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FORMER Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional director Yogi Filemon Ruiz, who has thrown his hat into the ring for Cebu City’s mayoral race in 2025, said he will be running to provide solutions to the “deteriorated Cebu.”Ruiz said in a media forum on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, his choice to enter politics stemmed from his aspiration to address basic services he believed have been “neglected by the City. “For the past years, if the City is doing their job, then I would be gladly in my farm, attending to my garden, drinking coffee, just watching movies. But sad to say, every time I go home from Manila to Cebu City—Manila boomed, Cebu City deteriorated,” Ruiz said.Ruiz, who was also a former commissioner of the Bureau of Customs, said although he is a neophyte in politics, he has been in public service for 18 years.“Politics is something new to me, but public service has always been in my blood,” said Ruiz. He declared his intention to serve as mayor as both a technocrat and a bureaucrat.Technocrats rely on technical expertise to make decisions and prioritize evidence-based solutions, while bureaucrats work within administrative systems to implement policies and manage resources.PlansPrior to committing to run for mayor, he identified five basic services that, he said, were being disregarded by the City Government. These are providing peace and order, health and social services, solving traffic and mobility issues, addressing garbage and waste disposal, and managing flooding and drainage.“This is something that is very basic. This is not something that we have invented overnight. These are basic problems that had been neglected by the City,” he said. With his background in law enforcement, he aims to make Cebu City’s streets the safest in the country. He said ensuring a safe environment for the public accomplishes half of his job, and will be his top priority. He said this will be done by busting criminals and drug traders in the city and instilling discipline.Ruiz said government agencies like Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, and PDEA, can expect support from him should he win.Ruiz clarified that while he will address illegal drug problems in the city, he will employ different tactics in approaching this issue, different from former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.“Rest assured, I will be the number one champion of human rights; there will be no instance that human rights will be violated,” he said.He said he will establish a government-run rehabilitation center, pointing out that Cebu City is the only highly urbanized city in the country that is not operating such an establishment.CBRTOn the ongoing construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) system, Ruiz expressed doubts about its sufficiency despite changes made to its plans over the past two decades. He suggested that due to Cebu’s narrow roads, a new scheme should be implemented once the system is operational. Ruiz proposed that since the current CBRT plan occupies 60 percent of the road, this should be made “flexible” and there should be days when roads will not be exclu­sive to shuttles and modern jeepneys, but also open to private cars.He acknowledged that since the project is already underway as the country has already taken out a loan from the World Bank and the French Development Agency, it would not be wise to halt its construction.“The question is, if we stop it now, who will pay the loan?... Why don’t we try it for one year and if it will not be successful, let us remove the barriers on the sides so we can still use the roads,” he said. Ruiz, however, did not specify which barriers of the CBRT should be removed.Not ‘Singapore-like’ Ruiz said he will keep the city’s slogan simple and use what his supporters are currently using in his campaign: “For a better and safer Cebu City.”He said he will not follow Mayor Michael Rama’s “grandiose” campaign slogan, such as “Singapore-like Cebu City with Melbourne features,” which, he said, is far from being realized.He also said he would appreciate it if Rama would not continue his reelection bid and support his candidacy instead.He described other individuals who expressed their interest to run, such as Rama, Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival, and Metropolitan Cebu Water District Chairman Joey Daluz III, as “worthy opponents.” However, he said Archival could be a good running mate as his vice mayor.Partido CebuanoRuiz said he will have a complete slate under the banner of “Partido Cebuano,” although he did not reveal names.“We want the party to encompass all the aspirations, all the desires, all the dreams of the Cebuano people,” he said. He said he will have a vice mayor, two congressmen and councilors who are “like-minded Cebuanos.”“We wanted it to be as less political as we can. If you can observe what is happening in the city, all actions of our leaders are for politics, even as simple as a flag-raising ceremony, everything is politicized,” Ruiz lamented.He explained he cannot, as yet, reveal names with respect to the other members of his party, as some of them are incumbent politicians. “They are afraid to come out yet because they might be attacked by those who want to pick a fight with them,” said Ruiz. / KJF Top 6 Betting Sites in the Philippines Philippines SEVERAL mountain barangays in Cebu City are suffering from a lack of water and experiencing incidents of bush fires as a result of the dry hot season.This prompted the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to pass a resolution declaring 28 barangays under a state of calamity following the adverse impact of the weather phenomenon El Niño on the farmers in these areas.These include the barangays of Budlaan, Binaliw, Paril, Taptap, Pulangbato, Guba, Cambinocot, Pamutan, Sirao, Sapangdaku, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Bonbon, Buot, and Tagbao.City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin, in a phone interview on Sunday, March 24, 2024, said over 500 farmers have stopped planting their usual crops due to damage caused by the lack of water which is a result of the dry spell.He was unable to provide a complete list of affected barangays.In an earlier report, City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said there are 115 hectares of farm lands in the 28 barangays affected by the extreme weather condition as of March.There are currently 10,719 registered farmers in Cebu City growing lettuce, cabbages, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplants, sweet corn and tomatoes, among others.According to a previous SunStar report, Cebu City’s agriculture industry could produce between P500,000 to P1 million worth of crops daily. The figures could go as high as more than a million a day during peak season.“We have to act now. We will not wait for the worse to come,” Alcontin said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Alcontin said the CDRRMC resolution has been endorsed to the office of City Councilors Phillip Zafra and Joel Garganera for the City Council to adopt it.Once the council declares these barangays under a state of calamity, Alcontin said the barangays can use their calamity funds, while the City Government can use its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF).He said the City currently has P600 million in its calamity and quick response fund and P100 million in its LDRRMF.He said Mayor Michael Rama instructed them to first use the P100 million LDRRMF, considering it’s only the first quarter of the year.The City Agriculture Department (CAD) has prepared P97 million which will be used for assistance to the farmers.SunStar Cebu tried to reach Baclayon on Sunday to get more details, but to no avail.Alcontin said one of the measures they are implementing now is distributing water in the mountain barangays.He said they are also coordinating with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to deploy their trucks for water rations in Barangays Buot and Pulangbato.In previous reports, Baclayon said 40 percent of the city’s food supply come from its mountain barangays.Alcontin said one of their assignments is to ensure that the city’s food supply is not hampered, hence the declaration of a state of calamity.Alcontin said the CAD and the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries are also tasked to ensure food supplies in the city remain stable amid the El Niño.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared on Friday, March 22, the start of the “Philippine Summer.”Alfredo Quiblat Jr., chief of Pagasa Visayas, earlier announced that Cebu has officially been under a dry spell since the last week of February.A dry spell refers to three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, or a drop of 21 percent to 60 percent, or two consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall, or a drop of more than 60 percent.The El Niño phenomenon leads to decreased precipitation or, in some cases, a complete absence of rainfall, which can significantly impact crop yields and pose various environmental and economic challenges.Pagasa also warned that the phenomenon may persist until the end of May. / JJL

