Cebu Province News May 2016

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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.

DAR gives 2 dump trucks to sugarcane farmers

(Sun.Star Cebu)

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently turned over two 10-wheeler dump trucks to the agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in Medellin, Cebu.

DAR Cebu Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Elvira B. Bation said the two dump trucks were provided under the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services program. DAR spent a total of P11.4 million, as each dump truck cost at 5.7 million.

San Jose Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-purpose Cooperative (SJARBMPC) and Canhabagat Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-purpose Cooperative (CARBMPC) received one dump truck each.

The dump trucks were awarded to the farmers’ organizations with the aim of improving the quality of life of its members, as this can greatly help the hauling needs of the farmers and serve as an added service of the cooperative.

The earnings will be used as business asset of the organization and for the maintenance of the trucks.

In his message, DAR 7 Director Alejandro Otacan said the two ARBOs were fortunate to be included among the qualified recipients of the farm machineries identified nationwide.

He said the dump trucks will greatly help the ARBOs farmer-members who were also identified as lead organizations for the sugar block farming.

Otacan, Bation and the beneficiary-ARBOs signed a memorandum of agreement during the turnover of dump trucks.

Sugar block farming is a system where small sugarcane farmers who formed themselves into groups, with their farms consolidated into 30-50 hectares and adopt economies of scale to make their farm operations more cost efficient and more productive and profitable.

SJARBMPC manager Cresver Ancero said the cooperative has been waiting for the truck as this will help improve the services to its members. Farmer-members can use the dump truck with lower rental fee.

Flora Argawanon, chairman of Canhabagat ARB Multi-Purpose Cooperative, thanked DAR for the awarded landholdings and for all the support services that has been extended to them, especially the newly awarded dump truck.

DTI opens Negosyo Center in south Cebu

By Victor Anthony V. Silva

MICRO, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in southern Cebu will now have access to government services after a Negosyo Center was opened in Dalaguete town yesterday.

Located in the town’s public market, the center is the first one launched in the south and is the third one to open in the province this year.

“What we want to do is make it easier for businesses to avail of government services,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Central Visayas director Asteria C. Caberte said.

DTI targets to open 10 Negosyo Centers in the province this year, with the remaining seven to be launched in Daanbantayan, Talisay City, Carcar City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Tuburan, and at the University of the Philippines Cebu in Lahug, Cebu City.

Negosyo Centers were launched in Santa Fe on Bantayan Island and San Remigio town, northern Cebu earlier this year. Last year, a center was opened in Bogo City.

A Negosyo Center aims to promote ease of doing business and facilitates access to services for MSMEs within its jurisdiction.

Among the services it offers are business registration assistance, business advisory services, business information and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation.

Personnel from the DTI and local government unit man the center. Those who can avail of the center’s services are, among others, any retail or manufacturing enterprise with an asset size of P3 million and below, said Caberte.

Three business name registration certificates, all processed within 15 minutes each, were turned over to local entrepreneurs during yesterday’s launch.

Caberte said the decision to put up a Negosyo Center in Dalaguete was driven by the identity of the town as a growth center in the south mainly due to its booming vegetable sector.

Caberte said she hoped not only businesses in Dalaguete will avail of the center’s services, but those from neighboring towns as well.

In Central Visayas, Negosyo Centers have been launched at the DTI offices in Cebu City, Tagbilaran City in Bohol, and Siquijor town in Siquijor.

Cebu marine conservations call for inclusion of thresher sharks in CITES

(PNA), LDV/EB/SSC

CEBU CITY, May 29 (PNA) -- Cebuano marine conservationists are calling on the international community to include thresher sharks in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) this September.

CITES, an international agreement between governments, aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

The Save Philippine Seas, Greenpeace, Migo sa Iho (Friend of Shark), the Cebu Provincial Government and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Bfar) 7 have agreed to support the proposal to enlist thresher sharks in CITES Appendix II.

Thresher sharks abound in the seas in northern Cebu, especially in Malapascua Island off Daanbantayan, Cebu.

The efforts of the provincial and local government and non-government organizations strengthen the proposal of including thresher sharks in Apendix II of CITES but it needs a strong support from the National Government.

Appendix II includes species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

Anna Oposa of Save Philippine Seas admitted that there are challenges in this cause, including an information and education campaign.

Andres Bojos, Bfar 7 director, said they will support the cause but research and studies are needed to further provide a regulation for the species.

“Since the province has passed an ordinance listing these sharks to be protected, we are also calling on the other provinces to support this advocacy and finally we are bringing it to the national level,” said Vince Cinces of Greenpeace Philippines.

Cinces said these sharks are not life-threatening and expressed hopes more tourists will come to dive in Malapascua in Daanbantayan.

Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro has declared Monad shoal and Gato islet as shark and ray sanctuaries last June 2015.

Brigada Eskwela starts tomorrow

By Sweety Detz Conejos (CNU Comm Intern)

ALL public elementary schools and national high schools all over Cebu Province will hold the Brigada Eskwela on Monday in preparation for the start of classes on June 13.

The implementation of the week-long activity, participated in by the students and their parents, is directed by Department of Education Cebu Provincial Schools Superintendent Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud.

Nenita G. Jaralve, Division and Brigada coordinator, said that the activity will focus on cleaning the classrooms in all schools in the province.

Jaralve clarified that the activity is not mandatory but voluntary.

The Brigada Eskwela will prevent hassles in the opening of classes for the teachers and the students as their classrooms will then be ready.

DepEd also instructed the different school heads to be ready for any disaster, as La Niña is expected this October.

DepEd has deployed people who will monitor the activities that school heads are supposed to do and see to it that these will be implemented.

Drill

School heads are also instructed to conduct an earthquake drill.

The division personnel are divided into clusters to monitor the schools.

Meanwhile, Engr. April Y. Custodio of the DepEd Physical Facilities Section said they are targeting to finish construction of the high school buildings in October.

She said that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) committed to deliver 70 percent of the number of buildings being constructed by June, while the rest will be in October.

The school buildings will have new designs and these will be called calamity resilient school buildings.

These building can also be used as evacuation centers in case of disasters, she said.

Custodio said that these buildings are equipped with drainage and comfort rooms and built to withstand typhoons and other natural hazards.

Cebu Capitol targets 1,000MT of cacao beans production by 2020

(PNA), LAP/EB/PJN

CEBU CITY, May 27 (PNA) -- The Cebu Provincial Government has a target production of 1,000 metric tons (MT) of fermented cacao beans by 2020, from the production of only 64 MT between 2010 and 2014.

This was contained in the draft Cebu Cacao Roadmap the Cebu Provincial Agriculturist’s Office and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) presented during a cacao forum Wednesday at the Cebu Grand Hotel in Cebu City.

“This might be ambitious but doable,” Cebu PDRRMO information chief Eric Lopez said.

The final copy of the road map is set for completion before the end of this month and is subject for approval by Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, who is expected to issue an executive order to form the Cebu Provincial Cacao Industry Council soon.

The local cacao council, which will be chaired by Davide, will have a budget of PHP1 million this year to assist Cebu’s cacao industry.

Loped said Davide has instructed them to draft a road map for the cacao industry in Cebu.

”We want Cebu to be known as a good quality cacao producer. We cannot be the top one producer, because we cannot beat Mindanao, given their land area,” he said.

Among the key issues the council aims to address are the low level of technical skills in cacao growing, the limited or low-value added activities, limited access to financing and inadequate supply of good quality seedlings.

