Zamboanga City News September 2017

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Zamboanga City - 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.
Limpapa Beach.JPG
Limpapa Beach

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.

Fun run kicks off Consumer Welfare Month

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will commence the Consumer Welfare Month with the conduct of the 2nd Consumer Run on Sunday, October 1, which will be simultaneously held nationwide.

The consumer run held last year in Region 9 was the first of its kind and was adopted by the DTI central office to be conducted in all regions this year.

Dr. Sitti Amina Jain, DTI regional director, on Friday stressed the importance of conducting the consumer run to empower the consumers.

“The Consumer Run is really intended to empower our consumers by informing them of their basic rights and responsibilities. If we, as consumers, know our basic rights and responsibilities, then we will be assured of the best services and products that we avail or buy with our hard-earned money,” Jain said.

“We can also negate the schemes of some businessmen who are engaged in unscrupulous business practices,” Jain added.

She said the activity is also aimed to promote health and wellness among the consumers. The participants of the event will become force multiplier in informing others of their rights and responsibilities.

“It’s good to learn while having fun. This is what the consumer run is all about, learning and being empowered as consumers while we are having fun,” she pointed out.

The Consumer Run will have two categories: the eight-kilometer run and the five-kilometer run.

The eight-kilometer run represents the eight basic consumer rights which included the following: Right to Basic Needs; Right to Safety; Right to Information; Right to Choose; Right to Representation; Right to Redress; Right to Consumer Education: and, Right to Healthy Environment.

The five-kilometer run represents the consumer responsibilities which are as follows: Critical Awareness; Action; Social Concern; Environmental Awareness; and, Solidarity.

Here in Region 9, Jain said the 2nd Consumer Run will be held in this city; Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur; and, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte.

She said it will be held in partnership with the United Zamboanga Consumers Association, Incorporated (UZCAI).

The activity’s proceeds will be turned over to UZCAI that will be used for strengthening of consumer groups and implementation of consumer-related activities and projects here in Region 9.

City collaborates with DPWH for drainage system overhaul

By Sheila Covarrubias

The City Government is closely collaborating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the implementation of a massive renovation of the city’s drainage system in a bid to resolve perennial flooding in some major streets downtown.

City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Dr. Elmeir Apolinario on Monday convened a meeting with representatives from the DPWH, Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative, Zamboanga City Water District, City Administrator’s Office and City Engineer’s Office among others to discuss long term solutions to the drainage problems in the city proper area.

The DPWH, according to Apolinario, has an allocation of P200 million for the construction of an impounding dam in the Sta. Catalina-Sta. Barbara area. A feasibility study has already been made for the implementation of the said project.

The CDRRMO said the city, through a technical working group, is also bent on undertaking measures to rehabilitate the existing canals and drainage systems specifically in the flood-prone areas such as Pilar Street, Gov. Lim Avenue and Veterans Avenue among others. However, he said, what is necessary is a close coordination between the DPWH and the LGU and other concerned agencies to ensure that the projects are synchronized.

The ZCWD and Zamcelco including telecommunication companies should also be on board as they utilize the roads for their utility services, according to Apolinario. “We want to make sure that no problems will be encountered by the time we implement the drainage system project.”

Massive declogging of canals and drainage systems undertaken by CEO personnel downtown yielded non-biodegradable wastes including tires and sand and gravel. Water pipes are also discovered to have been installed in drainage systems and canals.

MDP to drive Zambo economic growth

By Darwin Wally Wee (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) has drafted a Master Development Plan (MDP) that seeks to establish growth areas outside this city’s main business district.

Rodrigo Sicat, CPDO chief, on Wednesday said they have already submitted “the final draft of the master development plan of Zamboanga City to Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, who in turn will forward it to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for approval into a zoning ordinance.”

“The MDP seeks to establish Zamboanga as a Metropolitan City with robust biodiversity and sustainable development that is globally competitive, where investment thrive(s) through good governance and industry,” Sicat said.

Sicat said the objective of the MDP is to create “at least seven growth areas or development plan units” outside of the main business district.

