Cebu Sun.Star

Mountain resorts offer the ultimate opportunity to soak in breathtaking views where the whole world lies below your feet. As Cebu transforms into a buzzing hub of busy souls and industries, finding a secret hideaway becomes crucial for a crowd-free reboot of your mind and body.

Guillen Plantaciones, dubbed “Baguio of Cebu,” is located at Sitio Gabi, Cantipla, Sudlon 2. This mountain retreat will tell the story of a newfound grandeur of Cebu’s hilltops while supporting the neighborhood.

“When my friends asked me to find a wonderful mountain spot, this mountain view is the one I could really say that I fell in love with,” said owner of the mountain farm and resort, Butch Guillen.

According to Butch, although this is a glamping experience combined with nature exploration, he highlighted that the resort provides unmatched opportunities for farming.

Guests have the unique privilege of personally harvesting their own produce and purchasing it at a significantly reduced market price.

In a heartwarming collaboration, this opportunity not only brings delight to the guests but also extends a helping hand to the dedicated farmers in the neighborhood. These passionate individuals are given the chance to nurture and tend to a diverse range of produce, from tomatoes, lettuces to cucumbers, even sweet strawberries and more.

It’s a beautiful synergy where guests and farmers come together, fostering a sense of community centered around the joy of farming.

During its grand opening on July 8, 2023, Butch took the opportunity to honor his loyal and trusted team members, which included farmers, helpers, construction workers, and more. Each of them was granted an elevated position where they could personally attend to the guests with utmost care and devotion.

“When we started conceiving this during the pandemic, our workers up to now are the locals here down to the farmers. We did not hire anyone from the outside but instead we kept the local farmers and provided them jobs to construct roads and gardens until it became a mountain resort farm,” said Butch.

With deep admiration for the locals’ commitment, Butch entrusted them with housekeeping, farming techniques, and pool maintenance. He reassured the guests that if anything went missing, the trustworthy locals would return it intact. A bond of trust and care flourished, which will make Guillen Plantaciones a beloved gem in Cebu.

“That’s the beauty that we also created while beautifying this area. When I bought this property three years ago, this is a barren land with no road access. We developed it and planted 350 pine trees and more bountiful plants,” said Butch.

Butch expressed his desire to promote organic farming and an eco-friendly menu sourced directly from the mountain resort and farm’s garden. This commitment ensures that guests can enjoy fresh, sustainable and chemical-free produce, fostering an environmentally conscious dining experience with his wife’s personal menu.

“We want everything to be fresh. If you look at the menu, we grow our own native chicken, and as much as possible we want this place to be sustainable,” said Butch.

At Guillen Plantaciones, solar power is harnessed for electricity, a vision that Butch and his family had long before the place was developed. The water source is also an underground spring, and the locals are encouraged to construct rainwater catchment systems, promoting sustainable water usage.

Their vision is to elevate hospitality to new heights and leave a lasting impression to the hearts of its visitors.

As the mountain farm and resort continue to grow, the Guillen family aims to support local crafts and traditions by providing training opportunities for locals, particularly women, in various activities.

Being devout Born Again Christians, the family has created a prayer room within the mountain farm and resort. Here, visitors can seek solace, meditate and connect with God amid the awe-inspiring beauty of nature.

As the popularity of glamping rises, Guillen Plantaciones stands out by not only supporting the local community but also providing a diverse array of amenities and facilities that offer a truly unique way to explore Cebu.

Guillen Plantaciones offers A-shaped cottages with private toilets and showers. Each cottage features a bonfire area, while the Cliff resorts provide their own private pools. Additional amenities include an infinity pool, “Veranda Resto + Bar” for dining, ATV rides, horseback riding, a Wishing Well, a children’s playground, jogging/walking paths, a 360-degree viewing area, and a “Pick & Pay” section for harvesting vegetables and strawberries.

Future plans for the resort include a clubhouse for large gatherings and events, a wedding garden, zipline and other adventure trails, a firing and archery range, and an organic/hydroponic farm.

If one is looking for a meaningful retreat to fresh mountain air and incredible views, Guillen Plantaciones will make it worthwhile by unearthing the untapped beauty of Cebu’s majestic hilltops like never before.

The Filipino-Chinese families and friends of the Benedictos, Ngos and Chiosons, gathered at the Sacred Heart church, then at the cocktail reception and dinner at the Radisson Blu Cebu to celebrate the wedding of Charmaine Miya, daughter of Consul Sam Chioson and Consul Emily Benedicto-Chioson, and Ken Derrick, son of engineer Roderick and Marivic Ngo.

The cocktail reception at the entire lobby of Radisson Blu was followed by the dinner in the ballroom, with live music, videos and travel footage of the love story of the couple. I estimated the guests to be about 400 or more, who had their assigned tables. All came in formal long gowns, coat and tie, and barong Tagalog.

