Cebu Province News September 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.

Cebu, DOT to promote tourism with 2 Singaporean schools

By Luel Galarpe with reports from USJR intern Levirose Caballero (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- The Cebu provincial government and Department of Tourism on Friday forged an exchange program agreement with two polytechnic schools in Singapore to promote tourism and hospitality capability development.

Temasek Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic schools of Singapore will send instructors for the training program with their partners from the tourism and hospitality sector here in Cebu.

Governor Hilario Davide III said that since the parties agreed for an exchange program, Cebu will also be sending delegates to Singapore to share “our best practices in tourism.”

The provincial government has yet to name the local partners for the exchange program which will start next year and will run for 36 months.

Temasek and Republic chose to team up with Cebu after seeing the enormous possibilities for tourism development in the province.

Republic school principal Yeo Li Pheow said a lot about tourism and hospitality can be learned from Cebu. He also dared local tourism stakeholders to come up with more remarkable ideas.

Tourism Undersecretary Alma Jimenez, who witnessed the signing, expressed her support and is optimistic that the program will be a success.

Aloguinsan on top 100 destinations list

By Morexette B. Erram
Bojo River preservation

For two straight years now, the municipality of Aloguinsan in southwestern Cebu has been recognized as one of the top 100 eco-tourism destinations in the world because of the town government’s efforts to preserve its Bojo River.

The selection “aims to recognize tourism destinations that have worked hard to make a difference and take sustainability seriously,” said a press release posted on the Green Destinations’ website.

Aloguinsan is the third locality in the country that made it to this year’s Global Top 100 Sustainable Destinations in the world by Green Destination, an online portal that promotes sustainable eco-tourism around the world.

The two other eco-tourism spots are Lake Sebu in South Cotabato and Lake Holon of Tboli Island that is located in the southernmost part of Mindanao.

Other winners include Cape Town in South Africa; Jeju Island in South Korea; Niagara Falls and River in Canada; and Jacksonhole and Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

This year’s list of winners was presented to the participants of the Global Green Destinations Gala Dinner held yesterday at the Museum of the Presidency of the Republic, in Cascais (Palacio da Cidadela de Cascais).

Judging was based on compliance with 15 core criteria that included the presence of a sustainability coordinator; tourism policy; nature protection; landscape and scenery; solid waste reduction; and the inhabitants involvement in tourism among others.

“This prestigious selection keeps getting harder every year but the support of individuals and groups (you know who you are) is what makes the victory sweet! Congratulations, Aloguinsan!” Cebu Provincial Tourism Officer Joselito Costas said in his Facebook post, Thursday morning.

Costas said the 1.4-kilometer-long Bojo River is known for its enchanting blue waters. It is a significant source of livelihood for residents of the fourth-class municipality located 70 kilometers southwest of Cebu City, and is vital in the town’s eco-tourism.

“Happy of course, because it has been 2 years in a row. Actually, the organizers upgraded their criteria this year and we were able to keep up with the new standards,” said Aloguinsan Tourism Officer Shane Manigos-Navarro in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

Cebu HR practitioners converge at Capitol

By Christell Fatima M. Tudtud (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — Administrative officers, assistant department heads, hospital chiefs from different local government units in Cebu attended the first ever Human Resources Convention yesterday at the Capitol Social Hall.

Bonifer Nacorda, head of the Capitol’s Human Resources Management Office, said the convention became their avenue in discussing solutions and concerns on how to effectively and efficiently handle the people within their respective organization.

“Ang purpose sa convention is to really make the people-managers of the Cebu provincial government appreciate how to understand people. Because I think that’s the core of managing people. Ato sad ni gibuhat in celebration sa Civil Service month, which is every September,” he said.

All government agencies are required to have an activity in line with the celebration of the 117th Philippine Civil Service anniversary led by the Civil Service Commission.

More than 100 participants have attended the whole day event, and Nacorda said they came from different offices, including the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center and the Cebu South Bus Terminal.

The convention was also another way of addressing workplace obstacles such as miscommunication within each organization. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

“Basically (we) equip them with new knowledge on how to understand better the people they are working with, managing or servicing with, so that ma-avoid nato ang miscommunication or mga stereotypes,” he said.

In a separate interview, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, said the HR convention had a big impact, especially that the HR department is an important office, it being responsible for hiring persons who are qualified to work and serve in the provincial government.

“Among the responsibilities nila is to screen sa mga applications and interview sa mga applicants. They recommend to the executive or the legislative, pananglitan sa kung kinsa ning mga tawhana ang angay ipang-hire. Kining mga employee benefits kung angay bang hatagan basi sa performance,” he said.

During his speech, he emphasized that the people are the most vital asset in every organization or in any government office.

Cebu wins bid to host 2019 event

(EOB)

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) successfully won the bid to host Routes Asia 2019 in Cebu.

MCIAA Director Julius Neri Jr. said Routes Asia is the biggest meeting of airports, airlines and other aviation industry stakeholders in Asia.

