City councilor urges enforcement of EWDs for vehicles

THE City Council of Bacolod has approved the resolution of Councilor Em Ang, which directs the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office/Traffic Management Units and Land Transportation Office to strictly enforce the early warning device (EWD) requirement for private and public vehicles.

Councilor: Probe Bacolod language centers for wage compliance

BACOLOD City Councilor Em Ang urged the Labor department and the Department of Trade and Industry to investigate language academies teaching foreign students.

Minor drowns in Singcang-Airport river

A MINOR was found drowned in the river at Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Barangay Sincang-Airport, Bacolod City Thursday morning.

Girl escapes burning house with nine-month-old brother in her arms

CHRISTINE Salvador yesterday lived up to her family name. Salvador in Spanish means savior.

The seven-year-old saved her nine-month-old brother Chris Bernard when flames engulfed their house in Barangay Tawa-son, Mandaue City.

New hiree just lucky to land job: Soc

FOR Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez, Ray-mund Paran is one lucky guy who found an opportunity to work in the City’s Bantay Dagat office.

Fernandez took exception to reports that Paran’s employment at City Hall was some sort of reward for withdrawing the criminal case he earlier filed against the mayor’s son Joavan.

Toledo road mishap claims girl’s life

A 13-YEAR-OLD girl was killed in a road accident in Barangay Bunga, Toledo City yesterday.

Chariza Quillobe died on the spot after she was hit by the truck driven by Alfredo Garuphel, 21.

Volley team gets incentive

THE Provincial Government will give P60,000 as cash incentive to the volleyball team from Catmon town that won in the Palarong Pambansa last week.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia announced the incentive to the team members when they visited her office yesterday afternoon.

HIV cases among injecting drug users rising

TAGAYTAY CITY - There is an epidemic of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among injecting drug users in Cebu City, according to a health official, who also warned of a possible fivefold increase in overall cases of HIV in the Philippines by 2015.

A whopping 53 percent of injecting drug users (IDU) who participated in a survey in Cebu this year were found to have been infected with HIV, the virus that causes Aids or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, said Dr. Eric Tayag, assistant secretary of the Department of Health (DOH).

Int’l media notices Gwen

WORD about Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s brand of leadership has reached Europe and other parts of Asia.

Last week, a TV journalist from the United Kingdom (UK) interviewed the governor for a program titled, “It’s a Woman’s World.” Yesterday, the chief editor of a Korean travel magazine asked her about her professional achievements and personal life.

Rama wants scholarships paid

MAYOR Michael Rama wants Cebu City Hall to pay as soon as possible all the schools that are part of the City’s scholarship program.

Rama said he was unaware that some of the 23 participating schools have not been paid yet for the tuition of the program’s beneficiaries for the first semester last school year.

Rama wants scholarships paid

MAYOR Michael Rama wants Cebu City Hall to pay as soon as possible all the schools that are part of the City’s scholarship program.

Rama said he was unaware that some of the 23 participating schools have not been paid yet for the tuition of the program’s beneficiaries for the first semester last school year.

Cebu City ranks 2nd from last among 19 HS divisions in CV

CEBU City ranked second from the bottom in the 2011 Regional Achievement Test for secondary schools among the 19 school divisions in Central Visayas, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) 7.

The city, which also ranked second from the last in the same test for elementary schools, got a mean percentage score (MPS) of 46.36.

Tomas favors passage of RH bill

WHILE Congress is debating on the reproductive health (RH) bill, Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) said the measure should have already been passed.

Osmeña said he favors the passage of the bill despite the vocal opposition of the Catholic Church.

Consultant to sue Cebu City mayor

CEBU CITY -- The Cebu City Hall consultant on housing on Thursday said he will initiate the filing of charges against Mayor Michael Rama for what the urban poor dwellers see as his overbearing approach toward them in the demolition of illegal structures along Mahiga Creek.

Schools in need of more teachers, books, toilet bowls, furniture

THE Department of Education (DepEd) in Cebu City wants the help of the private sector to augment the needs of elementary and secondary school students for the coming school year.