The seven growth areas are the central business district comprising of 30 barangays; Mercedes, also covering 30 barangays with primary focus on airport transfer and agri-fishery; Ayala, being the industrial zone; Labuan as residential and commercial zones; Sangali, focusing on water shed protection; Curuan as aquamarine zone, and; Vitali to include the 11 Islands for agri-aquaculture and ecotourism.

“We decongest the central business district to establish the growth areas with concentration on the potentials of each growth area,” Sicat said, adding that the existing land use of this city is predominantly residential mixed with some patches of agriculture and commercial.

He also stressed that this city’s MDP pushes for the protection of agriculture and preservation of natural resources.

He said the new MDP will be immediately adopted once approved by the City Council.

The city government has two plans, according to Sicat, and these are the six-year Comprehensive Development Plan and the 15-year Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

“The former is a sectorial development plan while the latter is a physical development plan. To carry-out the physical development, there needs to be an accompanying Zoning Ordinance. Thus, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan must be approved together with the Zoning Ordinance, by the SP (Sangguniang Panlungsod). After which, these will be reviewed by the Regional Land Use Committee and subsequently need to be ratified by the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board,” he said.

“We had to ‘polish’ some sections due to comments and observations made by the stakeholders as well as the issue on barangay boundary conflicts,” Sicat said citing the plans were completed in July, this year.

The city government has earlier hired the Palafox Associates to conduct a study and develop this city’s comprehensive land use plan and Zoning Ordinance, which are components of the MDP.

BFAR Commemorates 54th Fish Conservation Week

[Regional Fisheries Information Section (RFIS)]

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Field Office No. IX will commemorates the Fish Conservation Week on October 16-20, 2017 with a plethora of activities to be simultaneously undertaken in the ZamPen region. The Fish Conservation Week is a yearly undertaking of the bureau every 3rd Week of October to increase awareness on the importance of protecting and conserving the country’s fisheries and aquatic resources by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 176 series of 1963.

This year’s celebration shall be opened with a motorcade from BFAR Regional Office to BFAR IX Techno Demo Station in Mampang, Zamboanga City where the bangus harvest festival and mangrove planting will also take place and in Zamboanga del Sur with the simultaneous fish seeding of communal waters (tilapia) regionwide.

Other activities to be conducted will include teach-ins in various high school around the region on topics such as, the importance of Coastal Resource Management (CRM), salient feature of the Republic Act (RA) No. 10654, sardines management, prohibited/banned fishery products, FAO 197-1 and the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) Program; mobile licensing; orientation on the response of mammal stranding; demonstration on fish processing technologies and value added products; orientation on fish capture technology; distribution of livelihood inputs; distribution of fishing inputs on the affected hulbot-hulbot; distribution of booklets (RA 10654) and hanging of posters (banned fishery items at strategic sites). Coastal clean-up will also be simultaneously undertaken in selected coastal municipalities of the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga City.

Poster Making Contest based on this year’s theme: Industriya ng Pangisdaan ay Masigla Kung ang Karagatan ay Malinis at Masagana ” is also among the important activities open to Grade XII students individual or group. The winning entries will be used by the bureau as IEC materials for schools and SUCs.

The Bureau will drum up support for all its activities through motorcade, streamers, and press releases to promote public awareness on conservation of our fishery resources.

DPWH builds P22-M weightlifting training center

By Bong Garcia

A TOP official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the construction of the P22-million weightlifting center in Zamboanga City has already started.

Engineer Cholie Roble, DPWH district engineer, said they are closely coordinating with the private contractor to ensure the project will be completed by February 2018, as scheduled.

The two-storey weightlifting training center, which is being constructed inside the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, will have complete equipment including a 32-bed capacity dormitory for athletes.

The construction of the training center is aimed to enhance the performance of the weightlifting athletes.

There are at least 100 weightlifting athletes based in the city. One of them is Hidilyn Diaz, the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist.

Cebu Pacific opens Zambo-Sandakan route Oct. 29

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Cebu Pacific (CEB), the country’s leading airline, announced the expansion of its international route network and presence in Southeast Asia as it opens its new Zamboanga-Sabah flight service via the city of Sandakan.

CEB announced that through its affiliate, Cebgo, it will operate its first international route out of Zamboanga City with four times weekly flights to Sandakan starting on October 29 this year.

