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==DOH celebrates World TB Day 2013==
*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1071364209184
*Sunday, March 31, 2013
:By Juju Manubag-Empuerto (rmn/JSME/PIA-Cebu)
CEBU CITY, March 31 (PIA) -- The Department of Health's Center for Health Development-7 (DOH-CHD-7) celebrated World TB Day 2013 Monday, March 25 with the theme “Stop TB-Makialam”.
DOH-CHD-7 had a memorandum of agreement signing with 12 local government units in Cebu for the TB Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (TB-DOTS) facility enhancement during a program held at Sarrosa Hotel.
The LGUs are: Toledo City, Boljoon, Balamban I & I, Daanbantayan II, Cebu Province, Mabolo & Luz Health Centers of Cebu City, Jagobiao and Tipolo, health centers of Mandaue City, Pajo Health Center, Lapu-Lapu City, Liloan, Talisay City, Danao City, and San Fernando.
Ten checks totaling P900,000 were also awarded to 10 LGUs and health centers of Central Visayas for the construction and enhancement of DOTS facilities to be endorsed by the mayors, treasurers and heads of health units.
The recipients are Cebu City Health Office, Cebu Provincial Health Office, San Francisco, Cebu City Medical Center, Sogod, Medellin, Negros Oriental, Bais City, Mabinay, Guihulngan, and Bindoy.
DOH-CHD-7 Regional Director Asuncion Anden during a Kapihan sa PIA held after the program disclosed that her department was given an additional P10.3M funds for assistance to the 45 LGUs in the region for TB program’s implementation.
The Philippines was ranked no. 7 by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the 22 countries that carry much of the burden of tuberculosis (TB) cases, said Anden.
"Our goal is for the Philippines to be TB-free by 2050," she said.
==Central Visayas gets P1.2B infrastructure projects to boost tourism in the region==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=511608
*Saturday, March 30, 2013
:(PNA), GHG/EB/BH
CEBU CITY, March 30 (PNA) -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 listed P1.2 billion in infrastructure projects for the region, whose level of authority of implementation are under the regional director and the district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
These include the widening of the Mactan Circumferential Road in Cebu worth P113.38 million and the widening of the M. Velez St. in Cebu City which has an allocation of P12.84 million.
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said the Visayas had a significant share of the P12 billion allotted for infrastructure projects under the convergence program of both departments.
The bulk of the projects are located in Bohol, which include improvements of the Tagbilaran North Road, Maribojoc-Antequera-Catagbacan, Loon Road, Tagbilaran-Corella Road and Tagbilaran City Airport Road; upgrading roads leading to the towns of Maribojoc, Antequera, Catagbacan, Buenavista, Carmen, Danao, Getafe, Jagna, Sierra Bullones, Pilar, Alicia and Loay; rehabilitation of Panglao Island Circumferential Road; and concreting and widening of the road in Dauis-Panglao.
In Negros Oriental, projects involve the concreting of roads leading to tourist sites like the dolphin watching and white sand bar in Bais City, Twin Lakes, Tanjay boardwalk, Crystal Cave, Nalundan Falls, Casaroro Falls and the Japanese Shrine, all in the second district of Negros Oriental.
The convergence program is an agreement between the DOT and DPWH that seeks to boost tourism infrastructure projects in priority tourism area sin the country.
The agencies will be aided by policy research and advocacy institute Research, Education and Institutional Development Foundation in evaluating which roads to prioritize.
==Where to retire? Cebu!==
*Source:http://www.rappler.com/business/industries/175-real-estate/24873-where-to-retire-cebu
*Friday, March 29, 2013 9:09 am
:By Aya Lowe (Rappler.com)
CEBU, Philippines – Cebu’s reputation as the quieter, more relaxed sister city to Manila has earned it a new niche in the real estate market – retirees.
Quality of life is what the island in Visayas region offers, noted advocates.
"Cebu is positioned as one where the quality of life is better than the other cities. If you want to go to the beaches it’s few minutes away, if you want to play golf it’s just 5 minutes away. It’s a very livable city and it’s easy for you to move around,” said Lito R. Maderazo, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) vice president at a press briefing on January 8.
Marko Sarmiento, COO of JEG Development Corp, is one local developer that has realized the potential of the market.
