Philippines News

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama considers center islands as obstructions that take up the city’s major roads and thoroughfares, said Councilor Jerry Guardo of the committee on infrastructure.

In an interview with SunStar Cebu on Thursday, July 6, 2023, Guardo said Rama believes center islands are no longer necessary along national roads and add to traffic congestion by taking up space that could be utilized for an additional lane.

Guardo explained that the main reason for removing the center islands is to improve the traffic flow.

“If we have a clearer highway, then we can ease the flow of traffic,” he said.

Guardo said the demolition of center islands is being handled by the Department of Public Works and Highways without any cost to the city government.

He explained that the mayor always has the right and prerogative to demolish these structures.

“(It’s) upon the order of the mayor, so we just implement. There is an agency that does the implementation under the office of the mayor, but it will be executed by the DPWH,” Guardo said.

He said a few center islands had already been removed.

However, the removal of the center island along Pope John Paul II Avenue was withheld due to the number of trees in the area that would be affected.

“We want it to be removed also, but there are concerns from the other party with regard to those trees that will be affected,” Guardo said.

He said the demolitions don’t take much time with the use of heavy equipment.

In June 2023, SunStar Cebu reported that some opposing parties claimed that the removal of center islands along Pope John Paul II Avenue would only pose a hazard to pedestrians and affect the movement of vehicles in the area.

A YEAR after it opened, the five-story socialized housing condominium in Barangay Lorega is now fully utilized.

Fritzgerald Herrera, barangay captain of Lorega San Miguel, said the medium-rise building (MRB) with 100 units has reached full occupancy and is currently housing up to 100 families.

The MRB is a donation from Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) in compliance with the balanced housing program of the National Government and is part of Cebu City’s socialized housing program which aims to provide affordable housing to informal settlers and city residents.

Herrera said 70 percent of the beneficiaries are from Barangay Lorega while the remaining 30 percent are from other barangays including Mabolo, Zapatera, Kamagayan and Tejero.

Beneficiaries were chosen by the local government with recommendations from the barangay which included residents who were displaced due to court demolition orders, implementation of the three-meter easement on waterways, fire-related incidents and natural disasters.

Building Administrator Arnie Llamado told SunStar Cebu that the condominium units are being rented by the beneficiaries for P1,500 a month.

Llamado also said units are not rent-to-own but will serve as “training grounds” for beneficiaries.

Beneficiaries will be evaluated every six months to assess their physiological and mental well-being for up to two years. Once deemed suitable, they will be allowed to move to an upscale housing project that is currently in the works and is funded by the City Government.

“We hold two to three meetings every week for the residents here since it can surely help them in developing better habits and mindsets,” said Llamado.

Beneficiary Maria Estrellita, who was a victim of a fire incident in Lorega in 2014, emphasized how beneficial the project has been for her family of eight.

“Okay ra jud kaayo mi diri. Karon pasalamat jud kaayo ko nga naka-avail mi ana nga condo (We’re really okay here. Now l am very grateful that we were able to avail of this condo),” she said. (RJM with CNU Intern Miguel Lumen)

TO SUPPORT the implementation of their livelihood initiatives, a total of P3.1 million was given to four farmer groups in Barangay Sudlon 1, Cebu City.

Around 222 farmers of the barangay will benefit from the funds that were distributed by the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (Dole 7) on June 29, 2023.

According to Dole 7 Director Lilia Estillore, the subsidy would pay for the costs associated with launching the livelihood projects.

“They are very fortunate. Along with their blessing comes their big responsibility of taking care of their livelihood projects,” said Estillore on Wednesday, July 5.

Beneficiaries will venture into agricultural supply, poultry broiler production, cattle fattening and general merchandise industries.

The beneficiaries were from the farming organizations of Sudlon 1 United Farmers Association, Erpat Members of Sudlon 1, Sudlon 1 Women’s Association, and the Sudlon 1 Rural Improvement Club (RIC).

The recipients’ livelihood aid stems from the Dole Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), which aims to contribute to poverty reduction.

Projects

From the funds, a total of P800,000 will be allotted for the agricultural supply business of beneficiaries from Sudlon 1 United Farmers Association, while P499,000 will go to the chicken broilers production business of the Erpat Members.

The Sudlon 1 Women’s Association will get over P900,000 for its livestock fattening livelihood program, while the Rural Improvement Club (RIC) members will get P850,000 for its general merchandise venture.

Dole 7 said they will continuously track the progression of these livelihood projects of the different farmers’ groups.

Monitoring

To help guarantee that the livelihood projects are launched and executed successfully, a project management committee has been formed, with the barangay captain serving as chairperson and the other barangay officials serving as members.

