Charity event for kids held

FOR the second time this year, Air Busan, Korea’s regional airline with flight operation from Cebu-Busan has once again hosted its charity outreach program for their beneficiary, the kids with special needs at the San Nicolas Special Education Center.

Last March, Air Busan donated steel swing, musical instruments, sports equipment and school supplies to the center.

25 men join talk, free prostate check up

ABOUT 25 male employees and dependents joined the lecture and prostate check-up conducted by Dr. Michael Aponesto, a urologist, recently held at the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco)-Banilad clinic.

The activity, spearheaded by the Kaibigan (values clarification funshop program) Batch 5, in cooperation with Getz Pharmaceutical, was aimed at promoting wellness among the kaibigans and their families.

‘MEZ 1 Toastmasters’ inducts new officers

MEZ 1 Toastmasters Club is a young club on the rise. A community club in the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) of Ibo, Lapu-lapu City, it is a sponsored club of TMX Toastmasters Club and SMC-Mandaue Toastmasters Club.

Its membership is open not only to the zone employees but for anyone who wants to improve his communication and leadership skills.

Endocrinologists joint meeting set

THE American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Philippines will hold their 6th annual meeting and clinical congress on Aug. 9-12 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City.

Dubbed as “ENDOCS: Endocrinology, Nutrition, Diabetes, Osteoporosis: Controversies and Solutions,” this convention will also serve as the 4th joint meeting with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE).

Lear Corp. holds annual tree-planting

A TOTAL of 58 volunteers from the various departments of Lear Corp. recently climbed up the slopes of Sitio Cantipla to conduct a tree-planting activity, in cooperation with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

The activity was held as part of Lear’s corporate environmental awareness program, in partnership with PBSP’s Cebu hillylands reforestation caravan.

2 wells opened, to benefit 600 households

ABOUT 600 households in Barangays Pit-os and Talamban in Cebu City will benefit from a well that the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) recently opened and commissioned to its water system.

This means, residents in the suspended areas of these barangays can now apply for new water service connections.

Philhealth defers premium increase

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) has moved the implementation of the increase in premium rate for individually paying members (IPM) from this July to October.

Philhealth announced late last year that its IPM premium will increase from P1,200 per year to P2,400. However, to provide more opportunity for consultation with various sectors and to give members additional time to prepare for the increase, Philhealth deferred the July 1, 2012 increase to Oct. 1, 2012.

CSC 7 to hold conferment tomorrow of May batch

THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) 7 will conduct an orientation on government personnel recruitment and selection along with the awarding ceremony tomorrow, July 31, at the CSC 7 Multi-Purpose Hall, Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City.

The awarding ceremony will confer certificates of eligibility to passers of the civil service (CS) examination (paper and pencil test) conducted last May 27 in Cebu City.

Nationwide peer coaching training set for teachers

THE Coalition for Better Education (CBE), in collaboration with Globe Telecom, will conduct a two and a half days peer coaching program at the Center for Teacher Excellence, Cebu Normal University campus, Cebu City.

A total of 30 selected proficient teachers representing various regions all over the country will troop to Cebu City on Aug. 1-3 to learn about the basics of peer coaching.

DSWD observes 34th NDPR Week

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) have organized a series of events in celebration of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week.

The celebration, which was launched yesterday, was aimed at highlighting the nation’s efforts towards disability prevention and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) leading to their integration into the mainstream of society.

Architect Villalón gets Chevalier medal from French Ministry of Culture

AUGUSTO Villalón, prominent Cebuano architect, cultural heritage planner, and president of Genvi Development Corp., which is developing Monterrazas de Cebu, was awarded the prestigious Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the Ministry of Culture of France.

The award was in recognition of his exemplary professional achievement in the international advancement of architecture and heritage conservation in the Philippines, France, and in many other countries around the globe.

‘Smarter Way to Doing Business’ forum set

IN ITS drive to make business more efficient and competent, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) has organized a forum dubbed as “Get Into the Cloud: A Smarter Way of Doing Business” on July 24 at 2 p.m.

It is intended for companies wanting to minimize information technology (IT) infrastructure maintenance costs by running businesses more smartly using cloud technologies.

1st Japan Festival 2012 in Cebu set

IN CELEBRATION of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month and the annual Japanese Film Festival, the Japan Festival 2012 has been set on Aug. 11 and 12 at the activity center of Ayala Center Cebu. All the events for these two-day activities will start at 2 p.m.

This year’s Japanese film fest, which will feature 10 movies, runs from Aug. 7 to 12 at the Ayala’s cinema 4.

Civic groups treat kids to a day of fun

TO A child with cancer, every morning that he/she wakes up is a blessing. The Rotary Club and the Rotaract Club of Cebu Fuente have been celebrating life for the past seven years.

Recently, the rotarians and rotaractors treated the kids with cancer of Kythe Cebu to an afternoon of kite flying at the Sugbu Center, South Road Properties.

Cebu bloggers group elects new officers

THE Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. (CBSi) elected the new set of officers who will serve the group from May 2012-May 2013.

The election was held during the CBSi general assembly last May 5 at Diamond Suites and Residences.

Sun.Star Vacation 2012: Your Cool Summer Experience-Year 2 Awarding of Winners

SUMMER is more fun in Sun.Star!

This year's Sun.Star Vacation campaign winners, who submitted on Facebook photos of their cool summer escapades with friends and families, were gathered at the Sun.Star office on Friday. The simple awarding ceremony was graced by Julius Neri Jr., president of Sun.Star Publishing Inc., and Nini Cabaero, editor-in-chief of the Sun.Star website.