Cebu has than 100 farmer associations, cooperatives and individual growers planting cacao on some 2,000 hectares of land.

Cebu is home to “criollo,” the “cacao bisaya,” a superior quality cacao which has a strong, aromatic bittersweet taste and rich texture, the Cebu Provincial Government claims.

Major cacao varieties in the Philippines also include “forastero,” a high-yield variety, and “trinitario,” a hybrid of criollo and forastero.

Cebu PB okays PHP1-M aid to LGUs implementing farmer-scientist program

(PNA), LAP/EB/EDS

CEBU CITY, May 26 (PNA) -- The Cebu Provincial Board has approved a PHP1-million financial aid for the expansion of Farmer-Scientist Training Program (FSTP) in several local government units (LGUs) in the province.

Cebu Governor Hilario P. Davide III and the mayors will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the utilization of the funds, Cebu Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena said.

He said Davide wants to train all farmers in the 51 LGUs in the province under the FSTP training program as mandated by Executive Order 710.

FSTP also targets an average yield of at least three tons per hectare using high-yielding varieties of corn.

Almost all towns and component cities of the province have joined the FSTP training.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is looking forward to bringing the program to all farming barangays of the province.

Dr. Romulo Davide, Cebu Capitol agriculture consultant, prepared the guidelines for the use of funds.

At least 50 percent will be spent for FSTP training program while 20 percent will be disbursed for farm inputs and fertilizers, seeds and others.

Another 20 percent is to be spent for crop production and market assistance and 10 percent for other needs of farmers in the farm.

4 Japanese baseball coaches to train Cebu kids

(PNA), LAP/EB/MP/EDS

CEBU CITY, May 25 (PNA) -- Four baseball coaches from Japan are in Cebu to conduct a baseball clinic for the grassroots kids.

The two-day baseball clinic started Wednesday in Balamban town in western Cebu.

The coaches are Takashi Kaneko, 58; Koichi Sato, 53; Ootake Norio, 53; and Yuji Takashashi, 53.

The four coaches who arrived in Cebu Tuesday night came from Nihon University Yagamata Senior High School Baseball Club.

The coaches, who paid a courtesy call on Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale Wednesday, also donated sports equipment for the kids.

The Nihon University Yagamata Baseball Club will be sharing out 32 different baseball items for a total of 785.

They gave 28 baseball globe, eight metal bats, 36 used balls, 114 spent ball, helmet and catchers, 18 baseball spike shoes, 24 training shoes, 11 top uniform, 23 bottom uniform, 35 under shirts, 35 socks, 24 t-shirts, 325 ballpoint pen, among others.

The Japanase batters also paid a courtesy call on Balamban Mayor Ace Stefan Binghay.

The two-day baseball clinic is being conducted at the Mayor Exasperanza Binghay Sports Oval.

The head coach of the clinic is Kaneko, who is the director of the Japan Little Senior Middle School Student Baseball Association.

He will be assisted by Sato, who worked as an NTT coach and was also an outfielder and catcher at Nihon University Yamagata High School.

Norio is a member of a quasi-baseball club and active pitcher, catcher, outfielder and infielder.

Takahashi is a former baseball team captain of Nihon University Yamagata High School.

DTI: With Negosyo Centers, business names can be registered in 15 minutes

(PR)

WITH the latest launching of two Negosyo Centers in the province of Cebu, the Department of Trade and Industry is optimistic that more entrepreneurs will take advantage of its services especially its Business Name Registration.

The newly opened centers are located in the towns of Santa Fe and San Remigio, which were inaugurated on May 19, and 20, respectively. Aside from serving entrepreneurs in the respective towns, the centers will also cater to those across Northern Cebu. Local executives from these municipalities expressed their support for the establishment of Negosyo Centers.

“One way of alleviating poverty is to create businesses. More businesses means more jobs. However, some people have the plan yet don’t know how to start a business.

That is why DTI established a Negosyo Center here (San Remigio) to educate and address business related needs and issues,” Mayor Mariano Martinez said during his welcome remarks.

DTI Central Visayas Director Asteria Caberte said that Negosyo Centers “will connect the dots”. DTI might not have all the answers, but it will find solutions to address any business-related concerns, she said. The Negosyo Center will uphold DTI’s mission of “enabling business environment and reducing cost of doing business to facilitate trade and investments”.

Highlighted during the launching was the business name registration, one of the principal front-line services of the DTI. It aims to maintain a nationwide registry of business names mainly on sole proprietorship.

“Existing and would-be entrepreneurs from the northern part of Cebu like in Bogo, San Remigio, and even in Santa Fe don’t need to visit DTI Cebu Main Office just to register or renew their businesses. They can do it through the Negosyo Center located in their municipalites,” DTI Business Development Division Chief Elias Tecson said.

He added that the Business Name Registration System (BNRS) at the centers is fully functional and more practical and the agency has been taking various measures to further improve the ease of doing business in the province.

“Once they register at the Negosyo Center, they can now get their registration in just 15 mins or less,” Tecson added.

So far, 71 business names have been registered under the Negosyo Center City of Bogo since its formal operation earlier this year. However, DTI Cebu is positive that the numbers will increase, as many entrepreneurs are expected to avail and take advantage of this service.

“I don’t need to travel long hours, pay fares and spend for food. I have more time for my business and will be able to save more. Thanks to Negosyo Center of DTI, it offers better and more practical services to businessmen,” Ester Saludar-Cajes, a 39-year-old micro entrepreneur from San Remigio said during an interview with DTI staff.

Apart from providing timely BN approvals, including those for barangay micro-business enterprises (BMBE), the Negosyo Center also helps entrepreneurs with other concerns like business advisory and counselling related to access to finance, market access, promotion, and business information and advocacy.

Continuing the efforts, DTI Cebu is planning to establish seven more Negosyo Centers this year--one in each of the towns of Dalaguete, Daanbantayan, and Tuburan, and in the cities of Carcar, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Talisay, and at the University of the Philippines - Cebu.

According to DTI Cebu Director Maria Elena Arbon, on top of the Negosyo Centers, DTI plans to build an Innovation Hub at the UP Cebu. The Innovation Hub includes a digital fabrication laboratory (FabLab) and co-working space (CWS).

She added that FabLab is set up to inspire people and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into new products and prototypes by giving them access to a range of advanced digital manufacturing technology.

CWS, on the other hand, is an open space that the public can rent for a flexible period. Amenities in this common area include office fixtures, Internet connection, refreshments and other common office services. This can cater to business professionals, freelancers, associations, artists, researchers, telecommuters, existing MSME employees, and even students.

More cars in Cebu soon

By Jeandie O. Galolo

AS THE local economy continues to grow, car sales in Cebu are expected to follow the trail.

Mazda Philippines general manager for sales and marketing David Asuncion said car ownership locally and in the entire country will reflect the growth in the province and country’s economies.

In the first quarter of this year, the economy grew by 6.9 percent, one of the fastest in Asia. Historically, Central Visayas’ growth has surpassed the national figure. Car sales, meanwhile, are projected to reach 350,000 vehicles this year, amounting to a 12.9 percent growth from sales in 2015.

“As the economy grows, car buying will always have its place, and we see this continuing. The industry projects car sales to reach 500,000 in 2020,” Asuncion told Sun.Star Cebu at the sidelines of the grand launch of the redesigned Mazda showroom in Mabolo in Cebu City last Friday.

