Establishing a cooperative for jeepney

Instead of putting them in jail Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is mulling establishing a cooperative for jeepney 'barkers' whose presence is prevalent in almost loading and unloading areas of the city here.

This was in response to the move of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA) urging the local policemen and the traffic office here to strictly enforce the city's "anti-barker" ordinance.

"Barkers" in exchange for assisting public utility jeepneys (PUJs) pick passengers are given P5 to P10 for every trip. However, the ICLAJODA currently, complains that "barkers" are already getting bold even threatening drivers should they refused to give the amount.

They are earning as much as P700 a day, according to ICLAJODA.

Mabilog said that he wanted "barkers" organized so that a livelihood project will be provided to them instead of just staying in their current state.

He said that putting them in jail is never a solution because once they get out they will still go back to their old work.

Free patent application for the titling of the parcel of land

The City Council has approved a resolution for the issuance of free patent to 80 poor families occupying a 5,750-square meter lot in Migkawa, Barangay Tablon here.

Vice Mayor Ian Acenas, presiding officer of the City Council, said the local legislative body interposes no objection to the free patent application for the titling of the parcel of land occupied by members of the Migkawa Landless Association in Tablon here for over 20 years now.

Councilor Ramon Tabor, member of the committee on urban and rural poor, said actual inspection was conducted together with technical persons from concerned departments.

ISO Certification in Red Cross

The regional Philippine Red Cross (PRC) blood center here is gunning to achieve an ISO Certification in recognition of the center's excellent facility and leveling up of its blood banking services in Western Visayas.

PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang said the modern blood facility here is now ripe for worldwide recognition brought about by the recent renovation and expansion spearheaded by the PRC Iloilo chapter.

Pang admitted that it is now time for the chapter and blood center modernization to expect leveling up as a blood collection center in Western Visayas and become an excellent reference center for blood banking services in the country.

These include improving the skills of staff and training abroad. A team from Iloilo City will be sent within the year to train possibly in Thailand and Sydney, Australia while teams from abroad and the national office will come to Iloilo as the next reference center to observe blood banking services.

Pang said the laudable efforts of PRC Iloilo headed by Chairman Ramon Cua Locsin and chapter Administrator Gilbert Paul Valderrama is manifested in the upgrading of chapter office and blood center and facility.

Established in Iloilo as the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) in 1946 with a separate blood center, the facility was refurbished in 2011 as the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) local chapter that operated and managed the blood center.

Pang said the local chapter has already gone very far to lead the blood facility in Western Visayas. It was recognized as Number 1 in the Visayas and Number 3 in the national level in terms of blood collection in 2012 that follows the chapters in Metro Manila and Mindanao.

The blood facility shows the sharp determination of the local chapter and identified as partner of the Department of Health for HIV-AIDS Round 6 project site, Pang concluded.

The renovated facility was inaugurated over the weekend and the new state of the art equipment were turned by donors Gochangco family and Rotary Club of Midtown Iloilo.

Cases of illegitimate births or unwanted pregnancies

Cases of illegitimate births or unwanted pregnancies have been a rising trend for the last ten years in the metro, a report from Commission on Population Office (POPCOM) disclosed.

The report showed that of the total 97,172 live births in 2001 up to 2010, some 18,855 cases were "illegitimate"(9,745 male newborns and 9,110 female newborns).

POPCOM's record also showed that the incidence of illegitimate births is prevalent among adolescents or those aging between 15 and 19 (3,881 cases) and young adults or those aging between 20 and 24 (7,790 cases).

A high incidence is also noted among the adults with a total of 4,107 cases. Worst, the report likewise indicated that 15 cases of illegitimate births in ages 14 years old and below are in the city.

As to the profile of the pregnant women recorded by POPCOM, Alisbo explained that some 3,965 migrated to this city, 14,861 are bona fide residents and 29 hailed from the other places outside the city and province of Negros Occidental.

Further, majority of the total cases recorded or 14,847 are housekeepers, 3,410 are professionals, and some 698 are still students, she said.

