Cebu City News August 2011

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Del Mars remove faces from buses

by Cebu Daily News


Brown plaster has been used to cover the images of north district Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar of Cebu City’s north district and that of her father and predecessor, Raul, painted on buses that they earlier distributed to 46 barangays in their district. Rep. Del Mar said the move was in compliance with President Benigno Aquino III’s memorandum for the removal of politicians’ faces and names on government projects and vehicles. “I just wanted to make sure that I do my part to follow the President’s directive,” she said. So far the plaster only covered their eyes, nose and lips. Their family name Del Mar on the phrase “Serbisyo Del Mar” was also covered with plaster. Rep. Del Mar said they started the removal of their faces and family names on the bus assigned to barangay Lusaran. “If the work is not well done, then we just have to come up with a new design for the buses,” she said. Rep. Tomas Osmeña of the city’s south district said says he has no problem if his photo is removed from the buses he gave to mountain barangays. “It’s all right. I did not ask them to put my picture there anyway,” Osmeña said. Osmeña, however, said the videoke sets and chairs he gave were not covered by the Aquino’s directive. “Those are from my personal money so I don’t think they’re included.” /Edison A. Delos Angeles, Correspondent

MGB-7 issues tips on what to do before or during floods

by Hazel F. Gloria


CEBU CITY, August 30 (PIA) -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) has warned the public anew of episodes of flooding particularly within the urban areas of Cebu and Mandaue cities.

Among the safety reminders issued by MGB-7 regional director Loreto Alburo are:

1. The public should plan and practice a flood evacuation route with their family.

2. Ask an out-of-town relative or friend to be the “family contact” in case their family is separated during a flood; make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone or cellular phone number of this contact person.

3. The family should also know the flood risk and elevation above flood stag and get out of areas that are prone to flooding and bring the important documents

Keep a stock of food that requires little cooking and no refrigeration; store drinking water in various containers.

4. Keep first aid supplies on hand. Move the livestock to higher ground and keep a battery-powered portable radio and flashlights in working order.

Alburo explained that flooding occurs when the level of a body of water rises over its natural or artificial confines and submerges land in the surrounding area due to intense and prolonged precipitation and other geologic factors.

According to Alburo, flooding incidents in some areas in the cities may be caused by the following: proximity to perennial river creek system; poor drainage facility; inherently low lying area; proximity to coastal area; heavily silted river or creek; and encroachment along natural drainage channels.

He also recommended for people to be extra cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers. He added that vehicles should not be parked near stream channels, particularly during threatening conditions.

"Be always aware of distant events, such as dam breaks or thunderstorms that may cause flashfloods in the area," he said. (PIA-7/mbcn/hfg & DENR-7)

Mayor: Let poll office keep gadgets

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas


CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama will not recall the equipment the City Government bought and gave to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the barangay elections in October last year. However, Rama said those responsible for the transaction should justify the purchases to the Commission on Audit (COA). These include the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) and lawyers Marchel Sarno and Edwin Cadungog, election officers of the north and south districts, respectively. “We will not recall it, but they should justify. Let us give the concerned people an opportunity to present their side. Let’s not be too judgmental,” he said. During the October 2010 elections, the City used the P25-million appropriation under its Election Reserve Fund (ERF) to purchase some equipment for the barangay polls. The request came from Comelec, but the commission received no disbursements from the City’s treasury department. The equipment purchased included 24 computers, for a total of P1.3 million. At least 14 units were given to the local poll body while the remaining 10 units stayed at the CTO. The City also purchased two SLR Canon cameras; one was given to the Comelec south district, while the other was for the CTO. Two LED television home theater systems were given to the local poll body, while the other unit stayed with the CTO. In a recent audit observation memorandum, however, COA said the purchase of these equipment was “unnecessary and had no direct bearing on the elections.” COA told the City to recall the equipment from Comelec. Auditors said these could be used by the different offices of the City whose equipment are almost obsolete. But in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu yesterday, Sarno said the Comelec can explain the purchases to COA. For the LED TV’s, Sarno said the Comelec used these when they were conducting a voter information campaign. He said they decided to purchase LED TV’s because these have a better resolution. “If you compare it with ordinary television and using projectors for voters’ information, the voter will not be able to see the contents, particularly in daytime, if you are 20 meters away,” Sarno explained. As for the cameras, Sarno said it was used to take the voters’ pictures for their IDs. Sarno said the computers were all used during the voter registration and augmented the few computers they had at their office. “It would have affected our delivery of services,” he said, had the computers not been acquired. If the City decides to recall the equipment, Sarno said they cannot do anything about it and will be willing to return the items.

Turnover of Malacañang sa Sugbo set

  • Source:hhttp://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2011/08/27/turnover-malacanang-sa-sugbo-set-175626
  • Saturday, August 27, 2011
By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas


AFTER more than a year, the Cebu City Government will finally have custody of the Malacañang sa Sugbo.

Mayor Micheal Rama yesterday announced that President Benigno Aquino III, through the Department of Finance, told Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez not to transfer the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) offices to the Malacañang sa Sugbo.

The Malacañang sa Sugbo used to house the BOC offices, until then president Gloria Arroyo converted it into a local office.

Aquino’s pronouncement, Rama said, was an offshoot of their recent meeting.

After he arrived from his trip to Wuhan, China, Rama said he met with the President to follow up on his request regarding the custody of the building.

Future plans

Rama said he will meet with the City’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission and the Parks and Playground Commission to discuss what to do with the Malacañang sa Sugbo.

The mayor disclosed that the City has yet to submit its development plan for the building, which was requested by Herminio Bagro III, Aquino’s chief of staff, in a letter dated June 2, 2011.

Rama reiterated his stand of preserving the building, as it has become part of the city’s cultural heritage and landmark.

He said he wants Malacañang sa Sugbo to be incorporated with the Fort San Pedro, Plaza Independencia and Com-paña Maritima.

He said he wants the building to house a museum or a showroom where Cebuano products will be showcased, without necessarily displacing the President’s official residence in Cebu.

“If the President comes here and wants to utilize the Malacañang sa Sugbo, there will still be a room there for him to use,” the mayor said.

Property transfer

Rama said the expenses that will be incurred in preserving the Malacañang sa Sugbo will be considered in the comprehensive preservation of the Fort San Pedro, Plaza Independencia and other cultural landmarks in the city.

However, Rama said he doesn’t know yet when the Malacañang sa Sugbo will be formally turned over to the City.

But before that happens, Rama wants the National Government to transfer the title of the property to the City.

In July last year, BOC made a pronouncement that it wants to retrieve its buildings and properties in Cebu City, including the Malacañang sa Sugbo, after Aquino announced he was not inclined to use it.

Since then, Rama has been seeking the Presi-dent’s help so the City can take over the building.

DepEd told to improve quality first before K+12

By Rebelander S. Basilan


CEBU City Vice Mayor Joy Young yesterday called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to improve the present education system before implementing the K to 12 Basic Education Program.

In a forum yesterday, Young said he supports universal kindergarten, but the additional two years in high school should “be put off until we are ready.”

But DepEd 7 Assistant Regional Director Carmelita Dulangon, in the same forum, said DepEd has put in place contingency measures to address the current gaps in education.

These measures include hiring additional teachers by local school boards, using ancillary facilities and rooms in schools as temporary classrooms and tapping the private sector in DepEd’s adopt-a-school program.

Result

Dulangon said adding two years in high school will result in a “better quality education for all.”

She pointed out, however, that the region still needs 2,027 classrooms for 131,601 kindergarten enrollees. The region also needs 1,994 teachers for 4,619 kindergarten classes.

The proposal to expand the country’s basic education program dates back to 1925, Dulangon said.

Held at the University of the Philippines-Cebu, the forum was organized by the Cebu Educator’s Forum, a loose organization of teachers and other academic workers in schools, colleges and universities in Cebu.

Example

Young said the Philippines should follow Singapore’s education system. He said children in Singapore cannot enter grade one unless they are seven years old. In the Philippines, children who are six years old can already study in grade one.

He said kindergarten should be strengthened because the first six years are a crucial stage in a child’s life.

He said the Philippines is “following blindly” other countries that have a 12-year cycle of basic education.

Instead, DepEd should first solve the shortage of teachers, classrooms, instructional material and other needs, Young said.

The business sector has vowed to hire graduates of the new curriculum.

Wadel Cabrera of the Philippine Business for Education, in a press conference earlier this month, said the business sector has signed a memorandum of agreement with DepEd.

Aside from hiring the graduates of the new curriculum, Cabrera said the business sector also vowed to help build 10,000 classrooms across the country.

“Our group has been one of the loudest voices for reform in our education. We have been lobbying for it for the longest time,” Cabrera had said.

‘Pantawid raises student population’

By Bernadette A. Parco


HERE are more pupils in classrooms in Cebu City elementary schools this year due to the government-initiated cash assistance program, said an official of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Based on data from the DepEd Cebu City division, enrollment for the Elementary level for School Year 2010-2011 is 99,231 while for the current school year the population was pegged at 104,353.

“This is an increase of 5,122 enrollees. This is due to the Pantawid Pamilya program,” said DepEd Cebu City supervisor Delia Kiamko.

“We checked (the figures), there is an increase in areas under the program,” she added.

Pantawid Program

Kiamko was referring to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) wherein a family can receive up to P1,400 in cash assistance.

The 4Ps or conditional cash transfer is for families considered to be the poorest of the poor and receive P300 monthly financial assistance per child.

Each household also receives P500 a month for health care services for children up to five years old and for pregnant women.

Experience

Maribel Piga, 30, said the cash assistance her family received was used to buy new school uniforms, shoes and as payment for school projects.

Piga, a mother of three, said the amount they receive from the government augments the salary of her husband who works as a construction worker.

“These are expenses that we cannot afford before or that are the least of our priorities in our household expenses,” she said in Cebuano.

“Nadugangan ang among sud-an, imbes na maglakaw magsakay na mi (We have more viand and instead of just walking to our destination, we can now take a ride),” she added.

More women

Piga, who is also a parent-leader in Baangay Kalunasan, also reported that there are more women and children who undergo medical check-ups at the rural health center.

Tears Lim, DSWD Cebu City representative, said 10 barangays have been added to the cash assistance program bringing the total to 23 barangays or 4,372 households.

She also said there were about 130 families de-listed because they no longer qualify as beneficiaries. These families either transferred to an area not covered by the program, their children are already 15 years old and above or their financial status has improved with an income of P10,000 per month.

Put off Central Visayas pay hike: exporters

By Bernadette A. Parco


CEBU CITY -- A group of exporters in Cebu Province asked for a reprieve from implementing a wage increase during a public hearing Tuesday afternoon by the Central Visayas wage board.

"We respectfully request for a moratorium on an increase for six months," said Confederation of Philippine Exporters (Philexport) Cebu Executive Director Fred Escalona at the hearing held at Sarrosa Hotel in Mabolo, Cebu City by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB).

"This (moratorium) would give the industry a lifeline and limit the number of workers that would be retrenched," he said.

Between 2008 and 2010, he said, the group has lost 150 member-companies and about 25 percent of their workers, which is equivalent to 250,000 workers displaced in 36 months.

"We are for a mutually-assured survival. But we have seen our membership fall by 10 percent or 25 companies in the last 12 months," said Escalona.

A wage order issued last September 2010 increased minimum wages in Central Visayas to a range of P240 to P285 for non-agriculture workers. Minimum wage-earners in agriculture make P220 to P267 a day.

So far, eight out of 17 regional wage boards have ordered an increase this year, including Metro Manila.

