Cebu Province News June 2017

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Province of Cebu - Archived News

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
Cebu metro.jpg
Aerial View of Metro Cebu

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Tourist arrivals in Cebu increase

By Arnold Tucong (MSU Intern)

THE Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) reported a 29 percent increase in tourist arrivals in Cebu last year compared to the previous year.

Cebu accounted for the bulk of tourist arrivals recorded in Central Visayas, which stood at 4.39 million in the first 10 months of 2016, which is higher compared to the 3.97 million recorded in in 2015.

“It’s a proof that Central Visayas is still a favorite destination in the Philippines,” said Joselito Costas, Cebu provincial tourism officer.

He attributed this to the safety and security in Cebu as well as to the availability of flights in going to other destinations.

“I would like to say that Cebu is really the hub of Visayas. From Cebu, you can go to Bohol, Siquijor, Negros, Iloilo and even Manila,” he said.

Costas said the challenge now is to sustain the momentum.

“It is also a good opportunity for the region to focus more on collaboration especially in terms of crisis communication networking because of the incidents in Bohol, the threats and the two advisories issued by the US Embassy as well from the embassies of other countries,” he said.

Cebu firm transforms mining pit into an attraction

(SunStar Philippines)

An old mining pit in western Cebu has turned into a popular site for social media-worthy selfies and groufies.

Trees dot the slopes of the Biga Pit, providing a refreshing contrast to the barren, rocky slopes of two other open pits within the vast mines of Carmen Copper Corp. in Toledo City, Cebu.

Visitors are greeted by, not a huge gaping hole with excavators and dump trucks at the bottom but, a stunning vista of a man-made lake with turquoise water.

At the Biga Pit Lookout, participants to an Annual Mine Tour organized Friday, June 23, by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau didn't waste time taking their smartphones and cameras out to snap pictures.

The company officials who served as tour guides were quite considerate.

"Dili lang kaayo ni nako tas-on kay mag-selfie pa ra ba mo (I will make this brief because I know that you want to take a selfie)," Carmen Copper's environment head Christopher John Salcedo said in jest.

Biga Pit is one of three mining pits at the Toledo copper mines, currently the biggest in the country. The mines, sprawled across four villages, are situated about 50 kilometers west of Cebu City.

The other two mining pits are Carmen and Lutopan. Only Carmen Pit is active, producing an average of 42,000 dry metric tons (DMT) of copper ore daily. Operations at Lutopan Pit, which still holds ore reserves of about 180 million metric tons, have been suspended and are expected to resume in 2021.

Biga Pit has been decommissioned and currently serves as the mine tailings storage facility, with an estimated operating life of 11 years. Underneath that turquoise water are tons of tailings, or the materials left after the valuable elements are extracted from the ores.

On its website, Carmen Copper said water at the Biga lake has a pH level of 7.5 to 8, which is within the normal range for surface water and safe enough for fish like tilapia to thrive in. In general, surface water with a pH level of more than 7 is considered basic while a pH level of less than 7 is considered acidic.

Reforestation

The transformation of Biga Pit into a charming scenery from a barren pit showcases Carmen Copper's capability to undertake responsible mining, said company president and chief executive officer Enrico Nera.

Carmen Copper, a subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., was among 13 metallic mining companies that passed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) audit last year, Nera proudly said.

"Of course, we are happy with the results. But we are not laying our cards down. We have pledged to do better. Our pledge after the audit is that we become the poster boy for the mining industry," he said.

Carmen Copper has exclusive operating rights over the Toledo mines covering 1,676 hectares. The mines, which are the only metallic mines in Central Visayas, are part of Atlas' mineral property of roughly 5,000 hectares.

"Any mining or construction activity, there's a degree of environmental damage. But fortunately, there are three things going for Carmen Copper," Nera said, citing the company's use of new mining technologies, minimal losses and professionally run organization.

To become a model for responsible mining, Nera said they have been implementing a reforestation program in all mined-out areas, strictly monitoring mine effluents and metal content of the rivers, and intensified awareness of employees on environmental safety.

Of the 1,676-hectare total mined area, about 800 hectares are being used for active mining operations. About a fourth, or 200 hectares, are considered mined-out and are being reforested.

Among the reforestation areas are the Biga Pit and a portion of the idle Lutopan Pit, where tour participants took part in a tree planting activity.

Salcedo, in a presentation after the mine tour, said the company has planted 2.18 million tree seedlings in 1,334 hectares and donated over 461,000 seedlings since 2010. The company has been the recipient of the Best Mining Forest Award in the metallic category for the past six years.

The company has also been honored with the Gawad Tugas Award by the DENR for its "outstanding environmental programs."

Environment Programs

Salcedo said the company has intensified the implementation of programs required under the Mining Act.

For its Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program, Salcedo said the company has spent P2.23 billion since 2009. This program involves, among others, the rehabilitation, regeneration, revegetation and reforestation of mineralized areas.

Under its Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan until 2021, the company is expected to set aside around P73 million. As of end-2016, Salcedo said the company has deposited P48 million.

Mining companies are required by law to set aside 1.5% of its annual operating costs for community development.

The bulk of this amount, or 75%, goes to a Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) while 10% goes to the development of mining technology and 15% for a public awareness and education campaign.

Carmen Copper's social development program benefits its four host barangays, namely, Lutopan, Don Andres Soriano, Loay and Biga.

Under this program, Salcedo said the company has spent P497 million since 2009, when the five-year SDMP of the company was approved. For this year, the budget is P196 million.

Nera said the implementation of these programs show Carmen Copper's commitment to responsible mining.

"Our commitment and dedication to continuous improvement bode well for our industry which is determined to prove that sustainable development and responsible mining are compatible with preservation of the environment and social harmony," he said.

"They are being gradually realized by us in the communities that co-exist and host our operations," he added.

Cebuana Olympian to train in Switzerland

(LBG/MP/PNA)

CEBU CITY, June 28 -- Cebuana Olympian Mary Joy Tabal is leaving her training camp in Italy for an intensive high-altitude workout in Switzerland.

Tabal, who has been reinstated to the national team and will represent the Philippines in the women's marathon in the Southeast Asian Games, will train for three weeks in St. Moritz, Switzerland. She will be joined by the other elite runners of the Tuscany Training Camp in Siena, Italy.

"We will be staying there for three weeks. This will serve as the peak of my training," Tabal said on Tuesday.