In terms of birthing facility, Alisbo said many preferred to deliver in government hospitals (7,695) than in private hospitals (5,420).

If categorized by religion, Alisbo said Roman Catholics ranked first at 16,984 cases, followed by the Baptists (764), Iglesia ni Kristo (248), and the rest is shared by the Aglipayan, Seventh Day Adventist, among others.

With the statistics rising, Population Worker Mary Ann Alisbo emphasized the need for more aggressive and collaborative advocacies toward family planning and responsible parenthood.

Alisbo said the persistent rise in the trend can be caused by many factors which include, among others, the ballooning state of poverty and unemployment.

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu office

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu office is moving to Quimonda IT building on Baclig St. in the city's port area near SM City Cebu.

The BOC is allocating more than P800,000 a month, or P9.6 million a year, to rent half of the second floor of the building.

Cebu Customs District Collector Edward dela Cuesta said the estimated cost to transfer the entire Port of Cebu office, which includes division of offices, power and water lines, computer and IT lines, furniture and fixtures, among others, is P23 million.

President Benigno S. Aquino III recently turned down the request of Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino "Ruffy" Biazon to return to the BOC-owned building in Aduana, Cebu City, which was converted into the Malacañang sa Sugbo in 2005 by then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

War in Boracay

The peaceful-loving islanders particularly in Sitio Balinghay, Brgy. Yapak, Boracay Island expressed alarm over the warring security guards from two security agencies which traded bullets that converted the locality into a virtual "wild wild west" barely noontime today.
In a long distance call, Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC) on-duty desk officer PO1 Juno Gregorio, said the shooting incident happened 10 minutes before noontime Monday.

He said no less than Boracay chief of police S/Insp Joeffer Cabural who proceeded to the area along with his men to conduct an investigation on the shooting rampage involving security guards from the Alpha Security Agency and Golden Eye Security who were fielded to watch the disputed land claim in the area.

PO1 Gregorio said the Boracay PNP led by S/Insp. Cabural has disarmed the 16 security guards involved in the shooting incident to difuse tension.

Firearms confiscated includes five 9mm pistols and five 12-gauge shotgun.

Fortunately, he said, the exchange of gun fires between the warring blue guards that lasted for almost half an hour left no fatalities or injuries to both sides.

Report have it that the shooting rampage erupted after one of the claimants, whom the police declined to identify, constructed the perimeter fence in the disputed land. Thus, triggered the shootout between the two camps.

Women’s Month in March

The Dumaguete City Government has lined up a series of activities in line with its present thrust to empower and mobilize every sector of society in celebration of Women's Month in March.

The local observance of Women's Month is spearheaded by the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI), a women's group organized by the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

The celebration kicked off with a mass and parade on Friday at the Quezon Park.

Other activities include the clean-up and beautification activity at the Women's Center beside the CSWDO building on March 6 and 7; whole day convention of KALIPI members from the different barangays, March 8; a Kapihan sa PIA forum, March 13;

Also, a jail visitation at BJMP Bajumpandan facility is set on March 15 and a seminar on R.A. 9262, R.A. 9208 and R.A. 7610 on March 18 at the Women's Center, said Syril Repe of the City Information Office.

On March 21, 2013, the group will once again gather for a symposium on the theme: "Kababaihan: Gabay sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan".

The celebration will end with an awarding and culmination ceremony on March 26 in the afternoon at the Women's Center.

F1 Racing in Cebu

Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) has said he wants to put up a Formula 1 (F1) circuit, hotels and condominiums in Cordova, Cebu.

He said he has not talked to municipal officials about this but he said he had shared the idea with some investors.

Osmena said he wants to make Cebu a Mecca for fans of F1 racing.

"This could rival the Sinulog," he said, explaining that Cordova can provide one of the longer racing courses in the world, if not the longest.

A hotel and condominiums can be integrated into the F1 circuit, he said.

This F1 proposal will then make the Cordova Reclamation Project viable, he said.

Osmeña said he does not mind being labeled "crazy" for his big ideas.

His father Don Sergio Osmeña Jr. was responsible for transferring the airport from Lahug in Cebu City to Mactan. Others had also called the move "crazy."