In a separate interview, Associated Labor Unions (ALU) representative Ferdinand Jumapao said employers have always used the risk of retrenchment as an excuse for not raising wages.

"It (massive retrenchment) never happened; if ever companies closed there is a reason, but not the implementation of a wage increase," he told reporters.

The ALU has filed a petition for a P100 across-the-board increase, not just for minimum wage-earners.

Joe Tomongha, Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) representative, filed a petition last February 2011 for a wage adjustment that should include non-agriculture and agriculture workers.

"Immediate economic relief must be extended to the workers by augmenting their income by P120.40 on a daily basis to maintain the purchasing power of the worker at the 1989 level," he said.

The group said they are using the year 1989 as basis, or the implementation of the Wage Rationalization Act.

Tomongha asked for "an immediate reprieve from soaring basic commodities and consumer prices."

But James Carlo Miole, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) representative, said a salary increase is only part of the solution.

"The petition is not justified at this time," he said. "We need to create more jobs and improve the economy."

Miole said small and medium enterprises are affected by uncertainty in the economies of the US and other Philippine export markets, and that a wage increase could permanently shut down these businesses.

Mactan Export Zone Chamber of Exporters and Manufacturers representative Dodon Montesclaros issued a similar statement.

He noted the low dollar-peso rate exchange and said that some member-companies are already giving non-cash benefits to employees that amount to 50 percent of their basic pay.

The presentation that gained the most applause was that given by Salvador Roz, of the Consumers' Rights for Economic Welfare (Crew), when he compared the wage rate of Central Visayas with Manila.

"We agree there should be wage increase right now," he said. "In Manila, they have P400 (as the daily minimum wage), when we only have a little more than P200."

The RTWPB is expected to deliberate on the points raised during Tuesday's public hearing.

The members assured transparency as they analyze data gathered and said all sectors would benefit from economic growth in the region. These members include Department of Trade and Industry-Central Visayas Director Asteria Caberte and National Economic and Development Authority Assistant Regional Director Efren Carreon.

In a separate interview, Department of Labor and Employment Regional Director and RTPWB Chairman Exequiel Sarcauga said today, Wednesday, is the deadline for the submission of position papers, as the board begins deliberations on Thursday.

As rains persist, agencies on alert for flood, landslide

By Bernadette A. Parco, Davinci S. Maru and Kevin A. Lagunda


AFTER daily rains for most of last week, part of a cliff collapsed yesterday afternoon in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, damaging a house and a store.

A sleeping two-week-old baby was almost killed. He was only inches away from where part of the store’s concrete floor gave way.

Guadalupe Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan said 10 families living along the cliff are at risk. He will take up with the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council the condition of the families, so they may be given a relocation site.

With rains regularly flooding Metro Cebu, an official of the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) urged residents to watch out for new cracks on the ground or unusual new humps on pavements.

Be alert for tilting of decks or patios, or fresh cracks on floors and foundations, as well as leaning telephone poles, trees or fences, the MGB official said.

The Guadalupe landslide occurred at 3:30 p.m. yesterday in Sitio Kanaas Singson.

Soil, boulders and a huge bamboo that fell covered the home of Rosalita Abella, 34, in the shadow of the 20-meter-high cliff.

Abella told Sun.Star Cebu she was watching the television when her four-year-old nephew came around.

“Nakita nako nga ang yuta nangatagak ug giingnan nako siya (I saw the soil was falling down and told my aunt Rosita),” Marco, the nephew, said.

After the bamboo knocked down her roof, Rosita destroyed a wall to get out of the house. She sustained injuries in her arms and legs. Her right cheek was swelling.

Some of her chickens and a dog died in the landslide.

Shelter

Abella believed the incessant rains that struck Cebu City in the past few days had weakened the soil.

“Nihumok gyud ang yuta labi na sige ug uwan-uwan (The earth could have loosened especially because it always rained),” she said.

Abella revealed she has always feared for her family’s life whenever it rained. She has been living in the area since the 1980s. Now, her family will have to sleep in a tent, their temporary shelter arranged by the barangay.

The sari-sari store owned by Boy Karen was damaged, as its cement floor collapsed. The kitchen area also fell. Four of the family’s television sets and a personal computer were also damaged.

Barangay Captain Gacasan revealed the barangay had identified danger zones before. He also showed some cracks appearing in the cliff, where five houses currently stand.

Gacasan said he will have to talk to the owner of the private lot to build a fence around it.

“This is all for the safety of the residents,” the barangay captain said.

For its part, the MGB 7 issued a list of signs on the ground that the public should watch out for.

Signs

MGB 7 Director Loreto Alburo enumerated features that might be noticed prior to a major landslide, such as saturated ground in areas that are usually dry.

He also said the people could check for new cracks or unusual bulges on the ground, streets, pavements or sidewalks, as well as soil moving away from foundations.

Be on the lookout for “ancillary structures such as decks and patios tilting and/or moving relative to the main house, tilting or cracking of concrete floors and foundations, broken water lines and other underground utilities and leaning telephone poles, trees, retaining walls or fences,” Alburo added.

He also urged local officials to study the geohazard maps, and execute the necessary measures to reduce the impact of landslides and flooding.

Hazards

People are urged to report their observations to the mines bureau or to barangay officials.

“It is important that local officials should pay attention to critical areas that are found to be highly susceptible to flooding and landslides,” he said.

Earlier, the environment agency recommended to local chief executives to prohibit houses in areas classified as “highly susceptible” to flooding and landslides by the MGB 7.

Based on the assessment by MGB 7 in Cebu City, 19 barangays are highly susceptible to landslides, including Lusaran, Binaliw, Guba, Budlaan, Malubog, Buot-Taup and Busay.

In Naga City, six villages are classified as highly susceptible to landslides, 11 barangays in Balamban town, five barangays in Toledo City, five barangays in Asturias, 12 barangays in Catmon town, all mountain barangays in Talisay City, three villages in Dumanjug town and Barangay Cansalonoy in Ronda town.

Police

Five barangays in Cebu City are classified as being at risk of flooding, along with seven barangays in Mandaue City.

The towns’ police stations are monitoring their areas for landslides and floods. Since the police personnel are among the first responders to any rescue efforts, Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador said they are always on alert.

But the Cebu Provincial Police Office director told reporters yesterday he did not receive reports of any fatal landslides in the province recently.

The police official said that most of the rainfall that occurred in the province’s western and northern sides were not as heavy as the downpour in Cebu City during the weekend.

“They should not let their guard down, especially those people living in landslide-prone areas,” he said in Cebuano.

Mahiga Creek overflows, flooding streets in Banilad, Mabolo, among others

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas and Rebelander S. Basilan


THE sudden downpour yesterday afternoon caused heavy traffic, landslides and flooding in some barangays in Cebu City.

Cebu City Traffic Operations and Management (Citom) Chairman Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem said traffic enforcers were deployed, particularly to the Banilad-Talamban area, to help motorists deal with floods.

Knee-deep water filled the streets in some areas, after the Mahiga Creek overflowed.

The same creek spilled out into the streets of Barangay Mabolo, causing floods in Sitios Back Pepsi, San Isidro, Holy Name and New Frontier.

Pedro Mariñas of the barangay disaster brigade told Sun.Star Cebu the flood in these sitios was waist-deep, except in New Frontier, where the waters were neck-deep.

No one was hurt, but Mariñas said the flood only goes to show there’s a need to continue City Hall’s demolitions, for the safety of residents living near the creek.

Cebu City’s clearing operation in Mabolo covers nine sitios: Back Pepsi, Sto. Niño, San Isidro I, San Isidro II, Magtalisay, Back SM, Holy Name, Sindulan and New Frontier.

So far, the City has covered only Sitios San Isidro II and Magtalisay. In San Isidro II, all 39 illegal structures have been cleared, while the City still has to clear 27 out of the 147 illegal structures in Magtalisay.

Also yesterday, the City’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC) responded to reports of landslides.

In Barangay Kalunasan, Molly Guarin of the LDRRMC said landslides hit Sitios Awihaw and Lokana.

Guarin said no one was hurt but five families were told to evacuate from Sitio Lokana because their houses were in danger of falling off from a cliff.

A landslide was also reported near an international school in Barangay San Jose. No one was hurt.

Aside from landslides, portions of roads caving in were reported in Sitio St. Anthony in Barangay Kalunasan and in Sitio Tigbao, Barangay Talamban.

In Kalunasan, the LDRRMC has already requested the Department of Engineering and Public Works to immediately repair the road since it is near a public school.

In Talamban, FO3 Antonio Gonzales of the Talamban Fire Substation said the right lane of the two-lane road in Sitio Tigbao slid toward a ridge below it.

At present, only the left lane of the road is passable by vehicles, he said.

Gonzales said the police and barangay tanods were deployed to the area to man the traffic and prevent accidents.

In a related development, the City Council asked the LDRRMC to study and pinpoint strategic locations in the city where rain gauges need to be installed.

This way, the volume of rainfall that hits the city will be monitored more thoroughly.

The council asked the LDRRMC to submit a report and recommendation to the council regarding the matter.

An intertropical convergence zone is bringing heavy rains in Cebu, the weather bureau said yesterday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) also spotted a low-pressure area at 510 kilometers east of Borongan City in Eastern Samar.

As the low-pressure area gets nearer, the southwest monsoon or habagat also gets stronger, bringing more rains in Cebu and neighboring provinces, said Boy Artiaga, weather observer at Pagasa’s Mactan, Cebu station.

Artiaga advised those who live near the river to be alert against flashfloods. He also advised the public to watch out for landslides.

He said yesterday’s rain started shortly before 2 p.m. and brought 13.2 millimeters of rainwater to the ground.

He assured that the country is not experiencing La Niña, saying rains are naturally stronger during the months of July and August.

Two to three tropical cyclones will develop or enter the Philippine area of responsibility this month, according to Pagasa’s weather outlook

Want to get married? Plant a tree: proposal

By Jujemay G. Awit


IF you want to get married, plant a tree.

That is if Cebu City Councilor Nida Cabrera’s proposal is approved.

Cabrera proposed that couples who want to get married be required to plant at least five seedlings in a designated area in Cebu City.

Couples who cannot comply with the requirement will not be able to obtain a marriage license from the Office of the Cebu City Local Civil Registrar.

The couple will also be required to attend a solid waste management lecture.

The proposal seeks to encourage “greater private sector participation” in solid waste management and natural resource conservation.

It aims to promote environmental awareness and action among the citizenry.

The ordinance was met with chuckles from members of the Cebu City Council when Cabrera sought its referral to the committee on laws, ordinances, public accountability and good governance.

Some joked that they will not get married again, while another said Cebu City will lose its constituency because couples would prefer not to get married here.

Cabrera said solid waste management and ecology are serious matters.

The environmental awareness lecture will be incorporated into the pre-marriage counseling (PMC) that all couples must undergo to obtain a marriage license from the Office of the Cebu City Local Civil Registrar.

The area to be planted by couples will be identified by the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO). The same office will provide the couple with the seedlings.

CCENRO will be a signatory to the PMC compliance certificate, according to Cabrera’s proposal. It will have primary responsibility for implementing the proposal.

CCENRO officials or staff violating the ordinance will be fined P1,000 to P2,500.

Binay urges City Hall to give P50M deposit

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas


VICE President Jejomar Binay recommended that the Cebu City Government give the Province P50 million as “a goodwill deposit” so that the latter will agree to sell some properties in the city to their occupants.

This was one of three terms he outlined in a recent letter to Mayor Michael Rama.

“Hopefully, this can create the stimulus in fulfilling a successful negotiation with the Province,” Binay said.