MCIAA officials and members of the board, together with the DOT, were on hand at World Routes 2017 in Barcelona to receive the good news.

According to its website, Routes Asia is a route development event serving the region and is a platform to discuss route development opportunities with top decision makers.

It brings together airlines, airports, tourism authorities and aviation suppliers and offers organizations the chance to meet with some of the most influential aviation stakeholders in Asia.

Oslob town banks on whale sharks to earn extra

By Elias O. Baquero

THE southern town of Oslob, Cebu last year earned P99 million from foreign tourists, who came to swim or look at the whale sharks, also known as butanding.

The amount was more than the P86 million that Oslob received as its share of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

The town welcomed an average of 370 foreigners every day last year.

“This year, an average of 412 foreigners, mostly Chinese, visited Oslob every day,” Mayor Jose Tumulak Jr. said.

The whale sharks can be seen in Barangay Tanawan, some 10 kilometers from the town proper. Tourists can make a side trip to Tumalog Falls.

Because of the income from the whale sharks, its IRA and local revenues, the town had approved a P155-million budget for 2017.

However, Tumulak said that the town was forced to recently pass a P20-million supplemental budget.

Local government units like Oslob are already discussing their annual budget for next year, which is due in mid-October.

On the other hand, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale has filed an ordinance establishing the Cebu Province Tourism code to further promote tourist destinations.

Tourists, builders and hotels

By Victor Anthony V. Silva
Property developers continue to ride Cebu’s tourism wave

As the local tourism industry continues to grow, helping fuel Cebu’s robust economy, developers are also lining up to get a share of the island’s huge tourist market.

According to a partial report released by the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7), Cebu welcomed close to 1.5 million visitors between January and April 2017, up by 4.16 percent from 1.43 million visitors during the same four-month period in 2016.

This is to say that the island province continues to enjoy the patronage of both foreign and domestic guests despite tourist arrivals in the whole region dipping by 3.02 percent in the covered period due to travel advisories and security threats that came up earlier this year.

Banking on Cebu’s robust tourism industry, several local and national developers have already begun work on projects due to be finished in the next two to five years, which are seen to further expand Cebu’s inventory of tourist facilities and infrastructure.

Cebu projects

The Ascott Limited is planning to open Citadines Cebu City in 2019 and Somerset Gorordo by 2021; Ayala is building a 214-room Seda hotel due to be completed in 2019 while Double Dragon has disclosed plans of building Jinjiang hotels in the city.

Other notable projects include Rockwell’s Aruga resort; Duros Land’s 23 Minore Park Hotel; Grand Land and Dusit International’s Dusit Princess Hotel; and Megaworld’s hotels under the Belmont brand.

Meanwhile, Colliers earlier predicted that the impact of travel advisories issued by a number of countries will have a short-term effect in the influx of tourists and that long-term growth of tourism in the area will be hinged on the swift resolution of safety issues by the government.

Hotels, benefits

DOT-7 Director Joshur Judd Lanete II said they are pleased with the growing hotel industry in the region as it creates employment for the locals as well as opportunities for forward-and-back linkages.

“To ensure the quality of accommodation facilities and services, we continue to campaign that they get accredited with the DOT. Capacity development activities are also provided to our accredited tourism enterprises,” he told Cebu Daily News.

In terms of bringing more tourists to stay in the hotels, he said the regional tourism office continues to support the marketing and promotional efforts of both the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

Occupancy rates

According to Colliers International Philippines, Cebu houses a wide range of accommodation facilities that cater to both young urban professionals on a weekend getaway and investors on short business trips.

With the increase in tourist arrivals, overall occupancy rate improved to 68 percent in 2016 from 65 percent in 2015.

Robust occupancy rates of Deluxe and First Class hotels indicate the continued influx of high-spending tourists, Colliers added.

“Cebu’s rising attractiveness as a tourist spot and growing competitiveness as an investment destination should support a 15 percent to 20 percent growth in tourist arrivals over the next 12 months,” said Gerard Padriga, general manager of Colliers International’s Cebu office, in an earlier statement.

This should sustain hotel occupancy of between 65 percent and 70 percent across Metro Cebu in 2017.

Available rooms

Based on available data from the DOT-7 obtained by CDN, there have been a total of 21,570 rooms available in the province of Cebu as of 2014. This may have increased over the last three years.

Of this figure recorded in 2014, 10,724 were in Cebu City, 4,646 were in Lapu-Lapu City, while 1,148 were in Mandaue City.

The DOT-7 will once again survey existing accommodation establishments in the region by October to update its inventory.

HRRAC’s take

Carlo Suarez, president of the Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Association of Cebu (HRRAC), said the province’s tourism industry is expected to grow even further with the opening of the new international airport terminal in June 2018.

“With this, we are expecting more direct flights from other countries and cities. It is already starting to show as there is an increase in the number of bookings coming in from our guests from China and Taiwan,” he said.

