The SM Group, through SM Cares, will build 200 houses in Barangay Polambato, Bogo City for the families who were affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. president Hans T. Sy led the groundbreaking ceremony with Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez Jr., and SM Prime Holdings Inc vice president for Visayas and Mindanao Marissa Fernan last Saturday.

A one-hectare property was donated by the heirs of Wenceslao and Margarita Briones Fernan, where the  SM Cares Village will soon stand. Each unit will cost P250,000 amounting up to P50 million for the whole project. Each unit will be built with concrete roofing, high ceiling, proper ventilation and utility-ready provision. The settlement are will have a 5-meter wide road network, a concrete perimeter fence, community center and a basketball court.

Click here for more photos.

Read more:

SM building homes for Cebu victims - philstar.com

SM Group to build 200 houses for Yolanda survivors - sunstar.com.ph

SM TO BUILD 200 HOUSES IN BOGO CITY - cityofbogocebu.gov.ph

Photo source: City Government of Bogo FB Page

Cayang's Brangay Chariman Celestino "Tining" Martinez III is the new president of the Association of Barangay Councils of Cebu Province. Martinez ran uncontested during the elections and claimed the ABC presidency by default, making him an ex-officio member of the Cebu Provincial Board (PB).

Samboan ABC president Emerito Calderon stayed as vice president. He held the position since 2010. 

“I hope I can live up to the expectation sa tanan and most especially, I hope and I look forward to a very fruitful and successful league sa umaabot nga mga tuig,” Martinez told his colleagues after the elections.

Martinez said that among his priorities is to work with the Capitol in extending assistance to typhoon victims in northern Cebu. Bogo City is one of the areas severely devastated by the typhoon.

He said that his being close to Governor Hilario Davide III, his ally in the Liberal Party, is a big factor to help the barangays. He then thanked Holganza and the rest of ABC presidents of the different component cities and municipalities for their cooperation.

Holganza, meanwhile, assured the members of the league that they are in good hands under the leadership of Martinez. He bid farewell to his colleagues in the PB during its session last Monday.

Read more: Martinez is new ABC-Cebu prexy - The Freeman

Photo source: Tining's FB Profile

Yolanda left a great devastation in her wake. But if there is a lesson the super typhoon has taught us, it is that life is one unpredictable road and that we are living in an increasingly dangerous world. Our preparations can be a helpless, useless armor against the fury of Mother Nature. Yet, if there is another lesson Yolanda has taught us, it is that this world is still filled with people who are what all human beings ought to be: Kind, selfless, full of sympathies & generous impulses, people who never tire giving, people who even cross continents in order to bring healing and hope. Because of them, what could have been a monumental tragedy, has become a monumental triumph of humanity...

To all those who, in one way or the other,have given us a helping hand when we were down on our knees, we have no signature big enough to mark our gratitude for what you have done for us. As "Padayon Bogo" has always been our mantra, rest assured you have given us encouragement, added strength and the will to move on. We may not be able to return your kindness (although we sincerely hope we could), but we hope and pray that God repay you all a hundred fold.

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