Attractive conditions

Last year, Mazda Philippines sold 4,000 cars, representing close to 50 percent growth from last year. Overall, it accounted for a 1.5 percent market share of the domestic auto industry.

Mazda Cebu contributes 10 percent of Mazda Philippines’ sales. Asuncion said this is higher than industry data, which showed that Cebu dealers contribute seven percent of national car sales figures.

The attractive, low interest bank rates for car loans have also created a rosy picture for car manufacturers, added Asuncion. The Philippines is the third fastest-growing automotive market in Southeast Asia.

According to the Asean Automotive Federation, Philippine vehicle sales last year rose 23 percent, while that of Singapore accelerated the fastest at 66 percent, followed by Vietnam at 57 percent.

Meanwhile, top automotive markets in the region, namely Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, reported declines. These countries are already selling yearly one million, 800,000, and 600,000 car units, respectively.

“The momentum for the Philippine car industry is quite stable. If there will be disruptions, it will be because of global or regional influences,” Asuncion said.

For Mazda Philippines, the official said it will be adding another dealership, on top of the existing 17. In the Visayas, the brand has dealerships in Cebu and Iloilo.

Small Bantayan entrepreneurs now have access to DTI services

By Michelle Joy L. Padayhag 8:40 pm

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on Bantayan Island will now have access to government services with the opening last week of a Negosyo Center in the town of Santa Fe.

The center, located in the public market, is manned by two Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) staff and a counterpart from the local government unit.

It was the first Negosyo Center to open in Cebu province this year, said Dr. Elias Tecson, business development division chief of the DTI Cebu provincial office.

“Anybody who would be interested in starting or expanding their business will get government assistance from the center. There will be business coaching,” Tecson told reporters.

A Negosyo Center is aimed at promoting ease of doing business and facilitating access to services for MSMEs within its jurisdiction.

Its services include business registration assistance, business advisory services, business information and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation.

The MSMED Council coordinates and supervises the government agencies or offices that establish and manage the Negosyo Centers through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and in collaboration with LGUs.

Among the local government units (LGUs) in Cebu, Bogo City in northern Cebu was the first to respond last year to DTI’s call for partners in the establishment of Negosyo Centers.

Tecson said eight more Negosyo Centers are expected to be opened this year. Other towns and cities in Cebu that will soon open their own Negosyo Centers are San Remigio, Dalaguete, Daanbantayan, Talisay City, Carcar City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City and Tuburan.

In Central Visayas, Negosyo Centers have been launched at the DTI offices in Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Siquijor town in Siquijor and Cebu City.

In providing registration assistance, a Negosyo Center accepts and facilitates all new registration and renewal applications of MSMEs, including those for barangay micro-business enterprises. The center’s staff also coordinates with the LGUs in the processing of the business applications.

Under advisory services, a Negosyo Center helps MSMEs comply with regulatory requirements in starting a business, establish market linkages and access financial assistance and shared service facilities, among others.

The center also initiates a mentoring program for prospective and current entrepreneurs and investors.

Establishment of Negosyo Centers are based on the Go Negosyo Act that was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III in July 2014.

Vacancies for job seekers

By Katlene O. Cacho

OVER 7,000 job vacancies for both local and overseas posts are up for grabs at a job fair organized by Cebu-based online job portal MyNimo.com.

Job applicants can expect to find jobs in retail, restaurants, information technology, healthcare, construction, manufacturing and business process outsourcing at the third Happy Jobs Fair on May 29.

At present, some 77 companies and employment agencies have already registered to join the job fair. But MyNimo founder Wesley Chiongbian expects more employers to join as the event approaches.

Aside from employers, government agencies will also be present to assist applicants with their pre-employment concerns. The Happy Jobs Fair will have a designated area for National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, Philhealth and Pag-IBIG.

Career advice

The event will also have career sessions to be given out by experts from Mynimo.com, the People Management Association of the Philippines, Department of Labor and Employment and other government agencies.

“Our goal is not just to provide a venue for job hunting. We will also be there to help applicants learn about best practices when applying for jobs. As the job market gets more and more competitive, learning how to package yourself is almost as important as having the skills and experience for the job,” said Chiongbian.

As of May 18, MyNimo.com recorded 5,382 job applicants who registered online for the career event, up by 35 percent higher than the same period last year.

Most jobseekers are aged 21 to 24 and are mostly college graduates. Forty-three percent of the total job seekers are unemployed and 40 percent are experienced employees. Ninety-three percent of these job seekers are from Cebu.

Arrive prepared

About 14 percent of them wanted to work in administration or offices, followed by information technology, food/restaurant, BPO, and production or manufacturing.

Chiongbian advised jobseekers to print out at least five copies of their resumes, to dress professionally, be confident and optimistic as these translate to better rapport with the employer.

“Even if you have the skills but if you don’t package it well, you might be overlooked,” he said.

Postings growth

MyNimo statistics show that from January to April this year, job vacancies posted online in Cebu Province rose to 44 percent over the same period last year. Cebu City recorded the highest job posting, with a growth of 44 percent compared last year, followed by Mandaue City at 64. Significant job posting growth was also recorded in Minglanilla, Consolacion and Lapu-Lapu City.

Job vacancies in the skilled category grew by 76 percent, followed by sales and accounting at 43 percent, administrative positions at 42 percent and engineering at 40 percent.

In demand

As for skilled or technical skills, demand for machine operators remain high, with a growth of 125 percent over the same period last year. Electrical jobs came second at 122 percent followed by automotive (151 percent), technician (55 percent) and driver (53 percent).

The demand for teachers, meanwhile, doubled this year.

Teaching profession topped the labor challenges in Cebu, according to MyNimo’s data followed by customer services in BPO, human resource recruitment, technical support in BPO, engineering (mechanical and industrial), secretary/receptionist, food servers, finance/banking, warehouse personnel, and sales for corporate or B2B (business to business).

As for overseas employment, the demand for jobs in Saudi Arabiadropped by 75 percent while those in Kuwait dropped by 14 percent. Job postings for Macau and the United Arab Emirates also dropped. Only jobs in Qatar grew by 34 percent.

Chiongbian said the decline may be due to the drop of fuel prices in the Middle East, which resulted in the lay-off of workers in industries highly dependent on oil.

Skills

Overseas demand for skilled work, restaurant, engineering and sales also declined but job postings for hotel operations grew by 36 percent.

For overseas skilled and technical jobs, their figures showed a decline of 51 percent for postings for technicians and a 57 percent for electrical jobs. There was also a drop in job postings for construction, machine operation and automotive.

MyNimo was founded in 2006. It was recently acknowledged as one of the leading startups by Forbes Philippines. The job portal now has over 27,000 monthly visitors and more than 5,000 jobs listed every month.

DTI to open 10 more Negosyo Centers in Cebu

By Jeandie O. Galolo

THE Department of Trade and Industy (DTI) 7 is slated to open 10 more Negosyo Centers in the province of Cebu this year.

The latest to open were in the town of San Remigio, which was inaugurated yesterday, and Sta. Fe, which was inaugurated on Thursday.

The Negosyo centers will provide business registration services, business advisory, business information and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMES) in their respective areas.

“In Cebu this year, expect to have 10 more Negosyo Centers,” said DTI Cebu Business Development Chief Elias Tecson. The official said the next Negosyo Centers will be in Daanbantayan, Dalaguete, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Talisay City.

