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  1. #10051

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)


    Trial on Aloguinsan lot dispute resumes

    THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Toledo City will resume on Thursday its hearing on the injunction case lodged earlier against the members of the Sr. San Roque Farmers’ Association over a 168-hectare farm land in Barangay Bonbon, Aloguinsan, Cebu.

    The case resulted in a bloody clash last Aug. 29 between farmers, who were tilling the lot, and the police officers who were tasked to help enforce a court order that allowed the Gantuangco family to fence the property.Criminal cases for direct assault and resisting arrest were filed against 39 farmers who were members of the association, while an Amparo suit was lodged against the police.

    Atty. Rico Tautho, one of the counsels of the Gantuangco family, hopes that the atmosphere during the hearing before Judge Hermes Montero will be “more amiable” than the Aug. 29 incident.

    Offer

    “There is a settlement offer on the table,” Tautho said, referring to a proposal he and his co-counsels raised in behalf of the Gantuangco family during the last hearing on Sept. 20.

    The Gantuangcos are offering 100-square-meter residential lots—complete with rowhouses—to each of the 39 members of the Sr. San Roque Farmers’ Association or a five-hectare communal farm land.

    “The offer must have impressed the judge because he suggested to the farmers that they study the proposal,” Tautho said.

    But Atty. Kim Mendoza said in a separate interview that the farmers have decided to reject the offer, as per their last consultation. On Thursday, they will submit a counter-offer to the judge, she added.

    Farmers’ version

    “We are now in the process of drafting it,” she said.

    Their version, she said, will be more in keeping with their original position—that they are the original owners of the land, not the Gantuangcos.

    “The farmers are willing to give one hectare of land to Juphil Gantuangco,” Mendoza said.

    They are also willing to give one hectare of land to Aloguinsan Mayor Caesar Moreno and Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, third district), she said, without explaining why.

    “The only requirement is that they till the land themselves,” Mendoza said.

    Tautho declined to respond when sought for comment, saying he’d rather wait for the hearing. He added that he still hopes that conditions will change toward a more mutually favorable outcome between now and Oct. 20.

    In the meantime, he said, they are readying an assistance package to a newly formed group composed of what he said are 150 former Sr. San Roque Farmers’ Association members.

    The new group, known as the Bonbon Livelihood Association, was launched last Saturday, with Mayor Moreno inducting its officers.

    “The group’s membership is tasked with coming up with a livelihood program which the Gantuancos are willing to help finance,” Tautho said.

    The association’s farmers, on the other hand, are still contending with the recent dismissal of their Amparo petition, said Tautho.

    Impact

    Atty. Ian Manticajon, interviewed separately, confirmed the dismissal but denied that it had any significant impact.

    He said the denial was based on technicality, not on legal or factual basis, and that they intend to re-file it as an “omnibus motion for the issuance of a writ of Amparo.”

    He explained that Judge Ruben Altubar dismissed their petition because the direct assault and resisting arrest cases against the farmers, which was the basis for the Amparo petition, have reached the court and have been raffled to Judge Montero.

    “Under the rules, it is this court that has jurisdiction now,” Manticajon said.

    Montero set the arraignment for the criminal cases on Nov. 22.

    But before the Amparo motion, Manticajon said, the farmers will first file a motion seeking Montero’s inhibition from the direct assault and resisting arrest cases, on the grounds that it was he who heard the injunction case and that it was his ruling that precipitated the Aug. 29 clash.

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  2. #10052

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    San Remegio farmer, others bag performance awards

    THE Department of Agriculture (DA) honored outstanding farmers and animal raisers in Central Visayas yesterday.

    Agriculture Assistant Secretary Edilberto de Luna said the Gawad Saka awards “recognize achievers in their respective fields who are worthy to be emulated by others.”De Luna attended the awarding ceremony at the Sarrosa International Hotel in Mabolo, Cebu City.

    Awards were given in 17 categories, covering farmers, animal raisers, farmers’ associations and local government units.

    Iluminado Ornopia, who was named the region’s outstanding corn farmer, encouraged other farmers and landowners to make use of their idle lands.

    Ornopia, 42, owns a 20-hectare corn farm in the northern Cebu town of San Remegio.

    “The land used to be of poor quality. I rehabilitated it and now it’s already very productive,” he said in Cebuano.

