China’s progress boosts confidence of developing countries to modernization

CEBU CITY – The People’s Republic of China, for the past 75 years has found the right path for modernization with its fast-economic development and long-term social stability that boosts the confidence of developing countries to push for modernization.

Consul General Zhang Zhen of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Cebu said in her keynote message at the celebration of the 75^th Founding Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on September 27 at the Grand Ballroom, Marcopolo Plaza Hotel Cebu, with more than 500 guests composed of local government officials, businessmen and different chambers of commerce in Central Visayas and the media in attendance.

“Chinese modernization benefits the world. China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a champion of international order. China took the lead in proposing and acting on the five principles of peaceful coexistence,” Consul Zhen said.

 China’s modernization is peaceful and it has never waged war but goes all out to help fellow developing countries, she went on that her country is the largest contributor to UN peacekeepers; the largest contributor to the core budget of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols; the largest contributor to world economic growth; the main trading partner of nearly 200 economies in the world.

Consul Zhen describes China’s modernization as people-centered, green being in harmony with humanity and nature, peaceful as it is the builder of world peace, contributes to global development and champion of international order.

China’s strong economy reflects confidence of the int’l community

According to Consul Zhen, China’s GDP, in the first half of 2024 grew by five percent with the total volume of imports and exports of goods increased by 6.1 percent and the number of new foreign-funded enterprises increased by 14.2 percent year-on-year (YOY).

The Consul bared that in July this year, the Communist Party of China (CPC), in its 3^rd plenary session of its 2oth Central Committee inked more than 300 reform tasks and came up with a new blueprint for more comprehensive reforms to advance the country’s modernization.

“A more open China with high-quality development will bring more development opportunities to all countries in the world, especially neighboring countries. China adheres to the policy of developing friendship and partnership with neighbors, and acts on the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness,” Zhen said in an interview with this writer.

PH-China celebrates nearly 50 years of friendship

In 2025 marks the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines maintaining a forward-looking trend in its bilateral relations that continue to yield many fruits in various fields of cooperation.

History showed that as long both countries honor the original commitment to diplomatic ties, properly manage differences, the road of cooperation will be even broader, benefitting both Chinese and Filipinos.

Cebu City acting mayor, Raymund Alvin Garcia congratulated the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Cebu for its 75^th Founding Anniversary and said that it was a momentous occasion that represents not only the resilience and progress of a great nation but also the enduring friendship that binds both Chinese and Filipinos together.

“The history between Cebu and the Chinese people runs very deeply stretching back to centuries before the arrival of the Spaniards.  Our ancestors traded shared knowledge and forged bonds that laid the foundation for a relationship that transcends borders and cultures,” Garcia said.

He added that as both nations stand together in commemoration of China’s remarkable journey this is also reflection on the deep historical ties that link both communities. It is through these connections that both nations see the potentials or even a stronger collaboration in the future, one rooted to mutual respect, shared aspirations and a vision of prosperity for both our nations.

May this milestone serve as a beacon of hope and a testament to the strength that unity brings. Let’s continue to work together not only as a nation but also as communities Cebu City and China towards deeper understanding, meaningful partnership and a future where both peoples triumph side by side, Garcia added.

Consul Zhen, on the other hand cited that Chinese and the Visayans or ‘Bisaya’ have the same values.  They are kind, open, diligent, intelligent and peace-loving people. Peace and development are their common aspirations. Chinese and Visayans/Bisaya have millennium-old exchanges and profound historical connections, people enjoy and carry on these legacies.

Many Chinese and Filipino-Chinese have been well integrated with the host country and made tremendous contributions to the local economy and society.  PH-China good-neighborliness, enduring friendship and win-win cooperation could bring tangible benefits to both sides.  

“I am looking forward that you all would continue to care and support China-Philippines relations. Let’s make joint efforts to steer clear of disruption, to strengthen communication and mutual understanding, to advance bilateral relations for common prosperity and lasting peace, for a better homeland in Asia!” Consul Zhen concluded. (Photos: MBCNewman)

TCIS pilots “Build It Right” info caravan in 4 barangays in Mandaue City

MANDAUE CITY -- Habitat for Humanity-Terwilliger Center for Innovations in Shelter (TCIS) initiated the Solid Home Barangay Caravan Workshop early this year under its “Build It Right” project selecting 50 low-income households from Barangays Pakna-an, Casuntingan, Canduman and Cabancalan in Mandaue City in partnerships with the local Housing and Urban Development Office (HUDO), PAGIBIG, Savers Depot, United Architect of the Philippines (UAP), private sector companies and other organizations.