A land exchange agreement was no longer recommended. Four years ago, that was one proposal the City and Province considered, on the properties covered by Provincial Ordinance 93-1.

In his letter dated Aug. 8, Binay said the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), which he heads, and the City Government will negotiate with the Province on the sale of its properties to the beneficiaries at a “socialized housing price.”

Under the ordinance, which was approved in 1993 yet, the lots were P300 to P1,500 per square meter, depending on the location.

The prices have been the subject of more recent negotiations between the two local governments.

Although there are those who have received their deeds of sale from the Capitol, there are still urban poor families who have yet to finish paying off their lots.

Others have yet to pay a single centavo.

Of the 4,161 families listed by the City’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) as beneficiaries of Ordinance 93-1, only 1,410 of them have paid in full. At least 1,536 made partial payments, while 1,215 failed to make any payment at all.

Only 643 families were issued land titles, 270 were given deeds of sale, while 559 families have yet to get their deeds of sale.

Arrangement

Aside from negotiating the price, Binay said the HUDCC will propose that the disposal of the Province-owned properties be undertaken through the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) of the Social Housing Finance Corp. (SFHC).

For this, Binay said the National Housing Authority (NHA) will be the originator or the community organizer, with the City as the lead convenor through DWUP.

“Under our CMP, the landowner (Province) will be paid the selling price of its land through the loan by the community association only when the organizational requirements and, in particular, the deed of sale on the property are fully complied,” Binay explained.

Lastly, Binay said the City should promise to pay the Province P50 million that will serve as down payment or “a goodwill deposit.”

Binay said the City will be paid back from the proceeds of the CMP loan of the beneficiaries.

“This option is being taken as an alternative to the proposal to swap a prime property of the City as payment for the Province’s property covered under PO 93-1,” he said.

Based on their conversation, DWUP Chief Atty. Collin Rosell said that Mayor Rama, who is currently in China, welcomed the development and is amenable to the terms set by the vice president.

Raise P50M

Rosell, who was given a copy of Binay’s letter, said his office will help the City raised the needed P50 million as down payment.

Rosell pointed out DWUP is collecting P2 million every month as payment from the beneficiaries of the socialized housing programs of the City. That amount only covers half of the total homeowners’ associations in the city.

“We can still increase that once we will be able to enter into a new memorandum of agreement with the beneficiaries whose contracts with the City have already lapsed,” he said.

Another source of funds, Rosell said, is the P5 to P7 million estimated collection every month from the beneficiaries of the City’s slum improvement and resettlement (SIR) program.

In an interview yesterday, Rosell appealed to the City Council to support Binay’s proposed P50-million appropriation as down payment for the acquisition of the Province-owned lots.

“This is not an expense. This is an answer to a long unanswered problem,” he said.

Coastal

Rosell believes the terms of agreement set by Binay are an offshoot of his discussions with the City and Capitol officials.

Binay visited Cebu City last month to help resolve the issues hounding the disposal of Province-owned lots.

Following Binay’s letter to the City, Rosell said he is of the view that a detailed plan of action will be drafted for the implementation of the terms of arrangement.

Binay, in the same letter, informed Rama that HUDCC will assist the City Government in proclaiming the coastal areas in the city as housing sites under a mixed use type of development.

This, so that the City will be able to use the P78-million Poverty Alleviation Fund with NHA for the construction of medium rise buildings in the coastal areas.

Aside from that, Binay informed Rama of the availability of the P12-million Regional Resettlement Fund, which is also with NHA, for the development of a City-owned property into

Young orders schools’ fire exits checked, eyes re-blocking of city

By Jill B. Tatoy, Justin K. Vestil, Oscar C. Pineda and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas


ACTING Cebu City Mayor Joy Augustus Young yesterday ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to check the emergency exits of all schools in the city and make sure these are not defective.

Young also expressed a desire to re-block the whole city, following the fire that hit portions of Barangays Tejero and Carreta last Wednesday.

As in previous fires, narrow roads made it difficult for firefighters to reach interior portions of Sitio Ponce II in Barangay Carreta, and Sitios Terra Cura and Laurente in Ba-rangay Tejero.

It took firefighters almost two hours to control last Wednesday’s fire.

Mandaue fire

In Mandaue City, two houses were destroyed during a fire that broke out shortly after midnight yesterday in Sitio Upper, Barangay Tabok.

Classes have been suspended at Carreta Elementary School, which has been converted into a temporary shelter for families who have lost their homes after last Wednesday’s fire.

School officials, though, want to resume classes on Monday as barangay officials prepare to transfer the fire victims to tents to be set up at the old White Gold building nearby.

Some victims are housed at the sports complex in Barangays Tejero and Ca-rreta.

Tents

Barangay Captain Edu-ardo Lauron of Carreta said they are preparing almost 50 tents for fire victims.

But, he said, the ba-rangay has yet to receive assistance from the City Government.

Lauron has not yet talked to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who is in China.

The barangay’s calamity fund of P200,000 is expected to be released today. It will be used to buy tents and food for fire victims.

Fire victims rely on food from the Department of Social Welfare Services.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia donated earlier 20 buckets of fish and pledged to give cash assistance to the fire victims.

List

The governor has directed the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) to prepare relief goods to be given to Carreta and Tejero fire victims.

Wilson Ramos, administrative officer of the PSWDO, said he needs the official list of fire victims before releasing the assistance.

Lauron and Tejero Barangay Captain Jessilou Cadungog appealed for more donations for their constituents.

SFO3 Jimmy Layao, fire investigator, said they have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

Suggestions

The fire caused P2.6 million in damages and left 2,252 individuals in Barangays Tejero and Carreta homeless.

Lauron said the fire would have been placed under control earlier had firefights listened to suggestions from residents.

But he agreed with the proposal to re-block densely populated areas in his barangay to provide passage for fire trucks.

“There’s a reason to re-block the whole city. The areas that were hit by fire are the starting point. Let’s strike while the iron is hot or else it would be hard for us to convince the people to support us,” Young said.

Young said he will propose to Rama the creation of a “re-blocking team” that will include the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor and the Squatters Prevention, Elimination and Encroachment Division.

Passable

Young said the City Government will help families that will be affected by the project.

In an interview yesterday, Young said he wants education officials to make sure that fire exits in all public elementary and secondary schools in the city are passable.

Last Wednesday’s fire also affected Carreta Elementary School, whose fire exit was found to be impassable.

Young, who heads the council’s committee on education, also wants the Bureau of Fire Protection to continue conducting fire drills in schools.

Drill

The fire drill training conducted at Carreta Elementary School last June helped 1,455 students cope with the fire.

In Mandaue City, the 1:21 a.m. fire razed the house rented by Lyndon Enero and the houses of two of his neighbors, Rosalinda Cabahug and Petronilo Suico.

Enero’s wife Nora sustained a leg injury while trying to escape their house.

The fire was put out after three minutes. Fire investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire, but residents in the area suspect it was electrical in nature.

SFO1 Arnold Lao of the Mandaue City Fire Department estimated the damage caused by fire at P200,000.

The fire victims are housed at Barangay Tabok’s basketball gym.

4Ps beneficiaries double this year; CV budget more than 1 billion

By Daily News Cebu


CEBU, Philippines - Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has doubled from previous years with 136, 608 identified family-beneficiaries in the Central Visayas this year.

Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) information officer Aileen Lariba said their agency continues to validate potential and eligible beneficiaries.

In showing records to The FREEMAN, Lariba said they listed 23,169 beneficiaries in 2009.

It went up to 33, 245 household beneficiaries in 2010 covering the four provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor — and 42 municipalities.

Lariba said that with 61 local government units in the region currently listed, the beneficiaries have doubled compared to the previous years.

“Expected man gyud nato mosaka karon kay ilabi na we are expanding the program,” Lariba told The FREEMAN.

Lariba noted that through the 4Ps many are starting to show its positive effects on the lives of Filipino families in the region.

The national government has released more than P1 billion for 136,608 household beneficiaries in Central Visayas.

Cebu City has the most number of registered household beneficiaries with 4,502 while the Municipality of Bantayan recorded the highest number of household beneficiaries with 5,029.

The 4Ps is a poverty alleviation program that provides families with monthly compensation of P500 for health and P300 for the education of every child below 14 years old, for a maximum of three children per family.

But Lariba warned the 4Ps beneficiaries not to use their cash cards as guarantee for lending purposes saying that offering the Pantawid Pamilya cash card as collateral for loans is prohibited.

Violations will result in the automatic suspension and eventually lead to the delisting of a beneficiary from the program.

“It is now in the hands of the benefciairies. Ilang ipakita sa national government nga mi-asenso ang ilang life aron ganahan mobuhi og budget ang gobyerno,” Lariba said.

The 4Ps is a conditional cash grant targeting poor households as part of the national government’s poverty-reduction and social development strategy.

Under the program, the government provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged zero to 14 years old.

The program is intended to be a two-pronged approach, social assistance by providing cash aid to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs and social development by breaking the inter-generational poverty cycle through investments in human capital. —(FREEMAN)

Heavy rains flood city anew

By Ryan Christopher J. Sorote and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP


CEBU, Philippines - Thousands of Cebuanos once again faced nature’s fury after a 30-minute downpour inundated parts of Cebu City yesterday afternoon. Colon Street and nearby streets became rivers, with some areas as deep as four feet after heavy rain which started at around 2 p.m. Many establishments along Colon St. were flooded and some hastily put up improved barriers to keep out the water. Cebu City Traffic Operations Management also reported that traffic was very heavy on major thoroughfares in the city. CITOM operations said D. Jakosalem St., Magallanes St., P. Lopez St., Bonifacio St., V. Gullas St., MJ Cuenco Ave., Osmeña Blvd. and Junquera and Sancianco streets were heavily flooded and vehicles became trapped in the rising floodwaters. Vehicles in Barangay Mabolo and surrounding roads were also stalled by floodwaters. On the southern side of the city, N. Bacalso Ave. was also heavily clogged with traffic with some parts of the road in barangays Mambaling and Bulacao under water. Romeo Quiño of the homeowner’s association of Sitio Tambisan, Barangay Tisa, said floodwaters entered his house and caused a lot of damage. “Dako na gyud og damage! Grabe na kaayo ang baha, taga-liog na gud ang ubang lugar,” he said. He also said that around 150 families in their sitio, which is on low ground, were affected by the floods. “Bisan mihunong na ang uwan, nagkataas gihapon ang tubig,” he said. Edwin Saldua, 46, and his seven-year-old daughter, Christine, were trapped under Tagunol Bridge along Sanciangko St. following strong surges of floodwaters. The two were reportedly scavenging trash when they were trapped. Elements from the Bureau of Fire Protection were able to rescue them. Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management head, Alvin Santillan said the city’s drainage system can no longer cope with the large volume of water during heavy rains. “Di na gyud madala sa atong mga kanal ang volume sa water,” he said. Meanwhile, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7 has recommended “no habitation zones” areas which have been recently affected by flooding and also advised the city to enforce the three-meter easement zone along the river banks in Sitio Common, Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City. It also recommended the immediate evacuation of those living in more than 30 houses along the riverbank in the sitio and the construction of riverbank protection like dikes, riprap and other structural mitigating measures to stabilize the slope. The suggestions were made after geologists Maria Elena Lupo and Josephine Aleta conducted a field investigation after four houses were swept away along the five-meter scoured riverbank. In a statement, MGB-7 Regional Director Loreto Alburo urged the local government units particularly the barangay captains to make use of the geohazard threat advisories distributed by the MGB geohazard assessment team to avoid loss of lives and properties especially at this critical time where precipitation is heavy and abnormal. Alburo likewise appealed to communities in high-risk areas to listen to their barangay officials. The team also reiterates the recommendations as contained in the August 17, 2007 geohazard threat advisory issued to Barangay Bacayan where it listed the following: Desilting and cleaning of river channel, proper disposal of garbage, relocation of residents along riverbanks, and provision of riverbank protection like dikes. MGB-7 also issued another geohazard threat advisory on September 27, 2010. According to the team, the river embankment is prone to scouring because it is characterized by highly weathered rocks that easily reach saturation level given the amount or intensity of rainfall. – (FREEMAN)