Cebu’s top markets Korea, Japan, China, Australia and Taiwan all clocked in positive growth rates during the first four months of 2017.

Suarez said that the HRRAC is also excited to collaborate with the new DOT-7 regional director and that they give him all their support for his upcoming projects.

For the whole 2016, Cebu attracted some 3.46 million domestic and foreign tourists, up by 12 percent year-on-year, making the province the most visited destination in the Philippines.

The continued surge of tourists here should provide impetus for developers to ramp up construction of hotels and resort-oriented condominium projects, Colliers said in its report.

New MCIA terminal

The new passenger terminal at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is set to increase the gateway’s capacity to 12 million passengers every year from the current 4.5 million.

Cebu serves as the jump off point to other destinations in the Visayas and Mindanao, making the expansion a necessary undertaking.

The city of Lapu-Lapu, where the hospitality sector continues to enjoy tremendous growth to the point of attracting foreign investors and local players such as Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel, is optimistic that this will greatly benefit the industry.

Int’l properties

Marita Alvarez-Arambulo, Costabella general manager, said in a previous interview that prospects of having international properties built in the city do not bother them.

“It is good for the destination. International properties building in Cebu gives us a stamp of approval, meaning Cebu is great market. What benefits them also benefits us,” Alvarez-Arambulo said.

Affordable rooms

Hembler Mendoza, Lapu-Lapu City tourism officer, said local players would not be affected once foreign players come in because there is a need for more fast-moving or affordable rooms in the city, which is being positioned as a destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events (MICE).

Higher-category rooms are not much in demand because of budget constraints among tourists, particularly those who come in large tour groups or are individual travelers, Mendoza added.

He said that the number of rooms in the city was projected to increase by 2,500 to 3,000 two to three years from now, with the city’s room inventory currently standing at 5,000 rooms per night.

Mandaue’s NRA

Mandaue City, meanwhile, is also seeing a huge expansion in its hospitality sector, with the opening of new accommodation establishments such as the Bai Hotel at the city’s North Reclamation Area (NRA).

Alfred Reyes, vice president for operations and general manager of Bai Hotel, earlier said he believes this part of Mandaue will be the next “Cebu Business District” in the next three to five years due to its strategic location.

Reyes said he was very positive because Mandaue is already very progressive and with more developments sprouting all over the city, he was certain more investments will come.

Cebu province to open alternative roads

By Luel Galarpe, USJR intern Levirose Caballero (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- The Greenway Link Project, which aims to provide alternative routes to the main arterial roads in the entire Cebu Island, was presented to the public Friday at the provincial capitol.

More importantly, the Greenway Link, a project of Governor Hilario Davide III, can be a passage to interior parts of Cebu in times of typhoons or calamities. Relief goods can be delivered to the affected areas easily through these alternate roads.

"Only a few percentage of linear kilometers is needed for new road openings in order to connect the towns to this Greenway Link Project," said Provincial Engineer Hector Jamora who made the presentation.

The routes are mostly existing local roads in the different municipalities that need to be improved in accordance to the desired concept of a complete street with well-paved carriage way, wide lanes for both pedestrians and bikers and streetlights during night time.

Another positive outcome of this project is that it will decongest traffic going to the municipalities, enhance accessibility for local tourism, and pilot a complete street that will promote the "Green Growth" program in every towns and cities initiated by the provincial government.

The project had been proposed to the provincial government after a study was conducted by the Metro Cebu Development Culminating Board.

"The important assumption of this project is that it has accessible fund sources from the national government, availability of heavy equipment for road opening, and support from the public and private sectors in the locality," Jamora said.

The start of the project and its budget will be announced by the governor.

DOT picks Cebu as model for sustainable tourism development

By Gregg M. Rubio (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is making Cebu as a model for sustainable tourism development for its implementation and collaboration program that aims to build capacity and capability of the industry in the Philippines.

The collaborative program will strengthen Cebu’s competitiveness as a sustainable tourism model in the following areas: a) Business Tourism in Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (BTMICE), and b) Expanding Business Tourism by integrating leisure products such as Cultural and Heritage Tourism and Eco-tourism.

Republic Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic have offered to conduct a program for qualified participants in Singapore and work closely with DOT and Cebu Province to achieve the learning outcomes of the training workshop.

The Cebu Provincial Board has authorized Governor Hilario Davide III to execute and sign a memorandum of understanding with DOT Secretary Wanda Teo, Republic Polytechnic Chief Executive Officer Yeo Li Pheow and Temasek Polytechnic CEO Peter Lam for the said program.

The Cebu provincial government recognizes the need to develop a strategic direction for sustainable tourism and hospitality development to make Cebu’s tourism industry globally competitive.

“In view thereof, the Cebu Provincial Government is amenable to a collaborative programme which aims to build capacity and capability of the tourism and hospitality sector in Cebu, aligned to the strategic direction of the DOT to enhance access and expand products and services, using Cebu Province as a model for sustainable development,” read the PB Resolution authored by Board Members Jerome Christian Librando and Horacio Franco III.

