Toledo to construct 11 ha reclamation for international port site

The City of Toledo today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) for the establishment of the 11 hectare reclamation project.

Witnessed by Vice Mayor Antonio Yapha, City Councilors, department heads , local media and PRA, the MOU was officially signed by Toledo City Mayor John Henry Osmena and PRA General Manager lawyer Janilo Rubiato.

This will start the establishment of the 11 hectare reclamation project in 30 days which according to Osmena, will be the location of an international port at the western side of the province.

“This will decongest the ports of Cebu City and will be a great source of employment to residents not only in Toledo but in the south west of Cebu,” Osmena said.

The project has a budget of P644 million initial from a loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines and some local funds.

“And we welcome private investors interested along the way to complete the project and then the port construction,” Osmena said.

There will be oil depots in the planned port area which will solve further accidents of exploding oil tankers from happening.

Very recently, Osmena reported there were two fuel tankers which had an accident, in barangays Magdugo and  Media Once. It resulted to the death of six people.

With the port there will be no more need to transport fuel in long distances.

For his part, PRA Rubiato said they are assuring full assistance to  Toledo City as they go about constructing the project.

“There are environmentally sound ways in constructing a reclamation other than the usual dumping of materials,” Rubiato said.

The project is expected to be done in two years with most of the materials from the areas owned and operated by Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (ACMDC) and Carmen Copper Corporation (CCC

Daanbantayan produced its first emergency youth responders

Just like the real thing.. its a simulation exercise for the youth responders

There is good  news in the Municipality of Daanbantayan (yep that's one word and not Bantayan as it refers to another place), as about 60 members of the youth sectors are now trained, not just as leaders, but as responders.

Seeing the need to involve the youth, Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot organized the first ever Kandaya Emergency Youth Camp Cum Leadership Training recently.

The exercises

The training also coincides with the observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month.

Daanbantayan was one of the worst hit during typhoon Yolanda four years ago.

The leadership lessons

The participants were students and out of school youths from the 20 barangays of the town.

Focus

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (MDRRMO) Tilano Dublin led the training on first responders along with the authorities from the Rural Health Unit (RHU).

Patience

FUN!

FOOD

Other than that, they also underwent essence of leadership

traits of a leader and values formation.

At the end of it all, it was worth, the experience, the pride and the investment....Good luck Daanbantayan responders!

Always remember

With great power, comes great responsibility- Spider-Man

The Municipality is famous for its white sand beaches and dive sites particularly in the island of Malapascua.

Police and Lions beautify Compostela Police Station

   

  Despite the heavy downpour early in the morning of St. John the Baptist's Day, members of the Cebu Lumad Lions Club made their way to the northern town of Compostela, Cebu to meet with the local police...not because they are in trouble.

    They are there, to do what they love most, and that is to make a statement, painting, with huge walls, as the canvas--commonly known as murals.

    This time though, has a deeper goal, and that is to transform the façade of its local police station, into child and environment friendly.

    Excitedly waiting for them, is the woman who head the town police force, Police Senior Inspector Junafe Vergara.  She said, she was half excited and half worried, thinking that the group may not push through with the plan because of bad weather.

   Her police station she said, needs the face lift. Its gloomy and scary.

   Other than that, Vergara said, being a woman, her thrust is really in decreasing, if not eliminating all types of violence of children in Compostela.

"Its one of the best way of curbing criminality, by taking care and protecting them," she said

PSI Vergara

   In fact, they conducted symposium after symposium, strengthened intelligence work to make sure they reach out to as many children and parents as well.

"But this is not enough, we need to put some changes, to put more life to what were doing," Vergara said.

    And the Cebu Lumad Lions came, armed with a talented architect / mural artist, paints and brushes.

   Architect Joseph Judilla, mural artists has been initiating several "creative vandalism" since he became a Lions.

The Architect

    It is a project, that has as capital, not much on money, but time and patience.

"You don't have to be a good painter, everything else follows as long as you are passionate to the purpose of the mural.  And its impact is big.  It reaches out to a lot of people," Judilla said.

    Even before he reached Compostela, he already had an idea of what the Police Station needs.  That is to make a mural that will bring a positive feeling for its clients and the passing or visiting children.

"The design is eye catching, but its message is also about taking care of the environment, that it can grow a good balance with progress," Judilla said.

    He started with drawing the entire design using a black brush.  There were traces of buildings and trees, flowers and rainbow and houses.

    Then the mixing of the colors of the paints -- red, yellow, blue, orange, brown, green  and white.

Compostela Vice Mayor Josephine Abing joins the group. #limpyoCompostela

    PO1 Mylene Edejer was all smiles. She said it was like a breath of fresh air from the usual policeman's day.

"I love it, I don't even feel tired painting all the yellows," she said

PO3 Mylene Edejer and POI1 Laarni Abayan

    PO3 Denn Mark Maglinte didn't show any sign of tiredness.  He colored the hard to reach areas, those that were already near the ceiling.

"Makawagtang sa stress, the colors make you feel alive, and so will the police station," Maglinte said 

    But what makes the activity more meaningful, is the participation of some drug surrenderees of the town.  First, they thought they were just our for an exercise and other sweat inducing activities.
    
    Laughing, giggling, they painted like little children.

   

Cebu Lumad Lions President Dr. Ma. Gaille Dejoras hands over childrens books to PO1 Laarni Abayan with Lions Ryan and Timi Solon

Completing the activity was the turn over of children's books for the station's Women and Children's Corner.

    But first, was a story telling by Lumad and the police to neighboring children.

    This just goes to show, that things can be done when there is a forged partnership between civil society, private entities and the government...more so, if its for the children.

With Charter President Dr. Marilyn Campano, Compostela MPS Chief PSI Junafe Vergara, PP Ferliza Contratista and President Ma. Gaille Dejoras

    As to the police, with a building as colorful as that, it will definitely bring them closer to the community.

   

DOH-7 holds free deworming in public schools and barangay health centers

CEBU CITY --- The Department of HealthRegion 7 (DOH-7) will hold deworming activities in public schools and barangay health centers for the entire month of July.

Dr. Al Patrick Alajas, Deworming coordinator for DOH7 in today's Kapihan sa PIA

Children ages 1-18 years old can avail of the free deworming tablets for free.

Dr. Al Patrick Alajas, Medical Officer III of DOH-VII explains that children are their targets because they are constantly exposed and are still developing thus are more vulnerable.

He also mentioned that 67 percent of children all over the country were infected with worms before they launched the deworming program.

"De worming is advisable every six months that is why we are doing it twice a year," Alajas said

As of DOH’s study in 2015, they managed to bring the numbers down to 26 percent.

DOH aims to reach to less than 20% prevalence by 2020 with Central Visayasalmost reaching the goal at 21%.

DOH-7 is targeting to deworm 3,193,575 children from 1-18 years old. They dewormed more than half of their target last January 2017 at 1,923,349 children.

The schedules of the deworming activities depend on each public school. If ever some children missed the opportunity, their parents can still approach barangay health centers to avail for the deworming tablet.

Among the health issues caused by worm infection is poor performance in class, nutrition deficiency, anemia, lowered immunity, and in the worst cases, death.

DOH’s deworming program is held every January and July since 2006.(by AYIN VISITACION, PIA7-Cebu)