    He said the farm, which he developed in 2008, produces four tons of corn per hectare.

    “Because of the farm, I am able to give livelihood to people and help the country’s economy,” said Ornopia, who employs 60 to 100 workers.

    He stressed the importance of credit for farmers, saying farmers sometimes have difficulty buying fertilizer and paying for their workers’ salary.

    Ornopia also owns a piggery, where he gets manure to fertilize the farm.

    De Luna said the winners, who received P20,000 each, went through a rigid evaluation by the judges who included representatives from the academe and the business sector.

    Desiderio Lou of Bungtod, Bacong, Negros Oriental was declared the national winner for the large animal raiser category.

    Citation

    Lou will receive a presidential citation and P150,000 in December, said DA 7 Director Leo Cañeda.

    “I’m so happy and so proud,” Cañeda said. “That is already enough consolation for all of us here. It is a reflection of the kind of dedication that the stakeholders have.”

    Cañeda said the criteria for selecting the winners included performance and social impact.

    “I wish that in future years we can have more national awardees coming from Central Visayas,” Cañeda said.

    The annual search for agricultural achievers was first launched in 1970 as the Search for Outstanding Farmers of the Year.

    In 1987, the search expanded to cover many other productive agricultural endeavors.

    This year, the Gawad Saka was anchored on the program “Agrikulturang Pinoy” or Agri-Pinoy.

    The program incorporates the principles and practices that optimize the development of Philippine resources.

    “We need the support, the solidarity and the cooperation, especially of the local chief executives, because without them there is nothing much that we can accomplish,” Cañeda said.

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  3. #10053

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    Ex-acolyte picks uniform over cloth, pulpit

    WHEN he was still in the seminary, Edarth Dahili and his classmates visited different jails to counsel and teach prisoners about God.

    “Amo silang maymayan nga dili mao ilang gipangbuhat (We told them to correct their wrongdoings),” he said.But instead of becoming a priest, Dahili, in 2005, became a member of the police organization that puts criminals in jail.

    Dahili, who holds the rank Police Officer 2, remembered he took oath as a police officer on Sept. 8, the birthday of the Virgin Mary.

    “This is my calling,” he said in Cebuano.

    The 34-year-old police officer said his friend, a priest, told him that his job is “more than that of a priest” because he is
    “trained to become a public servant and protector.”

    Physical

    “Dili lang soul among giluwas, apil na ang physical nga aspect sa tawo (We do not just save the soul, but also the person),” Dahili said, quoting his friend.

    When he was younger, he thought he was destined to become a priest.

    He became an acolyte when he was a fourth-grader upon the prodding of friends, who told him the priest would give him something every Sunday if he helped during mass.

    After graduating from elementary, Dahili took and passed the entrance examination at the Blessed John XXIII Seminary.

    After completing high school, he proceeded to the San Carlos Seminary College and graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1997.

    For the next three years, while on his regency, he returned to his hometown, Bogo, and taught high school students at Saint Louise de Marillac and later at St. Paul School in Medellin.

    Break

    Before going back to the seminary, he went to a church in Balamban in 2001 and did apostolic work, which is a requirement before he can take up theology.

    In 2003, Dahili took a break from his theological studies at Seminario Mayor de San Carlos to relax. He became a branch manager of an educational insurance company for four months.

    “Mora nabug-atan ko (I felt uneasy),” he said.

    As he was about to return to the seminary, he was offered to teach high school in Bogo. He accepted it and forgot theology.
    His father Arturo, now a retired policeman, convinced him to join the police force.

    “Kon wa na gyod kay plano mobalik sa seminary ayaw nag tudlo kay usik-usik lang kas imong panahon (If you have no plans to go back to the seminary, don’t waste your time teaching),” Dahili recalled his father’s words.

    “Magamit imong utok pero imong panahon ug imong kakugi sayang (You may be using your head but you are wasting your time and energy),” his father had told him.

    He heeded his father’s advice but, since he wanted to fly a jet plane, he applied for a post at the Philippine Air Force.
    But he did not pass the medical test.

    “Nahagbong ko kay di kompleto akong ngipon (I failed because I did not have all my teeth),” he said. He added that he missed the entire entrance exam because he got disappointed.

    In January 2005, he applied to become a police officer and was eventually accepted.

    Although he chose the police uniform over the cassock, Dahili said his job is like that of a priest.