“Cebu is a lot more slow paced, it’s cheaper. That attracts the retirees,” said Sarmiento in an interview with Rappler.
Romantic location
One of the key attractive aspects to prospective retirees is the size of the city. “They have to be 30 minutes away from the golf courses, beach and hospital. Cebu is so small that most things are 20 to 30 minutes away,” he added.
Its location and connectivity is another added bonus. “We’re starting to see it…The entire Visayas is a big attraction. It’s very under-developed it’s got that romantic feel to it. It’s got lots of shoreline so they can do a lot of things with the water,” David Leechiu, country head at Jones Lang Lasalle Philippines, said on retiree developments during a property briefing on March 4.
“The great thing about Cebu is that it’s easy come and easy go. It’s so easy to enter and leave Cebu. It’s accessible from South Korea and Singapore. They are trying to open up other airports so you’re going to see entire countries open,” he added.
Japanese retirees
JEG’s latest development is a 14-unit retirement village catering specifically to the Japanese.
“The Japanese market has been a proven market in terms of tourism. They have been coming here as tourists for many years even before the Korean market grew. They look at Cebu as a separate destination a tourist spot and a place to get away from the fast-paced lifestyle of Japan,” said Sarmiento.
Japan’s average age is a lot higher than most countries. With such a large segment of the population about to enter retirement, it’s a lucrative segment.
“The units are designed for the Japanese and there are specific units that focus on the Japanese market,” he added.
They launched their marketing in November and are looking to sell out by this year. “Their reaction has been good. They like the idea that it’s a private community,” he said.
If this development is successful, Sarmiento said they will launch a similar concept with their next development.
Megaworld Corp’s development One Pacific Residences have also seen a lot of interest from Japanese retirees who have snapped most of the units.
Cebu's booming real estate industry
The real estate industry in Cebu has been one of the fastest growing of the city’s economy. The industry recorded a revenue growth rate of 18.8% in the third quarter of 2012.
“If you move around Cebu you can see there’s a mushrooming of projects and that is on account of the fact that Cebu’s economic drivers -- BPO’s and tourism,” noted Francis Monera, VP of Visayas at the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) looking to invest in their home country are fueling the growth of the low-end to mid-range sectors.
“We’re seeing a sort of a transformation here. Probably about 10 to 20 years ago you would have only seen people from the Visayas and northern Mindanao area renting houses from Cebu. But now you will see that subdivisions are being sold to OFWs that are not even from Cebu. This is the first time we are seeing so many condominiums built in Cebu for OFWs who are not from Cebu,” said Maderazo.
Growth has also been fueled by remittances and a growing BPO sector. Cash remittances from January to October 2012 reached $17.5 billion up 5.8% from 2011’s $16.5 billion.
This has led to a lot of interest from big national industry players. Cebu Holdings, Inc. is an affiliate of Ayala Corporation engaged in real property development, ownership and management. Their projects include the Cebu Park Districts – Cebu IT Park and Cebu Business Park, which hosts other residential, and commercial properties they developed in partnership with other Ayala subsidiaries like Ayala Land Premier, Alveo Land Corp., and Avida Land Corp.
Tan-led property developer Megaworld Corp. said they will be investing P10 billion over the next 6 years to develop a 16-hectare mixed use development property in Mactan.
Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corp will also be developing a 4.6 hectare residential development in the North Reclamation Area of Cebu, as well as a Robinsons Galleria Cebu, which will house a shopping malls as well as hotel and BPO offices.
“Not everyone’s in Cebu yet. We have a lot of big developers here but there are a lot and there will be a time when they come,” said Sarmiento.
==Group to push for Cebu bid to host Leaders’ meet==
*Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/381185/group-to-push-for-cebu-bid-to-host-leaders-meet
*Thursday, March 28, 2013 6:54 am
:By Aileen Garcia-Yap (Reporter, Cebu Daily News)
TOURISM stakeholders in Cebu are working together to boost Cebu’s chances of winning the bid to host the Apec Leader’s Summit in 2015.
Tourism Regional Director Rowena Montecillo partnered with the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board  (MCDCB) after Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. called on the stakeholders in a Cebu City forum last week to bid for the Leaders’ Summit, a major event of the Apec Summit.