City to build 133 rooms, sets aside P62.3M budget

By Jujemay G. Awit


EIGHT contractors for Cebu City school buildings were given a lecture on anti-corruption, just as the City Government appropriated P62.381-million for school buildings, equivalent to 133 classrooms. Engr. Ester Cubero, a consultant under the Office of the Mayor, called for the meeting with Mayor Michael Rama and the contractors last Friday. Engr. Ester Cubero, a consultant under the Office of the Mayor, called for the meeting with Mayor Michael Rama and the contractors last Friday. The contractors in attendance were WTG Construction, Mega Plus Construction, CLER Construction, Narciso Builders, WIN Construction, RGY Builders, Geety Realty and Corp., and Keneto Contraks Inc. Cubero called for the meeting with two agenda. One, to tell the contractors that school buildings should be free from corruption. Secondly, engineering design and construction materials specifications should be strictly followed. Substandard materials should not be used as a social and moral obligation to the children. Defective Last May, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, a former education consultant for the City, warned contractors against using “tricks” in building classrooms after eight buildings were found to be defective. One contractor, MSDLR, was cautioned after school buildings in Barangay Toong were found defective. The contractor was directed to conduct remediation of the buildings. Projects But the eight contractors called during the meeting were described by Cubero as those the City Government can easily tap in times of disaster. WTG has the most number of projects, under the City, with four four-story, 20-classroom buildings awarded. These buildings are for Zapatera Elementary School, Oprra Elementary School, Tisa II Elementary School and Tisa I Integrated School. Two buildings cost over P13.5 million each, while two others have yet to have building costs. Mega Plus Construction was awarded contracts for two four-story buildings. One building will have three classrooms for Oprra Elementary School and Basak Community School will have 28 classrooms.

47 lose homes in landslides

By Davinci S. Maru

CEBU CITY -- A sudden heavy rain cut a destructive swathe across four neighboring barangays in the north district of Cebu City on Sunday. Eight families or at least 47 persons lost their homes when their houses fell into the river after a landslide struck Sitio San Antonio in Barangay Bacayan past 9 a.m In Sitio Bulho, Barangay Pulangbato, a strong current swept away taxi driver Edward Mansalay, 27, who remained missing as of 8 p.m. Sunday. wo riprap walls also gave way in Barangay San Jose and Barangay Guba, where mud and boulders collapsed into the rivers. Despite the heavy rain, the weather bureau assured that no storm is threatening Cebu. It said the rain was caused by an intertropical convergence zone, which is affecting Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao. In Barangay Bacayan, 34-year-old Annie Lipalang told Sun.Star Cebu her family was inside the house when they noticed the land vibrated. Her house, together with other residences, sat on a cliff along the river in Barangay Bacayan. Suddenly, a part of Lipalang's house disintegrated and fell into the river. She immediately evacuated her seven children to a safe place. 47 people She said she only managed to save a portion of their belongings. She is one of the 47 individuals affected by the landslide. Barangay Councilor Mildred Branzuela said they will be temporarily placed on a vacant lot of a subdivision, where tents and portable toilets will be installed. Branzuela revealed that the affected residents will not be allowed to rebuild their homes on the riverbank, as decided by the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council. "Their houses are built on garden soil and don't have a strong foundation. It's unsafe. It's risky, especially for the little children," she said. Branzuela said the residents should the follow the law and keep three meters from the riverbank (the required easement zone) free of any structures. Article 51 of Presidential Decree 1067, or the Water Code of the Philippines, reserves a three-meter easement zone along the banks of rivers, streams, shores of seas and lakes for public use "in the interest of recreation, navigation, flotage, fishing and salvage." Keep it clear That means no homes or any other buildings should be put up in these zones. Across the river in Barangay San Jose, a riprap being built by a school also collapsed at 2 p.m. A mix of mud and boulders fell into the river, along with washed-away banana trees. Branzuela said the barangay had already complained about the riprap wall. She said they went to the barangay captain and to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to resolve the matter. "But it seems there was no action done. Our concern was that it could cause the swelling of rivers, which is dangerous for the nearby residents," Branzuela said. As of 8 p.m., the rescue operation of Edward Mansalay went on, Cebu City Fire Marshall Anderson Comar said. Search In a joint operation of the Cebu City Fire Department, Apas Emergency Response Team and Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDCC), rescue officials checked the seven-kilometer river to search for Mansalay. Resident Teodula Apas, 45, said Mansalay was drinking with his relatives near the river, while swimming. Suddenly, a strong current washed Mansalay away at 2 p.m., she said. "Nakasakay pa gud siya ug bane unya nag-sige ug singgit ug tabang (He held on to a banana tree and kept screaming for help)," Apas said. The current swept him out to the deepest portion of the water, beyond the reach of residents. "Naa siya sa tunga sa sapa. Lawom na man gud kayo (He was in the middle of the river, which was very deep)," Apas added. Also on Sunday, CCDCC executive director Alvin Santillana said a riprap wall in Barangay Guba caved in. No one was affected by that incident though, he said. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) assured that no tropical cyclone or typhoon is threatening the country. Be alert Quiley Torregoza, weather observer at Pagasa's Mactan, Cebu station, said Sunday's downpour started at 9:23 a.m. and lasted for 20 minutes. "There is no low-pressure area," Torregoza told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview. He said the public should expect more rains because of the rainy season, which started last May. According to Pagasa's website, the Visayas will be experiencing mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms in the next few days. Torregoza advised the public to prepare and be alert against floods and landslides. Two to three tropical cyclones will develop or enter the Philippine area of responsibility this month, according to Pagasa's weather outlook. Rainfall distribution, Pagasa said, ranges from 200 and 400 millimeters in major parts of the country and more than 500 millimeters over the western side of Luzon and some parts of the Visayas. Pagasa warned that flashfloods and landslides over low-lying areas and mountainous regions are possible. (With Rebelander S. Basilan/Sun.Star Cebu)

Higher fines, longer jail time sought

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas


THE Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (Chac) wants to impose a P1-million fine on those found destroying and disturbing caves in the city. Chac executive director Glenda Gabuya said they favor the passage of the ordinance filed by Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias that seeks to regulate the use of caves in the city, but wants the penalty clause amended. That way it will be in line with Republic Act (RA) 9072, or the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act, she said. Not enough Gabuya said RA 9072 stipulates that any person found destroying and disturbing caves or gathering and selling cave resources will face a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1 million or face imprisoned from six years and one day to eight years, or both. Cabarrubias’ proposal, however, only imposes a fine of P5,000, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both. Aside from raising the penalty, Gabuya wants the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office to require all village chiefs, particularly those in the mountain barangays, to submit a list of caves in their area. Guides, guidelines She also recommended training at least one cave guide in barangays where caves are located, as well as brief the community on the “do’s and don’ts” of a cave, among others. Gabuya submitted a position paper on Cabarrubias’s proposal, hoping this will be included in the final draft. In his measure, Cabarrubias wants to make it illegal to destroy, disturb, mar, alter or harm a portion of any cave or alter the free movement of any animal or plant life in or out of the cave. It also prohibits the gathering, collecting, possessing, consuming, selling, bartering, or exchanging or offering for sale without authority any cave resources. Cabarrubias came up with his proposal after visiting several caves in the city and discovering that some of the stalactites and stalagmites have been destroyed. According to Gabuya, Cebu City has three major caves: Guadalupe Cave in Barangay Guadalupe, the Sudlon I Cave in Barangay Sudlon I and the Morgat Cave in Barangay Bonbon.

Tomas Osmeña drops libel suit after Guardo’s apology

By Gerome M. Dalipe

CEBU CITY -- Representative Tomas Osmeña (south district, Cebu City) dropped Friday the libel suit he filed against businessman Jonathan Guardo, but immediately squelched insinuations the move was a political accommodation. “It’s just clearing the air. He (Guardo) is not with the BOPK (Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan). He is just issuing an apology,” said Osmeña, who was the Cebu City mayor when he filed the case last year. “Let’s not talk about politics at this point (because) this is not the case,” the congressman told reporters after the mediation process. Accompanied by their lawyers, Osmeña and Guardo met Friday afternoon during the fourth round of the court-required mediation process at the Palace of Justice. Guardo arrived first at the Philippine Mediation Center around 3 p.m. Lawyer Alvin Butch Cañares accompanied him. Osmeña arrived minutes later with lawyers Benjamin Militar, Ralph Sevilla and Ferdinand Cañete. Court mediator Marissa Puche presided over the brief meeting, which ended with both parties signing the compromise agreement. Guardo, in a statement he read after the mediation, apologized to Osmeña “for any affront caused by my statements,” which were published in the newspapers in January 2010. “If ever there was even the slightest tarnish on the name and reputation that Congressman Tommy or this City suffered because of those statements of mine, I offer my apologies,” the businessman and former congressional candidate said. Guardo said he might have “overestimated” himself in his “drive to serve the public,” which may be why he “cast the good congressman and the City of Cebu in a bad light.” “But sometimes, being human, we are prone to overestimating ourselves,” said Guardo. And while “sorry” may seem the hardest word to some, Guardo said he disagrees for as long as “sincerity is at its center.” “I do hope that with this apology, we can now move on and, hopefully, work together for the betterment of our beloved city,” he said. Osmeña said he, too, wanted to put an end to the issue because he understands both of them have other matters to pursue. “My concern is not about myself but to protect the integrity of the city. The City was accused of blocking (delivery of basic services.) That’s another story. That’s not me anymore. It’s my responsibility to protect the reputation of the City,” said Osmeña. Mediator Puche said she will endorse to Judge Gilbert Moises the compromise deal signed by both parties. It is then up to the court to make a ruling, based on the outcome of the mediation, she said. Osmeña charged Guardo with libel for telling reporters that City Hall officials obstructed his attempt to deliver aid to the fire victims. Osmeña complained Guardo’s statements were false and without basis. These were made at the height of the campaign for the May 2010 elections. Osmeña also implicated in his complaint former Sun.Star Cebu editor-in-chief Pachico Seares and former reporter Rene Martel. The Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor, however, dismissed the charges against the two journalists for lack of probable cause.

