Cebu to host 2011 LMP Nat’l Convention
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY September 27 (PIA) – Cebu will officially host the 2011 National Convention of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) as it top officials paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Gwen Garcia.
LMP national Executive Vice President Mayor Rey Navarro together with LMP Cebu Chapter President Mayor Nelson Garcia of Dumanjug in the southern part of the province formally informed Garcia of the league’s decision to hold the yearly convention here.
“The decision to hold the national convention in Cebu is based on the feedbacks from the mayors that the most successful national convention was done here. And the success was largely due to the immense support of the governor (Garcia),” according to Navarro.
As a popular tourist destination, Cebu will serve as an example in maximizing the potentials of tourism for economic growth and development which could guide local chief executives on how to tap their local tourism industry, Navarro declared.
This year’s convention will also highlight the best-selling tourist spots of each region so each local government unit (LGU) will learn what other LGUs have to offer in terms of tourism promotion, Navarro revealed. (FCR/AS/PIA-Cebu)
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5-day Korean Film Fest in Cebu starts tomorrow
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, September 27 (PIA) – A five-day Korean Film Festival in Cebu will be held starting tomorrow September 28 until October 2 with top-grossing films to be shown for free at the SM Cinema.
The film festival is one of the highlights of the Korean Day in Cebu City slated on October 1 in recognition of the increasing number of Korean residents here and to promote better understanding between the Cebuanos and the Koreans.
The free film screening is the first to be held outside Metro Manila by the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines, the official cultural arm of the Embassy of the republic of Korea.
Just newly inaugurated in July, the KCC’s creation is proof of the growing number of Koreans in the country not only in Cebu as its commitment is to being the best of the Korean culture to the Filipino people.
According to the KCC, the annual Korean Film Fest is one of the most successful pursuits of the Korean Embassy.
Due to the overwhelming turnout of audience in the previous film festivals in Manila, the KCC has decided to move to a larger venue and outside Manila to accommodate a larger audience, the KCC stated.
‘Scandal Makers,’ the highest grossing Korean film of 2008 is the chosen movie for the premier screening of the film festival tomorrow afternoon.
An estimated 1,000 to 1,500 Korean tourists visit Cebu everyday with daily flights including from Incheon and Busan while 18,000 to 20,000 Korean residents have made Cebu their new home. (PIA-Cebu)
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GABRIELA Rep. Ilagan to talk on RH Bill in UP Cebu today
By: Juju S. Manubag-Empuerto
CEBU CITY, Sept 27 (PIA) -- GABRIELA Party List Representative Luzviminda Ilagan, key sponsor of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill will be in Cebu today to talk about the advantages of the bill amid a controversial debate about it in congress.
Together with Ilagan to rally behind the merits of the RH Bill is Dr. Sylvia Estada Claudio of the UP Center for Women Studies which both speakers are scheduled to talk during a public forum sponsored by the University of the Philippines - Cebu Gender and Development Office, Sidlak Gender Resource Center - 7 and the Population Commission (POPCOM)-7.
The forum is set at 1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at the UP Cebu Conference Hall in Lahug, Cebu City and aims to enlighten the students, Sidlak partners in the academe, government, media and non-government organizations (NGOs) on the highly contested bill now pending in both Congress and the Senate.
Other panelists from the local government units (LGU), Catholics for Reproductive Health, the academe, and ordinary women in the grassroots level will also present their views during the open forum.
Ilagan is also in Cebu today to grace the 8th Founding Anniversary of Sidlak, a NGO that promotes the welfare and rights of women.
A solidarity gathering among Sidlak partners will follow after the forum to affirm their commitment and to promote gender equality and women empowerment. (FCR/JSME/PIA-Cebu)
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Over 1,000 4Ps beneficiaries avail of gov't services
By: Hazel Gloria
CEBU CITY, September 26 (PIA) --- Over 1,000 Pantawid Pamilya... beneficiaries availed of some government services through the Convergence Caravan initiated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the region (DSWD-7) on September 23 at the Mabolo covered court.
In an interview with PIA, DSWD-7 regional deputy program coordinator Shalaine Lucero said, the activity was purely information dissemination and services, dialogue and sharing of testimonies from the beneficiaries.
This convergence strategy program calls for a unified action to harmonize the Pantawid Pamilya, the Kapit-Bisig LabanSa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services : Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (Kalahi-Cidss : Kkb), and the Self-Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran Program (Sea-K), in order to generate greater impact on poverty reduction, she further explained.
