Philippines News

Tropical Depression Dodong maintains its strength over the West Philippine Sea west of Ilocos Region, this as the enhanced Southwest Monsoon continues to bring significant amounts of rains within the next three days.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra is not too optimistic that the Philippines will get a favorable ruling on its appeal against the resumption of the International Criminal Court drug war probe.

Heavy rainfall experienced in the past days have not been enough to improve the water level of Angat Dam, National Water Resources Board executive director Sevillo David Jr. said yesterday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the death of an overseas Filipino worker in Hong Kong whose body was found at the Tsing Yi public pier on July 13.

Flooding in Metro Manila during heavy rains may be a thing of the past in seven years, an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways said on July 13.

The Office of the Solicitor General has created a “special team” to study possible legal action regarding China’s continued refusal to recognize the ruling of an international arbitration court in 2016.

New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): Thailand's Thipatcha Putthawong has made her way to the history books as she became the seventh cricketer to pick four wickets in four balls in a T20I game on Friday. Putthawong, who had claimed the sixth-best figures in a women's ODI in April this year by taking an incredible 6/6 against Zimbabwe, found a place in the record books again. The left-arm spinner took 5/8 in the 2nd T20I agai

New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): Jamshedpur FC have appointed Irish-English manager Scott Cooper as the club's new head coach on Friday ahead of the 2023-24 season after the club parted ways with Aidy Boothroyd a day earlier. Scott's major success has come in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, the 52-year-old has managed clubs such as Buriram United, Muangthong United, Ubon UMT United, Police Tero, and Port FC. Cooper had a ma

SOME 215 families or 853 individuals currently residing in the 3.6-hectare Cebu Chinese Cemetery along M.J. Cuenco Avenue, which the Cebu City Government plans to transform into a heritage park, may not need to be relocated outside the compound, according to Anthony Librando of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP).

This is due to the commitment made by the Asociacion Benevola de Cebu Inc. to donate a plot of land measuring over 2,400 square meters within the property.

The City intends to construct two medium-rise buildings (MRB) in this area, which will be able to accommodate all the families.

There is currently no specific timeline for the start of the project. However, once it begins, the four-story MRBs will be the first structures to be built, according to the DWUP.

The units in the MRB will not be provided free of charge, as each family will be required to make a payment. Each unit will be relatively affordable, as the MRB falls under the balanced housing development program under Republic Act (RA) 10884 of 2016 as confirmed by Librando.

Under balanced housing development, owners and/or developers of proposed subdivision and condominium projects are required to develop an area for socialized housing equivalent to at least 15 percent of the total subdivision area or total subdivision project cost and at least five percent of the condominium area or project cost.

Socialized housing refers to housing programs and projects for the underprivileged and homeless citizens, including sites and services development, long-term financing and liberalized terms on interest payments, according to RA 10884.

Poor state

City Councilor Jerry Guardo told SunStar Cebu on Friday, July 14, 2023 that Mayor Michael Rama had intervened because of the poor state of the cemetery.

“It looks like an abandoned cemetery. There is no clear maintenance and management,” Rama said, according to Guardo.

Guardo also said turning it into a heritage park would make it a new tourist attraction, which the mayor looks forward to actualizing.

Benefit

Dean Decal, memorial division administrator of the Asociacion Benevola de Cebu Inc. (ABCI), informed SunStar Cebu on Friday that the Cebu Chinese Cemetery was still under the Asociacion’s ownership.

Decal explained that the Asociacion supported the City’s proposal to turn the cemetery into a heritage park because they would benefit from the project by removing the informal settlers who have been living there for a long time.

“Kami malipay mi kon matangtang na sila diha,” he said. (We will be happy if they will be removed from the area).

DWUP reported that many of these families had been residing there for about 10 years or more already, some for 20 years.

Not final

Decal said the City’s plan to construct four-story medium-rise buildings in the vicinity of the cemetery where they planned to transfer the informal settlers is not final yet and subject to change.

He explained that they need to consult first the owners of some mausoleums that would be affected if they are willing to relocate their relatives’ remains or not.

He said the City intended to build the mid-rise structures close to where many Barangay Carreta residents live so that they will be recognized as part of the barangay once it is completed.

He also said they have not yet determined the budget for the rehabilitation, as well as the contractor and start date of the construction.

