Main menu
User login
Moalboal Feed
You are here
Cebu Sun.Star
Tell it to SunStar: On brain drain
Every year, over a thousand highly skilled Filipino workers and professionals leave the country for better opportunities abroad. The emigration of highly trained individuals and professionals from the country to the United States, Western Europe, and other Asian countries is disturbing.
It is because most of them are medical and non-medical professionals like nurses, medical technologists, engineers, teachers and skilled workers highly needed in the country. Usually, the high salaries and lucrative benefits are the motivating forces behind the exodus, unmindful of the pain and nostalgia away from home. Because of its temporary benefits like foreign remittance, many disregard the devastating impact of brain drain. Ironically, they are called modern heroes because of their sacrifices and economic contribution.
But what is the actual economic impact of brain drain? Brain drain harms the developing country that is sending the individuals away. Such a country will experience unemployment and a decline in human resources. Highly skilled and talented professionals will be scarce in the locality. It can affect economic development as industries suffer from a lack of labor force. It can also lead to a lack of expertise in major sectors such as health and education, leading to a decrease in the quality of living standards for citizens.
In addition, the country will lose out on tax revenue generated by these individuals, which could weaken the economy. The remittances sent back by professionals can help to boost the economy in the short term, but in the long run, it can lead to an outflow of foreign exchange. Further, it can reduce the country’s ability to invest in newly acquired technology or other economic developments.
Another adverse effect of working abroad is the infidelity issue and family breakdown. Extramarital affairs are high among overseas contract workers in this age of social media. The disintegration of families resulted in abandoned and neglected children in society. No amount of financial success can compensate for the failure at home.
Brain drain is a serious issue that our socioeconomic managers and planners should look into. Its long-term impact could destroy the future and moral fiber of our nation. We cannot allow short-term benefits over long-term damage and drawbacks. The preservation of Filipino families should be our top priority in nation-building.
It is because most of them are medical and non-medical professionals like nurses, medical technologists, engineers, teachers and skilled workers highly needed in the country. Usually, the high salaries and lucrative benefits are the motivating forces behind the exodus, unmindful of the pain and nostalgia away from home. Because of its temporary benefits like foreign remittance, many disregard the devastating impact of brain drain. Ironically, they are called modern heroes because of their sacrifices and economic contribution.
But what is the actual economic impact of brain drain? Brain drain harms the developing country that is sending the individuals away. Such a country will experience unemployment and a decline in human resources. Highly skilled and talented professionals will be scarce in the locality. It can affect economic development as industries suffer from a lack of labor force. It can also lead to a lack of expertise in major sectors such as health and education, leading to a decrease in the quality of living standards for citizens.
In addition, the country will lose out on tax revenue generated by these individuals, which could weaken the economy. The remittances sent back by professionals can help to boost the economy in the short term, but in the long run, it can lead to an outflow of foreign exchange. Further, it can reduce the country’s ability to invest in newly acquired technology or other economic developments.
Another adverse effect of working abroad is the infidelity issue and family breakdown. Extramarital affairs are high among overseas contract workers in this age of social media. The disintegration of families resulted in abandoned and neglected children in society. No amount of financial success can compensate for the failure at home.
Brain drain is a serious issue that our socioeconomic managers and planners should look into. Its long-term impact could destroy the future and moral fiber of our nation. We cannot allow short-term benefits over long-term damage and drawbacks. The preservation of Filipino families should be our top priority in nation-building.
Categories: Philippines News
Tell it to SunStar: Rebranding Marcos Jr.’s regime
The first year of Marcos Jr.’s presidency in the Philippines was primarily focused on building his public image, as he attempted to rebrand his regime as “Bagong Pilipinas,” reminiscent of his father’s corrupt and violent “Bagong Lipunan” regime.
However, no amount of rebranding can conceal the inherent corruption and decay at the core of his administration. Marcos Jr. has proven to be incapable of addressing the pressing demands of the people, offering nothing more than an illusion of productivity. This administration is merely an echo of his father’s tyrannical rule.
One of the glaring examples of this is the Maharlika Investment Fund, which was railroaded into law, despite widespread clamor from economists and the broad masses against it.
Under this scheme, public funds, including those of pensioners through SSS and GSIS, are jeopardized by false promises of foreign investment. Instead of focusing on strengthening and industrializing the nation, the so-called economic growth is being placed in the hands of foreign companies and private corporations.
This is clear evidence that Marcos Jr., like his father, continues to be a puppet of imperialist countries. The investment fund also serves as a means for him to institutionalize cronyism, a notorious characteristic of his father’s regime that allowed the Marcos family to amass wealth at the expense of the Filipino people.
No amount of rebranding can hide the ongoing violence perpetrated by Marcos Jr.’s administration against peasants in rural areas.
In Negros, for instance, 21 civilians lost their lives during intensified military operations, with most of them being peasants falsely labeled as “rebels” in staged encounters, which were nothing more than cold-blooded murders.
Through propaganda tactics, the administration attempts to shift blame onto the revolutionary forces for the massacres that state forces themselves have orchestrated. A heartbreaking example is the Fausto family, where two minors were among the victims. They recycle the old narrative of “purging” to justify their lies and atrocities.
Civilians and peasants are still being duped into surrendering as “rebels” in the guise of livelihood projects. Negros, thus, remains a lab rat for human rights violations in the government’s US-led counterinsurgency program through the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
More rights violations are expected in the coming years, as the administration has declared another “deadline” to crush the revolutionary movement. But we assert that a militaristic approach to the armed conflict can only lead to more civilian deaths, and it is only through the resumption of peace talks that meaningful steps toward genuine peace could be attained.
Instead of providing mere band-aid solutions like food stamps or establishing Kadiwa stores, Marcos Jr.’s response to the worsening hunger crisis in the country should prioritize comprehensive, scientific, and people-centered policies and programs toward food sovereignty. Instead of boosting local production, this administration only plans to import from other countries, as is the case in the sugar industry, where the government announced another plan to import 150,000 metric tons of refined sugar on July 6.
It is a shame that, as the Department of Agriculture Secretary, he has nothing to show for addressing the historical problem of landlessness for our farmers. As much as we welcome his move to cancel the loans of farmers, it will not uplift them from the current slave-like conditions they are experiencing now. Farm workers continue to suffer from the piece-meal rate and they still remain without land, despite the bogus land reform program, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
Thus, Bayan Negros, and all the progressive groups under it, calls on all Negrosanons to remain vigilant, as the first year of Marcos Jr. will only spell out worse things to come.
However, no amount of rebranding can conceal the inherent corruption and decay at the core of his administration. Marcos Jr. has proven to be incapable of addressing the pressing demands of the people, offering nothing more than an illusion of productivity. This administration is merely an echo of his father’s tyrannical rule.
One of the glaring examples of this is the Maharlika Investment Fund, which was railroaded into law, despite widespread clamor from economists and the broad masses against it.
Under this scheme, public funds, including those of pensioners through SSS and GSIS, are jeopardized by false promises of foreign investment. Instead of focusing on strengthening and industrializing the nation, the so-called economic growth is being placed in the hands of foreign companies and private corporations.
This is clear evidence that Marcos Jr., like his father, continues to be a puppet of imperialist countries. The investment fund also serves as a means for him to institutionalize cronyism, a notorious characteristic of his father’s regime that allowed the Marcos family to amass wealth at the expense of the Filipino people.
No amount of rebranding can hide the ongoing violence perpetrated by Marcos Jr.’s administration against peasants in rural areas.
In Negros, for instance, 21 civilians lost their lives during intensified military operations, with most of them being peasants falsely labeled as “rebels” in staged encounters, which were nothing more than cold-blooded murders.
Through propaganda tactics, the administration attempts to shift blame onto the revolutionary forces for the massacres that state forces themselves have orchestrated. A heartbreaking example is the Fausto family, where two minors were among the victims. They recycle the old narrative of “purging” to justify their lies and atrocities.
Civilians and peasants are still being duped into surrendering as “rebels” in the guise of livelihood projects. Negros, thus, remains a lab rat for human rights violations in the government’s US-led counterinsurgency program through the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
More rights violations are expected in the coming years, as the administration has declared another “deadline” to crush the revolutionary movement. But we assert that a militaristic approach to the armed conflict can only lead to more civilian deaths, and it is only through the resumption of peace talks that meaningful steps toward genuine peace could be attained.
Instead of providing mere band-aid solutions like food stamps or establishing Kadiwa stores, Marcos Jr.’s response to the worsening hunger crisis in the country should prioritize comprehensive, scientific, and people-centered policies and programs toward food sovereignty. Instead of boosting local production, this administration only plans to import from other countries, as is the case in the sugar industry, where the government announced another plan to import 150,000 metric tons of refined sugar on July 6.
It is a shame that, as the Department of Agriculture Secretary, he has nothing to show for addressing the historical problem of landlessness for our farmers. As much as we welcome his move to cancel the loans of farmers, it will not uplift them from the current slave-like conditions they are experiencing now. Farm workers continue to suffer from the piece-meal rate and they still remain without land, despite the bogus land reform program, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
Thus, Bayan Negros, and all the progressive groups under it, calls on all Negrosanons to remain vigilant, as the first year of Marcos Jr. will only spell out worse things to come.
Categories: Philippines News
Police now have persons of interest in Rhea Mae’s murder
A WEEK after Rhea Mae Tocmo was murdered, police in Cebu City already have persons of interest (POIs) in the case.
A native of Jasaan town in Misamis Oriental, the 19-year-old Tocmo was found dead and wrapped inside a cardboard box left on the roadside in Sitio Mohon, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City on Monday, July 17, 2023.
She arrived in Cebu last June 11 to find a job.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, deputy city director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), however, refused to divulge the names of POIs pending an ongoing investigation, but promised to get statements from anyone who had contact with the victim.
Rafter claimed that they have expanded the scope of their investigation into the incident by adding police personnel.
"We are on the right track in our investigation because of the leads we acquired as we go along the way,” the lady police official said.
