasn’t done that,” Joseph said.
“Hopefully with this capacity-building, the LGUs will able to spur economic development,” he said.
==Malaysian group inks deal for $160-M RE project in Cebu==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/10/28/1250135/malaysian-group-inks-deal-160-m-re-project-cebu
*Monday, October 28, 2013 12:00 am
:By Neil Jerome C. Morales (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - The Mudajaya Group of Malaysia has signed a partnership agreement with local players for a $160-million integrated renewable energy project in the Philippines.
“We are proposing to put up at least 200 MW of generating capacity...We hope to start with 50 MW and the indicative investment is $160 million,” said Anto Joseph, group managing director and CEO of Mudajaya Group Bhd.
Mudajaya Group, which owns 40 percent of Amihan wind project, yesterday signed a shareholders agreement with Filipino firms Amihan Energy Corp. (30 percent) and Visayan Wind Energy Holdings Corp. (30 percent).
“Our intention is to make this as one of the largest integrated wind farms in the Southeast Asian region,” Joseph said.
Visayan Wind chairman Esteban Peña Sy said this will be the first wind power generation project in Cebu.
Amihan wind energy project will put up wind mills in an 18,000-hectare leased lot within Cebu City, Balamban and Toledo City in Cebu.
The technical design for the wind project is being finalized to ensure long-term safety especially given the recent earthquake that hit Cebu.
Joseph said construction should begin in the next six to nine months, with partial commissioning of the wind farm likely to start late next year.
The parties are now in talks with various local and foreign banks for the funding of the wind project.
Depending on the energy demand in the next five to seven years, the partners might put up biomass and solar power projects in the vicinity to increase output to as much as 400 MW.
Amihan wind energy project aims to take advantage of the feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme, Joseph said.
The FIT scheme guarantees investments of renewable energy firms through fixed rates that would be shouldered by consumers over 20 years. Financial viability of renewable power projects are crucial for energy firms to secure bank financing.
Peña Sy said more power output is needed to support the fast-paced economic growth of the Philippines.
To date, the Philippines sources 35 percent its total power requirements from renewable energy sources.
Mudajaya Group is one of Forbes Asia’s 200 Best Under a Billion companies. It has $541 million in sales, $78 million in net income and $463 million market capitalization.
==Team checks quake damage to churches==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/27/1249978/team-checks-quake-damage-churches
*Sunday, October 27, 2013 12:00 am
:By Paul Gerschwiler and Florencio Moreño II /RHM (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Complying with a request by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI), we formed an ad hoc team with Msgr. Constantino Batoctoy, who runs the Boljoon Studies Center, to check on the damages that some of our precious heritage churches in Southern Cebu had suffered.
Our fact-finding trip brought us to Carcar City and the towns of Sibonga, Argao, Dalaguete, Boljoon.  We also checked on Samboan, Cebu.
In Carcar, we were received by Msgr. Rolando Jimenez, parish priest of the city and Vicar General of Cebu. Assistant parish priest Joseph Gabriente showed us around.
On several pillars of church, the decorative ornamentation has cracked, although the structural joints have not been damaged. Minor cracks can also be seen on several arches between the main nave and the aisles.
Carcar, however, can be considered as lucky. According to Msgr. Jimenez, a professional assessment of the safety of the structures confirmed that the church has been structurally unscathed by the forces of the quake.
In Sibonga, we were received by Fr. Junjun Almasol, assistant parish priest, and shown around by the Sacristan Luis Diez.
The church of Sibonga has structurally survived the temblors of the quake quite well. The renowned ceiling painting of the Sibonga church by Raymundo Francia is unharmed.  The structure, though, still needs to be assessed, as cracks can now be seen in one of the massive belfries and the pilasters and windows of the church.
Among the churches we have visited so far, the church in Dalaguete has suffered the most. In Dalaguete, we encountered damages that pose an immediate threat to the structural stability of the church.
The roof of its sacristy has caved in and its façade has moved away four inches from the vaulted ceiling. And this is a special concern as the ceiling features paintings done 1935 by Canuto Avila.  The conspicuous cracks now run at the center of the façade and along the length of the church’s bell tower. Also well visible is a vertical crack in the front wall along the lookout window.