Jimenez said Cebu, Iloilo and Davao were among the places being considered as possible hosts for the meet.
Montecillo said yesterday she met with MCDCB board representatives last Monday to start preparing documents and presentations  “to  convince the National Organizing Committee headed by Bill Luz that Cebu is the best place to hold the event.”
The MCDCB, headed by the governor and Roberto Aboitiz as co-chairmen, is made up of key stakeholders in the private and public sector including leaders of 13 local government units in Metro Cebu.
Jimenez said the Apec summit would need more than one place to host a series of meetings of foreign ministers.
“The Leaders’ Summit will be the biggest which the President (Benigno Aquino III) wants to be bidded out so that stakeholders will really participate because they have the interest to host it,” said Jimenez.
The Apec Summit would run for about seven days and cap off  with the Leaders’ Summit, a good platform to show  tourism and business opportunities.
“We expect to have a final decision soon, before June this year so that we can start preparing. We want this to be private sector led with us in government giving our support,” said Jimenez.
==Clean-up drive for rivers and creeks in Cebu to mark World Water Day==
*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1091364352472
*Wednesday, March 27, 2013
:By Hazel F. Gloria (mbcn/HFG/PIA-7 & DENR-7)
CEBU, March 27 (PIA) --- About 700 stakeholders mostly students joined a one-day simultaneous clean-up drive covering six rivers and four creeks in Cebu as part of the celebration of the World Water Day (WWD) on March 23.
DENR 7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said, this is a DENR's major feature of the Adopt-an-Estero program which encourages the business sector, with the LGUs and the civil society to clean up and maintain a particular estero.
The activity was done in the rivers of Butuanon, Sabang or Lugot, Guindarohan, Pilipog-Gabi, Sapangdaku, and Buanoy and in the creeks of Hipodromo, Jagobiao, Tipo, and Luknay.
Montejo said, this is part of the “Linis Estero/Ilog” program which encourages the private sectors to extend necessary support in cleaning up waterways particularly in urban centers.
The DENR had entered into a number of agreements under the Adopt-an-Estero program since 2010.
“We urged organizations and industries who are interested in improving the condition of our waterways to join us in our campaign towards promoting public health and safety,” he added.
Given that most of these rivers and creeks are tributaries of lakes, seas and oceans, Montejo appealed to the communities living along the riverbanks including the business establishments to share a collective effort by not throwing their garbage directly to these waterways and join instead in cleanup drives.
In a related development, around 1500 participants from the various institutions both private and public attended the Walking for Water last March 22.
==Seniors get cash aid more quickly==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/03/26/924188/seniors-get-cash-aid-more-quickly
*Tuesday, March 26, 2013 12:00 am
:By Jessa Chrisna Marie Agua and Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Senior citizens of the north district who received their cash assistance from the city government yesterday lauded the new and more organized distribution system.
One of them, Thelma Maraan, 69, of Barangay Tejero, got her P4,000 aid less than five minutes after she arrived at the Tejero Elementary School.
“In about 2 minutes, I got my cash assistance. Unlike the last time which was chaotic.  I am still here because I am waiting for my friend who I am staying with since I lost my home due to the fire,” Maraan said.
The distribution of cash is no longer done by priority number.  Senior citizens only have to approach the disbursing officer to whom their name was assigned to get their money.
Conrado Ordesta III from the Management Information and Computer Services of the city government said their office was tapped to help in the efficient distribution of assistance.
“Tejero has 740 qualified individuals from the original payroll and additional 28 special list after the revalidation. We assigned 150 seniors per disbursing officer,” Ordesta said, adding they employed six officers for the original list and another one for the recently added ones.
Zapatera recipients share the same observation.
“Mas hapsay kaayo karong tuiga uy. Samok man ‘tong sa una. Karon kay sayo nagsugod unya dili kaayo dasok ang mga senior,” Barangay Zapatera Senior Citizens Organization Vice President Rodolfo Ugang Sr. said.
Unlike the usual 9 a.m. schedule of releasing, the distribution started as early as 7 a.m.
Disbursing officers were early at the venue since most of them attended the 5 a.m. Mass at the Sto. Rosario Parish with Mayor Michael Rama.  This was followed by a group breakfast.
