PNP-7 in full alert for the Holy Week
By: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY , April 19 (PIA) --- The Philippine National Police in Central Visayas has declared full alert starting April 16 (Saturday).
PNP PRO-7 regional director Sr. Supt. Ager Ontog said, police personnel will be in their respective police stations ready to give assistance to all the travelers who wish to go home to their respective provinces during the Holy Week.
Ontog has personally conducted inspections in both north and south bus terminals and even the pier areas to ensure that all security arrangements are in place.
Police also set up and manned Public Assistance Centers at the ports and bus terminals to attend to passengers’ concerns.
They are expecting more crowds at the bus terminals and port areas during this Lenten season.
Additional police personnel will be assigned to these areas to secure the passengers from possible criminal activities, Ontog concluded. (PIA-7/HFG)
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Port areas to implement strict security measures during lent
By: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, April 19 (PIA) ---The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) implements strict security measures particularly at the arrival and departure areas of domestic vessels during the Lenten season.
CPA security department head retired Col. Oscar Lopez said, the CPA will ensure the safety of our port clients while they are within our jurisdiction.
It will install more X-ray machines in departure areas and will detail K-9 dogs, Lopez continued.
K-9 dogs and security guards equipped with metal detectors are also assigned to check each passenger, especially their bags, Lopez explained.
There will also be continuous patrol with the Port Police and if necessary, they will increase the security personnel at the ports, he added.
Meanwhile, selected taxi units that the CPA accredited are allowed to enter the port premises to drop or to pickup passengers.
Lopez clarified that the CPA officials are not authorizing any taxi drivers to collect additional amount from their passengers more than what is reflected in their meters.
There are medical desks with paramedics that will be set up at the areas for emergency response.(PIA-7/HFG)
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New grads urged to avail of job opportunities on Labor Day
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, April 19 (PIA) --- Cebu’s new graduates and those seeking for employment can end their search for job opportunities as come May 1, three venues for local and overseas jobs fair are readily available in a public-private partnership (PPP) undertaking.
As the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) marks the 2011 Labor Day celebration under the theme “Matuwid na Daan sa Kaunlaran Para sa Lahat,” a simultaneous jobs fair nationwide is set on May 1 as part of the priority thrust of the Aquino Administration to provide employment.
“This is a good avenue for new graduates and those wanting to apply for a job to look for their luck in the forthcoming jobs fair,” according to DOLE-7 Acting Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga.
Though the jobs fair is spearheaded by the DOLE in partnership with its attached agency the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), critical involvement from key sectors like the local government units and the private sector with the latter providing the needed jobs spells the success of such an endeavor.
In Cebu, the jobs fair will be conducted in three separate venues --- the Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC), the Cebu International Convention Center and at the SM City Cebu.
DOLE-7 bared its is happy with the active support and involvement of the local government units as the jobs fair at the CCSC is in partnership with the Cebu City Government while at the CICC also has the involvement of the Cebu Provincial Government.
A listing of the jobs fair activities throughout the country on May 1 is posted at the DOLE website but unlike other regions or provinces which listed down only one venue for the jobs fair, the province of Cebu programmed three venues for the activity indicating the successful partnership between the public and private sector or otherwise known as the PPP.
“But what is indeed very positive is the participation of the private companies to join because jobs fair will not exist without them,” Sarcauga said.
Sarcauga urged new graduates and jobseekers alike to avail of the biggest jobs fair ever nationwide.
As reported, even domestic helpers can avail of the jobs fair as position for domestic helpers are open in Hongkong while skilled workers such as welders are needed in certain countries.
Employment generation is one of the 16-point priority thrusts under Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III Transformational Leadership Agenda. (PIA-Cebu)
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349 women benefit from cancer screening activities in Cebu
Cebu, Apr. 19 (PIA) --- Three hundred forty-nine (349) women benefited from breast and cervical cancer screening activities held at the Cebu City Medical Center, Cordova town, cities of Mandaue and Naga during the Women’s month celebration in March this year.