“We started with Mandaue City because out of all the local government units (LGUs) in Cebu, Mandaue City is the most supportive with the “Solid Home-Build It Right” project with its HUDO as our partner,” Reggie Marie Barrientos, Specialist of Habitat for Humanity's Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) said in a press interview during the Solid Home Barangay Caravan Workshop on September 21 in Cabancalan, Mandaue City.

TCIS is testing this project in Mandaue and if it works here, hopefully it can further be expanded to the rest of Cebu and the entire Philippines. The target of the program are those homeowners that need more guidance as to access in information, building materials, products and services to build their home properly, Barrientos bared.

According to Christine Villanueva, project lead for Project Solid Home of Brand Bucket that there is this nagging challenge on how to educate and bring closer quality construction materials particularly for wall and foundation for the low-income household.

“Because they’re usually the ones who are not aware of what they should be buying or what they should use for them to have a solid home.   With that challenge in mind, we linked up with HUDO-Mandaue City to lead the caravan for the four barangays in Mandaue in partnership with PAGIBIG, Savers Depo, Arch. Hendrix Lato.  They have joined us in the four caravans and they each have roles to fulfil in the “Build It Right” education campaign,” Villanueva shared.

A glimpse at the Barangay Cabancalan Solid Home info caravan

Architect Hendrix Lato of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) led the “Build It Right” guides to better foundation and structural works, fire safety, moist and waterproofing, pest and infestation, light and ventilation for a solid home.

Architect Lato is the technical expert during every barangay caravan workshop translating the ‘Build It Right” guidelines into easy to explain tips that anyone can understand on how to build it right and how to build a solid home in his handwritten illustrations.

Ma. Shielo Monalem of Savers Home Depot is the project’s partner store with other partner stores at the barangays that are also part of the solid home program.  Their role basically is to educate the store clerks on how they can promote quality construction materials.

Barrientos said that Savers Home Depot allowed TCIS also to put merchandising materials in their stores which means that they are a solid home project partner.  Meanwhile, Ricardo Pareja of PAGIBIG discussed about the government’s ‘Pabahay’ program and its low housing financing through the PAGIBIG.

The Solid Home Barangay Caravan team always facilitated the event into a fun, easy interactive campaign with games, raffles and Q & A with prizes for every correct answer, to give tips on how to build and or renovate homes with proper advice and guidance at the most fun way.

According to Barrientos that when TCIS did the study in Mandaue City, they realized that at least 20-30 percent of low-income homes are substandard and walls and for the whole of Cebu, at least 30 percent of homes are without foundations and are even in need of retrofits.

The “Build It Right” guides campaign came in handy for a particular market segment, the “DIYers” those that build their homes bit by bit. “Because they’re doing it incrementally, they’re not doing it right,” Barrientos noted.

Villanueva also bared that the “Build It Right” campaign starts with the barangay info caravan, workshops to educate the homeowners first, then the next step is with the hardware stores; third step are the pandays, the masons or the carpenters. The program provides these groups with technical workshop and a little bit of incentive program as well to keep the engagement going.

“We hope that the caravans and the workshops we’ve been doing, we get to impart knowledge some of them common and some are rather technical, but we go after the objective which is to help low income households be aware and apply what we are teaching them to build a solid home,” Villanueva said. (Photos: MBCNewman)

 

 

 

 

 

P33-43 minimum wage hike for C. Visayas effective Oct. 2

CEBU CITY— The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-7) approved on September 06 an increase in minimum wage range from PhP 33.00 – PhP 43.00 for Central Visayas workers effective October 2 benefitting about 364,834 minimum wage earners in the region.

 RTPWB7 granted the P33 for all the three geographical classifications but as a result of the simplification of the wage structure where the non-agriculture category is merged with the agriculture and non-agriculture with less than 10 workers, those in the latter category would have to shell out an extra PhP 10.00 or Php 5.00 in order to keep up with the minimum wage of the former.

In Class A, those previously belonging to the Non-agriculture Category will simply add the PhP 33.00 increase but those then under the Agriculture and Non-Agriculture with less than 10 workers in Class A will have a total of Php 43.00 increase (Php 10.00 to close the gap then between agriculture and non-agriculture with less than 10 workers and non-agriculture, plus the PhP 33.00 increase), bringing a uniform wage rate of PhP 501.00 for Class A. 

The same scenario will happen to Classes B and C but those belonging in the agriculture and non-agriculture with less than 10 workers will be adding only Php 5.00 on top of the Php 33.00 increase granted by the board in order to reach the PhP 463.00 and Php 453.00 uniform rate in the said classes.

Full details of the Classes, their respective areas of coverage and the new minimum wage rates are indicated as Class A minimum wage now is at P501, from the previous P468 + the approved P33 and this applies to the Cities of Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapulapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay & Municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla, San Fernando or Expanded Metro Cebu. 

For Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Establishments under Class A with Less than 10 Workers, the new minimum wage is from P458 +P43 (33+10).

Class B minimum wage is now at P463 from P430+33 increase and this applies to other Cities Not Covered Under Class A that include Bais, Bayawan, Bogo, Canlaon, Dumaguete, Guihulngan, Tagbilaran, Tanjay, Toledo.

Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Establishments under Class B with Less than 10 Workers, the minimum wage now is from P425+38 (33+5).

Class C minimum wage is now at P453 from P420 +33 and this applies to other Municipalities Not Covered Under Class A and B.

For Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Establishments under Class C with Less than 10 Workers, minimum wage is from P415 +38 (33+5)

It may be recalled that on July 25, the Board Motu Proprio decided to start the wage deliberation process.  A Notice of Public Hearing was published in The Freeman last August 2, the 60th day prior to the anniversary of the wage order on October 1, 2024. Stakeholders were invited to attend in all the public hearings.

The RTWPB arrived at the increase in consideration of several factors such as the positions raised during the public hearing, the wage determination criteria provided under RA 6727 and the economic condition of the region, particularly the 2023 poverty threshold and the trends in inflation/inflation rates.

Pursuant to the provisions on the Omnibus Rules on Minimum Wage Fixing, a copy of the wage order was forwarded to the National Wages and Productivity Commission last September 6, the Commission affirmed the same on September 13, 2024 and authorized its publication.

The wage order is published in The Freeman on September 16 and to take effect on October 2, or after 15 days from publication. (PR/Photos: RTWPB7 FB Page)

 

 

Affordable Housing Solutions on TV8’s 9th season of iHearthPH

CEBU CITY— TV8 Media Productions launched in Cebu today, September 20 its 9th Season of iHeartPH with new segments focusing on affordable housing solutions to premier on September 23 on GMA’s analog and digital platforms.

“This season promises to continue spreading good vibes while uplifting the image and lives of Filipinos through its positive and impactful content with 13 episodes,” Vanessa Versoza, producer, TV8 Media Productions said at the media launch at Seda Hotel today. 

 Versoza said that iHeartPH airs every Sunday from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM and this season introduces an innovative segment titled the “Build it Right Guide,” that aims to educate lower-income homeowners on how to build better and more affordable homes.

The launch of the “Build it Right Guide” is a collaborative effort between TV8 and Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) in the Philippines that focuses on developing a consumer education program that provides lower-income households with essential information and motivation to construct safer homes, particularly regarding walls and foundations.

According to Reggie Barrientos, TCIS marketing systems development specialist, the need for this segment is clear. In the Philippines, where earthquakes and typhoons are common, walls and foundations are critical to ensuring a home’s safety and durability. 

Unfortunately, many Filipinos are forced to build substandard structures, with over 1.6 million houses lacking proper foundations.  In areas like Cebu, studies show that 36 percent of families live in homes without foundations, and an additional 28 percent require foundation retrofits. 

Arch. Karmela Po, past president, United Architects of the Philippines (AUP)-Cebu Chapter bared that around 20 percent of homes in Mandaue City exhibit poor-quality walls, often compromised by cracks and moisture.

“Most home renovations are ‘Do-it-yourself’ (DIY) without consultations or advice from  housing experts like architects and engineers,” Po noted. 

To further amplify its reach, the segment also features social media influencers, including experts in housing and construction, as co-hosts and guest experts, making the content relatable and accessible to viewers.

For more information, please contact: Habitat For Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter Reggie Marie Barrientos at rbarrientos@habitat.org +639178196649. (Photos: MBCNewman)

Cebu-based RNC Marketing launches e-commerce platform “Tendahan.ph”

CEBU CITY--Cebu-based RNC Marketing Philippines Corporation launched its new e-commerce platform, Tendahan.ph, an online store that aims to supply the world market with the best quality and affordable products that are truly “Made in the Philippines.”

“After 30 years of small steps and traditional selling, we thought of moving up and joining the digital world of entrepreneurship and AI business, stepping into another milestone of business innovation, that is online selling thus, Tendahan.ph was born,” Rey Calooy CEO & Founder of RNC Marketing PH Corp. told this writer during Tendahan.ph soft launch on September 16 at the Golden Prince Hotel & Suites.

Inspired by the global success of the founders Lazada, Inanc Balci and Terence Pang of Shopee whom Calooy met in 2015 and who told him that “online business is the future,” Calooy then did not realize the gravity and urgency of the matter.

RNC Marketing PH Corp. is a toll manufacturer, re-packer, trader and distributor of various products like coffee, sugar, creamer, juices, sauces, chocolates and more including other agricultural produce as the company expanded and grew in the last 30 years of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Calooy shared that RNC Marketing aims to become a leading diversified industry in the Philippines that provides superior and unique services to micro, small, medium and large enterprises (MSMELs).