Tourism chief to support Cebu's Ciudad project

By (RSA/JGA/Sun.Star Cebu)


CEBU CITY -- If the Ciudad project “complies with all the rules of Cebu City,” Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim will endorse it. He visited the proposed site of Ciudad Thursday and was briefed on the project by executives of the Fifth Avenue Property Development Corp., the developer, at Cebu Country Club. “It looks like a very good project from an architectural perspective,” Lim told reporters after the closed-door briefing. As envisioned, Ciudad will be a P1.2-billion multi-use facility in Banilad, Cebu City that will put in one location a three-story museum of Cebu’s heritage and modern amenities such as a mall and condominiums. The project, which sits on a provincial lot located in a prime estate section of the city that is outside the jurisdiction of the governor, has been stalled because of the conflict between the former Cebu City mayor, Rep. Tomas Osmena, and Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia. Wearing a brown “Ciudad project” vest, the secretary visited the proposed Ciudad site upon the invitation of Michael Dino, Fifth Avenue executive vice president and chief operating officer. “It looks very interesting and is supposed to bring out the history of Cebu. From that point of view, it’s useful for tourism,” Lim said. He raised concerns such as flooding and traffic, to which Dino said where the area is not flood-prone and ways to decongest traffic have been looked into. Fifth Avenue has presented to Capitol its final design and concept for the Ciudad project. The developer has expressed its commitment to the governor to proceed with the joint venture project, which will use the Capitol’s 2.8-hectare property along the Banilad-Talamban (Bantal) corridor. Dino said he hopes the project will push through not “only for the (sake of) Cebuanos but for the entire Filipino race.” He said Lim found the project worth visiting. Dino showed Lim the scale model of the project when he brought the tourism secretary to the office of the Ciudad project. Lim, who has brushed off calls for his resignation, said it’s important to support projects like Ciudad because the growth is happening outside Metro Manila. Cebu, Lim said, takes the lead among the progressive provinces such as Clark, Palawan and Bohol. Whether Fifth Avenue can proceed with Ciudad depends on its compliance with building requirements of Cebu City. Mayor Michael Rama said he will only affix his signature to the building permit once all the documentary pre-requisites such as a locational clearance have been scrutinized and approved by the concerned department heads. For his part, City Planning and Development Office Coordinator Alipio Bacalso will base his action on Fifth Avenue’s application for a locational clearance on what City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez has to say about the Ciudad project. That is, if there is no irregularity in the development project because it is for public use, as was the message in passing City Ordinance (CO) 2193 that amended the 1996 Cebu City Zoning Ordinance pertaining to the friar lands. The City Attorney’s Office has said that the Ciudad project does not violate CO 2193 because it is for public use and will open up employment and propel economic growth. Bernaldez said his office only issued a legal opinion based on the query of City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete on CO 2193. Bernaldez said it is up to Bacalso to use the legal opinion or not as basis for his action. But Rama said the legal opinion is not even needed in approving the locational clearance as long as all requirements have been met. Bernaldez and the lawyers who penned the legal opinion—Carlo Vicente Gimena, Ferdinand Cañete and June Ibones Maratas—were called to an executive session with the Cebu City Council Thursday but they couldn’t attend because of their busy schedule.

Suspensions may take longer: Rama

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas


THE cease-and-desist order issued by the Cebu City Government against the developer of Monterrazas de Cebu will not be lifted soon, following its alleged failure to follow the conditions of its environmental compliance certificate (ECC), Mayor Michael Rama said. Rama yesterday said the failure of Genvi Development Corp. to comply with the ECC conditions proved that Monterrazas had contributed to the flood in Barangay Guadalupe on July 20. “It proves that I was right. I already made a statement and I stand by the (cease-and-desist) order I’ve issued,” he said. The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 recently issued a notice of violation to Genvi for failing to comply with the five conditions set under its ECC. The violations include failure to provide temporary drainage, erosion control measures, slope protection and the absence of a fund for environmental conservation. In his news conference yesterday, Rama told Genvi to comply with the ECC conditions. At the same time, he reminded the developer of the conditions set by the City Government when the cease-and-desist order was issued. When the conditions are met, only then will the order be lifted, Rama said. When he issued the order, Rama instructed Genvi to undertake soil erosion control measures and construct more viable water impounding areas to reduce the volume of floodwater that runs off to the lowlands. He also ordered the developer to implement “comprehensive flood mitigating measures, such as massive and regular desilting of settling ponds, creeks and drainage system.” As for the ECC, the EMB 7 advised Genvi to take soil prevention measures and conduct environmental risk assessment, and coordinate the adjacent subdivision on the drainage, among others. Meanwhile, the City Council wants to conduct a public hearing on the flood problem in Barangays Guadalupe and Tisa as they want to have a clear perspective on the matter. The council will be inviting, among others, Genvi, the residents, barangay officials, and concerned government offices and agencies. The public hearing will be conducted on Aug. 24.

City orders upland quarry stopped

By Bernadette A. Parco, Elly T. Bolonos and Jujemay G. Awit


CEBU City issued cease-and-desist orders (CDOs) against four companies for engaging in “site development” projects that the Cebu City Mining and Regulatory Board (CMRB) believed are quarry operations. Among those affected was the site development in Barangay Kalunasan by the firm owned by Barangay Captain Nunilon Monares. In an interview, Rene Mercado, representative of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama in the CMRB, said the Monares project in Kalunasan was more than just a site development. But the main problem was that the City Planning and Development Office has yet to approve Monares’s application for site development. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB 7) also issued cease-and-desist orders (CDOs) to 15 stone slicing and processing companies in Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova town for lack of permits. MGB 7 Director Loreto Alburo said no person should process minerals without a Mineral Processing Permit (MPP), quarry permit and other permits. “It must be emphasized that mining activities must always be guided by current best practices in environmental management with due emphasis on economic and environmental considerations, as well as for health and safety concerns,” he said. The MPP is issued by the MGB while quarry permits are processed and issued by local government units. The CDOs were issued after an inventory and investigation conducted on the companies. The companies include Towerstones Enterprises, Mactan Art Stone, Coast Pacific Manufacturing Corp., Madeka Stone Development Enterprises, Solid Stone Center Corp., ELG Inc. and EMATA Exports. Most of the processing plants are located in Barangays Pajac and Basak in Lapu-Lapu City and Barangays Cogon and Ibabao in Cordova town. The companies were ordered to immediately stop operations until they can secure the permits as required by Section 109 of Department Administrative Order No. 96-40 and the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Mineral processing includes milling, leaching, smelting or upgrading of ores, minerals, rocks, mill tailings, mine waste and other metallurgical by-products. The processed stones from these firms are used for tiles, slabs, and furniture. The finished products are mostly for export. “MGB 7 is willing to provide the necessary assistance to these stone operators in securing their MPPs,” said Alburo in a press statement. “A joint investigation team of MGB 7 and Lapu-Lapu City Government will be constituted to conduct another round of inventory and to check the compliance of these operators as contained in the CDOs,” he said. In Cebu City, Rama said some companies do quarry works in the guise of site development. But Monares said he is developing a low-cost housing in Sitio Upper Kalunasan, so what he is doing is really site development. He said he has documents to prove this, which he submitted to the planning office. He also showed Mercado and other members of the mining board the documents when the board inspected the area yesterday. The board also noticed several violations in the development such as the lack of catchment basin and an area for storage of extracted gravel. When this storage will be filled up, this is only the time a firm can apply for a hauling permit. But in the case of Monares, there was an approved hauling permit from the previous board even without the site development permit. Politics? Monares is confident the order will be lifted when the board and Rama evaluate his records. “In Kalunasan, elections have not yet ended,” said Monares, referring to the order which he said was only based on reports from his political enemies. Aside from Kalunasan, the mining board also inspected Barangay San Jose yesterday, where another firm is also doing site development. Last Saturday, Rama’s chief-of-staff Philip Zafra led a team to inspect Barangays Binaliw and Pulangbato. Rama said there are no sacred cows in his administration, as there are reports some important people are behind the upland quarrying in the guise of site development. In San Jose, CMRB saw excessive hauling. According to the records, only one company applied for a hauling permit. The permit allows hauling of 1,000 cubic meters of material. But based on the number of trucks that the board saw, there were over 40,000 cubic meters hauled. The board will have a special meeting within the week for the possibility of issuing additional cease-and-desist orders.

3 minors, 2 adults rescued at Cebu pier

  • Source://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2011/08/09/3-minors-2-adults-rescued-cebu-pier-171819
  • Tuesday, August 9, 2011
By Davinci S. Maru and Gerome M. Dalipe


CEBU CITY -- Fake identities and ages prompted the police to stop three minors and two adults from sailing to Manila Monday afternoon. They were intercepted in Pier 4, Cebu City for another suspected case of human trafficking, just three days after law enforcers intercepted 15 teenagers and young women from Bohol last Friday. In Monday's case, three females and two males—ages 15, 16, 17, 18 and 23—all hail from various barangays in the city of Toledo, Cebu. Their 30-year-old recruiter boarded a plane earlier for Manila and evaded arrest. A confidentiality provision of the law against human trafficking prohibits Sun.Star Cebu from mentioning the names of both the suspect and the possible victims. The 701st Maritime Police Station intercepted the group around 2 p.m., after they were tipped by a shipping vessel's officer that one of them, a 15-year-old boy, was using a fake identity. He was trying to pass himself off as a girl.The vessel was minutes away from departure when the police learned, upon inspection, that the other group members used fake ages in their tickets. They allegedly received the tickets from their recruiter. The boy, when interviewed by Sun.Star Cebu, revealed they were promised jobs in a restaurant in Manila. He said they were promised P3,000 a month and assured of a better life in the big city. Most of their parents didn’t know about their plans, he said. Seventeen-year-old Maria (real name withheld) said she began to have doubts about their recruiter when he decided to travel separately. Exit plan They had been told to meet in a terminal in Toledo City at 9 a.m. Their recruiter shared a ride with them to the Cebu City pier. And then he left them to travel on their own. “Giingnan na lang mi niya nga kamo nala'y bahala. Ayaw mo pahalata nga mga menor de edad mo. Didto nako nagduda (He told us to proceed on our own and not to act like minors. That’s when I began to have doubts),” said Maria. However, because they were about to sail, she decided to go along. “Sugaton ra kuno mi niya didto. Ihatag ang among pocket money (He promised to meet us in Manila with our pocket money),” she added. Maria was an out-of-school youth. She said she decided to go to Manila to seek a better future. She and the rest of the group were transferred Monday to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Central Visayas, where they will undergo evaluation and counseling. DSWD-Central Visayas information officer Jaybee Binghay revealed they recently set up hotline numbers regarding cases of human trafficking. Hotline In coordination with International Justice Mission and Visayan Forum, she said they will advocate against the trafficking of women and minors. The numbers are 09177030967, 4065832 and 4166839. Also Monday, human trafficking complaints were filed against a 41-year-old mother and her 22-year-old daughter for attempting to transport 12 girls and three young women from Cebu City to Manila last August 5. The two were charged before the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor with violating Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. In compliance with RA 9208, the names of the two suspects are being withheld. Maritime Police officer Joselito Blazo said the suspects recruited the 15 women “for the purpose of sexual exploitation, including pornography.” But in an interview before inquest proceedings at the prosecutor’s office, the mother denied they would intended to sell the young girls. Just helping She said they merely accompanied the women upon the request of their parents, so they could get jobs as nannies and housemaids in Manila. “Wala kaming ginawang masama. Sila ang nag-request sa amin para makatrabo sa Maynila. Tumulong lamang kami sa kanila. (We did nothing wrong. They asked for our help so they can work in Manila, so we helped them),” the mother told reporters. Four of the rescued girls told the prosecutor otherwise. They said they were warned that they would be made to undress, allegedly by foreign clients. The Cebu Maritime Police arrested the duo last Friday after they failed to present documents that would justify why they were in the company of the young women. The mother said the parents of the 15 rescued women visited them while they were in detention, to support their claim that they were merely helping the girls look for jobs. The mother and daughter signed a waiver of detention during the inquest proceedings before Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Val Carillo. Attached to the complaint were the joint affidavit of the arresting officers, police blotter entries and the affidavits of the alleged victims, among other documents.