Rafter admitted that all of Rhea Mae's colleagues that they interviewed have so far cooperated in their investigation.
The CCTV footage from Mandaue City, where Tocmo was picked up by a man on a motorbike, and along the path leading to Sitio Mohon, where her body was discovered, was one of the leads gathered by the police.
The CCPO informed the victim's family that they would not give up until the girl's murder was brought to justice.
"We assured that it wouldn't be abandoned and we really do see to it that justice is done,” Rafter said.
There were already results of the autopsy on Rhea Mae's body, but Rafter did not disclose the findings while their investigation is still ongoing.(AYB, TPT)
A native of Jasaan town in Misamis Oriental, the 19-year-old Tocmo was found dead and wrapped inside a cardboard box left on the roadside in Sitio Mohon, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City on Monday, July 17, 2023.
She arrived in Cebu last June 11 to find a job.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, deputy city director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), however, refused to divulge the names of POIs pending an ongoing investigation, but promised to get statements from anyone who had contact with the victim.
Rafter claimed that they have expanded the scope of their investigation into the incident by adding police personnel.
"We are on the right track in our investigation because of the leads we acquired as we go along the way,” the lady police official said.
Rafter admitted that all of Rhea Mae's colleagues that they interviewed have so far cooperated in their investigation.
The CCTV footage from Mandaue City, where Tocmo was picked up by a man on a motorbike, and along the path leading to Sitio Mohon, where her body was discovered, was one of the leads gathered by the police.
The CCPO informed the victim's family that they would not give up until the girl's murder was brought to justice.
"We assured that it wouldn't be abandoned and we really do see to it that justice is done,” Rafter said.
There were already results of the autopsy on Rhea Mae's body, but Rafter did not disclose the findings while their investigation is still ongoing.(AYB, TPT)
Categories: Philippines News
Rider dies, another hurt after motorcycle falls off Manipis cliff
A MOTORCYCLE driver fell into a cliff and died, while his backride survived.
The incident occurred at 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, 2023 in Sitio Acacia, Barangay Manipis in Talisay City, Cebu.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, identified the victim as Alvin Villamor, 30, a construction worker from the northwest town of Tuburan.
His female backride, Maricel Abranilla, 35, from Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City, sustained injuries but was declared in safe condition.
According to the police investigation, Villamor lost control of the motorcycle after it skidded and went off the road as they were traveling to Toledo City.(BBT, TPT)
The incident occurred at 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, 2023 in Sitio Acacia, Barangay Manipis in Talisay City, Cebu.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, identified the victim as Alvin Villamor, 30, a construction worker from the northwest town of Tuburan.
His female backride, Maricel Abranilla, 35, from Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City, sustained injuries but was declared in safe condition.
According to the police investigation, Villamor lost control of the motorcycle after it skidded and went off the road as they were traveling to Toledo City.(BBT, TPT)
Categories: Philippines News
Cebu Province gears up for founding anniversary
THE Cebu Provincial Government is now preparing for the different activities that will be lined up during its 454th founding anniversary in August.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the celebration will kick off on the first day of August with a joint flag-raising ceremony that will be attended by the different mayors and board members of the province.
On that occasion, the "Tabo sa Kapitolyo (Agro-Fair)" will also be opened, where farmers from the different localities will be given the chance to sell their produce at the Capitol compound.
The governor is scheduled to deliver her State of the Province Address (Sopa) on August 11, 2023 at the Capitol Social Hall.
The celebration will culminate with a Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival in Carcar City, southern Cebu on August 27.
In order to avoid vehicular traffic along the national highway, Garcia stated that they will use other routes other during the procession of contingents.(ANV, TPT)
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the celebration will kick off on the first day of August with a joint flag-raising ceremony that will be attended by the different mayors and board members of the province.
On that occasion, the "Tabo sa Kapitolyo (Agro-Fair)" will also be opened, where farmers from the different localities will be given the chance to sell their produce at the Capitol compound.
The governor is scheduled to deliver her State of the Province Address (Sopa) on August 11, 2023 at the Capitol Social Hall.
The celebration will culminate with a Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival in Carcar City, southern Cebu on August 27.
In order to avoid vehicular traffic along the national highway, Garcia stated that they will use other routes other during the procession of contingents.(ANV, TPT)
Categories: Philippines News
Tolentino: “Research and Development”
By: Senator Francis N. Tolentino
OUR modern society advances based on state-of-the-art equipment, services, medicine, food, innovation, industry, agriculture and such other technologies that speed up and improve human life. This is the reason why most countries of the world, like privately owned businesses and companies earmark a great deal of resources – financial, human, material – for research and development. Human life and the progress of communities rely heavily on the discoveries that result from research, and how these discoveries are put to best use to sustain development.
Scientific discoveries are primarily born from research and development. Our modern world was able to thrive and sustain its development course, thanks to the creativity and ingenuity of researchers and scientists who make our lives easier, faster, safer. Human civilization has been able to evolve and adapt to change because our curiosity of the world around us, our natural inclination to explore, moved inquisitive minds to delve into previously unknown realms and derive new ways to improve human life and processes.
Research and development play an indispensable part in almost every field of human endeavor. China, the world’s leading producer of rice, invests heavily on research and development to yield 6.5 metric tons per one hectare of rice field. More than allocating funds, China also pools scientists, agriculturists, and chemists, among others to maximize knowledge, skill, talent, time and energy for discovering breakthroughs on boosting crop production, developing resilient variants, and improving nutritional value.
In medicine, we owe much to the discoveries of Alexander Fleming, Marie Curie, Frederick Banting, and other scientists for discovering medicines and processes that avert disease. The discovery of penicillin, antibiotics, tissue culture, vaccines, and such other medical discoveries have been exceptional medical strides that have not only saved human lives, but more importantly, improved human resilience to illness and reduced vulnerability to death.
We give credit to research and development for the emergence of computer chips and artificial intelligence which have radically changed and revolutionized education, transportation, communication and governments all over the globe. In the Philippines, our lead agency in research and development is the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Our scientists from the DOST devote time, talent and energy in helping improve our economy through the development of more sophisticated tools and highly efficient processes. For example, home grown bamboo is now being developed to be a source of fabric for various types of clothing, even including bullet-proof vests.
Research and development ensures that the world continues to adapt and evolve. Agencies, which are focused on science and technology, ought to be given the much needed support to keep abreast with world trends and discoveries. Filipino scientists, I would like to believe, are especially gifted with intelligence, skill, and passion to use and harness the power and potential of research and development in the Philippines – if only we can begin to recognize and appreciate the power of research and development in steering progress and success. (Sponsored Content)
OUR modern society advances based on state-of-the-art equipment, services, medicine, food, innovation, industry, agriculture and such other technologies that speed up and improve human life. This is the reason why most countries of the world, like privately owned businesses and companies earmark a great deal of resources – financial, human, material – for research and development. Human life and the progress of communities rely heavily on the discoveries that result from research, and how these discoveries are put to best use to sustain development.
Scientific discoveries are primarily born from research and development. Our modern world was able to thrive and sustain its development course, thanks to the creativity and ingenuity of researchers and scientists who make our lives easier, faster, safer. Human civilization has been able to evolve and adapt to change because our curiosity of the world around us, our natural inclination to explore, moved inquisitive minds to delve into previously unknown realms and derive new ways to improve human life and processes.
Research and development play an indispensable part in almost every field of human endeavor. China, the world’s leading producer of rice, invests heavily on research and development to yield 6.5 metric tons per one hectare of rice field. More than allocating funds, China also pools scientists, agriculturists, and chemists, among others to maximize knowledge, skill, talent, time and energy for discovering breakthroughs on boosting crop production, developing resilient variants, and improving nutritional value.
In medicine, we owe much to the discoveries of Alexander Fleming, Marie Curie, Frederick Banting, and other scientists for discovering medicines and processes that avert disease. The discovery of penicillin, antibiotics, tissue culture, vaccines, and such other medical discoveries have been exceptional medical strides that have not only saved human lives, but more importantly, improved human resilience to illness and reduced vulnerability to death.
We give credit to research and development for the emergence of computer chips and artificial intelligence which have radically changed and revolutionized education, transportation, communication and governments all over the globe. In the Philippines, our lead agency in research and development is the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Our scientists from the DOST devote time, talent and energy in helping improve our economy through the development of more sophisticated tools and highly efficient processes. For example, home grown bamboo is now being developed to be a source of fabric for various types of clothing, even including bullet-proof vests.
Research and development ensures that the world continues to adapt and evolve. Agencies, which are focused on science and technology, ought to be given the much needed support to keep abreast with world trends and discoveries. Filipino scientists, I would like to believe, are especially gifted with intelligence, skill, and passion to use and harness the power and potential of research and development in the Philippines – if only we can begin to recognize and appreciate the power of research and development in steering progress and success. (Sponsored Content)
Categories: Philippines News
Seares: City Hall answer to COA report on long-stalled Cebu City P1.328B drainage project: investigate 'excessive' P10M advance cash, hunt 'missing' design, maybe rescind the contract. Kons Jerry Guardo rates city's flood control: four out of 10....
DAMAGE REDUCTION. Following publication of the Commission on Audit (COA) report on Cebu City's financial transactions in 2022, city officials these last few days have been scrambling to lessen damage from these disclosures that affect Mayor Mike Rama's "Gubat Batok Baha":
[1] P10 million cash advance given to the contractor of a major drainage project identified -- in a document released by Cebu City News & Information of the city's P.I.O. -- as A.M. Oreta & Co. Inc., a cash-out that COA said was "excessive."
[2] The project -- involving the construction of drainage mains at Cabreros St., Natalio Bacalso Ave., V.H. Garces St. and Leon Kilat-Escano Sts. -- carried a contract price of P1.328 billion-plus with A.M. Oreta as the winning bidder.
COA said the project had zero result as of December 30, 2022.
MONEY POURED ON FLOOD CONTROL. The P1.328 billion set aside for the COA-flagged project was taken from a P4.5 billion lump sum appropriation in 2015, during the second full term of Mayor Rama (2013-2016).