There are already three centers in Cebu located inside the DTI Cebu office in dowtown Cebu City, and one in Bogo City. DTI is the lead implementing agency of the Go Negosyo Law or Republic Act 10644 that mandates the creation of a Negosyo Center in all provinces, cities, and municipalities.

The Negosyo Centers do not provide any form of capital or financing. But the staff are expected to help MSMEs get access to financial service providers relevant to their needs.

On Thursday and Friday, local DTI officials also went to Bantayan and Medellin to launch the shared service facilities (SSF) that provided machinery and equipment to microenterprises.

On Thursday, DTI handed over two solar-powered fish dryers worth P790,000 to operator Damgo sa Kaugmaon Inc., a community of fisherfolk engaged in the production of dried marine products in Barangay Atop-Atop, Bantayan.

With the provision of the fish dryers, DTI said this will produce better quality danggit and other dried marine products, and provide low susceptability to contaminants as it is processed in a controlled environment. The facility is also expected to provide higher productivity, income, and sustainable livelihood for the fisherfolk.

Yesterday, the DTI team proceeded to Medellin to hand over 47 sewing machines to the women’s organization of Barangay Caputatan Norte, Medellin to be used for rug and garment making.

8,000 SPES slots up for grabs in Central Visayas

By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment-7 is encouraging students to take advantage of the remaining slots for the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).

SPES aims to assist poor but deserving students to find employment while pursuing their studies.

DOLE-7 Director Exequiel Sarcauga, in a statement, said any person between 15 to 25 years old who is enrolled or an out-of-school youth, intending to enroll in any secondary, tertiary, technical or vocational education institution could apply for the program.

"I am encouraging parents and students to visit the nearest Public Employment Service Offices and inquire on the SPES program," he said, adding that PESOs function as the frontline implementers of the program.

For 2016, he said, Region 7 still has more than 8,000 slots available for students who want to avail of the program. As of April 2016, the region has so far placed 6,715 SPES beneficiaries against its aim of coming up with 15,457 beneficiaries for the year.

The Bohol Field Office (BFO) recorded 972 beneficiaries against its target of4,712; while the Cebu Provincial Field Office tallied 2,148beneficiaries, a little over 50 percent of its target of 4,045. The Siquijor Field Office, meanwhile, reported around 389 students placed out of the 700 beneficiaries that it should aim to produce for the year. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

The Tri-City Field Office (TCFO), which has the biggest target at 6, 000, achieved more than 50 percent of so far with 3,206 students placed under the program.

For 2016, about P67,944,760 has been earmarked for the program's implementation in the region. The amount, Sarcauga added, will be used to shoulder the 40 percent share of the agency for students' salaries.

Sarcauga said DOLE will pay 40 percent of the applicable salary or wage of students in the form of an education voucher while 60 percent will be taken care of by program's participating employers.

2,817 triathletes from 41 countries to join Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championships 2016 in Cebu on Aug. 7

(PNA), LDV/EB/MP/EBP

CEBU CITY, May 18 (PNA) -- Some 2,817 triathletes from 41 countries will troop to Cebu for the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championships 2016 slated on Aug. 7.

Princess Galura, the project manager of Sunrise Events Inc. (SEI), said they are meeting every month to prepare for the race, including a meeting with official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7.

“We have a good coordination and cooperation with the DPWH. DPWH 7 Director Ador Canlas has said that after the repairs on Plaridel St. and Talisay they won’t start any new road constructions. The road constructions will resume only after Ironman,” Galura said.

Galura said they will also meet with the local government units, especially in cities that have new mayors.

The cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay, which are part of the route of the 90-kilometer bike course of Ironman, will all have new mayors on June 30.

Galura said Cebu Province and Lapu-Lapu City have the same administration so the support stays the same.

“Our concern right now is to know the elected-mayors and have a courtesy meeting with them before the second week of June,” she said.

“We feel that they will support us because it’s not only for us but also for the tourism and the sport,” Galura said.

Galura added the cutoff for refunds is on May 15.

There were 25 individual triathletes and two relay groups who pulled out and the slots will be given to the triathletes on the waiting list and the foreign participants.

The Ironman 70.3 Philippines will be staging its fifth year in Cebu on Aug. 7.

This will be a special edition since the race is an Asia-Pacific Championships.

The world-class triathletes from different countries will be in Cebu for the event.

This will be the first time that the Philippines will host the Asia-Pacific Championship, which was held in Auckland, New Zealand last year.

The Ironman 70.3 race covers a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90K bike and a 21K run, which is in the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Cebu and Talisay.

4-day summit on inclusive disaster preparedness for PWDs set in Cebu

(Sun.Star Cebu)

A FOUR-DAY summit on disaster preparedness for persons with disabilities will be held on May 20 to 24.

Dubbed as the “1st Cebu Summit and Learning Event on Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs),” the event will kick off with an exhibit at SM Seaside on May 20. The summit proper will start on May 21 at Golden Prince Hotel.

The summit aims to inform the public that the PWD sector should be included in the planning of any disasters.

“I want all the public to be aware of PWDs, that we really must be inclusive with the society. That we should be united and must not be left behind from any development,” said summit representative Ronnie Lim.

The event is organized by A2D Project, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and other disabled persons organizations.

“This event will be a bridge to communicate to our needs, and our campaign” Lim added.

Summit guests will include PWDs who are survivors of typhoon Yolanda, Bohol earthquake, flood in Cagayan de Oro and fire in Cebu, apart from speakers from government agencies. Judilyn Joy Defensor, CNU Intern

Activities for marine protection lined up

By Romiel Franz C. Gallego (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - 7, in line with the celebration of the Month of Ocean this May, has arranged activities aimed at protecting and conserving the diverse coastal and marine resources in Central Visayas.

During a discussion organized by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) last May 4, Mario Aragon, Conservation and Development Division of DENR-7, disclosed the autonomous reef monitoring structure (ARMS) has been deployed to Panglao, Bohol this month.

ARMS is a device designed to mimic the structural complexity of a coral reef and attracts marine life. It is created to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, abundance, and community structure of fauna that exist in protected or concealed microhabitats.

In 2014, scuba divers from DENR's Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) simultaneously installed one unit each of the autonomous reef monitoring system (ARMS) in underwater sites off Carabao Island in Cavite, Mactan Island in Cebu, and Snake Island in Palawan to culminate the Month of the Ocean celebration. ARMS has also been deployed in Cordova, Cebu.

BMB Director Theresa Mundita Lim said the device will be used initially for educational purposes only. The units will be left underwater and retrieved, after which all organisms found on or within the unit will then be extracted and analyzed by biologists.

"These will be presented to the community to give them an idea about the marine life in their vicinity which will, hopefully, encourage them to help in the conservation and protection of our marine ecosystems," she said. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

After retrieval, the ARMS will be redeployed for further study. The BMB planned to increase the number of ARMS units in specific sites to provide additional data for research purposes until the recent disclosure of deployment in Bohol.

The provincial government of Cebu through the Cebu Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force (CPAIFTF) and in collaboration with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), DENR, Philippine National Police (PNP), local government units and volunteers, continue to promote the importance of protecting the seascape.

On the other hand, the Coastal Law Enforcement Alliance Region 7 (CLEAR-7) will continue to strengthen their seaborne patrol operation especially at the Tañon Strait, the largest protected seascape in the Philippines.

The Tañon Strait Protected Seascape (TSPS) is an important migration corridor founded in 1998. The area is home to essential marine species such as dolphins, whales and butanding, among others. It is also one of the major fishing grounds providing income to residents in places surrounding the straight.