P45 million additional budget: Mike asks P1,000 more for seniors

By Jessica Ann R. Pareja


CEBU, Philippines - Here’s some good news for the senior citizens in Cebu City. Mayor Michael Rama is planning to increase the financial assistance to senior citizens by P1,000 each. This move has been welcomed by many, including the mayor’s former allies, now critics, like Rep. Tomas Osmeña and Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young. Rama has included in the proposed Supplemental Budget No. 2 the amount of P45 million to cover the increase. The additional P1,000 incentive, if approved by the council, will be received by the qualified beneficiaries by the end of the year along with their P2,000 Christmas gift. Young said they (the city council) will not oppose the budget if there are available funds for it. He, however, gave a piece of advice to the mayor. “My advice to the mayor is to find another project. Because even if he increases it to P10,000, the credit will still go to Tommy,” Young said.Osmeña initiated the program in 2009, a year before he stepped out of City Hall at the end of his third term as mayor. The budget was then sourced from income derived from the South Road Properties through the multi-billion deals with Filinvest and SM. Osmeña, when asked for comment on the announcement of Rama, welcomed the idea and simply said “good”. City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete said that the P45 million is on top of the P60 million to P70 million additional money for the program this year. Poblete said that the P100 million initially included in the 2011 annual budget is nearly depleted with only over P20 million left even if they are still in the second quarter of the year. This is because there are many additional enrollments to the program after they revised the guidelines for the qualification of beneficiaries.“After we revised the program, many beneficiaries were able to qualify. Our number of beneficiaries has already ballooned to over 40,000 from about 30,000 during the start of the program,” Poblete said. The additional P60 million to P70 million shall comprise the remaining half of the collectibles of the beneficiaries to be distributed on December. The first batch of barangays to receive half of their assistance today until August 12 are San Roque, San Antonio, Sta. Cruz, Parian, Sto. Niño, Lusaran, Mabini, Malubog, San Jose, Tagbao, Zapatera, Carreta, Inayawan, and Pahina San Nicolas. Other barangays are Adlaon, Agsungot, Sudlon I, Taptap, Sinsin, Buot-taup, Paril, Pit-os and Pung-ol Sibugay. The beneficiaries from the rest of the barangays are expected to receive their assistance in the coming weeks. Guillermo Casinillo, Head of the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, said that the Department of Social Welfare and Services is finalizing the master list. The senior citizens receive P4,000 a year, P2,000 as birthday gift and P2,000 as Christmas gift. But by December, if all goes well, the elderly can already enjoy the P1,000 additional aid. Poblete said that the draft of the proposed SB 2 is scheduled to be submitted to the City Council today. Casinillo said that the additional P1,000 would be a big help to the beneficiaries for the purchase of medicine and food.

Tomas to sue Mike’

By Jujemay G. Awit and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

REP. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) threatened to sue Mayor Michael Rama and the City Legal Office if they will allow the Cebu Provincial Government and Fifth Avenue Development Corp. to push through with the P1.2-billion Ciudad project. This, as Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said he will hire the services of a consultant of former mayor Alvin Garcia. At the height of his conflict with Mayor Rama over who should sign the contracts of legislative consultants, Young announced he will hire lawyer Rico Tautho as legal consultant. Osmeña reacted to the legal opinion recently issued by City Hall’s legal office endorsing the Ciudad project. “We will just see them in court… What this means is that the Ciudad investors and tenants stand to lose their investments. I’m just giving them a word of caution,” the congressman said, in a text message to Sun.Star Cebu. Osmeña said Rama and the legal office are the same personalities who opposed his proposal to settle the claim of the heirs of Fr. Vicente Rallos for P24 million without interest. Because of their opposition, Osmeña said the City lost in the case, with the Supreme Court (SC) ruling that the City owed the Ralloses P224 million with interest for turning private properties in Barangays Sambag I and Sambag II into a public road. Aside from that, Osmeña pointed out that Rama and the legal office are the same personalities who opposed the P9-million claim of Roque Ting, a businessman, against the City. Ting had sued the City for demolishing his warehouses and encroaching on his 4,222-square-meter property when the SRP was implemented in 1997. Osmeña said the City lost in the case and was ordered by the SC to award Ting P60 million. “Remember that the mayor apparently does not have a decent performance record in litigation. Maybe he thinks that by being mayor, his IQ has gone up. His ego maybe, but not his IQ,” he said. Sought for comment, Rama said he will answer all the statements against him in tomorrow’s press conference. The legal office said the land owned by the Province along the Banilad-Talamban corridor may be used for commercial development. While it is a commercial development, the legal office said the Ciudad project is for “public use” since the public will have access to it. This is still in line with City Ordinance 2193, which amended the 1996 Zoning Ordinance of Cebu City. Section 1 of that ordinance declared that all lands acquired under the Friar Lands Act shall be for public use. On the consultancy issue in City Hall, the Cebu City Council approved during its last session the resolution authorizing Young to sign the contract of Tautho. Earlier, Young said he hired Tautho for his expertise, as the lawyer was a consultant of Garcia for eight years. In the early to mid 1990s, Garcia was still a member of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK). When it was apparent that Garcia was going to break away from BOPK in 2000, Rama got entangled in a verbal tussle with Tautho over the South Road Properties, then the South Reclamation Project (SRP). Tautho, aside from being Garcia’s consultant when Garcia was vice mayor and mayor, was also legal and project consultant of SRP and legal consultant for the Cebu South Road. Among the SRP issues that Rama and Tautho disagreed on was the issuance of a turnover certificate of completion to the contractor of the SRP even before the contract expired because work was already done. Rama was then a councilor. Tautho was also a director of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District from 2001 to 2006. While City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez said the mayor is the “primary official” who can execute and sign all consultancy contracts, he signed the resolution of the bids and awards committee, as its vice chairman, to award the consultancy contract of Tautho as legal consultant of the Office of the Vice Mayor.

Ciudad enjoys city legal office's support’

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas


THE legal office of the Cebu City Government has endorsed the P1.2-billion Ciudad project, which is a joint venture of Fifth Avenue Development Corp. and the Cebu Provincial Government. The City Legal Office recently rendered a legal opinion on the matter that said the land owned by the Province along the Banilad-Talamban corridor may be used for commercial development, said a reliable source at City Hall. While it is a commercial development, the source told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday the Ciudad project is considered for “public use” since it will still be used for the public’s access or purposes. This is still in line with City Ordinance (CO) 2193, which amended the 1996 Zoning Ordinance of Cebu City. Section 1 of that ordinance declared that all lands acquired under Act No. 1120 or the Friar Lands Act shall be for public use. The term “public use” was not specifically defined under CO 2193. Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young yesterday confirmed the endorsement of the City Legal Office for the Ciudad project. Young acquired a copy of the legal opinion even after City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez refused to give him one. This reportedly irked Mayor Michael Rama. “Gi-bakus gyud sila. Suko kaayo si mayor pagkahibaw niya nga naa ko’y kopya (The mayor was reportedly angry and berated them when he learned I obtained a copy),” Young said, referring to Bernaldez. Young said he is of the view that the executive department is hiding the legal opinion so the council cannot act on it. Sun.Star Cebu tried to acquire a copy of the legal opinion but Bernaldez and the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) refused to release one. Young, in a separate interview, differed with the alleged legal opinion on the Ciudad project. “That’s their definition of public use. That’s their opinion. But we (council) also have a different definition for that. He (Bernaldez) is not the only lawyer around,” he said. Asked what the council’s definition is, the vice mayor said they will answer that at the proper time. “We don’t telegraph our punches,” he said. Young said he is yet to discuss the legal opinion with the councilors. As in previous interviews, Young reiterated the council’s opposition to the Ciudad project, particularly the lifting of its moratorium, as they expect the development to aggravate traffic in Banilad and Talamban. He doesn’t believe that opening four access roads will address the traffic problem in the area. Fifth Avenue earlier identified in their traffic plan four access roads to ease the traffic in the Banilad-Talamban corridor. This will include three access roads at IT Park and another access road at the Central Command area. “I cannot understand how they are going to solve the problem by opening roads. Opening roads means more traffic. It’s really going to get worse,” he said. In 2007, during the term of former mayor now Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district), the City imposed a moratorium on the developments in the Banilad-Talamban area, citing traffic problems. The moratorium came after negotiations for a land swap between City Hall and Capitol failed, which strained relations between Osmeña and Gov. Gwen Garcia.

‘Go after other lewd tabloids’

Cebu Daily News


CEBU Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale yesterday encouraged the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board (CAIB) to go after other tabloids with lewd content. She said these tabloids were printed in Manila and sold in local news stands. “I am very happy we have a partner,” said Magpale after the CCAIB filed a criminal complaint on Wednesday against two Cebuano-language tabloids for running columns that the board said used “obscene, indecent and sexually suggestive” language. Magpale said the Provincial Women’s Commission, where she is co-chairman, said they were aware of other “sexy” tabloids shipped from Manila and sold in local newsstands. “We were told that some don’t have editorial boxes,” she said, to hide the identities of the entities publishing them. Magpale said the PWC had previously called the attention of Cebu’s two local tabloids when she was still a Provincial Board member. In 2009, she said, the PWC sent letters to the publishers to warn them about the tabloids’ “explicit” contents. “Dugay na namo ning gi-fight (This has been a long fight.) The feedback was that they believed there was nothing wrong with the content.” She said the PWC was willing to work closely with the Cebu City board. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama lauded the CCAIB’s legal action. Rama said the move proved that the board under the leadership of Dr. Lucelle Mercado, who is an appointee of Rama, is doing its job. “Their observation is meritorious. I have also read their report. It only means taht they are serious about their job.” Meanwhile, the Cebu Citizens-Press Council , in a statement by executive director Pachico A. Seares, said it would let the prosecutor and court decide on the complaint filed against Sun.Star SuperBalita and the Freeman Banat, although “both newspapers contend the feature stories are not (obscene and indecent).” “ Let the prosecutor and, if necessary, the courts de cide the issue. As long as the CCAIB move is not being used for repression or persecution, the mechanism is accepted by the industry.” Seares said the “CCAIB though should’ve taken heed of the Supreme Court injunction that only publication that is ‘so depraved and corrupt’ with no trace of moral reemption or purpose whatsoever is punishable.” Volunteer laywers in the Cebu Media Legal Aid (Cemla) “will assist, if asked, in defending the journalists sed by the city agency.” Seares is also the Public and Standards Editor of SuperBalita. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus with a report from Correspondent Edison A. Delos Angeles

Cebu leaders question Trans-Asia fleet's suspension

By Sun.Star Cebu newspaper


CEBU CITY – Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama questioned Wednesday the decision to suspend the entire fleet of Trans-Asia Shipping Lines, saying it will hurt not only the company's workers but the local economy. The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) "should be circumspect," the mayor said. "They should only suspend units that are not undergoing repairs, and they have a record of that." The governor appealed to Marina to reconsider, pointing out that the ship owners are supposed to be assured of due process under Republic Act 9295 or the Domestic Shipping Development Act, before any suspension can be ordered. "These are passenger vessels that are plying set routes, so not only the workers of Tran-Asia will be severely affected…The riding public will be just as affected. So, we do appeal to Marina to consider the consequences again of this action, which I find rather drastic," Governor Garcia told reporters. Marina's suspension order on the nine remaining Trans-Asia vessels came a day after its M/V Asia-Malaysia sank while sailing from Cebu to Iloilo last Sunday morning. Over 170 passengers and crew were rescued.

Fire But a freak accident hit just as a Marina team began inspecting the fleet Wednesday in Cebu City. While the Marina team was inspecting the M/V Trans-Asia 5, a fire broke out in a pile of cargo that was being unloaded from a nearby vessel, the Trans-Asia 2. The pile had rubber, carpets and corrugated roofing. The flames were controlled in five minutes and the damage to property was less than P5,000, said Julian Sy Jr., Trans-Asia management representative and spokesman. He said the fire began when a laborer, who was smoking in secret, tossed a cigarette butt that hit a pile of cargo. “The cargo is not part of the vessel, so the vessel did not catch fire,” Sy said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Flordelito Ortiz, head of the Trans-Asia security and safety department, said the cargo came from Ozamiz City. Trans-Asia 2 was supposed to depart for Iloilo to replace the Asia-Malaysia, but was held at the Cebu port for inspection and audit. Two vessels were already inspected and audited as of Wednesday by the Marina, in coordination with the Coast Guard, as ordered by Administrator Emerson Lorenzo. The Trans-Asia 2 and 3 have been checked.

