House bill to grant P50,000 financial aid to distressed OFWs

OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) who are forced by circumstances to return to the country will be allowed to apply for a P50,000 financial assistance under a proposed legislation filed at the House of Representatives.

In House Bill 5331 filed by Gabriela Representatives Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi De Jesus, distressed OFWs may get P50,000 financial aid within seven days after the filing of application with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa).

'Arroyo getting a dose of her own medicine'

FORMER President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is "getting a dose of her own medicine" after being placed in the immigration watchlist preventing her to flee out of the country despite her medical condition, progressive party-list lawmakers said.

Suspected rebels burn fruit company's container van

A CONTAINER van of a fresh fruit distributor in North Cotabato was burned by suspected New People’s Army rebels on Thursday, a week after the company's compound was attacked.

Four suspects intercepted the van with plate number MVX 444, around 8:45 p.m. on Thursday along a national highway in Kisante village, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz said.

Tax court orders arrest of Ligot couple

MANILA (Updated 11:30 a.m.) -- The Court of Tax Appeals ordered the arrest of former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot and his wife Erlinda who were indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for tax evasion.

In an order dated September 28, the court's Second Division found probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against the Ligots, who allegedly failed to pay their tax liability in 2003.

Vice mayor on Ciudad: open those 4 roads and we’ll see

Young says they’re not against sale of SRP lots, want right buyers & there are even no offers yet

1. You’ve seen, and participated in, the running of Cebu City Hall: in the past setting with the mayor and the City Council under one party, and in the present setting, under two opposing political camps.

DPWH applies for flyover ECC

THE website of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB 7) shows 10 applications for environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) for the construction of flyovers in Cebu City.

There are 11 other applications for flyovers spread across the country--three in Cagayan de Oro city and one each in in Matina in Davao City, Makati City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Pasig City, Quezon City, Bocaue in Bulacan and Naga City in Camarines Sur.

Mandaue traffic body suggests odd-even scheme for jeepneys

RATHER than a total ban of Mandaue City-based jeepneys in Cebu City, why not regulate them?

Officials of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue City (Team) will raise this suggestion to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama in a bid to make him change his mind about the jeepney route limitations.

Cebu mayor inaugurates river dredging, road concreting

CEBU CITY -- The Cebu City Government inaugurated on Thursday four projects amounting to at least P25.5 million.

The projects include the P12.5-million dredging of Mahiga Creek; P3.3-million road concreting with slope protection and drainage system at Barangay Sinsin and Barangay Sudlon I; and the P6.3-million road concreting at Barangay Guadalupe.

Office heads skip pre-budget hearing, miff Margot Osmeña

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama barred department heads from attending the pre-budget hearing set by the City Council.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña, chairperson for the committee on budget and finance, was miffed at the “lack of respect” and Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young could not help but call the executive department “bastos (rude).”

NBI ‘didn’t seek warrant’ vs Oguto

A TWO-MONTH marathon hearing will be conducted to settle the illegal drugs case filed against a Kenyan national.

Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27 Judge Toribio Quiwag made the announcement yesterday morning during the pre-trial conference on the case of Kenyan national Asha Atieno Oguto.

2 witnesses in Ellah Joy case moved to safe house: fiscal

THE family of the two prosecution witnesses in the Ellah Joy case finally agreed to let them stay in a safe house while awaiting their time to testify in court.

The two vital witnesses, who were reportedly with slain six-year-old grader Ellah Joy Pique when two people allegedly grabbed her outside her school on Feb. 8, were placed yesterday in an undisclosed location in Cebu, said Assistant Regional State Prosecutor Llena Ipong-Avila.

BOR urged ‘to respect’ ruling to dismiss dean

THE complainants of the three dismissed officials of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Cebu called on the UP Board of Regents (BOR) to “respect” the decision of the administrative disciplinary tribunal.

They staged a short rally in the campus yesterday and hung streamers calling for a “transparent investigation” of the case.

Liloan gets P3.1M aid from Capitol

GOV. Gwendolyn Garcia gave P3.1 million of Capitol funds to Liloan town on the 31st birthday of her son-in law, the town mayor.

A number of other projects were also inaugurated yesterday.

Citom to implement rerouting near 10 cemeteries

TO minimize traffic congestion, the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) will be implementing a rerouting scheme in the areas surrounding the 10 cemeteries in the city during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

For three days, public utility vehicles and private vehicles plying the areas surrounding the cemeteries of Pardo, Labangon, Calamba, Talamban, Lorega, Carreta, Cempark Cemetery, Doña Pepang Cemetery, Chinese Cemetery and Ludo and Queen City Garden Cemetery will be rerouted.

Coop promises solar power to island folk

IF all goes well, residents in Gibitngil Island, off the northern town of Medellin, will have a bright Christmas this year.

This, as the Cebu Electric Cooperative (Cebeco) 2 promised that the solar-powered lighting project on the island will become operational a week before Christmas.

Rama to get 2 ex-councilors to help solve schools’ woes

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama wants to tap two former city councilors to address the problems of public schools.

In a news conference at Barangay Sudlon I yesterday, Rama said he wants former councilors Jocelyn Pesquera and Manuel Legaspi to help find solutions to the problems besetting public elementary and secondary schools in the city.