Mayorship changed in June 2016, with Tomas Osmeña as Rama's successor until 2019. In the second half of mayor Edgardo Labella's term, which started in 2019, Rama took over as interim mayor during his illnesses, then as "ascended" mayor when Labella died in November 2021.
Other than the P1.328 billion, which had caught COA's eyes, additional funds had gone for flood control: P10 million in 2010, P35 million in 2012, and P48 million in 2014.
CREDIT, BLAME. Mayor Rama can take credit for the attention he has given to the problem: the "war" on floods on top of the pouring of cash into the project.
Should the mayor be blamed for the downsides: the numerous delays and the "excessive" cash advance? After 2015, when he secured P4.5 billion lump outlay, Rama had not been mayor for five years or so. He was evicted in 2016 by Tomas and returned to City Hall in 2019 but as vice mayor.
He was the temp mayor a number of times when Labella had serial illnesses, should that count?
He became full mayor again, his third, only in 2022.
Whoever was the mayor in whose watch the faults occurred, it's Mayor Mike's job now to reduce if not eliminate the problem. Rama needs to win the "war" he chose to declare and wage. His "Singapore-like Cebu City" mantra has highlighted the job, in full glare and up close.
RETURN FIRE. The response to reduce damage on Cebu City Hall's public image has been part defense and part offense.
The defense is that the Rama administration has been doing "its utmost" to decrease adverse effects of flooding. The offense is the "swift investigation" into delays of the P1.328 billion contractor and the "excessive" cash advance -- with the identification of a possible villain. Initially, City Administrator Collin Rosell and City Attorney/special projects assistant Jerone Castillo, whom a radio broadcaster called in apparent half-jest as the mayor's "attack dogs" -- appeared to be targeting former city administrator Floro Casas Jr.
THE CASAS ELEMENT. The ex-top city official has been drawn into the COA-City Hall drama because (a) Casas signed the drainage contract with A.M. Oreta allegedly without the express approval of the City Council and (b) Cebu Updates, a Facebook page of which Casas is an administrator, has been allegedly sniping at Mayor Rama's administration, most recently on COA findings that cast ugly light on the mayor's performance.
To be sure, the Casas factor is merely collateral to the problem's source, although he was more involved in the Labella decisions on flood control than then vice mayor Mike was. Wherever the investigation the mayor's key persons had announced would lead to, that would have little to do on the flood control problem itself.
UPDATE ON FLOOD CONTROL. Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the City Council committee on infrastructures and Mayor Rama's lead person on the ground for drainage and similar projects, told me Sunday, July 23, 2023, the contractor already paid the mobilization fund but had "not started construction yet."
Earlier, on July 21, Atty. Castillo told City Hall reporters they have been looking for the design.
Guardo said the mayor's lieutenant was "currently reviewing technicalities" as legal basis for cancellation or revocation of the contract. Castillo had talked about looking for the "missing design." Apparently, the hunt was still on when two days later Guardo, whom I asked to rate the city's flood control project, said "four" in a scale of one to 10.
Meantime, the City Government has been "implementing dredging works" on major rivers and creeks, particularly in frequently-flooded barangays. Guardo said they were "done dredging Tejero creek and moving upstream towards T. Padilla creek." Another team will dredge Pier 2 and Pier 3, moving towards Pari-an creek.
TITLED 3-M-EASEMENT LOTS. Guardo said he was surprised that some lots covered by the three-meter easement are already titled. "So we have to deal with private lot owners. They have to be paid "just compensation' for the lot and the structure built on it," he said, one of the reasons for the delay of the project to clear waterways and the banks of obstructions.
Guardo didn't comment on my question that City Hall has been limited to the "dredge, dredge, dredge" solution, even as rivers and creeks continue to be dumped with garbage that doesn't rot.
Rosell and Castillo deplored at their press-con the cause of the perennial clogging. Guardo scored the annoying problem, pointing to the creek at the back of T. Padilla market, which has been so "constricted," he said, that only a third of the waterway's width is "passable" during heavy rains.
He also was mum on the observation that the problem of flood control is not solely a question of funding, there's also the management of the project once money is released for it.
[1] P10 million cash advance given to the contractor of a major drainage project identified -- in a document released by Cebu City News & Information of the city's P.I.O. -- as A.M. Oreta & Co. Inc., a cash-out that COA said was "excessive."
[2] The project -- involving the construction of drainage mains at Cabreros St., Natalio Bacalso Ave., V.H. Garces St. and Leon Kilat-Escano Sts. -- carried a contract price of P1.328 billion-plus with A.M. Oreta as the winning bidder.
COA said the project had zero result as of December 30, 2022.
MONEY POURED ON FLOOD CONTROL. The P1.328 billion set aside for the COA-flagged project was taken from a P4.5 billion lump sum appropriation in 2015, during the second full term of Mayor Rama (2013-2016).
Mayorship changed in June 2016, with Tomas Osmeña as Rama's successor until 2019. In the second half of mayor Edgardo Labella's term, which started in 2019, Rama took over as interim mayor during his illnesses, then as "ascended" mayor when Labella died in November 2021.
Other than the P1.328 billion, which had caught COA's eyes, additional funds had gone for flood control: P10 million in 2010, P35 million in 2012, and P48 million in 2014.
CREDIT, BLAME. Mayor Rama can take credit for the attention he has given to the problem: the "war" on floods on top of the pouring of cash into the project.
Should the mayor be blamed for the downsides: the numerous delays and the "excessive" cash advance? After 2015, when he secured P4.5 billion lump outlay, Rama had not been mayor for five years or so. He was evicted in 2016 by Tomas and returned to City Hall in 2019 but as vice mayor.
He was the temp mayor a number of times when Labella had serial illnesses, should that count?
He became full mayor again, his third, only in 2022.
Whoever was the mayor in whose watch the faults occurred, it's Mayor Mike's job now to reduce if not eliminate the problem. Rama needs to win the "war" he chose to declare and wage. His "Singapore-like Cebu City" mantra has highlighted the job, in full glare and up close.
RETURN FIRE. The response to reduce damage on Cebu City Hall's public image has been part defense and part offense.
The defense is that the Rama administration has been doing "its utmost" to decrease adverse effects of flooding. The offense is the "swift investigation" into delays of the P1.328 billion contractor and the "excessive" cash advance -- with the identification of a possible villain. Initially, City Administrator Collin Rosell and City Attorney/special projects assistant Jerone Castillo, whom a radio broadcaster called in apparent half-jest as the mayor's "attack dogs" -- appeared to be targeting former city administrator Floro Casas Jr.
THE CASAS ELEMENT. The ex-top city official has been drawn into the COA-City Hall drama because (a) Casas signed the drainage contract with A.M. Oreta allegedly without the express approval of the City Council and (b) Cebu Updates, a Facebook page of which Casas is an administrator, has been allegedly sniping at Mayor Rama's administration, most recently on COA findings that cast ugly light on the mayor's performance.
To be sure, the Casas factor is merely collateral to the problem's source, although he was more involved in the Labella decisions on flood control than then vice mayor Mike was. Wherever the investigation the mayor's key persons had announced would lead to, that would have little to do on the flood control problem itself.
UPDATE ON FLOOD CONTROL. Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the City Council committee on infrastructures and Mayor Rama's lead person on the ground for drainage and similar projects, told me Sunday, July 23, 2023, the contractor already paid the mobilization fund but had "not started construction yet."
Earlier, on July 21, Atty. Castillo told City Hall reporters they have been looking for the design.
Guardo said the mayor's lieutenant was "currently reviewing technicalities" as legal basis for cancellation or revocation of the contract. Castillo had talked about looking for the "missing design." Apparently, the hunt was still on when two days later Guardo, whom I asked to rate the city's flood control project, said "four" in a scale of one to 10.
Meantime, the City Government has been "implementing dredging works" on major rivers and creeks, particularly in frequently-flooded barangays. Guardo said they were "done dredging Tejero creek and moving upstream towards T. Padilla creek." Another team will dredge Pier 2 and Pier 3, moving towards Pari-an creek.
TITLED 3-M-EASEMENT LOTS. Guardo said he was surprised that some lots covered by the three-meter easement are already titled. "So we have to deal with private lot owners. They have to be paid "just compensation' for the lot and the structure built on it," he said, one of the reasons for the delay of the project to clear waterways and the banks of obstructions.
Guardo didn't comment on my question that City Hall has been limited to the "dredge, dredge, dredge" solution, even as rivers and creeks continue to be dumped with garbage that doesn't rot.
Rosell and Castillo deplored at their press-con the cause of the perennial clogging. Guardo scored the annoying problem, pointing to the creek at the back of T. Padilla market, which has been so "constricted," he said, that only a third of the waterway's width is "passable" during heavy rains.
He also was mum on the observation that the problem of flood control is not solely a question of funding, there's also the management of the project once money is released for it.
Categories: Philippines News
Dismissed cop shot dead in Cebu City barangay
A POLICE officer who was dismissed from service was shot dead in Sitio Lupa, Purok Lower 3, Back Harolds, Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City, around 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
The victim was identified as Aaron Estarte, 41, a resident of Sitio Care, Purok 8 of the said barangay.
According to Police Staff Sergeant Joel Lamela of the Abellana Police Station 2, Estarte was shot at the back of his head and the bullet exited in his forehead.
Estarte died instantly.
The gunman and his two other companions, who wore black t-shirts, fled after the incident.
The victim’s live-in partner, Roxanne Labra, said in a media interview that Estarte asked her permission to leave for a while to park his motorcycle but did not say that he was going to Purok Lower 3.
Labra and Estarte were living together for two years and had one child.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, current Deputy City Director for Operation of the Cebu City Police Office, said that Estarte became a policeman in 2010.
His last assignment was in the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Central Visayas (RMFB 7) in 2017.
However, he was dismissed from service in the same year after being arrested in an anti-illegal drug operation.
In March 2021, he was released from prison and worked as a security guard since then.(BBT, TPT)
The victim was identified as Aaron Estarte, 41, a resident of Sitio Care, Purok 8 of the said barangay.