I occupied Table 52 with my old friends from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry currently headed by Kenneth Co. We had a great time talking about the current Cebu Business Month, especially the tourism events chaired by Edwin Ortiz. We were all awed with the videos delineating the love story of the bride and the groom, their families, travels across the globe, engagement and preparations for wedding, reception, guest list, among others. I sat beside my old, loyal friends, David and Tesss Chan, Bunny Pages and Edwin Ortiz.

I always think of Bunny and Edwin as my “knights in shining armor.”

“In My Diary” captured the wedding at the Radisson Blu and will share it in two series. (To be continued)

SINCLAIR and Paragsa Design and Consultancy Services advanced to the semifinals of the Architects + Engineers 6th Corporate Cup after logging in victories in the quarterfinals last Saturday, July 8, 2023 at the Don Bosco Technical College – Cebu gym in Labangon.

Sinclair edged the reigning champions Build-It, 64-61, while Paragsa defeated RELLM Engineering Design, 60-49.

Build-It, manned by UAP Sugbu, held a slim 61-59 lead with just seconds remaining in the game but Sinclair, which is represented by UAP Metro Cebu, pulled out all the stops in crunchtime on both ends of the floor to come away victorious.

Zach Go led the way for Sinclair with 24 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Miguel Cenabre had 22 points and nine rebounds.

Dexsel Caadan had 17 points, 12 boards and four steals for Build-It.

Meanwhile, Jett Latonio had 18 points, 10 boards and six assists for Paragsa, which also got 18 points from Wesley Viejo.

Sinclair will take on Avantrac, while Paragsa battles CS-4 in the knockout semifinal round. (JNP)

If we go by statistics, there is no doubt that Novak Djokovic is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in tennis. For one, his collection of 23 majors is the most in the history of the sport. For another, his appetite to amass some more Slams seems insatiable despite Father Time looming in the shadows.

Four years short of turning 40, Djokovic appears unbent, his knees steady as steel as he keeps on hunting for more.

He proved that again when he beat Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, 7-6, in Round of 16 of the ongoing Wimbledon.

The win was Djokovic’s 21st in 27 meetings with Wawrinka, the Swiss old guard, whose aging legs had ferociously fought on before they eventually folded up.

But Wawrinka stood proud despite the loss, as two of his three majors had come both at the expense of Djokovic in the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open.

Djokovic praised Wawrinka’s stamina and spunk.

“Stan’s doing an amazing job for his age—we are two old guys,” said the 36-year-old Djokovic of his 38-year-old opponent. “We’ve had great battles over the years. I respect him as a player and love him as a person. He’s a really nice guy.”

Djokovic’s win tied Pete Sampras’s mark of 31 consecutive victories at the tournament aka The Championships.

Djokovic could make it 32 straight wins if he could dismiss big-serving Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round.

Their duel was stopped on Sunday due to the 11 p.m. curfew, after Djokovic, surviving three set points in the first set, took a nerve-wracking 2-0 lead, 7-6, 7-6, over the 26-year-old from Wroclaw, Poland.

In the unlikely event that the ace-smashing 6-foot-5 Hurkacz, who made history in 2021 when he crashed the Wimbledon semifinals by beating Roger Federer in what proved to be Federer’s farewell match in his storied career as a 20-time major champion, would mount a miracle and defeat Djokovic in the remaining three sets, goodbye to the much anticipated showdown between the No. 2 Serb and No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.

Alcaraz, the 20-year-old sensation ballyhooed as the future of tennis, advanced to the last 16 on Sunday after bucking a minor scare in bundling out Chile’s power-hitting Nicolas Jarry, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5.

Hang in there, fellas. More thrills and spills are coming.

CHOCO Mucho and F2 Logistics clash in a crucial tiff in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational elims at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.

The winner of this game will nab the first semifinals ticket in Group B after the two swept their first two games in the short single-round elims in the two-division mid-season offering of the league.

With the league taking a brief break, the two teams are expected to come out swinging, especially now that they’ve had ample time to prepare and build on their cohesion.

“I’m happy we have a lot of options now but I have to make sure that they gel in together,” said F2 Logistics coach Regine Diego before the league headed to the nine-day break.

Against the tall Flying Titans, the Cargo Movers would need to come up with new plays to fuel their offensive drive although they must also come up with something in defense to slow down a looming Choco Mucho assault.

Cebuana Sisi Rondina has provided not just scoring options but also power, resolve and more importantly leadership to a team looking to score a breakthrough in the league in four years.

After debuting with a top-scoring 14-point barrage against Farm Fresh and banging in 19 points, including 15 hits, versus Foton, the high-flying former UST firebrand is more than likely to put in another sterling performance as the Flying Titans try to zero in on the first semis seat.

“We’re thankful for her (Rondina) performance, she reciprocates the trust we’re giving her,” said Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin. (JNP)

If we go by statistics, there is no doubt that Novak Djokovic is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in tennis. For one, his collection of 23 majors is the most in the history of the sport. For another, his appetite to amass some more Slams seems insatiable despite Father Time looming in the shadows.