“Gituyo man na nako aron sayo sila nga makapanghatag.  Kay duna man gyud nay mga katiguwangan intawn nga mangadlawn. Tungod kay naa na man sila sa venue, makahatag nag sayo,” Rama told reporters.
As early as 10 a.m., more than half of the list has already been cleared.
Barangay tanods and police officers were also deployed to each distribution center to ensure security and orderliness.
First-come-first-served policy was followed as per Rama’s orders so senior citizens did not wait for long under the sun.
“It’s first come, first served. I have ordered such. Those barangays who issued priority numbers, they have not coordinated with the city hall,” Rama told reporters.
According to the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs, there are 25,573 qualified senior citizen recipients from 46 barangays of the north district.
Today, a much bigger crowd will troop to barangay halls, covered court and schools for the distribution of cash assistance for senior citizens in the south district.
Unlike the previous distribution of the cash assistance when the mayor went to the venue and delivered a message, Rama just let the City Hall department heads monitor the situation.
Rama delegated City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to be on top of all activities yesterday saying he decided not to go to the distribution to avoid speculation he is just politicking the event.
“Wala na lang ko mosuroy sa venue sa distribution kay siyaro og makalimot ang mga senior nga ako ang mayor nga nagpahatag kanila sa cash assistance kon magkumkum na sila sa kwatro mil,” Rama said.
In the Kamputhaw Elementary School, there was a little commotion after over a hundred senior citizens rushed in when they thought they still had to get priority numbers from barangay officials.
Kamputhaw Barangay Captain Lorenzo Basamot said they did not know that City Hall was implementing the new scheme.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday, Eli Espina of the Public Information Office reported that 18,404 senior citizens from the north district barangays already received their cash assistance.
The amount released by the disbursing officers of the City Treasurer’s Office as of 3 p.m. yesterday already reached P73.7 million.  Today senior citizens from the south district barangays will get their share.
Rama said senior citizens who failed to collect their cash assistance during the first two days of distribution can still collect it at the City Treasurer’s Office tomorrow and next week, but not later than April 12.
==Palm Sunday brings good profit to “lukay” vendors==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/03/24/923459/first-calungsod-fiesta-celebrated
*Monday, March 25, 2013 12:00 am
:By John M. Destacamento /JOB  (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Roman Catholics flocked to the church yesterday to have their palm or coconut leaves blessed in the traditional “bendita sa lukay”, and for the vendors near the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, it was business as usual.
Expecting a huge crowd of devotees, 46-year-old palm leaf trader Marita Sanchez, who has been selling “lukay” during Palm Sundays for 15 years now, displayed her goods near the church premises as early as 4 a.m. yesterday.
Sanchez was seen selling “lukay” on top of other regular religious articles and candles she trades during normal days, hoping to make extra income with the occasion.
Citing her “lukay” was sourced from a supplier in the town of Consolacion, Sanchez was one of the estimated 150 vendors who stationed their little “lukay” business within the Cathedral area.
She, however, clarified that they have been selling “lukay” since Saturday and that they even intended to continue selling until today or until customers run out.
While others were selling “un-blessed” leaves, requiring the buyer himself to get them blessed during the Holy Eucharist, Sanchez said hers were already blessed after she attended the very first mass in the morning.
A full “palwa” or frond, consisting of 50 to 80 leaves, was priced at P60 to P100, although off-the-rack “palaspas” or a cross formed out of palm leaf was also made available at P5 to P30 each depending on complexity of design.
Sanchez revealed the prices slightly went up in the morning as it was considered the peak hours and expected the same to dip in the evening toward the holding of the day’s final mass.
She was looking forward to earning P3,000 at the rate she was selling, praying for a fine weather for a chance to hook more customers.
About a few blocks away from the Cathedral, palm leaf business was also very thriving at the Santo Rosario Church along P. del Rosario St.
“Kalooy sa Ginoo, ubay-ubay pud ang mipalit. Murag mas daghan ang tawo karon kaysa miaging tuig (Thank God, it’s doing good. I think there are more buyers this year),” said Asuncion Sabang, 55, church vendor for 19 years.
Sabang said there were five in her family selling “lukay” yesterday in hopes of maximizing profits.
“Sa kalisod karong panahona, di mahimo nga ako rang usa maninda (In these tough times, I need my children to help me trade the goods),” she shared.