Despite the straight being a protected area, illegal fishing activities are still being recorded. During CLEAR-7's seaborne operation last year, four illegal fishing activities were found and cases were filed subsequently, one of which is now in court.

Just last week, around 1,620 kilos of dynamited fish valued at more than P243,000 were confiscated by the CPlAFTF and the police in Barangay Estaca, Compostela town late Wednesday night.

MCWD marks Earth Day with kids

(Sun.Star Cebu)

WITH the aim of teaching children the value of trees and water conservation, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) celebrated Earth Day with the children of the employees of the water district in a read-along activity.

At least 57 kids, mostly eight to 10, participated in the activity with lawyer Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, an environmentalist, as the reader.

The story was about Lilay, a brave little girl of Barrio Matubig. The residents of Barrio Matubig woke up one day and found that their water was gone. Lilay bravely rode in the back of the wind with two banana leaves as her wings to go where the water went and brought it back to Barrio Matubig.

The story tells everyone to conserve and properly use water as this is finite and will be gone someday.

MCWD Public Affairs Department Manager Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara said that the activity was part of the water district’s effort to strengthen its water level conservation advocacy.

“With the effects of the El Niño phenomenon on MCWD’s sources, we have brought our water conservation advocacy to a whole new level. Aside from changing the mindset of our water users, this year, we asked all employees to make conservation a lifestyle. In line with this, we wanted to bring the advocacy to the people closest to our hearts--our children. We want them to be at the forefront in campaigning for water conservation to the next generation,” Kara said.

The activity was done in partnership with the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Unesco Clubs composed of Cebu Institute of Technology University, Cebu Normal University, University of San Carlos and University of San Jose-Recoletos.

The participants were given seedlings of fruit-bearing trees after the read-along and they recited the I am a Super Seedling pledge.

There were also games facilitated by the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Clubs.

Heritage night features 39 attractions

By Elikha Joy Janaban

Cebu City – Local and foreign tourists joining this year’s Gabii sa Kabiliin (Heritage Night) will be brought to at least 39 attractions including museums and heritage sites in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, organizers said.

Now on its 10th year, Gabii sa Kabilin is expected to attract more than 3,000 tourists who are interested in visiting Cebu’s museums, heritage sites, ancestral houses, and tourist attractions for a night of historical journey.

This year’s Gabii sa Kabilin will be held on May 27, culminating on the National Heritage Month celebration’s International Museum’s Day.

Gabii sa Kabilin was kicked off on May 25, 2007 with only three museums–Casa Gorordo Museum, Cathedral Museum of Cebu, and Basilica del Santo Niño – and one heritage site, Fort Santiago comprising the original itinerary.

During the one-night event, participants will be treated to cultural performances, culinary treats, art fairs and special exhibits, among others. Selected participating sites also offer activities for children.

In particular, new participating sites GMR Mega wide and Golden Prince Hotel will showcase their own exhibits, while at the Paulina Constancia Museum of Naive Art (MoNA) located at West Gorordo Hotel, participants can join a scavenger hunt, listen to storytelling of myths and legend, among other special activities.

Tuburan, Minglanilla teams advance to finals in Cebu summer baseball games

(PNA), RMA/EB/MP/RSM

CEBU CITY, May 13 (PNA) -- Tuburan and Minglanilla teams advanced to the finals of the 2016 Cebu Provincial Summer Games Baseball competition, following their respective victories in the semifinal round Thursday at the Mayor Exasperanza Binghay Sports Complex in Balamban town in Cebu’s western seaboard.

Minglanilla booked a ticket to the finals after a 9-6 decision over Cluster B No.2 team Sogod, while Tuburan showed too much firepower over host team Balamban as they called off the match for a 10-0 win after four innings.

The championship match will be on Sunday and it will be hosted by Tuburan at the Cebu Technological University-Tuburan Campus grounds.

Balamban and Sogod will fight for the third place trophy at 9 a.m., while the Tuburan-Minglanilla championship is slated at 2pm.

Sogod had a good start as they scored three runs to open the first inning with a 3-0 lead behind the performance of Ed Lemuel Garbo, Jay Sugarol and Brian Jimenea.

Minglanilla scored two runs in the second but Sogod made two more runs to hold a 5-4 lead at end of the third inning.

Minglanilla then put up enough defensive stops in the last two innings allowing only a lone run for Sogod, while scoring five runs to win the match.

Meanwhile, Tuburan opened the match with six runs in the first inning, had one on the third and made three more runs at the top of the fourth inning, while holding off the offense of Balamban as their pitchers struck out 10 batters of the 12 batters.

The baseball tournament is a prelude to the multi-sportscompetition that is organized by the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission that will feature arnis, athletics, boxing, badminton, basketball, chess, futsal, karatedo, taekwondo, sepak takraw, softball, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball on May 20-22 in Balamban.

2 UAAP teams to compete vs best beach volley squads in Cebu on May 20-21

(PNA), LDV/EB/MP/PJN

CEBU CITY (PNA) -- Two University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) teams will fly in from Manila to compete against the best beach volleyball squads in Cebu in the 2nd Rider Beach Volleyball Tournament on May 20 and 21 at the Green Lagoon Park in Compostela town in northern Cebu.

The University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University will join eight squads from Cebu in this two-day competition.

“We are bringing in teams from Manila to give our local teams a chance to play against more seasoned teams. This will hopefully raise the level of competition in beach volleyball in Cebu,” said Tonyson Luther Lee of TSE Live, the producer of the Ipanema Summer Sunscream.

Aside from beach volleyball, Summer Sunscream will also host aquathlon.

The two Manila teams that will face off with Cebu’s University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R), which finished second in the Nestea Beach Volleyball Tournament held recently in Boracay, Southwestern University, University of Cebu, University of San Carlos, Cebu Doctor's University, University of Southern Philippines Foundation and two commercial teams, including defending champions White Sands of former national team player Jusabelle Brillo and Apple Saraum.

The two UAAP teams that competed in the first edition of the tournament are Adamson University and University of Santo Tomas.

Korean center donates wheelchairs

(PR)

THE Korea-Philippine Cultural and Educational Exchange Center Corporation (Kopec) Seoul chapter president Gim Gwang Su recently donated two wheelchairs to residents of Boljoon town in southern Cebu.

The recipients of the wheelchairs were Ranny Gaco, 31, of Sitio Kalumbuyan, and Joseph Joy Ruela, 24, of Barangay Poblacion.

Luisita Gaco, wife of Ranny, said that her husband’s condition was due to injuries obtained in the chest and back area in 2013. Gaco was a construction worker.

“The injuries appeared out of nowhere. We don’t know for sure why he can’t walk anymore but we believe it was because of those wounds,” the 28-year-old housewife said.

“Thank you so much, Kopec, for giving us a wheelchair and the health kits. It is a very big help to my husband,” Mrs. Gaco said.

Meanwhile, Ruela was born with cerebral palsy.

His mother, Euphenia Ruela, shared that because of the disease, her son was not able to go to school and just stays inside the house.

“We are very thankful to Kopec for the wheelchair plus the health kits and also to our beloved Mayor Merlou Derama for hearing our request. Now, Joseph can go outside the house conveniently,” she said.

“Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are also created by God. Somebody should help them,” Kopec Philippine chapter president Dr. Choi Hoon Young said.

Choi thanked Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale for introducing to him the medical situations of the two men.