She won the silver medal in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games and will be going for the gold medal in this year's edition in Kuala Lumpur.

St. Mortiz is situated at 5,000 feet above sea level and the high-altitude training, which is Tabal's first, can further boost her chances of going for the gold medal.

Experts say that for every week of training in high altitude, there is a one percent increase in the levels of hemoglobin.

"This is my first time to train in high altitude. So, I'm excited but I know it won't be easy," said Tabal.

Tabal won the silver medal in 2015 with a time of 3:04:39, a minute and 14 seconds behind gold medalist Natthaya Thanaronnawat of Thailand.

Tabal's SEAG finish was way off her personal best at that time, which was 2:48. She reset her career best in the marathon when she ran the Scottiabank Ottawa Marathon last year in 2:43:29.

Vista Residences responds to the booming Cebu market

By Rizal Raoul Reyes

CEBU, both the city and the province, is rich in history and, at the same time progressive. It has the Philippines’s oldest school, oldest church, oldest fort and the very first Catholic image ever brought to the country.

At the same time, Cebu province is known to be the fourth-largest shipbuilder in the world, the second-most populous area in the country, it is eighth among the world’s top information-technology and business-process outsourcing destinations, and it is the second-most developed province in the Philippines.

Just like any forward-looking business organization, Vista Residences Inc. (VRI)—the condominium arm of Vista Land, the country’s premier homebuilder— is responding to this with a magnificent 32-story, two-tower development right in the heart of Metro Cebu. The company is currently building arguably one of the city’s and the country’s finest vertical properties, Vista Suarez Cebu.

According to Nova Noval, Vista Residences’s head for international sales and residential Leasing, “The project is designed to create the ideal human habitat by responding to nearly every aspect of human life—business, leisure, family, the need for growth, and of course, building and nurturing dreams. In this sense, “mixed use” goes beyond the customary “business, commercial, residential scope”.

The goal of the VRI vertical villages is to create cities in microcosm—and VRI says Vista Suarez Cebu will be the model. Everything, from its location to its amenities, will be pulled together to lay out, within its 32 stories, things every resident, occupant, or guest will need to live fully, completely enjoy their stay, or build their careers.

Vista Suarez will rise right on Gorordo Avenue putting the vertical village right in the middle of the metro’s key hubs: Fuente Osmeña Circle, the Cebu Provincial Capitol and a commercial and leisure center. It is quickly accessed from Cebu’s many streets and avenues, and very easy to reach or travel from via the city’s public-transport system. Its central location puts it a stone’s throw away from the city’s government centers, office buildings, commercial and leisure areas, and the famous Carbon public market—making Vista Suarez Cebu perfect not just for residents; but for businesses, business guests and tourists, as well.

One of Cebu’s gifts is that, though at its center is the dynamic, modern-day, hubbub that is Metro Cebu, within 30 minutes one can find one’s self at the foothills of majestic tropical mountains, among alluring beaches, or leaving the world behind on one of the province’s 167 surrounding islands and islets. Living at Vista Suarez Cebu is like living a dream that comes true 365 days of the year.

Vista Suarez Cebu will offer a minimal 27 units per floor in Tower 1 and only 14 units per floor in Tower 2. This will allow for more privacy, much less crowding in the public areas and more breathing space—a huge premium in condominium living.

Designed in an L-shape, Vista Suarez will make sure every single unit share the incredible views of the city and the mountains that fringe the Visayan metropolis.

At the street level, the elegant building will house retail and commercial shops and restaurants for the residents’ and guests’ convenience and enjoyment. The next two levels will be allocated offices and business centers.

Moreover, Vista Suarez Cebu will be a hotel, a residential development and a collection of serviced residences. The sixth to 14th floor will be run as a hotel. The rooms offering both studio and one-bedroom selections will be outfitted and run with the same professionalism, expertise and customer care as are the world’s top hotels.

Meanwhile, the 15th to 28th floors make up the tower’s condotel floor or serviced residences, allowing owners to earn a good return on their investment.

At the top four floors will be residential studios, and one and two-bedroom flats. Furthermore, the 32nd floor will be specially designed for the “privileged few”, offering penthouse suites with a touch of luxury.

The fourth floor will link the two towers. It will offer relaxation courtesy of an infinity and wading pool; a kids play area; a gym equipped with top-of-the-line exercise machines; twin lounging areas bracketing an all-day dining hall; and, for even greater rejuvenation, a spa. At the tower’s roof will be a deck with a sky lounge with a series of lazing areas. Beautifully landscaped, the area will offer spa cabanas and al fresco dining spaces, where the residents and guests can hold parties or romantic dinners. Both floors will be open to the sky, where one will enjoy the view and the famous Cebu sky.

Both towers offer separate lobbies with concierge desks to welcome guests and residents. Beyond all that, three below-ground guarded parking floors, 24/7 state-of-the-art security, fire and smoke detection systems, and intelligent management and building systems convey the intense planning and designing that will go into the creation of Vista Suarez Cebu.

Finally, Vista Suarez Cebu is designed with the Cebuano in mind. It supports Cebu’s bid to become the Visayas and Mindanao’s key business hub. “This means not only is the expat and employee population on the rise, but [also] the number of schools and universities the city has to offer signifies a major growth in the student population, as well,” Noval explained.

22 Cebu municipalities get funds under aid program

By Elias O. Baquero

THE Department of Interior and Local government (DILG) yesterday said that about 22 Cebu towns received funds ranging from P10.57 million to P24.39 million from the National Government.

DILG 7 Director Rene Burdeos told SunStar Cebu that about 22 municipalities in Bohol and one in Siquijor also received funds under the Assistance to Disadvantaged Municipalities (ADM) program.

Burdeos said a total of P690.83 million was directly released to the municipalities under the General Appropriations Act of 2017.

The system was like the Bottom Up Budgeting (BUB) of former President Benigno Aquino III where projects were identified by civil society organizations (CSOs).

This was changed to ADM by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and the projects were identified by the Local Government Units (LGUs) themselves.

Burdeos said there are 198 projects covered by these funds in Region 7, which include five basic infrastructures that are really needed in the towns, such as potable water system, evacuation facilities, access roads, small water impounding, and sanitation and health facilities.

The Cebu municipalities that received the development assistance were Alcantara, Asturias, Balamban, Bantayan, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Daanbantayan, Ginatilan, Moalboal, Pinamungahan, Poro, Ronda, Sibonga, Sogod, Tabuelan, Consolacion, Minglanilla, Samboan, Santa Fe, Santander and Tabogon.