“We urge the beneficiaries to make the most of the livelihood assistance that has been entrusted to them. It is not every day that Dole 7 is giving away P3.1 million,” Estillore said.

Estillore added that the barangay council will be in charge of canvassing and purchasing all supplies, inputs and equipment required to make the business ventures fully operational as their partner in project implementation.

Estillore, together with Cebu City Second District Rep. Eduardo “Edu” Rama Jr., handed over the check to Barangay Captain Dante Tabucal in a brief ceremony.

Rama said he expects the project to improve the lives of the recipients and create chances for long-term progress.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this transformative event, and we appreciate the dedication of all involved in creating and bringing a positive impact to Barangay Sudlon 1,” he said.

ABOUT 50 personnel from the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) are now deputized to issue traffic citation tickets (TCT) in the city.

Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) legal chief Hyl Retuya said on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the MCPO personnel are to assist Team personnel in arresting and issuing citation tickets to traffic violators, mostly during night time.

Retuya said the deputized personnel from the MCPO have undergone a traffic refresher course that’s also given to Team personnel to update them on new and existing traffic rules.

“For example ... in Mandaue, (motorcycle) drivers are allowed to use any helmet because in 2019, the City passed an ordinance allowing motorists to use any helmet,” he said in Cebuano.

Retuya is referring to City Ordinance 15-2019-1438 passed in 2019 that allows the use of full-face helmet, half-face and/or open-face protective motorcycle helmet by the driver and their back riders or passenger while driving within the territorial jurisdiction of Mandaue City.

Retuya said only the MCPO’s deputized personnel are authorized to issue citation tickets for violations such as disregarding traffic signs (DTS), not having a helmet, not having a driver’s license, and failure to carry registration, among others.

The deputized police personnel should call Team when a violator is caught and the vehicle needs to be impounded.

THE Philippines may soon be using nuclear energy within the decade.

According to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael “Popo’’ Lotilla on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the Marcos administration is working on the possibility of using small modular reactors (SMRs) as an alternative source of energy to address the country’s growing electricity demand.

He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had a talk with developers of the SMRs on how to roll out the technology during his visit to the United States last April, wherein they also discussed Marcos’ concern about the safety, sustainability, deployability and affordability of the SMRs.

However, Lotilla said use of SMRs or conventional nuclear power plants will depend on Congress and private stakeholders in the energy sector.

“Should the Congress give the green light, then we wouldn’t be starting from scratch. So we will have to do our part in the executive department, such as preparing the (potential) sites and other requirements,” Lotilla said during the Pandesal Forum at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe on July 5.

Advantages

The Marcos administration said the use of SMRs will be in accordance with requirements and regulations set by The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the intergovernmental organization that promotes the safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy across the globe.

According to the IAEA, SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with the power capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit, almost one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.

It has the advantage of being small and modular, thus requiring less space. It’s also easier to construct and is cost-effective.

Lotilla said the developers of SMRs have guaranteed that these are safer compared to a conventional nuclear power plant because of new technologies that minimize the risk of a possible meltdown or nuclear disaster.

“They use as a cooling medium not water but molten salts, helium and others that are not as volatile or susceptible to explosion or meltdown,” he said.

With the archipelagic geography of the Philippines, Lolita said that deploying SMRs will be more economical and sustainable.

However, Lotilla said SMRs are still in the demonstration stage and not yet commercially available. Even if it becomes so, the price per unit might be expensive for the government.

That’s why the DOE has collaborated with the National Economic and Development Agency (Neda) to develop a framework for the private sector to participate in nuclear energy generation, he said.

He said the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) of 2001 prohibits the government from owning and operating in the electric power industry, which is why the private sector must be tapped.

“Under the Epira, the government is prohibited from entering the energy generation space. And if there is a possibility or potential for the private sector to do it, then we should by all means encourage the private sector to do it,” Lotilla said.

washington - Two very different films are set to come out on July 21. One is about the development of the world's first nuclear weapons. The other is about Barbie.

Which one has proved to be contentious on the global stage? Surprisingly, it's not the Oppenheimer biopic.

Instead, the much-anticipated "Barbie" has stoked controversy in both Vietnam and the Philippines this week, with the former banning it out

Three weather systems may bring rains over parts of the country, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David will once again lead the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Residents of Manila can enjoy free tours with the Philippines Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour program.

The United States government recently donated nearly P7 million to help promote human rights in the country through the Philippines-United Nations Joint Program for Human Rights.