Feeding program benefits 100 kids

PUPILS of Kalawisan and Canjulao Elementary Schools in Lapu-Lapu City will soon get nourished through the Kain Po! Campaign of Century Pacific Group-Ricardo S. Po Foundation (CPG-RSPo), with the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (Cite) as its feeding partner.

During the campaign launching in two schools recently, over 100 children were given supplementary meals prepared by the elementary teachers and parent volunteers.

Pacai, partners plant trees in Badian

IN SUPPORT of the government’s National Greening Program, an anti-crime group, in cooperation with its partner agencies, recently held a tree-planting in Barangay Malihao, Badian, Cebu.

The Philippine Anti-Criminal Association Inc. (Pacai)’s advocacy was in response to the nationwide campaign of President Benigno Aquino III to be able to plant 1.5 billion trees in 2016.

RC Cebu West welcomes 50th president

AS THEY celebrate their 50th year, the Rotary Club of Cebu West inducted their 50th president last June 11.

Club president Alvin Tan hopes to follow in the footsteps of the club’s past presidents by coming up with relevant projects.

Codetoki’s IT employment initiative wins 1st Ideas & Apps Challenge Philippines

ABOUT 50,000 Information Technology and Computer Science students graduate from Philippine schools every year. Yet, only eight percent are employable. How to make these graduates more competent so as to increase their chances of employment is what Codetoki hopes to achieve.

Sustainable Cities Dialogue 2 set today

THE Movement for a Livable Cebu (MLC) invites everyone to the Sustainable Cities Dialogues 2, the second in a series of public forums that seek to make Cebu truly livable and sustainable for all.

The forum will be held today at the CAP Theater from 1 to 5:30 p.m.

Cebuano Studies Center to launch 2 books

THE University of San Carlos (USC) Cebuano Studies Center, in cooperation with the USC Press and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, will launch two books of translated Cebuano works on July 5 at the Buttenbruch Hall, USC main campus, P. del Rosario St., Cebu City.

To be launched under the Bunga: Cebuano Writers Series program are Hunger in Nayawak and Other Stories by prize-winning fictionist Lamberto G. Ceballos, and Because Love is not Blind by the renowned late poet and short story writer Temistokles M. Adlawan.

Free yoga event at Shanti Shala Yoga Cebu

SHANTI Shala Yoga Cebu will present the “Greet the Sun” event tomorrow from 8 a.m. until noon at 5th floor AMWSLAI Bldg., Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City (across Metrobank).

One may call 516-5404 or 511-2342 for reservation.

SM launches state of the art Mall of Asia Arena

DURING the recent two-day Lady Gaga The Born This Way Ball Tour in Manila, the public was not only awed by her show stopping performance, but by the venue, the new state of the art SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.

Located on an 18,214 square meter site at the SM Mall of Asia Complex, the new 64,085 square meter five-storey landmark by the bay is a multi-purpose venue that can accommodate a seating capacity of 15,000 with a full-house capacity of 20,000.

Portville Mactan: Changing the face of economic housing

LOW-COST housing may bring to mind boxy small houses in cramped communities, but Johndorf Ventures Corporation’s newest project is set to change the face of an affordable, worthwhile investment.

Portville Mactan is a modern Asian-inspired subdivision within minutes of Mactan’s economic zones, commercial establishments, resorts, and the airport.

Bianca Manalo is Matrix’s first Filipina endorser

THE number one brand in American salons and the fastest-growing salon brand in Asia, Matrix is now on its seventh year of bringing international quality products and services to the Philippine market.

In line with this milestone, Matrix Philippines is proud to introduce world-class beauty Bianca Manalo as the brand’s first-ever Filipina endorser. Bianca, according to Matrix, captures the true essence of Filipina beauty and represents the brand’s core values – connected, daring and dynamic.

Port Restaurant celebrates 14 years

PORT Restaurant celebrates fourteen years of delicious and exciting food! From June 16 to July 31, Port offers free iced tea for all lunch and dinAner buffet diners.

Buffet dishes are offered daily every lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 6-10 p.m. Cebu’s favorite Buffet is made better every day with Lunch (P229+), Dinner (P299+), and Late Night (P149+). Port Restaurant is located at the Lower Ground Level of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, Salinas Drive, Lahug.

1st Media Excellence Awards set

INTERESTED participants still have until July 31 to submit their entries to the first Media Excellence Awards in Cebu organized by Globe Telecom.

Globe launched the search in September 2011 during the Cebu Press Freedom Week celebration to provide an opportunity and venue for print and broadcast journalists, as well as bloggers, to be recognized in their fields of work.

Firm donates water system to Inoburan

THE residents of Sitio Atis in Inoburan, City of Naga, Cebu will no longer have to walk a kilometer to fetch water, after the Apo Cement Corp. (Apocemco) Cemex donated one deep well that can give 100 families their daily water supply.

The deep well, worth P1 million, powered by a 3hp submersible pump and tank with a capacity of 27 cubic meters, is a project of Apocemco Cemex, in partnership with the City of Naga.

GMAKF vows to continue giving school supplies to kids

GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF), the socio-civic arm of broadcast company GMA Network Inc., continues to support the cause of education as its annual Unang Hakbang sa Kinabukasan (UHSK) project goes on its 15th year.

In anticipation of the opening of the new academic year this June, GMAKF recently distributed backpacks containing school supplies to 45,000 incoming grade one pupils from far-flung public elementary schools all over the country.