It was found out that palm leaves sold near the Church were priced practically the same as those sold near the Cathedral.
Meanwhile, self-confessed devout Catholic Erlinda Mansala, 44, told The FREEMAN it has been her practice to buy “lukay” on Palm Sundays, believing the blessed leaves could cast away evil spirits when pinned on walls in their house.
“Para sab magdala og swerte sa pamilya ug pasalamat kay ni-graduate na akong anak (To bring good fortune to the family and as thanksgiving of sorts now that my son has finally graduated),” Mansala said.
In its observance of Palm Sunday yesterday, the Church remembered the biblical account of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem with his followers waving and spreading palm branches in his path, marking that a dignitary was arriving in triumph.
==First Calungsod fiesta celebrated==
*Source:http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/03/24/923459/first-calungsod-fiesta-celebrated
*Sunday, March 24, 2013 12:00 am
:By Jessa Chrisna Marie Agua, JPM (The Freeman)
CEBU, Philippines - Humility in admitting one’s fault was the key message of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma at the first fiesta of the young Visayan martyr, St. Pedro Calungsod.
“One of the themes for this celebration is confession. The desire to be holy starts with awareness. The start to a holy life is admission that we are sinners,” Palma said in his homily urging faithful to take confessions especially this Holy Week.
Furthermore, realizing our own faults will lead to enlightenment reflected in a person’s lifestyle and care for others.
“If we realize that we are weak, fragile human beings, and that we are sinners then we appreciate the love and mercy of the Lord and I think that’s the whole theme, which is of course, very real and to me is a call for today’s times,” Palma added in an interview after the mass.
Over 20 priests joined the prelate in leading the Eucharistic celebration to mark the feast day of our very own San Pedro Calungsod, which was moved earlier since the official date, April 2, falls on the Easter octave, two days after Christ’s resurrection is celebrated.
Participating in the fiesta mass was the renowned Calungsod devotees Mandaue Children and Youth Choir, who flew to Rome for his canonization and sang at the National Thanksgiving celebration in South Road Properties in Cebu last year.
Hundreds of devotees from all walks of life filled the chapel at the shrine inside the Archbishop’s residence compound — sick, rich, poor, young and old - all joined in the historic celebration.
Shrine rector Msgr. Ildebrandro Leyson revealed that the “miracle woman” whose extraordinary story of healing convinced the Vatican to finally call the young lad from the Visayas to be hailed as the second Filipino saint 300 years after his tragic death, next to fellow martyr San Lorenzo Ruiz, was present.
“She came here during one of our novena masses. But I was not able to talk to her longer because I was busy then,” Leyson said.
The rector relayed the request of the woman to remain anonymous despite initial reports that her identity would be revealed after last year’s canonization.
The woman wants to stay out of the limelight, he added, saying that she visits the shrine wearing red, the color of Calungsod devotees.
Keeping identity unknown will make the people focus on the teenage saint and not on her, Leyson said.
==Elem, high school studes discover robotics world==
*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1981363946368
*Saturday, March 23, 2013
:By Amorganda A. Saludar (mbcn/AYS/PIA-7 with reports from RAFI)
CEBU, March 23 (PIA) -- Forty-six public elementary and high school students from Naga City, Cebu experienced three-day robotics training through the Dr. Caridad C. Labe (CCL) Education CentrEx Robotics Team that was held on March 7-9 at the Naga National High School.
President of CCL Education CentrEx School, Rachel Labe said “we wanted to promote robotics in as many schools as possible not only for students to have a fun way of applying what they learned in the said subjects, but for them to also develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills.”
The robotics training is part of the sponsorship agreement between the team and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) which aims to introduce robotics as a 21st century approach to learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through experiential activities.
RAFI sponsored the CCL Education CentrEx Robotics Team during the World Robotics Olympiad in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year.
Labe added that the training design is based on the robotics curriculum implemented in the school, which sees robotics as a motivational tool to excite learners to study science and technology.
For the students' final output, they were made to design their own robots that are equipped with sensors―touch, light, color, sound, and ultrasonic, among others―to respond to their environment.
According to Labe, the training used the LEGO Mindstorm fo the students to create a program to make their mechanical design function and respond to outside stimuli.
