After staging three successful concerts to raise funds for the victims of the recent calamities in Central and Eastern Visayas, the fourth edition is set on Saturday, this time for the typhoon-stricken city of Bogo in northern Cebu by a group that now calls itself Bangon SugBogo.

It is actually the same group that launched the #BangonSugBohol benefit shows to raise funds for relief and rehabilitation of communities devastated by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Cebu and Bohol last Oct. 15.

Organizers said the objective of the concert is not just raise funds but also to "uplift the spirits of residents in north Cebu who were ravaged by Yolanda."

"They don't have a roof, they don't have food and they don't have entertainment so we saw the opportunity to go there and stage the concert. Everyone is free to attend," said Wilson Ng, one of the event organizers.

"We expect more than 5,000 people to come so we urge everyone to invite their friends. Even people from Cebu City. Let's go there and join everyone to support," he added.

The concert which coincides with Andres Bonifacio Day on Nov. 30 is dubbed "Everyone is a Hero" to honor everyone who volunteered in the relief operations.

27 Nov 2013

After two weeks of extending medical relief to about two thousand residents in the City of  Bogo and  its neighboring municipalities, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday turned over its field hospital (mobile hospital) to two foreign non-government organizations - LandsAid, a German NGO and Workers' Samaritan Federation Austria (ASBÖ), an Austrian NGO.

The two NGO's will assume and take over the medical assistance that was extended by the Israeli medical crew.   

"The cooperation between LandsAid and ASBÖ has been agreed in consultation with the local authorities and the hospital to make sure the resulting gap in health care in the next few weeks,"  - LandsAid CEO Hans Musswessels 

The turnover of the mobile hospital was witnessed by Ambassador of Israel to the Philippines Menashe Bar On, Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez Jr., and IDF Col. Yoram Laredo.

According to the IDF blog, in over a time span of nearly two weeks, 2686 patients (848 were children) have been treated in the field hospital in Bogo City by IDF doctors.

Read more:

IDF Humanitarian Aid Delegation to the Philippines Returns to Israel

Israeli field hospital in Bogo turned over to Austrian, German NGOs

Major power lines have now been restored two weeks after super typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan) ravaged the northern part of Cebu. 

The Freeman reported that all municipalities in northern Cebu including the cities of Bogo and Danao have been energized except for some mountain barangays and places where restoration of the lateral lines are still ongoing. 

The backbone lines of Cebu Electric Cooperative II (CEBECO II) serving Compostela, Borbon, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Carmen, City of Danao and City of Bogo were already restored. The backbone lines are also partially serving Catmon, Sogod and San Remigio.

Bogo City residents enjoying the Pacquiao - Rios match. - © DANTE MAYOR

Bogohanons rejoiced after boxing hero Manny Pacquiao thrashed Brandon Rios to clinch the WBO international welterweight title in Macau yesterday.

Bogohanons react to Pacquiao's Win over Rios

Bogohanons flocked to the Don Celestino Matinez Sr. Sports Complex yesterday to watch the Pacquiao - Rios fight. The Pinoy boxing hero dedicated the fight to the victims of super typhoon Yolanda.

For the first time in almost a year, Pacquiao returned to the ring and wore Rios down with his blinding  handspeed and won 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 on the scorecards at The Venetian casino in Macau.

Per CompuBox, Pacquiao landed 281 of 790 punches(36%) while Rios only landed 138 of 502 punches(27%). 

After the fight, Pacquiao said he is willing to fight anybody including Floyd Mayweather Jr. Boxing promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao's next fight is on April 12 next year.

Reads on Pacquiao vs Rios:
Pacquiao beats Rios in unanimous decision
Manny Pacquiao Dedicates Victory Over Brandon Rios To Philippines
Pacquiao vs. Rios: Does Manny Matter Again After Dominant Win?

POSTED ON 11/20/2013 11:25 AM on Rappler.com

BOGO CITY, Philippines – “Walay pabor-pabor. Hatag sa tanan. Lihok.” (No favoritism. Give to all. Move.)