Four years short of turning 40, Djokovic appears unbent, his knees steady as steel as he keeps on hunting for more.

He proved that again when he beat Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, 7-6, in Round of 16 of the ongoing Wimbledon.

The win was Djokovic’s 21st in 27 meetings with Wawrinka, the Swiss old guard, whose aging legs had ferociously fought on before they eventually folded up.

But Wawrinka stood proud despite the loss, as two of his three majors had come both at the expense of Djokovic in the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open.

Djokovic praised Wawrinka’s stamina and spunk.

“Stan’s doing an amazing job for his age—we are two old guys,” said the 36-year-old Djokovic of his 38-year-old opponent. “We’ve had great battles over the years. I respect him as a player and love him as a person. He’s a really nice guy.”

Djokovic’s win tied Pete Sampras’s mark of 31 consecutive victories at the tournament aka The Championships.

Djokovic could make it 32 straight wins if he could dismiss big-serving Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round.

Their duel was stopped on Sunday due to the 11 p.m. curfew, after Djokovic, surviving three set points in the first set, took a nerve-wracking 2-0 lead, 7-6, 7-6, over the 26-year-old from Wroclaw, Poland.

In the unlikely event that the ace-smashing 6-foot-5 Hurkacz, who made history in 2021 when he crashed the Wimbledon semifinals by beating Roger Federer in what proved to be Federer’s farewell match in his storied career as a 20-time major champion, would mount a miracle and defeat Djokovic in the remaining three sets, goodbye to the much anticipated showdown between the No. 2 Serb and No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.

Alcaraz, the 20-year-old sensation ballyhooed as the future of tennis, advanced to the last 16 on Sunday after bucking a minor scare in bundling out Chile’s power-hitting Nicolas Jarry, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5.

Hang in there, fellas. More thrills and spills are coming.

SINCLAIR and Paragsa Design and Consultancy Services advanced to the semifinals of the Architects + Engineers 6th Corporate Cup after logging in victories in the quarterfinals last Saturday, July 8, 2023 at the Don Bosco Technical College – Cebu gym in Labangon.

Sinclair edged the reigning champions Build-It, 64-61, while Paragsa defeated RELLM Engineering Design, 60-49.

Build-It, manned by UAP Sugbu, held a slim 61-59 lead with just seconds remaining in the game but Sinclair, which is represented by UAP Metro Cebu, pulled out all the stops in crunchtime on both ends of the floor to come away victorious.

Zach Go led the way for Sinclair with 24 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Miguel Cenabre had 22 points and nine rebounds.

Dexsel Caadan had 17 points, 12 boards and four steals for Build-It.

Meanwhile, Jett Latonio had 18 points, 10 boards and six assists for Paragsa, which also got 18 points from Wesley Viejo.

Sinclair will take on Avantrac, while Paragsa battles CS-4 in the knockout semifinal round. (JNP)

COMING soon: the NBA Cup.

The NBA unveiled the details Saturday (Sunday, July 9, 2023 PH time) of its inaugural in-season tournament, which will have a prize pool of about $18 million and will be capped by a championship game—which won’t count in the standings—in Las Vegas on Dec. 9. It’s an event that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wanted for years, giving teams a trophy to play for during the regular season.

And now, it’s finally reality.

“This is a concept that has been rumbling around the league office for about 15 years,” Silver said. “It’s not a new concept in sports. For those that follow particularly international soccer, it’s a long tradition of having in-season tournaments... so we thought, what a perfect opportunity for a global league like the NBA and it’s a perfect fit for our game.”

The tournament payouts for players on standard contracts will be $500,000 apiece for those on the winning team, $200,000 apiece for those on the runner-up, $100,000 apiece for those on the teams that lose semifinal games and $50,000 for those on the teams that lose in the quarterfinals.

Two-way players on any of those teams are eligible for up to half those amounts, depending on how many games they spend on a roster during the tournament.

“I can see what the aim could be,” said Miami guard Josh Richardson, who follows global soccer closely and understands the parallels Silver makes when comparing it to in-season tournaments that sport has around the world. “It gives you another chance to win something, for real. I think that’s a big part.”

Games will start on Nov. 3, being played mostly on Tuesdays and Fridays in November—except for Nov. 7, when the NBA will play no games to commemorate Election Day. That announcement came Saturday, and will mark the second consecutive year when the NBA has no games on that date with hopes of promoting civic awareness and engagement.

The Final Four will be in Las Vegas.

“This city knows how to host big events,” Silver said.

Teams were assigned to a five-team group. They’ll play one game against each other; the six group winners will make the quarterfinals, as will the best two second-place teams from the groups.

They were chosen as follows:

West Group A — Memphis, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah and Portland.

West Group B — Denver, the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans, Dallas and Houston.

