Families of 4 Cebuanos trapped in
NZ quake wreck not giving up hope
CEBU CITY, 25 February (PIA) - Grief stricken but not losing hope, families of the fourCebuano student nurses trapped in the collapsed Canterbury Television (CTV) Building in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand when a 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook the city on Tuesday morning continue to pray that their loved ones are still alive despite reports that police authoritiesin the area have ceased their rescue operations.
Dr. Ehtel Uy, whose niece Rhea Mae Sumalpong is one of the four Cebuanos that remain missing, appealed to the Philippine Government to hasten efforts to bring any official news about their kin during a TV interview over local ABS CBN news yesterday.
Two other Filipino student nurses were also trapped along with the four Cebuanos in the ruins of the CTV Building, one each from Luzon and Mindanao, this is learned.
Uy said she received reports that police authorities have ended their rescue operations in the belief that nobody survived the tragedy after two days of search and rescue efforts and have downgraded their actions to retrieval operations of trapped dead bodies.
“Nakadawat ko ug text gikan ngadto nga gihunong na daw ang rescue operations kay walana kunoy nabuhi ato unya wala nay tingog na madunggan ug duha na ka adlaw na trap sa maong nahugno nga building” (I received a text from there that rescue operations have ceased because no sounds of life have been heard and it has been two days since they were trapped in the collapsed building).
Though Uy felt resigned about the fate of her niece since it has been two days since the disaster happened while the waiting, she said, is killing the family. Since the news broke out “wala nami tulog duha na kagabi-i” (we have not slept for two nights already).
Rhea Mae graduated with a nursing degree from Southwestern University in 2008 and went to New Zealand in October last year for review classes at the Kings Education Limited, an English language school in the crumbled building as a prerequisite in taking the licensure exam. All the six Filipino student nurses were scheduled to take the nursing board exam on March 13 to make them eligible to work as nurses in New Zealand.
Beauty Chua, wife of one of the victims John Christopher, along with brother Bill remained glued to their computer for any latest news on the search and rescue operations.
Beauty whose eyes were swollen from crying remained silent when the video footage of them by the said local TV station was taken while her brother was the one who entertained questions from the press.
Another Cebuano victim Emma Belle Anoba whose mother sadly recounted that she was against her daughter from leaving the country to pursue a job abroad sadly bared “Cige lang mi ug pangadji nga intawon buhi pa si Emmabelle” (We always pray that Emma Belle is still alive).
Emma Belle graduated with a nursing degree from the University of Cebu in 2005 and was a co-worker of Rhea Mae at the South General Hospital in Naga City, Cebu before deciding to leave for greener pastures abroad.
Three of the Cebuanos only arrived in New Zealand last Saturday, February 19 to make it to their first day of classes last Monday. When the earthquake happened, it was their second day of classes.
Sumalpong’s parents who migrated to Australia six years ago and an aunt in Cebu plan to go to New Zealand to check the latest status.
But the latest news received by the local ABS CBN station is that there are already five bodies believed to be Filipinos that have been retrieved from the rubble but that the representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs were not allowed by the police authorities near the site to check the bodies since police said these are already mangled and beyond recognition and only a DNA test can prove their identities. (PIA-Cebu/Fayette C. Riñen)
BOT-7 launches retail treasury bonds in Cebu today
CEBU CITY, 25 February (PIA) - With a minimal amount of P5,000, anybody can now avail of the government’s safe savings instrument through the purchase of Retail Treasury Bonds (RTBs) which will be launched this afternoon in Cebu by the Bureau of Treasury (BOT) -7.
The RTBs are part of the government’s savings mobilization program designed to make government securities available to retail investors and is a safe, high-yielding and affordable savings instrument.
Issued by the Republic of the Philippines through the BOT, the RTBs are considered risk-free because it is a direct, unconditional and general obligation of the Republic, according to a handout faxed to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) -7 by the regional BOT office.
Minimum denomination that can be purchased is worth P5,000 and in multiples of P5,000 thereafter, this is learned.
The RTBs will have a maturity of five and 10 years while interest is paid quarterly compared to the regular treasury bonds which are paid semi-annually.
Offer or sale period of the RTBS started February 22 and will end on March 1, this year. This is the designated period given to the public to subscribe to the RTBs through the issue coordinators and other selling agents, the same handout stated.
Although after the offer period, investors may still purchase the RTBs in the secondary market at prevailing market rates.
Investors can also sell their RTBs prior to maturity and they may sell it to their selling agent from which the RTBs were purchased or to other selling agents subject to prevailing market rates.
Interest income on RTBs is subject to 20 percent withholding tax. Only tax-exempt institutions that are duly accredited by the Bureau of Internal Revenue are exempted from the tax payment. (PIA-Cebu/Fayette C. Riñen)