With this marching order, Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr dismissed his meeting with barangay (village) captains at a sports complex, the base for relief operations in this northern Cebu city reeling from Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Named after the mayor’s father, the Don Celestino Martinez Coliseum is not just the drop-off point for aid. It is where officials now work after Haiyan brought down the newly built city hall’s ceiling, roof and windows.

Known as the center for trade and commerce in northern Cebu, Bogo City is now grappling with the lack of electricity, damaged schools and hospitals, and homelessness for 90% of its people. The city is home to over 80,000 residents. Thirteen died in Bogo, among the over 4,000 fatalities in central Philippines.

Yet city employees and authorities are making do and getting organized. On blackboards, they keep track of the casualties, damages, and aid trickling in to the 29 barangays. They are determined not to make their community helpless.

“We are relying on donations but it’s not a total doleout. Starting Monday, the city government is employing 100 people per barangay. We call it cash for work. We pay them and then they have to clean up the city,” Martinez told Rappler on Monday, November 18.

Read full story here: Bogo City after Haiyan

Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez, Jr. has launched a program intended to speed up rehabilitation work that will hasten the recovery of the city. Dubbed “Cash for Work, Food for Work”, the program consists of two phases. The first phase involves giving work to 100 residents in each of Bogo’s 29 barangays for a week, employing them to clean up their respective villages and communities. They will be paid with cash so they can have a starter fund to help them start a new chapter in their lives.

The second phase is to let them do repair work on their own houses for a week, and even if it is their own houses they will be working on they will still be paid with food. The beneficiary residents will be chosen by the barangay officials based on the gravity of the damage to their houses.

The program will show the people that the city government is committed to help them get back on their feet. This time, however, it shall not be the “dole-out” way. Mayor Martinez explains that through the “Cash for Work, Cash for Food” his constituents will receive government assistance through a program that discourages mendicancy among his people. To him it is important that the people rebuild their lives with their dignity intact, through a work ethic and a renewed attitude that will make them stronger and more self-reliant in the face of adversities.

Next in line is the city government’s shelter program that will allow the homeless to avail of a P35,000 loan to build their own homes, payable for 20 years, with a 2-year grace period, at an amortization that will range from P150.00 to P170.00 per month. 

source: City Government of Bogo

The weather was fair throughout yesterday (Wednesday), but LGU's have already held numerous meetings to prepare for Yolanda.

Solar News reported that authorities have their eye on northern Cebu, specifically the City of Bogo as it could be the hardest hit when Yolanda ploughs through the province according to its plotted course.

Governor Hilario P. Davide III declared suspension of classes in all levels in the entire province of Cebu beginning Thursday until Friday (November 7-8).

Here are some tips from the Cebu Provincial Government 

by Mayor Celestino E. Martinez Jr.

George Hoffman used to say that no one person can change the world but that you can change the world for one person. I remember this saying well each time I assess the progress of the many big projects I have long dreamed for our beloved city. Together with Vice-Mayor Santiago Sevilla and the other officials I dream of the New Business District as the epicenter of progress and development in northern Cebu; the Special Economic Zone as another major hub of light to medium industries in the province; the expanded Polambato Port as major gateway to the country’s nautical highway and Bogo’s main portal as logistics distribution center of the Visayas region; the proposed Banakod Eco-Park as the new centerpiece in our quest to make Bogo a major player in the tourism industry;and the construction of agribusiness infrastructures to make our city an important contributor to the country’s effort at food sufficiency. It might be added that the end goal of all these is actually to improve the quality of life of everybody in the city in a grand way.

Sad to say, the mere shaping of these dreams alone into workable concepts and blueprints already takes so much time and money. Anyway, Rome was not built in a day, thus, we can be forgiven if many of our dreams have not yet turned into full reality. 