DOT has shared its strategic plan to enhance access and expand its products to address the demand and supply in the tourism industry.

Improvement to the infrastructure and transportation to enable access to 20 tourism clusters and 49 tourism areas were identified in the northern, central, and southern Philippines.

Strategic plans are also in place to improve the business environment (via flagship Tourism Enterprise Zones) and expand product offerings to promote Cultural, Heritage, Nature based, and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions/Events (MICE) tourism.

Cebu Province, as a connecting hub to Central Philippines, is a gateway to global opportunities and challenges.

Based on the proposed enhancement of access and expansion of products by DOT between 2015 and 2022, Cebu will experience the highest growth with tourist terminal capacity and international tourist traffic projected to increase from 4.5 million to 15 million (3 times) and 1.70 million to 8.80 million (5 times), respectively.

Singapore’s tourism experience in MICE, Cultural and Heritage, and Eco-tourism can be a source for mutual sharing on best practices and emerging trends.

All Cebu City power lines are going underground

By Victor Anthony V. Silva

Veco eyes citywide expansion of underground distribution system project

The Visayan Electric Company (Veco) is considering eventually expanding its underground distribution system (UDS) to the rest of Cebu City once it completes the project along the Sinulog Grand Parade route.

Spanning 4.75 kilometers and consisting of six phases, the distribution company has already completed phases 1A and 1B and recently began work on phase two last Sept. 15.

“Eventually, we would like to (do it citywide), especially in areas with a lot of trees since those are the ones that become hazardous during typhoons,” Veco Chief Operating Officer Anton Mari Perdices said during the “Power Lunch” with local media on Tuesday.

The underground cabling project is the power distributor’s answer to Cebu City Ordinance No. 1894, approved on April 25, 2001, which seeks to get rid of unsightly wires along city roads.

Phase 1A, a 650-meter underground cabling project from the Cebu Provincial Capitol to Fuente Osmeña Circle, cost P96 million and was completed in 2015.

Meanwhile, phase 1B, a P65.5-million underground cabling spanning 1,100 meters from Fuente Osmeña Circle to the corner of P. del Rosario Street, was completed in March this year.

Veco has earmarked more than P50 million for phase 2, which covers 600 meters from the corner of P. del Rosario Street and Osmeña Boulevard to the corner of Sikatuna Street.

This phase of the project is expected to be completed by February 2018.

Veco targets to finish the remaining four phases in four years, with one phase launched every year.

The company is also looking for ways to further reduce the costs for the project as it progresses, said Perdices.

After the Sinulog parade route, Perdices said, they could possibly work on the Banilad-Talamban corridor.

“The problem there is that the sidewalks are so narrow and the drainage is right underneath. We need to look for the best solutions,” he said.

The Veco official said he would be willing to sit down with the Cebu City government to discuss what to do next after the current UDS project would be completed in four years.

Aside from the BanTal corridor, Veco officials are also considering bringing the UDS to the South Road Properties.

Unless they are mandated to do so, Perdices said they are not keen on bringing the UDS to the rest of Veco’s franchise area which spans 675 kilometers.

“If we do one kilometer every year, that’s more than 600 years,” he said.

Veco’s franchise area includes the city of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Naga, as well as the municipalities in the greater part of Metro Cebu such as Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla and San Fernando.

Engineer John Brylle Sanchez of Veco’s power systems design department said the UDS is necessary for aesthetics, safety, more stable power and avoiding pole-related problems.

“With the UDS, we will have more stable and reliable electricity,” he said.

Aside from getting rid of tangled wires along the road, placing power lines underground will also keep them safe from typhoons or lightning strikes, thereby reducing power interruptions within Veco’s franchise area.

Asked about flooding concerns, Engineer Armil Logarta, manager of the Veco power systems design department, said they use Piranha waterproof connectors to keep their lines flood-proof.

“Even if there’s a flood, our power will still be there,” he said.

As of July this year, the power distributor has 416,000 customers within its franchise area.

Capitol to hold first human resource confab

By Christell Fatima M. Tudtud (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — To better understand the public, the Cebu provincial government will hold its first ever Human Resource Convention for elected officials and government workers.

"There is no venue for people managers of the Capitol to discuss on how to effectively harness their people management knowledge and skills,” said Bonifer Nacorda, head of the Provincial Human Resource Office.

Human resource, he said, drives organizational success.

“It’s the most vital instrument in achieving a strong and successful organization,” he said.

The convention seeks to help government officials and workers on how to handle their constituents and departments in the “most effective and efficient manner,” Nacorda said.

At least 200 participants are expected to attend the activity which will be held at the Capitol Social Hall on September 26. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

Three experts in the field of psychology will tackle about people management and mental health concerns in the workplace.

Erwin Cudis, an HR & training consultant, and Niel Steve Kintanar, both faculty members of the University of San Carlos (USC)- Department of Psychology, will discuss on how to address generational gaps and clusters in the workplace and positive psychology, respectively.