Burdeos said the ADM allocations were released to the LGUs after they obtained the Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) mark from DILG, and upon compliance with both assessment and adoption of rules on Public Financial Management (PFM) laid down by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Burdeos added that the ADM is anchored on the needs of municipalities, and serves as a measure to influence local governments toward good governance, promote transparency and eradicate corruption.

He said that if some LGUs are not part of the first batch of ADM, they will be included in the second batch, provided they will comply with the fund release requirements.

Build, build, build thrust and Cebu’s real estate

By Victor Anthony V. Silva

Real estate is poised to become the “next big thing” in the Philippines as the government undertakes a massive infrastructure program until 2022, which is foreseen to create thousands of jobs and spur economic activity.

Anthony Gerard Leuterio, owner and founder of Leuterio Realty and Brokerage, Inc., said that if the government is really serious in pursuing its plan to “build, build, build,” then prospects are bright for the property sector.

“These projects will create more jobs, and more jobs will create real estate activity. If you have a job, you will have the capacity to buy a house. When spending is high, many will buy houses of their own,” Leuterio told Cebu Daily News in an interview.

Leuterio said that even if the government’s big-ticket infrastructure projects only generate 10,000 jobs in the next six years, with 50 percent of those employed still without houses, the demand would still be significant.

He said that the real estate’s multiplier effect extends to at least 60 industries, providing growth to many sectors outside the industry.

Among the projects that many Cebuanos are excited about are the new airport terminal set to be operational by June 2018, the Cebu-Cordova bridge, the new Cebu International Port in Consolacion, as well as transport projects, including an expressway connecting Naga City in the south to Danao City in the north.

Leuterio said all these projects would increase economic activity in Cebu, which would eventually lead to a surge in the market value of properties here.

Property value

He said that based on his study, a property appreciates in value faster when it is located in a business district or a booming city.

“Economic activity increases value. The more offices, hospitals, businesses are around a project, the higher the value,” he explained.

He said four years ago, properties at the Cebu IT Park cost from P30,000 to P50,000 per square meter, but, today, prices are pegged at around P200,000 per square meter mainly because of the entry of more call centers, offices, and other establishments.

Along the busy Osmeña Boulevard (formerly Jones Avenue), the value of properties was pegged at P70,000 to P80,000 per sq. m. 10 years ago, but this has since grown to more than P150,000 per sq. m. today, owing to developments and improvements on infrastructure in the area.

Rental, tourism

Aside from the location, the demand for rental spaces will also contribute to the appreciation, Leuterio said.

What makes Cebu City a good place to develop a project is that many people from other provinces have come here to work, increasing its population and also jacking up the demand for housing.

Other factors like tourism also contribute to the increase of a property’s market value, Leuterio added, citing as examples Bohol, Dumaguete, and Bacolod as among those enjoying steady growth in real estate due to tourism.

Terminal, bridge

Terminal 2 of the MCIA is set to upgrade the gateway’s capacity to 12.5 million by next year from the current 4.5 million. The new bridge, meanwhile, is expected to cut travel time from mainland Cebu to Mactan Island via Cordova town.

“As for us in Cordova, we will be closer to the city. We don’t have to pass by Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City. The people will also have more opportunities to work in the city. In addition, it will be a gateway for us to have an increased influx of people especially in our tourist destinations. Cordova will be brought closer,” Cordova Mayor Theresa “Tetche” Sitoy-Cho said in a previous interview.

These upcoming infrastructure developments are foreseen to shape the real estate industry as players take advantage of the opportunities brought about by Cebu’s booming economy.

Needed catalyst

Franco Soberano, chief operating officer of publicly-listed homegrown developer Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI), said there is no better time for the government’s “build, build, build” program but now.

“To sustain growth in the Visayas and Mindanao, this is the needed catalyst,” he said.

Soberano added that the program would allow them to align their plans so that future developments could integrate well with the new infrastructure buildup.

He added that the initiative would bring about better connectivity of public and private efforts as well as better standards of living, and sustainability. “We look forward to this infrastructure push and sincerely hope the timelines are achieved,” said Soberano.

Teleperformance Cebu gives out bags to 1T students

(SunStar Cebu)

TELEPERFORMANCE Cebu capped off the Brigada Eskwela 2017 with a bag-giving activity at the Tiltilon Elementary School in Barangay Cot-Cot, Liloan, Cebu.

About 50 volunteer-employees and leaders from Teleperformance Cebu Insular and IT Park joined hands in distributing at least 1,000 bags to the beneficiary-students.

Jeffrey Johnson, Teleperformance Human Capital Resource Management senior vice president, and Angela Green, client services director, led the distribution of bags to the students, together with the volunteers of Teleperformance Cebu. Cebu site director Frank Pasayloon was also present.

Students as well as teachers were all smiles right after receiving their bags with school supplies.

In his message, Johnson said he was glad watching the students appreciate the gifts they received from Teleperformance. He also thanked the teachers for their devotion to their profession and for molding the children, who could be the future employees of Teleperformance.

Last May 20, the company any repainted the school’s chairs.

Teleperformance has been participating the Brigada Eskwela, a program of the Department of Education, for the past six years.

Cebu remains a KPO hub in PH

By Jeandie O. Galolo

A property management and research firm named Cebu still as the “most practical choice” for knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) firms looking for viable locations outside Manila.

“We see more Metro Manila-based KPO firms establishing operations in Cebu given the need to have a redundant site that would back up their Metro Manila operations. The influx of KPO firms has propped up office space demand within the Cebu Business Park and Cebu I.T. Park,” said a Colliers International Philippines report released on Tuesday.

High-value services

KPO are generally higher value outsourcing services that include health information management, software engineering, finance and accounting.

Over the years, Colliers said the share of KPO employees in Cebu’s outsourcing workforce has grown from 10 percent in 2008 to nearly 30 percent in 2015.

Colliers cited the ample supply of skilled college graduates where 35 percent of the 30,000 graduates yearly from Cebu colleges and universities have a degree in engineering, IT and math, or medical-related degrees.

Rapid ubanization

The high level of urbanization driven by the development of several townships and public infrastructure projects has also helped position Cebu as a top KPO destination.

To date, top KPO firms in Cebu include Accenture, which employs 5,000 workers. The company said it will hire at least 1,000 more employees that can handle SAP, Java, and analytic programming, among others.