We can honestly say, though, that all of the above dreams are works in progress. But while waiting for the ultimate development dream pie to be baked, government must continue with its humdrum tasks that enable the constituents to live better lives each day. Collecting taxes, sweeping the streets, taking the sludge out of canals, keeping the traffic flowing and safe, keeping the local library newsstand updated, stacking the clinic with much needed gauze or medicines, turning on the faucets or the lights; in other words, keeping the hum of ordinary government machinery alive is also what local governance is all about. Yet, these are tasks that by their very ordinariness too often escape the eye.

Thus, it is along this line that I am happy to report that one small ordinary thing the City Government has done in cooperation with one barangay, has changed the lives of a few hardworking constituents who used to make their living pushing carts and selling barbecue on the streets. Theirs is a success story made possible by their desire to live life well and by the earnest effort of the local government to help them in any small way it can. By selling reasonably priced, clean and delicious grilled stuff at the BBQ Plaza, the vendors have become partners in promoting Bogo as a wholesome place to go

We may never know how much they are earning today compared to those times when they were still pushing carts but we can be sure their income now are much better. The government has been making sure of that by keeping the barbecue garden clean and beautiful and by supporting the vendors with regular activities that would tend to attract more people to the place.

And as final note I would like to thank former San Vicente barangay captain Virginia Rodrigo for having the courage and determination to push through with a difficult project and later allowing its use for the city government so that more people may benefit from it. It is a story of cooperation that hopefully will turn into a tradition. For in our beloved city we have inherited a lot of prideful traditions, and it is never a bad thing to add more good ones to those we already have.

Who knows the next one might just help turn one of our big dreams into reality one fine day.

source: cityofbogocebu.gov.ph

by Eufrosino Ursal Luna | Bag-ong Suga | November 26, 1965 

Ang Oktubre 25 maoy mapulang titik nga adlaw alang sa mga Bogohanon. Ang tanan manag-ambahan pagkuyog sa usa ka parada agig pagyukbo, pagtahod ug paghandom niadtong daku ug inilang tawo nga nagpahimutang sa kabantug sa Bogo diha sa mapa. Adlaw nga maoy kamatayan ni Senador Don Pedro Lazala Rodriguez, ang bayani ug amahan sa lungsod sa Bogo. Ikakatloan nag tolo ka tuig sumad sa iyang pagkapukan. (sa pagsulat niini)

Nyor Indong ang saga itawag kaniya. Natawo niadtong tuig 1869 gikan sa dugo sa mga ginikanang katsila, Don Jose Rodriguez ug Donya Vicente Lazala. Nakatungha sa seminaryo sa San Carlos ug mipadayon didto sa Ateneo de Manila, diin nakahupot sa silid pagka B.S in Agricultural Engineering, A.B ug BSC. Tungod sa gugma sa panguma

Nahimo si Nyor Indong nga Presidente-Munisipal sa Bogo sa panahon ni Hen. Emilio Aguinaldo sulod sa mga tuig 1898 hangtud sa 1903. Ug sa 1905 miadto sa Espanya ug sa ubang dapit sa Uropa ug paghibalik, ginominahna siya isip usa ka delegado alang sa unga Asembliya sa Pilipinas. Unya sa 1907 mirepresentar kumo senador samtang ang iyang igsoon, Celestino Rodriguez - deputado sa unag distrito.

Sulod sa iyang administrasyon dinhay higayon nga nahimo siyang usa ka mamumulong sa pagsaulog kun inawgurasyon sa Independensya sa karaang plasa sa Sugbo, matud pa niya...

"....Dinhi sa ibabaw sa kalibotan, duruha da ka bukid ang labing bantugan, ang bukid sa senai ug ang bukid as sudlong. Apan alang sa mga Pilipino ang bukid sa sudlon maoy labing mahal ug halandumon, kay sa tumoy-tumoy sa iyang sima...diha mahitarok ang unang bandilang Pilipinhon nga gipakayab sa panganod Sugboanon...nga gipaagasan ug daghang dugo sa atong mga kaliwat aron paglaban sa inahan tang yuta...."