According to Police Staff Sergeant Joel Lamela of the Abellana Police Station 2, Estarte was shot at the back of his head and the bullet exited in his forehead.
Estarte died instantly.
The gunman and his two other companions, who wore black t-shirts, fled after the incident.
The victim’s live-in partner, Roxanne Labra, said in a media interview that Estarte asked her permission to leave for a while to park his motorcycle but did not say that he was going to Purok Lower 3.
Labra and Estarte were living together for two years and had one child.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, current Deputy City Director for Operation of the Cebu City Police Office, said that Estarte became a policeman in 2010.
His last assignment was in the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Central Visayas (RMFB 7) in 2017.
However, he was dismissed from service in the same year after being arrested in an anti-illegal drug operation.
In March 2021, he was released from prison and worked as a security guard since then.(BBT, TPT)
Categories: Philippines News
Rider dies in motorcycle-van collision in Borbon town
A MOTORCYCLE driver died after he collided head-on with a van in Borbon town, northern Cebu.
The incident occurred along the national highway in Barangay Laaw of the said municipality on Sunday, June 23, 2023.
Police Captain Derrik Ynot, chief of Borbon Police Station, identified the victim as Julito Marikit, of legal age.
The driver of Mitsubishi L-300 van was identified as Ponciano Somang Balingit, 67.
According to the police investigation, Marikit was heading for Bogo City, while Balingit was driving towards Cebu City when they collided head on.
Marikit was pinned underneath the vehicle and was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Balingit voluntarily surrendered to Borbon Police Station after the incident.(BBT, TPT)
The incident occurred along the national highway in Barangay Laaw of the said municipality on Sunday, June 23, 2023.
Police Captain Derrik Ynot, chief of Borbon Police Station, identified the victim as Julito Marikit, of legal age.
The driver of Mitsubishi L-300 van was identified as Ponciano Somang Balingit, 67.
According to the police investigation, Marikit was heading for Bogo City, while Balingit was driving towards Cebu City when they collided head on.
Marikit was pinned underneath the vehicle and was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Balingit voluntarily surrendered to Borbon Police Station after the incident.(BBT, TPT)
Categories: Philippines News
Unregistered SIMs to be deactivated on July 26
SUBSCRIBERS with unregistered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards will start to lose access to their mobile number on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
Alan Felix Macaraya Jr., legal officer of the National Telecommunication Commission in Central Visayas (NTC 7), announced this in an interview with the media on Monday, July 24, 2023.
“Ang kulba man gud aning deactivated SIMs, kanang wala nimo gi-rehistro, there is an effect on your commercial transaction. For an example, if you have a SIM card which has a registered (Globe) GCash, imagine ang imong kwarta didto kay will not be used or transferred, so mandatorily you have to register as soon as possible,” Macarya said.
Macaraya added that July 25 will be the last day of the SIM registration in compliance with the newly enacted Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Card Registration Act of 2022.
The law aims to register the SIM cards to a specific individual or firm to add accountability and prevent criminals from using mobile phones to victimize people.
As of July 19, at total of 104,076,843 SIM cards have been registered, accounting to 61.94 percent of the total number of subscribers in the country in 2022.
Macarya said authorities are targeting to register at least 85 percent.
There will be a low possibility of another extension as the law specifically provided that there will only be one extension granted for the SIM registration.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the extension of SIM registration on April 26, 2023. (EHP)
Alan Felix Macaraya Jr., legal officer of the National Telecommunication Commission in Central Visayas (NTC 7), announced this in an interview with the media on Monday, July 24, 2023.
“Ang kulba man gud aning deactivated SIMs, kanang wala nimo gi-rehistro, there is an effect on your commercial transaction. For an example, if you have a SIM card which has a registered (Globe) GCash, imagine ang imong kwarta didto kay will not be used or transferred, so mandatorily you have to register as soon as possible,” Macarya said.
Macaraya added that July 25 will be the last day of the SIM registration in compliance with the newly enacted Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Card Registration Act of 2022.
The law aims to register the SIM cards to a specific individual or firm to add accountability and prevent criminals from using mobile phones to victimize people.
As of July 19, at total of 104,076,843 SIM cards have been registered, accounting to 61.94 percent of the total number of subscribers in the country in 2022.
Macarya said authorities are targeting to register at least 85 percent.
There will be a low possibility of another extension as the law specifically provided that there will only be one extension granted for the SIM registration.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the extension of SIM registration on April 26, 2023. (EHP)
Categories: Philippines News
Cebu City to probe P1.3B drainage project
THE Cebu City Government will conduct an investigation on the P1.3 billion drainage project that has yet to be implemented until now.
City Administrator Collin Rosell said the City Government may take several options on the pending project, including withdrawing the advance payment made in 2021, imposing penalties, or completing the project as soon as possible.
The Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2022 audit report, flagged the City for making an advance payment of P199.323 million for the project, which state auditors deemed excessive because the contractor had failed to implement it as of the end of 2022.
City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo, during the press conference on Friday, July 21, 2023, said the transaction was made during the time of the late mayor Edgardo Labella, and the contract was signed by former city administrator Floro Casas Jr.
Rosell, in an interview on Sunday, July 23, said they will conduct an investigation to find out what’s causing the delay, and hold accountable the people behind it.
“(Let’s) put people responsible, bisan pa’g (even if) subjected to penalty or punishment, if that is called by the people under our existing law, then let it be,” said Rosell. “If you are dealing with the government, just make sure you deliver what you are tasked to do kay kung wala na sya (otherwise) it will entail civil, criminal, administrative liability.”
Rosell said the City will exhaust all available legal remedies concerning the project, considering payment has already been released.
According to the February 2020 report of SunStar Cebu, the P1.3 billion drainage project aims to solve the flooding problems in the city’s southern barangays.
The project was supposed to be implemented in the second quarter of 2020, with the first phase starting at the Mambaling Flyover and ending at the Sto. Tomas Villanueva Church in Barangay Pardo.
The second phase, which was supposed to be constructed simultaneously with the first phase, would start on Leon Kilat St. near Elizabeth Mall and end in Barangay Ermita.
The drainage project was based on the 2017 drainage master plan prepared by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
In an interview on News+One with Pachico A. Seares on SunStar Cebu, Casas defended himself, saying Labella had authorized him to sign disbursement vouchers, payrolls, purchase requests, and such other official documents related to them.
Casas, in a report of SunStar Cebu in 2021, said the late mayor issued a memorandum in 2019 delegating him the authority. The memorandum was also confirmed by the City Council by passing a resolution, he said.
The City Council resolution was approved on July 9, 2019, saying it decided to “delegate and grant authority” for Casas to sign vouchers, payrolls and other official documents “for the exigency of the services and to provide the best public service for the constituents of the City of Cebu.”
City Administrator Collin Rosell said the City Government may take several options on the pending project, including withdrawing the advance payment made in 2021, imposing penalties, or completing the project as soon as possible.
The Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2022 audit report, flagged the City for making an advance payment of P199.323 million for the project, which state auditors deemed excessive because the contractor had failed to implement it as of the end of 2022.
City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo, during the press conference on Friday, July 21, 2023, said the transaction was made during the time of the late mayor Edgardo Labella, and the contract was signed by former city administrator Floro Casas Jr.
Rosell, in an interview on Sunday, July 23, said they will conduct an investigation to find out what’s causing the delay, and hold accountable the people behind it.
“(Let’s) put people responsible, bisan pa’g (even if) subjected to penalty or punishment, if that is called by the people under our existing law, then let it be,” said Rosell. “If you are dealing with the government, just make sure you deliver what you are tasked to do kay kung wala na sya (otherwise) it will entail civil, criminal, administrative liability.”
Rosell said the City will exhaust all available legal remedies concerning the project, considering payment has already been released.
According to the February 2020 report of SunStar Cebu, the P1.3 billion drainage project aims to solve the flooding problems in the city’s southern barangays.
The project was supposed to be implemented in the second quarter of 2020, with the first phase starting at the Mambaling Flyover and ending at the Sto. Tomas Villanueva Church in Barangay Pardo.
The second phase, which was supposed to be constructed simultaneously with the first phase, would start on Leon Kilat St. near Elizabeth Mall and end in Barangay Ermita.
The drainage project was based on the 2017 drainage master plan prepared by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
In an interview on News+One with Pachico A. Seares on SunStar Cebu, Casas defended himself, saying Labella had authorized him to sign disbursement vouchers, payrolls, purchase requests, and such other official documents related to them.
Casas, in a report of SunStar Cebu in 2021, said the late mayor issued a memorandum in 2019 delegating him the authority. The memorandum was also confirmed by the City Council by passing a resolution, he said.
The City Council resolution was approved on July 9, 2019, saying it decided to “delegate and grant authority” for Casas to sign vouchers, payrolls and other official documents “for the exigency of the services and to provide the best public service for the constituents of the City of Cebu.”
Categories: Philippines News
Labor leader gives Marcos Jr. failing grade ahead of 2nd Sona
A LABOR leader said that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has failed to fulfill his obligations and commitments since stepping into Malacañang a year ago.
Teodorico “Teddy” Navea of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino Cebu, on Saturday, July 22, 2023, described Marcos as a “puppet of the rich” and as anti-people for not prioritizing the needs of the masses, particularly in addressing skyrocketing prices of basic commodities due to inflation.
However, a local business leader believes it is too early to judge the President.
President Marcos will deliver his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 24.
According to Navea, Marcos is a servant of billionaires.
“In the first place, it was evident when he won he met with the tycoons about a day or two after winning [the elections]. His promises will remain promises, including the P20 per kilo rice promise,” he said.
On the eve of the presidential elections last May 9, 2022, photos of Marcos celebrating at a party with some tycoons in the country also went viral after images surfaced on the internet.
No change
“For us, he really failed. That is why we will be raising our voices on Monday during Sona, and our general line that we want to convey is that Marcos is no different from his predecessor,” Navea said.