Another successful KPO firm in Cebu is the Vietnam IT company FPT Software, which has 62 software engineers. It targets to employ about 2,000 people by 2020.

“FPT Software officials said that establishing operations in Cebu is an integral part of the company’s Asean expansion strategy,” said Colliers.

Aside from IT-related job, medical graduates like nurses and pharmacists also find job opportunities in Cebu with health information management (HIM) firms setting up operations like Medcor and United Health Group, among others.

Collier also noted that the public sector is also important in boosting Cebu’s image as a major KPO hub.

KPO perks

From 2017 to 2019, an anticipated 300,000 square meters of office spaces are expected to go online in Cebu.

As a recommendation, Colliers noted that Cebu’s academe must collaborate with local ICT councils in calibrating their academic programs to fit KPO requirement. It also encouraged the local government to grant additional incentives to KPO companies that will provide free training to college students and graduates.

DOST-7 helps companies to improve operations

(LBG/PNA)

CEBU CITY -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Region 7 has helped some 300 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) since 2002 and continues to extend technological and innovation assistance to small businesses.

Regional Director Eriberto Paradela said he considered this as DOST-7’s biggest accomplishment for the Central Visayas region.

“Helping the MSMEs improve their products and operations and increase their productivity is the biggest contribution of DOST to the development of Central Visayas,” said Paradela on Tuesday during the launching of the 2017 Regional Science and Technology Week (RSTW) at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.

Under the Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), Paradela said the DOST-7 was presently assisting a fashion accessories business in Minglanilla, Cebu and a furniture manufacturer in Bohol, to name a few.

He also boasts of the success of Sans Rival Cakes & Pastries, which has set up its first branch outside Dumaguete City in Cebu. Through the assistance of SETUP, Sans Rival is now at the Robinson's Galleria Mall.

The DOST’s SETUP focuses on fashion accessory-making, handicrafts, furniture, food processing, ICT, and health and wellness services, among many other regional industries.

Joining Paradela at the RSTW launching were DOST Undersecretaries Rowena Guevara for Research and Development and Brenda Nazareth-Manzano for Regional Operations, Technology Application and Promotion Institute Director Edgar Garcia, Cebu Chamber of Commerce president Melanie Ng, and Cebu Business Month 2017 overall chairman Charles Kenneth Co.

Undersecretaries Guevarra and Manzano told the public about the various technology programs available for MSMEs. Among them was the DOST’s rent-to-own program, in which MSMEs can avail of the machinery and equipment needed for their businesses.

The three-day RSTW is part of the nationwide celebration of the National Science and Technology Week, which is aimed at “providing an opportunity to focus regional and national attention on the contribution of science and technology to national development and to give recognition and appreciation to outstanding accomplishments and personalities in science and technology.”

Activities lined up for the event are a Technology Transfer Day, Regional Invention Contests & Exhibits, technology and innovation conference, health research & innovation conference, and an exhibit of the DOST-7’s programs, projects, and services.

This year’s most outstanding SETUP adopters in the region, who will also give testimonials of their successes, will be likewise given due recognition in a fitting awards ceremony.

Freediving champ set to conduct workshop in PH

By Azer N. Parrocha (PNA)

MANILA -- A freediving workshop featuring French freediving champion Guillaume Néry will be held in Cebu this July and August.

Néry is a French freediving champion, specializing in deep diving. He became the youngest ever freedive record holder, by diving to a depth of -87m in 2002. He became the world team champion in 2008 and the individual world champion in Greece in 2011, diving down to -117m.

He also teaches deep diving, conducts training, and has produced a number of film projects.

The Department of Tourism (DOT), which will be hosting the event, said that it will be held in Mactan and Moalboal Cebu on July 15 to 17 and August 4 to 6, respectively.

There will also be a meet and greet for fans of the French freediver in Mactan, Cebu on July 20.

According to its official page, there will be 25 slots available per workshop.

The DOT, meanwhile, expressed “excitement” for the Philippines to host the event.

DOT Undersecretary for Public Affairs Kat De Castro, who is a certified diver herself, was earlier tasked to further promote the Philippines' scuba-diving destinations, and at the same time advocate environmental conservation.

For inquiries and reservations, visit http://freedivinghq.com/ and http://www.freediving-planet.com.

British insurance firm banks on Cebu’s growing market

By Victor Anthony V. Silva

Banking on Cebu’s robust economic performance, British life insurer Pru Life UK continues to be bullish about the local market’s capacity to avail of life insurance and investment products.

Divine Furagganan, Pru Life UK senior vice president and chief agency officer, said this was apparent last year when they introduced to Cebu PRUlink elite protector 5.

“Economic growth here in Cebu brought about by the growth in services, business, and real estate gave the Cebuanos a big capacity for investing, for saving, and also for expenses,” she said during the launch of the PRUlink elite protector series on Monday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City.

Dubbed the PRUlink elite protector series, this follows last year’s launch of PRUlink elite protector 5, which was considered among the company’s best-selling products in 2016.

“But it wasn’t enough since it was only for five years to pay. This time around, we are launching longer-paying periods for the series, which are Pru Elite 7, 10, and 15,” Furagganan said.

Broader market

The company official said they are doing this to serve more people and cover a broader market, noting that the new products, which are set to be available by next month, are more affordable, most especially to the millennials, which consist majority of the company’s market.

While Pru Elite 5 was initially targeted for the upper middle class market, Furagganan said even high-earning people would prefer longer paying periods to accumulate more savings. Thus, they came up with additional variants.

Fastest growing region

The Central Visayas economy, which Cebu plays a major part in, grew by 8.8 percent in 2016, sustaining its position as among the fastest growing regions in the country.

“Therefore, we are very confident that the Pru Elite Series will be welcomed very well by Cebuanos,” said Furagganan.

Pru Elite 5, which was launched in March 2016, has a minimum premium requirement of P200,000 annually or P17,000 per month and is payable within five years.

“Not everyone can afford that. We needed to have products of longer paying period, but smaller in terms of minimum premium requirement,” Furagganan explained.

Pru Elite 7, payable within seven years, only requires P150,000 every year or P13,000 a month as premium; Pru Elite 10 has a requirement of P100,000 each year or P9,000 a month; while Pru Elite 15 only requires P75,000 annually or P6,000 each month.

Furagganan said the series also has high premium allocation, unlike previous unit-linked products introduced by the insurer many years ago.