The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.; with the Cebu City Medical Center, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) OB-GYNE Department, VSMMC Breast Clinic, Integrated Midwives Association of Philippines-Cebu Midwives Clinic, Lihok Pilipina Foundation, and Destiny Medical Fund Inc. organized the series of screening activities
Before the screening procedure, the organizers had forums on breast and cervical cancer as an interpersonal communication advocacy on the disease.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among Filipinas. Gender and growing older are the main factors for having a breast cancer.
Cervical cancer, on the other hand, is the second most common cancer among women. It is strongly associated with sexual activity and necessary cause is the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is transmitted sexually.
Women are advised to adopt early detection measures, such as monthly breast self-examination by age 20, yearly health examination by age 30, and yearly mammogram by age 50.
One can take preventive measure by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, exercise, proper hygiene, avoiding stresses and vices, using barrier contraceptive, maintaining monogamous sexual relationships, and HPV vaccination.
Cervical cancer can be detected through various screenings such as pap smear, visual inspection with acetic acid, colposcopy, HPV testing, and single visit approach (SVA). (PIA-7/MBCN with reports from RAFI-Nancy R. Cudis)
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Museum in Cebu opens exhibit on Holy Week traditions
Cebu City , Apr. 19 (PIA) --- The Casa Gorordo Museum at Lopez Jaena Street in Cebu City opens its doors to the public for an exhibit called “Candelaria and Holy Week Traditions” until Easter Sunday, April 24.
The exhibit showcases the images of Veronica and Jesus Nazareno and also presents a short historical background of Semana Santa and the practices of the Gorordo family, which gave color to the Lenten celebration.
Four generations of the Gorordo family lived in the Casa Gorordo until 1980 when the house was acquired by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI).
The structure was never a house of any religious order but the people who lived here were deeply rooted to the religious piety of their time.
The original owners may have left the house but their religious traditions and devotions are kept alive by the present museum administration.
When RAFI acquired the house to be opened as a museum, the Foundation committed to continue the time-bound traditions.
These traditions include unveiling of the Belen during the Christmas Season, Sinug sa Casa Gorordo after the Sinulog, and Pista ni San Juan during the fiesta of Parian, among others.
The Candelaria tradition of the Gorordos is practiced on February 2, which traditionally marked the end of the Christmas Season and set the penitential mode for the season of Lent.
The Gorordos, being the camareros of the images of Veronica and the Jesus Nazareno, were active participants of the Semana Santa procession of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. (PIA-7/MBCN with reports from RAFI-Haidee Emmie K. Palapar)
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BIR-13 says last day of ITR filing in Cebu orderly
by Eli C. Dalumpines
CEBU CITY, April 19 (PIA) --- The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Regional Office 13 based in Cebu City has not experienced any major problem during the last day of the filing of income tax returns last Friday.
Atty. Jose N. Tan, Regional Director of BIR Regional Office 13, which covers the Revenue District Offices of Cebu North and South districts, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City and Bohol, in an interview, said the last day of ITR filing was orderly due to the measures his office has instituted to anticipate the large crowd that was expected to beat the deadline.
According to Tan, his office had set up three assistance centers in the regional BIR office to hasten the process of the filing of ITRs.
“Our office has also set up the Tulungan Center at SM City Cebu and the fielding of personnel in a number of designated banks in Metro Cebu to assist taxpayers,” Tan disclosed.
Tan however, said it is hard to tell if this year’s turnout is indeed higher compared to last year since many of the tax payers chose to file their income tax returns in the designated assistance centers outside the BIR office.
But Tan expressed confidence that they were able to hit the P12 billion target set by the BIR’s Central Office even if his office has no idea yet how much is the region’s actual collection since they are still waiting for the banks to upload the report on the total amount collected on the last day of filing.
The BIR-13 chief said it will take three days for the bank to transmit the report to their office.
Pending the transmittal of said report, the BIR would not be able to know the total amount of tax collected, Tan explained.
Earlier, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said she was happy with the good turnout of ITR filers this year but that her office cannot yet determine at this point how much is the total collection of the BIR. (PIA 7/FCR)