He said Marcos is mum on issues such as endo contractualization and low pay of workers despite the high prices of commodities.
Endo contractualization, according to Wikipedia, refers to the short-term employment practice in the country, “which involves companies giving workers temporary employment that lasts them less than six months and then terminating their employment just short of being regularized in order to skirt on the fees which come with regularization.”
He said Marcos, just like former President Rodrigo Duterte, has no plans of ending the practice anytime soon.
Call
Navea said he wants the President to talk about real solutions to real problems during his Sona.
He said his group and other progressive groups will stage a rally on Monday to urge the President to fulfill his campaign promise to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo.
“Our goal is P20 rice [per kilo]. We are not there yet, but we are doing everything,” Marcos said in Tagalog during a public engagement in Pampanga last July 17.
SunStar Cebu has asked the Department of Agriculture 7 about the President’s directives to achieve his promise, but has yet to receive a reply. Marcos is the concurrent Agriculture Secretary.
Navea also urged the President to address inflation, which is hurting many Filipinos.
He said the government has so far provided only “band-aid” solutions by giving “ayuda,” or small-time assistance.
Salary increase
Navea also hit the administration for not implementing a wage recovery hike.
While acknowledging the P40 wage increase recently implemented in Metro Manila, he said that this was not enough to raise a family.
“The workers in Manila are complaining because P40 is too small. How about here in Cebu? There is no wage increase yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, a member of the business sector would like to hear how the Marcos administration would bring down inflation and invite investment.
“It’s really too early to make an assessment of any president’s administration on the first year. However, we would like to hear the administration’s strategy on bringing and keeping inflation with in the target range of two to four percent. If successful, we can expect to see interest rates adjusted to more investment-encouraging levels,” Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Kelie Ko said in a text message to SunStar Cebu on Sunday, July 23.
Ko said he hopes that current administration will also address issues in the agriculture sector, as this dictate the success of the nation’s food security.
“We appreciate most of the appointments of the President, especially his economic team. By bringing in competent people who already have served various administrations, this lessens the learning curve and they should hit the ground running,” he said. “Overall, we can feel the sense of optimism in the business sector and we are hopeful that our country can really catch up with the rest of our Asian neighbors in terms of economic and human development.”
Teodorico “Teddy” Navea of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino Cebu, on Saturday, July 22, 2023, described Marcos as a “puppet of the rich” and as anti-people for not prioritizing the needs of the masses, particularly in addressing skyrocketing prices of basic commodities due to inflation.
However, a local business leader believes it is too early to judge the President.
President Marcos will deliver his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 24.
According to Navea, Marcos is a servant of billionaires.
“In the first place, it was evident when he won he met with the tycoons about a day or two after winning [the elections]. His promises will remain promises, including the P20 per kilo rice promise,” he said.
On the eve of the presidential elections last May 9, 2022, photos of Marcos celebrating at a party with some tycoons in the country also went viral after images surfaced on the internet.
No change
“For us, he really failed. That is why we will be raising our voices on Monday during Sona, and our general line that we want to convey is that Marcos is no different from his predecessor,” Navea said.
He said Marcos is mum on issues such as endo contractualization and low pay of workers despite the high prices of commodities.
Endo contractualization, according to Wikipedia, refers to the short-term employment practice in the country, “which involves companies giving workers temporary employment that lasts them less than six months and then terminating their employment just short of being regularized in order to skirt on the fees which come with regularization.”
He said Marcos, just like former President Rodrigo Duterte, has no plans of ending the practice anytime soon.
Call
Navea said he wants the President to talk about real solutions to real problems during his Sona.
He said his group and other progressive groups will stage a rally on Monday to urge the President to fulfill his campaign promise to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo.
“Our goal is P20 rice [per kilo]. We are not there yet, but we are doing everything,” Marcos said in Tagalog during a public engagement in Pampanga last July 17.
SunStar Cebu has asked the Department of Agriculture 7 about the President’s directives to achieve his promise, but has yet to receive a reply. Marcos is the concurrent Agriculture Secretary.
Navea also urged the President to address inflation, which is hurting many Filipinos.
He said the government has so far provided only “band-aid” solutions by giving “ayuda,” or small-time assistance.
Salary increase
Navea also hit the administration for not implementing a wage recovery hike.
While acknowledging the P40 wage increase recently implemented in Metro Manila, he said that this was not enough to raise a family.
“The workers in Manila are complaining because P40 is too small. How about here in Cebu? There is no wage increase yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, a member of the business sector would like to hear how the Marcos administration would bring down inflation and invite investment.
“It’s really too early to make an assessment of any president’s administration on the first year. However, we would like to hear the administration’s strategy on bringing and keeping inflation with in the target range of two to four percent. If successful, we can expect to see interest rates adjusted to more investment-encouraging levels,” Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Kelie Ko said in a text message to SunStar Cebu on Sunday, July 23.
Ko said he hopes that current administration will also address issues in the agriculture sector, as this dictate the success of the nation’s food security.
“We appreciate most of the appointments of the President, especially his economic team. By bringing in competent people who already have served various administrations, this lessens the learning curve and they should hit the ground running,” he said. “Overall, we can feel the sense of optimism in the business sector and we are hopeful that our country can really catch up with the rest of our Asian neighbors in terms of economic and human development.”
Categories: Philippines News
Cebu City official threatens legal action vs. Cebu Updates
SEVERAL charges may be filed against the administrators of the Facebook page “Cebu Updates,” including cyberlibel and usurpation of property, a Cebu City official said.
The Cebu City Government is looking for the people behind the Facebook page of Cebu Updates, which used to be the official Facebook page of the Cebu City Public Information Office (PIO).
City Administrator Collin Rosell, in an interview on Sunday, July 23, 2023, said that once the City identifies the people behind the Facebook page, they will be charged with civil, administrative and criminal liabilities.
Rosell emphasized that if it is proven that the Facebook page is owned by the City, they will take necessary actions to recover and protect its property.
“They have taken advantage of it. They can easily create it (Facebook page). Why use government property?” Rosell said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
On Saturday, July 22, Cebu Updates posted a statement following the warning of the City officials that charges may be filed against the administrators of the page.
“Cebu Updates is here to keep you informed about everything happening in our beloved city. Our main objective is to provide you with accurate and up-to-date information about the events, developments, and most importantly, the actions of our city’s leaders,” read a portion of its statement.
The statement also carries its message to Mayor Michael Rama. The group said that its intention is not to tarnish anyone’s image but “to promote a better Cebu for everyone.”
Cebu Updates has 236,000 likes and 311,000 followers, while the current official Facebook page of the Cebu City Public Information Office, Cebu City. News & Information, has 35,000 likes and more than 62,000 followers.
Cebu Updates identifies itself as a nongovernmental organization with an address at the North Reclamation Area.
The Cebu City Government is looking for the people behind the Facebook page of Cebu Updates, which used to be the official Facebook page of the Cebu City Public Information Office (PIO).
City Administrator Collin Rosell, in an interview on Sunday, July 23, 2023, said that once the City identifies the people behind the Facebook page, they will be charged with civil, administrative and criminal liabilities.
Rosell emphasized that if it is proven that the Facebook page is owned by the City, they will take necessary actions to recover and protect its property.
“They have taken advantage of it. They can easily create it (Facebook page). Why use government property?” Rosell said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
On Saturday, July 22, Cebu Updates posted a statement following the warning of the City officials that charges may be filed against the administrators of the page.
“Cebu Updates is here to keep you informed about everything happening in our beloved city. Our main objective is to provide you with accurate and up-to-date information about the events, developments, and most importantly, the actions of our city’s leaders,” read a portion of its statement.
The statement also carries its message to Mayor Michael Rama. The group said that its intention is not to tarnish anyone’s image but “to promote a better Cebu for everyone.”
Cebu Updates has 236,000 likes and 311,000 followers, while the current official Facebook page of the Cebu City Public Information Office, Cebu City. News & Information, has 35,000 likes and more than 62,000 followers.
Cebu Updates identifies itself as a nongovernmental organization with an address at the North Reclamation Area.
Categories: Philippines News
COA flags CCMC ‘overblown’ contract price
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the contract price of Phase 4 of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) construction, saying it is overblown by more than P62 million.
The contract price was supposed to be P845.12 million, but the actual cost ballooned to P907 million.
This was due to errors in overhead, contingencies and miscellaneous (OCM), profit mark-up, and the use of a 12 percent value added tax (VAT) rate.
The Department of Public Works and Highways’ Department Order 197, series of 2016 in relation to the Manual of Procedures for the Procurement of Infrastructure Projects Volume 3 (MPPIP) states that the VAT component should be five percent of the sum of the estimated direct cost (EDC), OCM and profit mark-up.
The state auditor said certain items, including non-civil work items, should not be subject to OCM and profit mark-up. These include mobilization and demobilization, provision of service vehicles, permits and clearances, field/laboratory office and living quarters, furnishing of furniture, laboratory equipment, survey equipment and consumables, assistance to engineers, photographs, health and safety, traffic management, environmental compliance and communication equipment, according to MPPIP guidelines.
But a review of the approved budget for the contract of the City and the bid proposal of the winning contractor showed that some of the items above were subject to OCM and profit mark-up.
The City Government awarded the contract for Phase 4 of the project to M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. (joint venture with Avecs Corp.) on April 6, 2022.
The auditor stated that the City’s review of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shows that mobilization and demobilization, amounting to P672,807.36, were subject to both OCM and profit mark-up. The contractors’ review shows that engineer’s facilities, office supplies and equipment under OCM amounted to P3.312 million, permits, bonds and licenses under both OCM and Profit amounted to P640,000, and construction safety and health under OCM amounted to P653,176.31.
According to the COA, the guidelines state that the tax base for the VAT component should be the sum of the EDC, OCM, and profit mark-up. If the tax base is overstated due to an overstatement of both OCM and profit mark-up computation, the corresponding VAT will also be overstated.