CEB said in a statement Friday that the flights will be every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The one-way flight takes one hour and 30 minutes. It leaves this city at 1:45 p.m. and arrives in Sandakan at 3:15 p.m. The return flight then leaves Sandakan at 4 p.m. and arrives in this city at 5:30 p.m.

CEB said the new Zamboanga-Sandakan route supports the drive for seamless logistics connectivity within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia- Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The BIMP-EAGA, which was created in 1994, comprises Mindanao; the entire Borneo Island which is divided between Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia; and other Indonesian islands such as Sulawesi and Maluku.

Its creation was meant to harness capabilities to turn the entire area into a thriving economic and tourism zone.

“Sandakan has had centuries of trade and cultural linkage with the southern Philippines, and we are especially proud to put in place infrastructure to further enhance these ties. Now, the previous 14-hour travel by sea is cut down to just a 40-minute airplane ride,” Alexander Lao, President and CEO of Cebgo, said.

Zambo sets citywide clean-up drive

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) has tapped different stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the solid waste management program of this city.

Among the stakeholders the agency has tapped as partners are the barangays councils, public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators.

Public Service Officer IV Rodrigo Pagotaisidro on Thursday said that partnering with barangay officials, PUV drivers and operators would be a big help to this city’s campaign on cleanliness and sanitation.

Reynaldo Gonzales, OCENR chief, said his office has spearheaded on Tuesday the training and orientation for barangay officials concerning the solid waste management program.

He said similar activity was held on Wednesday at City Hall which was attended by the PUV drivers and operators.

He said a massive citywide clean-up drive to be spearheaded by barangay officials will be held on October 1. (TPGJR/PNA)

Zambo to build P200-M pumping station

By R. G. Antonet Go (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The city government is constructing a PhP200 million pumping station to address the problem of flooding during heavy rains in this city's downtown areas.

Constant flooding is being experienced along Veterans Avenue and Pilar Street areas in Barangay Zone IV during heavy rains even in just few hours.

City Administrator Marie Angelique Go on Monday said the construction of the pumping station is a long-term solution to address the flooding while the short term is the constant cleaning of drainage.

But Go believes the construction of the pumping station must be coupled with zoning and regulatory measures to address the problem.

She said that the illegal settlers will have to be relocated and waste management will also be addressed.

She said the city's business district should also be decentralized “because the drainage capacity has already been maximized.”

She said the construction of the pumping station will be undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

'Alaga Ka’ caravans kick off

By R. G. Antonet Go (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is conducting series of caravans to inform the public, especially the indigents, on the programs and benefits of the agency.

The caravan, dubbed as “Alaga Ka” or PhilHealth Alamin at Gamitin para sa Kalusugan 2017, is being held in the different parts of the region.

Philip Cataylo of PhilHealth regional office on Saturday said the caravans focus on members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Cataylo said among the topics that will be discussed during the caravan are how to avail of the benefits of the agency and its new programs.

He said the schedule of the caravan in Zamboanga City are as follows: September 19, Barangays Sta. Maria and Canelar; September 21, Vitali and Curuan; September 26, Talon-Talon and Sta. Catalina; September 28, Guiwan and Tetuan; October 3, Manicahan and Sangali; and, October 5, Mercedes and Tumaga.

He said they have coordinated with the barangay officials and other concerned agencies to ensure widest reach of the caravan.

Art exhibit to showcase Zamboanga's culture, heritage

By Bong Garcia (SunStar Philippines)

A SEVEN-DAY Zamboanga Art Exhibit is set to be held to showcase the rich culture and heritages of Zamboanga City as seen through the eyes of its residents.

The City Hall said, in a statement, that the art exhibit is in line with the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival celebration of peace, culture, and diversity.

The exhibit, which will run from October 2 to 8 at City Mall Tetuan, will showcase a collection of submitted visual artworks that will range from paintings and photography to sculpture and mixed media as one of the cultural events of the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival activities.

The artworks will be culled from entries submitted by students, and amateur and professional visual artists who are residing in Zamboanga City.

Applications and submissions will be accepted until Friday, September 15, before a screening committee will identify the pieces to be included in the curated exhibit.