Similar products gave only 10 percent premium allocation to a policyholder’s funds, increasing each year. But for Pru Elite 5, for example, 70 percent of a policyholder’s premium goes to their fund on the first year.

“This obviously gives more value to our clients and that is why we are confident that this will do well in the market just as the Pru Elite 5 did well in the market last year up to this year,” said Furagganan.

Optimistic

Meanwhile, the company is also optimistic about investments even at a time when economies across the world are facing various kinds of uncertainties.

Anthony Garces, Pru Life UK president and chief investments officer, said it is always a good time to invest.

“However, we always say to our agents that we have to be mindful of certain market risks,” he pointed out.

Even in the Philippines, there are some concerns that would affect the financial markets, which is also true in the United States, Europe, and the rest of Asia.

These include political uncertainties in the country, as well as Fed hikes in the US, Trump’s “tantrums,” “Brexit,” terrorist threats, and weakening growth of economies in the world, among others.

But Garces said he hopes their new series would encourage clients to invest regularly, stressing that in order to address these uncertainties in the market, it would be good to have that discipline to invest.

“It might not be a good time to come in, but after many years, when the market recovers, it would benefit your funds or investments,” he said.

Now on its 21st year in the Philippines, Pru Life UK has expanded its reach to over 80 branches nationwide with a workforce of more than 17,000 agents, and is one of the top five life insurers in the country.

9 Cebu grads in Nursing board top 10

(LBG/PNA)

CEBU CITY, June 17 -- Nine graduates from Cebu made it to the top 10 in the 2017 Nursing Licensure Examination held in various parts of the country earlier this month.

Five of the topnotchers are from the Cebu Normal University (CNU), three from Cebu Doctors University (CDU), and one from Velez College.

Heading the Cebuano top scorers is Nona Casey Baring of CNU who grabbed second place with a rating of 85.20 percent along with Piny Elleine Cesar from St. Paul University in Tuguegarao.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) website announced that 3,882 out of 11,176 passed the Nurse Licensure Examination given by the Board of Nursing in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga this June.

Baring, who is from Lapu-Lapu City and finished her secondary studies at the Cebu City National Science High School, is now taking up Medicine in one of the city’s prestigious universities.

Fellow CNU alumna Cleo Gomez came in solo third with 85 percent, while CDU’s Kathryn Marie So and Eaunice Contado placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Other Cebu graduates in the Top 10 are Christa Lou Denasin of CNU and Elyza Kimberly Villarante of Velez College in seventh place with 84.20 percent, Philip Simon of CDU at eighth with 84, CNU’s Adrian Paul Marundan at ninth with 83.80, and classmate Luke Aaron Repoponio in lone 10th place with 83.60.

MCWD to bid out dam project soon

By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District expects to bid out the construction of the Mananga dam in two to three months’ time.

MCWD chairman Joel Mari Yu said so far five companies; Aboitiz, Metro Pacific, Ayala, and two Chinese companies, have expressed their intent in a formal letter to develop a dam in the Mananga River. San Miguel Corp. also gave a verbal intent to develop the project.

The dam, which is also being eyed as a water source, will be about 70 meters to 100 meters high.

Yu said the Mananga River is the only water source available that has enough water volume to provide an additional 100,000 cubic meters of water daily to cope with Cebu's growing water needs.

Currently, MCWD produces about 200,000 cubic meters of water per day.

"Building this dam is not going to be easy. We need the cooperation of the national government, the Cebu provincial government, the local government unit, and the barangays," said Yu. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

Yu said that as initially projected, the dam project will involve three barangays.

There are houses that may also be demolished to build the dam, but he said they have no idea yet how many houses will be affected by the project.

Yu added that after the winning bidder is awarded the project, it will take at least one year for the preparatory works, six to seven years to construct the dam itself, and one year to one year and a half years to build up the water behind the dam.

"This dam has to be built kay mao ra ni ang available water source nga dako g’yud ang volume. Nagkadako ang water demand sa Cebu," Yu added.

Chinese investors plan housing project in Cebu

By Mars W. Mosqueda Jr.

Cebu City – A group of Chinese investors wants to put up a socialized housing project in the province of Cebu.

Governor Hilario Davide III told reporters Thursday the group presented its plan for the project.

Davide said the entry of the Chinese investors into Cebu is a result of President Duterte’s vigorous campaign to draw businessmen in China to the Philippines.

He said he believes the Chinese have already identified the area for the project but are keeping to themselves along with other details of the plan.

Davide earlier said the provincial government will present the Trans-axial Highway project to Chinese businessmen and investors scouting for local projects.

The project is a 280-kilometer road that connects the northern and southern tips of Cebu. Starting from Daanbantayan town in the north, it will cut across Cebu’s mountains to Santander in the south.

The Trans-axial technical working committee estimates the project to cost about P56 billion in 2007. It was first proposed by the late Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez.

The project includes a seven-kilometer-long seaport, a 550-hectare reclamation for Talisay-Minglanilla-Naga and four economic zones in Cebu’s 2nd to 5th districts.

MCWD to serve 300 folks in medical program

(SunStar Cebu)

To promote sanitation and hygiene, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), in partnership with various government and private agencies, will hold a medical outreach program this Friday, June 16.

The activity, which will start at 8 a.m. until noon, is part of the information and education campaign of MCWD on sanitation and hygiene in relation to the water district’s operation of a septage treatment plant (STP) in San Miguel, Cordova.

It is expected to serve seven barangays in Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova town.

Rebecca Husayan,who heads the operation of MCWD’s STP, said that at least 300 participants from Barangays Babag 1 and 2, Canjulao and Calawisan in Lapu-Lapu and Barangays Pilipog, San Miguel and Ibabao in Cordova.

MCWD’s partners are the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET) Cebu, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Department of Health (DOH) and the Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Babag, Lapu-Lapu, where the outreach program will be held.

PAMET will give free laboratory services like cholesterol test, complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis and blood typing, while the AFP and DOH will give free dental services.

MCWD will hold talks on proper handwashing and the importance of regular desludging of septic tanks.

Husayan hopes that this will just be a start of a series of medical outreach activities of the water district.

33 MSME reps complete course in e-commerce

By Jeandie O. Galolo

THE second batch of the e-commerce mentorship program composed of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Central Visayas will graduate on June 14 at the Grand Convention Center in Cebu City.

At least 33 MSMEs from Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental received mentorship from e-commerce practitioner Janette Toral in the program initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

For roughly two months, participants learned about website creation, product writing and photography, customer relationship management, and website payment procedures.