RNC’s grand vision is to become one of the largest companies in toll packaging, contract manufacturing and distributors of best products affordable and accessible to the great number of Filipinos, Calooy said.

According to him, its online platform, Tendahan.ph hopes to provide RNC’s customers with excellent services to promote socio-economic enterprise development in the country through engagements and being part of Tendahan.ph.

“We started in 1983 and we see that it’s high time that we scale up or improve and we want to have a Bisdak that would engage in this kind of platform and we also invite our MSMEs partners to be onboarded in the platform,” he added.

Tendahan.ph prioritizes MSMEs agri-manufacturers, producers

He bared that he knows the hardships that the MSMEs experience in starting small businesses.  This is what he calls leveling the playing field especially those that are in the remote areas and the countryside producers, using the online selling platform is one way of bypassing the middlemen.

Rey Nerius Calooy, Vice-president for Sales and Marketing, RNC Marketing PH Corp. introduces Tendahan.ph as an application platform where manufacturing, producers and farmers, producers of natural products, or anything that supports agriculture can go to and sell their products online. 

“We are connecting to these producers to come in and enter Tendahan.ph because we want to help e-market them, that is one of the goals of Tendahan.ph.  We want the producers of agricultural products, fruits, vegetables, fish and others to go directly to the e-market for more profitability without passing through middlemen,” Calooy said.

MSMEs that want to be onboard in the Tendahan.ph platform must be a registered business, must be a producer, manufacturer because RNC Marketing wants to empower the MSMEs from the countryside.

Those interested to join this online selling platform, Calooy urged them to just call or contact them through its Facebook page, website @www. rncmareting.com.ph and later @tendaha.ph. (Photos: MBCNewman)

 

Young architects learn digital content creation for innovative, affordable homes

CEBU CITY – Some 15 young architects in Cebu who are members of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP)-Cebu Chapter learned digital content creation for innovative, affordable homes for low income families in Cebu through the “Hiding in Plain Sight” Workshop for Mobilizing and Training Architects in Digital Content Creation in partnership with the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, a unit of Habitat for Humanity International, on September 13-15 at Quest Hotel and ocular immersion at its housing site in Pakana-an, Mandaue City.

Lilu Advertising and Marketing Solutions and the United Architects of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter supported the 3-day training workshop that aims to empower architects as advocates for building innovative, affordable homes for lower-income families in the Philippines.

“The partnership between Lilu Ads and UAP is a milestone in creating a lasting feedback in our community. Lilu Ads brings innovation and expertise while UAP Cebu offers architectural excellence and expertise.  Our partnership is further strengthened by the support of the Habitat for Humanity Terwilliger Center whose mission aligns seamlessly with our own.  Together, we aim to address critical needs, drive progress and build a better future for those we serve,” Ar. Ana Karmela Po, Immediate Past President, UAP-Cebu said in her opening message.

Reggie Barrientos, Marketing Systems Development Specialist, Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) said that the TCIS, a unit of Habitat for Humanity International, provides support to private sector firms and other influential actors in the market to improve their ability to develop, market and distribute housing-related products and services which meet the needs of low-income families.

“Hiding in Plain Sight” aims to organize qualified trainees into a pool of digital content creators to raise public awareness on issues of building better homes; serve as advocates to inspire individuals to develop and create safe, healthy and child-friendly and better homes in lower income communities; share digital contents in various social media platforms for widest dissemination.

Finding contents at site visits

“Hiding in Plain Sight” training workshop kicked off with the presentations of TCIS project backgrounder and the issues and concerns of building better homes with Al Razon, Manager, Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Center Philippines and Ar. Van Murraye Abiño, Marketing Systems Development Specialist as resource speakers.

Lectures on the Production of IEC Materials, Contents and Advocacy Messages for Building Better Homes; Photography: 7Tips for Shooting with Normal Primes; Videography and Captioning and Microblogging Guide were presented in tandem teaching with resource speakers composed of Minerva Bc Newman, Paul Javier of Ayanventures, and Jess Nino Potot of JnK FamSquad.

Day 2 of the workshop, participants went into site and immersion visits at the TCIS-Habitat community in Pakna-an, Mandaue and at its partner home builder construction supply store for them to shoot, do some interviews in preparation for their respective content materials/outputs.

The site visit and familiarization tour trained the participants to create digital content that raises awareness on safe, healthy, and child-friendly homes among the low-income families in Cebu. After the site visit, participants prepared/edited their materials for presentation on day 3.

Day 3, two group outputs were presented that were subject to critiquing and improvement by the resource speakers’ team.   Ruben Licera who talked about the Power of AI and How to Monetize Content and Platform capped the 3-day training. (Photos: MBCNewman)