Spill Lawyer Jose Cabatingan, Marina-Central Visayas public information officer, said the inspection and audit team found some deficiencies and that Trans-Asia Shipping will get some time to fix these. Of the fleet, the Asia Philippines is still drydocked, while Asia Japan is not operating. The Asia Pacific, a cargo vessel, arrived last night from Zamboanga City, and Asia China was still in Cagayan de Oro City Wednesday. Cabatingan said that the joint inspection and audit team will submit their reports to Marina-Central Visayas Director Nannette Villamor-Dinopol, who will forward it to Administrator Lorenzo. Meanwhile, Sy said that Trans-Asia has sent safety engineers to conduct suction of oil and fuel from inside the sunken M/V Asia Malaysia off Calabasa Island. He said the oil spill that resulted from the sinking is “very manageable” and that the company has sent oil dispersants to protect the seawater in the vicinity. In a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Rama said he will talk to the officials of Marina regarding the suspension, after he meets with ship owners in Cebu City. In a separate interview, Governor Garcia said that Marina can inspect the fleet without necessarily suspending it. "I fully support the outcry of our shipping operators," she added.

Rescue Meanwhile, Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella commended the management of Cokaliong Shipping Lines led by its owner, Chester Cokaliong, for immediately responding to M/V Asia Malaysia's distress call last Sunday dawn. Cokaliong Shipping's M/V Filipinas Cebu was the first vessel to reach the M/V Asia Malaysia and rescue 40 of its 107 passengers. The remaining passengers and crew members were rescued by the crew of the motor tanker Fil-Visayas, which was bound for Bacolod, and some fishermen who were in the area. "Not in any way discounting the efforts of local fishermen in Ajuy and Iloilo's Bantay Dagat, it is noteworthy that one of the rescuers is a Cebu City-based shipping liner, which is not only the sunken vessel's competitor-company, but also one recorded to have helped out similar situations in the past, rescuing passengers from sea ordeals," Labella said in a proposed resolution. Labella, a survivor of the sinking of Sulpicio Lines' M/V Princess of the Orient in 1998, described Cokaliong as "a businessman with a heart." "These selfless acts are undeniably exemplary and worth emulating," he said.

Tagunol bridge families run out of time

By Elly T. Bolonos and Jujemay G. Awit


TA CEBU City Hall team began clearing operations at the Tagunol Bridge in Barangays Basak-Pardo and Cogon-Pardo yesterday, more than a year since the demolition order was sent. Informal settlers had promised to vacate the area by April 25, 2011, after the demolition order was sent to 31 illegal structures just below the Tagunol River in July 2010. They did not fulfill this promise. The Cebu City Squatters Prevention, Elimination and Encroachment Division (Speed) started clearing the structures around 11 a.m. yesterday. Some of the houses were on stilts, built over the water, while others were concrete structures that encroached on the waterway. The clearing operation was not implemented last year when the 31 affected families wrote to Speed: “We are landless and homeless citizens and we don’t have any (other) property within the city and most of us (have been) living in the area since 1990.” Meanwhile, the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) said it will recommend the declaration of all public lots in Barangay Tejero as socialized housing sites. DWUP Chief Collin Rosell said the declaration is needed so that people occupying the lots will have a chance to own it. A huge blaze hit the thickly populated barangay last month, leaving more than 200 families in three sitios homeless. In the Tagunol demolition, the Vergara family did not resist when at least five Speed members, armed with steel bars and hatchets, started taking apart their home for 22 years. But the head of the family, Ben, complained that their home is part of Cogon-Pardo, which should not be demolished. His basis was that it was Basak-Pardo Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak who witnessed the clearing operation. Clearing Tumulak, though, explained he was merely overseeing the dredging operation of Tagunol River and it is the duty of Speed to clear the river of illegal structures. But Speed team leader Eduardo Biadnes said the demolition order had the concurrence of Cogon-Pardo Barangay Captain Eugenio Gabuya. Tumulak said the clearing ended at 3 p.m., with five houses taken down. Clearing will continue at 8 a.m. today. Reggie Guttierez, 31, was adamant against having her house taken down without a relocation site. Her father was at the DWUP negotiating for a relocation site when the clearing proceeded. She told her neighbors not to allow their houses to be demolished until a relocation site has been secured. Before the clearing ended for the day, Tumulak said the settlers agreed to build new homes at the designated relocation site in La Guerta, Barangay Lahug. Guttierez was born and raised in Tagunol Bridge. Her mother Matilda Heredia, 67, owned the house and store attached to the bridge. They even made wooden steps on the bridge pathway that would go directly to the house. Of Heredia’s six children, four, including Guttierez, are her neighbors and are all in danger of losing their homes. Precaution Tumulak said the clearing operation is not just in compliance with the law freeing the three-meter easement of rivers, creeks and esteros of any structure, but more importantly, it is because of the heavy flooding experienced in six sitios, affecting hundreds of families. Sitios Living Water, Exovil, Villa Buena, Kabulakan, Kakangkongan II and Fatima of Basak-Pardo go under waist-deep water during heavy rains. Jovencio Villacampa of Sitio Fatima said he has initiated a petition for the clearing of Tagunol River because water from upland gets stuck in the sitios. Merced Vergara, Ben’s wife and whose house was the first to be demolished, directed her seven children to help gather the materials of her house so that they can reuse these when they have a relocation site. While the clearing proceeded, a City Hall official was also trying to secure lots for fire victims in Barangay Tejero. DWUP chief Rosell noticed that almost all of the adjacent lots in the fire-struck sitios belong to the national government. Declaration He will inquire with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and Land Management Bureau (LMB) as to the exact location and land area of the public lots in the barangay. Rosell said he will then ask Councilor Alvin Dizon to propose an ordinance in the City Council declaring all public lots in Tejero as socialized housing sites. The councilor said he is willing to propose that measure. Dizon, who chairs the committee on housing in the City Council, said it’s also his thrust to maximize any available lots in the city for a mass housing program. “We have to check if these have not been declared because if so, we can include them in the socialized housing program,” Dizon said. Mayor Michael Rama, in a separate interview, said that Rosell’s plan only shows his administration is not anti-poor, contrary to the belief of his critics.

Luna to conduct swim seminar; Milo sets deadline tomorrow

By Marian C. Baring


THE season for multi-events is in the offing with the Milo Little Olympics waiting for the last-minute registrants and the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) hosting a final coaches’ seminar, this time for swimming. Milo Little Olympics organizer Ricky Ballesteros announced that they will only accept registrations for the meet until tomorrow. “So far, 170 schools registered. We have schools from Iloilo, Bacolod, Negros Oriental and Bohol. We expect 200 schools to join the event,” said Ballesteros. CCSC and the organizers of the Cebu City Olympics will be hosting the coaches’ seminar and training for swimming coaches starting Thursday at the Cebu City Sports Center. The group has invited the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association director Richard Luna to spearhead the four-day seminar. Last June, more than 300 teachers and coaches joined the coaching seminar, which the CCSC organized. The seminar was conducted by some of the country’s best spokespersons in their respective fields. All the speakers were sent by the different national sports association in table tennis, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball, among others. Luna will be teaching new techniques in coaching and will refresh the officials with the old rules and introduce new ones. The swimming seminar was delayed because they were waiting for the availability of Luna. The city embarked on this project in its desire to improve the quality of coaches who would steer the young athletes in the Cebu City Olympics. In the long run, they also want to have an improved performance in the Palarong Pambansa since most athletes representing Region 7 come from Cebu City. The Milo Little Olympics is set to open on Aug. 12, while the City Olympics will open on Oct. 16, in time for the completion of the renovation of the the Cebu City Sports Center.

Cebu City goes after P12M housing grants

By Elly T. Bolonos

THE Cebu City Government will go all-out to get the P12 million in grants from the National Housing Authority (NHA) to develop a socialized housing site. Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) Chief Collin Rosell has already identified a City-owned lot in Barangay Budlaan for that purpose. He said the fund, which comes from the NHA’s regional resettlement program for urban poor housing, will not have to be paid back if the City avails of it within this year. The DWUP chief said he sent a letter of intent to NHA after the division identified the undeveloped property in Budlaan. Rosell said the 19,000-square-meter lot can accommodate at least 300 urban poor families in a subdivision-type relocation site. “Anugon kaayo na ug dili nato makuha kay dili man pabayran sa NHA kung ato nga ma-avail nang kwartaha karong tuiga (It would be a great loss if we fail to avail ourselves of that fund within the year),” Rosell said. Riverbanks Rosell also sent a letter to the NHA informing the agency that the City has identified the old Lorega cemetery for the socialized housing project intended for informal settlers living along the banks of rivers, creeks and esteros. He said they wanted to expedite the construction of a condominium building after the NHA informed them that the P78 million is still available. The amount is the balance of a P100-million loan from the NHA’s Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) 3 allocated for the City in 1998. Rosell said the condominium will be constructed side by side with the three-storey housing project of Gawad Kalinga inside the two hectare City-owned cemetery. The DWUP chief said they are waiting for the reply of the NHA so that they can create a joint inspection team for the two socialized housing sites. He clarified the City needs the housing project, as the Squatters Prevention Encroachment and Elimination Division (Speed) continues its clearing of illegal structures within the three-meter easements of rivers, creeks and esteros. Speed chief Noel Artes disclosed they are scheduled to clear 32 illegal structures under the Tagunol bridge in Barangay Basak Pardo today. They will also resume their clearing operation in Mahiga Creek, particularly in Sitio Magtalisay, Barangay Mabolo, once the weather gets better. Demolitions Artes said they already dismantled more than 100 illegal structures within the three-meter easement in Mahiga since the start of their clearing operation a few months ago. New stalls for livelihood for the 32 Mahiga settlers affected by the clearing operation in Sitio San Isidro II were formally turned over yesterday. Gemma Rosacena, president of the San Isidro II Homeowners Association Inc., said she is thankful to Mayor Michael Rama for giving them an opportunity to continue to earn a living near the place where their structures were demolished. [edit]

Cebu City gives PGMA Order of Rajah Humabon Award

PIA Press Release
2010/03/01
Cebu City (1 March) -- The local government unit of Cebu City gave President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the Order of Rajah Humabon Award, the highest recognition given to an individual during the city's 73rd Charter Day celebration on February 24, 2010 at the Abellana Sports Complex.

Arroyo in her acceptance message thanked Mayor Tomas Osmena for giving her the highest honor as a gesture of his support for her as she has also been supporting Cebu City since the time of her father and her mother who lived in Cebu City during their younger days.

The President recalled the experiences of her mother, Eva Macaraeg Macapagal here in Cebu. She told the audience that her mother had her debut at Casino Espanol and her coronation as the Carnival Queen.

"Cebu is very nice, Cebuanos are hard working. My mother loved the people of Cebu and I got that from her, I also love the people of Cebu," the President said.

Arroyo said her love for Cebu has been translated into many "first." She said she was justified to hold her inauguration and took her oath of office here as well as setting up the Malacanang sa Sugbo for development to roll and continue.

"For practical reason to do governance to the south and it is easier for people to come to Cebu," she added.