In addition, they also took classes in e-mail marketing, search engine optimization and social media management, as well as blogging for business.

DTI Cebu Provincial Director Maria Elena Arbon said the second staging of the e-commerce mentorship is an offshoot of the first one launched in November 2016, which produced 16 Cebu-based MSME graduates in January 2017.

This time, DTI invited entrepreneurs from neighboring provinces in Central Visayas to take part in the mentorship program.

In previous interviews, Toral said this DTI-led e-commerce mentorship will support the government’s thrust to have more entrepreneurs in the digital economy.

Toral, who helped craft the DTI’s Philippine E-commerce Roadmap 2016–2020, said that the roadmap targets to have 100,000 MSMEs in the country to go into e-commerce three years from now.

More importantly, she said that e-commerce mentorship program allows businesses to scale up and tap wider markets in the digital sphere, reaching both Filipino and foreign consumers.

Online property listing firm Lamudi recently shared in its 2017 Real Estate Market Report that there will be 46 million Filipino internet users by the end of this year, from 23 million in 2010.

The numbers, said Lamudi, are driven by the sharp increase in the use of smartphones.

Cebu LGUs, private firms extend aid to PWDs

By Jose Santino S. Bunachita, Victor Anthony V. Silva

Two years ago, the national government increased the pension of PWD workers.

LOCAL governments in Cebu have been doing their part in extending assistance to their constituents with disabilities.

Aside from job fairs, both Cebu City Hall and Mandaue City Hall are allocating cash aid to persons with disabilities (PWDs) with Cebu City allocating P1,000 cash aid on a quarterly basis.

The Cebu City Council passed an ordinance raising the cash aid to PWDs from P5,000 a year to P12,000.

The ordinance remains pending after former mayor Michael Rama questioned how a PWD can qualify for aid.

The Cebu City Federation of PWDs welcomed the proposed ordinance and called for a uniform implementation of the cash aid since a lot of PWDs find it difficult to secure employment.

Under the criteria set by the ordinance, beneficiaries should secure a medical certificate from the barangay health center, a certification from the barangay that he or she lives in.

He or she should also secure an assessment from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) certifying his or her status as a PWD.

In the province, the provincial government marks Persons with Disabilities Month every July with medical missions and a series of workshops and dialogues that promote awareness of PWD welfare and rights.

The late Provincial Board (PB) member Arleigh Sitoy, a stroke victim who chaired the PB committee on PWDs, passed an ordinance that grants a 10 percent discount on real property tax to companies that hire PWDs.

And private companies like SM hold activities that also promote PWD welfare in line with the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week in July.

Megawide, partner submit P208-B proposal for long-term devt of Mactan-Cebu airport

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

MEGAWIDE Construction Corp. and Indian partner GMR Infrastructures Ltd. have submitted a P208-billion unsolicited proposal for the long-term development of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Under the proposal, GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. will take on the improvement, operations and maintenance of the runway and other related facilities, which to date remain with the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA).

This was not included in the modernization contract the company won in December 2013.

“We have always believed in the potential of MCIA as the primary gateway to serve the Visayas and Mindanao,” GMR-Megawide Director Louie B. Ferrer said. “Passenger traffic has shown incredible growth in the last two years or three years. While this is good news for the country, especially for Cebu, we want to ensure the airport can ably cope with this continued progress.”

The proposal, submitted on June 7 to the transportation department, has three main phases, spread throughout five decades.

First is to take over the air-side facilities, and rehabilitate the existing runway and taxiways; construct an additional full-length parallel taxiway that can act as an emergency runway; and develop additional rapid-exit taxiways and runway holding positions, all of which will improve the efficiency of aircraft movements. Second is to construct a second parallel and independent runway to significantly increase airside capacity. And third is to build a third terminal in the area.

These will allow the airport to accommodate at least 50 million passengers per annum (MPPA).

The rehabilitation of existing airside facilities, together with the construction of a new runway, will help alleviate congestion that may be experienced by a single runway facility.

“Our studies show that passenger traffic in Cebu will reach about 28 MPPA in 2039. This is traffic similar to major Asian airports, such as Singapore, New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur, among others,” Ferrer said. “Part of our plan is to ensure MCIA will be able to avoid airfield congestion like the kind experienced by Naia [Ninoy Aquino International Airport], and continue efficient operations despite this increasing traffic.”

Once completed, the project will make MCIA the first airport in the Philippines with two parallel, independent runways. The project calls for a necessary expansion of airport land in order to accommodate the new facilities; hence, the group is now looking into options that will minimize the impact on surrounding communities, such as a possible reclamation in Magellan Bay.

“We took into account the number of residents that may be affected by the airport expansion. We will be adopting an approach that prevents any adverse effect on their daily lives,” Ferrer added.

Government reception on the proposal, he said, is so far positive.

“As a matter of fact,” he added, “MCIAA recently passed a resolution pushing for the implementation of a second runway. Our proposal, therefore, dovetails perfectly with the directives of this administration.”

In just over two years from assuming operations of MCIA in November 2014, the consortium has implemented a number of critical improvements at the airport. These include lessening passenger congestion, implementing an initial renovation of the existing terminal and the opening of new domestic and international routes.

The consortium is currently undertaking the construction of Terminal 2, slated for completion in June 2018, which will increase the airport’s overall passenger capacity from 4.5 MPPA to 12.5 MPPA.

An ecozone benchmark

By Victor Anthony V. Silva
Cebu Business Park

As one of the most successful economic zones on the island of Cebu, the Cebu Business Park (CBP) in uptown Cebu City is seen as a good benchmark for other cities and towns in the province eyeing to set up their own hubs for development.

Roy Soledad, head of the Cebu Investment Promotions Office (CIPO), said the growth of the CBP can be a source of lessons for local government units in the province.

“It is very good to replicate it in other areas of the province, provided that the facilitating environment could happen – road networks, communication, and access to investors (should be addressed),” he told Cebu Daily News.

It was in the late 1980s, under the term of former governor Emilio Mario “Lito” Osmeña, when the provincial government sold its 45-hectare property, then used as the Club Filipino Golf Course, to the Ayala Corp.

The development features for the park was incorporated into the 1990 zoning ordinance of Cebu City while development work on the property was completed in 1992.