Osmeña wants to develop Cordova because of its proximity to Cebu City.

He earlier even floated the idea of making Cordova a third congressional district of Cebu City.

Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy said he is amenable to the town being home to an F1 circuit.

Sitoy said that if investors do come to Cordova in response to Osmeña's proposal, he will welcome them with open arms and the only issue to be discussed is where they'll put up their business.

Sitoy said he would be happy if funding for the area development for the whole project will come from the National Government, Cebu Provincial Government or even the Cebu City Government.

On the other hand, Sitoy wished the airport will still be transferred to his town, and the F1 circuit will be built near it.

He said Cordova has a reclaimable area of 1,200 hectares that will connect to Shell Island.

Although Shell Island is part of Cordova, it is only 520 meters from Cebu City.

"If there is a tunnel or a bridge from Cebu City to Cordova, it can be connected by a skyway to a proposed new airport along Pilipog River," he said.

Rebellion charge in Negros Oriental

A suspected leader of the liquidation unit of the communist New People's Army (NPA), who is facing a rebellion charge in Negros Oriental, and his companion were arrested Tuesday evening in Barangay Alegria, Catigbian in Bohol.

The suspects were identified as Ruben Nabas alias Ebyong/Elmer/Padi/Rex, leader of Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) of the New People's Army (NPA) and a certain Cristituto Lastomen alias Onyot, also a member of the SPARU, a statement issued Monday by the Philippine Army's 302nd Infantry Brigade in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental said.

Both were arrested for illegal possession of firearms in Barangay Alegria, Catigbian, Bohol around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday at a checkpoint conducted jointly by the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army personnel in the area.

Confiscated from their possession were one caliber .45 pistol and one caliber .9mm Berretta pistol, P18,220.00 cash and several suspected subversive documents.

Nabas has a standing warrant of arrest for rebellion filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 63 in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.

Military records shows that Nabas was allegedly a former vice commander of the elite force (SDG) of the NPAs operating in the hinterlands of southern Negros Oriental.

He and his companions are believed to be responsible for the attack of two PNP camps in Bohol in 1999 which led to the loss of several firearms from the government side.

Nabas was also allegedly responsible for the bombing of two newly constructed transmission line towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines at Barangay Sta. Catalina in Sagbayan, Bohol on December 13, 2011 and in Barangay Sto. Nińo, San Miguel, Bohol on June 24, 2012.

Socialized housing site in Cebu

More than 200 families living in a socialized housing site in Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City will soon have access to potable water right inside their homes.

The Tubig Pagasa, a firm that distributes water in communities not reached by local water districts, recently inaugurated a water network in the Lower Tipolo Homeowners Association Inc. (LTHAI) housing site.

The area is home to 255 families, who get water from water pumps situated several meters away form their houses, LTHAI president Dometilla Subang said.

The Tubig Pagasa partnered with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District in establishing a water network in the site, with the support of the Mandaue City Government.

Celine Santillan of Tubig Pagasa said they chose LTHAI as their pilot site in the Visayas because there is a need for water in the area and because of the support of the local water district and the Mandaue City Government for their project.

The Presidential Urban Poor Commission in Cebu also helped implement the project.

Santillan said Water and Life Philippines, a non-government organization that works with Tubig Pagasa, trains residents in firefighting and fire prevention, among others.

The LTHAI was registered with the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board in 2001.

Subang, 61, said a faucet was installed in the housing site in 2005 but the water pressure was very low.

A fire struck the housing site in 2007.

"We are very happy that we can now get water right inside our house," Subang said.

Some 100 households already have water connections inside their house, while 180 are still applying.

Santillan said their target is to provide water to 500 households, including those outside LTHAI.

The firm charges P4,900 for each household for the cost of installing water pipes, but the residents can pay this in daily installment over 64 weeks.

Each house will have a water meter. Personnel from Tubig Pagasa will do daily readings, so the residents will have to pay everyday. Residents pay P1 for every 20 liters of water.

Santillan said they collect bills daily to spare residents the burden of paying a large amount at the end of a month.