West Group C — Sacramento, Golden State, Minnesota, Oklahoma City and San Antonio.

East Group A — Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Indiana and Detroit.

East Group B — Milwaukee, New York, Miami, Washington and Charlotte.

East Group C — Boston, Brooklyn, Toronto, Chicago and Orlando.

“I’m excited about this midseason tournament,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “I think it’s going to add an element of energy and excitement for the players and coaches and the fans. I think it’s a great idea.”

Joe Dumars, the league’s executive vice president of basketball operations and a Hall of Famer as a player, said he thinks players will like the idea—even if it takes some time.

“Everybody’s not going to buy in right away,” Dumars said. “That can’t be the goal, that everybody’s going to buy in from Day 1. These things take time. And I think as time goes on you can build this up and people can really get into it.”

Tournament games, except for the championship game, will all count in the standings—much in the same way that the WNBA runs its Commissioner’s Cup event.

It’s been known for some time that teams will be getting only an 80-game schedule when the 2023-24 slate is released by the NBA in the coming weeks.

Games 81 and 82 will be added in December; this is where things get tricky.

Teams that don’t make the knockout stage will be assigned two games against other non-knockout qualifiers, and those will be the missing two games on their schedules.

For the eight teams that make the knockout stage, the quarterfinal game becomes the 81st game added to their schedule. Quarterfinal losers—two from the East, two from the West—will play each other, and that’ll be the 82nd game on their schedules. Semifinalists—again, two from the East, two from the West—will play, and that game becomes the 82nd game on their schedules.

That means the championship game will be one of 83 games on the schedule for the last two teams standing. And since the season is 82 games, that game won’t count in the standings, nor will the stats count for anything. They’ll be playing for money and the trophy. (AP)

CHOCO Mucho and F2 Logistics clash in a crucial tiff in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational elims at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.

The winner of this game will nab the first semifinals ticket in Group B after the two swept their first two games in the short single-round elims in the two-division mid-season offering of the league.

With the league taking a brief break, the two teams are expected to come out swinging, especially now that they’ve had ample time to prepare and build on their cohesion.

“I’m happy we have a lot of options now but I have to make sure that they gel in together,” said F2 Logistics coach Regine Diego before the league headed to the nine-day break.

Against the tall Flying Titans, the Cargo Movers would need to come up with new plays to fuel their offensive drive although they must also come up with something in defense to slow down a looming Choco Mucho assault.

Cebuana Sisi Rondina has provided not just scoring options but also power, resolve and more importantly leadership to a team looking to score a breakthrough in the league in four years.

After debuting with a top-scoring 14-point barrage against Farm Fresh and banging in 19 points, including 15 hits, versus Foton, the high-flying former UST firebrand is more than likely to put in another sterling performance as the Flying Titans try to zero in on the first semis seat.

“We’re thankful for her (Rondina) performance, she reciprocates the trust we’re giving her,” said Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin. (JNP)

The current noontime show wars remind me of how fragile social media is. I first joined a political campaign in 2019 and found out how social media can be manipulated considering the absence of editors online to ensure that social media would be a rules-based undertaking like what traditional media became through the years.

The word “troll” became ubiquitous with the surfacing of social media. I saw up close the use of trolls to tilt public opinion in favor of a paying candidate. When I was working with a newspaper, I was amazed at how my columns gathered wide engagement every time I wrote about candidates and the elections. That was, of course, the result of the use of trolls.

I once read somewhere how some governments used trolls to serve their own ends. One government hired trolls 24 hours a day and housed them in a building full of computers. That practice was aped by some local politicians but on a smaller scale. One particular candidate had a supporter who housed the trolls on a floor full of computers inside a momentarily neglected structure. The trolls worked 8-5 and were paid accordingly.

The trolls were given instruction to monitor anything in social media that discussed the candidate as a topic. When one monitors such a topic while surfing the Net, the other trolls would be told to transfer to the concerned website and fire away. The trolls would then shoot one-liners and even longer, including insults, to defend the bet that hired them. That was how some of the social media engagements in my columns increased.

I therefore am not surprised if trolls are currently being hired to shape a noontime show’s image in social media. Trolls are but one problem, of course. So-called social media technicians can also be hired to influence the social media algorithms some platforms are using. One time, I got the surprise of my life when a popular noontime show suddenly lagged behind the competition in Facebook live views. I thought then that social media manipulators were being hired to favor the unpopular show.

Fake news is also being used, especially in the reporting about the daily television ratings. Here, questionable survey firms become useful. I remember a former colleague reporting out of thin air the results of a survey supposedly conducted by a virtually non-existent survey firm. The results, of course, favored the candidate my colleague was supporting at that time. The same fake news template is being used now.

Several years have passed since trolls became a by-word in social media. Fake news has also been exposed for several years now. But there are still people who fall for the lies. So it still pays to remind one and all that in an election or noontime show war, deep discernment is important. We are better intellectually than those social media manipulators and influencers. We should not fall, therefore, to their manipulation and influencing.