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III on July 7 expressed hope that the opposition is consolidating its forces one year into the second Marcos administration and ahead of the midterm elections.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez has expressed confidence that the newly signed Republic Act 11953 or the Agrarian Emancipation Act will serve as a catalyst for rural development.

President Marcos is optimistic the Armed Forces’ modernization program will be back on track as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

After all the frenzy that it has whipped up, the “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign of the Department of Tourism appears to be still on the table.

The Philippine National Police is willing to deploy police officers for beat patrol at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City in the wake of the reported sexual assault of a student in the campus last week – if the university will allow it.

The government has to fix the “complicated” systems in the bureaucracy and ensure an investor-friendly environment, President Marcos said, following the release of the labor force survey which showed unemployment and underemployment hitting their second lowest rates since 2005.

Kiribati communities are gearing up to celebrate Tungaru language this week, as Wikin te Taetae ni Kiribati - Kiribati Language Week 2023 gets underway.

"Our Language Week Series provides an opportunity for all i-Kiribati people to celebrate culture, identity and language of the islands," Barbara Edmonds said.

THE final numbers for Victor Wembanyama in his Summer League debut: nine points on 2-for-13 shooting, eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three assists.

Not on the stat sheet: countless pictures and videos captured on phones, the couple dozen times he applauded teammates and all the autographs that a very friendly San Antonio Spurs coach named Gregg Popovich signed at halftime for kids and other fans.

The Wemby Show is underway. The outcome on Friday night, July 8, 2023, doesn’t matter much and will be forgotten in the next couple days — for the record, the Spurs beat the Charlotte Hornets 76-68. But for the 17,500 people who bought tickets, most of them just to say they saw Wembanyama’s first time sweating in a Spurs game uniform, it was a night to remember.

A night to remember for the No. 1 pick, too.

“Special moment,” Wembanyama said. “Really special to wear that jersey for a first time. It’s really an honor.”

Wembanyama did a lot of things well, which can’t be a surprise. He screened well. Passed well; he even had a left-handed shovel pass for an assist. Defended well at times; Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick in the draft, tried a 3-pointer from about five or six feet beyond the arc in the first half, and Wembanyama threw his left arm skyward and blocked it with ease. And his four-point play with 2:50 left put the Spurs up by 14, just about sealing the win.

“He’s a legit 7-6,” Miller said afterward, only slightly exaggerating Wembanyama’s official height of 7 feet, 3-1/2 inches. “Victor is a great guy, great off the court. He’s going to have a great career, and just to see him step up to the challenge, I think that shows a lot of heart.”

Wembanyama struggled shooting and air-balled a pair of 3-point tries in the fourth quarter, got moved out of the way on a few rebound opportunities, and was sort of dunked on when he was trying to defend a lob to Charlotte’s Kai Jones — Wembanyama couldn’t reach it, and fouled Jones as he threw the ball down — and had tons of moments that he’ll learn from on film.

“All in all, I think he did a good job. ... You can see his basketball IQ is elite,” Spurs summer coach Matt Nielsen said.

Again, none of it mattered much, good or bad. Wembanyama’s body of work in France over the last three years more than proved his enormous potential. A 30-point game or an 0-for-30 game on Friday night wouldn’t have changed anything.

There were hundreds of phones pointed at the tunnel where he emerged for a six-minute warmup before the game. Some tickets went for more than $200 on the resale market; that’s pretty much unheard of for Summer League. Fans in Spurs jerseys — they were obviously new jerseys, since they had Wembanyama’s name on them — started showing up inside the arena two games before the Spurs-Hornets matchup just to make sure they had a good seat. No. 3 draft pick Scoot

Henderson played in the previous game for Portland; he came out and stood courtside for some of the second half of the Spurs game.

“I’m glad a lot of people could get to see us play,” Wembanyama said.

Jerry West was courtside, as was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who’ll join Wembanyama on stage at NBA Con on Saturday, July 8, for a conversation between a legend and someone who is expected to become a legend.

The numbers didn’t matter. Wembanyama overshadowed everyone. And everything.

Like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, for example. They combined for a miracle finish to give Houston a 100-99 win over Portland in the game that immediately preceded Spurs-Hornets. Down by two with 0.6 seconds left, Eason just sort of sidearm-heaved a pass about 40 feet to Smith, who turned and beat the clock with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Everybody celebrated, some because of Smith’s shot, some because the game was over, and it was Wemby time. It would have been the talk of Summer League, under normal circumstances.

These are not normal circumstances.

And in the adjacent court — UNLV has two separate gyms under one roof — Cleveland and Brooklyn were playing simultaneously to Wembanyama’s debut. Let’s just say there were more than a few empty seats in the gym for that game; only the most ardent Cavaliers fans, Nets fans, or friends and family of players on those rosters seemed to be there for that one. Meanwhile, a few feet away in the big gym, fans were seated all the way up to the rafters.

