(PNA) -- The first-ever dragon boat race in Cebu will be held on May 23 in Bogo City, Northern Cebu.

“We have been planning about this a long time ago already,” said Randy Su, a commissioner of the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission (CPSC) in an interview here with the Philippine News Agency Saturday night.

“This is one of our alternative sports program,” said Su, president of the Habagat Outdoor Equipment and organizer of the Carera Habagat Adventure Race.

Local paddlers and would-be paddlers in Cebu were also invited to first join the two-day basic dragon boat clinic on May 21-22.

The clinic will be conducted by a national coach from Manila and from the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation.

“We also have invited two dragon boat teams from Bohol to play for exhibition races on May 23,” said Su, also a kayaker and mountaineer.

The dragon boat event is part of the Bogo City’s fiesta celebration which will also have its annual bacarera race.

“We have lots of potential dragon boat paddlers especially in the municipalities and provinces of Cebu,” Su added.

CPSC is planning to buy two units of 10-satr dragon boats, which will be used for the training of CPSC’s dragon boat teams.

Each unit, which will cost PHP150,000, will be made by a Bohol-based manufacturer.

"We also want to hold an international dragon boat race here in Cebu soon,” Su said. (PNA) FFC/LCM/LOLITO T. DELOS REYES/LDP

POLICE arrested two suspected members of a big-time robbery group in a drug bust in Barangay Banban, Bogo City last Tuesday night.

The team led by Chief Insp. Richard Oliver, the city police officer-in-charge, caught Franklin Booc Araneta, 30; and Naice Velez Oporto, 34, at 8 p.m.

Araneta and Oporto were allegedly cohorts of Joel Sumabong, who was charged in court for allegedly leading a bank robbery in Bogo City in 2005 but was eventually acquitted.

Sumabong was arrested by the intelligence operatives of Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) in a buy-bust last January.

“We are checking if they are involved in some past shooting and robbery incidents in Bogo City,” said Oliver in Cebuano in a phone interview.

The suspects are level two drug pushers for they can allegedly dispose of 200 grams of illegal drugs per week.

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CEBU CITY, January 27 (PIA) --- Cement company APO CEMEX today turned over a P2 million school building to the municipality of San Remigio. 

This is a concrete manifestation of a strong public-private partnership, said San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez.

Nino Ybanez, San Remigio Information Officer,  said the turn over ceremony was done at the Training Center in Barangay Poblacion.

At the same time, they also held the graduation of 30 San Remigiohanons from the “EXPERTO AKO” Masonry Skills Training.

Ybanez said the 30 residents compose the first batch of the training participants that was purposely under the typhoon Yolanda assistance of Cemex.

But for the formal masonry course, Ybanez said that Cemex and the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) will have to be finalized along with their PESO Manager Antonio Villamor.

Apo Cemex is located in Barangay Tinaan, southern City of Naga.  It was originally called Apo Cement Corporation (APOCEMCO) until it was acquired by Cemex Philippines in 1999.

It is among the largest cement producers in the country. CEMEX Foundation's support for education, environment, and livelihood primarily revolves around the objectives of promoting sustainability and welfare of the community. 

San Remigio was one of the northern towns heavily affected by typhoon Yolanda in 2013.  (rmn/fcc/PIA-Cebu)

source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2441422350074/apo-cemex-gives-p2m-school-building-skills-training-to-san-remigio

By Oscar C. Pineda

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

THE municipality of Medellin, Cebu now has two roving nurses tasked to answer house calls and provide medical assistance to senior citizens in its 19 barangays, said Mayor Ricky Ramirez.

Medellin has around 5,000 senior citizens, said Ramirez. The 2010 census placed its population at 50,000.

“Mas nindot ni kay ang di kalakaw murag gi-door-to-door ang pag-atiman nila (This is good because it is like providing a door-to-door service to those senior citizens who can no longer walk),” said 66-year-old Angelina Mangubat, Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (Osca) president and Barangay Dayhagon secretary.

Ramirez said that the blood pressure and vital signs of the elderly will be regularly checked by the nurses, giving priorities to those who are bedridden and on wheelchairs. He revealed that the nurses will use two motorcycles.

These nurses, who are also called mobile health care workers, are given barangay assignments where they would visit the homes of the elderly from Monday to Friday.

They are also on-call anytime of the day to respond to emergency cases.

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THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will organize chapters in the City of Bogo and Toledo City this year to help professionalize local business organizations.

It will be like a "Big Brother concept" as CCCI itself will reach out to these organizations. Ma. Teresa Chan, CCCI president, said that this will help the local business chapters become like CCCI so they could become drivers of growth in their own locality. They will also become local extension of the chamber. 

Currently CCCI has a local chapter in Bantayan Islands which is created after super typhoon Yolanda hit the area. 

CCCI planned to have a presence in the northern and southern part of Cebu Province so that local business organizations can benefit and participate in the private-public partnership (PPP) which can help achieve economic goals in the locality. 

Sunstar reported that CCCI will be assisted by the NGO “WECan” in institutionalizing the formation of cluster business chambers in the countryside.

SunStar:

Bogo and Toledo cities have huge potential to become economic drivers of Cebu province, she said.

Bogo, which is located 101 kilometers north of Cebu City, has the potential to become a local transshipment hub to other provinces.

Early last year, the Cebu Provincial Government and the Bogo City Government announced it will jointly develop the Polambato Wharf in northern Cebu where 40 hectares of flatlands have been declared a part of a special economic zone.

According to a Philippine News Agency report, Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez Jr. said locators have expressed interest to locate at the proposed industrial site and are looking for a port for the shipment of cargoes.

The area is said to be ideal for light to medium industries and sets an advantage because of its immediate access to the port of Polambato and the major road networks of the province.

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By Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star) | Updated January 15, 2015 - 12:00am

...

Cebuanos can go to San Vicente Parish Church in Bogo, San Juan Nepomuceno Parish Church in San Remigio and the Cebu Cathedral.

The St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Tagbilaran, Bohol and the Parish of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Estancia, Iloilo will also establish viewing site for their communities.

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Kris Dece Ortizano of Bogo City topped the singing category of the 2014 Regional Children's Contest which was organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII.

Around 200 day care children from different cities and towns in Central Visayas participated in the 2014 Regional Children's Contest held at J Centre Mall, Mandaue City. The event aims to showcase the different talents of children and to raise awareness of the public on the positive effects of children experiencing psycho-social-spiritual stimulation in Day Care Centers. Children competed in three creative art categories: Singing, Folk Dance, and Draw & Tell contest. 

Bogo City's Kris Dece Ortizano impressed the audience with her angelic voice and soulful interpretation of a Cebuano song "Tatay Pauli Na". Mica Mhiel Ebrado of Dumaguete City bested other 15 kids and emerged first place in the Draw & Tell contest. The Mandaue City contingent was declared the winner for the Folk Dance category. All winners received cash prizes and certificates of recognition. Non-winning contestants also received consolation prizes.