AN ACCIDENT involving a motorcycle caused a temporary traffic jam on the viaduct at the South Road Properties in Cebu City around noon on Monday, July 10, 2023.

The driver was identified as Daniel Salomon.

Members of the Cebu City Transportation Office who arrived at the scene didn’t get much out of Salomon, who appeared dazed and confused by what happened.

It would appear that he was driving when he suddenly hit the gutter and fell on the road. The responders believed he fell asleep on the wheel.(BBT, PJB)

3 CHAIRS, 5 VICE CHAIRS. If SunStar’s published list is right, Cebu City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera now occupies three (3) committee chairs, including the coveted committee on health

and committee on labor and employment, and five (5) vice chairs, including the much-vied-for committee on budget and finance. And she’s the majority floor leader.

The 16th Sanggunian elected new officers and organized committees last July 5, 2023 for its 2023 “season.” And as expected, all the committee seats were filled by councilors aligned

with Partido Barug, the dominant party resulting from the 2022 elections. All are Barugs except two BOPKs (Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan), who were given one each committee member seat: Councilors Mary Ann de los Santos, sports & youth; and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, labor, employment & livelihood.

Councilor Joy Pesquera leads, aside from the committee on health, two others: committee on women, LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) & family affairs and committee on rules & oversight. She’s the vice-chairwoman of the committees on (1) budget & finance, (2) labor & employment, (3) education & science; (4) barangay affairs, and (5) sister-city & big-brother relations. And she’s a member of the committee on laws & styling -- and, reinforcing all that, the majority floor leader job she has skillfully held since July 2022.

In comparison, Minority Floor Leader Nestor Archival Sr. continues to be excluded from any of the Sanggunian’s 28 committees. (A City Council secretariat quip: Even to the unofficial and fictitious committee on silence, Archival, a frequent discussant, has not been invited and obviously didn’t qualify.)

LONG LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE. Pesquera, an accountant and lawyer, is a veteran legislator, having served as city councilor for 12 years of the terms she won by election (1998-2007; 2016-2019), not counting the rest of Councilor Dondon Hontiveros’s term.

She served Hontiveros’s unexpired term after then president Duterte appointed her in February 2022 when Dondon left the City Council to serve as vice mayor upon ascension of then VM Mike Rama to mayor after the death of mayor Edgardo Labella on November 19, 2021. Her string of victories was cut only in 2019 when she lost to south district congressman Bebot Abellanosa by about 60,000 votes. Later, in the city south councilors race in 2022, she landed #3, next only to Hontiveros and Jose Abellanosa.

IMPRESSION OF INFLUENCE, POWER. A few of the other Barug councilors hold only two committee chairs, such as Phillip Zafra (public services; public order) and James Cuenco (transportation & communication; sister city-big brother relations). Hontiveros, like Pesquera, rules three committees -- education, science & technology; scholarship program; and tourism, arts & culture -- but Dondon doesn’t have as many vice-chair functions as Joy has.

Pesquera’s positions in the choice committees are perceived as sources of influence, if not power, mainly on passage of resolutions and ordinances that govern use of the city’s funds and other resources, access to which enables a politician to succeed and stay long in service and power. Being involved in such important activities helps in getting things done. As Councilor Gealon sees it, a committee chairmanship gives the councilor a direct link to the City Hall department that the committee in effect legislatively oversees.

GEALON’S WISH. Gealon, wishing for another committee chairmanship but not getting it, told Explainer Sunday, July 9, 2023 it would be “a notch closer to my peers in the majority bloc who have three committees or more” that they lead. He said he was willing to give up “all my memberships and vice chairmanships” in exchange for one more committee chairmanship.

One more (committee chairmanship), Gealon said, would enable him to coordinate with one of City Hall’s departments, which “can dispose of resources -- personnel, material or services, to better serve the Cebuanos.”

He griped that he has only committee, committee on laws & styling, where he’s the chairman. His work in the preceding Sanggunian year, by his count, consisted of 800 resolutions, 60 committee reports, 30 approved or proposed ordinances. All that appeared not to “warrant the grant of another committee chairmanship,” Councilor Gealon said.

HOW MARY ANN, ABELLANOSA GOT IN. Gealon said de los Santos and Abellanosa “intimated...they were interested to become committee members.”

Mary Ann, asked by Explainer also Sunday, July 9, said she didn’t ask for a committee member’s seat. She said Vice Mayor and Sanggunian Presiding Officer Raymond Alvin Garcia called her executive asst. for a meeting and asked him what committee she wanted. She submitted, she said, “health, because that’s my advocacy; education, since my ordinance that puts up a Student Assistance Program in elementary, high school and senior high was approved; social services, for the implementing arm of my ordinance; and youth & sports development, since I’m an enthusiast.” She got one: membership in the committee on youth and sports.