The exhibit intends to reflect the colourful and diverse culture, and rich heritage and traditions Zamboanga is known for.

300 farmers to attend Family Farm forum today

By R.G. A A. Go

Some 300 local farmers are expected to attend the City Family Farm Forum today, September 13 at the Culianan Barangay Complex.

Farmers, RICs, and 4-H Clubs coming from Ayala, Tumaga, Culianan, Manicahan, Curuan, and Vitali districts are expected to actively participate in the said forum.

Line government agencies will also be present during the forum where they are expected to get inputs from the farmers especially problems that may be ventilated during the forum.

Update will also be given to these farmers relative to the thrust of the Department of Agriculture.

Meanwhile, during the activity, the best “bahay kubo” will be judged per district, booths will also showcase products of these farmers which will also be sold, and Chavacano songs will be played to create a festive mood.

Former District 2 Congresswoman Lilia Nuño, National Rural Improvement Club (RIC) vice president will grace the occasion.

“We cannot just say maga siembrador lang se…Nusabe sila el role de siembradores na sociedad si nuay sila, nuay cumida na mesa debe dale importancia, attention, y dale kanila suporta,” Nuño said.

ZCHHS math wizards recognized by City Gov’t

By Sheila Covarrubias (PR)

The City Government on Monday rolled out a special ceremony recognizing the achievements of 25 Zamboanga Chong Hua High School (ZCHHS) students who reaped medals in various international mathematics competitions held the past months.

Mayor Beng Climaco spearheaded the recognition ceremonies during the City Hall flag raising ceremony, as she awarded the “Certifico de Reconocimiento” to each of the students including ZCHHS Principal, Dr. Simon Chua, who has been very instrumental in the good performance of the students.

Foremost in the list of math wizards was Sean Anderson Ty, a Grade 11 student, who reaped a bronze medal in the 58th International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) regarded as the most prestigious and most difficult math contest in the world and held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from June 12-23, 2017. Ty becomes the first student from Visayas and Mindanao to have garnered the IMO medal since the Philippines participated in the contest in 1988.

“We are very proud of your achievements,” Mayor Climaco told the students as she congratulated not only the students but the parents, guardians and coaching staff and most especially Dr. Chua for providing the needed support and guidance to the students that eventually resulted to the victorious representation. “You did not only brought honor to the city but to the entire country.”

Other recognized medalists and the events they joined are the following: Jace Mateus M. Que (Grade 2), gold medalist in the China West Math Olympiad held in Nanchong, Sichuan, China from Aug. 12-16, 2017; Participants to the 2017 International Math Wizard Challenge held in Xiamen, China from May 19-24 - Nur Mikhail P. Ahaja (Grade 2), silver medalist; Gabriel Royce M. Lim (Grade 3)- bronze; Elissa Caye Ramos (Grade 3)- bronze; Alessandro Leone R. Chan (Grade 3)- bronze; Eliana Mari P. Lim (Grade 7)- silver; Rania T. Himpon (Grade 7)- bronze; John Julio C. Chua (Grade 9)- bronze; Lance Kendrick K. Sebastian (Grade 10)- silver and Ruth Samantha C. Wee (Grade 4)- bronze; Participants in the 13th International Mathematics Competition held in Singapore, August 5-7, 2017 – Anika Gayle C. Tan (Grade 4)- silver; Sophia Monique O. Chan (Grade 5)- bronze; Samantha Cheong (Grade 5)- merit certificate; Angeline Madrazo (Grade 6)- bronze; Rianne Stefi C. Wee (Grade 8)- silver; Jhann Rhainey F. Ramos (Grade 8) – silver and Xavier Jeffersoon Ray M. Go (Grade 12)- silver.

Also recognized were Mikaela Eshe Q. Penaflor (Grade5), bronze medalist in the China Primary Math Olympiad held in China from July 28-August 3; Fedrick Lance R. Lim (Grade 10), bronze medalist in the China Southeast Math Olympiad held in Jiangxi, China from July 28 to August 3, 2017 and Sigred Kerwayne G. Kwan (Grade 7) and Stephen James L. Ty (Grade 9) both bronze medalists in the 2017 India International Math Competitions held in Lucknow, India from July 25-31, 2017.

