Regional IATF ‘favorably endorsing’ Cebu province’s appeal for MGCQ – Gwen
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced on Friday, June 12, that their appeal to shift the province from general community quarantine to a modified one is getting a favorable response as it is being endorsed to the national government. “Yesterday (Thursday), we sent the appeal to the regional IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force). […] The post Regional IATF ‘favorably endorsing’ Cebu province’s appeal for MGCQ – Gwen appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Filinvest Invests P16B in Ciudad BTO Project
The development of Ciudad will finally be realized after the Province of Cebu turned over Friday a parcel of the property to homegrown developer Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI) through a build-transfer-operate (BTO) engagement. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Tristan Las Marias, FLI president and CEO, formally kicked off the project in simple ceremonies onsite on […].....»»
LCPO gets an acting city director
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — The Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) has a new acting city director following the promotion and transfer of Police Colonel Elmer Lim to another region. This was confirmed by Police Lieutenant Colonel Christian Torres, spokesperson for the LCPO. Torres stated that Police Colonel Noel Flores, the current Deputy Regional Director for.....»»
PRO-7 warns against use of marijuana-flavored vapes
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has issued a stern warning against the use and proliferation of marijuana-flavored vape products. Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, the PRO-7 spokesperson, said that they will arrest individuals who sell vapes mixed with marijuana oil. The sale and use of marijuana remains.....»»
Balamban site is for road project, not Capitol bldg – Gwen
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The cleared site in Barangay Cambuhawe, Balamban, in western Cebu, is not for the new Capitol building, but for nationally funded road projects. Cebu Provincial Governor Gwen Garcia made this clarification after photos of a deforested mountain in Balamban, initially thought to be the site development of the new Capitol building,.....»»
OFW aspirants told: Engage with licensed recruitment agencies only
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The regional director of the Department of Migrant Workers in Central Visayas (DMW-7) warned aspiring Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to engage with only legitimate and licensed recruitment agencies. Lawyer Karl Arriola, DMW-7 director, told CDN Digital that even if he was a lawyer, he still subscribed to the doctors’ advice: Prevention.....»»
Rama asks Malacañang to suspend Gwen over CBRT dispute
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Preventive Suspension. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is seeking the suspension of Governor Gwen Garcia over issues related to the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT). Rama filed an administrative complaint before the Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against Garcia after the governor issued a cease and desist order to the.....»»
PDEA-7: No marijuana-flavored vapes in Central Visayas
CEBU CITY, Philippines – No marijuana-flavored vapes have been monitored so far in Central Visayas, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the region, said. This was according to Intelligence Agent IlI Jonar V. Cuayzon, chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Section of PDEA Regional Office 7. Cuayzon, however, said that they are not discounting the.....»»
Intensive anti-bullying campaign in schools, universities pushed in Cebu City
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Educational institutions in Cebu City have been urged to intensify efforts to combat bullying and ensure students’ safety and well-being. This appeal was contained in a resolution authored by Councilor Lorenzo Abellanosa and which members of the Cebu City Council passed during their regular session on Wednesday, February 21. Abellana crafted.....»»
Piston-Cebu to hold another 2-day transport strike on Dec. 14-15
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s firm stance on the December 31 deadline for Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) consolidation, Piston-Cebu is set to stage another round of transport strikes from December 14 to 15. The strike aligns with the nationwide appeal made by its parent organization, Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper.....»»