It also cited several institutions for donating more than P27,000,000 in materials and for services rendered in the last school year.

More sites, museums to be showcased at Gabii sa Kabilin

A FOUNDATION continues its effort to spread awareness on Cebu’s culture and heritage, as it brings local and foreign tourists once again to different museums and heritage sites on May 27.

Since 2007, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) has organized the “Gabii sa Kabilin” (Night of Heritage) to highlight the importance of local museums and heritage sites in understanding the Cebuano history and culture.

Sun.Star Cebu wins 2 Rotary awards

MAKATI -- Sun.Star Cebu on Thursday received the Community Newspaper of the Year Award for 2010 in the Journalism Awards handed out by the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM).

Rotary also picked the paper’s chief photographer, Alex Badayos, as its first Photojournalist of the Year, in nearly five decades of handing out the journalism awards.

Justice department to probe ex-guv's 'living-out status'

MANILA -- Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday ordered the creation of a fact-finding committee to probe the "living-out status" of former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).

"I already asked Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan to immediately file a draft for the creation of a fact-finding committee to start on Monday," de Lima told reporters in a press conference.

Aquino vows changes at BOC in 2 months

PRESIDENT Benigno Simeon Aquino III expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) despite an increased collection posted by the agency in the past year.

Aquino vowed to implement changes in the agency in two months.

Binay assures 'reasonable' decision on Marcos' burial

VICE President Jejomar Binay assured Filipinos that whatever decision he will make with regard the proposal to bury the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng Bayani will be a "reasonable" one.

In his visit to Davao City Thursday, Binay said the survey his office conducted is not a number game but simply a way to get the sentiment of the people to the issue. He said his decision will be based on the survey conducted.

Forum assesses implementation of peace education

A TWO-DAY forum for the localization of the Executive Order 570 in Mindanao is being conducted at Hotel Elena in Davao City starting Thursday with 90 participants from different government agencies and civic society groups in attendance.

The forum aims to assess the implementation of the EO and to develop an action plan after the workshops set by Mindanao Peace Education Forum (Minpef), in collaboration with Mindanao Development Authority and the Catholic Relief Services.

Davao City sets up hotline number

THE Davao City Government has set up hotline numbers to provide the public a channel for redress and feedback mechanisms about the quality of frontline services they experienced in all their transactions with the city.

Cops seize 26 unlicensed guns from mining company

THE police have seized 26 unlicensed high-powered firearms from the Durano Security Agency detailed at Russel Mining Company in Pantukan town, Compostela Valley province on May 13.

Police release sketch of suspects in lesbian's slay

POLICE have released Thursday the cartographic sketch of one of the two men who gunned down a lesbian at Mely's Eatery along C.M. Recto street, Davao City on Monday evening.

Businessman, live-in partner shot dead

ANOTHER businessman was killed, while his live-in partner is in critical condition after they were shot by an unidentified suspect in front of their house at GSIS Heights in Matina, Davao City Thursday afternoon.

Labor pushes P125 pay hike on 'Workers Day'

THE labor sector in Davao City is pushing for a legislated P125 across-the-board salary increase amid government warning such demand will lead to the unemployment of more than 600,000 workers nationwide.

Binay taps local governments for housing development

VICE PRESIDENT Jejomar Binay, who chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), on Thursday gathered local chief executives in Southern and Central Mindanao for the kick-off of the Pabahay Caravan at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City.

Poll case vs Pampanga mayor withdrawn

ANGELES CITY -- Former Angeles City mayor Francis Nepomuceno has withdrawn the election protest he filed against incumbent Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan in connection to alleged massive cheating during the May 2010 elections here.

The former mayor earlier sought the manual recount of the official ballots to assail the integrity and result of the elections.

Group: Pacquiao unaware of RH

THE showdown between House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao only emphasized how the eight-division world boxing champ is just being used by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Anti-RH lawmakers 'afraid of the truth'

SOME members of the House of Representatives resorted to cheap tactics during the resumption of the debate on the Reproductive Health (RH) measure, a proponent of the proposed legislation said Thursday.