The program was then downloaded to the NXT, a small computer that acts as the brain of the robot.
DepEd-Naga City division superintendent, Dr. Senen Paulin was impressed with the students' demonstrations during the training. He said that robotics was included in the budget for the next school year, to the delight of the students and their teacher-coaches.
While robotics is a relatively new area in the public school system, the support of various stakeholders in Naga City played a major role for its integration.
Currently, it is the only city in Cebu Province whose public schools are equipped with robotics kits, which cost P70,000 each.
Its local government unit provided the Lego Mindstorm NXT kits for the schools and is currently in talks with DepEd-Naga City for future directions in the area of robotics.
CCL CentrEx provides the training as their way of giving back to the community and in gratitude of the support they received from RAFI and other organizations.
“You have a very supportive leadership from the local government unit and DepEd, who see this as a worthwhile investment and RAFI, who has supported various initiatives to improve the quality of education," Labe said.
It is now up to the teachers and school heads to grab these opportunities to have access to relevant resources, Labe concluded.
==Earth Hour to target youths==
*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1981363858052
*Friday, March 22, 2013
:By Amorganda A. Saludar (rmn/AYS-PIA7 with reports from RAFI)
CEBU, March 22 (PIA) -- The youths are expected to take a big part in this year’s Earth Hour celebration as experts believe that the youth can do much in propelling environmental advocacy forward.
In a local radio program, Roxanne Hernaez, Young Minds Academy (YMA) 5 scholar by Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), dwelt on the fact that battling the effects of climate change and global warming is a task not only for government and experts but also for the general public.
“Youth can spark action anytime and anywhere. We don’t need to wait for the annual celebration of Earth Hour. We can help mitigate climate change by doing simple acts within our homes. By doing so, we are helping our community and our environment,” Hernaez said.
"Together, we can encourage the youth to help save Mother Earth through simple acts that they can soon replicate in their communities,” she added.
This year's Earth Hour, with the theme “Switch off for good. Switch on to renewable energy,” is on March 23 at 8:30 p.m.
Cities and countries worldwide will switch off their lights for an hour.
In connection with this, Caroline Ballesteros, Mega Cebu communications and stakeholder relationship manager, said that the youth are already taking one of the first moves to preserve, conserve, and protect the environment as they are the stakeholders of the Mega Cebu project.
The Cebu Mega Project is a 30-year master plan program and framework for a long term and collaborative planning and action towards a more sustainable city-region, in which one of the focus-based committees of the project is on environment.
“If we do good things now for the environment, it will become a habit. In the project, we aim to have a liveable Metro Cebu. We want to make Cebu one of the key destinations in world. In order to materialize this, we need a partnership with the youth to act for these goals,” Ballesteros said.
“We are already experiencing the ill effects of climate change. We need to act now to help save our environment,” she added.
Corazon Baybay, assistant manager of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Community Relations of Aboitizland, also noted, “ The aim for the Earth Hour celebration is to promote good stewardship, especially among the youth. Our resources should be managed so that the next generation will still be able to benefit from them.”
==Cebu Province reports double-digit hike in revenues for first 2 months==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=509026
*Thursday, March 21, 2013
:(PNA), EB/RE
CEBU CITY, Mar. 20 (PNA) -- The Cebu Provincial Treasurer’s Office has reported double-digit increase in the collection of revenues and taxes for the first two months of the year, compared to the same period last year.
Cebu Provincial Treasurer’s Office records showed that last January, Capitol’s total revenue was P204 million and P195.6 million in February.
The January collection showed a 20.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year, while the February collection showed a 13.6 percent increase.
Acting Cebu Provincial Treasurer Emmanuel Guial said this is because some taxes are due for payment in the first month of the year, like professional tax and others.
Guial, who replaced last January lawyer Roy Salubre, attributed the increase to efficient treasurers in towns and component cities in collecting real property taxes.
The tax rate also increased this year, said Guial.
The Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) last year was only P133.3 million every month.
This increased to P149.6 million per month this year.
The IRA is the share of every local government unit from the total taxes collected by the National Government.
==Cebu Port authorities all set for Lenten Season passenger influx==
==Cebu Port authorities all set for Lenten Season passenger influx==
*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=2441363677637
*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=2441363677637
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