NEWS BRIEFS

NO WORK ON LAPU CHARTER DAY

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III declared June 17 a special nonworking holiday in Lapu-Lapu City in honor of the 50th anniversary of its charter.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. signed last May 20 on Aquino’s behalf proclamation no. 173 granting the city’s request for a Charter Day holiday.

“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of Lapu-Lapu be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,” the proclamation reads.

The city government lined up events for the holiday including a show by comedian Vice Ganda and a fireworks display.

The City Treasurer’s Office, meanwhile, produced 2,000 pieces of commemorative car plates that would be sold to the public at P1,500 apiece.

The special plate numbers can be used for one year with the approval of the city mayor and Land Transportation Office, said Rolando Duero, executive secretary of Mayor Paz Radaza.

“We are proud that we are Oponganon and so we made these,” he said.

He said those who want to buy a plate may go to the CTO and present their payment and vehicle registration. REPORTER JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS

DENGUE VACCINE TESTING

THE ethics committee of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) approved the planned testing of a dengue vaccine for selected Cebu City residents.

DOH-7 Regional Director Susana Madarieta said the CYD Dengue Vaccine developed by an international firm will soon be tested on residents of Cebu City’s barangay Guadalupe, which registered a high number of dengue cases last year.

The testing will be conducted after the city government and a nongovernment organization sign a memorandum of agreement.

Madarieta said she cannot disclose the names of the company and NGO while the memorandum is being ironed out.

“Hopefully it (the testing) would be effective and successful so we could start the immunization,” Madarieta said in an interview.

The Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit recorded on May 28 a total of 1,687 cases of dengue with 13 deaths since last January in Central Visayas. The figure is almost 10 times lower compared to the same period last year, when Resu recorded 2,665 cases with 24 deaths Majority of the cases were from Cebu City (693 cases, eight deaths), Mandaue City (125 cases, one death), Lapu-Lapu City (124 cases) and Talisay City (73 cases, two deaths). REPORTER CANDEZE R. MONGAYA

SRP BEAUTIFICATION

CEBU City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña yesterday said he plans to spend part of his pork barrel beautifying roads in the South Road Properties.
The congressman said he also wants coconut trees to be planted along the SRP roads.

The City Council has authorized Mayor Michael Rama to enter into a contract with Dakay Construction and Development Corp. for SRP projects including the estimated P35.5-million Pond F jetty extension and P27.3-million welcome tower contstruction on an SRP hill overlooking Cebu City Hall.

Meanwhile, Osmeña said he does not want Rama to sell SRP lots to raise funds for development projects.

“Let him find his own money. He is so talented anyway,” said Osmeña.

The former mayor was reacting to Rama’s statement that he will implement drainage improvement even if the city would need to take loans or sell SRP lots to fund the project.

Rama earlier directed City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to draft an executive order that would authorize various sectors to help the city identify needed drainage projects.

Osmeña said if not property done, sale of SRP lots can usher in industries that would compete with existing ones in the city.

He also said an investor might leave idle a purchased SRP lot so that it would not contribute to Cebu’s economy.

He said only companies that would employ hundreds of city residents and won’t kill rival firms in the city should be allowed to buy SRP lots. CHIEF OF REPORTERS DORIS C. BONGCAC