As immediate measures, Prof. Riichi Miyake of the Fuji Women’s University in Hokkaido, Japan, who is currently in Dalaguete to help in the damage, suggested a support structure that will hold the misaligned front wall in its place. Another immediate measure will be the closure of the gap in the ceiling in order to prevent rainwater from entering and, thus, damaging the precious ceiling paintings.
Also, as relayed by Marivic Calderon, the first lady of Samboan town who accompanied Gov. Hilario Davide III and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale on an inspection tour of the churches after the earthquake, the Church of Saint Michael Archangel in Samboan was also not spared by the tremors. The belfry has leaned away a few inches from the church building and buttresses and walls show signs of stress.
The governor has already declared that aside from schools, the Cebu Provincial Government is also prioritizing the repairs of Cebu’s churches, which has been declared as heritage sites.
In particular, the churches of Argao, Dalaguete, and Boljoon have been named by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as National Historical Landmarks. The church of Sibonga has also been given a historical marker by the NHCP.
The National Museum has likewise recognized the Boljoon church as a National Cultural Treasure.
In Boljoon, we had an ocular inspection of the church and a word with the repairs foreman Boy Cairo, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Boljoon Heritage Foundation. Obvious are the stress cracks in the outer cement finish all over the bell tower.  It seems, however, that these cracks have no significance to the stability of the bell tower and would be easy to repair.
A major damage to the church caused by the earthquake is on the right side above the lateral door to the shrine. The wall above the door featuring a small round window has entirely detached from the massive pillars and is tilting outwards.  Repair works on that damage are already ongoing.
The most serious damage, however, predates the earthquake of 15 October.
The back wall of the church (retablo side) is tilting since quite a while. The detachment measured just before the earthquake has reached a gap of six inches. The earthquake added two inches to the gap of the detachment; it is now eight inches wide.
The good news is that the front façade did not suffer any cracks and is still standing straight. According to Boy, the nave of the church survived the quake fairly well, apart from the damage described above.
Structurally, the Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio church in Boljoon is the oldest of all. The original basic structure of its nave dates back to the early 1700s and so does the watchtower turned belfry.
After all the moro raids, typhoons and earthquakes, the old lady once again essentially stood her ground. (Gerschwiler is an Argao resident and author of the heritage book “Boljoon: A Cultural Sketch”. Moreño is curator of RAFI’s Casa Gorordo Museum.)
==Cebu, Bohol coconut farmers to get incentives==
*Source:http://business.inquirer.net/149339/cebu-bohol-coconut-farmers-to-get-incentives
*Saturday, October 26, 2013 4:59 am
:By Ronnel W. Domingo (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Some 4,500 coconut farmers in Cebu and Bohol are expected to receive a total of P8.2 million in incentives through the Philippine Coconut Authority’s cash-for-work program.
PCA administrator Euclides G. Forbes said in a statement the release of funds is in line with the agency’s support for rehabilitation and relief operations in the wake of the devastation caused by the recent earthquake.
Forbes said that under the PCA’s participatory coconut planting project (PCPP), farmer-participants who have successfully raised, transplanted and stabilized seedlings will receive P40 per seedling.
“The PCA decided to release said funds due to the calamity and even if the farmers have not yet finished the project,” he said, meaning that the seedlings have yet to grow past two feet high.
Farmers who are participating in the PCPP have logged a total of 454,880 seedlings, most of which are in Cebu.
Forbes said these seedlings form part of the target of 17.5 million coconut seedlings to be planted this year.
Earlier, Forbes said the PCA was on pace to achieve by yearend its target as it follows through with the PCPP.
He said that if the target was met, the agency would have chalked up 41.3 million seedlings since President Aquino assumed office in mid-2010.
This would be a record number for any administration, topping the 35 million seedlings planted during the nine-year Arroyo administration.
From July 2010 to December 2012, some 23.8 million seedlings have been planted.
Data from the agency show that 5.9 million seedlings were planted during Corazon Aquino’s term, 6.1 million during the Ramos administration, and 24.4 million during the Estrada administration.