Moreover, Songgok University, together with Kopec Philippines, conducted feeding programs for single parents, PWDs and fire victims last Jan. 25 and 27 in Cebu City.

A total of 200 students and single parents attended the feeding activity, which was also graced by Songgok University vice president Wang Eun Sook.

A call for unity, healing

By Katlene O. Cacho

NOW that elections are over, the Cebu business community is now calling for healing and unity to usher in a fresh start for the new leadership.

“Given the results, the people have spoken. It is time to heal and learn to work together for the betterment of our future as a people. We see the fresh mandate as an opportunity to work closely with the winning candidates for the economic progress of Cebu,” said Melanie Ng, president of Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) yesterday.

Latest unofficial tallies have shown that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is leading the presidential polls with a wide margin against the Aquino administration’s bet Mar Roxas. Duterte, the presumptive president, has already appealed for reconciliation now that the elections are over.

“I would like to address myself to my opponents. These past few days have been quite virulent for all of us – the black propaganda and false accusations. Let us begin the healing now,” said Duterte during his press conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, after casting his vote last Monday.

Heated interactions

Political analysts have considered this year’s election as one of the hottest and one of the most talked about in social media.

Social media giant Facebook noted that the Philippines has the “most engaged elections” in the Asia-Pacific region. The company disclosed that 22 million people engaged in conversations related to the Philippine elections on Facebook, generating 268 million interactions.

“Let’s now work together as a nation whoever is elected by the majority, where leaders adhering to the rule of the law...Let the healing start, for the good of the country,” said Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) past-president Phillip Tan, in a separate interview.

The business community also lauded the electoral process this year, noting the country just had “the fastest and cleanest election” by far, amid the glitches experienced and some expected election-related complaints.

“The democratic process that we underwent yesterday was highly commendable,” said Ng, adding that the fast transmission of results was due to better technology adopted.

Praise for the process

“This did not happen in previous elections,” she said. “Overall, the election process was good. I suggest that the organizers learn from the glitches that happened so that they can be avoided in 2019,” said Ng.

While it would still be a “wait and see stance” on how the incoming administration will bring the country’s economy to greater heights, CCCI vowed it would continue to advocate for better policies to improve the ease of doing business, better infrastructure to support our economic growth and better services for the sustainability of Cebu.

“There’s a lot that needs to be done and a lot that we still need to do for Cebu. It’s now time to think as one and to work as one so we can get the right things done,” Ng said.

Reports last Monday revealed that Duterte prefers “hard investments” over hot money inflows in the local bourse. He also eyes easing foreign ownership to increase investments in the country.

“I am willing to change the 60:40 equation,” he said. Duterte, however, noted he is not in favor of selling the local business entirely to foreigners.

Meanwhile, industry leaders are calling on the new government to take a proactive role in resolving longstanding challenges to Philippine productivity and competitiveness, including inadequate infrastructure and a neglected micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a statement, said the government must work on developing an efficient, productivity-enhancing infrastructure system to reduce production and logistics costs, enhance workers’ output and stimulate a second round of private sector investments in manufacturing, agribusiness, SMEs, and tourism, among others.

Optimism

Other key interventions to realize inclusive growth include stabilizing macroeconomic conditions, improving the regulatory and policy environment, optimizing social investments, and increasing agricultural productivity.

“The Philippines remains in a special spot with numerous positive forces converging in our favor. Propelling the country to greater heights requires the cooperation of all sectors of society. On the part of the business community, we welcome the clear mandate given our new leaders by our people and the credibility of the elections, and we stand ready to be an active and participative partner of government in ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth that benefits not just a select few but all Filipinos,” the group said.

Beautiful destinations

By Katlene O. Cacho

CEBU and Bohol are two of the country’s top tourism spots that will be showcased to a team from Beautiful Destinations, an award-winning creative technology agency that has built a large travel and lifestyle portfolio on Instagram and Snapchat.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced it is partnering with Beautiful Destinations to bring its five “biggest influencers” to the country to capture destination images and videos to drive the interest of its followers and inspire them to visit the Philippines.

The team will travel to Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Manila and Pangasinan from May 11 to 24.

“As the social media landscape continues to develop at a rapid pace, we have to adapt to changing times in order to stay ahead of the curve. Collaborating with Beautiful Destinations, which has already set the global standard for creating social content, is surely an effective way to make our country’s presence in the digital space more felt by travelers who are highly reliant on social media,” DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said in a statement.

Jimenez said the DOT is banking on the country’s image as a social media capital of the world, with a high percentage of the population highly active on social media, to boost the country’s marketing campaigns and attract more tourists to come to the country.

“Social media has, in fact, allowed us to be a game-changer in the tourism industry through our It’s More Fun in the Philippines campaign, whose central strategy is executed and propagated by millions of active, enthusiastic Filipinos themselves, who feel they have the power to persuade people to visit their country as tourists,” he said.

Tourism stakeholders have been calling on the government to boost the country’s promotion on tourism by using social media as one of the measures.

However, while they encourage foreign and local tourists to take photos and posts, the country’s snail-paced Internet connection remains a top challenge.

“Digital connections will help us get linked and get recognized with the rest of the world,” said Robert Lim Joseph, founder of Network of Independent Travel Agencies.

He suggested that telco giants prioritize putting in place faster Internet connections to high-traffic tourist destinations for the country to get a good following from foreign tourists.

According to the DOT, the Beautiful Destinations team will share moments throughout each day of the trip on the Beautiful Destinations Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook accounts, as well as on DOT’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The videos taken will also be stream outside the Philippine Center at 556 Fifth Avenue, New York, to give passersby a glimpse of the team’s adventure in the identified destinations.

“Advertising is evolving away from an art of interruption and towards an art of inclusion. We’re showcasing living, breathing, destinations, stories in real time and are incredibly excited about partnering with the Philippines Department of Tourism to harness the power of Instagram and Snapchat,” said Jeremy Jauncey, Beautiful Destinations founder and chief executive officer, in a statement.

“Shooting what we call social-first content prioritizes unique perspectives shot by social media experts, that captivate travelers in a much more genuine way than content typically shot for print and broadcast campaigns,” he added.

DOT will also host an InstaMeet between the Beautiful Destinations team and local travel and lifestyle influencers from the Philippines whose photos have been featured on the Beautiful Destinations Instagram page.

The meeting will provide a platform, both to the local and foreign travel influencers, to exchange insights and ideas about photography, travel, and lifestyle. Some of the local influencers invited include Cebuano furniture designer Vito Selma, Filipino backpackers, and photographers Jaypee Swing and Rod Ruales.

More than 10 million followers in over 180 countries turn to Beautiful Destinations for daily travel, food, fashion and lifestyle inspiration.

Beautiful Destinations creates “social first” content for brands through smartphone, drone and 360 video technology and uses visual analytics to optimize and enhance content. It also adopts a data-driven approach to creating brand narratives and effective marketing on social media.

Deaf culture sensitivity training held

  • Source:www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2016/05/08/deaf-culture-sensitivity-training-held-472475
  • Sunday, May 8, 2016
(Sun.Star Cebu)

SOME 50 airport stakeholders at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) participated in the first “Deaf Culture Sensitivity Training for a Barrier-Free MCIA” spearheaded by GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) last March 16.

GMCAC partnered with the Deaf Association of Lapu-Lapu City (DALLC) along with the Lapu-Lapu City Federation of People with Disabilities for the one-day training and workshop led by DALLC president Christopher Kit Amomonpon.