The government agencies jthat oined the activity and rendered services to the people were National Statistics Office (NSO), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Others that joined the caravan were Department of Education (DepEd), Pag-IBIG Fund Cebu Branch, PhilHealth, Deparment of Agrarian Reform, Philippine Postal, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), Cooperative Develoment Authority (CDA), Parole and Probation Administration, Philippine Air Force, 53rd EB, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
The Young Lawyers Association in Cebu (YLAC) also participated in the event and gave free legal services.
Personnel from the Cebu City Health Office were tapped for the medical and dental check up and almost 200 people availed of the services.
On the other hand, Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, Rea Remitio, 29, married with three (3) kids shared how the program has changed their lives and she is thankful to DSWD and the support of the local government units (LGUs) for this program.
In her message, Lucero was grateful to all the partner government agencies that showed support to the activity and she also encouraged the beneficiaries to value the program and always comply with the set requirements.
In addition, she discouraged beneficiaries to pawn their Pantawid Pamilya cards and said DSWD is considering the details why this happened and that they have been monitoring these incidents.
The next convergence caravan will be in Negros Oriental on September 30, 2011.(PIA-7/hfg)
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PCG-Visayas reports no piracy attack ever recorded in C. Visayas
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, Sept. 26 (PIA) – No incident of piracy attack has ever been recorded in Central Visayas including Cebu due to strengthened vigilance of maritime agencies and favorable economic condition of the area.
“Poverty is the major reason why some individuals resort to piracy attacks. This is the main reason why no piracy attacks have been recorded in the Visayas seas because generally, the economic condition of the people is good,” according to Capt. Romeo Rivero of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) -Visayas.
Rivero also credited the strong vigilance against threats in the seas as regular coordination is always done by the maritime stakeholders.
Piracy attacks are not really a grave problem in the country but it is a real threat in some countries abroad, Rivero said. High risk areas cited for piracy attacks are off the seas of Nigeria, Africa, Malacca Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
“Though there have been a few incidents involving piracy specifically in Navotas and a few cases in Mindanao,” Rivero bared.
Even with no reported incident of piracy attacks here, Rivero said they have also launched an anti-piracy campaign as part of their mandate to provide maritime security.
The usual problem that is encountered onboard the vessel is not an attack on the ship but on simple theft where perpetrators go after the cargoes and steal them, Rivero disclosed.
“In order to guarantee the safety of the passengers onboard the vessel, the PCG conducts pre-departure inspection and screening of all passengers to check on dubious passengers with criminal intent,” Rivero said.
The country today celebrates National Maritime Week from Sept. 26 to October 1 carrying the theme “Piracy: Orchestrating the Response” where in Cebu, a motorcade to drumbeat public awareness was done early this morning. (PIA-Cebu)
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Piracy remains a threat to global maritime industry, MARINA-7 says
By Fayette C. Riñen
‘as the country celebrates Nat’l Maritime Week Sept. 26-Oct.1’
CEBU CITY, Sept. 26 (PIA) – Over 4,000 hostage incidents of piracy attacks have been recorded by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as of 2010 and out of the 500 hostage victims of different nationalities, 103 were Filipino seafarers as piracy continues to be a real threat in the maritime industry.
MARINA-7 Regional Director Nanette Villamor-Dinopol issued the statement during a press conference this morning that opened the National Maritime Week celebration in Cebu from September 26 until October 1 under the theme “Piracy: Orchestrating the Response.”
Dinopol said Filipino seafarers which is reported to comprise 30 percent of the world’s crew fleet, are vulnerable to piracy attacks as the problem has worsened over the years.
“In 2005, the groups behind the piracy only demand about 100M in ransom but the amount has increased with last year’s ransom demand reaching P500M,” Dinopol declared.
Dinopol said areas have already been identified where piracy attacks are most frequent. High risk areas mentioned were in the waters off Africa,Nigeria, Gulf of Aden and Malacca Strait.
Because of the dangers of piracy attacks, the major impact is the high cost of cargo shipping fees because ship owners have to increase insurance premium payments, according to Dinopol.
The Marina-7 director said the IMO is exerting efforts to address the piracy problem and that it has issued a circular to ship owners to hire armed security personnel and Navy forces to ward off the threats of piracy attacks.
The Philippines is one of the 170 member-states of the IMO while reports stated that there are an estimated 340,000 to 380,000 Filipino seafarers currently deployed at sea. (PIA-Cebu)