School execs hit for suspected ‘questionable evaluation’

SOME nursing students of a university in Cagayan de Oro held a protest on Thursday as they criticized the management over alleged “questionable and unjustified evaluation” of some students who are supposed to graduate this month.

The students are also calling for a dialogue with the school administration and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) to air their side.

Court inspects Gusa terminal

THE Regional Trial Court conducted an inspection at the controversial Gusa Eastbound Terminal on Thursday based on the order from the Supreme Court.

The inspection stemmed from the complaint of breach of contract filed by James Sia Giam, owner of the lot where the terminal was located, against the City Government.

Oro implements rerouting for All Saints, All Souls days

MAYOR Vicente Emano ordered on Wednesday the traffic division to implement a temporary traffic rerouting scheme on all roads leading to public and private cemeteries in Cagayan de Oro for All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2.

The Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) is expecting the increase of volume of vehicles within the vicinity of public and private cemeteries.

Lawmaker urges MILF to surrender

ZAMBALES Representative Mitos Magsaysay called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to surrender five of the commanders to prevent more bloodshed.

Magsaysay’s statement came in support to the call of the military to surrender five MILF commanders allegedly responsible of the attacks that left 33 soldiers dead, including policemen and civilians in the Basilan, Zamboanga Sibugay and Lanao del Norte.

Lawmaker pushes for satellite hospital in Lumbia

A 50-BED satellite hospital of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in Barangay Lumbia will soon be constructed following a legislative measure pushed by Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez of Abante Mindanao (Abamin) party-list.

House Bill 5170, which was co-authored by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd district, Cagayan de Oro), seeks to establish a satellite hospital to be known as the Barangay Lumbia-Northern Mindanao Medical Center Satellite Hospital.

‘Name badge’ measure passed

THE provincial ordinance proposed by Board Member Jimmy Caiña mandatorily requiring all hospital employees in the province to wear and publicly display proper identification while working on duty has undergone first reading.

The ordinance is set to be referred to the Committee on Health and Committee on Rules for appropriate recommendation.

Teachers join workshop on reading, English

AT LEAST 200 teachers from Northern Mindanao convened at Capitol University and Liceo de Cagayan University starting Wednesday for the Teacher Induction Program and Training Workshop in Reading, English, Math and Science for Elementary and Secondary School Teachers.

The five-day event, organized by the Department of Education (DepEd) Northern Mindanao and Teacher Education Council (TEC), will end on Sunday.

University bags outstanding law school

THE Legal Education Board will bestow an Outstanding Law School award to the Xavier University College of Law (XUCL) for being one of the 10 best performing law schools in the country based on bar exam results in the past 10 years.

Dean Raul Villanueva will also be conferred a plaque for being an Outstanding Law Dean.

Fire bureau holds recruitment exam

AT least 164 college graduates from different provinces in Northern Mindanao who aspire to become fire officers took the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) qualifying exam on Wednesday at the Asian College of Science and Technology (Acsat) covered court.

Superintendent Lindy C. Lauzon, BFP assistance regional director for administration, said the qualifying exam is conducted simultaneously nationwide as part of BFP’s recruitment.

Autism regional confab set Oct. 28

PARENTS with children who are suffering from autism, Special Education (Sped) teachers, therapists and medical affiliates gather for the 3rd Regional Autism Conference on October 28 and 29 at the Pilgrim Christian College auditorium.

The conference, spearheaded by the Autism Society Philippines (ASP) Cagayan de Oro Chapter, is centered on the theme “Making sense of autism: A path to hopes, possibilities and solutions.”

Lanao guv hands over P3.15M for Kalahi-Cidss

GOVERNOR Mohammad Khalid Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte handed over the province’s cash counterpart for the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirpan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-Cidss) Makamasang Tugon project implementation in the towns of Sapad and Salvador.

As part of the principles of accountability towards the sub-project, Kalahi-Cidss requires the recipient municipality to allocate 30 percent counterpart based on the grant given.

Rebel leader’s fallen camp ‘heavily fortified’

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Government forces are conducting clearing operations to find unexploded landmines and firearms after they captured the “heavily fortified” camp of bandit leader Wanning Abdulsalam, a top military official said Thursday.

The military, with the help of police elements, launched aerial and ground attacks against the group of Abdulsalam last Monday. Two bomber planes of the Philippine Air Force also conducted air strikes on the rebels’ stronghold.

Government told: Explain MILF privileges

MANILA -- Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles will have to explain why the government gave the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) a piece of Philippine territory and money for the setting up of a training center for future Muslim leaders, a senator said Thursday.

Speaking at a press forum, Senator Francis Escudero said the deaths of 19 soldiers in Basilan last week may have been caused by the grant of Areas of Temporary Stay (ATS) to the MILF.

Benguet to inspect Irisan dumpsite

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Although a legal team is studying violations of the Baguio City, further investigation by the Benguet Provincial Board is being done regarding the trash situation in Irisan dumpsite.

“Mayor [Mauricio] Domogan keeps on saying [the city] stopped dumping trash at the Irisan site then we will have to see if it’s true,” Vice Governor Crescensio Pacalso said.