The training sought to provide information and awareness on deaf culture sensitivity for a better understanding of and improving the attitude toward the deaf passengers and other passengers with physical disabilities.

Amomonpon and his team discussed ways of identifying and differentiating the facts and misconceptions about deafness and deaf culture; increasing awareness and promote sensitivity to the challenges and specific needs of passengers with disabilities; and taught airport stakeholders with basic sign language and other communication means.

“Not all deaf are mute. Some are hard of hearing and thus can speak only that they refuse to because they feel intimidated.

It’s a common mistake made by many that when they know a person is deaf, they louden their voices or have the deaf sit in a wheelchair when boarding their flight,” said Amomonpon. “We may be deaf and hard of hearing but we are not disabled.”

Amomonpon suggested that the airport’s frontliners, including airline staff and customers service representatives, should have a pen and paper when dealing with a deaf passenger for easy communication. He also suggested for more visual signage across the terminal and that instruction manuals should be found at the final security check area in order for a deaf passenger to be more aware of the procedures.

He said it would also be helpful if the airport frontliners learn a few of the basic sign language to make the deaf and those hard of hearing feel more welcomed and accommodated inside the airport.

“I have gained a lot of insights during the training. It helped me better understand the needs of the deaf. Learning the basic sign language proved to be useful as it was enjoyable,” said Ricky Ichika of Cebu Pacific.

Estee Plunket, GMCAC Corporate Affairs head, said the training sought to improve the customer service capabilities of airport frontliners toward the deaf and hard of hearing passengers including passengers with physical disabilities.

“This is GMCAC’s first step to making MCIA a barrier-free airport and a more inclusive place for people with disabilities,” she said.

Among those in attendance where representatives and training officers of airlines’ check-in staff, ground handlers, terminal duty officers, customer service representatives, security, airport government agencies, and other customer-facing offices.

14 fruit and vegetable farmers in Cebu get drip irrigation system

(PNA), LDV/EB/PJN

CEBU CITY, May 7 (PNA) -- The Cebu Provincial Government has completed the installation of drip irrigation systems in the farmlands of 14 fruit and vegetable farmers in the province.

The project, which was implemented by the Cebu Provincial Agriculture Office starting in January 2016, picked one farmer per town or city as a beneficiary for the drip irrigation unit which costs Php70,000 each.

The beneficiaries of the project are the towns of Oslob, Asturias, Samboan, Dumanjug, Poro, Tabuelan, Borbon, Sibonga, Liloan, Argao, Ginatilan and Alcoy and the cities of Naga and Carcar.

Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to trickle slowly to the roots of plants through a network of valves, pipes and tubes.

“I’m grateful that the current administration is able to come up with this kind of project. There was no similar project during the previous administration. This is a big help to my farm,” said Domiciano Binigay, a tomato farmer in Barangay Tumalog, Oslob.

Binigay has been supplying the Robinsons and Gaisano malls in Cebu City with his salad tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers.

The system was installed in his 1,200-square-meter farmland in January and has given him good production with less labor.

“Drip irrigation provides numeroous benefits. I hope other Oslob farmers will also be able to experience such benefits,” Binigay said.

Oslob Municipal Agriculture Officer Proceso Bomediano said he has sent a letter of intent addressed to Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III requesting for additional drip irrigation units.

Cebu Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan K. Saragena said they are eyeing 15 new farmlands for drip irrigation for next year.

Danao City to host mountainbike event on June 10-12

(PNA), SCS/EB/MP/PJN

CEBU CITY (PNA) -- Danao City will host the Philippine National Championships Mountain Bike Asian Invitational on June 10 to 12 at the Danasan Eco Adventure Park.

The bike competition, which will have the cross-country race and downhill events, is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world’s governing body of cycling.

The race is the third edition of the Philippine National Championships but the organizers incorporated the Asian Invitational for this year.

“This is the first time for Philippine National Championships that we merge with the Asian Invitational. The reason for putting the two events together is to attract foreign participants. By doing this invitational, the foreign participants can also earn UCI points,” MTB national commissaire Athena Beltran-Mendoza said.

Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez Jr., one of the organizers and a board member of PhilCycling, said the track in Danasan Eco Adventure Park is built to accommodate all classes of MTB riders.

“The course in Danasan Eco Park is different from the one in Manlayag, Patag, which is a very hard course. The new course is made for all classes of MTB riders, as we aim to do this event annually,” said Rodriguez.

“The level of competition is much higher. So we expect the top riders in the country to be around,” said Beltran-Mendoza.

The downhill competition will also serve as the first leg of the Commencal Philippine National Downhill Series.

The second leg will be in Iligan City and the third leg will be in Ilocos.

Promoting green jobs

By Katlene O. Cacho (With Sunnex)

THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) welcomes the new law that promotes the creation of green jobs in the country, saying this will encourage an increase of green investments.

President Benigno Aquino III signed last April 29 Republic Act (RA) No. 10771 or the Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016, which applies to establishments engaged in the production, manufacturing, processing, repacking, assembly or sale of goods and/or services, including service-oriented enterprises.

Green jobs refer to employment that contributes to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment, be it in the agriculture, industry or services sector.

“We welcome this development as it will encourage an increase in green investments and establishments if more fiscal incentives may be made available,” said CCCI president Melanie Ng. “This will also mean more green jobs will be created that will benefit the environment.”

The law grants incentives to encourage business enterprises to generate and sustain green jobs, as certified by the Climate Change Commission.

According to the press statement released by the government, the Department of Finance will administer the granting of incentives such as “special deduction from the taxable income equivalent to 50 percent of the total expenses for skills training and research development expenses; and tax and duty free importation of capital equipment, provided that the capital equipment is actually, directly and exclusively used in the promotion of green jobs of the business enterprise”.

With this development, Ng said the chamber will create a sub-committee for green jobs development to raise awareness of opportunities available in this area.

Green jobs cover those that protect ecosystems and biodiversity, reduce energy, materials and water consumption through high efficiency strategies, decarbonize the economy and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.

The law describes these jobs as productive, respect the rights of workers, deliver a fair income, provide security in the workplace and social protection for families, and promote social dialogue.

It mandates the identification of needed skills, develop training programs, and train and certify workers for jobs in a range of industries that produce goods and render services for the benefit of the environment, conserve natural resources for the future generation, and ensure the sustainable development of the country and its transition into a green economy.

The law mandates the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to coordinate with other government agencies in formulating a National Green Jobs Human Resource Development Plan on the development, enhancement and utilization of the labor force, both in the private and public sectors.

The plan’s primary objective is to enable and sustain the transition into a green economy and the generation of green jobs towards more employment and equal opportunities and the promotion of social justice and workers’ welfare.

It shall include programs, projects, and activities pertaining to basic, higher and technical-vocational education and training, database that identifies and links green job opportunities with private and public entities, and information on knowledge and skill requirements of a green economy.

The DOLE, in coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority, will maintain a database of green careers, professions and skills, as well as a list of emerging business enterprises, which generate and sustain green jobs.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, who sponsored the measure in the Senate, has lauded the signing of the Philippine Green Jobs Act.

“I thank our President and our colleagues in both houses of Congress for supporting the passage of this vital legislation that addresses both employment and environmental issues of the country. “Green jobs are the future of the world of work. Eventually, green economies will be the norm. A green jobs boom could happen here in the Philippines. We might as well start the transition now,” said Angara, acting chairman of the Senate labor committee.