Sandiganbayan junks ex-BoC exec’s plea
The Sandiganbayan has junked the appeal of an ex-official of the Bureau of Correction and a private defendant convicted of graft over an anomalous sugar deal worth over P10 million in 2000. In a seven-page resolution, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division turned down the appeal filed by ex-BoC official Benjamin Bongon and Roger Ang, who were found guilty of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and were sentenced to up to seven years behind bars by the Cebu Regional Trial Court Branch 23 in December 2017. The lower court, likewise, ordered the accused to pay a P10,859,063 fine. The graft case involved the 28,000 bags of unmanifested imported sugar carried by M/V Affy that the BoC seized in 1999 and was later auctioned in 2000. Ang, the proprietor of Consumer Enterprises, won the bidding and deposited P21 million, equivalent to the price of 28,000 bags. However, a composite team reported to Bongon, the erstwhile chief of the Auction and Cargo Disposal Division of the BoC-Port of Cebu, that only 13,753 bags of sugar were offloaded from the vessel and subsequently acquired by Ang. This prompted Ang to refund P10,859,063, corresponding to the surplus of his initial payment of P21,341,600. The post Sandiganbayan junks ex-BoC exec’s plea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saavedra to appeal dismissal of cases vs Tomas, ex-city officials over Kawit Island deal
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Businessman and whistleblower Crisologo Saavedra is not yet giving up on the criminal and administrative complaints that he filed against former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena and his City Council on the controversial P18 billion Kawit Island deal. Saavedra said he will be filing a petition to ask the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to reconsider its earlier decision to dismiss the criminal and administrative complaint that he filed. “I’ll file an MR (motion for reconsideration),” said Saavedra in an interview with CDN Digital. In 2018, Saavedra filed criminal and administrative complaints over the controversial P18 billion Kawit Island deal. The project paved the way for Gokongwei-owned Universal Hotel and Resorts Inc. (UHRI) to establish an integrated casino and resort in the South Road Properties (SRP). But acting Assistant Ombudsman for the Visayas Jane Aguilar, in a 21-page decision promulgated January 27, junked the criminal and administrative cases for ‘lack of substantial evidence’. A copy of the decision was furnished to the media on Oct. 20. Osmeña’s co-respondents in the case were then Councilors Margarita Osmeña, Dave Tumulak, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Gerry Guardo, Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann delos Santos and Franklyn Ong who approved the ordinance that allowed the Gokongwei-owned company to establish an integrated casino and resort in Kawit Island, SRP and UHRI executives Frederick Go, Lance Gokongwei, James Go, Robina Gokongwei-Pe and Patrick Henry Go. Saavedra insisted that Ombudsman-Visayas should look into the technicalities of how the city government awarded the P18-billion project in 2018. He mentioned City Ordinance No. 2154 as his basis, saying that members of the private sector, when entering into joint venture agreements with the government, must meet the “technical and financial qualifications” prescribed by law. “The private participants should have technical and financial capability. I never questioned the financial capability… It is the track record of the corporation, not of the individual offices,” Saavedra added. The Camp of Osmeña has since welcomed the decision of the Ombudsman. ALSO READ: Ombudsman upgrades Saavedra complaint against Tomas Osmeña, 9 others over Kawit Island deal.....»»
CAB chided over surcharge
Lawmaker and lawyer Rufus Rodriguez chided the Civil Aeronautics Board for imposing a higher aviation fuel surcharge, slated to go into effect next month, that would likely result in higher airfares. Considering that airline firms have already imposed “unreasonably very high prices for their plane fares,” Rodriguez wanted the CAB to defer implementing the planned increase. The CAB’s move, according to Rodriguez, indicates a prioritization of airline firms over the welfare of the millions of travelers. Thus, he proposed it should cease the imposition of a higher aviation fuel surcharge to maintain plane fares low. Public first “The CAB is quick in giving more to airlines at the expense of the Filipino riding public,” the Cagayan de Oro solon said. “It has been remiss in penalizing airlines for flight cancellations, overbooking resulting in bumping off of passengers, delays, inordinate baggage policies, and failure of customer service availability,” he added. The CAB, in an advisory dated 16 August, announced that passenger and cargo fuel surcharges for domestic and international flights would increase to Level 6 in September owing to higher fuel prices. Substantial surcharge hike Depending on the distance, the CAB said the increased surcharge would range from P185 to P665 per ticket for domestic flights and from P610.37 to P4,538.40 for international travel. In the current Level 4, passengers are charged P117 to P342 for domestic flights and P385.70 to P2,867.82 for international flights, varying based on the flight distance. While the CAB said that the collection of the higher charge would be optional on the part of airlines, Rodriguez appealed to Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, and other carriers to forego the collection of the increased surcharge given that the travel and tourism industry starts to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. “Higher plane fares will dampen both domestic and international travel. I appeal to the carriers to defer the higher surcharge to encourage more tourists,” he said. The post CAB chided over surcharge appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Manila Developer Weecomm to Enter Cebu’s Real Estate Market with Mid-Income Projects
A leading Manila developer plans to enter the booming real estate industry in Cebu next year with projects that aim to appeal to the mid-income sector. According to Carson Choa, Chief Operating Officer of Wee Community Developers, Incorporated (Weecomm), their initial project will be a horizontal development in Consolacion, Cebu. The company is eager to […].....»»