Cebu City is the best example that development is possible at the countryside and not concentrated in Manila. Arroyo went on to say that Cebu is not only the "Queen City of the South" but a queen city of two super regions?tourism and IT.

"The BPO organization of the world described Cebu City as the number one BPO destination. It is an excellent example that the progress of Cebu is something we can be proud of not only in the Philippines but the world," the President proudly said.

She concluded her speech with "Congratulations Cebu for having a great city!"

Cebu-Cordova bridge not feasible — Osmeña

By MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.June 2, 2010, 5:13pm
CORDOVA, Cebu – This town’s dream of being connected directly with Cebu City through a bridge is getting more difficult to be realized as Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will not support such a project.

“You will have to close the port because no vessel can get under the bridge,” said Osmeña, adding that the height of the bridge will make it impossible for vessels to sail through.

The proposed Cebu-Cordova bridge was first revealed by Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy, who said earlier that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had asked the Philippine Reclamation Authority twice already about the status of the proposed bridge that will cut travel time between Cebu City and Cordova town and vice versa.

Currently, Cordova residents pass through Lapu-Lapu City and take the bridge that links Mactan and Mandaue City and then travel at least 30 minutes to reach Cebu City.

With the bridge, Sitoy said travel time will be reduced to just a few minutes.

The proposed bridge, with budget costs yet to be released, will take the South Road Properties in Cebu City and land in Shell Island, Cordova. The municipal government of Cordova has already planned to construct a skyway that will bring travelers from Cebu City to the Mactan International Airport without passing through Lapu-Lapu City.

But Osmeña said building the bridge will not be feasible as it will affect the flow of sea transport in the area. Instead of building the bridge, Osmeña said they can build ferry terminals and open ferry operations to and from Cordova.

“It will be very expensive to build the bridge because it will have to be very high to allow big vessels to pass through. The best way would be through a ferry boat that will sail the Cebu-Cordova-Cebu route,” Osmeña said.

Sitoy could not be reached for comment on the matter as of press time Wednesday.

Cebu City Philippines Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

From:newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom
Cebu City, Philippines 16 May 2010 The public is invited to tour the newly completed Cebu City Philippines Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first temple in the Visayas and the second in the country.

The First Presidency of the Church has announced a public open house beginning Friday, 21 May 2010, and continuing through Saturday, 5 June 2010, excluding Sundays. Tours are offered Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The temple is located on Gorordo Avenue in Lahug. Tours will begin at the meetinghouse adjacent to the temple and will consist of a 12-minute video presentation and a 30-minute walk through the temple. Free parking is available at the site.

Following the public open house, the temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, 13 June 2010. Three dedicatory sessions will be held to accommodate Church members in the area who will be served by the new temple.

The Cebu City Philippines Temple is the 133rd temple of the Church worldwide and the second in the Philippines. The Manila Philippines Temple was completed and dedicated in September of 1984. The Cebu Temple will serve over 200,000 members living in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The First Presidency of the Church first announced plans to construct the Cebu Temple on 18 April 2006. Elders Dallin H. Oaks and Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles presided at groundbreaking ceremonies on 14 November 2007. Elder Oaks was the presiding authority of the Church in the Philippines from August of 2002 through 2004.

The temple’s exterior is faced with mountain grey granite from China. Interior stone is from Italy and Greece. The spire rises 140 feet and is crowned with a gilded statue of the angel Moroni, who is significant to members of the Church for his role in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The interior features beautifully grained sapele mahogany from Africa. Several native flowers are used in patterns of fabric and the decorative art painting. The most widely featured motif is the pearl, harvested throughout the Philippines and reflective of scriptural references to pearls and their symbolic value. Two large paintings were commissioned for the temple by Philippine artist Adler Llagas. Most of the furniture was also produced locally from Philippine mahogany.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the hundreds of meetinghouses or chapels throughout the Philippines, where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow men.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally established in the Philippines in 1961, and it grew rapidly. The first mission of the Church in Cebu was established in 1974. Today there are nearly 650,000 members throughout the archipelago.

Rama lays out plans for City Hall

By Linette C. Ramos
CEBU City Hall's executive building will be renovated under mayor-elect Michael Rama's administration. The renovation is seen to complement the restoration of other historical landmarks in the downtown area.

Rama, the city vice mayor, said yesterday he wants the legislative building to connect to the executive building's ground floor, where he intends to hold office when he assumes as city mayor.

He also wants to complete the restoration of the Plaza Independencia, the Riza Memorial Public Library and the old buildings that will be part of the waterfront area during his term.

Aside from renovation projects, Rama also wants to improve the human resources department and strengthen the City Attorney's Office during his term, but he remains mum on whether he will retain City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez.

Rama asked Bernaldez yesterday to brief him on the status of some cases and the latter's plans in improving the legal office.

When asked if he would retain Bernaldez, whose position is coterminous with Mayor Tomas Osmeña's, the mayor-elect said it is not the right time to announce his decision since his term as mayor has not started yet.

"I had a very promising discussion with Attorney Bernaldez. He and I came from the Young Lawyers Association of Cebu and our idealism in terms of serving government has not changed," said Rama.

He also has not made up his mind on who will replace outgoing City Administrator Francisco Fernandez, but said he will work with assistant city administrator Juvy Morelos, who was designated officer-in-charge.

Before he left yesterday for his two-week vacation in the US, Fernandez endorsed Morelos to Rama, as his possible successor.

Fernandez's term of office is coterminous with the outgoing mayor's but he opted to resign effective May 30 and to take a vacation "to give the message that I'm not angling for any position in government, or any position for people I know."

Rama would not say yet if he will retain Morelos as the city administrator.

"I don't want to give hope but let's play it by ear and see how things transpire," Rama said when asked if he would designate Morelos as city administrator.

Rama said that during their meeting yesterday afternoon, he endorsed the concerns of the City Attorney's Office to former councilor and lawyer Manuel Legaspi, who was assigned to help improve the legal office.

The mayor-elect said he wants Legaspi to play an active role in the executive department during his mayorship, but he would not say yet what position he would ask Legaspi to fill.

As for the renovation, Rama said it does not have to start right away since the City Treasurer's Office's sections on the ground floor should also be given time to relocate.

"The executive building needs renovation but I don't know if it's too soon. I've always been dreaming for it to look like what we have here in the legislative building. It should only have one entrance and when you get in the main entrance, you should be able to go to the executive," Rama said.

City Hall's legislative and executive buildings are two separate structures that have their own entrances and exits, but a ramp was built on the second floor to connect both buildings.

The legislative building was closed in 2006 for a major renovation, which cost the City Government P120 million.

Rama said yesterday he is not worried about the cost of the repair work for the executive building since this will result in a more efficient service to the public.

The repair work will start on the ground floor to make room for his office.

He said he wants to stay on the ground floor so he can be closer to the people who want to transact business in the Office of the Mayor, especially the senior citizens who might have difficulty going all the way to the eighth floor.

The mayor's office on the eighth floor will serve as the courtesy call room and as venue for formal gatherings with dignitaries and very important guests.

Rama also intends to complete the restoration of Plaza Independencia and rebuild some of the structures that were there in the early 1900s.

He said this will contribute to the cultural heritage preservation, and add cultural value to the city's landmarks.

"We can't stop modernization but we also should not get rid of the reminders of our past, so the next generation can connect our past to where we are now... Once completed, the Plaza will create a surprise to all because it's not going to look the same," Rama added.

Cebu City gives PGMA Order of Rajah Humabon Award

PIA Press Release
2010/03/01
Cebu City (1 March) -- The local government unit of Cebu City gave President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the Order of Rajah Humabon Award, the highest recognition given to an individual during the city's 73rd Charter Day celebration on February 24, 2010 at the Abellana Sports Complex.

Arroyo in her acceptance message thanked Mayor Tomas Osmena for giving her the highest honor as a gesture of his support for her as she has also been supporting Cebu City since the time of her father and her mother who lived in Cebu City during their younger days.

The President recalled the experiences of her mother, Eva Macaraeg Macapagal here in Cebu. She told the audience that her mother had her debut at Casino Espanol and her coronation as the Carnival Queen.

"Cebu is very nice, Cebuanos are hard working. My mother loved the people of Cebu and I got that from her, I also love the people of Cebu," the President said.

Arroyo said her love for Cebu has been translated into many "first." She said she was justified to hold her inauguration and took her oath of office here as well as setting up the Malacanang sa Sugbo for development to roll and continue.

"For practical reason to do governance to the south and it is easier for people to come to Cebu," she added.

Tourism commission lays out heritage walk package for city

Wednesday, June 10, 2009
By Debra Magallon-Estero

THE Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) intends to develop a walking tour of heritage sites in the city as a tourism product that can be offered to local and foreign visitors.

“We will give the heritage walk a brand,” said tourism commissioner Tetta Baad during the 888 News Forum yesterday at the Cebu City Waterfront Hotel and Casino.

Dubbed as the Pasiyo sa Kabilin, the activity involves a walking tour to various heritage sites in the city. These include Fort San Pedro, Plaza Sugbo, the Magellan’s Cross, Colon Street, Plaza Hamabar, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino and the Cebu City Cathedral.

Pasiyo sa Kabilin will be launched on June 25.

But Jenny Franco, president of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) in Cebu, said the group welcomes this development but the CCTC should look into the sustainability of the heritage walk.

“What is being done (to make the heritage walk) a regular tour and (to ensure) that there is continuity after it is launched?,” Franco asked Baad in the same forum yesterday.

To make it sustainable, Baad said CCTC will undertake several measures to help improve and standardize the activity.

The CCTC is planning to organize sidewalk and candle vendors, as well as horse-drawn carriage (tartanilla) owners or handlers, at the heritage sites.

Rehab sidewalks

The CCTC has also asked City Hall, through Cebu City Administrator Francisco Fernandez, to rehabilitate sidewalks where tour participants will pass.

Baad said the commission has also requested City Hall to clean and cover open canals at the sites.

“We also requested for lighting in dark streets,” she added.

Meanwhile, to assure participants of their safety, Baad said tourist police will be stationed in areas included in the heritage walk. “There will be police visibility,” she added.

Baad said tour guides also went through a re-training so that they will not just give standard answers to questions asked by tourists. “They should have a deeper knowledge of history,” she said.

In the long term, Baad said the CCTC will campaign for the passage of an ordinance that will help protect and preserve heritage sites in the city.

The ordinance, said Baad, should limit building expansions and require designs to conform to the overall look of the heritage site.

“This is done all over the world. In Europe, all buildings are done tastefully. They conform to a law (that) does not allow them to disturb the heritage nature of the district,” she said. She added that later on, a red trail will be painted on the streets that are part of the walking tour.

CCTC will also rollout awareness campaigns in the community about the need to preserve the heritage areas. The commission will also involve businesses in the campaign.

After its launch, Baad said all bookings for the Pasiyo sa Kabilin will go through the CCTC as the commission is also open to accepting customized packages.

“For a start, give us a two-day notice,” she said.

The CCTC charges $30 for a standard heritage walk, inclusive of transportation, entrance fees and service fees for tour guides.

For a minimum group of 50, the CCTC offers a package that includes buffet dinner featuring Cebuano dishes and a cultural performance at the Fort San Pedro.


Cebu City is the best example that development is possible at the countryside and not concentrated in Manila. Arroyo went on to say that Cebu is not only the "Queen City of the South" but a queen city of two super regions?tourism and IT.

"The BPO organization of the world described Cebu City as the number one BPO destination. It is an excellent example that the progress of Cebu is something we can be proud of not only in the Philippines but the world," the President proudly said.

She concluded her speech with "Congratulations Cebu for having a great city!"

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