Librando added that another reason for the plan not being final was that Jerone Castillo, head of the Cebu City Legal Office, proposed to let the Asociacion donate 5,000 hectares instead of 2,400 hectares.

Librando explained that the donation plan still lacks the deed of donation and other legal documents.

Counting remains

Meanwhile, Decal said they already employed geodetic engineers to measure the entire area and count the remaining human remains buried in the Chinese Cemetery, so they could know the exact numbers.

Decal explained that they would identify the owners of the human remains after counting them precisely. He said graves without any remains left would be demolished.

He said they will preserve most of the graves with remains left, especially the old ones that have historical significance, which will be the main attractions in the area.

The Asociacion established the Cebu Chinese Cemetery in 1909. It became the final resting place of prominent Chinese-Cebuano personalities including Asociacion co-founder Don Benito Tan Unchuan; trader Don Manuel Gotianuy, father of University of Cebu (UC) owner Augusto Go; and Doña Modesto Singson Sy Gaisano.

Robbers

In 2017, members of the Chinese-Filipino community in Cebu sought the help of the Cebu City Government for the restoration of the cemetery and the eviction of the more than 200 families living there after incidents of grave robbing.

UC’s Go said the cemetery had been abandoned and was now being occupied by informal settlers. Even those who were buried at the cemetery had been transferred to other cemeteries by their relatives, Go said.

Who are the settlers?

Last October, Carreta Barangay Captain Marciano Ando told SunStar Cebu that many of the settlers in the cemetery used to live in the North Reclamation Area until their houses were demolished in 2018, and that former Carreta barangay captain Eduardo Lauron had allowed them to stay in the cemetery temporarily.

However, during a visit to the cemetery in 2017, SunStar Cebu learned that other families had been living there for more than 40 years already.

It all started with the caretakers originally hired by the Chinese-Cebuano families to guard their mausoleums, whose children later continued to make the cemetery their home.

Their presence was not felt then because every Nov. 1 and 2, during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the illegal settlers vacated the mausoleums they were living in to make way for visitors who wanted to pray for their loved ones and bring flowers or food. / WITH CTL

SOME projects may have to be sacrificed after Mandaue City saw a drop in its National Tax Allotment (NTA) in the first six months of 2023, with the fall expected to continue in 2024.

The City is working to boost local revenues, though, to try to plug the revenue shortfall.

Lawyer Regal Oliva, head of the Mandaue City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), said Wednesday, July 12, 2023, the City received an NTA (formerly Internal Revenue Allotment) of only P559.61 million in the first half of this year.

With this, they project to receive only around P1.12 billion in NTA for the whole of 2023, which would be a P200 million decrease from the NTA of P1.31 billion that the city received in 2022.

Oliva said the Covid-19 pandemic, which heavily impacted businesses from 2020 to 2021, could have contributed to the decrease in NTA.

The IRA is the annual share of local government units (LGUs) of the national internal revenue taxes collected. It is computed at 40 percent of the actual collections of national internal revenue taxes during the third fiscal year preceding the current year, as certified by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

But starting in the Fiscal Year 2022 General Appropriations Act, the term “Internal Revenue Allotment” was replaced with “National Tax Allotment” consistent with the 2018 Supreme Court decision, made final and executory in 2019, on the Mandanas-Garcia case that widened the base from which the LGUs’ shares in national taxes is computed to include the taxes collected by the Bureau of Customs and other agencies certified by the Bureau of the Treasury.

Belt tightening

Oliva said they will be tightening their belts next year because they expect the figures to decrease further since these will be based on the 2021 tax collection.

“We are still doing our budget hearing beginning next month. We expect that departments will propose their own austerity measures,” said Oliva.

“2021 collection was very low. Nonetheless, our collection from local sources, especially in the business tax aspect, is very successful and we are almost at target even in July. Gamay na lang kay tag kuwang (We are only a little short). We are very optimistic that in the third and fourth quarter we can already get our target in business taxes,” she added.

Oliva said one of the biggest impacts of the city having a low NTA is the possibility that there are programs and projects that will have to be sacrificed.

Real property taxes

For real property taxes, they are still giving notices and demand letters to delinquent real property taxpayers.

Real property tax (RPT) is the tax government collects from owners of properties like land, buildings and machinery to fund various community projects.

In August, the CTO employees will undergo training for judicial and administrative collection of real property taxes.

An auction of the properties of delinquent taxpayers may happen at the end of the year.

