Poverty persists in Eastern Visayas

THE Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board said the number of poor families went up in the past three years, despite the wage increase.

Exequiel Sarcauga, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment, said that if establishments would comply to wage standards, it could improve economic conditions of many families in Eastern Visayas.

Dinagyang to visit US cities

THE Dinagyang Festival will perform in New York City and Los Angeles, California to thousands of Filipino and American audience.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) Promotions Board will shoulder the travel expenses of 23 dancers and drummers from the city on May 31 to perform at the Madison Avenue in Manhattan New York on June 2 and in Los Angeles on June 8 to usher in the 115th anniversary of Philippine Independence Day celebration in the US.

City engineers fast-track drainage projects

The City Engineer's Office (CEO) is fast tracking the completion of at least five drainage projects of more than 25 drainage projects in the city costing more than P20 million.

City engineer Bobby Divinagracia said the projects are funded from the annual development fund of 2012 and part of 2013 and from the local disaster risk reduction management (LDRRM) fund.

Comelec, DFA asked to explain low voter turnout abroad

SENATOR Franklin Drilon wanted the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Department of Foreign Affairs to explain the poor participation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) despite an increased budget allocation to the government agencies.

With 737,739 registered Filipino voters abroad, only 113,209 participated and voted in the midterm elections with a dismal turnout of only 15.35 percent. This shows that the cost of each absentee vote is now P1,310 per vote.

Pacquiao still wealthiest House member

MANILA -- Reelected Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao remains the lone billionaire member of the House of Representatives with a net worth of P1.77 billion based on his 2012 filed statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

According to the summary report released by the House Secretary General, the Filipino boxing icon has P2.03 billion in total assets with real properties amounting to P1.04 billion and personal properties at 990 million.

Palace asks schools to work with stakeholders on tuition hikes

PRIVATE colleges and universities that filed notices for tuition fee increases for this school year should work with the stakeholders in achieving a compromise acceptable to the public, Malacañang said Thursday.

In a news briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that academic institutions should observe the true essence of compliance to the rules by adhering to the outcome of consultations with different stakeholders.

BEIs complain of delay in release of teachers’ honoraria

PUBLIC school teachers who served as board of election inspectors (BEIs) in the May 13 polls complain of delay in the release of their honoraria.

According to the Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC), 10 days after the elections, several BEIs and their support staff are still waiting for their honorarium despite the assurance of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes that their pay will be released immediately.

Joavan transferred to CPDRC

CEBU CITY -- Two days after his arrest in Moalboal, Cebu early this week, Joavan Fernandez was transferred to the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) Wednesday noon.

Inmates from the nearby Cebu City Jail applauded when they saw the Talisay City mayor’s adopted son’s arrival at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Target: 602 rooms

THE good news is that public school classrooms in Cebu City and Province need no major repairs. The bad news is that there still won’t be enough for all classes.

This year, government agencies set a target of 602 new classrooms for Central Visayas. So far, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has built 80.

OWWA hasn’t received any request for help from Taiwan

NONE of the almost 3,000 Cebuanos who are working in Taiwan have reported being harassed by the Taiwanese, according to the Office of the Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Some Filipinos were reportedly harassed in Taiwan after the Philippine Coast Guard shot a Taiwanese fisherman on board a vessel that encroached in Philippine territorial waters early this month.

School, with only 3 classrooms, mulls using gym for classes

BARELY two weeks before the opening of classes on June 3, the Candulawan Elementary School in Talisay City still lacks classrooms, tables, chairs and other equipment.

Its 10 classroom were destroyed by fire last March.

Gwen has 11 days to resume post

CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will have a few days left to serve as governor after serving her six-month suspension.

Garcia was suspended last Dec. 19 for a grave abuse of authority case that was filed by the late vice governor Gregorio Sanchez in 2010.

‘Electrical sparks’ start compound blaze

AN EARLY afternoon fire hit a residential compound in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City yesterday.

While fire officials have yet to determine the cause, residents of Sitio ESCO (Englis-V. Rama Social Circle Organization) believed it may have started from the electrical wirings.

BEI honorarium in the banks for distribution

THE honorarium of some teachers in Central Visayas who served as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) were already distributed, said an education department official.

Family holds rally for justice

AS THE filing of the complaints against the two persons involved in the death of shopper Mario Alfie Ducayag did not push through yesterday, the 23-year-old housekeeping student’s family led a prayer rally outside Metro Gaisano on Colon St., Cebu City.

City lawyer resigns ‘to rest’

CEBU City Atty. Joseph Bernaldez resigned immediately after the proclamation of Mayor Michael Rama.

Bernaldez submitted his resignation letter on May 15, just a day after Rama was formally proclaimed as mayor of the city, beating outgoing Rep. Tomas Osmeña by more than 6,000 votes.