The City’s computation of ABC showed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,734,025.23 and a profit mark-up of P59,3843,249.53, with a total cost before VAT of P873,309,256.39. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,467,956.63, the total cost would be P916,777,213.02.
However, the COA’s audit revealed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,061,217.87 and a profit mark-up of P59,170,442.17, with a total cost before VAT of P871,963,641.67. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,402,964.17, the total cost would be P915,366,605.84.
The audit revealed that the City’s OCM and profit mark-up were both overstated by P672,807.36 and the total cost before VAT was overstated by P1,345,614.72. After applying the five percent VAT rate amounting to P64,992.46, the overstatement amount reached P1,410,607.18.
Moreover, the state auditor found that the contractors mistakenly used a 12 percent VAT rate instead of the mandated five percent. As a result, the COA discovered that the contractors’ bid price was inflated by P62,642,909.06.
According to the contractors’ calculations of bid price, the EDC was P699,917,760.38, the OCM was P55,294,505 and the profit mark-up was P55,294,505. This resulted in a total cost before VAT of P810,506,770.38. With a 12 percent VAT rate of P97,260,812.45, the total cost came to P907,767,582.83.
However, the audit revealed an EDC of P699,917,760.38, an OCM of P50,689,328.69 and a profit mark-up of P54,654,505 with a total cost before VAT of P805,261,594.07. With a five percent VAT rate only amounting to P39,863,079.70, the total cost would be P845,124,673.77.
This showed that the OCM was overstated by P4,605,176.31 and the profit mark-up by P640,000, resulting in a total cost before VAT of P5,245,176.31. The total overstatement between 12 and five percent of VAT is P57,397,732.75.
The total overstatement is P62,642,909.06, between the amounts of P845,124,673.77 and P907,767,582.83.
COA noted that the excess in the bid price of P62,642,909.06, which could be attributed to the excessive cost estimates in deriving the project ABC and the failure of the City to prescribe the use of the five percent VAT rate, is disadvantageous to the City Government.
The state auditor also found that the City had applied a 12 percent VAT rate to the computation of about 13 other projects.
COA, in the audit report, said that no written reply was received from the CCMC management. However, during the exit conference, the latter agreed with both the audit observations and recommendations.
Aware of the contract termination of Phase 4 of the CCMC construction, COA recommended that management take into account the impact of the shortcomings when finalizing the contract settlement.
The state auditor also recommended that the mayor instruct the Department of Engineering and Public Works to follow the DPWH’s guidelines when preparing the ABC for future infrastructure projects, including the accurate calculation of the VAT, OCM, and Profit mark-up components, to prevent inflated cost estimates that could put the government at a disadvantage. / AML
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the contract price of Phase 4 of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) construction, saying it is overblown by more than P62 million.
The contract price was supposed to be P845.12 million, but the actual cost ballooned to P907 million.
This was due to errors in overhead, contingencies and miscellaneous (OCM), profit mark-up, and the use of a 12 percent value added tax (VAT) rate.
The Department of Public Works and Highways’ Department Order 197, series of 2016 in relation to the Manual of Procedures for the Procurement of Infrastructure Projects Volume 3 (MPPIP) states that the VAT component should be five percent of the sum of the estimated direct cost (EDC), OCM and profit mark-up.
The state auditor said certain items, including non-civil work items, should not be subject to OCM and profit mark-up. These include mobilization and demobilization, provision of service vehicles, permits and clearances, field/laboratory office and living quarters, furnishing of furniture, laboratory equipment, survey equipment and consumables, assistance to engineers, photographs, health and safety, traffic management, environmental compliance and communication equipment, according to MPPIP guidelines.
But a review of the approved budget for the contract of the City and the bid proposal of the winning contractor showed that some of the items above were subject to OCM and profit mark-up.
The City Government awarded the contract for Phase 4 of the project to M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. (joint venture with Avecs Corp.) on April 6, 2022.
The auditor stated that the City’s review of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shows that mobilization and demobilization, amounting to P672,807.36, were subject to both OCM and profit mark-up. The contractors’ review shows that engineer’s facilities, office supplies and equipment under OCM amounted to P3.312 million, permits, bonds and licenses under both OCM and Profit amounted to P640,000, and construction safety and health under OCM amounted to P653,176.31.
According to the COA, the guidelines state that the tax base for the VAT component should be the sum of the EDC, OCM, and profit mark-up. If the tax base is overstated due to an overstatement of both OCM and profit mark-up computation, the corresponding VAT will also be overstated.
The City’s computation of ABC showed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,734,025.23 and a profit mark-up of P59,3843,249.53, with a total cost before VAT of P873,309,256.39. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,467,956.63, the total cost would be P916,777,213.02.
However, the COA’s audit revealed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,061,217.87 and a profit mark-up of P59,170,442.17, with a total cost before VAT of P871,963,641.67. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,402,964.17, the total cost would be P915,366,605.84.
The audit revealed that the City’s OCM and profit mark-up were both overstated by P672,807.36 and the total cost before VAT was overstated by P1,345,614.72. After applying the five percent VAT rate amounting to P64,992.46, the overstatement amount reached P1,410,607.18.
Moreover, the state auditor found that the contractors mistakenly used a 12 percent VAT rate instead of the mandated five percent. As a result, the COA discovered that the contractors’ bid price was inflated by P62,642,909.06.
According to the contractors’ calculations of bid price, the EDC was P699,917,760.38, the OCM was P55,294,505 and the profit mark-up was P55,294,505. This resulted in a total cost before VAT of P810,506,770.38. With a 12 percent VAT rate of P97,260,812.45, the total cost came to P907,767,582.83.
However, the audit revealed an EDC of P699,917,760.38, an OCM of P50,689,328.69 and a profit mark-up of P54,654,505 with a total cost before VAT of P805,261,594.07. With a five percent VAT rate only amounting to P39,863,079.70, the total cost would be P845,124,673.77.
This showed that the OCM was overstated by P4,605,176.31 and the profit mark-up by P640,000, resulting in a total cost before VAT of P5,245,176.31. The total overstatement between 12 and five percent of VAT is P57,397,732.75.
The total overstatement is P62,642,909.06, between the amounts of P845,124,673.77 and P907,767,582.83.
COA noted that the excess in the bid price of P62,642,909.06, which could be attributed to the excessive cost estimates in deriving the project ABC and the failure of the City to prescribe the use of the five percent VAT rate, is disadvantageous to the City Government.
The state auditor also found that the City had applied a 12 percent VAT rate to the computation of about 13 other projects.
COA, in the audit report, said that no written reply was received from the CCMC management. However, during the exit conference, the latter agreed with both the audit observations and recommendations.
Aware of the contract termination of Phase 4 of the CCMC construction, COA recommended that management take into account the impact of the shortcomings when finalizing the contract settlement.
The state auditor also recommended that the mayor instruct the Department of Engineering and Public Works to follow the DPWH’s guidelines when preparing the ABC for future infrastructure projects, including the accurate calculation of the VAT, OCM, and Profit mark-up components, to prevent inflated cost estimates that could put the government at a disadvantage.
The contract price was supposed to be P845.12 million, but the actual cost ballooned to P907 million.
This was due to errors in overhead, contingencies and miscellaneous (OCM), profit mark-up, and the use of a 12 percent value added tax (VAT) rate.
The Department of Public Works and Highways’ Department Order 197, series of 2016 in relation to the Manual of Procedures for the Procurement of Infrastructure Projects Volume 3 (MPPIP) states that the VAT component should be five percent of the sum of the estimated direct cost (EDC), OCM and profit mark-up.
The state auditor said certain items, including non-civil work items, should not be subject to OCM and profit mark-up. These include mobilization and demobilization, provision of service vehicles, permits and clearances, field/laboratory office and living quarters, furnishing of furniture, laboratory equipment, survey equipment and consumables, assistance to engineers, photographs, health and safety, traffic management, environmental compliance and communication equipment, according to MPPIP guidelines.
But a review of the approved budget for the contract of the City and the bid proposal of the winning contractor showed that some of the items above were subject to OCM and profit mark-up.
The City Government awarded the contract for Phase 4 of the project to M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. (joint venture with Avecs Corp.) on April 6, 2022.
The auditor stated that the City’s review of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shows that mobilization and demobilization, amounting to P672,807.36, were subject to both OCM and profit mark-up. The contractors’ review shows that engineer’s facilities, office supplies and equipment under OCM amounted to P3.312 million, permits, bonds and licenses under both OCM and Profit amounted to P640,000, and construction safety and health under OCM amounted to P653,176.31.
According to the COA, the guidelines state that the tax base for the VAT component should be the sum of the EDC, OCM, and profit mark-up. If the tax base is overstated due to an overstatement of both OCM and profit mark-up computation, the corresponding VAT will also be overstated.
The City’s computation of ABC showed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,734,025.23 and a profit mark-up of P59,3843,249.53, with a total cost before VAT of P873,309,256.39. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,467,956.63, the total cost would be P916,777,213.02.
However, the COA’s audit revealed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,061,217.87 and a profit mark-up of P59,170,442.17, with a total cost before VAT of P871,963,641.67. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,402,964.17, the total cost would be P915,366,605.84.
The audit revealed that the City’s OCM and profit mark-up were both overstated by P672,807.36 and the total cost before VAT was overstated by P1,345,614.72. After applying the five percent VAT rate amounting to P64,992.46, the overstatement amount reached P1,410,607.18.
Moreover, the state auditor found that the contractors mistakenly used a 12 percent VAT rate instead of the mandated five percent. As a result, the COA discovered that the contractors’ bid price was inflated by P62,642,909.06.
According to the contractors’ calculations of bid price, the EDC was P699,917,760.38, the OCM was P55,294,505 and the profit mark-up was P55,294,505. This resulted in a total cost before VAT of P810,506,770.38. With a 12 percent VAT rate of P97,260,812.45, the total cost came to P907,767,582.83.
However, the audit revealed an EDC of P699,917,760.38, an OCM of P50,689,328.69 and a profit mark-up of P54,654,505 with a total cost before VAT of P805,261,594.07. With a five percent VAT rate only amounting to P39,863,079.70, the total cost would be P845,124,673.77.