SEVERAL mountain barangays in Cebu City are suffering from a lack of water and experiencing incidents of bush fires as a result of the dry hot season.This prompted the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to pass a resolution declaring 28 barangays under a state of calamity following the adverse impact of the weather phenomenon El Niño on the farmers in these areas.These include the barangays of Budlaan, Binaliw, Paril, Taptap, Pulangbato, Guba, Cambinocot, Pamutan, Sirao, Sapangdaku, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Bonbon, Buot, and Tagbao.City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin, in a phone interview on Sunday, March 24, 2024, said over 500 farmers have stopped planting their usual crops due to damage caused by the lack of water which is a result of the dry spell.He was unable to provide a complete list of affected barangays.In an earlier report, City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said there are 115 hectares of farm lands in the 28 barangays affected by the extreme weather condition as of March.There are currently 10,719 registered farmers in Cebu City growing lettuce, cabbages, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplants, sweet corn and tomatoes, among others.According to a previous SunStar report, Cebu City’s agriculture industry could produce between P500,000 to P1 million worth of crops daily. The figures could go as high as more than a million a day during peak season.“We have to act now. We will not wait for the worse to come,” Alcontin said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Alcontin said the CDRRMC resolution has been endorsed to the office of City Councilors Phillip Zafra and Joel Garganera for the City Council to adopt it.Once the council declares these barangays under a state of calamity, Alcontin said the barangays can use their calamity funds, while the City Government can use its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF).He said the City currently has P600 million in its calamity and quick response fund and P100 million in its LDRRMF.He said Mayor Michael Rama instructed them to first use the P100 million LDRRMF, considering it’s only the first quarter of the year.The City Agriculture Department (CAD) has prepared P97 million which will be used for assistance to the farmers.SunStar Cebu tried to reach Baclayon on Sunday to get more details, but to no avail.Alcontin said one of the measures they are implementing now is distributing water in the mountain barangays.He said they are also coordinating with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to deploy their trucks for water rations in Barangays Buot and Pulangbato.In previous reports, Baclayon said 40 percent of the city’s food supply come from its mountain barangays.Alcontin said one of their assignments is to ensure that the city’s food supply is not hampered, hence the declaration of a state of calamity.Alcontin said the CAD and the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries are also tasked to ensure food supplies in the city remain stable amid the El Niño.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared on Friday, March 22, the start of the “Philippine Summer.”Alfredo Quiblat Jr., chief of Pagasa Visayas, earlier announced that Cebu has officially been under a dry spell since the last week of February.A dry spell refers to three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, or a drop of 21 percent to 60 percent, or two consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall, or a drop of more than 60 percent.The El Niño phenomenon leads to decreased precipitation or, in some cases, a complete absence of rainfall, which can significantly impact crop yields and pose various environmental and economic challenges.Pagasa also warned that the phenomenon may persist until the end of May. / JJL What are the top 10 ways to make money online? IN THE continuing struggle for control over the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)-installed officer-in-charge (OIC), John Dx Lapid, was barred from entering the MCWD office building in downtown Cebu City on Monday morning, while on the same day Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and seven mayors expressed their support for the MCWD officials who had been suspended by the LWUA.Lapid was able to enter only after general manger Edgar Donoso, the person whom Lapid was supposed to replace, issued a memorandum at 12:32 p.m. allowing Lapid to enter and to report to his post as division manager for customer care, but not as OIC.Lapid had been outside the MCWD building since 5:59 a.m. Lapid said the LWUA had instructed him not to leave the entrance of the basement parking of the MCWD building.Upon hearing of his plight, Cebu City Administrator Collin Rosell, along with City Budget Officer Jerone Castillo and City Legal Officer Carlo Vincent Gimena, arrived at the MCWD office to support Lapid in his appointment as OIC general manager.The LWUA appointed Lapid following its suspension of Donoso for 90 days last Friday, April 12. When Lapid finally entered the MCWD building, he called for a general assembly on the eighth floor. But only a few employees showed up.Lapid and the city officials went to the fifth floor to Donoso’s office, where a short confrontation occurred.MCWD secretary Jodelyn May Seno asked Rosell and Castillo to leave because they were city employees. The two ignored her, arguing that she had already been suspended by the LWUA.Members of the interim board installed by LWUA also arrived during the confrontation.Also present were Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin and Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office head Reymarr Hijara.At least 90 personnel from Task Force Kasaligan, along with CCDRRMO personnel, were deployed outside and inside the MCWD building.No entryDuring a press conference on Monday, MCWD chairman Jose Daluz III said they drafted a resolution barring Lapid and the interim board from the MCWD building.He said it was similar to the resolution Lapid started drafting to ban him, Donoso and the rest of his board, meaning Miguelito Pato and Seno, from entering.Daluz reiterated that the LWUA’s March 15 intervention that saw him, Pato and Seno suspended for six months, was illegal, arguing that it could only intervene if the MCWD defaulted financially on its loan, which it did not.“We only owe (LWUA) P13 million. We pay P65,000 every month, non-bearing interest. And we pay in advance,” he said in Cebuano.Daluz said the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel’s (OGCC) opinion regarding the LWUA’s actions was clear that LWUA could only intervene if there was a loan default. He said the LWUA did not abide by the OGCC’s opinion, as it had earlier promised.ResignDaluz also encouraged Lapid to resign from his post to show “decency,” saying that his acceptance of the OIC position was an act of “insubordination” towards his bosses.“I won’t resign,” Lapid responded.Lapid said he is a regular employee of the water district, adding that if they give him a show cause order he will answer it.He said if they fire him, then he will see what will happen.“I am not afraid because I firmly stand by my conviction that the LWUA has jurisdiction over a water district, not just MCWD, but all water districts,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Lapid said the LWUA’s suspension of Donoso and the Daluz-led board was part of the due process.“Nibarog ta for the water district para mahuman ni tanan problema (I stood up for the water district so all these problems would end),” he said, referring to the struggle for control of MCWD.Donoso said he did not receive a copy of his suspension order.He also questioned why he was not afforded due time to explain his side.Donoso said the respect and hospitality they gave to LWUA have reached their limits.He reiterated that the LWUA’s takeover was unfounded and without due process.Employees, mayors back DaluzMeanwhile, Sammy Suson, president of the MCWD employees’ union with 583 members, said they do not support Lapid’s appointment as OIC general manager.“We will not recognize the intervention of the LWUA,” Suson said.Daniel Lim Jr., president of the non-regular employees’ union with 100 members, echoed his sentiment.Some local chief executives in Metro Cebu also expressed their support for the Daluz-led board and Donoso.Daluz, Donoso, Seno and suspended board vice chairman Pato met with Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, Compostela Mayor Felijur Quiño, Cordova Mayor Cesar Suan, Liloan Mayor Aljew Frasco, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol on Monday.During a press conference at the Capitol, the governor said the LWUA’s intervention was untimely, creating confusion among employees and consumers as the province faces the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. She said she had brokered an agreement between both parties that they must adhere to the legal opinion of the OGCC, which was released last April 2. Garcia said the LWUA misinterpreted the OGCC’s opinion in its favor, and pushed through with its partial intervention. She said if LWUA insists on interfering in the local water district, she may be forced to invoke Section 16 of Republic Act 7162, or the “General Welfare” clause of the Local Government Code, to ensure the status quo at the MCWD.