    “In the seminary, we were trained to be modest and gentle,” he said in Cebuano. “As a policeman, I have to be a role model. (And) I also find time to advise the persons I arrested.”

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  4. #10054

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    Rama’s budget a ‘ joke, a dream’ Capitol’s 2012 budget up 13%

    CEBU City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said the executive department’s proposed P11.8-billion budget for next year is a joke.
    He, however, is inclined to support it.

    In an interview yesterday, Young said the City, in its history, has never earned that much in a year.“How can he (Rama), in reality, believe he can have an P11-billion budget? I think it’s a joke, but I am inclined to approve it and go along with it,” he said.

    Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) said the amount can only be realized if the City sells lots at the South Road Properties (SRP).

    Political lifesaver

    “SRP is a prime lot and so many people are interested,” he said.

    However, he said the City should wait for the projects of SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Filinvest Land Inc., SRP’s first locators, to be completed before entertaining prospective buyers. By then, the price of SRP lots will shoot up, he said.

    During his term as mayor, SM bought a 30-hectare property at SRP for P2.7 billion, while Filinvest bought a 40-hectare lot for a joint venture with the City and 10.6 hectares at Pond F for P1.592 billion.

    And since he opposes any sale and Rama needs the City Council’s approval to sell SRP lots, Osmeña said the mayor’s proposed budget will remain a dream.

    “He is promising the sun, the moon and the stars,” said Osmeña.

    He believes Rama is facing a dead end and is using the SRP for his political survival.

    Meanwhile, Young said even if Rama had been the one to sell the lots to SM Prime Holdings and Filinvest, the City will only earn P4 billion if the two investors made a full one-time payment to the City.

    Young believes the amount is the idea of then city treasurer Ofelia Oliva, whom the mayor has hired as City Hall’s financial adviser.

    Young said he will support Rama’s proposed budget so the mayor can’t say the legislative department is blocking his programs and projects.

    And if the council does not approve the budget, the vice mayor believes the mayor will blame the council for the barangays not having any projects.

    “That’s his game plan,” he said.

    Raising public expectation

    Young told the mayor “to wake up to the reality,” saying Rama will only raise public expectation.

    “In the end, it’s going to boomerang on him because it’s a cruel action on the part of the mayor, promising something that’s not going to happen. It’s like promising your children something that will never be fulfilled. In the end, it’s the people who will suffer,” he said.

    Aside from infrastructure projects, the City’s 2012 budget will cover the third tranche of the mandatory salary increase for the City’s 5,000 workers.

    Personal services alone will cost the City P1,440,019,485.

    In Rama’s proposal, P5,769,294,521 will be set aside for maintenance and other operating services and P4,589,995,030 for capital outlay.

    Supporting the proposed budget will be the P10.1 billion the City Treasurer’s Office estimates to collect next year, including P1.2 billion in real property taxes, business taxes and other local taxes; P750 million in non-tax revenues; P1 billion from the City’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share; and P7 billion from capital and investment receipts that will include sale of government lots.

    The projected income will also include P1 billion in expected revenues from the Cebu City Medical Center, City Traffic Operations Management, Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, the city abattoir, the city market and other income-generating offices in the city.

    The Office of the Mayor will get a P306-million appropriation, on top of the P770-million budget for special projects and programs of the mayor, including expenses that the City’s special bodies and commissions will incur.

    The budget will also cover the P100-million appropriation for the tax collection program of the City, among others.

    Considering the budget’s amount, Rama, in a statement, said the City will have to intensify and enhance tax collection through a “vigorous tax information campaign and intensified tax collection effort.”

    Also, the City will have to intensify tax-mapping efforts and decentralize tax collection by creating several revenue districts in strategic places in the city.

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  5. #10055

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    Teen strives to cope with loss

    CEBU CITY -- She was busy surfing online, looking for a way to distract herself while anxious about her family’s fate. Instead, 13-year-old Embrelaince Ponce learned about her family’s death on Facebook.

    Her scream jolted her relatives, who left her alone in the living room. They planned to tell her later because they didn’t have the nerve, but she found out online.Her mother Melinda, 53, sisters Elaine Grace, 26, and Heather Joy, 24, and brother Emlin Bridge, 18, were shot, allegedly by their father Emmanuel, 55. He then shot himself inside their home in Palm View Village, Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City last Sunday morning. Their helper Anastacia Deriega, 34, was also shot dead.