Cash-out
Cashless transactions are now prevalent with the use of e-wallets on mobile phones and smart cards. But this proved to be challenging for an ANZ bank depositor in Brisbane, Australia when she needed money to renovate her house. Taryn Compton recently went to a local branch of the bank to withdraw A$3,500 but she forgot to bring her automated teller machine card. Compton decided to withdraw the amount from her account over the counter. Still, it was not possible. The teller told Compton that the bank was a cashless branch and the only way depositors could withdraw their money was through the ATM, 9 Now reported. The teller helped Compton download and install an app on her phone so she could transfer money from her bank account to her e-wallet without the need for an ATM card. This also didn’t work, however, leaving her with one last option. “The teller told me that if I wanted to get my cash out if I needed it that day, to transfer it to another bank and try somewhere else so that’s what I did,” she said, according to 9 Now. “If you can’t get your own money from a branch, what’s the point of a bank?” she exasperatedly asked. Meanwhile, a Filipino money collector was faced with a somewhat similar dilemma when he also could not get his cash. The collector was on a motorcycle on the Cebu South Coastal Road in Cebu City last 4 July heading to Mandaue City to remit the cash payments he had collected from kiosks at the South Road Properties when a motorist signaled to him that he had dropped something, the TV news show 24 Oras reported. On turning around, he was shocked to see money flying all over the road and people scrambling to pick up all that cash. He looked at his money bag and quickly realized that the money had flown out of it after the zipper broke. He then called the police for help in recovering the money. While he got back P2,083,000 on the spot, this was far less than the total he had collected that day which was about P4 million. The collector faced the prospect of having to replace the lost money himself. He then aired an appeal to the people who had snatched up some of the money he had dropped to return it. The post Cash-out appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Retirement (2)
Last week, I wrote an article discussing basic pointers on retirement law. For this second part, I would like to expound on a couple of interesting Supreme Court cases relevant to retirement. Goodyear Philippines Inc. v. Marina Angus (G.R. No. 185449, 12 November 2014) Goodyear employed Marina in 1966 as a secretary to the manager of Quality and Technology. Later, Goodyear implemented cost-saving measures which included the streamlining of its workforce. Thus, in September 2001, Marina received a letter informing her that her position as a secretary was considered redundant and was going to be abolished, and she would be terminated effective 18 October 2021. She was also informed that as per company practice, termination due to redundancy or retrenchment was paid at 45 days’ pay per year of service, and since Marina had rendered 34.92 years of service, management decided to grant her an early retirement benefit at 47 days’ pay per year of service. While Marina accepted the early retirement benefit, she did not agree to its terms but claimed a premium of an additional 3 days for every year of service, or a total of 50 days. Marina accepted “under protest” the checks covering her retirement benefit computed at 47 days per year of service and other company benefits. Also, she separately claimed separation pay since her service was terminated due to redundancy. Was Marina entitled to early retirement benefits and separation pay? Yes. Marina was entitled to both early retirement benefits and separation pay due to the absence of a specific provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibiting the receipt of both. According to the SC, retirement benefits and separation pay are not mutually exclusive. Retirement benefits are “a form of reward for an employee’s loyalty and service to an employer and are earned under existing laws, CBAs, employment contracts and company policies.” Separation pay is the “amount which an employee receives at the time of his severance from employment, designed to provide the employee with the wherewithal during the period that he is looking for another employment…” Carissa Santo v. University of Cebu (G.R. No. 232522, 28 August 2019) In May 1997, the University of Cebu hired Carissa as a full-time instructor. During her employment, Carissa studied law and passed the 2009 bar examinations. Under the university’s Faculty Manual, “a permanent employee may, upon reaching his fifty-fifth (55th) birthday or after having completed at least fifteen (15) years of service, opt for an early retirement… and shall be entitled to the retirement pay equivalent to a total of fifteen (15) days for every year of service…” In April 2013, she applied for optional retirement. The university approved her application and computed her optional retirement pay at 15 days per year of service under the faculty manual. Carissa asserted that her retirement pay should have been computed at 22.5 days per year of service under Article 287 of the Labor Code. The university refused to accept her computation. Thus, she initiated a complaint for payment of retirement benefits under the law, damages, and attorney’s fees. Which retirement scheme applied to Carissa? The SC ruled that Carissa’s retirement pay should have been computed at 22.5 days per year of service (based on Article 287 of the Labor Code) which was more beneficial and advantageous