Concerns on mental health and its challenges will also be discussed by Ma. Yllen Agpasa, a psychologist of the 53rd Engineering Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Another four resource speakers, including lawyer Ariel Bacatan, acting director III of the Civil Service Commission in Central Visayas, will also present different topics.

The convention is in support to the 117th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary led by the CSC with the theme “Tugon sa Hamon ng Pagbabago: Malasakit ng Lingkod Bayani.”

DTI to launch Go Lokal! store in Cebu

By Carlo S. Lorenciana (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — Go Lokal! store will soon be in Cebu before the year ends.

Department of Trade and Industry regional director Asteria Caberte announced yesterday the agency is set to launch the retail concept store in Cebu by year end.

The first Go Lokal! store in Cebu will be located in Ayala Center Cebu.

The agreement with the Ayala mall management had been firmed up a month ago, Caberte said in an interview yesterday at a forum in Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

She said the number of exhibitors of the Go Lokal! is still to be "identified and curated."

Go Lokal! is a retail concept store showcasing quality and innovative Philippine products crafted, designed, and produced by the country's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

It serves as a marketing platform for MSMEs to gain access to the lucrative local consumer market, and ultimately, to the global export market.

It is a public-private collaboration between DTI and local retailer partners that aims to showcase modern and indigenous quality products.

The Go Lokal! program has been designed to serve as incubation, marketing, and branding platform for the best of Philippine MSMEs products including next generation One Town One Product (OTOP) offerings.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez had said the retail concept is truly a vibrant model for MSME development and inclusive business.

The program is also seen to benefit MSMEs because it’s a mainstream platform that brings them closer to a more diverse market and creates positive effects to the economy by encouraging entrepreneurship.

It also creates opportunities for MSMEs to grow, succeed and make impact in the retail industry.

By offering only products of quality, unique design and compelling narratives, Go Lokal! aims to inspire entrepreneurs to level up and meet global standards.

It is likewise a vehicle to discover emerging suppliers and new products with high market potential.

It is also an opportunity for the country’s micro and small enterprises to go mainstream and test the marketability of their products without incurring the high costs of operating a retail outlet.

MCWD to get more water supply soon

By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — The Metropolitan Cebu Water District is expecting an additional 20,000 cubic meters of water supply daily to address the supply and demand gap within its service area.

MCWD spokesperson Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara said the additional water supply will come from their three bulk supply projects which are expected to be completed before the year ends and early next year.

Kara said the Mambaling Bulk Supply Project will give an additional 5,000 cubic meters every day. It is scheduled to start production before the year ends. She said that consumers from the central part of Cebu City who are experiencing low pressure to no water during peak demand hours will benefit the project.

The two other supply projects which were already bid out are the Lawaan Bulk Supply and Mactan Bulk Supply. Lawaan has a production capacity of 10,000 cu. m. per day while Mactan has 5,000 cu. m. capacity per day.

"With these three new sources, the water district plans to lay new pipes to bring water to areas with inadequate supply or set up new booster stations or improve some of its booster pumps to meet the increasing demand for water in different areas in Metro Cebu," Kara said in a statement.

MCWD acting general manager Noel Dalena said the three new projects are in addition to the Danao Bulk Supply Project, which is already in the construction phase and will bring in an additional 10,000 cu. m. per day in 2019. The volume will increase to 20,000 cu. m. per day after two years as per MCWD’s 20-year contract with Danao City.

"Apart from the ongoing projects, MCWD continues to search for more new sources and will bid these out soon to address the gap between the supply and demand,” Dalena added.

Currently, MCWD is serving only 50 percent of the demand in its service area. Other water users have their own groundwater wells or are being served by private water suppliers.

As of this week, MCWD’s daily production is at 227,000 cu. m. per day with its surface water sources in Jaclupan, Talisay City and Buhisan Dam in Cebu City, giving a normal to above normal production amid the heavy downpours in Metro Cebu in the pastdays.The two sources have a combined production of about 40,000 cu. m. per day.

With the infusion of additional volume, MCWD’s challenge is to manage the distribution to satisfy customers and to maintain or bring down losses or Non-Revenue Water (NRW). MCWD targets to bring down its NRW to 15 percent by 2020.

The Lawaan Bulk Supply project will increase the volume in Metro Cebu-south and the distribution plan will include bringing the existing supply to as far as parts of north Cebu that are experiencing low pressure to no water during peak hours.

The Mactan Bulk Supply project, which will use desalination technology, will increase MCWD’s capacity to supply to existing and new customers in Mactan Island.

Centenarian gets P50,000 from Capitol on 102nd birthday

By Lorraine Mitzi Ambrad (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines — The Office of the Cebu Vice Governor gave P50,000 as gift to a resident of Talisay City who celebrated her 102nd birthday yesterday.

Vice Governor Agnes Magpale herself gave the check to Andrica Padigos of Sitio Iba, Barangay Lagtang.