    For the first time, Embrelaince saw Monday the remains of her family, along with their helper, in a line of identical coffins at St. Peter Chapels.

    Meanwhile, social workers and a Provincial Government official prepared to figure out how they can best help the teenager and lone survivor.

    Senior Police Officer 1 Mikie Espina of the Talisay City Police Station said the .45 pistol that Emmanuel allegedly used was licensed until 2013.

    A church official said last Sunday’s attack in Talisay City showed the need to focus on protecting the institution of marriage and the family.

    Inside the St. Peter Chapels, Embrelaince had a hard time bringing herself to look at the remains of her loved ones.

    Her siblings were dressed in their nursing and radiologic technologist uniforms, respectively. Their solo graduation pictures stood on top of their caskets.

    Grim visit

    A photo of their mother Melinda, who was an inspiration within Cebu’s running community, was placed atop her coffin. At least 22 medals Melinda had won running were placed in a frame below the casket.

    Friends, relatives and classmates paid a visit to the wake and dealt with the shock of seeing six caskets all in a row.

    Melinda’s sisters immediately booked flights and arrived Sunday night, after they heard the news.

    Melinda’s family, who is from Sorsogon City, Bicol, at first wanted her and the children buried in their home city. Emmanuel’s family, however, wanted them buried in Cebu.

    “Ako’y magbuot kay ako’y anak (As their child, I’ll be the one to decide),” Embrelaince told them. Nobody could reportedly say a word after that.

    Paul Redula, Embrelaince’s cousin, told Sun.Star Cebu they will wait for Melinda’s other sisters to arrive today, Tuesday.

    Despite the tragedy, relatives described Embrelaince’s attitude as that of “a fighter.”

    Debriefing


    CEBU. A nun and a family friend comfort Embrelaince Ponce (center) as the high school student views the caskets of her parents and three siblings. (Amper Campaña)

    She kept herself busy attending to guests at the wake. She even helped choose the coffins for her family.

    Paul, in an interview, said that Embrelaince was in shock for a long time after last Sunday morning’s shooting.

    “Even if she watched television, we could still see she was not really focused on it,” he said.

    When she finally learned, around 4 p.m., about her family’s death, all they could do was embrace and support her.

    She tried to call her mother’s phone many times, telling her relatives that while she saw a woman lying in their house, already shot, she couldn’t be sure it was her mother.

    Later, she underwent stress debriefing by employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

    Within the family, there was apparently no warning ahead of the tragedy.

    Emmanuel’s aunt Tanciang Abellana, 86, often visited the family and had been invited by Melinda to go there again last Sunday, because she was making a cake.

    “I was only late because I went to a mass,” Abellana said in Cebuano.

    “If I had gone earlier, I could have been one of them,” she said, pointing to the coffins in the chapel.

    Bank’s help

    Banco de Oro (BDO), where Melinda worked as a branch manager, paid for the caskets and other arrangements for the wake, including that of the helper.

    Deniega’s body will be transported to San Carlos City, Negros Occidental today, where her wake will be continued.

    Her oldest brother Talino, 46, immediately came to Cebu from Bacolod City after hearing about his sister’s death.

    They were given P10,000 cash assistance by Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez.

    Social workers will meet with relatives of Embrelaince today to discuss interventions needed to ensure her well-being, a social worker said Monday.

    Clavel Saycon, team leader of social workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said that they will talk with Embrelaince separately to assess her needs.

    “After the assessment, we will know what the next step will be,” Saycon told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.

    Saycon said the 13-year-old girl was feeling better Monday. “Hayag-hayag na iyang panagway (Her face looked brighter),” she added.

    When social workers attended to Embrelaince last Sunday, she seemed to be in denial, said Saycon.

    Embrelaince is now staying with her aunt, who lives in Talisay City and works in City Hall, said Saycon.

    Support

    She said social workers cautioned the relatives of Melinda and Emmanuel to refrain from blaming anyone and giving negative comments, as it will cause “added trauma” to the child.

    The presence of her mother’s relatives, who arrived Monday from Sorsogon, will help Embrelaince cope with the situation, Saycon said.

    “We first need to establish a support system for her,” she said.

    Saycon also said that the girl wanted to stay at her family’s house in Tabunok, Talisay City, but they still have to consult a psychologist if that will be healthy for her.

    Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said she will wait for the recommendation of Talisay City social welfare officer Felipa Solana on the assistance for Embrelaince.

    “We are waiting for (Talisay City Social Welfare Officer Felipa) Solana’s report if she will recommend another medical expert or for DSWD Region 7 (Central Visayas) to help them,” said Magpale, who is co-chairperson of the Provincial Council for the Welfare of the Child.

    She said they already sought the help of Rose Gonato, a child specialist, to facilitate the child’s debriefing.

    Family

    “What happened is a very good commentary on the situation of marriage and family. Therefore, instead of killing the family, we should strengthen the family,” said Msgr. Achilles Dakay, archdiocesan media liaison officer.

    “We call on all government agencies to focus their attention on marriage and family,” he added.

    Dakay said the Catholic Church has its Family Life Apostolate (FLA), which is a ministry that implements the programs and activities laid down by the archdiocese for the evangelization of families.

    The FLA in Cebu is the implementing arm of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

    The organization’s work is to take care of families by fostering its rights and function and to evangelize to other families.

    Dakay pointed out that there may also be a need to review the basic precepts of a Basic Ecclesial Community wherein families within a community offer assistance to each other.

    “The neighbors knew about the situation (of the Ponce family) and the woman talked about what she was going through. But it seems that there was no response from the neighbors… It seems we only have that ‘mind your own business’ way of thinking,” he added. (With Rebelander S. Basilan, Bernadette A. Parco and Oscar C. Pineda of Sun.Star Cebu)

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  6. #10056

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    Capitol’s 2012 budget advocates good governance, says governor

    CEBU Gov. Gwen Garcia yesterday submitted a budget of P3.6 billion for 2012 to the Provincial Board (PB), the biggest in Capitol’s history.

    The amount represents an 18.35-percent increase from this year’s budget, which is P3 billion.Garcia, in her budget message, said the budget in on track with the most recent developments affecting local fiscal administration and adopts new concepts of local governance, which are directly related to budget administration.

    “It advocates the principle of good governance,” she said.

    The budget, she said, sets a “distinction shared by no other province nationwide.”

    She said it has consistently shown its relative independence from the Internal Revenue Allotment.

    Appropriations

    The bulk, or P1.7 billion, will go to social services, up from P1.5 billion this year.

    General services will get P1 billion, up from this year’s P913 million; while economic services will get P791 million, up from this year’s P632 million.

    The Office of the Governor will get an allocation of P447.1 million, while the allocation for the office of Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale jumped 111.14 percent, from P18.1 million to P38.3 million.

    Some P776 million has been set aside for the Province’s Annual Investment Plan, which will include, among others, the construction, rehabilitation, furnishing and maintenance of hospitals and birthing centers (P160 million) and the rehabilitation of the seaport and airport in Sta. Fe and Camotes (P170 million).

    The livelihood, entrepreneurship and local government units’ loan support program will also get P40 million.

    The PB may tackle the budget in next week’s session.

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  7. #10057

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    Mandaue honors 20 outstanding kids in city’s public, private schools

    DIVINE Saludaga, 15, is still undecided on what she wants to be in life.

    Saludaga, a 4th year high school student of the Tipolo National High School, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday she has three options in
    mind-to become a nun, a teacher or a journalist.Of these three, Saludaga said, she might choose to pursue a career in journalism owing to her experience as the current editor-in-
    chief of their school paper.

    Saludaga was honored yesterday by the Mandaue City Government as one of the city’s Top 20 Outstanding Children.

    Awardees

    Saludaga, along with 19 other awardees, was cited for their outstanding academic and community works, particularly in their respective schools.

    The other awardees are John Keith Marzo of St. Louis College-Cebu; Sheila Mahusay, Maria Liza Zarate and Maria Nieves Matilde Mercader of the Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School; Angelica Conde of the Labogon National High School; Danie Mae Ybañez of the Mandaue City Science High School; Khanna Blithe Cortes of the Mandaue City School for the Arts; Chad Errol Booc of Pagsabungan National High School; Angel Perez of Tabok National High School; Mary Charity Gwen Calban of Paknaan National High School; Jan Louie Mendoza of Mandaue Ebenezer Alliance Academy; Ruel Briz and Charlettee Joyce Dawaton of Subangdaku Technical Vocational School; Ma. Jessa Cereño of the Cabancalan National High School; Hero Yuki Oplado of Maguikay National High School; Jayvee Armamento of the Don Gerardo Llamera Ouano Memorial National High School; Fernan Salinbongcogon of Canduman National High School; Rhoda Ulgasan of Jagobiao National High School; and Shera Mae de Gahira of Canduman Night High School.