The students were accompanied by their coaches Samuel Gayangos and Hernan Jalon together with Aldwin Sahirul.

BPO buildings to rise in Ecozone

By RG ANTONET A. GO

Two Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) buildings worth P221 million is set to rise inside the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority (ZamboEcozone) located at barangay Talisayan, this city.

Christopher Lawrence S. Arnuco, Zamboecozone chairperson and administrator, said in an interview that the two BPO buildings will have four storey and are expected to be finished by the year 2018.

According to Arnuco, the establishment will house call centers, medical transcription companies, among others.

“We are hoping the private sector will invest but there are no investments yet. So, the government can help the private sector by providing area to them,” Arnuco said.

He pointed out that in the heart of the city, the space is already limited for BPOs since it require hectares of land.

“We still have hectares of land in the Ecozone and this is the reason why we are offering our area,” Arnuco said.

The Ecozone chairman said that once the said establishment is completed, many investors will surely come.

DOT-IX to conduct ‘Farm-Tourism’ seminar

By Allen Abastillas

The Department of Tourism Regional Office-9 will be conducting a “Farm Tourism Seminar-Work Shop” in Zamboanga City.

The rationale of the farm tourism is to create a comprehensive farm circuit package intended for tourists both local and foreign, who are planning to come and visit the city.

The identified farm areas are NJB Farm in Ayala, Southland Farm, Dragon Fruit Gree Pastures Farm, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm and Evangelista Farm.

The test run of the farm package is slated on the last week of September while the launching will held on the 1st week of October, 2017, in time for the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival.

Meanwhile, DOT-9 will also sponsor a “Community Based Tourism Kulinarya (Tourism Culinary ) Workshop” on September 11 to 12, 2017 in Dipolog City.

The workshop aims to enhance the skills of various communities in the region, especially those that are directly engaged in community based tourism in order to further improve the delivery of food services craftsmanship, taste and quality. Kulinarya (culinary) wokshops are organized for the stakeholders in every communities in coordination with the local government units in the area. The workshop also envisions to train community members on how to prepare food for the visitors in a hygienic and presentable manner.

ZamboEcozone to host contract signing for international seaport

(ZamboEcozone/PR)

The Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (ZamboEcozone) will be hosting a contract signing at a local hotel on September 8, 2017, between the Public-Private Partnership Center, and the partnership headed by BDO LLP, a British accountancy and business advisory firm.

BDO LLP will be undertaking the feasibility study, market sounding, preparation of bid documents, bid management and transactional advisory until a private company is selected to implement the project. The project will be done by local and international experts in several areas related to port operations, engineering, and fiscal management, among others.

The seaport is dubbed as the “San Ramon Newport Project”, pertaining to the area where the said port will be constructed. Its operations promise to improve the capacity of the ZAMBOECOZONE to do business with its locators, and provide more job and investment opportunities for the city of Zamboanga and the nearby municipalities and provinces.

“We are grateful for the assistance of the PPP Center in giving us the technical grant, which will now allow us to do all the preparatory work to accomplish this major project. This international seaport is crucial not only in decongesting the traffic in the city center, but giving a solid anchor in which to build a better business community here in the West Coast”, said ZAMBOECOZONE Chairman Christopher Lawrence Arnuco.

The technical assistance grant was awarded to the ZAMBOECOZONE by the Asian Development Bank last February 2017. The team behind the San Ramon Newport projects that the feasibility study will be available by year-end.

The contract signing will be between the PPP Center, as administrators of the technical assistance grant, and the BDO LLP group. PPP Center’s Deputy Executive Director Atty. Mia Mary Sebastian, and Dr. Khalid Bichou, an international port operations consultant and Project Team Manager for BDO LLP, will be signing for their companies. Chairman Arnuco will be signing as a witness, as the ZAMBOECOZONE has a crucial role in the project as its end user.

City Hall honors 29th SEA Games medalists

By Sheila Covarrubias

As a show of recognition for their impressive performance in the recently concluded 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Zamboangueño athletes will be given a special welcome ceremony Monday, September 4.