This showed that the OCM was overstated by P4,605,176.31 and the profit mark-up by P640,000, resulting in a total cost before VAT of P5,245,176.31. The total overstatement between 12 and five percent of VAT is P57,397,732.75.
The total overstatement is P62,642,909.06, between the amounts of P845,124,673.77 and P907,767,582.83.
COA noted that the excess in the bid price of P62,642,909.06, which could be attributed to the excessive cost estimates in deriving the project ABC and the failure of the City to prescribe the use of the five percent VAT rate, is disadvantageous to the City Government.
The state auditor also found that the City had applied a 12 percent VAT rate to the computation of about 13 other projects.
COA, in the audit report, said that no written reply was received from the CCMC management. However, during the exit conference, the latter agreed with both the audit observations and recommendations.
Aware of the contract termination of Phase 4 of the CCMC construction, COA recommended that management take into account the impact of the shortcomings when finalizing the contract settlement.
The state auditor also recommended that the mayor instruct the Department of Engineering and Public Works to follow the DPWH’s guidelines when preparing the ABC for future infrastructure projects, including the accurate calculation of the VAT, OCM, and Profit mark-up components, to prevent inflated cost estimates that could put the government at a disadvantage. / AML
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the contract price of Phase 4 of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) construction, saying it is overblown by more than P62 million.
The contract price was supposed to be P845.12 million, but the actual cost ballooned to P907 million.
This was due to errors in overhead, contingencies and miscellaneous (OCM), profit mark-up, and the use of a 12 percent value added tax (VAT) rate.
The Department of Public Works and Highways’ Department Order 197, series of 2016 in relation to the Manual of Procedures for the Procurement of Infrastructure Projects Volume 3 (MPPIP) states that the VAT component should be five percent of the sum of the estimated direct cost (EDC), OCM and profit mark-up.
The state auditor said certain items, including non-civil work items, should not be subject to OCM and profit mark-up. These include mobilization and demobilization, provision of service vehicles, permits and clearances, field/laboratory office and living quarters, furnishing of furniture, laboratory equipment, survey equipment and consumables, assistance to engineers, photographs, health and safety, traffic management, environmental compliance and communication equipment, according to MPPIP guidelines.
But a review of the approved budget for the contract of the City and the bid proposal of the winning contractor showed that some of the items above were subject to OCM and profit mark-up.
The City Government awarded the contract for Phase 4 of the project to M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. (joint venture with Avecs Corp.) on April 6, 2022.
The auditor stated that the City’s review of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shows that mobilization and demobilization, amounting to P672,807.36, were subject to both OCM and profit mark-up. The contractors’ review shows that engineer’s facilities, office supplies and equipment under OCM amounted to P3.312 million, permits, bonds and licenses under both OCM and Profit amounted to P640,000, and construction safety and health under OCM amounted to P653,176.31.
According to the COA, the guidelines state that the tax base for the VAT component should be the sum of the EDC, OCM, and profit mark-up. If the tax base is overstated due to an overstatement of both OCM and profit mark-up computation, the corresponding VAT will also be overstated.
The City’s computation of ABC showed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,734,025.23 and a profit mark-up of P59,3843,249.53, with a total cost before VAT of P873,309,256.39. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,467,956.63, the total cost would be P916,777,213.02.
However, the COA’s audit revealed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,061,217.87 and a profit mark-up of P59,170,442.17, with a total cost before VAT of P871,963,641.67. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,402,964.17, the total cost would be P915,366,605.84.
The audit revealed that the City’s OCM and profit mark-up were both overstated by P672,807.36 and the total cost before VAT was overstated by P1,345,614.72. After applying the five percent VAT rate amounting to P64,992.46, the overstatement amount reached P1,410,607.18.
Moreover, the state auditor found that the contractors mistakenly used a 12 percent VAT rate instead of the mandated five percent. As a result, the COA discovered that the contractors’ bid price was inflated by P62,642,909.06.
According to the contractors’ calculations of bid price, the EDC was P699,917,760.38, the OCM was P55,294,505 and the profit mark-up was P55,294,505. This resulted in a total cost before VAT of P810,506,770.38. With a 12 percent VAT rate of P97,260,812.45, the total cost came to P907,767,582.83.
However, the audit revealed an EDC of P699,917,760.38, an OCM of P50,689,328.69 and a profit mark-up of P54,654,505 with a total cost before VAT of P805,261,594.07. With a five percent VAT rate only amounting to P39,863,079.70, the total cost would be P845,124,673.77.
This showed that the OCM was overstated by P4,605,176.31 and the profit mark-up by P640,000, resulting in a total cost before VAT of P5,245,176.31. The total overstatement between 12 and five percent of VAT is P57,397,732.75.
The total overstatement is P62,642,909.06, between the amounts of P845,124,673.77 and P907,767,582.83.
COA noted that the excess in the bid price of P62,642,909.06, which could be attributed to the excessive cost estimates in deriving the project ABC and the failure of the City to prescribe the use of the five percent VAT rate, is disadvantageous to the City Government.
The state auditor also found that the City had applied a 12 percent VAT rate to the computation of about 13 other projects.
COA, in the audit report, said that no written reply was received from the CCMC management. However, during the exit conference, the latter agreed with both the audit observations and recommendations.
Aware of the contract termination of Phase 4 of the CCMC construction, COA recommended that management take into account the impact of the shortcomings when finalizing the contract settlement.
The state auditor also recommended that the mayor instruct the Department of Engineering and Public Works to follow the DPWH’s guidelines when preparing the ABC for future infrastructure projects, including the accurate calculation of the VAT, OCM, and Profit mark-up components, to prevent inflated cost estimates that could put the government at a disadvantage.
Categories: Philippines News
1st batch of City Hall employees of Bogo City pass ALS program
SEVENTY-EIGHT employees of Bogo City Hall in northern Cebu who were not able to finish the basic education curriculum have received their diploma through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) offered by the local government unit (LGU).
According to the City Government, Bogo is the first LGU in Cebu Province that is offering the ALS program to its employees who were not able to finish their basic education studies, and the graduates are the first batch of the program.
ALS is a parallel learning system in the country that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction. It is an alternative or substitute when someone does not have access to formal education through the school system. Ten months of schooling must be completed by students.
According to the data sent by the Bogo City Information Office, the 78 graduates came from 10 offices and departments at the city hall: the City Veterinarian’s Office, City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), City Market Administrator’s Office, Bogo City Central Terminal, City Human Resource and Management Office, City Administrator’s Office, Bogo Traffic Management Office (BTMO), General Services Office, City Council Secretary’s Office and the City of Bogo Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team.
Of the total number of employees who graduated through ALS, 35 of them graduated from the elementary level, while 43 graduated from the high school level.
The commencement exercises took place on Friday, July 21, 2023, at the new City Hall in the New Business District in Barangay Cayang, where graduates wore their togas and were joined by their relatives to celebrate the occasion.
Oldest graduate
The Bogo City Information Office told SunStar Cebu on Sunday, July 23, that the age of the graduates ranged from 20 to 63 years old.
Alberto Balaod and Luisa Amoroto, both from Barangay La Paz, and Carlito Cuizon, from Barangay Guadalupe, are the oldest graduates. They are all 63.
Balaod and Amoroto were former scavengers but were employed by the Cenro to become waste sorters at the city’s dumpsite in 2017.
Cuizon has been working at the BTMO for the past 20 years.
Accessible education
In a statement, Bogo City said that the program is intended to give a second shot at education to the disadvantaged but deserving employees.
“This aims to provide a better tomorrow for the beneficiaries despite poverty. There is no limit to age and state of life to achieve the dream of succeeding in school,” it said.
The City revealed that during schooling, the employees enrolled in ALS should attend the classes once a week. In the case of those working at the dumpsite, for example, the ALS teachers themselves visit them to conduct the classes.
The employees, when attending their ALS classes, are excused from a day at work but are still paid. They were also given free school supplies by the City Government.
According to the City Government, Bogo is the first LGU in Cebu Province that is offering the ALS program to its employees who were not able to finish their basic education studies, and the graduates are the first batch of the program.
ALS is a parallel learning system in the country that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction. It is an alternative or substitute when someone does not have access to formal education through the school system. Ten months of schooling must be completed by students.
According to the data sent by the Bogo City Information Office, the 78 graduates came from 10 offices and departments at the city hall: the City Veterinarian’s Office, City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), City Market Administrator’s Office, Bogo City Central Terminal, City Human Resource and Management Office, City Administrator’s Office, Bogo Traffic Management Office (BTMO), General Services Office, City Council Secretary’s Office and the City of Bogo Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team.
Of the total number of employees who graduated through ALS, 35 of them graduated from the elementary level, while 43 graduated from the high school level.
The commencement exercises took place on Friday, July 21, 2023, at the new City Hall in the New Business District in Barangay Cayang, where graduates wore their togas and were joined by their relatives to celebrate the occasion.
Oldest graduate
The Bogo City Information Office told SunStar Cebu on Sunday, July 23, that the age of the graduates ranged from 20 to 63 years old.
Alberto Balaod and Luisa Amoroto, both from Barangay La Paz, and Carlito Cuizon, from Barangay Guadalupe, are the oldest graduates. They are all 63.
Balaod and Amoroto were former scavengers but were employed by the Cenro to become waste sorters at the city’s dumpsite in 2017.
Cuizon has been working at the BTMO for the past 20 years.
Accessible education
In a statement, Bogo City said that the program is intended to give a second shot at education to the disadvantaged but deserving employees.
“This aims to provide a better tomorrow for the beneficiaries despite poverty. There is no limit to age and state of life to achieve the dream of succeeding in school,” it said.
The City revealed that during schooling, the employees enrolled in ALS should attend the classes once a week. In the case of those working at the dumpsite, for example, the ALS teachers themselves visit them to conduct the classes.
The employees, when attending their ALS classes, are excused from a day at work but are still paid. They were also given free school supplies by the City Government.