She didn’t seek out the committee assignment; in a way, it was offered. De los Santos said BOPK in 2013 didn’t give a committee seat to any councilor of Barug (of which Mary Ann at the time was a member) but in 2016, when Team Rama dominated the Sanggunian, “Mayor Tommy appointed me as deputy mayor for health.” Some people suspected then that the appointment must have added to the reasons she defected to Tomas Osmena’s BOPK.

SHUT-OUT-OPPOSITION RULE. What Councilor de los Santos and some City Hall watchers recall is the total exclusion of the opposition from the committees -- with a few rare exceptions.

To the victor belongs the spoils, or some similar spiel. Plus the harsh reality that majority

rules. Barug prepares and approves the lineup of officers and members of committees in the City Council. Except in extraordinary situations, such as when two opposition members like de los Santos and Abellanosa, are given each an individual concession, though still pittance to the opposition cause.

Zero presence in the committees assures full control on legislation but the sad, at times tragic, drawback is that a bad ordinance or resolution is not corrected at the committee level and often neglected or ignored at the en banc deliberation.

That was dramatically raised by then vice mayor Rama when he was presiding at the City Council and ally Edgardo Labella was running the mayor’s office Woe on us, Rama said in effect, we approve millions of pesos in projects and contracts, without really studying each project or contract. The alarm bell should start ringing at the committee level; one oppositionist in the committee could help

THE Cebu City Police (CCPO) filed a case on Friday July 7, 2023, for serious physical injury against the persons involved in piercing the eyes of Doctor Charles Sia, 41, on Wednesday, July 5, inside his clinic on Queens Road in Barangay Kamputhaw.

Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, CCPO director, did not say who they were suing, but he made it clear that the two accused were positively identified by the victim and his secretary.

It is said that one of the motives for the crime was related to the victim’s business, which is lending.

The police official said the doctor sued three women who owned him money in court. Two of the cases were dismissed, but one case prospered.

Based on the statement of Sia and his secretary, the boyfriend of the person who owed him, along with an accomplice, were responsible for last Wednesday’s attack.

The woman, though, was not charged because she was not involved in the crime.

Dalogdog said they have provided security to the victim, who is still in the hospital, because the accused is still in the city.

Dalogdog said they are waiting for the warrants to come out so they can arrest the two men. He said they considered the case closed.

Meanwhile, Sia is in stable condition.

According to his doctor, he can see clearly in one eye, but he suffers from blurred vision in the other because it is still swollen.(AYB, PJB)

THE Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has awarded the security guard who almost lost his job for helping someone in need.

Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, CCPO director, gave Dean Cueno of Malaking Ibong Bughaw Security Services Inc. a certificate of appreciation during the flag ceremony at the police headquarters on Monday morning, July 10, 2023.

According to the police official, Cueno didn’t hesitate to leave his post to assist John Mark Barrientos, a collector for a remittance firm, last July 4.

Barrientos was heading to Mandaue City when the zipper of his backpack broke, letting money bills fly out into the air and land on the viaduct of the South Road Properties.

Cueno tried to prevent bystanders from taking the money lying on the ground.

Cueno said the initial plan to fire him has been shelved. However, he was placed on floating status after he was told not to return to his post at the Cebu-Cordoval Link Expressway (CCLEX).

He said the security firm told him they will assign him to another post once there is a vacancy.

“Wala pako nila hatagi og pwesto kay ang ilang client diri sa Cebu ang CCLEX lang ug sa may Ramos dapit (They have yet to assign me to a new post since their only clients in Cebu are the CCLEX and another one in Ramos),” he said.

Cueno said he will return to his hometown in Cebu Province until then.

However, when Colonel Dalogdog got wind of Cueno’s situation, he coordinated with the Regional Civil Security Unit in Central Visayas to help the latter apply at another security agency.

Dalogdog said Cueno deserved all the praise for going out on a limb to help a fellow man.(AYB, PJB)

A MINIBUS traveling from Pinamungajan in western Cebu to Cebu City slammed into an eatery in Sitio Cogon, Barangay Poblacion 1, Carcar City at 4:10 a.m. Monday, July 10, 2023.

Seven persons were injured, including 57-year-old Vivian Abella, the mother of the eatery’s owner, Kent Abella.

The other victims were identified as Rey Ybañez, 27; Martie Barangan, 18; Johnar Ybañez; Jundy Barbieros, 26; Bon Roland Miñoza, 28; and Warren Plarisan, 31.

They all are residents of the sitio, save for Plarisan, who hails from Sitio Bansai in Barangay Bolinawan.

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Gifter Sucalit, chief of the Carcar City Police Station, said the minibus’ driver, Pinamungajan resident Argey Sevellino Ogahayon, of legal age, is in police custody.

Based on initial investigation, the victims were sitting outside the eatery when the incident happened.