Mayor Beng Climaco will personally welcome boxing gold medalist Eumir Felix Marcial and bronze medalist Jefferson Rhey Loon of the pencak silat event during fitting rites Monday morning after the flag raising ceremony in front of City Hall.

Other SEA games medalists – Chezka Luy Centeno who won a gold medal in the Women’s 9-pool ball single, Chris Michael Tolomia who bagged a gold as part of the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team that won over Indonesia in the finals and bronze medalist Ryan Jakiri who placed third in the muaythai 63.5 kg category will be ably represented by their relatives during the ceremony as they are still in Manila undergoing continuous training.

Also to be recognized and honored today is Sharif Afif who won a silver medal in the Karatedo senior male team kumite category and a bronze medal in the senior individual male kumite (85 kg) category during the Thailand Karatedo Open Championship 2017 held at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand from April 22-24.

The athletes will be presented with a certificate of recognition and later treated to a special breakfast at the City Hall conference room, after which, a motorcade in their honor will be held around the city’s main thoroughfares.

A total of 9 Zamboangueno athletes were part of the Philippine delegation to the Kuala Lumpur games held from August 19-30. Five of the 9 athletes reaped 3 gold and 2 bronze medals.

Mayor Climaco has expressed jubilation over the victory of the local athletes saying they brought honor and fame not only to the city but to the entire country.

The medalists will also receive cash incentives based on the provisions of an ordinance. A gold medal in the SEA games is equivalent to P150,000; silver medal is P100,000 while a bronze medal is equivalent to P75,000.

During the 28th SEA Games in Singapore in 2015, Zamboangueno athletes harvested 3 gold medals and 1 bronze courtesy of Eumir Marcial (gold in boxing); Chezka Centeno (gold in billiard); Sonny Boy Acuna, Rolando Binarao, Emerson Atilano and Vermond Diaz (gold in softball) and Alshamir Ibnohasim (bronze in pencak silat).

Zambo road project gets P500-M more

By R. G. Antonet Go (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has earmarked additional P500 million budget to speed up the construction of the 14-kilometer highway in the east coast of this city.

Zamboanga 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe II on Saturday said the amount has been included in the 2018 General Appropriations Act with the representation made by DPWH Sec. Mark Villar.

The road project covers Barangays Cabaluay, Mercedes, Talabaan, and Zambowood. A bridge will also be constructed in Zambowood to connect the highway to Barangay Mampang.

The national government has initially allocated this year P150 million for the acquisition of the road right-of-way.

Dalipe initiated the road project to hasten development in the east coast as well as to help decongest traffic in this city.

It is also in preparation for the transfer of the Zamboanga International Airport from Sta. Maria to Mercedes.

Zambo qualifies for Gawad Kalasag National Awards

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr (TPGJR/PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (ZCDRRMC) has been selected as one of the finalists in the Gawad Kalasag National Awards for Highly-Urbanized City Category.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Manuel Luis Ochotorena on Thursday said the ZCDRRMC has passed the evaluation in accordance with the guidelines of Gawad Kalasag Search for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance.

Ochotorena said that the National Selection Committee (NSC) concluded the Desk Validation of entries submitted by the Regional Selection Committee (RSC).

He said a two-day field validation in this city was conducted on August 30-31 by the NSC.

The NSC is headed by Charmaine Villamil of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) central office with National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Spokesperson Romina Marasigan and Hailey Meriel of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) central office, as members.

The Gawad Kalasag is the country’s premier annual awards for outstanding contribution in the fields of disaster risk reduction and management and humanitarian action.

Kalasag is a Filipino term for “shield” used by early Filipinos as a means of protection from attacks of enemies or harmful animals.

The annual Gawad Kalasag Search aims to recognize outstanding performances of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils, Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees, Civil Society Organizations, educational institutions including Early Learning Centers and Higher Education Institutions, Government Emergency Management (Basic and Advance), Hospitals, Volunteer Organizations, Private Organizations, and individuals who have shown acts of heroism during disasters and emergencies, and other major stakeholders who continue to render exemplary contribution in promoting and implementing significant and gender sensitive DRRM-Climate Change Adaptation programs and innovations that build community resiliency in the long term.

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