Categories: Philippines News
529 elementary, high school students graduate from ALS
A TOTAL of 529 elementary and high school students in Danao City, northern Cebu graduated from the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program on Wednesday, July 19, 2022.
The graduates received their ALS certificates of completion during the graduation exercises and Moving Up Ceremony 2023 at the Danao City Civic Center.
The ALS program, implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd), aims to support out-of-school youth and adults who have not completed basic education in acquiring essential knowledge and skills through a flexible learning system.
Danao City Mayor Thomas Mark “Mix” Durano graced the ceremony. He congratulated the graduates for their academic achievement. Durano was joined by Danao City Schools Division Superintendent Roseller Gelig and DepEd Danao City teachers and officials.
“We are very proud of you and your success today, and we hope that what you have learned will be instrumental in shaping the future of our city,” Durano said in Cebuano.
He also expressed his gratitude to DepEd for continuously implementing the ALS program, which provides his constituents with other forms of access to formal education.
Durano added that the high number of graduates in this year’s ALS highlights the success and effectiveness of the program in the city.
The graduates received their ALS certificates of completion during the graduation exercises and Moving Up Ceremony 2023 at the Danao City Civic Center.
The ALS program, implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd), aims to support out-of-school youth and adults who have not completed basic education in acquiring essential knowledge and skills through a flexible learning system.
Danao City Mayor Thomas Mark “Mix” Durano graced the ceremony. He congratulated the graduates for their academic achievement. Durano was joined by Danao City Schools Division Superintendent Roseller Gelig and DepEd Danao City teachers and officials.
“We are very proud of you and your success today, and we hope that what you have learned will be instrumental in shaping the future of our city,” Durano said in Cebuano.
He also expressed his gratitude to DepEd for continuously implementing the ALS program, which provides his constituents with other forms of access to formal education.
Durano added that the high number of graduates in this year’s ALS highlights the success and effectiveness of the program in the city.
Categories: Philippines News
PRO 7 ‘ready’ for Marcos’ Sona
THE Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7) is prepared for any untoward incident when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 24, 2024.
Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, PRO 7, said he will not leave anything to chance even though the event will be held in Metro Manila.
He said they will intensify their monitoring and strictly enforce security in Central Visayas to prevent violence from marring the occasion.
Although they didn’t receive any threats, Aberin said he didn’t want to take any chances.
He said they will deploy members of the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM).
However, the police official assured the public that the CDM has been ordered to practice maximum tolerance and to respect the rights of cause-oriented groups whose members might demonstrate on Monday.
He said they will allow protest rallies as long as these are peaceful and don’t inconvenience the public.
Meanwhile, he encouraged everyone to listen to Marcos’ Sona.
“... as good citizens, take an active role in helping the government in our collective aspiration for a better Philippines,” Aberin said.
He called on the public to immediately report to police any suspicious activities or persons. (AYB)
Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, PRO 7, said he will not leave anything to chance even though the event will be held in Metro Manila.
He said they will intensify their monitoring and strictly enforce security in Central Visayas to prevent violence from marring the occasion.
Although they didn’t receive any threats, Aberin said he didn’t want to take any chances.
He said they will deploy members of the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM).
However, the police official assured the public that the CDM has been ordered to practice maximum tolerance and to respect the rights of cause-oriented groups whose members might demonstrate on Monday.
He said they will allow protest rallies as long as these are peaceful and don’t inconvenience the public.
Meanwhile, he encouraged everyone to listen to Marcos’ Sona.
“... as good citizens, take an active role in helping the government in our collective aspiration for a better Philippines,” Aberin said.
He called on the public to immediately report to police any suspicious activities or persons. (AYB)
Categories: Philippines News
PRO 7: P28M worth of shabu seized in Central Visayas in 4 days
THE Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7) seized P28 million worth of illegal drugs in four days of simultaneous anti-criminality and law enforcement operations.
According to the data released by the Regional Operations Division, 4.11 kilos of white crystalline substance believed to be shabu with a standard drug price of P27,983,768 were confiscated in 171 operations from July 19 to July 22, 2023.
Police also arrested 195 drug personalities during the same period.
In their campaign against illegal gambling, police confiscated P31,200 in cash believed to be gambling proceeds and several gambling paraphernalia.
The PRO 7 continued its crackdown on loose firearms and confiscated 188 unlicensed firearms in 182 operations, and filed cases against 22 persons.
It also arrested 218 wanted persons, including 25 who were considered most wanted.
The PRO 7 is intensifying its anti-criminality drive with the approach of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections at the end of October. (AYB)
According to the data released by the Regional Operations Division, 4.11 kilos of white crystalline substance believed to be shabu with a standard drug price of P27,983,768 were confiscated in 171 operations from July 19 to July 22, 2023.
Police also arrested 195 drug personalities during the same period.
In their campaign against illegal gambling, police confiscated P31,200 in cash believed to be gambling proceeds and several gambling paraphernalia.
The PRO 7 continued its crackdown on loose firearms and confiscated 188 unlicensed firearms in 182 operations, and filed cases against 22 persons.
It also arrested 218 wanted persons, including 25 who were considered most wanted.
The PRO 7 is intensifying its anti-criminality drive with the approach of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections at the end of October. (AYB)
Categories: Philippines News
PUJ dispatcher shot dead, call center agent hurt in Colon shooting
A JEEPNEY dispatcher was killed, while a call center agent was injured during a shooting incident on Colon Street in Cebu City Saturday night, July 22, 2023.
James Paul Ramos Anos, a 43-year-old resident of Barangay Napo, Carcar City in southern Cebu, died from gunshot wounds, while 22-year-old Raymart Batan Rogero, a resident of Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City, was hit by a stray bullet.
Based on the initial investigation of the Carbon Police Station, Anos was calling out for passengers when two men approached him asking for money. When he turned them down, an argument ensued.
One of the men went behind Anos and shot him twice before fleeing the scene. Rogero, who was standing near the victim, was hit in the arm.
Members of the Mobile Patrol Unit rushed Anos and Rogero to the Cebu City Medical Center.
Police have identified one of the suspects as Arnel Gomez, alias Ar-Ar, a resident of Sitio Taytayan, Barangay Pahina Central.
Police launched a manhunt to arrest Gomez and his companion. (AYB, PJB)
James Paul Ramos Anos, a 43-year-old resident of Barangay Napo, Carcar City in southern Cebu, died from gunshot wounds, while 22-year-old Raymart Batan Rogero, a resident of Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City, was hit by a stray bullet.
Based on the initial investigation of the Carbon Police Station, Anos was calling out for passengers when two men approached him asking for money. When he turned them down, an argument ensued.
One of the men went behind Anos and shot him twice before fleeing the scene. Rogero, who was standing near the victim, was hit in the arm.
Members of the Mobile Patrol Unit rushed Anos and Rogero to the Cebu City Medical Center.
Police have identified one of the suspects as Arnel Gomez, alias Ar-Ar, a resident of Sitio Taytayan, Barangay Pahina Central.
Police launched a manhunt to arrest Gomez and his companion. (AYB, PJB)
Categories: Philippines News
‘Number Mo, Identity Mo': Globe spotlights online safety in creative call for SIM Registration
AS THE July 25 deadline nears, Globe has launched a creative campaign that emphasizes the need for consumers to comply with the SIM Registration Act to protect themselves from the dangers that lurk online.
In the “Number Mo, Identity Mo” campaign, the online identities of popular celebrities Kuya Kim Atienza and Kiray Celis were humorously "hacked" by talented stand-up comedians and improv artists impersonating them.
"Online safety is a pressing issue in today's digital age. Through this unique initiative, we hope to drive home the point that our SIMs are a crucial part of our digital identity and must be protected. We also want to remind our prepaid customers that they need to register their SIMs by the July 25 deadline. We urge all Globe customers to register their SIMs now,” said Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer of Globe Group.
To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, Globe reiterates its call for customers to register their SIMs. Globe Prepaid, TM and Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi customers may register via the GlobeOne app and Globe’s SIM registration microsite (https://new.globe.com.ph/simreg) 24/7.
Fully-verified GCash account holders may also utilize the GCash app. Those in need of assistance may also get help to register their SIMs in any Globe Store and EasyHub nationwide.
Globe Postpaid, Globe Business Postpaid, and Globe Platinum subscribers have already been included in the SIM registration database. For company-owned Globe Business prepaid accounts, steps to register or update details have been sent to authorized company representatives.
Celebrity accounts ‘hacked’The imaginative take on promoting online safety started with strange teaser posts on all of Kiray and Kuya Kim's active social media accounts, culminating in a TikTok LIVE session, where the impersonators peddled entertainingly obvious scams to viewers, effectively spotlighting potential dangers lurking online.
Kiray's impostor took her followers on a journey of transformation, promising a high-end, luxe, and more beautiful version of the beloved comedienne, ending in a live selling event and a dramatic "face reveal." Simultaneously, Kuya Kim's impersonator alluded to recent developments about a television show, promising juicy behind-the-scenes secrets, lifestyle tips, and a surprise guest, all to spark interest and intrigue.
Kiray encourages the public to register their sim cards before the deadline.
But the real intent behind these entertaining acts was revealed two days after the live stream, as Kuya Kim and Kiray uploaded a video saying their accounts had been 'hacked.' This unexpected twist underscored their important message: online identity theft is real, and everyone should take measures to protect themselves, including registering their SIMs.
With this campaign, Globe underscores its dedication to promoting online safety. Since December 2022, the company has carried out various SIM registration drives. This latest effort adds a creative twist, amplifying the message that “your SIM is more than a number – it's an extension of your identity.” Through SIM registration, customers take a critical step in protecting their digital identity against potential scams.
The “Number Mo, Identity Mo” campaign reminds everyone that the battle against online scams is not a solitary fight but a collective effort.
To learn more about Globe, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/. (SPONSORED CONTENT)
Categories: Philippines News
Pages
| © Copyright Simon Wright 1997, 2023. All rights reserved. | 
|
Webmaster: [email protected] |