Also, the PCA said it intends to repeat last year’s record of fertilizing 20 million coconut trees.
The PCA has bought more than P1 billion worth of salt fertilizer through public bidding since 2008 and has been distributing the stock for free.
Moreover, the budget for coconut-related projects saw an increase of more than thrice from P500 million in 2011 to P1.7 billion in 2013.
Of this year’s budget, one-third is earmarked for intercropping, research, training and market development for coco-based products such as sugar, virgin coconut oil and flour.
==DOTC makes P17.5-B Mactan-Cebu Airport project more attractive to investors==
*Source:http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/332538/economy/companies/dotc-makes-p17-5-b-mactan-cebu-airport-project-more-attractive-to-investors
*Friday, October 25, 2013 5:38 pm
:(VS, GMA News)
To encourage pre-qualified bidders for the P17.5-billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport's passenger terminal, the Department of Transportation and Communications on Friday said there will be a 25-year moratorium on the construction of new airports in the islands of Cebu and Mactan.
Also, other airports in the island won't be allowed to be upgraded to international gateway status, Transportation Undersecretary Perpetuo Lotilla noted in a Special Bid Bulletin 15, saying the new timetable is five years longer than the original  moratorium under the original draft of the concession agreement.
The government will also transfer the operation and maintenance of the aprons to the concessionaire, including the right to generate income and flexibility in increasing capacity.
“The grantors shall procure that during the subsistence of this concession agreement, neither the grantors nor any government authority shall, at any time before the end of the 25th contract year, operate or cause to be operated a new international or domestic airport for handling scheduled commercial passenger traffic taking off or landing in the Mactan and Cebu islands,” the bulletin read.
The government also would not allow the construction of any commercial car park and competing hotel facilities within a 500-meter radius from the perimeter of the land in which the airport is located and controlled by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority.
But DOTC said the moratorium is limited within Mactan and Cebu and does not cover the Bantayan and Camotes islands. It also does not apply to the development of other modes of transportation as well as new and existing airports exclusively servicing chartered flights.
==In Mandaue City: Teachers, kids to go thru stress debriefing==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/metro-cebu/2013/10/24/1248866/mandaue-city-teachers-kids-go-thru-stress-debriefing
*Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:00 am
:By Flor Z. Perolina (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Public school children in Lapu-Lapu City, some suspected of still suffering from emotional shock, will undergo stress debriefing following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake and aftershocks that rocked the island last October 15.
Violeta Cavada, head of the City Social Welfare Services, said teachers will be debriefed first.
“Inig human og stress debriefing sa mga teachers, sila na pud ang mubuhat ana sa mga bata,” Cavada said.
She said some children may have experienced sleepless nights, loss of appetite, and emotional shock.
Bidlisiw, the foundation that looks after children’s welfare, has prepared a module for the teachers and children.
The foundation will conduct the training of the teachers.
==Employees who worked during day of Cebu, Bohol quake entitled to twice their wages, DOLE clarifies ==
*Source:http://www.interaksyon.com/article/73329/employees-who-worked-during-day-of-cebu-bohol-quake-entitled-to-twice-their-wages-dole-clarifies
*Wednesday, October 23, 2013 3:41 pm
:(InterAksyon.com)
Employees in Cebu and Bohol who rendered work on October 15—a regular holiday that was marked by a destructive earthquake in those provinces—are entitled to twice their daily wages.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz issued this clarification on Wednesday during her visit to Tagbilaran City.
Since October 15 is “a regular holiday in observance of Eidul-Adha, employees who worked on that day “is entitled to 200 percent of the amount of his daily wage for eight hours of work, or 100 percent holiday pay, and proportionate daily wage depending on the number of hours worked,” Baldoz said in a statement.
“A worker who did not report for work shall be paid 100 percent of his daily wage,” she added.
Meanwhile, for succeeding days covered by the declaration of state of calamity in quake-stricken provinces, employees who were unable to render work, “the 'no-work, no-pay' principle shall apply, unless there is favorable company policy, practice, or collective baragaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on the said day.”
Employees with leave credits may be allowed to use them, enabling them to receive compensation on these days, the statement that quoted Baldoz said. 