Auction

Oliva said the condition for the auction is that real taxpayers, under the three-notice rule, should have received the first to third demand letters issued by the City Treasurer’s Office.

“We have to comply with the three-notice rule. So the first demand, second demand and the third demand should be received by the taxpayer. Failure of receipt, that cannot be, will not be a candidate for auction,” Oliva said.

The real property taxes they estimate for collection is about P600 million for the whole 2023.

According to ndvlaw.com, if RPT is not paid, the local government unit concerned may avail of the remedies by administrative action through levy on real property or by judicial action. Hence, if one has been delinquent, the city or municipality may auction off one’s property.

Regarding the proceedings for auction, Oliva said they already issued warrants of levy on the first week of April. Those candidates for the warrant of levy can be auctioned off likely after August.

Oliva said some delinquent taxpayers had not paid their RPT since 2021.

Oliva said if they have an auction, taxpayers will see the danger of losing their properties. Thus, it will promote the payment of real property taxes on the delinquent properties.

Tax mapping

Oliva said they have been very active when it comes to tax mapping.

But they don’t have operations in December because they don’t want their employees to be given money or Christmas gifts as bribes by delinquent taxpayers, and in January, because this is real property tax month when they are very busy.

Oliva said they have three teams for tax mapping operations to determine the businesses in the city and their compliance with tax payment requirements.

This year, Mandaue has collected millions in real property taxes, of which P180 million alone was collected as a result of its tax mapping operations, Oliva said.

THE percentage of married women in Central Visayas utilizing modern family planning methods has increased from 29 percent in 1993 to 45 percent in 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Thursday, July 13, 2023.

The PSA reported that these figures are based on the results of the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development or USAID.

The NDHS offers insights into various aspects of family planning, violence against women, fertility rates, women’s empowerment, and healthcare access in Central Visayas. The survey results were presented to local media during an event at the Golden Prince Hotel and Suites in Cebu City on Thursday.

According to Maria Lourdes Garillos, fertility and family planning population program officer, the significant increase in the use of modern family planning methods among married women in Central Visayas is a reflection of the growing adoption of modern contraceptive methods in the region.

Modern methods

Modern methods include female sterilization, male sterilization, pills, IUDs (intrauterine devices), injectables, condoms, mucus/billings/ovulation methods, standard days method, and lactational amenorrhea method.

Traditional methods include the calendar method, rhythm or periodic abstinence, and withdrawal method.

The survey also emphasized the need for ongoing efforts to promote family planning education and services to sexually active unmarried women, as their contraceptive usage remains significantly lower compared to married women.

Garillos stressed the importance of reaching out to this population and addressing any barriers they may face in accessing and utilizing contraception.

She further noted that the unmet need for family planning in Central Visayas has decreased from 22 percent in 1993 to 13 percent in 2022, indicating improved access to contraception.

These findings underscore the ongoing importance of enhancing family planning services and information, she added.

Domestic violence

As for domestic violence against women, the cases remain a concerning issue in Central Visayas, according to Leslie Marie Zuasula, senior statistical specialist of PSA-Women’s Empowerment and Domestic Violence.

According to the survey, 19 percent of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from their current or most recent husband or intimate partner.

Fourteen percent of women in the same age group have experienced some form of violence within the past 12 months.

Healthcare services

The survey also examined various aspects of women’s empowerment, such as earnings, decision-making, and negotiation of sexual relations.

The PSA stated that policymakers can utilize this information to develop comprehensive programs promoting gender equality and safeguarding women’s rights.

The survey also revealed the challenges faced by women aged 15-49 when accessing healthcare services.

Understanding these difficulties is crucial for developing strategies to improve healthcare access for women and ensure timely medical attention, the PSA said.

The survey’s findings will serve as a valuable foundation for policymakers, healthcare providers, and stakeholders to design programs that address women’s specific needs and enhance their overall well-being in Central Visayas, according to the PSA. (NWSSU INTERN IAN CHRISTOPHER OSTULANO)

AT LEAST four families or 17 individuals were evacuated from Sitio Langub, Barangay Buhisan, Cebu City due to a landslide caused by a downpour on Thursday, July 13, 2023.

Harold Alcontin, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the landslide occurred at around 6 a.m. No one was hurt during the incident.

Alcontin said two houses were damaged because of cracks.

The foundation of the houses also collapsed.