    Children’s Address

    Aside from the students, some non-government organizations (NGOs) and an individual were also recognized for their help in improving the condition of the children in Mandaue.

    The NGOs awarded yesterday were the World Vision Development Foundation, Children’s Legal Bureau, Mandaue City Danish Volunteers and Christian Eckist Buddhist Union Foundation Inc., while philanthropist Girlie Suico was also recognized.

    Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, in her State of the City’s Children Address, assured the City will consistently introduce measures to improve the condition of the children.

    Radaza said the City has allocated P1 million for the micro-nutrient supplementation and another P1 million for the supplemental feeding program.

    “This is the reason why Lapu-Lapu City has continuously topped in the nutrition awards,” Radaza added.

    She said that the City Social Welfare and Development has been providing special care to the children through their nutrition, education and protection programs.

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  8. #10058

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    63-year-old woman saves 87-year-old mother in Cebu fire

    CEBU CITY -- Amy Opone Olita braved the fire that was slowly engulfing the house where her 87-year-old mother was sleeping Monday afternoon.

    When she barged through the door, Olita, 63, found her mother Gregoria Opone lying in bed, motionless. She hurriedly woke Gregoria up and dragged her outside toward the street, about 100 meters from the house.“Di man gyod nako kaya siya maalsa (I can’t carry her),” said Amy.
    Their house is one of the seven houses that were razed by the fire in Opone Compound in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, past noon. Two other houses were damaged, fire officials said.


    CEBU. Smoke from a cluster of houses billows into the sky, while a fireman on the roof checks the extent of the fire that struck Opone Compound in Barangay Banilad. The fire that raged Monday noon destroyed seven houses and damaged two others. (Allan Defensor)

    Gregoria’s left leg was bruised hitting some debris, while Amy’s right arm suffered burns. Amy’s son, Ronnie, 39, also suffered burns in the right arm and wounds in both legs and feet.

    Ronnie, who is paralyzed in the upper right side of his body, said when the fire broke out, he immediately dashed out of his brother’s store and looked for his mother Amy. When they saw each other, they immediately looked for Gregoria.

    He said only his mother entered the burning house because the heat was intense.

    “Dili nako makaya (The heat was too much for me),” he said.

    Getting bigger

    Worried, Ronnie went to a vacant lot and, even if the fire was getting bigger, climbed the fence to check if his mother and grandmother escaped from the house.

    “Wa ko kabantay napaso ko kay paralyzed man ko (Because of my paralysis, I didn’t notice I got burned),” said Ronnie, who was relieved upon learning his loved ones were safe.

    Personnel from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation treated their wounds. They later took Gregoria to a hospital.

    The Cebu City Fire Department pegged damage to property at P90,000. The houses were mostly made of wood and concrete.

    City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar said the fire reportedly originated from Marites Dolloso’s house. She was cooking before the flames spread to the neighborhood.

    He said they received the alarm at 12:07 p.m., and 12 minutes later, they controlled the fire. He said about 20 fire trucks, including that of the volunteers, rushed to the compound.

    The firefighters faced no difficulty in putting out the flames because the area was near the road, Comar said.

    Banilad Barangay Captain Nicolas Leyson Jr. said 18 families, which consist of 73 individuals, were affected by the fire. He said some of them went to their relatives’ houses, while the others stayed in their lot.

    A tent was put up to temporarily shelter them, Leyson said in a phone interview. The City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services also gave the victims food.

    Leyson had an emergency session with the councilors last night. He said they will determine how much is left in their calamity fund.

    City Councilor Lea Japson visited the site, since her elder brother’s house was near the Opone Compound.

    The Sto. Niño Chapel, which stood near Rey Opone Magro’s house, was spared from the fire.

    “Kon maalsa palang ang balay, ako na ning gialsa (If I could only carry our house, I would have done it),” said Magro, who secured his mother and grandmother first.

    Even if they lost their house and valuables, Ronnie said he is glad his family is still intact.