Kent, the owner, was asleep next door when he was suddenly awoken by a loud bang.

He rushed his mother to the hospital when he discovered that she was among the injured.

Sucalit said they have yet to verify reports that Ogahayon was under the influence of liquor. (BBT)

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has delisted thousands of voter registrations in Cebu months before the October 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

In Cebu City, the Cebu South District reported at least 6,082 delisted voters, while figures recorded by the North District have yet to be finalized.

In Cebu Province, over 20,000 registrations were removed.

The delisted voters were identified by the Comelec based on three factors: deceased voter, Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) or voters with two recorded biometrics, and transfer to another city or municipality.

Data provided by Comelec Central Visayas to SunStar Cebu showed that as of July 10, around 20,633 deleted voters will be added to the previous 381,906 removed voters nationwide.

Majority of the removed registrations were voters who transferred to another city or municipality, accounting to a total of 9,172 voters.

Also removed from the list were voters with two or more fingerprints detected by the AFIS, numbering to about 6,215 voters.

There were also 5,231 confirmed deceased voters and 15 voters with multiple or double records in the city or municipality.

With this, the number of voters for BSKE 2023 in Cebu Province is now 3,384,185.

The Comelec said, though, that the figures may change due to the ongoing evaluation process.

Meanwhile, Comelec Election Assistant Officer II Meguni Tapia stressed the age requirement and Anti-Dynasty Law for those planning to file for candidacy.

"Ipa state gyud ang age inig election day... Basi'g underage diay siya. Bantayanan kaayo namo na. Di na mo dawaton og underage or overage," he said.

(The candidate must state his/her age before election day. The candidate might be underage or overage for the position.)

Comelec guidelines stated that the candidates must be at least 18 years old but not more than 24 years old on election day, October 30, 2023.

Tapia also said that the Anti-Dynasty Law will be implemented for running SK candidates.

"Nya unsa pay lain bantayanan sa SK, katong Anti-Dynasty Law. Kung naa siyay amahan nga official, di sya kadagan. Dili ka lansar og naay incumbent nga up to second civil degree," he said.

(If you run for SK position, you have to be aware of the Anti-Dynasty Law. You cannot run for a position if you have an incumbent public official from any government offices under the second civil degree of consanguinity.)

The filing of Certificate of Candidacy for BSKE will run from August 28 to September 2. (CNU interns Erica Abella and GK Marie Dejacto, and UP Cebu intern Chrys Chelsea Bernales)

CEBU Governor Gwendolyn Garcia praised and defended Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco, who happens to be her daughter, amid criticisms hurled against the latter over the slogan controversy.

"Allow me to speak as a mother who is extremely pained by witnessing what her beloved daughter has gone through these past few weeks, unfairly criticized, bashed, ridiculed for a sin she did not commit and yet she stood her ground,” Garcia said during the opening of the Tourist Rest Area (TRA) in the northern town of Medellin on Monday morning, July 10, 2023.

According to Garcia, Frasco has accomplished a lot since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed her to the Cabinet post, one of which is the establishment of TRAs across the country.

The governor also thanked the mayors, the local legislators, the Provincial Board members and other stakeholders who attended the activity as a show of support for the beleaguered DOT secretary.

“... and that is why I am especially grateful for your presence here this morning,” she said.

Garcia directed the mayors to replicate the tourism slogan, “Love the Philippines.”

She explained that happiness may fade over time, but love is strengthened by trials.

“It’s really not just having fun, but it’s really reminding each of us Filipinos that we have a duty to love the Philippines. Love the Philippines, it will define us Filipinos and it will push us to achieve greater heights, of greater progress and development. We will own this commitment to love the Philippines... Higugmaon ta ang Pilipinas, Higugmaon ta ang Sugbo (Let us love the Philippines, let us love Cebu)," she said.

Last week, several senators, mayors, members of Congress, board members and other stakeholders signed a manifesto supporting Frasco.(ANV, PJB)

VENDORS at Carbon Public Market have expressed concerns on the proposed increase of fees, saying they might have to increase the prices of goods if it pushes through.

The Cebu City Council has proposed the increase of rental and entrance fees for vendors in line with the Carbon redevelopment project.

The market redevelopment project is about 10 percent complete, said Lydwena Eco, Cebu2World Development Inc. (C2W) deputy general manager, on April 20.

Alma Lumeria, a vendor selling bell pepper, ginger and tomatoes from Barangay Ermita, said the prices of her goods have stayed the same over the course of a few months.

"Wala ra man hinuo'y umento sa mga presyo diri. Kani, akong atsal tag P120 gihapong kilo. Mao ra jud bisa'g pila na ka buwan," she said.

(There is no increase in the prices here. For example, these bell peppers I'm selling are still priced P120 per kilo. It has stayed the same over a few months.)

Nestor Kelvin Elasco, a 58-year-old vendor selling eggplant, tomatoes, and bitter gourd, said that his goods have also stayed at the same price, but he will soon change it if rental and entrance fees increase.