Mapuslanon kaayo an giyang pag-alagad sa unang hugna sa Sendaorya, nga maoy nakapaaghat kaniya pag-usab pag-apil sa kombensyon sa pagka Senador batok kang Don Filemon Sotto sa partido Nasyonalista. Kadaghan sa mga delegado habig kang Don Sotto ug gihukman nga modaug sa kombensyon.

Masipang pakpak ang mitapus sa lima ka gutlong pakigpulong sa banggiitang mamumulong nga Sotto. Unya misunod si Don Pedro Rodgriguez ug misugod....

"...Minahal kong mga delegado sa kombensyon: kon tinuod man ugaling nga ang kalibotan tang gipuy-an matapus unya manudya? Sa panahon nga ang tawo mabanhaw... akoy unang mobangon gikan sa akong lubanganan dinala sa akong mga bukton ug ipakayab ko sa kahanginang Pilipinhon ang bandila sa partido Nasyonalista...ug kon walay suwerte ning kombensyona, ako moyukbo og motabang sa maong partido nga minugna...tinukod ug gipangulohan ni Don Sergion Osmeña..."

Makabungog ang gahub nga mibukot sulod sa Sine Ideal diin himoa ang tigom sa kombensiyon. Kadtong mga pulonga nga nanuhotsuhot sa kinailadman sa katawhan maoy nakapadaug kaniya niadtong higayona.

Gisublian si Nyor Indong sa 10th Senatorial District diin mimayoriyag daku labaw kang deputado Vicente Sotto sa partido Demokrata. Sa Senado usa siya sa manggimbuhaton, bantugang mamumulong, nagsilbe sa katarung ug kaligdong. Ug supak sa katungod kun ugaling dili mahiangay sa mga lungsoranon.

Si Don Pedro Rodriguez mao ang "Pahid" sa luha sa mga kabus, kay lagi mahigugmaon man sa mga timawa. Ang magkinahanglan ug yta, gibaligyaan sa kubos nga bili ug pinaagi pa sa data-data. Nagpahulam ug salapi nga walay tanto. Gihalad ang iyang kinabuhi pagtukaw pagtabang niadtong nanagkamang sa kapit-os ug kakabus.

Katoliko Romano si Nyor Indong sanglit gitugahan man ug lote alang sa Simbahan sa Bogo ug Medellin.

Naminyo kang Donya Masay Veloso - gitugahan ug tolo ka mga anak sila sa Jose V. Rodriguez, ang kanhi Deputado ug na-Mayor sa dakbayan sa Sugbo, Anhing Amparo ug Pedring Jr.,

An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 shook the island of Bohol and nearby provinces on October 15, 2013 at 8:12 AM. Inquirer reported that the damage caused by the destructive earthquake in Bohol has been estimated to reach P2.5 billion.

The City of Bogo LGU initiated a relief assistance for Bohol to help get back on its feet. The relief operation is dubbed as "IGSOONG BOHOLANON MAHALON: HALAD TABANG ALANG SA BOHOL". 

For Inquiries 

Call 260-5310 local 322

or 0917-727-4129

or E-mail info@cityofbogocebu.gov.ph

One of the Bogohanon groups on facebook, Taga Bogo Ka Kung (TBKK), also initiated the "10 Peso Ko Tulong Ko" donation drive. 

Donation boxes are located at:

Or you can deposit to this bank account:

LANDBANK Account no. 09304893116

Account Name: Kevin Victor Lepiten

Or approach

The Bogo Times is encouraging all Bogohanons to support these relief operations and help our brothers in Bohol. 

#BangonSugBohol

Earthquake is one of the most difficult natural disasters to prepare for. The difficulty is in the fact that a tremor can happen anywhere and anytime. This infographic shows the safety measures which we need to take during earthquakes along with the controversial “Triangle of Life” theory.