Padigos had seven children but only four are still living. Her eldest surviving child, Esterlita, is 57 years old. Although she was not able to attend school, Padigos could read and has been an active member of a novenario community.

"Ang Ginoo ra gyud ang naghatag sa atong kinabuhi," she said when asked about the secret to her long life.

Padigos' mother, Juliana Abatayo, also died at 97.

"Ayaw lang palit og tabletas," she advised those who wish to live to a hundred. She encouraged people to resort to natural remedies.

Padigos shared that she was sick with fever last week but got better by drinking the concoction of 'mangagaw' and 'bila-bila' plants.

She also urged people to eat vegetables and root crops like camote and kamoteng kahoy. She also advised the drinking of sikwate in the morning.

Consorcia, 46, the youngest daughter of the awardee said that it was representatives of the Talisay City Hall's Office for Senior Citizen Affairs and of the Department of Social Welfare and Development who informed the office of the vice governor about their mother being a centenarian.

To celebrate her birthday, the family held a small party in their home together with their relatives.

Meanwhile, Magpale said that the funding for Padigos' gift was taken from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office program which provides for incentives to centenarians.

Under Republic Act 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016, all Filipinos who have reached the age of 100, whether residing in the country or abroad, shall receive a cash award from the government as a “centenarian gift.”

The fund will be taken from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In the Provincial Board Resolution 1081-2017, cash incentives will be given to centenarians “in recognition of their 100 years of existence and in support for their basic and medical needs in accordance to RA 10868.”

Cebuanos win in Asean biz awards

By Katlene O. Cacho

CEBU-BASED Nature’s Legacy Eximport Inc., and Golden ABC were big winners during yesterday’s Asean Business Awards 2017.

Pete Delantar emerged as the winner for the Asean Business Awards 2017 under the category on Priority Integration Sector Excellence Award (wood-based) while Bernie Liu, chairman and CEO of Golden ABC, Inc. was awarded for Priority Integration Sector Excellence Award for Retail.

These two business personalities were among the 47 Asean Business awardees recognized yesterday at Solaire Resort and Casino Manila, Entertainment City.

More than 900 guests with 400 delegates from Asean witnessed the recognition of outstanding Asean enterprises contributing in the growth and prosperity of the Asean economy. The Asean Business Award serves as a platform to spread information on the Asean Economic Community. It puts in the spotlight small and medium enterprises that have the potential of becoming global economic players in their respective industries.

Delantar said the were invited to be an entry for the Philippines in the innovation and priority integration sector categories.

They presented their products Nucast, a patented material made of recycled paper products, and Naturescast, an award-winning patented material made out of agro forest debris, which won the 2015 Gold Invention Award at the 43rd International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We were competing with the big boys in Asean. We believe it was our business model coupled with sustainability and community (involvement), that made us stand out,” said Delantar, who is one of the directors of the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines, adding that they don’t exploit natural resources.

Nature’s Legacy is a global manufacturer of home furnishings and garden accessories and maker of sustainable and innovative materials based in Compostela, Cebu.

Golden ABC, on the other hand, is the company behind retail brands Penshoppe, Oxygen, Regatta, For Me, Memo, Tyler and direct-selling outfit Red Logo. Four out these seven brands already have presence abroad.

The company embarked on an aggressive expansion in Asean last year to capture the over 600 million consumers of the region.

In past interviews, Liu said the company isn’t so keen on opening new territories outside Asia, as Asia presents wider opportunities for their fashion brands to grow.

“The newest now is Asia. There is so much potential (to grow here),” he said, adding that he won’t rush opening stores in the US and Europe, although his company has been receiving several invitations for store expansions in these markets.

“Once we penetrate, we intend to expand more aggressively in these existing countries which have very huge market opportunities,” he said. “We want to optimize first our presence in these (Asean) territories before we even spread.”

F&B sector helps fuel retail space demand in Cebu

By Victor Anthony V. Silva

The entry of internationally-recognized brands and the aggressive expansion of homegrown restaurant chains in Cebu are seen to continue driving the absorption of retail space demand in the country’s second largest urban hub.

This, coupled with the Filipinos’ love affair with dining, is poised to sustain the food and beverage (F&B) segment’s place in local real estate’s retail sector.

“We see foreign brands entering the Philippine market, a lot of which are specializing in a single product. There are also some local brands that are thriving and are competing well against their foreign counterparts,” Joey Bondoc, research manager at Colliers International Philippines, said in an interview with Cebu Daily News.

Mall’s leasable spaces’ share

The property management and research firm observed that the F&B segment accounts for 30 to 50 percent of the total retail space in the country.

For instance, if a mall has 40,000 square meters (sq.m.) of leasable space, around 15,000 to 20,000 sq.m. is allocated for F&B, said Bondoc.

He said that 70 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is attributable to consumer spending, in which every household spends 40 percent of their income on F&B.

“That drives retail space absorption in malls in Metro Manila and Cebu,” Bondoc said.

Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFW), which fuel household spending, also play a role in the growth of the retail sector in the country.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas projected a four-percent growth for OFW remittances this year, which is seen to increase the demand for F&B among households.

Consumer spending is broken down into health, food and beverage, and communication, among others.

Bondoc said that in the last seven years, the F&B segment has been growing by 5.5 percent annually while the national GDP has been expanding at a pace of 6 to 6.5 percent each year.

Spending indicators

Restaurants and hotels, meanwhile, have been growing by 7.3 percent annually, which is even higher than the country’s own economy.

“That’s a good indicator of food and beverage spending here, which will fuel the demand for retail space take-up,” said Bondoc.

He also cited the mix of foreign and Filipino F&B concepts driving the demand for retail space take-up not just in Manila, but also in Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, and even areas outside these urban centers.

“These are slowly becoming retail hot spots, attributed to growing disposable income and rising remittances of OFWs,” Bondoc added.

Tim Ho Wan

Manila-based company FooDee Global Concepts official opened its Tim Ho Wan Store at SM Seaside City Cebu, its first outside Metro Manila, in March this year.

The company operates 200 stores under 12 restaurant brands in the country and is looking to introduce two more brands aside from the Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant in Cebu soon.

In an earlier interview, FooDee Global Concepts chief executive officer Rikki Dee said Cebuanos now dine outside more often, with people dining outside only four times a week in the past but has since increased in frequency to 10 times a week.

According to Dee, the Cebuano market has matured not only in population but also the economic DNA that attracts more investors like them to come here.

“We have done some studies not only here (Cebu City), but also in its neighboring cities, and we found out that the other cities are growing as well with a lot of developments unfolding. In terms of purchasing power, Cebuanos are now earning well to be able to afford dining out more often,” he said.

Ding How reintroduced

In July this year, the company behind Ding How Dimsum House also reintroduced the well-loved homegrown dim sum restaurant to the Cebuano public, banking on the growing food market in the metropolitan.

Steven Kokseng, marketing manager at Harbour City Dimsum House Co., Inc., earlier said they have seen the growth of the dining public over the past two years.

“In the last two years, we’ve noticed that the Cebuano dining public has become more sophisticated, more open to try out new things,” he said during a media launch for the restaurant at Robinsons Galleria Cebu.

Real estate consulting firm Pinnacle earlier described the Cebu retail market as “robust,” led by homegrown firms like the Gaisano Groups and the strong presence of national players.

As of end-2016, total commercial-retail spaces in Cebu were estimated at 1,080,000 sq.m. with the steady completion of the SM Seaside City Cebu at the South Road Properties, marking a phenomenal 98-percent growth from the estimated 545,000 sq.m. of retail spaces in 2013.

Because of the rapid growth in retail spaces, vacancy increased in the last four years, Pinnacle said.

The estimated vacancy rate of commercial retail spaces started at a low 2.55 percent in 2013 and dipped to just 2 percent in 2014.

Due to the increasing retail stock, estimated vacancy increased to 12 percent in 2015 when more than 200,000 sq.m. of retail spaces were offered to the market. Vacancy dipped again to nine percent at presence, since the market is steadily absorbing vacant retail spaces.

Rents also show the strength of the Cebu retail market, with prices ranging from P600 to P1,200 per sq.m. per month in 2015. For 2016, Pinnacle observed that retail rents ranged from P700 to P1,300 per square meter per month.

Generally, F&B makes up a huge chunk of the retail sector in the country, said Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) Cebu chapter president Robert Go.

Food as driver of growth

F&B, which is considered a sub-sector under Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), is seen to drive the country’s retail sector.

“In the Philippines, since we are still developing and many in the society are still “hand to mouth,” food will always be a driver of growth,” said Go.

Go also noted that the most successful commercial-retail establishments, whether malls or smaller arcades, are those with supermarkets as anchor stores.

Without these supermarkets, he said, there is no come-on for customers.

“Other categories will survive only as long as there are supermarkets. It is the main driver of the mall or arcade. Few will flourish without these anchors,” said Go.

LOOK: Temple of Leah, the Taj Mahal of Cebu

By Angelo G. Garcia

CEBU CITY -- Temple of Leah, dubbed as “Cebu’s Taj Mahal,” is a grand gesture of love from a husband to his late wife.

But unlike the Taj Mahal, which is a mausoleum, Temple of Leah is a shrine holding the memory and treasures of Leah Albino-Adarna, the late wife of Teodorico Soriano Adarna. The two are grandparents of actress Ellen Adarna.

Some say the temple, which is now one of Cebu’s most visited new attractions, is gaudy and a bit too much. It is a must-see, however, to those who are curious how an act of love worth P80 million (reportedly) looks like.

The Adarna family, which runs the motel chain Queensland in Cebu, opened Temple of Leah to the public two years ago. Construction started in 2012 and is still ongoing.

The temple is a 45-minute drive from the city center, and entrance fee is at P50.