“I may call on government agency or uniformed personnel to see to it that the General Welfare Board of the constituent of Cebu will be upheld and law will be upheld because all of us took a solemn oath to that,” Garcia said. The mayors backed Garcia’s statement, arguing that changing the administration of a government agency that serves water during a dry spell was unnecessary. The MCWD’s franchise area includes the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay, and the municipalities of Consolacion, Compostela, Cordova and Liloan. The mayors also condemned LWUA’s partial intervention as unlawful due to its invalid reasons and not following the OGCC opinion. Members of the Provincial Board (PB) and Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, were also at the meeting to support the Daluz-led board and Donoso.Garcia said the PB will pass a resolution to support the mayors’ plea. The LWUA suspended Daluz, Pato and Seno for six months starting March 15, to give way for its investigation on several issues at the MCWD. It suspended Donoso last April 12 for 90 days for continuing to defy the interim board’s request to turn over documents on MCWD’s transactions and failing to respond to a five-day notice to explain his decision. Gwen vs. RamaThis is not the first time that the governor has backed officials and agencies that are at odds with the Cebu City Government.Garcia also supported the Cebu Port Authority, and called out the City for ignoring the port authority’s territorial jurisdiction.Earlier in the year, she and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also disagreed on the implementation of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project, which resulted in the mayor filing an administrative case against Garcia for “meddling” in the city’s project.Garcia had issued a cease and desist order against the contractor to stop the construction of a bus station near the Capitol building due to lack of a permit related to heritage zones.As for the conflict at the MCWD, it started when Rama fired the Daluz-led board. Daluz had said he would opt to wait for the LWUA’s intervention on the matter and abide by the agency’s order. But last March 15, when the LWUA informed Daluz and Donoso that it would intervene in the water district for six months and appoint an interim board to replace the Daluz-led board, Donoso wrote the OGCC for its opinion on the matter. When the OGCC released its opinion, the LWUA and Daluz interpreted it differently in their favor. LWUA speaks outIn a statement late Monday, LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga said that although the OGCC’s opinion cited Section 61 of Presidential Decree 198 (Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973), which talks of default in terms of payment of the principal or interest on a loan, the same section also provides that “default includes ‘other obligations to the Administration’ as another ground independent from the financial provisions.”“The 2015 Financial Assistance Contract (FAC) memorializes those obligations both financial and technical. In fact, that very document notes that any failure to deliver or comply with any obligation, promise or covenant is a situation of breach and default. Thus, for Mr. Daluz and company to claim that default ONLY pertains to loans is merely their own interpretation that they are desperately peddling to the public, and we fear, to the governor and mayors,” Salonga said.“The default on the part of MCWD pertains to its obligations under the FAC between MCWD and LWUA, wherein MCWD committed to perform the following:1. To comply with the provisions of PD 198 or other amendatory decrees, acts, or laws, and the rules, regulations, and standards established by LWUA. 2. To establish a leakage control program. within one year from the date of the FAC. Said program will identify the principal causes of water losses in MCWD, identify its precise location, and establish a priority schedule to minimize such losses. The leakage control program will establish and systematically maintain a record of its transmission and distribution systems and will develop procedures for the regular inspection and repair of distribution mains and service connections to achieve a water loss position that is satisfactory to LWUA. 3. To consult LWUA before it appoints or makes permanent its General Manager, whose appointment shall be subject to confirmation of LWUA. “The above violations constitute default on the part of MCWD under the 2015 FAC.”Furthermore, he said MCWD had a high NRW (non-revenue water), which had no marked improvement from year 2020 to 2022. The consistent rise in its NRW during this period resulted in an annual loss on revenue by an average of at least P117.759 million. “MCWD’s NRW steadily increased from 20.34 million cu.m. in 2020 (with a 25.26 percent NRW), to 24.542 million cu.m in 2021 (29.04 percent NRW), and 29.481 million cu. m in 2022 (32.67 percent NRW)” when, in fact, Salonga said, MCWD had committed to a 15 percent NRW rate for 2023, which it failed to achieve. From the FAC signing, MCWD has yet to come up with the measures, plans and results it had committed in the deal, Salonga said.BankruptAnother reason for the LWUA action of suspending the Daluz-led board is that “at the rate the procurement is going, at the prices they are contracting, LWUA fears that MCWD as a GOCC (government owned and controlled corporation) is going to go bankrupt soon.”The FAC also gives LWUA multiple options to address the violations of MCWD. “The preventive suspension of the members of the MCWD board was a tame response on the part of LWUA and merely a preliminary step to investigate the violations of the FAC,” he said. Due processSalonga said due process was complied with, as it provided the suspended MCWD board multiple opportunities to respond to the violations “through the issuances of the show cause order and final demand letter dated 20 March 2024, and 03 April 2024, respectively. The suspended MCWD failed to respond, and thereby deemed to have waived their right to be heard prior to the remedial actions of LWUA.”He said LWUA is performing its mandate under PD 198 by implementing the FAC to ensure the prudent use of public funds and the provision of basic services to the people. He asked the local chief executives of Cebu to reconsider their position “upon a careful study of the full state of facts.”“At this time where El Niño is present and no infrastructure work can be done due to strained political and community relations, there is no reason why LWUA should not act in the most expedient manner,” Salonga said. / EHP, AML, JJL, CTL

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IN THE continuing struggle for control over the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)-installed officer-in-charge (OIC), John Dx Lapid, was barred from entering the MCWD office building in downtown Cebu City on Monday morning, while on the same day Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and seven mayors expressed their support for the MCWD officials who had been suspended by the LWUA.Lapid was able to enter only after general manger Edgar Donoso, the person whom Lapid was supposed to replace, issued a memorandum at 12:32 p.m. allowing Lapid to enter and to report to his post as division manager for customer care, but not as OIC.Lapid had been outside the MCWD building since 5:59 a.m. Lapid said the LWUA had instructed him not to leave the entrance of the basement parking of the MCWD building.Upon hearing of his plight, Cebu City Administrator Collin Rosell, along with City Budget Officer Jerone Castillo and City Legal Officer Carlo Vincent Gimena, arrived at the MCWD office to support Lapid in his appointment as OIC general manager.The LWUA appointed Lapid following its suspension of Donoso for 90 days last Friday, April 12. When Lapid finally entered the MCWD building, he called for a general assembly on the eighth floor. But only a few employees showed up.Lapid and the city officials went to the fifth floor to Donoso’s office, where a short confrontation occurred.MCWD secretary Jodelyn May Seno asked Rosell and Castillo to leave because they were city employees. The two ignored her, arguing that she had already been suspended by the LWUA.Members of the interim board installed by LWUA also arrived during the confrontation.Also present were Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin and Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office head Reymarr Hijara.At least 90 personnel from Task Force Kasaligan, along with CCDRRMO personnel, were deployed outside and inside the MCWD building.No entryDuring a press conference on Monday, MCWD chairman Jose Daluz III said they drafted a resolution barring Lapid and the interim board from the MCWD building.He said it was similar to the resolution Lapid started drafting to ban him, Donoso and the rest of his board, meaning Miguelito Pato and Seno, from entering.Daluz reiterated that the LWUA’s March 15 intervention that saw him, Pato and Seno suspended for six months, was illegal, arguing that it could only intervene if the MCWD defaulted financially on its loan, which it did not.“We only owe (LWUA) P13 million. We pay P65,000 every month, non-bearing interest. And we pay in advance,” he said in Cebuano.Daluz said the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel’s (OGCC) opinion regarding the LWUA’s actions was clear that LWUA could only intervene if there was a loan default. He said the LWUA did not abide by the OGCC’s opinion, as it had earlier promised.ResignDaluz also encouraged Lapid to resign from his post to show “decency,” saying that his acceptance of the OIC position was an act of “insubordination” towards his bosses.“I won’t resign,” Lapid responded.Lapid said he is a regular employee of the water district, adding that if they give him a show cause order he will answer it.He said if they fire him, then he will see what will happen.“I am not afraid because I firmly stand by my conviction that the LWUA has jurisdiction over a water district, not just MCWD, but all water districts,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Lapid said the LWUA’s suspension of Donoso and the Daluz-led board was part of the due process.“Nibarog ta for the water district para mahuman ni tanan problema (I stood up for the water district so all these problems would end),” he said, referring to the struggle for control of MCWD.Donoso said he did not receive a copy of his suspension order.He also questioned why he was not afforded due time to explain his side.Donoso said the respect and hospitality they gave to LWUA have reached their limits.He reiterated that the LWUA’s takeover was unfounded and without due process.Employees, mayors back DaluzMeanwhile, Sammy Suson, president of the MCWD employees’ union with 583 members, said they do not support Lapid’s appointment as OIC general manager.“We will not recognize the intervention of the LWUA,” Suson said.Daniel Lim Jr., president of the non-regular employees’ union with 100 members, echoed his sentiment.Some local chief executives in Metro Cebu also expressed their support for the Daluz-led board and Donoso.Daluz, Donoso, Seno and suspended board vice chairman Pato met with Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, Compostela Mayor Felijur Quiño, Cordova Mayor Cesar Suan, Liloan Mayor Aljew Frasco, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol on Monday.During a press conference at the Capitol, the governor said the LWUA’s intervention was untimely, creating confusion among employees and consumers as the province faces the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. She said she had brokered an agreement between both parties that they must adhere to the legal opinion of the OGCC, which was released last April 2. Garcia said the LWUA misinterpreted the OGCC’s opinion in its favor, and pushed through with its partial intervention. She said if LWUA insists on interfering in the local water district, she may be forced to invoke Section 16 of Republic Act 7162, or the “General Welfare” clause of the Local Government Code, to ensure the status quo at the MCWD.“I may call on government agency or uniformed personnel to see to it that the General Welfare Board of the constituent of Cebu will be upheld and law will be upheld because all of us took a solemn oath to that,” Garcia said. The mayors backed Garcia’s statement, arguing that changing the administration of a government agency that serves water during a dry spell was unnecessary. The MCWD’s franchise area includes the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay, and the municipalities of Consolacion, Compostela, Cordova and Liloan. The mayors also condemned LWUA’s partial intervention as unlawful due to its invalid reasons and not following the OGCC opinion. Members of the Provincial Board (PB) and Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, were also at the meeting to support the Daluz-led board and Donoso.Garcia said the PB will pass a resolution to support the mayors’ plea. The LWUA suspended Daluz, Pato and Seno for six months starting March 15, to give way for its investigation on several issues at the MCWD. It suspended Donoso last April 12 for 90 days for continuing to defy the interim board’s request to turn over documents on MCWD’s transactions and failing to respond to a five-day notice to explain his decision. Gwen vs. RamaThis is not the first time that the governor has backed officials and agencies that are at odds with the Cebu City Government.Garcia also supported the Cebu Port Authority, and called out the City for ignoring the port authority’s territorial jurisdiction.Earlier in the year, she and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also disagreed on the implementation of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project, which resulted in the mayor filing an administrative case against Garcia for “meddling” in the city’s project.Garcia had issued a cease and desist order against the contractor to stop the construction of a bus station near the Capitol building due to lack of a permit related to heritage zones.As for the conflict at the MCWD, it started when Rama fired the Daluz-led board. Daluz had said he would opt to wait for the LWUA’s intervention on the matter and abide by the agency’s order. But last March 15, when the LWUA informed Daluz and Donoso that it would intervene in the water district for six months and appoint an interim board to replace the Daluz-led board, Donoso wrote the OGCC for its opinion on the matter. When the OGCC released its opinion, the LWUA and Daluz interpreted it differently in their favor. LWUA speaks outIn a statement late Monday, LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga said that although the OGCC’s opinion cited Section 61 of Presidential Decree 198 (Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973), which talks of default in terms of payment of the principal or interest on a loan, the same section also provides that “default includes ‘other obligations to the Administration’ as another ground independent from the financial provisions.”“The 2015 Financial Assistance Contract (FAC) memorializes those obligations both financial and technical. In fact, that very document notes that any failure to deliver or comply with any obligation, promise or covenant is a situation of breach and default. Thus, for Mr. Daluz and company to claim that default ONLY pertains to loans is merely their own interpretation that they are desperately peddling to the public, and we fear, to the governor and mayors,” Salonga said.“The default on the part of MCWD pertains to its obligations under the FAC between MCWD and LWUA, wherein MCWD committed to perform the following:1. To comply with the provisions of PD 198 or other amendatory decrees, acts, or laws, and the rules, regulations, and standards established by LWUA. 2. To establish a leakage control program. within one year from the date of the FAC. Said program will identify the principal causes of water losses in MCWD, identify its precise location, and establish a priority schedule to minimize such losses. The leakage control program will establish and systematically maintain a record of its transmission and distribution systems and will develop procedures for the regular inspection and repair of distribution mains and service connections to achieve a water loss position that is satisfactory to LWUA. 3. To consult LWUA before it appoints or makes permanent its General Manager, whose appointment shall be subject to confirmation of LWUA. “The above violations constitute default on the part of MCWD under the 2015 FAC.”Furthermore, he said MCWD had a high NRW (non-revenue water), which had no marked improvement from year 2020 to 2022. The consistent rise in its NRW during this period resulted in an annual loss on revenue by an average of at least P117.759 million. “MCWD’s NRW steadily increased from 20.34 million cu.m. in 2020 (with a 25.26 percent NRW), to 24.542 million cu.m in 2021 (29.04 percent NRW), and 29.481 million cu. m in 2022 (32.67 percent NRW)” when, in fact, Salonga said, MCWD had committed to a 15 percent NRW rate for 2023, which it failed to achieve. From the FAC signing, MCWD has yet to come up with the measures, plans and results it had committed in the deal, Salonga said.BankruptAnother reason for the LWUA action of suspending the Daluz-led board is that “at the rate the procurement is going, at the prices they are contracting, LWUA fears that MCWD as a GOCC (government owned and controlled corporation) is going to go bankrupt soon.”The FAC also gives LWUA multiple options to address the violations of MCWD. “The preventive suspension of the members of the MCWD board was a tame response on the part of LWUA and merely a preliminary step to investigate the violations of the FAC,” he said. Due processSalonga said due process was complied with, as it provided the suspended MCWD board multiple opportunities to respond to the violations “through the issuances of the show cause order and final demand letter dated 20 March 2024, and 03 April 2024, respectively. The suspended MCWD failed to respond, and thereby deemed to have waived their right to be heard prior to the remedial actions of LWUA.”He said LWUA is performing its mandate under PD 198 by implementing the FAC to ensure the prudent use of public funds and the provision of basic services to the people. He asked the local chief executives of Cebu to reconsider their position “upon a careful study of the full state of facts.”“At this time where El Niño is present and no infrastructure work can be done due to strained political and community relations, there is no reason why LWUA should not act in the most expedient manner,” Salonga said. / EHP, AML, JJL, CTL What are the top 10 ways to make money online? FORMER Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional director Yogi Filemon Ruiz, who has thrown his hat into the ring for Cebu City’s mayoral race in 2025, said he will be running to provide solutions to the “deteriorated Cebu.”Ruiz said in a media forum on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, his choice to enter politics stemmed from his aspiration to address basic services he believed have been “neglected by the City. “For the past years, if the City is doing their job, then I would be gladly in my farm, attending to my garden, drinking coffee, just watching movies. But sad to say, every time I go home from Manila to Cebu City—Manila boomed, Cebu City deteriorated,” Ruiz said.Ruiz, who was also a former commissioner of the Bureau of Customs, said although he is a neophyte in politics, he has been in public service for 18 years.“Politics is something new to me, but public service has always been in my blood,” said Ruiz. He declared his intention to serve as mayor as both a technocrat and a bureaucrat.Technocrats rely on technical expertise to make decisions and prioritize evidence-based solutions, while bureaucrats work within administrative systems to implement policies and manage resources.PlansPrior to committing to run for mayor, he identified five basic services that, he said, were being disregarded by the City Government. These are providing peace and order, health and social services, solving traffic and mobility issues, addressing garbage and waste disposal, and managing flooding and drainage.“This is something that is very basic. This is not something that we have invented overnight. These are basic problems that had been neglected by the City,” he said. With his background in law enforcement, he aims to make Cebu City’s streets the safest in the country. He said ensuring a safe environment for the public accomplishes half of his job, and will be his top priority. He said this will be done by busting criminals and drug traders in the city and instilling discipline.Ruiz said government agencies like Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, and PDEA, can expect support from him should he win.Ruiz clarified that while he will address illegal drug problems in the city, he will employ different tactics in approaching this issue, different from former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.“Rest assured, I will be the number one champion of human rights; there will be no instance that human rights will be violated,” he said.He said he will establish a government-run rehabilitation center, pointing out that Cebu City is the only highly urbanized city in the country that is not operating such an establishment.CBRTOn the ongoing construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) system, Ruiz expressed doubts about its sufficiency despite changes made to its plans over the past two decades. He suggested that due to Cebu’s narrow roads, a new scheme should be implemented once the system is operational. Ruiz proposed that since the current CBRT plan occupies 60 percent of the road, this should be made “flexible” and there should be days when roads will not be exclu­sive to shuttles and modern jeepneys, but also open to private cars.He acknowledged that since the project is already underway as the country has already taken out a loan from the World Bank and the French Development Agency, it would not be wise to halt its construction.“The question is, if we stop it now, who will pay the loan?... Why don’t we try it for one year and if it will not be successful, let us remove the barriers on the sides so we can still use the roads,” he said. Ruiz, however, did not specify which barriers of the CBRT should be removed.Not ‘Singapore-like’ Ruiz said he will keep the city’s slogan simple and use what his supporters are currently using in his campaign: “For a better and safer Cebu City.”He said he will not follow Mayor Michael Rama’s “grandiose” campaign slogan, such as “Singapore-like Cebu City with Melbourne features,” which, he said, is far from being realized.He also said he would appreciate it if Rama would not continue his reelection bid and support his candidacy instead.He described other individuals who expressed their interest to run, such as Rama, Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival, and Metropolitan Cebu Water District Chairman Joey Daluz III, as “worthy opponents.” However, he said Archival could be a good running mate as his vice mayor.Partido CebuanoRuiz said he will have a complete slate under the banner of “Partido Cebuano,” although he did not reveal names.“We want the party to encompass all the aspirations, all the desires, all the dreams of the Cebuano people,” he said. He said he will have a vice mayor, two congressmen and councilors who are “like-minded Cebuanos.”“We wanted it to be as less political as we can. If you can observe what is happening in the city, all actions of our leaders are for politics, even as simple as a flag-raising ceremony, everything is politicized,” Ruiz lamented.He explained he cannot, as yet, reveal names with respect to the other members of his party, as some of them are incumbent politicians. “They are afraid to come out yet because they might be attacked by those who want to pick a fight with them,” said Ruiz. / KJF

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FORMER Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional director Yogi Filemon Ruiz, who has thrown his hat into the ring for Cebu City’s mayoral race in 2025, said he will be running to provide solutions to the “deteriorated Cebu.”Ruiz said in a media forum on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, his choice to enter politics stemmed from his aspiration to address basic services he believed have been “neglected by the City. “For the past years, if the City is doing their job, then I would be gladly in my farm, attending to my garden, drinking coffee, just watching movies. But sad to say, every time I go home from Manila to Cebu City—Manila boomed, Cebu City deteriorated,” Ruiz said.Ruiz, who was also a former commissioner of the Bureau of Customs, said although he is a neophyte in politics, he has been in public service for 18 years.“Politics is something new to me, but public service has always been in my blood,” said Ruiz. He declared his intention to serve as mayor as both a technocrat and a bureaucrat.Technocrats rely on technical expertise to make decisions and prioritize evidence-based solutions, while bureaucrats work within administrative systems to implement policies and manage resources.PlansPrior to committing to run for mayor, he identified five basic services that, he said, were being disregarded by the City Government. These are providing peace and order, health and social services, solving traffic and mobility issues, addressing garbage and waste disposal, and managing flooding and drainage.“This is something that is very basic. This is not something that we have invented overnight. These are basic problems that had been neglected by the City,” he said. With his background in law enforcement, he aims to make Cebu City’s streets the safest in the country. He said ensuring a safe environment for the public accomplishes half of his job, and will be his top priority. He said this will be done by busting criminals and drug traders in the city and instilling discipline.Ruiz said government agencies like Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, and PDEA, can expect support from him should he win.Ruiz clarified that while he will address illegal drug problems in the city, he will employ different tactics in approaching this issue, different from former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.“Rest assured, I will be the number one champion of human rights; there will be no instance that human rights will be violated,” he said.He said he will establish a government-run rehabilitation center, pointing out that Cebu City is the only highly urbanized city in the country that is not operating such an establishment.CBRTOn the ongoing construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) system, Ruiz expressed doubts about its sufficiency despite changes made to its plans over the past two decades. He suggested that due to Cebu’s narrow roads, a new scheme should be implemented once the system is operational. Ruiz proposed that since the current CBRT plan occupies 60 percent of the road, this should be made “flexible” and there should be days when roads will not be exclu­sive to shuttles and modern jeepneys, but also open to private cars.He acknowledged that since the project is already underway as the country has already taken out a loan from the World Bank and the French Development Agency, it would not be wise to halt its construction.“The question is, if we stop it now, who will pay the loan?... Why don’t we try it for one year and if it will not be successful, let us remove the barriers on the sides so we can still use the roads,” he said. Ruiz, however, did not specify which barriers of the CBRT should be removed.Not ‘Singapore-like’ Ruiz said he will keep the city’s slogan simple and use what his supporters are currently using in his campaign: “For a better and safer Cebu City.”He said he will not follow Mayor Michael Rama’s “grandiose” campaign slogan, such as “Singapore-like Cebu City with Melbourne features,” which, he said, is far from being realized.He also said he would appreciate it if Rama would not continue his reelection bid and support his candidacy instead.He described other individuals who expressed their interest to run, such as Rama, Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival, and Metropolitan Cebu Water District Chairman Joey Daluz III, as “worthy opponents.” However, he said Archival could be a good running mate as his vice mayor.Partido CebuanoRuiz said he will have a complete slate under the banner of “Partido Cebuano,” although he did not reveal names.“We want the party to encompass all the aspirations, all the desires, all the dreams of the Cebuano people,” he said. He said he will have a vice mayor, two congressmen and councilors who are “like-minded Cebuanos.”“We wanted it to be as less political as we can. If you can observe what is happening in the city, all actions of our leaders are for politics, even as simple as a flag-raising ceremony, everything is politicized,” Ruiz lamented.He explained he cannot, as yet, reveal names with respect to the other members of his party, as some of them are incumbent politicians. “They are afraid to come out yet because they might be attacked by those who want to pick a fight with them,” said Ruiz. / KJF, check the following table to see what categories most online casinos in the Philippines fit in.

SEVERAL mountain barangays in Cebu City are suffering from a lack of water and experiencing incidents of bush fires as a result of the dry hot season.This prompted the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to pass a resolution declaring 28 barangays under a state of calamity following the adverse impact of the weather phenomenon El Niño on the farmers in these areas.These include the barangays of Budlaan, Binaliw, Paril, Taptap, Pulangbato, Guba, Cambinocot, Pamutan, Sirao, Sapangdaku, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Bonbon, Buot, and Tagbao.City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin, in a phone interview on Sunday, March 24, 2024, said over 500 farmers have stopped planting their usual crops due to damage caused by the lack of water which is a result of the dry spell.He was unable to provide a complete list of affected barangays.In an earlier report, City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said there are 115 hectares of farm lands in the 28 barangays affected by the extreme weather condition as of March.There are currently 10,719 registered farmers in Cebu City growing lettuce, cabbages, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplants, sweet corn and tomatoes, among others.According to a previous SunStar report, Cebu City’s agriculture industry could produce between P500,000 to P1 million worth of crops daily. The figures could go as high as more than a million a day during peak season.“We have to act now. We will not wait for the worse to come,” Alcontin said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Alcontin said the CDRRMC resolution has been endorsed to the office of City Councilors Phillip Zafra and Joel Garganera for the City Council to adopt it.Once the council declares these barangays under a state of calamity, Alcontin said the barangays can use their calamity funds, while the City Government can use its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF).He said the City currently has P600 million in its calamity and quick response fund and P100 million in its LDRRMF.He said Mayor Michael Rama instructed them to first use the P100 million LDRRMF, considering it’s only the first quarter of the year.The City Agriculture Department (CAD) has prepared P97 million which will be used for assistance to the farmers.SunStar Cebu tried to reach Baclayon on Sunday to get more details, but to no avail.Alcontin said one of the measures they are implementing now is distributing water in the mountain barangays.He said they are also coordinating with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to deploy their trucks for water rations in Barangays Buot and Pulangbato.In previous reports, Baclayon said 40 percent of the city’s food supply come from its mountain barangays.Alcontin said one of their assignments is to ensure that the city’s food supply is not hampered, hence the declaration of a state of calamity.Alcontin said the CAD and the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries are also tasked to ensure food supplies in the city remain stable amid the El Niño.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared on Friday, March 22, the start of the “Philippine Summer.”Alfredo Quiblat Jr., chief of Pagasa Visayas, earlier announced that Cebu has officially been under a dry spell since the last week of February.A dry spell refers to three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, or a drop of 21 percent to 60 percent, or two consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall, or a drop of more than 60 percent.The El Niño phenomenon leads to decreased precipitation or, in some cases, a complete absence of rainfall, which can significantly impact crop yields and pose various environmental and economic challenges.Pagasa also warned that the phenomenon may persist until the end of May. / JJL Top 6 Betting Sites in the Philippines . Megapari Online Casino APP Philippines ✔️ Safe & Secure Online Casinos in PH ✔️ 100+ Expert Casino Game Reviews ▷ Take Your Pick from the Top Player! here is how to register at an online casino site in the Philippines:

FORMER Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional director Yogi Filemon Ruiz, who has thrown his hat into the ring for Cebu City’s mayoral race in 2025, said he will be running to provide solutions to the “deteriorated Cebu.”Ruiz said in a media forum on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, his choice to enter politics stemmed from his aspiration to address basic services he believed have been “neglected by the City. “For the past years, if the City is doing their job, then I would be gladly in my farm, attending to my garden, drinking coffee, just watching movies. But sad to say, every time I go home from Manila to Cebu City—Manila boomed, Cebu City deteriorated,” Ruiz said.Ruiz, who was also a former commissioner of the Bureau of Customs, said although he is a neophyte in politics, he has been in public service for 18 years.“Politics is something new to me, but public service has always been in my blood,” said Ruiz. He declared his intention to serve as mayor as both a technocrat and a bureaucrat.Technocrats rely on technical expertise to make decisions and prioritize evidence-based solutions, while bureaucrats work within administrative systems to implement policies and manage resources.PlansPrior to committing to run for mayor, he identified five basic services that, he said, were being disregarded by the City Government. These are providing peace and order, health and social services, solving traffic and mobility issues, addressing garbage and waste disposal, and managing flooding and drainage.“This is something that is very basic. This is not something that we have invented overnight. These are basic problems that had been neglected by the City,” he said. With his background in law enforcement, he aims to make Cebu City’s streets the safest in the country. He said ensuring a safe environment for the public accomplishes half of his job, and will be his top priority. He said this will be done by busting criminals and drug traders in the city and instilling discipline.Ruiz said government agencies like Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, and PDEA, can expect support from him should he win.Ruiz clarified that while he will address illegal drug problems in the city, he will employ different tactics in approaching this issue, different from former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.“Rest assured, I will be the number one champion of human rights; there will be no instance that human rights will be violated,” he said.He said he will establish a government-run rehabilitation center, pointing out that Cebu City is the only highly urbanized city in the country that is not operating such an establishment.CBRTOn the ongoing construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) system, Ruiz expressed doubts about its sufficiency despite changes made to its plans over the past two decades. He suggested that due to Cebu’s narrow roads, a new scheme should be implemented once the system is operational. Ruiz proposed that since the current CBRT plan occupies 60 percent of the road, this should be made “flexible” and there should be days when roads will not be exclu­sive to shuttles and modern jeepneys, but also open to private cars.He acknowledged that since the project is already underway as the country has already taken out a loan from the World Bank and the French Development Agency, it would not be wise to halt its construction.“The question is, if we stop it now, who will pay the loan?... Why don’t we try it for one year and if it will not be successful, let us remove the barriers on the sides so we can still use the roads,” he said. Ruiz, however, did not specify which barriers of the CBRT should be removed.Not ‘Singapore-like’ Ruiz said he will keep the city’s slogan simple and use what his supporters are currently using in his campaign: “For a better and safer Cebu City.”He said he will not follow Mayor Michael Rama’s “grandiose” campaign slogan, such as “Singapore-like Cebu City with Melbourne features,” which, he said, is far from being realized.He also said he would appreciate it if Rama would not continue his reelection bid and support his candidacy instead.He described other individuals who expressed their interest to run, such as Rama, Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival, and Metropolitan Cebu Water District Chairman Joey Daluz III, as “worthy opponents.” However, he said Archival could be a good running mate as his vice mayor.Partido CebuanoRuiz said he will have a complete slate under the banner of “Partido Cebuano,” although he did not reveal names.“We want the party to encompass all the aspirations, all the desires, all the dreams of the Cebuano people,” he said. He said he will have a vice mayor, two congressmen and councilors who are “like-minded Cebuanos.”“We wanted it to be as less political as we can. If you can observe what is happening in the city, all actions of our leaders are for politics, even as simple as a flag-raising ceremony, everything is politicized,” Ruiz lamented.He explained he cannot, as yet, reveal names with respect to the other members of his party, as some of them are incumbent politicians. “They are afraid to come out yet because they might be attacked by those who want to pick a fight with them,” said Ruiz. / KJF What are the top 10 ways to make money online? . It’s always a good idea to take your time and make sure you’ve found the best online casino in the Philippines on the online gambling market that can give you what you want.

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SEVERAL mountain barangays in Cebu City are suffering from a lack of water and experiencing incidents of bush fires as a result of the dry hot season.This prompted the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to pass a resolution declaring 28 barangays under a state of calamity following the adverse impact of the weather phenomenon El Niño on the farmers in these areas.These include the barangays of Budlaan, Binaliw, Paril, Taptap, Pulangbato, Guba, Cambinocot, Pamutan, Sirao, Sapangdaku, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Bonbon, Buot, and Tagbao.City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin, in a phone interview on Sunday, March 24, 2024, said over 500 farmers have stopped planting their usual crops due to damage caused by the lack of water which is a result of the dry spell.He was unable to provide a complete list of affected barangays.In an earlier report, City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said there are 115 hectares of farm lands in the 28 barangays affected by the extreme weather condition as of March.There are currently 10,719 registered farmers in Cebu City growing lettuce, cabbages, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplants, sweet corn and tomatoes, among others.According to a previous SunStar report, Cebu City’s agriculture industry could produce between P500,000 to P1 million worth of crops daily. The figures could go as high as more than a million a day during peak season.“We have to act now. We will not wait for the worse to come,” Alcontin said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Alcontin said the CDRRMC resolution has been endorsed to the office of City Councilors Phillip Zafra and Joel Garganera for the City Council to adopt it.Once the council declares these barangays under a state of calamity, Alcontin said the barangays can use their calamity funds, while the City Government can use its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF).He said the City currently has P600 million in its calamity and quick response fund and P100 million in its LDRRMF.He said Mayor Michael Rama instructed them to first use the P100 million LDRRMF, considering it’s only the first quarter of the year.The City Agriculture Department (CAD) has prepared P97 million which will be used for assistance to the farmers.SunStar Cebu tried to reach Baclayon on Sunday to get more details, but to no avail.Alcontin said one of the measures they are implementing now is distributing water in the mountain barangays.He said they are also coordinating with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to deploy their trucks for water rations in Barangays Buot and Pulangbato.In previous reports, Baclayon said 40 percent of the city’s food supply come from its mountain barangays.Alcontin said one of their assignments is to ensure that the city’s food supply is not hampered, hence the declaration of a state of calamity.Alcontin said the CAD and the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries are also tasked to ensure food supplies in the city remain stable amid the El Niño.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared on Friday, March 22, the start of the “Philippine Summer.”Alfredo Quiblat Jr., chief of Pagasa Visayas, earlier announced that Cebu has officially been under a dry spell since the last week of February.A dry spell refers to three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, or a drop of 21 percent to 60 percent, or two consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall, or a drop of more than 60 percent.The El Niño phenomenon leads to decreased precipitation or, in some cases, a complete absence of rainfall, which can significantly impact crop yields and pose various environmental and economic challenges.Pagasa also warned that the phenomenon may persist until the end of May. / JJL licensed online casinos IN THE continuing struggle for control over the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)-installed officer-in-charge (OIC), John Dx Lapid, was barred from entering the MCWD office building in downtown Cebu City on Monday morning, while on the same day Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and seven mayors expressed their support for the MCWD officials who had been suspended by the LWUA.Lapid was able to enter only after general manger Edgar Donoso, the person whom Lapid was supposed to replace, issued a memorandum at 12:32 p.m. allowing Lapid to enter and to report to his post as division manager for customer care, but not as OIC.Lapid had been outside the MCWD building since 5:59 a.m. Lapid said the LWUA had instructed him not to leave the entrance of the basement parking of the MCWD building.Upon hearing of his plight, Cebu City Administrator Collin Rosell, along with City Budget Officer Jerone Castillo and City Legal Officer Carlo Vincent Gimena, arrived at the MCWD office to support Lapid in his appointment as OIC general manager.The LWUA appointed Lapid following its suspension of Donoso for 90 days last Friday, April 12. When Lapid finally entered the MCWD building, he called for a general assembly on the eighth floor. But only a few employees showed up.Lapid and the city officials went to the fifth floor to Donoso’s office, where a short confrontation occurred.MCWD secretary Jodelyn May Seno asked Rosell and Castillo to leave because they were city employees. The two ignored her, arguing that she had already been suspended by the LWUA.Members of the interim board installed by LWUA also arrived during the confrontation.Also present were Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin and Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office head Reymarr Hijara.At least 90 personnel from Task Force Kasaligan, along with CCDRRMO personnel, were deployed outside and inside the MCWD building.No entryDuring a press conference on Monday, MCWD chairman Jose Daluz III said they drafted a resolution barring Lapid and the interim board from the MCWD building.He said it was similar to the resolution Lapid started drafting to ban him, Donoso and the rest of his board, meaning Miguelito Pato and Seno, from entering.Daluz reiterated that the LWUA’s March 15 intervention that saw him, Pato and Seno suspended for six months, was illegal, arguing that it could only intervene if the MCWD defaulted financially on its loan, which it did not.“We only owe (LWUA) P13 million. We pay P65,000 every month, non-bearing interest. And we pay in advance,” he said in Cebuano.Daluz said the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel’s (OGCC) opinion regarding the LWUA’s actions was clear that LWUA could only intervene if there was a loan default. He said the LWUA did not abide by the OGCC’s opinion, as it had earlier promised.ResignDaluz also encouraged Lapid to resign from his post to show “decency,” saying that his acceptance of the OIC position was an act of “insubordination” towards his bosses.“I won’t resign,” Lapid responded.Lapid said he is a regular employee of the water district, adding that if they give him a show cause order he will answer it.He said if they fire him, then he will see what will happen.“I am not afraid because I firmly stand by my conviction that the LWUA has jurisdiction over a water district, not just MCWD, but all water districts,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Lapid said the LWUA’s suspension of Donoso and the Daluz-led board was part of the due process.“Nibarog ta for the water district para mahuman ni tanan problema (I stood up for the water district so all these problems would end),” he said, referring to the struggle for control of MCWD.Donoso said he did not receive a copy of his suspension order.He also questioned why he was not afforded due time to explain his side.Donoso said the respect and hospitality they gave to LWUA have reached their limits.He reiterated that the LWUA’s takeover was unfounded and without due process.Employees, mayors back DaluzMeanwhile, Sammy Suson, president of the MCWD employees’ union with 583 members, said they do not support Lapid’s appointment as OIC general manager.“We will not recognize the intervention of the LWUA,” Suson said.Daniel Lim Jr., president of the non-regular employees’ union with 100 members, echoed his sentiment.Some local chief executives in Metro Cebu also expressed their support for the Daluz-led board and Donoso.Daluz, Donoso, Seno and suspended board vice chairman Pato met with Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, Compostela Mayor Felijur Quiño, Cordova Mayor Cesar Suan, Liloan Mayor Aljew Frasco, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol on Monday.During a press conference at the Capitol, the governor said the LWUA’s intervention was untimely, creating confusion among employees and consumers as the province faces the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. She said she had brokered an agreement between both parties that they must adhere to the legal opinion of the OGCC, which was released last April 2. Garcia said the LWUA misinterpreted the OGCC’s opinion in its favor, and pushed through with its partial intervention. She said if LWUA insists on interfering in the local water district, she may be forced to invoke Section 16 of Republic Act 7162, or the “General Welfare” clause of the Local Government Code, to ensure the status quo at the MCWD.“I may call on government agency or uniformed personnel to see to it that the General Welfare Board of the constituent of Cebu will be upheld and law will be upheld because all of us took a solemn oath to that,” Garcia said. The mayors backed Garcia’s statement, arguing that changing the administration of a government agency that serves water during a dry spell was unnecessary. The MCWD’s franchise area includes the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay, and the municipalities of Consolacion, Compostela, Cordova and Liloan. The mayors also condemned LWUA’s partial intervention as unlawful due to its invalid reasons and not following the OGCC opinion. Members of the Provincial Board (PB) and Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, were also at the meeting to support the Daluz-led board and Donoso.Garcia said the PB will pass a resolution to support the mayors’ plea. The LWUA suspended Daluz, Pato and Seno for six months starting March 15, to give way for its investigation on several issues at the MCWD. It suspended Donoso last April 12 for 90 days for continuing to defy the interim board’s request to turn over documents on MCWD’s transactions and failing to respond to a five-day notice to explain his decision. Gwen vs. RamaThis is not the first time that the governor has backed officials and agencies that are at odds with the Cebu City Government.Garcia also supported the Cebu Port Authority, and called out the City for ignoring the port authority’s territorial jurisdiction.Earlier in the year, she and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also disagreed on the implementation of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project, which resulted in the mayor filing an administrative case against Garcia for “meddling” in the city’s project.Garcia had issued a cease and desist order against the contractor to stop the construction of a bus station near the Capitol building due to lack of a permit related to heritage zones.As for the conflict at the MCWD, it started when Rama fired the Daluz-led board. Daluz had said he would opt to wait for the LWUA’s intervention on the matter and abide by the agency’s order. But last March 15, when the LWUA informed Daluz and Donoso that it would intervene in the water district for six months and appoint an interim board to replace the Daluz-led board, Donoso wrote the OGCC for its opinion on the matter. When the OGCC released its opinion, the LWUA and Daluz interpreted it differently in their favor. LWUA speaks outIn a statement late Monday, LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga said that although the OGCC’s opinion cited Section 61 of Presidential Decree 198 (Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973), which talks of default in terms of payment of the principal or interest on a loan, the same section also provides that “default includes ‘other obligations to the Administration’ as another ground independent from the financial provisions.”“The 2015 Financial Assistance Contract (FAC) memorializes those obligations both financial and technical. In fact, that very document notes that any failure to deliver or comply with any obligation, promise or covenant is a situation of breach and default. Thus, for Mr. Daluz and company to claim that default ONLY pertains to loans is merely their own interpretation that they are desperately peddling to the public, and we fear, to the governor and mayors,” Salonga said.“The default on the part of MCWD pertains to its obligations under the FAC between MCWD and LWUA, wherein MCWD committed to perform the following:1. To comply with the provisions of PD 198 or other amendatory decrees, acts, or laws, and the rules, regulations, and standards established by LWUA. 2. To establish a leakage control program. within one year from the date of the FAC. Said program will identify the principal causes of water losses in MCWD, identify its precise location, and establish a priority schedule to minimize such losses. The leakage control program will establish and systematically maintain a record of its transmission and distribution systems and will develop procedures for the regular inspection and repair of distribution mains and service connections to achieve a water loss position that is satisfactory to LWUA. 3. To consult LWUA before it appoints or makes permanent its General Manager, whose appointment shall be subject to confirmation of LWUA. “The above violations constitute default on the part of MCWD under the 2015 FAC.”Furthermore, he said MCWD had a high NRW (non-revenue water), which had no marked improvement from year 2020 to 2022. The consistent rise in its NRW during this period resulted in an annual loss on revenue by an average of at least P117.759 million. “MCWD’s NRW steadily increased from 20.34 million cu.m. in 2020 (with a 25.26 percent NRW), to 24.542 million cu.m in 2021 (29.04 percent NRW), and 29.481 million cu. m in 2022 (32.67 percent NRW)” when, in fact, Salonga said, MCWD had committed to a 15 percent NRW rate for 2023, which it failed to achieve. From the FAC signing, MCWD has yet to come up with the measures, plans and results it had committed in the deal, Salonga said.BankruptAnother reason for the LWUA action of suspending the Daluz-led board is that “at the rate the procurement is going, at the prices they are contracting, LWUA fears that MCWD as a GOCC (government owned and controlled corporation) is going to go bankrupt soon.”The FAC also gives LWUA multiple options to address the violations of MCWD. “The preventive suspension of the members of the MCWD board was a tame response on the part of LWUA and merely a preliminary step to investigate the violations of the FAC,” he said. Due processSalonga said due process was complied with, as it provided the suspended MCWD board multiple opportunities to respond to the violations “through the issuances of the show cause order and final demand letter dated 20 March 2024, and 03 April 2024, respectively. The suspended MCWD failed to respond, and thereby deemed to have waived their right to be heard prior to the remedial actions of LWUA.”He said LWUA is performing its mandate under PD 198 by implementing the FAC to ensure the prudent use of public funds and the provision of basic services to the people. He asked the local chief executives of Cebu to reconsider their position “upon a careful study of the full state of facts.”“At this time where El Niño is present and no infrastructure work can be done due to strained political and community relations, there is no reason why LWUA should not act in the most expedient manner,” Salonga said. / EHP, AML, JJL, CTL

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SEVERAL mountain barangays in Cebu City are suffering from a lack of water and experiencing incidents of bush fires as a result of the dry hot season.This prompted the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to pass a resolution declaring 28 barangays under a state of calamity following the adverse impact of the weather phenomenon El Niño on the farmers in these areas.These include the barangays of Budlaan, Binaliw, Paril, Taptap, Pulangbato, Guba, Cambinocot, Pamutan, Sirao, Sapangdaku, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Bonbon, Buot, and Tagbao.City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin, in a phone interview on Sunday, March 24, 2024, said over 500 farmers have stopped planting their usual crops due to damage caused by the lack of water which is a result of the dry spell.He was unable to provide a complete list of affected barangays.In an earlier report, City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said there are 115 hectares of farm lands in the 28 barangays affected by the extreme weather condition as of March.There are currently 10,719 registered farmers in Cebu City growing lettuce, cabbages, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplants, sweet corn and tomatoes, among others.According to a previous SunStar report, Cebu City’s agriculture industry could produce between P500,000 to P1 million worth of crops daily. The figures could go as high as more than a million a day during peak season.“We have to act now. We will not wait for the worse to come,” Alcontin said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Alcontin said the CDRRMC resolution has been endorsed to the office of City Councilors Phillip Zafra and Joel Garganera for the City Council to adopt it.Once the council declares these barangays under a state of calamity, Alcontin said the barangays can use their calamity funds, while the City Government can use its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF).He said the City currently has P600 million in its calamity and quick response fund and P100 million in its LDRRMF.He said Mayor Michael Rama instructed them to first use the P100 million LDRRMF, considering it’s only the first quarter of the year.The City Agriculture Department (CAD) has prepared P97 million which will be used for assistance to the farmers.SunStar Cebu tried to reach Baclayon on Sunday to get more details, but to no avail.Alcontin said one of the measures they are implementing now is distributing water in the mountain barangays.He said they are also coordinating with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to deploy their trucks for water rations in Barangays Buot and Pulangbato.In previous reports, Baclayon said 40 percent of the city’s food supply come from its mountain barangays.Alcontin said one of their assignments is to ensure that the city’s food supply is not hampered, hence the declaration of a state of calamity.Alcontin said the CAD and the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries are also tasked to ensure food supplies in the city remain stable amid the El Niño.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared on Friday, March 22, the start of the “Philippine Summer.”Alfredo Quiblat Jr., chief of Pagasa Visayas, earlier announced that Cebu has officially been under a dry spell since the last week of February.A dry spell refers to three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, or a drop of 21 percent to 60 percent, or two consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall, or a drop of more than 60 percent.The El Niño phenomenon leads to decreased precipitation or, in some cases, a complete absence of rainfall, which can significantly impact crop yields and pose various environmental and economic challenges.Pagasa also warned that the phenomenon may persist until the end of May. / JJL Top 6 Betting Sites in the Philippines

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