The lawmaker cited a study by the International Renewable Energy Agency, which showed that in some countries, especially in Asia, green jobs already account for ­significant portions of the workforce totalling to 7.7 million green jobs worldwide in 2014.

North Cebu town gets waterworks expansion project

(PNA), FFC/EB/EBP

CEBU CITY, May 4 (PNA) -- At least five barangays in the municipality of Tudela in the Camotes Islands in northern Cebu will soon have a better water distribution with the implementation of a PHP12.5 million water system expansion project.

Of the total amount, PHP7 million came from the Cebu Provincial Government as a recipient of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Performance Challenge Fund.

Tudela Vice Mayor Greman Solante said another PHP5.5 million for the project was secured through the Bottom up Budgeting process of the Department of Budget.

He said they wanted to apply the amount to the water system again so that it will reach more barangays.

At least five barangays will be covered by the project, namely: Calmante, Northern Poblacion, Southern Poblacion, General, and MacArthur up to its tourist come-on, Bukilat Cave.

Solante said the Cebu Capitol has already spent PHP3 million for the construction of spring box in 2014 at the water source in Barangay MacArthur to avoid spring contamination.

The Tudela municipal government also spent PHP600,000 for the installation of some 2.5 kilometers of pipes from the water source to the provincial road in the lower part of MacArthur.

CDA targets to double PHL coops, hike members to 25M in 5 years

(PNA), LDV/EB/EBP

CEBU CITY, May 3 (PNA) -- The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) aims to double the 25,611 cooperatives in the country and to grow the members from 14 million to 25 million in the next five years.

CDA Chairman Orlando Ravanera, who was in Cebu over the weekend, said cooperativism in the Philippines has already marked its 100 years in the industry, with 2016 as the first year of the next hundred years.

“In the next five years, the number of coops in the Philippines will double and the members will reach 25 million. This is the answer to the call of the times,” Ravanera said.

The integration of Southeast Asian nations and the present “pyramidal” structure of the Philippine economy will catalyze the growth of more cooperatives in the country, he said.

Ravanera described cooperativism as a “social equalizer” where small communities pool their resources together.

In Cebu, Ravanera said there are some 800 cooperatives.

In its CDA Vision 2020, the agency envisions to graduate 50 percent of micro-cooperatives to small category and 50 percent of small cooperatives be elevated to medium category by 2020.

The CDA has proposed a new CDA structure in which the newly created General Administrative and Support Department (GASD) will be instituted in addition to the existing Institutional Development Department (IDD) and Legal and Registration Department (LRD).

But the LRD will be strengthened by converting it into the CDA’s Registration and Regulation Department.

A Legal Affairs Office, as staff office of the board of administrators (BOA), will be created to handle the assets recovery initiatives of CDA, resolution of conflicts among cooperatives and other legal issues.

A Public Affairs Office under the BOA will handle the promotional and public relations activities the CDA.

Red Cross turns over completed shelter in Cebu’s Bantayan Island

(PNA), SCS/PR/EBP

MANILA, May 2 (PNA) -- More than 1,900 completed shelters made for typhoon "Yolanda" (Haiyan)-affected families in Bantayan Island in Cebu were formally turned over to the beneficiaries by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Sunday, May 1.

The shelter project in Bantayan Island, particularly in the municipalities of Madridejos and Bantayan, were done by the PRC in partnership with German Red Cross and was done under PRC’s Typhoon Haiyan Recovery Program. More than 500 houses are still to be built in Bantayan Island for those who lost their homes to typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.

“Bantayan Island was one of the worst-hit islands in the province of Cebu when typhoon Yolanda came. The typhoon left the island completely isolated in its wake, left several dead and thousands homeless,” said Richard Gordon, chairman of the PRC.

Typhoon Yolanda made its fourth landfall in Bantayan Island in Cebu, which left around 30 percent of the island’s residents completely without homes, while 90 percent of the houses that were left standing had the roofs torn off.

“With this housing project for the residents of Bantayan Island, the PRC and German Red Cross were able to provide not just a place to live for the families that have been affected by typhoon Yolanda, but more importantly, we were able to give them back their dignity and helped them start anew after their horrifying ordeal,” Gordon added.

For the whole province of Cebu, PRC in partnership with other national societies in the Red Cross Movement and some private donors, have already built a total of 7,772 houses as of April 22, 2016. More than 600 houses are still to be built to complete the target number of houses for identified shelter beneficiaries in the province.

As of date, a total of 73,361 houses have already been built by the Red Cross and partners in nine provinces that have been severely affected by typhoon Yolanda. The nine provinces are: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte, Palawan, Eastern Samar, and Western Samar.

Aside from shelter, PRC’s Typhoon Haiyan Recovery Program also supported 8,354 households in Cebu with livelihood assistance, rehabilitated and reconstructed five health facilities, and rehabilitated and constructed water and sanitation facilities in seven schools in the province.

During the emergency phase of the disaster, 16,293 families in Cebu received food items, while 39,726 families received non-food items from the PRC such as plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, tarpaulins, tents, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, and shelter repair kits.

Around Php5 million emergency cash relief assistance were also given to the affected individuals and families in the province of Cebu in the aftermath of the typhoon.

Cebu Landmasters develops 3,200-unit economic housing project in south Cebu

(PNA), SCS/EB-PR

CEBU CITY, May 1 (PNA) -- Homegrown Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) is developing a 3,200-unit economic housing project for the middle-class families in southern Cebu.

Christened Casa Mira South, Cebu Landmasters Inc. will develop the subdivision on a 30-hectare property situated on rolling terrain that sits between the City of Naga and the municipality of San Fernando in southern Cebu, right beside the national highway, the company said in a statement.

The project boasts of expansive views of the Cebu-Bohol strait.

The site is situated 14 kilometers from the heart of South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City along the mid- southeastern industrial corridor of Cebu where cement plants, power plants and various light industries operate.

The soon-to-be developed Ming-mori Industrial Park, located in Minglanilla, will complement the existing roster of industries in the area and provide employment for a large number of Filipinos.

“Employees of these companies need not to live away from work. This project alone can address their housing needs,” said Jose Franco B. Soberano, CLI chief operating officer.

The design is inspired by contemporary architecture using straight lines and earth hues that exude simplicity and class at affordable prices.

CLI will offer townhouses with an indicative price range of Php1.2 million to Php1.7 million, said Rose Yulo, AVP for sales and marketing of the company.

Casa Mira South is branded after Casa Mira Linao, where 728 homes were sold out within a span of three weeks after CLI introduced it to the market.

Although it is the same product offering for the same market segment, Casa Mira South offers opportunities, options and amenities on a grander scale.

“We are excited about this project, as this is the biggest horizontal development to date, not only for CLI but for the whole southern Cebu area,” Yulo said.

“This project provides a great opportunity for the employees of the different industries in the vicinity, as well as the families with roots in the south,” she said.

She said the company will soon start pre-selling the two-storey townhouses, but has yet to schedule its groundbreaking.

“We have packaged Casa Mira South for the value-driven residents who are seeking a tranquil living environment and a safe haven from the stress of city life. This project is very attractive, especially to the emerging professionals, entrepreneurs, as well as the overseas Filipino workers,” she said.

Yulo said the project will be sold in three phases, with Phase 1 pre-selling soon.

“We are already getting a lot of inquiries even if we have yet to introduce this to the market,” she said.

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