The affected families were evacuated to the barangay hall and were provided food and non-food items by the Department of Social Welfare Services.

Alcontin said residents nearby were advised to be vigilant because the incident might happen again anytime.

“The area is still unstable because we keep on experiencing rains. As of now, we have not allowed anyone to go back there,” Alcontin said in Cebuano.

Officials and first responders of Barangay Buhisan are still monitoring the area, especially with the current weather conditions.

Buhisan has been identified as a landslide-prone area.

Gremar Barete, barangay captain of Buhisan, said over 1,000 families are residing along the danger zone.

“Barangay Buhisan is located beside a creek. That’s really a danger zone which is why we have mitigation measures, such as flood control,” Barete said in Cebuano.

He added that the barangay is still awaiting the establishment of a medium-rise building where affected residents can be relocated.

A flood-control project in the barangay is still ongoing, Alcontin said. (CNU INTERN CAMILLE ERIKA BUTAS)

FARMERS and suppliers from Barangay Cabadiangan, Liloan in northern Cebu can now experience faster and safer travel after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) built a P14.9 million farm-to-market road in the area.

The newly concreted 824-meter-long road gives farmers more convenient access to transport their fresh produce to market centers in Liloan and Consolacion, as well as major cities like Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, the DPWH said in a statement last week.

The department cited barangay resident Ma. Sandra Dellera as saying the road has not only sped up residents’ delivery of various products to buyers but also provided the barangay’s students with a safer and easier route to school.

The road was built by the DPWH Cebu 5th District Engineering Office.

CENTRAL and Eastern Visayas may experience cloudy skies, light to moderate with at times heavy rains, and thunderstorms due to the enhanced southwest monsoon, the weather bureau said on Friday, July 14, 2023.

Alfredo Quiblat Jr., director of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Visayas, said bad weather condition will prevail in the two regions until Saturday, July 15, 2023.

He said light to moderate and at times occasional heavy rainshowers are expected over Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Leyte and Samar with lightning and strong winds, and with a rainfall amount of between 5.5 to 7.5 millimeters within one to two hours.

Quiblat said there will be rough seas due to moderate to strong winds from the enhanced southwest monsoon. This, he said, may be risky for small boats and beachgoers.

He said the impacts associated with these hazards include flash floods and landslides.

Pagasa 7 has been monitoring Tropical Depression Dodong, which made landfall at 3 a.m. Friday over Dinapigue in Isabela province in northern Luzon. As of 10 a.m. Friday, the center of Dodong was located in the vicinity of Alacapan, Cagayan.

Quiblat said Dodong is expected to move away from northern Luzon Friday afternoon or evening and head toward the West Philippine Sea, where it may strengthen into a tropical storm before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.

Impacts

As of Friday morning, at least 12 areas in Luzon have been placed until Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 due to Tropical Depression Dodong.

TCWS No. 1 was hoisted over Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and the northern portion of Pangasinan (San Nicolas, San Manuel, Sison, San Fabian, Pozorrubio, Bolinao, Bani, City of Alaminos, Sual, Labrador, Lingayen, Agno, Binmaley, Dagupan City, San Jacinto, Mangaldan, Anda).

Pagasa said 50 to 100 millimeters of rain are expected Friday until Saturday morning, July 15 in Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra Benguet, Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan.

“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days,” it said.

It also said the enhanced southwest monsoon may bring gusty conditions over Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and other areas of Central Luzon Friday, while it will be experienced on Saturday in Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Calabarzon, Zambales, Bataan, and Aurora. (AML, LMY)

Aotearoa New Zealand is increasing efforts to tackle climate change by joining with partners to support the Asian Mega-Deltas initiative that increases climate resilience and provides greater food security to the region. 

"To succeed in the global fight against climate change we need to find innovative ways to work together, become more sustainable and

The proposed reform of the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) pension fund was on top of the list of issues tackled during a recent meeting between Speaker Martin Romualdez and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.

The Department of Migrant Workers will be holding online overseas job fairs twice a month starting this July.

The Department of Health has welcomed the Supreme Court ruling that dismissed petitions challenging the constitutionality of COVID-19 regulations imposed by different government agencies as well as local government units.

Describing it as a work of fiction, President Marcos does not see any problem in allowing the release of the movie “Barbie” in Philippine cinemas.

An incoming Grade 5 student from Olongapo City won a gold medal in an international mathematics competition held in New York City this week.