    “Mas importante ang kinabuhi (Life is more important),” he said. (Sun.Star Cebu)

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  9. #10059

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    Mandaue jeepneys banned from Ayala

    PUBLIC utility jeepneys (PUJ) from Mandaue City jeepneys are in for a double whammy.

    After they were banned from entering major thoroughfares in Cebu City, they are now banned from using and entering the Ayala Center Cebu terminal.Affected by this new policy are Mandaue jeep-neys whose routes are 21B and 22B. They are the same jeepneys that are banned by the City from entering Osmeña Blvd.

    Romeo Armamento, of the Alyansa sa mga Nagkahiusang Drivers sa Reporma (Andar), said the new policy was implemented by the management of Ayala last Saturday yet, to their surprise.

    “Wa man mi pahibaw-a ana (We were not told about it),” Armamento said.

    While plying their usual route last Saturday, Armamento said they were surprised to see a signage inside the Ayala property directing them to take another route.

    Armamento said 21B jeepneys and 22B jeepneys now ply the Samar Loop of Ayala, then to Cardinal Rosales St., to San Jose Dela Montaña, to M.J. Cuenco Ave. then back to Mandaue City.

    Previously though, Armamento said they went to Samar Loop, to Mindanao Loop, and then to Ayala terminal to load and unload passengers.

    Armamento, together with some 30 members of Andar, trooped to Cebu City Hall yesterday to ask for help on Ayala’s new policy.

    They met with City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete and City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) executive director Rafael Yap.

    “Nagproblema mi ani kay wa na miy pasahero. Kung naa man gani, di moplite kay wa sila nahatod gyud didto sud sa Ayala. Di na mi ka-income (We don’t have passengers anymore),” he said.

    Armamento said most of the passengers from Mandaue who want to go to Ayala now take 20A jeepneys instead of 21B and 22B. The 20A jeepneys, he said, are the only ones allowed by the management of Ayala to use their terminal.

    During their meeting, Poblete and Yap told the drivers they will try to negotiate with the management of Ayala about the matter.

    Poblete told the drivers, though, that the management of Ayala has the right to reroute jeepneys in its area since they own the property.

    Last year, Citom already banned the entry of 21B and 22B jeepneys in the city. They are allowed until Ayala terminal only. The ban followed an incident where a 21B jeepney collided with a taxi and hit another jeepney (21D), causing injuries to several passengers.

    Citom’s policy then was only in compliance with City Ordinance (CO) 1837, as amended by City Ordinances 2071 and 2214.

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

  10. #10060

    Default Re: Cebu local news (daily update)

    MGB 7 survey shows flood areas, landslides

    THE Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 found some sections of the proposed sanitary landfill site in Barangay Agsungot, Cebu City to be susceptible to landslides and flooding.

    These observations were noted by the MGB 7 in a geological survey conducted recently.Maria Elena Lupo, MGB 7 senior geologist, said in a report that some rock sections in the area were found to be moderately to highly weathered and fractured, hard and brittle during dry weather, but soft and “plastic” during the wet season.

    Lupo inspected the proposed sanitary landfill site in Agsungot, which is one of the alternative garbage disposal sites of the Cebu City Government. It is a project of the Cebu Eco Ventures.

    The geological survey is an additional requirement for the company’s environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to check for potential geological hazards present in the project and the vicinity.

    “This condition undermines the stability of the rock formation as it reaches its saturation point,” she said.

    “Bulging and collapse of the existing riprap along the winding, ascending road section inside the property are geological conditions that could have an adverse effect on the overall stability of the slopes or ground in the area. There is a possibility of occurrence of a bigger landslide and other types of slope failure when external factors are introduced,” she added.

    Among the factors are ground vibration or earthquake, weight of structures, buildings or garbage, and the presence of excess water.

    Lupo also said there is a possibility of short time flooding and landslide within the containment structures like the leachate pond and garbage cells during the rainy season, while the filled areas are prone to displacement when the garbage is not properly compacted or contained.

    The loose deposits along the slopes are also prone to erosion, she added.

    Lupo required the project proponent to submit an engineering geological and geohazard assessment of the site and vicinity, including the topography, hydrology or flow of water, and seismic or ground vibration hazards.

    Dr. Eddie Llamedo, MGB 7 information officer, said Cebu Eco Ventures already submitted its report, and it is currently under review by the agency.

    Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 18, 2011.

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