"Mao ra man gihapon ron. Pero madayon gani to ilang plano nga patas'an ning bayranan namo, aw wa mi choice kung di patas'an sad namong presyo aning gulayon namo," he said.

(It's still the same now. However, that will change if their plan to increase our fees happens. We'll have no choice but to also increase the price of our goods.)

Ralph, a vendor selling Baguio beans, cucumber and garlic, was hoping the fees will not increase yet, considering their earnings are not enough to cover their payments and expenses.

"Naglisud naman gani mi ron buot huna-hunaon bisag wala pa gipatas-an among bayronon, unsaon na lang inig patas-an na jud? Gamay ra kaayo mi'g ginansya, kansi jud kaayo mi," he said.

(We're already having a hard time now when the fees haven't increased yet, so how much more when there is an increase? Our profit is too small; it's too much of a loss for us.)

Several vendors are already occupying the new Carbon Market Interim Building, one of the market redevelopment project's initiatives to cater vendors while the main public market is still under construction. (Miguel Angelu Lumen, CNU Intern)

THE Cebu City Health Department Nutrition Office said that stunting after two years old is irreversible and noted that the prevalence rate of severely stunted children increased this year compared to 2022.

City Health Nutrition officer and Nutrition Program coordinator Allan Daag said that “based on the data (Operation Timbang), at least makuha nato ang mga number of normal children, those who had issues like the underweight, stunted and the wasted nato and then so the overweight and then the obese kay we still consider that also a form of malnutrition.”

(Based on the data (Operation Timbang), at least we can get the number of normal children, those who had issues like underweight, stunted and wasted and then the overweight and then the obese because we still consider that also as a form of malnutrition.)

Operation Timbang (OPT) is an annual three-month activity conducted from January until March by barangay health workers and city nutrition scholars. It measures the height and weight of all children 0-5 months old or five years old and below to determine their nutritional status.

The activity also includes all 80 barangays from the 85 health centers in Cebu City.

The nutrition situation, according to the nutritional status of children 0-59 months this year, showed that there was an increase in prevalence of underweight (weight for age) and severely stunted (height for age) compared in 2022.

It added that severely stunted children decreased from 1.98 percent in 2021 to 1.79 percent in 2022, and then to 1.95 percent as of July 2023.

Underweight children have a prevalence rate of 2.36 percent in 2021, then it increased by two percentage points in 2022, and at 2.63 percent in 2023.

For severely wasted (weight for length/height) or children with severely acute malnourished syndrome, there was a decrease in the prevalence rate with 0.85 percent in 2021 and 0.95 percent in 2022 to 0.27 percent in 2023. It, however, is still labeled an emergency case and needs proper medical attention, said the nutrition office.

“They think that it’s not enough kuno ang breastfeeding. Actually, the truth is enough gyud siya. It’s God’s gift jud na for the children so they have to have at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding,” said Daag.

(They think that breastfeeding is not enough, but the truth is it is really enough. It's God's gift for the children so they have to have at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding.)

He added that it is considered the golden window of opportunity as all of the development of the child depends on the first 1,000 days of nutrition of the child and the mother.

Meanwhile, he said that wasting or acute malnutrition is usually caused by sudden changes in food security.

Daag said they gave out Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for children who are affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), and Ready to Use Supplementary Food for Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). He said the food is in a sachet form containing 500 calories.

“What we give to the child especially ang MAM nato is we give one sachet per day and that’s for three months and for SAM, we give two sachets of the RUTF for three months also,” he added.

He said there is a transparent improvement in the prevalence of malnutrition upon doing the RUTF intervention. (Kimberly Goc-ong, CNU Intern)

RENOVATIONS of the sports facilities at the Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC) are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Jovito Taborada, sports center manager, said in an interview that more than 25 workers are fast-handedly finishing the adjustments being done at the sports complex.

The construction time may be delayed, though, depending on the weather condition, he added.

As of Monday, July 10, 2023, two big sports installations -- a 15-meter and 25-meter swimming pool -- are still under construction.

He said they are first working on the smaller pool, then they will work on the lap pool, which is the standard size in hosting big sporting events such as the Palarong Pambansa.

“Duha na ka swimming pool, katung 15 meters and 25 meters. Gi-expand nato siya kay ang standard gyud sa facilities, mu-host og big events, 25 [meters]. Mao nay gitawag na lap pool,” said Taborada.

(There are two swimming pools, the 15 meters and 25 meters. We expanded the facilities into its standard size because in order to host big events, it has to be 25 meters. That’s what we call the lap pool.)

New features of the swimming pool will include a new footer in the center and a pool marking that will be one meter away from the wall to prevent swimmers from getting injured.

Taborada added that the oval located in the middle, and additional sports facilities of CCSC will be refurbished next after both pools are completed. (Denise Mae Codis, CNU Intern)