Owned and developed by Cebu Holdings, Inc. (CHI), an affiliate of Ayala Land, Inc., the CBP currently hosts around 150 companies ranging from business process outsourcing to industry-related firms, as well as various local and foreign banking institutions.

According to a project brief for the development, the park integrates business, high-rise residential, shopping, and sports and recreational facilities, offering a comprehensive range of support services including a mall, sports and recreation centers, convention facilities, and other special interest and attraction establishments.

Bring in investors

Presidential Proclamation 2053, issued on May 4, 2010, officially designated the CBP as an IT Park upon the recommendation of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

With this, investors and locators in PEZA-accredited IT Parks will be entitled to certain fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to encourage the entry of investments.

“The CBP opened the doors for Cebu to bring in investors, both domestic and foreign. We hope that this can be replicated in other economic zones identified by local governments and even the provincial government,” Soledad said.

At present, the CBP is the largest operating PEZA-accredited IT park in the country.

Blueprint

Soledad said there is already a blueprint of how the developers of CBP did it, which he said can be used once local governments start master planning for their own economic zones.

He said this will be reflected in the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP), which he hopes his department and the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) can finalize by the end of June this year.

Planners of the proposed economic zones in Minglanilla in the south and Bogo City in the north can take hints from the CBP, Soledad added.

Both Minglanilla and Bogo City are planning to develop 100 hectares of land in their respective localities into economic zones.

The PPDO has identified 17 potential ecozones across the province based on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of each of the local governments hosting these sites.

Access, centerpiece

Strategically located in uptown Cebu City, the CBP can be accessed from all points through major thoroughfares. Within the park are major hotels, condominiums, and restaurants.

The park’s centerpiece, Ayala Center Cebu, is home to 500 lifestyle and leisure outlets, generating high foot traffic every week, as well as boasts high-quality infrastructure.

Latitude project

These were the advantages considered by the park’s growing number of investors, among which is the joint venture between Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI) and Borromeo Bros. Estate, Inc., which broke ground for its Latitude Corporate Center along Mindanao Avenue on Friday.

The Latitude project, which will rise on a 3,000-square meter property within the CBP, is a Grade A office building offering future-ready spaces for businesses of all sizes such as BPOs at 2,000 square meters, 151 to 320-sq. m. for enterprise and 51 to 105-sq. m. for executive.

Strategically located beside the Pag-IBIG Corporate Center, company executives earlier said the project was expected generate more foot traffic and enliven the “night life” in the area similar to the Cebu IT Park where CLI also has projects.

The 24-storey project was primed to be the tallest building within the business park.

“We also aim to be the best managed and best maintained building and for it to appreciate in value the most,” said Jose Franco Soberano, CLI chief operating officer, during the groundbreaking ceremony.

This was CLI’s first groundbreaking ceremony after it debuted on the stock exchange with a P3.8-billion initial public offering earlier this month.

Green building

Latitude will feature an eco-friendly design and will be registered with the Berde green building rating system.

Eighty percent of the building’s 83 units will be put up for leasing, while 20 percent will be for sale, many of which have been sold already.

The COO said they expect to begin construction “as soon as possible, top off the project in 18 months, and make full delivery in 30 months.

He said that this early, they have received many inquiries regarding the spaces for lease.

CLI president and chief executive officer Jose Soberano III, meanwhile, said they hope to expand the company’s sources of recurring income through projects such as Latitude.

Soberano said leasing currently stands at less than five percent in their portfolio.

Build, build, build

“Even with the things happening in the country, we are still positive, especially under the ‘build, build, build’ scheme of the current administration. Developers are looking at the Visayas and Mindanao areas,” he said.

The homegrown company, established in 2003, has seen tremendous growth in the last couple of years, clocking a compounded annual growth rate of 150 percent in net income over the last five years.

In the last three years, the company has grown on an average of 30 to 40 percent.

CLI currently has more than 20 existing and ongoing projects in Cebu City as well as in the Visayas and Mindanao, including condominiums, subdivisions, offices, and hotels.

DPWH readies P50-B Metro Cebu Expressway

By WILLIAM DEPASUPIL, TMT

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed a feasibility study for the P50-billion Metro Cebu Expressway (MCE) to be implemented in three segments to decongest major thoroughfares and implement an integrated seamless transport system.

Secretary Mark Villar on Wednesday said that aside from the MCE, the agency will also implement the Guadalupe-Lahug By-Pass Road and Mandaue City-Consolacion-Liloan Bypass Road.

“Among the big-ticket projects to be implemented include the highly anticipated 74-kilometer Metro Cebu Expressway Project, which will reduce travel from Naga City to Danao City from three hours to one hour and 25 minutes,” Villar added. Also expected to decongest traffic in Cebu City is the four-lane, 1.61 kilometer Guadalupe-Lahug By-Pass Road.

“In addition, we are now studying the feasibility of constructing the Mandaue City-Consolacion-Liloan Bypass Road, which is expected to reduce travel time from Cebu City to Liloan by 50 percent,” Villar said.

DPWH ready to implement major infra projects in Cebu

By Ferdinand G. Patinio (PNA)

MANILA, June 7 -- Several major infrastructure projects will be implemented in Cebu including the multi-billion Metro Cebu Expressway Project, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Wednesday.

According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, the construction of new roads in the province known as the "Queen City of the South" is part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate to decongest major thoroughfares and implement an integrated seamless transport system.

The PHP50-billion Metro Cebu Expressway Project aims to reduce travel from Naga City to Danao City from three hours to less than one and a half hour.

“Among the big ticket projects to be implemented include the highly anticipated 74 kilometers Metro Cebu Expressway Project, which will reduce travel from Naga City to Danao City from three hours to one hour and 25 minutes,” Villar said in a statement.

“We have already completed the feasibility study of the PHP50-billion Metro Cebu Expressway Project. It will be implemented in three segments,” he added.

The undertaking is part of the government‘s infrastructure program, #BuildBuildBuild, which aims to increase the productive capacity of the economy and create jobs through the acceleration of massive infrastructure.

Likewise, Villar revealed the planned construction of four lanes Guadalupe-Lahug By-Pass Road with a total length of 1.61 kilometers.

The multi-million project is expected to decongest traffic congestion in Cebu City.

“The project with an estimated cost of PHP500 Million will shorten travel time Barangay Guadalupe to Barangay Lahug by 50 percent from one hour to only 30 minutes,” the DPWH chief said.

He added that the feasibility study is on-going for the construction of Mandaue City-Consolacion-Liloan Bypass Road which is expected to bring down travel time from Cebu City to the Municipality of Liloan by 50 percent.