On the other hand, if the employee worked on a day covered by a state of calamity, he or she shall be paid 100 percent of his daily wage, Baldoz said.
"I urge private sector employers to voluntarily comply with the holiday pay rules," she said, reiterating that “proper observance of these pay rules is decent and moral and encourages productive and proficient workers.”
During her visit to Tagbilaran, Baldoz urged employers to ensure the safety of their work premises and secure clearance from competent authorities before resuming business operations and allowing the re-entry of workers to affected buildings and worksites.
She also cited Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Advisory No. 08-A Series of 2013, which underscored the importance of a business establishment’s Safety Committee as required under the law.
Composed of trained first-aiders, nurses, doctors, and safety officers, the Safety Committee “in every private business establishment should be physically present in the establishments during the state of calamity," Baldoz told DOLE regional and DOLE Bohol provincial officials during her visit.
"Employers should also provide first aid medicines and ensure that immediate medical attention is rendered to injured workers by coordinating with the nearest hospital to facilitate workers' access to medical services during emergency situations. They may also provide such other extra incentives or benefits to employees who reported for work during the emergency," she added.
(Those who have questions regarding pay and other labor-related matters can call up the DOLE Hotline 527-8000, the nearest DOLE regional office in your area (for DOLE-NCR 400-6011), or the Bureau of Working Conditions at tel. no. 527-3000, local 301 or 302.)
==Cebu sends relief team to Bohol==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/21/1247713/uv-holds-relief-drive-cebu-and-bohol
*Tuesday, October 22, 2013
:By Rachelle M. Nessia (rmn/PIA Cebu)
CEBU, Oct. 22 (PIA) --- Cebu provincial government and its Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management (ODRREM) sent a disaster relief team to deliver relief goods to earthquake-stricken areas in Bohol province.
This despite Cebu also suffering from the brunt of the killer earthquake that hit central Philippines on Oct. 15.
“We are also doing our share in helping Bohol, aduna tay mga hinabang nga pidala didto (we also sent assistance there),” said Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III  in an interview Monday.
Davide said the deployment team in Bohol also brought with them donations from private organizations that were coursed through Cebu provincial government.
ODRREM in its Facebook page posted Sunday that they their relief team in Bohol has started coordinating with Bohol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) operations center.
The team set up their base of operation at Maribojoc town.
By Sunday, the Cebu disaster relief team in Bohol have deployed two trucks, one in Maribojoc town and another in Tagbilaran City.
Cebu provincial government also posted photos and updates on its official Facebook page of Capitol workers and staff from the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Cebu Chapter re-packing relief goods to be sent to Bohol.
Bohol continues to reel from the effects of the deadly quake that struck central Philippines on Oct. 15.
As of Oct. 21, 9:00 p.m., casualties from the quake reached 190 with 604 injured.
Of the total deaths, 177 are from Bohol, 12 from Cebu, and one from Siquijor.
==UV holds relief drive for Cebu and Bohol==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/10/21/1247713/uv-holds-relief-drive-cebu-and-bohol
*Monday, October 21, 2013 12:00 am
:(The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas is calling on its alumni, faculty, staff, students and all Cebuanos to help the earthquake victims in Cebu and Bohol through the Visayanian Tabang sa Sugbo ug Bohol.
UV Executive Vice President and The Freeman chairman Jose "Dodong" R. Gullas said it has been part of the university's culture to help those in need. "We helped our brothers and sisters in Guinsaogun in Leyte, Cagayan de Oro City and in Guihunglan in Negros. Now it is time to help our fellow Cebuanos and our neighbor Boholanos," he said.
Donations of bottled water, canned goods and other ready to eat food are accepted at the UV Main Campus in Colon (c/o The Office of the Executive Vice President) and at the Gullas Medical Center in Banilad (c/o Medical Director Dr. Leticia Abinuman).
Gullas and his wife Nena, who are also behind the JRG Halad Museum, have already pledged to donate water for the earthquake victims.
==Classes in Cebu to resume Nov. 4==
==Classes in Cebu to resume Nov. 4==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=578201
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=578201
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