Young suspends clearing operation, sets consultation with homeowners

ACTING Cebu City Mayor Joy Augustus Young has ordered to stop any clearing operation in Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita.

“As acting mayor of the City of Cebu, I am directing you not to conduct or implement any clearing operation in the burnt area in Barangay Ermita until further notice,” the memorandum signed by Young read.

New wage order out in June

WAGE order 17 will soon be implemented on June, but the amount of the new wage hike can't be divulged yet pending the result of the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) en banc meeting.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) will implement this new wage order after the deliberations of the two wage petitions it will submit to NWPC for finalization.

NorMin ranks 4th in Comelec gun ban violations

THE Philippine National Police in Northern Mindanao (PNP 10) was declared as the fourth region having the most number of confiscated firearms in the Philippines since the implementation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban for the May 13 midterm polls.

Police Superintendent Ronnie Francis Cariaga, PNP-10 spokesperson, said that as of May 16 the police regional department gathered 295 firearms of different kinds confiscated by its field personnel in different police operations.

Moreno vows to solve vendors’ woes

AS he vowed to find ways to solve the problem of the sidewalk vendors in Cogon and Carmen public markets, Mayor-elect Oscar Moreno said that sidewalk vendors cannot be displaced from their current position.

“Dili ko moingon nga dili sila mahawa pero we have to find solution sa root cause sa problema nganong anaa sila sa kadalanan, kinahanglan sulbaron ang tanang aspeto sa problema (I can’t say that they will not be transferred but we have to find a solution to the root cause of why they are on the streets. All aspects of the problem must be addressed),” Moreno said in an interview on radio Wednesday.

City to inspect public school canteens

THE city council’s committee on health and sanitation has strengthened its partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) as it pledges its support to DepEd’s recently launched `Brigada Eskwela 2013.’

Councilor Dante Pajo, chairman on health and sanitation said, his committee is set to conduct a series of inspection on canteens inside the public schools in both elementary and high schools in the city starting on the first week of June.

Negros Occidental passes P2.6-B budget

THE Provincial Board (PB) of Negros Occidental finally approved its budget pegged at P2.6 billion during its regular session Wednesday.

Approved in the final reading were the 2013 Annual General Fund Budget worth P1,912,059,008 and the 2013 Annual Budget of the Economic Enterprise Development Department (EEDD) of Negros Occidental in the amounting to P690,149,879.

Bacolod’s award seen to bring more jobs

BACOLOD City is now attractive to investors engaged in information technology (IT) businesses, because of its “Center of Excellence” status, an official said Wednesday.

Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for Information and Communications Technology (BNeFIT) executive and founding president, said that Bacolod’s recent recognition means that the city is above average compared to other cities in the Philippines.

Ibañez is richest board member

BOARD Member Melvin Ibañez (5th district, Negros Occidental) is still the richest member of the Provincial Board (PB), based on his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).

Ibañez declared his net worth at P46,007,714.45 from his assets pegged at P65,590,664.45 and liabilities of P19,590,664.45.

Noppo to implement major revamp

SENIOR Superintendent Ricardo Dela Paz, Acting Director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo), said on Wednesday that a major revamp of the chiefs of police (COPs) in the province can be implemented within May.

Dela Paz confirmed on Wednesday that he received requests from four re-elected mayors to reinstate their respective police chiefs who were transferred prior to the May 13 elections.

Village chiefs told: Get ready for polls

ASSOCIATION of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Mona Dia Jardin urged her fellow village chiefs to get ready for the barangay election which might be pushed through this October 2013.

She said that reports have it that President Benigno Aquino III wants to push through the Barangay Elections this October, but his previous stand was to hold it on 2016 while Commission on Elections (Comelec) wants it on 2014 for them to have ample time to prepare for the election.

Sun.Star photographer harassed

DAVAO - Journalists covering the fire at the Department of Psychiatry of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), more commonly referred to as the Mental Hospital in Davao City, had their attentions turned when hospital personnel grabbed Sun.Star Davao photojournalist, took his camera by force, and erased the photos taken of the fire.

King Rodriguez was but one of many mediamen covering the fire.

Guv denies claims she won in 2 towns

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Cotabato Governor-elect Lala Talino-Mendoza denied claims by her rival gubernatorial candidate Manny Piño, that she only won in two towns in the province last May 2013 elections.

Data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed that Mendoza garnered 254,121 votes over Piñol's 203,657 or a difference of 50,464 votes.

Fire hits Davao mental hospital

A FIRE razed the Department of Psychiatry of Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) along J. P. Laurel Avenue Wednesday morning.

The fire displaced 197 patients while the damage was placed at P2 million.

Laborer faces raps for grave threat

POLICE filed charges before the City Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday against a suspect who threatened a driver.

Charged with grave threat under the Revised Penal Code and violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban was Jose Angkay Paraguya, 55, a laborer, resident of Baliok, Talomo District.