According to the International Monetary Fund, a sustained increase in public infrastructure spending to 5 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) would add a total of 5 to 6 percent to the country's GDP after 15 years.

Tourist arrivals from China surge

By Katlene O. Cacho

THE number of Chinese tourists visiting Central Visayas has nearly doubled.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 showed guests from China penciled in 244,925 arrivals in 2016 compared to the 128,358 arrivals logged in 2015, or a growth of 90.81 percent.

China ranks third among the region’s top sources of foreign tourists after Korea, which ranked first, and Japan, which landed in the second spot.

Key to the increase in Chinese traffic, according to the DOT, was Beijing’s lifting of a travel advisory for the Philippines in October of last year.

The renewed economic relationship between the Philippines and China also resulted in the increased number of direct routes between Cebu and China.

GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. expects 10 Cebu-China routes before the end of this year, from four at present.

A DOT statement said that tour operator Sun Fair International, which has offices in Xiamen and Hong Kong, had already committed an additional 10,000 Chinese tourists coming from the cities of Shanghai, Xiamen, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hong Kong, and Beijing, starting May. The additional Chinese tourists will make up a diverse group, ranging from leisure travelers, divers and adventure seekers, to rollers, businessmen, culinary travelers, shoppers, and even employees on company-paid tours, Sun Fair said in a statement.

The proposed local destinations include Manila, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Surigao, Subic and Negros Occidental.

Total tourist arrivals (both foreign and local) to Central Visayas in 2016 rose 29.17 percent to 5,959,603 from 4.6 million in 2015.

Cebu accounted for the bulk of the arrivals at 4,172,138, followed by Bohol with one million, Negros Oriental, 696,403, and Siquijor, 85,876 arrivals.

The region logged 3.6 million in local tourists, up 36.16 percent from 2.6 million in 2015. Foreign guests grew 20 percent to 2.3 million from 1.9 million in 2015.

The number of balikbayans who came home, though, declined by 24.07 percent last year.

Of the region’s top 10 tourist source markets, only Canada yielded fewer arrivals. Its arrivals dropped by 0.06 percent.

Korea remains the region’s biggest visitor-generating market, growing 14.47 percent to 842,985 arrivals last year.

Japan came second with arrivals of 369,860, up 17.38 percent. The USA ranked fourth in tourist arrivals to the region, which grew 22.28 percent to 201,222 tourists, followed by Australia, whose arrivals grew 9.18 percent to 63,627 arrivals. Rounding out the top 10 are Germany (sixth) with 46,418 arrivals, up 7.67 percent; United Kingdom with 43,243 arrivals, up by 9.45 percent; France with 42,961 arrivals, up by 28.07 percent; Taiwan with 42,261 arrivals, up by 64.11 percent; and Canada.

PB gives Capitol rights

By Justin K. Vestil

THE Cebu Provincial Board approved an ordinance authorizing the Provincial Government to loan P200 million to finance the acquisition of light and heavy equipment.

With the approval of the ordinance yesterday, the Cebu Provincial Government can formally reapply for a loan before the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

Of the 12 board members who were present during the PB’s regular session yesterday, only PB Member Raul Bacaltos voted against the approval of the ordinance.

Those who voted for the approval of the ordinance were Jose Mari Salvador, Miguel Antonio Magpale, Glenn Bercede, Thadeo Jovito Ouano, Horacio Franco III, Jude Thaddeus Sybico, Christopher Baricuatro, Jerome Christian Librando and ex-officio officers Celestino “Tining” Martinez III and Earl Tidy Oyas.

Provincial Board Members Yolanda Daan, Edsel Galeos, Victoria Toribio, Alex Binghay and Sun Shimura were absent during yesterday’s session.

The absence of five board members was timely as majority of them, including Bacaltos, initially voted against the approval of a proposed ordinance that would give authority to Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III to sign the contract between the Province of Cebu and the joint venture between ConEquip Philippines, RDAK Philippines.

Both firms were chosen by the Provincial Bids and Awards Committee as the bidder with the single calculated and responsive bid amounting to P227.4 million during the opening of bids on Nov. 25, 2016.

Days after the approval, at least 15 Capitol officials, including Davide, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and eight board members who voted to award the project and BAC officials, three suppliers and businessman Crisologo Saavedra were sued before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas by an anonymous complainant.

Help desks set up in schools in Cebu City, Cebu province

By Michelle Joy L. Padayhag
CLASSES START

As parents do their last minute rush to buy school uniforms and supplies as part of their preparations for the start of classes of public schools today (Monday), education officials are also preparing to make lives of parents and students easier by setting up help desks manned by non-advisory teachers near the entrances of these schools in Cebu City.

Bianito Dagatan, Cebu City Division superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd), said that finding the classrooms that they would be in had always been the challenge of students and parents on the first day of classes.

Dagatan said the help desks would assist and make it easier for these parents and students to locate their classrooms.

Aside from that, Dagatan also advised public school teachers and school advisers to post the names of the students on the outside wall of their classrooms.

Dagatan said that he would be expecting an increase in the estimated 170,000 students for this school year because enrollment would still be ongoing today.

On the backlog of classrooms, he said that they could not determine yet of any shortage of classrooms for students until the enrollment period ends on Friday this week.

Dagatan also cited the holding of night classes in some secondary public schools in the city as a way to address this problem.

“The (holding of) night classes in Cebu City is a solution to prevent classroom shortage,” Dagatan told Cebu Daily News.

He said that Cebu City has 58 elementary schools and 54 secondary schools.

Of the 54 secondary schools, 29 of these schools have night classes.

He also cited the repair of some classrooms as another solution to the problem, but he did not elaborate how many classrooms are being repaired.

He also said that another option being considered to address the possible classroom shortage would be to use non-academic rooms like laboratory rooms to hold regular classes.

Education officials in Cebu province, on the other hand, are expecting a half million students from kindergarten to senior high school to troop to the schools today.

Rhea Mar Angtud, Cebu provincial school division superintendent, said help desks would also be put up in all schools in the province to accommodate students, especially those who are transferees.

There are 1,136 schools in the entire Cebu province.

For the province, Angtud said that there would be no classroom shortage if ongoing constructions of some schools would be done.

As schools are expected to tighten their security, Dagatan said that they would be coordinating with the Cebu City Police Office and the local government units (LGUs) regarding this matter.

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