“I constructed this temple in the year 2012 A.D. as a symbol of my undying love for and ceaseless devotion to Leah Villa Albino-Adarna, my wife of 53 years. I adopted an architectural design that can withstand time and still be appreciated for a millennium so this temple will become a landmark of Cebu, where future generations of the Adarna clan ...can come and trace their roots and heritage,” explains a brass plaque plastered on the wall beside Leah’s statue.

Located on top of the hill in barangay Busay in Cebu City, Temple of Leah is seven storeys high, and covers a land area of more than 5,000 square meters. The gate opens to a driveway that leads to the main courtyard, with granite floors and a marble fountain at the center.

The structure was inspired by ancient Roman architecture complete with Doric columns made of granite. Various Grecian statues adorn the corners and different parts of the building.

Two golden lions stand guard on both sides of the main stairs that lead to the portico that then leads to the shrine, which features a nine-foot bronze statue of Leah.

A brass plaque on its podium signed by Teodorico says: “Beloved Wife and Mother: Leah V. Albino-Adarna was chosen Matron Queen of her Alma Mater the University of Southern Philippines. This bronze statue portrays her composure and regal bearing when she was crowned. May the beholder discern her innate beauty, poise and genteelness.”

The main structure houses 24 chambers that holds Leah’s collection, from antiques to Chinese jars to a library of books.

Province creates task forces to work on road projects

(EOB)

THE Cebu Provincial Government has created six task forces to open or maintain roads by next year.

Provincial Engineer Hector Jamora said that Gov. Hilario Davide III has bought through public bidding the equipment needed for these projects.

Jamora said two bulldozers and two graders have arrived, and they are waiting for the arrival of other equipment, like backhoes, dump trucks, payloaders and safeloaders.

“Once the equipment needed will be completed, the opening of roads and the maintenance of existing ones will start. Each task force will be assigned to each district,” Jamora said.

Capitol will spend only for the fuel and the salaries of equipment operators. The requesting municipal or city government will facilitate the acquisition of road-right-of-way.

“The LGUs (local government units) will submit to us the deeds of donation for the road opening before the projects start,” Jamora said.

Jamora added that once a road is opened, it should be accessible to other barangays or towns.

He said that landowners who will donate lots for roads will benefit because they can easily transport their products and services and the price of their properties will go up.

The Davide administration will open about 130.276 kilometers of roads by next year.

Jamora will coordinate with the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) under Architect Florentino Nimor to make sure these roads will become alternate routes.

Cebu, Naga agree to share best practices

(KOC)

THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will sign a sister-chamber agreement with Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) next month during the 26th Visayas Area Business Conference.

The sisterhood agreement aims to boost economic opportunities between Cebu and Naga City in the Bicol Region.

“There will be sharing of chamber best practices and development of economic opportunities that will benefit members of both chambers,” said CCCI President Melanie Ng.

MNCCI is a Hall of Fame awardee and most outstanding chamber of the Philippines and South Luzon. Naga is Bicol’s center of commerce and industry, and has been cited as one of the most business-friendly cities in Asia. It recently ranked as the second overall most competitive component city in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index 2017 released by the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines. It ranked first in government efficiency, third in economic dynamism, third in infrastructure, and 13th in resiliency.

Among its booming sectors are information technology-business process management. It currently has three IT Parks.

Metro Cebu now an LTE site

(MVI/SunStar Philippines)

WIRELESS services provider Smart Communications has completed the rollout of its LTE (fourth generation or 4G) network in Metro Cebu, allowing Smart and Sun subscribers to enjoy greater mobile data transfer speeds.

After Metro Cebu, Smart will expand LTE coverage to outside Metro Cebu, including component cities and tourist areas like Daanbantayan, Moalboal, and Oslob.

Smart and Sun launched the LTE and enhanced 3G network in Metro Cebu Thursday, August 31. LTE coverage in Metro Cebu is from Liloan town in the north and Talisay City in the south.

Ramon Isberto, public affairs head of Smart and parent firm Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Co., Inc., said an LTE network means average internet speeds of 15 to 20 Megabits per second (Mbps).

"I did a speedtest here. I was getting 50 Mbps download (speed) and 30 Mbps upload (speed)," Isberto said during the launching.

Having an LTE network allows Smart to raise speeds through LTE Advanced, Isberto said. At the venue of the launch, he said connection speed indicators should show 4G+ or LTE Advanced.

Smart and Sun subscribers, both prepaid and postpaid, may swap their subscriber identity module (SIM) cards for LTE-capable SIM cards for free starting October.

With an improved network and availability of LTE-ready SIM cards, the challenge now is to make sure that devices are LTE-capable and use the 700-megahertz frequency to be able to fully experience the improved network, Isberto said.

"The network that we are rolling out uses the 700-MHz frequency so make sure that your phone, or the next time you buy a phone, it uses this frequency," he said. This frequency provides better indoor quality and wider outdoor range.

Examples of LTE-ready phones running on 700-MHz frequency are the Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7. The latter is also LTE Advanced-capable.

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