to Carissa than the retirement benefits under the faculty manual (15 days per year of service). It reiterated that “while the employer is free to grant retirement benefits and impose different age or service requirements, the benefits should not be less than that provided in Article 287 of the Labor Code.” The SC disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s ruling that Article 287 of the Labor Code on retirement benefits was not applicable since it was supposedly not intended to benefit Carissa who voluntarily resigned not to rest in the twilight years of her life but to actively engage in the practice of the legal profession. The SC clarified that Carissa’s intention to practice law after retiring as a college instructor did not affect or diminish her entitlement to retirement benefits under the law. The post Retirement (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Prioritize the poor, bring gov’t services closer to needy
For many of our fellow Filipinos who can barely afford their daily expenses, getting treated in a hospital is oftentimes a burdensome choice that they resort to only if it is a matter of life and death. Usually, our struggling kababayans choose to endure their illness for fear of falling deeper into debt due to huge hospital bills, medicines and other expenses. And by this time, an ordinary disease has already become a serious medical condition. Their plight is what inspired us to initiate the Malasakit Centers program in 2018 which provides one-stop shops where our indigent patients may more conveniently access medical assistance from the government. By bringing together programs of various government agencies under one roof, such as the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the centers streamline the process of availing medical assistance. I have been appealing to officials and workers in the health sector to prioritize the needs of the poor, especially in public health facilities since these patients have nowhere else to turn to but to seek the help of their government. I also appeal to all hospital staff to be patient and compassionate in guiding Filipinos, particularly the poor, so that they can properly have access to the services offered by our public hospitals and from the medical assistance programs available in any of our 158 Malasakit Centers nationwide. That is why as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and as the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, I make time to personally check on the operations of our Malasakit Centers across the country, in addition to attending the groundbreaking of Super Health Centers and leading our usual relief distributions for Filipinos in need. On 16 June, I conducted a monitoring visit to two Malasakit Centers in Leyte, where I was honored to be declared as an adopted son of the province through Resolution 2020-337 passed on 24 April 2020 and formally granted on 16 June by the provincial government. During the visit, I recognized the efforts of Governor Carlos Jericho “Icot” Petilla, Baybay City Mayor Jose Carlos “Boying” Cari and Vice Mayor Ernesto Butawan, Vice Governor Sandy Javier, Cong. Carl Cari, Cong. Karen Javier, Board Member Carlo Loreto, and other officials for their commitment to bringing government services closer to their constituents. I also visited the Malasakit Center at Baybay City Immaculate Conception Hospital where we assisted 30 out-patients, 140 in-patients, and 192 front liners, while the DSWD extended financial aid to qualified in-patients. We likewise inspected the Super Health Center and the new boardwalk in the city which I supported to help the community. I then checked on the operations of the Malasakit Center at Ormoc District Hospital in Ormoc City. We also assisted 283 patients and 211 front liners in the hospital, while 133 qualified inpatients received additional assistance from the DSWD. Following this, I led a relief operation for 1,065 struggling residents in the city and attended the ribbon-cutting of the newly constructed pentathlon facility with a dedicated fencing hall, among others — a project I supported as Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance and as Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, together with the local government led by Cong. Richard Gomez and Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez. Earlier that week, I was in Davao del Norte to participate in the celebration of the first anniversary of an insurgency-free Davao del Norte led by Gov. Edwin Jubahib, held in Tagum City on 13 June. I also personally spearheaded a relief operation for 1,500 struggling residents in the city. Simultaneously, we provided more support to the community in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment which held an orientation for temporary employment to 721 individuals. Following this, I visited the town of Carmen with Mayor Leony Bahague to witness the groundbreaking of its Super Health Center and provide aid to 1,666 more indigents. On 15 June, I was in Quezon City with my team to witness the inauguration of two multipurpose buildings in Barangays Commonwealth and Payatas which I also supported for funding together with Councilor Mikey Belmonte. We likewise aided a thousand indigents in the city with Mayor Joy Belmonte. We then headed to Marikina City to assist 3,000 more struggling residents from Marikina City and the towns of San Mateo and Rodriguez, Rizal, together with Congresswoman Maan Teodoro and Mayor Marcy Teodoro; as well as the local officials from both towns in Rizal, such as Rodriguez Mayor Ronnie Evangelista