News briefs

Calamity status for Mandaue barangays

SOME barangays hardest hit by last Friday’s downpour will be placed under calamity status in a resolution scheduled to be passed in today’s special session by the Mandaue City Council.

Mayor Jonas Cortes met with the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council at 8 p.m last Saturday and endorsed the resolution to the council.

The resolution will allow the release of the city’s calamity fund for additional equipments for disaster preparation and drainage improvements. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza

Mandaue jeepney ban

THE Mandaue City government will continue to negotiate with Cebu City Hall to reconsider the ban on Mandaue passenger jeepneys plying their routes.

Mandaue City Administrator James Abadia said it is the riding public that is affected by the jeepney ban which includes the routes to Jones Avenue, Osmeña Boulevard and MJ Cuenco until the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Abadia said a team will be tapped to negotiate with the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) and Cebu City Officials on lifting the ban.

He said the Mandaue City government’s ban on garbage trucks from Cebu City was not enforced in retaliation to the ban on Mandaue jeepneys.

Abadia said the ban was in keeping with an ordinance to protect businesses from pollution caused by open garbage trucks. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza

Power subsidy for Camotes utility

CAMOTES Island won’t be experiencing brownouts at least until the end of December this year.

Energy Secretary Rene Almendras told participants of an energy forum last week said Camotes is one of several local government units (LGUs) whose power utility is one of many recipients of the national government’s P3.6 billion direct fuel subsidy.

He said the subsidy for small power utility groups (SPUG) was cut by the Energy Regulations Commission (ERC) which disapproved a Napocor application for additional universal charge for the utilities.

“That’s why the subsidy ran out of money. That’s why we have brownouts not just in Camotes but also in 29 provinces. The government did not stop it,” Almendras said.

In February,  the Cebu Provincial Board held a special session to grant authority to Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to sign an agreement between the province, the Camotes Electric Cooperative (Celco) and the Napocor.

The agreement provides a P9.19 million loan to the cooperative.

Camotes Island, one of a  group of islands off northeastern Cebu is an emerging tourist destination. But it suffered 6 to 8 hour brownouts in January.

Due to budget constraints, the Napocor could no longer generate the needed power for the Camotes Group of Islands comprising the towns of San Fransisco, Tudela, and Poro.

Almendras said the government is looking to intensify its rural electrification program as a long term solution.

The energy secretary said they are also inviting private companies to join the program. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus

Toilets for Suroy-Suroy

TOILETS of barangay halls along the highways in southern Cebu will be used for the Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo Southern Heritage Trail next week.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said the toilets in the barangay halls will be used temporarily until they complete construction of public toilets in designated towns covered by the tourism program.

The Capitol will build 37 public toilets for visitors in 37 towns in the province. About 20 of these toilets will be for southern towns.

There were 60 reservations from tourists who will join the tour next week.

Magpale said they could accommodate as many as 200 guests since accommodations won’t be a problem in the south.

She said they are expecting a lot of Chinese foreigners to come.  IBM executives and Saranggani officials were also invited to come for the tour from October 21 to 23 which will be the last Suroy-Suroy for this year. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus