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THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has insisted on its power to implement a partial intervention in the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) for a period of six months, saying this is for the purpose of investigating issues surrounding the water district.In a press conference at the MCWD building Thursday, March 21, 2024, LWUA Chairman Ronnie Ong said the LWUA Board of Trustees issued Resolution No. 35, s. 2023 to “set aside” MCWD’s five-member board of directors led by chairman Jose Daluz III, so that the LWUA can check on a number of issues in MCWD.The investigation is for these reasons: MCWD has high non-revenue water, allegedly failed to comply with procurement laws, and sought a questionable 70 percent water rate hike.OveractingOng was accompanied in the press conference by LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga and the three LWUA officers that Salonga had last Friday designated as members of MCWD’s interim board of directors to take over MCWD’s board.“Ang OA (overacting) naman na ayaw magpa-investigate,” Salonga said, after his letter informing Daluz and MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso of LWUA’s March 15 takeover of MCWD’s board was basically ignored by the duo, who questioned LWUA’s authority to undertake the takeover.(They are overacting when they refuse to be investigated.)Are they taking over?Ong clarified that they are not taking over the water district but only “setting aside” the current board in order for them to investigate and check all the documents of MCWD. The current board refers to Daluz, Miguelito Pato and Jodelyn May Seno, appointees of the late mayor Edgardo Labella; and Danilo Ortiz and Earl Bonachita, appointees of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.Salonga said it is just a six-month partial intervention, with “setting aside” meaning “suspension.”“Nobody is being replaced. They are being set aside for an interim board to take its place for six months,” Salonga said.Salonga said it seems the MCWD board is questioning the powers of LWUA to investigate when these powers are found in Presidential Decree 198.“It seems they want us to ask permission first before taking regulatory action. It seems unusual,” Salonga said.Salonga said LWUA can intervene even without court processes, and that questioning the legality of their intervention is frustrating the will of the law, which impedes their ability to do their job.Salonga said LWUA hopes they will come to an agreement to end the matter peacefully and lawfully.On receiving LWUA’s notice of takeover Friday, Daluz had said he would abide by LWUA’s order, only for him and fellow board members Pato and Seno to say Wednesday that they would continue to function as MCWD’s board pending the resolution on the legality of LWUA’s takeover.On Monday, Donoso had said he would continue to recognize the Daluz-led board while he awaited the opinion of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) on Salonga’s appointment of the interim board composed of Maria Rosan D. Perez, Noel A. Samonte and Anabelle C. Gravador.Closed-door meetingInsisting on the “status quo,” Daluz III said LWUA and MCWD had agreed during their closed-door meeting Thursday to wait for the opinion of the OGCC. However, Salonga questioned the legality of the action of MCWD general manager Donoso to declare a status quo.“The pronouncement that the GM can pronounce a status quo order, I cannot find any legal basis... That is for the court to decide,” Salonga said. “They do not have the standing to proclaim a status quo order.” What will happen after six months?Salonga said they will wait for the findings, as he assured that nobody is guilty yet.Ong said the problem is the MCWD’s current board is not open to any investigation, when in a government agency everything should be transparent.Ong said they are just doing their job and they want to check some procurements, the Commission on Audit’s findings on MCWD, as well as the non-revenue water (NRW).Ong said from 2019, there was at least a 23 percent loss, equivalent to 14 million gallons of water per day, due to NRW. In 2022, this reached 32 percent, equivalent to 21 million gallons of water per day. This year, they’ve been told that it has already reached 36 percent.Salonga said there has been about a P120 million loss in revenue every year because of non-revenue water.Vested interests?In a separate press conference held before LWUA’s, Daluz said they are not fighting the LWUA as an institution, but only its chairman of the board, Ronnie Ong.“This is all about Ronnie Ong. We will not involve the entire LWUA or the institution because there are some people in LWUA that are not agreeing to this action of Ronnie Ong. I just want to be clear: We are not fighting the LWUA institution, the people in LWUA. It is only Ronnie Ong, the chairman, who has interest to take over the MCWD,” Daluz said.Sought for his reaction, Ong assured that there is no vested interest in LWUA’s action. Ong said he has no personal interest in MCWD, not even business interest, emphasizing that he is not the one who is using the MCWD building for political reasons.Ong was referring to the event of the Kilusang Bagong Pilipinas Cebu City Chapter held at the MCWD Social Hall last March 16.In a press conference at the PDG Law Office in the North Reclamation Area last Wednesday, Daluz explained that the group was affiliated with the Office of the Vice President, so he could not refuse their request.Daluz said it is their corporate responsibility to cater to the requests of other government agencies, and that as MCWD chairman he was also invited to attend the event.He said the event was approved two weeks before the March 15 notice of intervention, emphasizing that they could not just cancel the event due to the turn of events.Political pressure Salonga denied that there was political pressure behind LWUA’s action, despite the issue stemming from the conflict between Mayor Rama and Daluz.Salonga said they are trying to be apolitical in their intervention.If the MCWD board will not abide by LWUA’s partial intervention, Salonga said they will resort to the due process of law. He did not specify what this meant.However, Daluz said Wednesday that he believed that the Rama administration had a hand in the matter.“If we say that Mike Rama had a hand in this, I’ve been hearing that for a long time. That has already happened. That’s already been proven that he has already a hand in this,” Daluz said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Daluz also said Cebu City Police Office Director Ireneo Dalogdog would not have acted without the directive of the mayor. On Wednesday, there were at least 10 police personnel deployed outside the MCWD building.Ong and Salonga said they requested police assistance to ensure the safety of the interim board.Asked if they sought police assistance because the interim board had already been harassed, Salonga said no.When Ong and Salonga, along with LWUA’s interim board of directors, arrived at the MCWD building on Thursday, they were welcomed by Daluz, Donoso and MCWD secretary Seno.Meeting the governorAfter the press conference, the LWUA and MCWD officials went to the Provincial Capitol and met with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.MCWD vice chairman Pato was present at the meeting with the governor but not at the press conference at MCWD.According to a video sent by MCWD spokesperson Minerva Gerodias, Garcia said it is good to come together to talk and come up with a win-win solution for the benefit of the Cebuanos.Ong said LWUA and MCWD had agreed to wait for the opinion of the OGCC, which serves as the corporate counsel for both entities. While awaiting the opinion, Ong said, MCWD had agreed to provide LWUA with the necessary documents.Last November, Garcia had recognized the LWUA’s position acknowledging Daluz, Pato and Seno as board members in the trio’s dispute with Mayor Rama, who had replaced them last Oct. 31 with Melquiades Feliciano, Aristotle Batuhan and Nelson Yuvallos.Last June, Daluz said Rama had been trying to remove him as chairman of the MCWD board since his board refused the mayor’s move to “privatize” MCWD, and after Daluz suggested that younger and fresh names of their party coalition run in the 2025 elections.Rama, a senior citizen and a seasoned politician, is seeking reelection in 2025. What are the 10 rules of chess? Philippines AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted.

AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. Online Casinos in the Philippines [UPDATED] TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, April 3, 2024, damaging buildings and highways and leaving nine people dead.In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings as the earthquake shook the city, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets.Some children covered themselves with textbooks to guard against falling objects as aftershocks continued. Afterward, a five-story building in Hualien County, near the offshore epicenter, was left leaning at a 45-degree angle, with its first floor collapsed.Taiwan's national fire agency said nine people died in the quake, which struck just before 8 a.m.The local United Daily News reported three hikers died in rockslides in Taroko National Park and a van driver died in the same area after boulders hit the vehicle.The agency said authorities have lost contact with 50 people in minibuses after the quake downed phone networks. More than 70 other people are trapped, but believed to be alive, including some in a coal mine. Another 882 have been injured.Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake was 7.2 magnitude while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.4. It struck about 18 kilometers (11.1 miles) south-southwest of Hualien and was about 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep.Multiple aftershocks followed, and the USGS said one of the subsequent quakes was 6.5 magnitude and 11.8 kilometers (7 miles) deep.Shallower quakes tend to cause more surface damage.The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted.Authorities said they had expected a relatively mild quake of magnitude 4 and accordingly did not send out alerts. Still, the earthquake was strong enough to scare people who are used to such shaking.“Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I’ve grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” said Hsien-hsuen Keng, a resident who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei. ”I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.”Television images showed neighbors and rescue workers lifting residents, including a toddler, through windows and onto the street. All appeared mobile, in shock but without serious injuries. Doors had been fused shut by the pressure of the tilt.The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, and sections of the main airport in Taoyuan, just south of Taipei, also saw minor damage.Traffic along the east coast was at a virtual standstill after the earthquake, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways in the mountainous region. Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in the capital, Taipei, where a newly constructed above-ground line partially separated.The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami wave of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. Smaller waves were measured in Ishigaki and Miyako islands.The earthquake was felt in Shanghai and several provinces along China’s southeastern coast, according to Chinese media. China and Taiwan are about 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart. China issued no tsunami warnings for the Chinese mainland and all such alerts in the region had been lifted by Wednesday afternoon.The initial panic after the earthquake quickly faded on the island, which is regularly rocked by temblors and prepares for them with drills at schools and notices issued via public media and mobile phone.By noon, the metro station in the busy northern Taipei suburb of Beitou was again buzzing with people commuting to jobs and seniors arriving to visit the hot springs or travel the mountain paths at the base of an extinct volcano.Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, said Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world, featuring strict building codes, a world-class seismological network, and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety.Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018 that collapsed a historic hotel and other buildings. Taiwan's worst quake in recent years struck on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.The economic fallout from the quake has yet to be calculated, but Taiwan is the leading manufacturer of the world's most sophisticated computer chips and other high-technology items that are highly sensitive to seismic events. Parts of the electricity grid were also shut down, possibly leading to disruptions in the supply chain and financial losses.Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which supplies semiconductors to companies such as Apple, said it evacuated employees from some of its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. Hsinchu authorities said water and electricity supplies for all the factories in the city’s science park were functioning as normal.The Taiwan stock exchange opened as usual on Wednesday, with the index wavering between losses and gains. (AP)

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[UPDATED] TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, April 3, 2024, damaging buildings and highways and leaving nine people dead.In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings as the earthquake shook the city, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets.Some children covered themselves with textbooks to guard against falling objects as aftershocks continued. Afterward, a five-story building in Hualien County, near the offshore epicenter, was left leaning at a 45-degree angle, with its first floor collapsed.Taiwan's national fire agency said nine people died in the quake, which struck just before 8 a.m.The local United Daily News reported three hikers died in rockslides in Taroko National Park and a van driver died in the same area after boulders hit the vehicle.The agency said authorities have lost contact with 50 people in minibuses after the quake downed phone networks. More than 70 other people are trapped, but believed to be alive, including some in a coal mine. Another 882 have been injured.Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake was 7.2 magnitude while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.4. It struck about 18 kilometers (11.1 miles) south-southwest of Hualien and was about 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep.Multiple aftershocks followed, and the USGS said one of the subsequent quakes was 6.5 magnitude and 11.8 kilometers (7 miles) deep.Shallower quakes tend to cause more surface damage.The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted.Authorities said they had expected a relatively mild quake of magnitude 4 and accordingly did not send out alerts. Still, the earthquake was strong enough to scare people who are used to such shaking.“Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I’ve grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” said Hsien-hsuen Keng, a resident who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei. ”I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.”Television images showed neighbors and rescue workers lifting residents, including a toddler, through windows and onto the street. All appeared mobile, in shock but without serious injuries. Doors had been fused shut by the pressure of the tilt.The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, and sections of the main airport in Taoyuan, just south of Taipei, also saw minor damage.Traffic along the east coast was at a virtual standstill after the earthquake, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways in the mountainous region. Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in the capital, Taipei, where a newly constructed above-ground line partially separated.The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami wave of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. Smaller waves were measured in Ishigaki and Miyako islands.The earthquake was felt in Shanghai and several provinces along China’s southeastern coast, according to Chinese media. China and Taiwan are about 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart. China issued no tsunami warnings for the Chinese mainland and all such alerts in the region had been lifted by Wednesday afternoon.The initial panic after the earthquake quickly faded on the island, which is regularly rocked by temblors and prepares for them with drills at schools and notices issued via public media and mobile phone.By noon, the metro station in the busy northern Taipei suburb of Beitou was again buzzing with people commuting to jobs and seniors arriving to visit the hot springs or travel the mountain paths at the base of an extinct volcano.Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, said Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world, featuring strict building codes, a world-class seismological network, and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety.Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018 that collapsed a historic hotel and other buildings. Taiwan's worst quake in recent years struck on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.The economic fallout from the quake has yet to be calculated, but Taiwan is the leading manufacturer of the world's most sophisticated computer chips and other high-technology items that are highly sensitive to seismic events. Parts of the electricity grid were also shut down, possibly leading to disruptions in the supply chain and financial losses.Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which supplies semiconductors to companies such as Apple, said it evacuated employees from some of its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. Hsinchu authorities said water and electricity supplies for all the factories in the city’s science park were functioning as normal.The Taiwan stock exchange opened as usual on Wednesday, with the index wavering between losses and gains. (AP) Online Casinos in the Philippines THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has insisted on its power to implement a partial intervention in the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) for a period of six months, saying this is for the purpose of investigating issues surrounding the water district.In a press conference at the MCWD building Thursday, March 21, 2024, LWUA Chairman Ronnie Ong said the LWUA Board of Trustees issued Resolution No. 35, s. 2023 to “set aside” MCWD’s five-member board of directors led by chairman Jose Daluz III, so that the LWUA can check on a number of issues in MCWD.The investigation is for these reasons: MCWD has high non-revenue water, allegedly failed to comply with procurement laws, and sought a questionable 70 percent water rate hike.OveractingOng was accompanied in the press conference by LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga and the three LWUA officers that Salonga had last Friday designated as members of MCWD’s interim board of directors to take over MCWD’s board.“Ang OA (overacting) naman na ayaw magpa-investigate,” Salonga said, after his letter informing Daluz and MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso of LWUA’s March 15 takeover of MCWD’s board was basically ignored by the duo, who questioned LWUA’s authority to undertake the takeover.(They are overacting when they refuse to be investigated.)Are they taking over?Ong clarified that they are not taking over the water district but only “setting aside” the current board in order for them to investigate and check all the documents of MCWD. The current board refers to Daluz, Miguelito Pato and Jodelyn May Seno, appointees of the late mayor Edgardo Labella; and Danilo Ortiz and Earl Bonachita, appointees of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.Salonga said it is just a six-month partial intervention, with “setting aside” meaning “suspension.”“Nobody is being replaced. They are being set aside for an interim board to take its place for six months,” Salonga said.Salonga said it seems the MCWD board is questioning the powers of LWUA to investigate when these powers are found in Presidential Decree 198.“It seems they want us to ask permission first before taking regulatory action. It seems unusual,” Salonga said.Salonga said LWUA can intervene even without court processes, and that questioning the legality of their intervention is frustrating the will of the law, which impedes their ability to do their job.Salonga said LWUA hopes they will come to an agreement to end the matter peacefully and lawfully.On receiving LWUA’s notice of takeover Friday, Daluz had said he would abide by LWUA’s order, only for him and fellow board members Pato and Seno to say Wednesday that they would continue to function as MCWD’s board pending the resolution on the legality of LWUA’s takeover.On Monday, Donoso had said he would continue to recognize the Daluz-led board while he awaited the opinion of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) on Salonga’s appointment of the interim board composed of Maria Rosan D. Perez, Noel A. Samonte and Anabelle C. Gravador.Closed-door meetingInsisting on the “status quo,” Daluz III said LWUA and MCWD had agreed during their closed-door meeting Thursday to wait for the opinion of the OGCC. However, Salonga questioned the legality of the action of MCWD general manager Donoso to declare a status quo.“The pronouncement that the GM can pronounce a status quo order, I cannot find any legal basis... That is for the court to decide,” Salonga said. “They do not have the standing to proclaim a status quo order.” What will happen after six months?Salonga said they will wait for the findings, as he assured that nobody is guilty yet.Ong said the problem is the MCWD’s current board is not open to any investigation, when in a government agency everything should be transparent.Ong said they are just doing their job and they want to check some procurements, the Commission on Audit’s findings on MCWD, as well as the non-revenue water (NRW).Ong said from 2019, there was at least a 23 percent loss, equivalent to 14 million gallons of water per day, due to NRW. In 2022, this reached 32 percent, equivalent to 21 million gallons of water per day. This year, they’ve been told that it has already reached 36 percent.Salonga said there has been about a P120 million loss in revenue every year because of non-revenue water.Vested interests?In a separate press conference held before LWUA’s, Daluz said they are not fighting the LWUA as an institution, but only its chairman of the board, Ronnie Ong.“This is all about Ronnie Ong. We will not involve the entire LWUA or the institution because there are some people in LWUA that are not agreeing to this action of Ronnie Ong. I just want to be clear: We are not fighting the LWUA institution, the people in LWUA. It is only Ronnie Ong, the chairman, who has interest to take over the MCWD,” Daluz said.Sought for his reaction, Ong assured that there is no vested interest in LWUA’s action. Ong said he has no personal interest in MCWD, not even business interest, emphasizing that he is not the one who is using the MCWD building for political reasons.Ong was referring to the event of the Kilusang Bagong Pilipinas Cebu City Chapter held at the MCWD Social Hall last March 16.In a press conference at the PDG Law Office in the North Reclamation Area last Wednesday, Daluz explained that the group was affiliated with the Office of the Vice President, so he could not refuse their request.Daluz said it is their corporate responsibility to cater to the requests of other government agencies, and that as MCWD chairman he was also invited to attend the event.He said the event was approved two weeks before the March 15 notice of intervention, emphasizing that they could not just cancel the event due to the turn of events.Political pressure Salonga denied that there was political pressure behind LWUA’s action, despite the issue stemming from the conflict between Mayor Rama and Daluz.Salonga said they are trying to be apolitical in their intervention.If the MCWD board will not abide by LWUA’s partial intervention, Salonga said they will resort to the due process of law. He did not specify what this meant.However, Daluz said Wednesday that he believed that the Rama administration had a hand in the matter.“If we say that Mike Rama had a hand in this, I’ve been hearing that for a long time. That has already happened. That’s already been proven that he has already a hand in this,” Daluz said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Daluz also said Cebu City Police Office Director Ireneo Dalogdog would not have acted without the directive of the mayor. On Wednesday, there were at least 10 police personnel deployed outside the MCWD building.Ong and Salonga said they requested police assistance to ensure the safety of the interim board.Asked if they sought police assistance because the interim board had already been harassed, Salonga said no.When Ong and Salonga, along with LWUA’s interim board of directors, arrived at the MCWD building on Thursday, they were welcomed by Daluz, Donoso and MCWD secretary Seno.Meeting the governorAfter the press conference, the LWUA and MCWD officials went to the Provincial Capitol and met with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.MCWD vice chairman Pato was present at the meeting with the governor but not at the press conference at MCWD.According to a video sent by MCWD spokesperson Minerva Gerodias, Garcia said it is good to come together to talk and come up with a win-win solution for the benefit of the Cebuanos.Ong said LWUA and MCWD had agreed to wait for the opinion of the OGCC, which serves as the corporate counsel for both entities. While awaiting the opinion, Ong said, MCWD had agreed to provide LWUA with the necessary documents.Last November, Garcia had recognized the LWUA’s position acknowledging Daluz, Pato and Seno as board members in the trio’s dispute with Mayor Rama, who had replaced them last Oct. 31 with Melquiades Feliciano, Aristotle Batuhan and Nelson Yuvallos.Last June, Daluz said Rama had been trying to remove him as chairman of the MCWD board since his board refused the mayor’s move to “privatize” MCWD, and after Daluz suggested that younger and fresh names of their party coalition run in the 2025 elections.Rama, a senior citizen and a seasoned politician, is seeking reelection in 2025.

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THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has insisted on its power to implement a partial intervention in the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) for a period of six months, saying this is for the purpose of investigating issues surrounding the water district.In a press conference at the MCWD building Thursday, March 21, 2024, LWUA Chairman Ronnie Ong said the LWUA Board of Trustees issued Resolution No. 35, s. 2023 to “set aside” MCWD’s five-member board of directors led by chairman Jose Daluz III, so that the LWUA can check on a number of issues in MCWD.The investigation is for these reasons: MCWD has high non-revenue water, allegedly failed to comply with procurement laws, and sought a questionable 70 percent water rate hike.OveractingOng was accompanied in the press conference by LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga and the three LWUA officers that Salonga had last Friday designated as members of MCWD’s interim board of directors to take over MCWD’s board.“Ang OA (overacting) naman na ayaw magpa-investigate,” Salonga said, after his letter informing Daluz and MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso of LWUA’s March 15 takeover of MCWD’s board was basically ignored by the duo, who questioned LWUA’s authority to undertake the takeover.(They are overacting when they refuse to be investigated.)Are they taking over?Ong clarified that they are not taking over the water district but only “setting aside” the current board in order for them to investigate and check all the documents of MCWD. The current board refers to Daluz, Miguelito Pato and Jodelyn May Seno, appointees of the late mayor Edgardo Labella; and Danilo Ortiz and Earl Bonachita, appointees of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.Salonga said it is just a six-month partial intervention, with “setting aside” meaning “suspension.”“Nobody is being replaced. They are being set aside for an interim board to take its place for six months,” Salonga said.Salonga said it seems the MCWD board is questioning the powers of LWUA to investigate when these powers are found in Presidential Decree 198.“It seems they want us to ask permission first before taking regulatory action. It seems unusual,” Salonga said.Salonga said LWUA can intervene even without court processes, and that questioning the legality of their intervention is frustrating the will of the law, which impedes their ability to do their job.Salonga said LWUA hopes they will come to an agreement to end the matter peacefully and lawfully.On receiving LWUA’s notice of takeover Friday, Daluz had said he would abide by LWUA’s order, only for him and fellow board members Pato and Seno to say Wednesday that they would continue to function as MCWD’s board pending the resolution on the legality of LWUA’s takeover.On Monday, Donoso had said he would continue to recognize the Daluz-led board while he awaited the opinion of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) on Salonga’s appointment of the interim board composed of Maria Rosan D. Perez, Noel A. Samonte and Anabelle C. Gravador.Closed-door meetingInsisting on the “status quo,” Daluz III said LWUA and MCWD had agreed during their closed-door meeting Thursday to wait for the opinion of the OGCC. However, Salonga questioned the legality of the action of MCWD general manager Donoso to declare a status quo.“The pronouncement that the GM can pronounce a status quo order, I cannot find any legal basis... That is for the court to decide,” Salonga said. “They do not have the standing to proclaim a status quo order.” What will happen after six months?Salonga said they will wait for the findings, as he assured that nobody is guilty yet.Ong said the problem is the MCWD’s current board is not open to any investigation, when in a government agency everything should be transparent.Ong said they are just doing their job and they want to check some procurements, the Commission on Audit’s findings on MCWD, as well as the non-revenue water (NRW).Ong said from 2019, there was at least a 23 percent loss, equivalent to 14 million gallons of water per day, due to NRW. In 2022, this reached 32 percent, equivalent to 21 million gallons of water per day. This year, they’ve been told that it has already reached 36 percent.Salonga said there has been about a P120 million loss in revenue every year because of non-revenue water.Vested interests?In a separate press conference held before LWUA’s, Daluz said they are not fighting the LWUA as an institution, but only its chairman of the board, Ronnie Ong.“This is all about Ronnie Ong. We will not involve the entire LWUA or the institution because there are some people in LWUA that are not agreeing to this action of Ronnie Ong. I just want to be clear: We are not fighting the LWUA institution, the people in LWUA. It is only Ronnie Ong, the chairman, who has interest to take over the MCWD,” Daluz said.Sought for his reaction, Ong assured that there is no vested interest in LWUA’s action. Ong said he has no personal interest in MCWD, not even business interest, emphasizing that he is not the one who is using the MCWD building for political reasons.Ong was referring to the event of the Kilusang Bagong Pilipinas Cebu City Chapter held at the MCWD Social Hall last March 16.In a press conference at the PDG Law Office in the North Reclamation Area last Wednesday, Daluz explained that the group was affiliated with the Office of the Vice President, so he could not refuse their request.Daluz said it is their corporate responsibility to cater to the requests of other government agencies, and that as MCWD chairman he was also invited to attend the event.He said the event was approved two weeks before the March 15 notice of intervention, emphasizing that they could not just cancel the event due to the turn of events.Political pressure Salonga denied that there was political pressure behind LWUA’s action, despite the issue stemming from the conflict between Mayor Rama and Daluz.Salonga said they are trying to be apolitical in their intervention.If the MCWD board will not abide by LWUA’s partial intervention, Salonga said they will resort to the due process of law. He did not specify what this meant.However, Daluz said Wednesday that he believed that the Rama administration had a hand in the matter.“If we say that Mike Rama had a hand in this, I’ve been hearing that for a long time. That has already happened. That’s already been proven that he has already a hand in this,” Daluz said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Daluz also said Cebu City Police Office Director Ireneo Dalogdog would not have acted without the directive of the mayor. On Wednesday, there were at least 10 police personnel deployed outside the MCWD building.Ong and Salonga said they requested police assistance to ensure the safety of the interim board.Asked if they sought police assistance because the interim board had already been harassed, Salonga said no.When Ong and Salonga, along with LWUA’s interim board of directors, arrived at the MCWD building on Thursday, they were welcomed by Daluz, Donoso and MCWD secretary Seno.Meeting the governorAfter the press conference, the LWUA and MCWD officials went to the Provincial Capitol and met with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.MCWD vice chairman Pato was present at the meeting with the governor but not at the press conference at MCWD.According to a video sent by MCWD spokesperson Minerva Gerodias, Garcia said it is good to come together to talk and come up with a win-win solution for the benefit of the Cebuanos.Ong said LWUA and MCWD had agreed to wait for the opinion of the OGCC, which serves as the corporate counsel for both entities. While awaiting the opinion, Ong said, MCWD had agreed to provide LWUA with the necessary documents.Last November, Garcia had recognized the LWUA’s position acknowledging Daluz, Pato and Seno as board members in the trio’s dispute with Mayor Rama, who had replaced them last Oct. 31 with Melquiades Feliciano, Aristotle Batuhan and Nelson Yuvallos.Last June, Daluz said Rama had been trying to remove him as chairman of the MCWD board since his board refused the mayor’s move to “privatize” MCWD, and after Daluz suggested that younger and fresh names of their party coalition run in the 2025 elections.Rama, a senior citizen and a seasoned politician, is seeking reelection in 2025., check the following table to see what categories most online casinos in the Philippines fit in.

AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. What are the 10 rules of chess? . How varied could the best PH online casino free spins bonuses be? While to claim free spins bonuses, you don't need that much, the difficult part comes when our jobs. here is how to register at an online casino site in the Philippines:

THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has insisted on its power to implement a partial intervention in the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) for a period of six months, saying this is for the purpose of investigating issues surrounding the water district.In a press conference at the MCWD building Thursday, March 21, 2024, LWUA Chairman Ronnie Ong said the LWUA Board of Trustees issued Resolution No. 35, s. 2023 to “set aside” MCWD’s five-member board of directors led by chairman Jose Daluz III, so that the LWUA can check on a number of issues in MCWD.The investigation is for these reasons: MCWD has high non-revenue water, allegedly failed to comply with procurement laws, and sought a questionable 70 percent water rate hike.OveractingOng was accompanied in the press conference by LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga and the three LWUA officers that Salonga had last Friday designated as members of MCWD’s interim board of directors to take over MCWD’s board.“Ang OA (overacting) naman na ayaw magpa-investigate,” Salonga said, after his letter informing Daluz and MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso of LWUA’s March 15 takeover of MCWD’s board was basically ignored by the duo, who questioned LWUA’s authority to undertake the takeover.(They are overacting when they refuse to be investigated.)Are they taking over?Ong clarified that they are not taking over the water district but only “setting aside” the current board in order for them to investigate and check all the documents of MCWD. The current board refers to Daluz, Miguelito Pato and Jodelyn May Seno, appointees of the late mayor Edgardo Labella; and Danilo Ortiz and Earl Bonachita, appointees of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.Salonga said it is just a six-month partial intervention, with “setting aside” meaning “suspension.”“Nobody is being replaced. They are being set aside for an interim board to take its place for six months,” Salonga said.Salonga said it seems the MCWD board is questioning the powers of LWUA to investigate when these powers are found in Presidential Decree 198.“It seems they want us to ask permission first before taking regulatory action. It seems unusual,” Salonga said.Salonga said LWUA can intervene even without court processes, and that questioning the legality of their intervention is frustrating the will of the law, which impedes their ability to do their job.Salonga said LWUA hopes they will come to an agreement to end the matter peacefully and lawfully.On receiving LWUA’s notice of takeover Friday, Daluz had said he would abide by LWUA’s order, only for him and fellow board members Pato and Seno to say Wednesday that they would continue to function as MCWD’s board pending the resolution on the legality of LWUA’s takeover.On Monday, Donoso had said he would continue to recognize the Daluz-led board while he awaited the opinion of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) on Salonga’s appointment of the interim board composed of Maria Rosan D. Perez, Noel A. Samonte and Anabelle C. Gravador.Closed-door meetingInsisting on the “status quo,” Daluz III said LWUA and MCWD had agreed during their closed-door meeting Thursday to wait for the opinion of the OGCC. However, Salonga questioned the legality of the action of MCWD general manager Donoso to declare a status quo.“The pronouncement that the GM can pronounce a status quo order, I cannot find any legal basis... That is for the court to decide,” Salonga said. “They do not have the standing to proclaim a status quo order.” What will happen after six months?Salonga said they will wait for the findings, as he assured that nobody is guilty yet.Ong said the problem is the MCWD’s current board is not open to any investigation, when in a government agency everything should be transparent.Ong said they are just doing their job and they want to check some procurements, the Commission on Audit’s findings on MCWD, as well as the non-revenue water (NRW).Ong said from 2019, there was at least a 23 percent loss, equivalent to 14 million gallons of water per day, due to NRW. In 2022, this reached 32 percent, equivalent to 21 million gallons of water per day. This year, they’ve been told that it has already reached 36 percent.Salonga said there has been about a P120 million loss in revenue every year because of non-revenue water.Vested interests?In a separate press conference held before LWUA’s, Daluz said they are not fighting the LWUA as an institution, but only its chairman of the board, Ronnie Ong.“This is all about Ronnie Ong. We will not involve the entire LWUA or the institution because there are some people in LWUA that are not agreeing to this action of Ronnie Ong. I just want to be clear: We are not fighting the LWUA institution, the people in LWUA. It is only Ronnie Ong, the chairman, who has interest to take over the MCWD,” Daluz said.Sought for his reaction, Ong assured that there is no vested interest in LWUA’s action. Ong said he has no personal interest in MCWD, not even business interest, emphasizing that he is not the one who is using the MCWD building for political reasons.Ong was referring to the event of the Kilusang Bagong Pilipinas Cebu City Chapter held at the MCWD Social Hall last March 16.In a press conference at the PDG Law Office in the North Reclamation Area last Wednesday, Daluz explained that the group was affiliated with the Office of the Vice President, so he could not refuse their request.Daluz said it is their corporate responsibility to cater to the requests of other government agencies, and that as MCWD chairman he was also invited to attend the event.He said the event was approved two weeks before the March 15 notice of intervention, emphasizing that they could not just cancel the event due to the turn of events.Political pressure Salonga denied that there was political pressure behind LWUA’s action, despite the issue stemming from the conflict between Mayor Rama and Daluz.Salonga said they are trying to be apolitical in their intervention.If the MCWD board will not abide by LWUA’s partial intervention, Salonga said they will resort to the due process of law. He did not specify what this meant.However, Daluz said Wednesday that he believed that the Rama administration had a hand in the matter.“If we say that Mike Rama had a hand in this, I’ve been hearing that for a long time. That has already happened. That’s already been proven that he has already a hand in this,” Daluz said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Daluz also said Cebu City Police Office Director Ireneo Dalogdog would not have acted without the directive of the mayor. On Wednesday, there were at least 10 police personnel deployed outside the MCWD building.Ong and Salonga said they requested police assistance to ensure the safety of the interim board.Asked if they sought police assistance because the interim board had already been harassed, Salonga said no.When Ong and Salonga, along with LWUA’s interim board of directors, arrived at the MCWD building on Thursday, they were welcomed by Daluz, Donoso and MCWD secretary Seno.Meeting the governorAfter the press conference, the LWUA and MCWD officials went to the Provincial Capitol and met with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.MCWD vice chairman Pato was present at the meeting with the governor but not at the press conference at MCWD.According to a video sent by MCWD spokesperson Minerva Gerodias, Garcia said it is good to come together to talk and come up with a win-win solution for the benefit of the Cebuanos.Ong said LWUA and MCWD had agreed to wait for the opinion of the OGCC, which serves as the corporate counsel for both entities. While awaiting the opinion, Ong said, MCWD had agreed to provide LWUA with the necessary documents.Last November, Garcia had recognized the LWUA’s position acknowledging Daluz, Pato and Seno as board members in the trio’s dispute with Mayor Rama, who had replaced them last Oct. 31 with Melquiades Feliciano, Aristotle Batuhan and Nelson Yuvallos.Last June, Daluz said Rama had been trying to remove him as chairman of the MCWD board since his board refused the mayor’s move to “privatize” MCWD, and after Daluz suggested that younger and fresh names of their party coalition run in the 2025 elections.Rama, a senior citizen and a seasoned politician, is seeking reelection in 2025. Online Casinos in the Philippines . 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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AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. licensed online casinos [UPDATED] TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, April 3, 2024, damaging buildings and highways and leaving nine people dead.In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings as the earthquake shook the city, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets.Some children covered themselves with textbooks to guard against falling objects as aftershocks continued. Afterward, a five-story building in Hualien County, near the offshore epicenter, was left leaning at a 45-degree angle, with its first floor collapsed.Taiwan's national fire agency said nine people died in the quake, which struck just before 8 a.m.The local United Daily News reported three hikers died in rockslides in Taroko National Park and a van driver died in the same area after boulders hit the vehicle.The agency said authorities have lost contact with 50 people in minibuses after the quake downed phone networks. More than 70 other people are trapped, but believed to be alive, including some in a coal mine. Another 882 have been injured.Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake was 7.2 magnitude while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.4. It struck about 18 kilometers (11.1 miles) south-southwest of Hualien and was about 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep.Multiple aftershocks followed, and the USGS said one of the subsequent quakes was 6.5 magnitude and 11.8 kilometers (7 miles) deep.Shallower quakes tend to cause more surface damage.The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted.Authorities said they had expected a relatively mild quake of magnitude 4 and accordingly did not send out alerts. Still, the earthquake was strong enough to scare people who are used to such shaking.“Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I’ve grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” said Hsien-hsuen Keng, a resident who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei. ”I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.”Television images showed neighbors and rescue workers lifting residents, including a toddler, through windows and onto the street. All appeared mobile, in shock but without serious injuries. Doors had been fused shut by the pressure of the tilt.The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, and sections of the main airport in Taoyuan, just south of Taipei, also saw minor damage.Traffic along the east coast was at a virtual standstill after the earthquake, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways in the mountainous region. Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in the capital, Taipei, where a newly constructed above-ground line partially separated.The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami wave of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. Smaller waves were measured in Ishigaki and Miyako islands.The earthquake was felt in Shanghai and several provinces along China’s southeastern coast, according to Chinese media. China and Taiwan are about 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart. China issued no tsunami warnings for the Chinese mainland and all such alerts in the region had been lifted by Wednesday afternoon.The initial panic after the earthquake quickly faded on the island, which is regularly rocked by temblors and prepares for them with drills at schools and notices issued via public media and mobile phone.By noon, the metro station in the busy northern Taipei suburb of Beitou was again buzzing with people commuting to jobs and seniors arriving to visit the hot springs or travel the mountain paths at the base of an extinct volcano.Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, said Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world, featuring strict building codes, a world-class seismological network, and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety.Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018 that collapsed a historic hotel and other buildings. Taiwan's worst quake in recent years struck on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.The economic fallout from the quake has yet to be calculated, but Taiwan is the leading manufacturer of the world's most sophisticated computer chips and other high-technology items that are highly sensitive to seismic events. Parts of the electricity grid were also shut down, possibly leading to disruptions in the supply chain and financial losses.Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which supplies semiconductors to companies such as Apple, said it evacuated employees from some of its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. Hsinchu authorities said water and electricity supplies for all the factories in the city’s science park were functioning as normal.The Taiwan stock exchange opened as usual on Wednesday, with the index wavering between losses and gains. (AP)

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AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. What are the 10 rules of chess?

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Yes, Filipinos should know PH online casinos are legal if hosted by offshore operators. We recommend you stick to Online Casinos in the Philippines , as these are legally operating in the country and therefore hold a little risk of being shut down. Avoid shady businesses without official stamps of approval and regular auditing checks.

3 Which are the safest online casinos in the Philippines?

If you stick to licensed and regulated operators, you will be in the hands of safe Filipino casino sites. Those have the latest security and encryption technologies in place to protect their users. Gambling can be addictive, so stay safe from its dangers by setting and sticking to a budget. Where can I bet in NBA? .

4 Which is the best online casino in the Philippines for slots?

Filipinos should be delighted to learn that the slots sites in the Philippines are jam-packed with incredibly enticing games like Gonzo's Quest, , Big Bad Wolf, Jack Hammer 2, and more. The said slot machines are provided by CasinoPlus Download 2024 with the necessary certification and experience.

5 Which PH online casinos have the best payouts?

The CasinoPlus Download 2024 that are housed by the operator. As each title boasts individual RTP value, the best payout PH casino sites will be those with the highest average across its coming catalog. Information regarding all RTP rates is published on every reputable operator's website.

6 What online casinos in the Philippines offer fast withdrawals?

The speed of the withdrawals depends on the PH online casino payment methods. Across the board, CasinoPlus Download 2024, with the transaction being finalized in less than a day. Bank transfers take the longest, stretching up to seven business days, due to additional processing and verification checks.

7 Which casino online in the Philippines has the best bonus offer?

Promotions are an integral part of every operator's arsenal to attract and maintain interest. The best Filipino casino site bonuses come in various forms and terms, and which is the most suitable depends on PH players' personal strategies and expectations. Usually, the recommended ones Bagong bukas, laro na! Huwag palampasin ang malaking premyo!.

8 Which online casino in the Philippines offers the most games?

Every top pick out of all online casinos has impressed with its extensive gaming catalogue. It contains representatives of most gambling products that players have grown accustomed to seeing. The numbers Online Casinos in the Philippines , all housed under one single gambling roof. Regardless of your choice, each venue will exceed expectations quantity-wise.

9 Do all online casinos in the Philippines take PayPal?

PayPal is one of the leading e-wallets What are the 10 rules of chess? online. It is always associated with legitimate platforms and can be used to charge up your mobile PH casino account while on the go, as well. Not all casinos accept it, but the recommended ones do and Filipinos can freely use it.

10 Do all PH online casinos offer secure deposits and withdrawals?

Similarly to the land-based casinos in the Philippines, the licensed digital gambling platforms also ensure that all monetary transactions coming in and out of players' accounts are extremely secured. This is ensured by the CasinoPlus Download 2024 that back up and protect each deposit and withdrawal.

Conclusion – Find Trusted Online Casino Sites for Filipino Players

There are a lot of safe and reputable online casinos for players from the Philippines to enjoy, though sorting through them can be time-consuming. To make the task simple, our experts put together a list of the certified online casinos in the Philippines that have been tested and proven to offer satisfactory experiences. Here, you can take advantage of Online Casinos in the Philippines and plentiful payment options in a completely legal setting.

We hope that, by now, you feel safe in the knowledge that there are trustable Filipino online casinos to choose from. Whether you choose to play at the sites featured here or go in search of operators on your own, remember that every Bagong bukas, laro na! Huwag palampasin ang malaking premyo!.

List of All Filipino Casinos

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