The debut was a circus. Everyone expected it would be, and that was even before he went to dinner Wednesday night and was approached by Britney Spears — the pop star who grabbed or poked at Wembanyama and set off a two-day story that generated tons of headlines worldwide.

He handled all that with ease, not even knowing until hours later Spears was the person involved, and handled all the attention Friday night with ease as well.

“He’s pretty cool,” Spurs teammate Julian Champagnie said, later adding, “he deserves to have this moment.”

He is a rookie. A very tall, super talented one. He will have great games in San Antonio. He will have bad games. And he’s now had his first game. His NBA story is underway. The Spurs are betting that it only gets better from here.

“I just want to get better every time,” Wembanyama said, “and learn as much as I can.” (AP)

THE Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with guard Dejounte Murray, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday, July 7, 2023.

The deal preserves his Hawks backcourt pairing with Trae Young and keeps Murray on the roster for five years, through the 2027-28 season, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the extension has not been announced.

Murray hinted at the agreement on his Twitter account when he posted late Thursday “ATLANTA. Been Locked In From The Moment Y’all Accepted Me” and added “ LOYALTY OVER EVERYTHING Let’s Gooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

The Hawks helped to clear cap space for the extension on June 26, when they traded forward John Collins to the Utah Jazz for veteran forward Rudy Gay and a conditional 2026 second-round draft pick. Collins is guaranteed $25.3 million in the 2023-24 season. Gay, 36, is due approximately $6.5 million.

On Friday night, the Hawks officially announced the Collins trade, which creates a $25.3 million trade exception for Atlanta. The exception, currently the largest in the NBA, can be used to acquire a player in a future deal within a year.

“Being able to create financial flexibility moving forward was a major priority for us,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields said in a statement released by the team. “The added flexibility will give us greater optionality as we look at opportunities to improve our team.”

The extension was especially important for the Hawks following their significant commitment to Murray. On June 29, 2022, the Hawks traded Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for Murray.

Murray, 26, averaged 20.5 points and 6.1 assists for the Hawks last season, creating the high-scoring backcourt duo with Young that was expected. Even so, the Hawks suffered another first-round loss in the playoffs following their midseason firing of coach Nate McMillan and the hiring of Quin Snyder as his replacement.

The Hawks finished 41-41, again unable to regain the promising form they showed when they advanced to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals. (AP)

Nowadays in professional boxing, it’s not too often that we get to witness a seminal match-up between two undefeated, elite fighters at their absolute primes, duking it out for all the marbles.

Blame that on the promotional outfits, matchmaking issues, and petty management disputes, but we rarely get treated to a dream match-up like we are about to witness later this month.

Errol Spence and Terence Crawford will finally make all our dreams come true as they clash on July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

SPENCE. Errol Spence (28-0, 22KOs) brings a lot to this table. He is currently the IBF, WBA and WBC welterweight champion.

To get to where he is right now, he waylaid several big names in boxing, to wit: Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugas.

Looks like a Hall of Fame roster to me.

He also had to survive a horrible car crash back in October 2019, which was thought to be career-ending at that time. Thankfully, he was able to bounce back and resume his career.

He is a southpaw who brings a hybrid boxer-puncher approach and is a master at making adjustments mid-game to overcome his opponents.

CRAWFORD. “Bud” (39-0, 30 KOs) has been at the apex of the game for a decade now. He is always arguably in the top 3 of most pound-for-pound lists.

Rightfully so as he had multiple world championships in three weight classes.

He has defeated the likes of Victor Postol, Amir Khan, Jose Benavidez Jr, Kell Brook and Shawn Porter.

Currently, he holds the WBO diadem, a title he held since 2018, after moving up from the junior lightweight division.

Crawford is a master boxer and can switch stances with fluid ease. He is fast, powerful, and a crafty ring technician. Some refer to him as Floyd Mayweather with a punch.

The knock-on Crawford is his lack of a career-defining matchup, one that would propel him to boxing immortality.

FINALLY. Will the Spence fight finally cement Crawford’s claim to being one of the best? Or will Spence prove he has always been the superior fighter and overcome his vaunted rival?

For years now, these fighters have been tiptoeing around each other and for some reason, there was always a contingency that pushed the fight back.

For now, it’s all systems go, and it looks like we are set to witness one of the greatest fights this decade has to offer.

LAST ROUNDS. Are on Kenneth and Anabelle Dyguani who recently celebrated their birthdays. Cheers guys.