and San Mateo Mayor Bartolome “Omie” Rivera Jr., among others. We also visited North Cotabato on 17 June, where we celebrated the 54th Araw ng Alamada led by Mayor Jesus Sacdalan and Cong. Joel Sacdalan and helped 840 farmers and 1,500 struggling residents in the town before going to Matalam to witness aspiring athletes in the Serbisyong Totoo Basketball Sports Clinic and to lead another distribution activity for 1,318 more residents from various sectors together with Gov. Lala Taliño-Mendoza. Across the country, my team aided indigent families and various sectors, including 136 in Samal, 33 in Balanga, and 82 in Limay, Bataan; 990 in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur; 150 in Damulog, Bukidnon; 350 in Iligan City; 100 in Tubod, Lanao del Norte; 550 in Malinao and Sto. Domingo, Albay; and two fire-hit households in Carcar City, Cebu. My team also attended the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center in Tiguma, Pagadian City. It is the fundamental right of every Filipino to receive proper medical care and social assistance from our government. I hope that with compassion for our struggling kababayans and the persistence to help uplift their lives, we can collectively ensure that the poor and most needy are not neglected as we continue our pursuit for progress and development. The post Prioritize the poor, bring gov’t services closer to needy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stakeholders appeal for bike taxi fleet cap removal
Transport groups are urging regulators to scrap the limits on the number of motorcycle taxis legally allowed to operate amid a spike in demand for convenient and affordable transportation alternatives. In separate statements over the weekend, CitizenWatch Philippines, Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3), and The Passenger Forum unilaterally pointed out that removing the limits will also provide a livelihood to more Filipinos. CitizenWatch Philippines Co-Convenor and former Quezon City representative lawyer Kit Belmonte noted that the shortage of transportation options has “resulted in the proliferation of illegal habal-habal, which are being patronized by desperate commuters.” “Because they are unregulated, the drivers of habal-habal do not have proper training and they do not have accident insurance,” Belmonte said. “No less than Senator Raffy Tulfo recommended legalizing habal-habal operations, and even asked MC taxi operators to help train habal-habal riders,” he added. Likewise, Belmonte contended that similar to other countries, removing the riders cap will encourage more players to participate and ensure competition for better delivery of services for commuters. Meanwhile, The Passenger Forum Convener Primo Morillo, said his group said, "It's about time to do away with the limit for motorcycle taxis as it impedes the potential of motorcycle taxis to serve commuters and provide a livelihood for riders.” “No other than the Philippine Competition Commission recommended the removal of the cap as it will lead to better commuter experience,” Morillo added. While there are no official government statistics on the number of habal-habal nationwide, they were initially estimated to have reached 200,000 in Metro Manila in 2020, during the height of the global health pandemic. Thus, the proliferation of habal-habal has compelled local government units like Cebu City to create an office to regulate their operations. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board recently urged habal-habal operators, particularly in provinces, to join its pilot study for bike taxis so they can be regulated and trained. LTFRB chief Teofilo Guadiz III previously said that safe and secure operations will “ultimately benefit the riding public.” The post Stakeholders appeal for bike taxi fleet cap removal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Malaysia wins appeal against partial award in $15 billion claim by Sulu sultan’s heirs
KUALA LUMPUR — A Paris court has upheld the Malaysian government’s challenge against enforcing a partial award to the heirs of a former sultan who won $15 billion in an arbitration over a colonial-era land deal, Malaysia said late on Tuesday. The win for Malaysia implies the final award will be annulled and the descendants’ […] The post Malaysia wins appeal against partial award in $15 billion claim by Sulu sultan’s heirs appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Rescued dogs from Adlaon up for adoption until Monday – DVMF
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Four of the eight dogs fit for adoption among the more than 100 rescued dogs in an abandoned shelter in Barangay Adlaon in Cebu City had already found new homes, said the Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF). However, the department continues to appeal to individuals and organizations […] The post Rescued dogs from Adlaon up for adoption until Monday – DVMF appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Appeal to Cebu City gov’t: Don’t abandon vendors affected by V-hire terminal shutdown
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A barangay councilor in Kamagayan has appealed to the Cebu City government for assistance on behalf of the terminal vendors affected by the city government’s decision to shut down the southbound van-for-hire (V-hire) terminal in the barangay. Kamagayan barangay councilor Roy Avila, in an interview with CDN Digital on Thursday, May […] The post Appeal to Cebu City gov’t: Don’t abandon vendors affected by V-hire terminal shutdown appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»