PRO7 remembers legacy of 44 fallen SAF, all other PNP officers

CEBU CITY – The Police Regional Office (PRO-7) commemorated with wreath laying for the 8th year of the National Remembrance for the Heroic Sacrifice of the 44 Fallen Special Action Force Commandos and all PNP officers who died while in the performance of their duty.

The wreath laying was held on January 25 at the PRO7 Parade Grounds, Camp Sergio Osmeña, Sr., Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City with the theme, “Legacy of Heroes: Inspiration of Future Generations.” 

PMGen Arthur R Cabalona, Deputy Commander, APC-Visayas, together with PBGen Jerry F Bearis, PRO7 Regional Director, members of the command group, personnel of the Regional Headquarters 7, and the family and relatives of our fallen heroes graced the event.

Fallen heroes of PRO7 who have undertaken a successful mission dubbed as “OPLAN EXODUS” were PO3 Junrel Kibete (PNP-SAF/NOPPO); PO2 Romeo Cempron (PNP-SAF/CPPO) and PO1 Windell Candano (PNP-SAF/CPPO).

PRO7 also recognized the sacrifice of the following personnel who died while in the performance of their duty namely PMSg Michael Candido Alde, PSSg Careby-Cylde Valle Alinsug, PSSg Jade A Carabuena, and PCpl Rey Agustilo Ambo.

“The tragic loss of the 44 special action force troopers, is a powerful reminder of the selflessness and devotion of our police officers to do their duty.  Despite the odds and difficulties, these brave young men remained committed to carrying out the mission to protect and serve our communities,” said the message of the Chief of the Philippine National Police, PGen Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., that was read by PMGen Arthur Cabalona.

Their legacy of heroism is not just a memory, but an inspiration for future generations of police officers to continue to serve with valor and integrity, the legacy that the police must all strive to uphold.

“Their actions have shaped the PNP into what it is today and their legacy is something that we must all take great pride in,” he said.

Azurin also expressed his warm sympathy to the family and relatives of the fallen heroes through prayers as a simple commemoration to cherish the legacy and fill hearts with the country’s gratefulness that not one of them died in vain.(Photos: PRO7)

Cong. Frasco turns over bridge, road projects worth P83.7M for Danao and Compostela

DANAO CITY – Barangays from Danao City and in Compostela town received infrastructure projects worth P83.7M from House Deputy Speaker Vincent Franco Frasco in separate turnover ceremonies on January 25 in Danao City and on January 21 for Compostela.

On January 25, a newly-constructed bridge worth P9.3 million in Barangay Cagat-Lamac, Danao City including a 250-meter long road concreting with 13 Solar Powered Streetlights.

On January 21, Frasco also turned over road concreting projects worth P23.3 million in Barangay Canamucan and P36.5 million in Barangay Tag-ubi, Municipality of Compostela.  The projects are part of the Dapdap-Guimbal-Tagubi Road program for the municipality.

Frasco then proceeded to Barangay Cabadiangan to turnover a new road concreting project with Solar Powered Street lights worth P14.6 million.

The new bridge connects Barangay Cagat-Lamac, Danao City to Barangay Triumfo, Carmen, Cebu and is seen to greatly benefit the people of Danao City and the town of Carmen as the road crossing the river is frequently used as the alternate access road to the national highway in times of heavy traffic and emergency, Frasco explained.

“With the completion of this bridge project, access across the river during high water levels will no longer be a concern for the residents in the area and proximity to health facilities in Danao City will be that much closer,” Frasco said.

Barangay Captain Ramelita Lawas of Cagat-Lamac, Danao City, Barangay Captain Luis Manulat of Triumfo, Carmen; Engineer Cresyl Canonigo of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), barangay councilors, and other barangay officials with Frasco.

With Frasco during the turnovers were Mayor Jury Quiño, Vice Mayor Froilan Quiño, Councilors Glen Villaceran, Erneboy Lawas, Raul Puebla, Cheryl Serenio, Joy Abing, Brgy. Captain Ever Ruta of Canamucan, Brgy. Captain Fresco Antolijao of Cabadiangan, Engineer Cresyl Canonigo of the DPWH, and other municipal and barangay officials. (Photos: Office of Cong. Frasco/Robby Alugar)

 

 

Cebu Travel tourism sector holds Cebu Travel Catalogue Int’l fair, Feb. 10-12

CEBU CITY – Travel and tour operators, airlines, hotels and other tourism stakeholders in Cebu will mount a three-day one-stop-shop fair for local and international travel deals from February 10-12 at the Ayala Center Cebu dubbed as Cebu Travel Catalogue International (CTCI) 2023 wit the tagline, “Escape. Explore. Enjoy the World!”

“Since last year, our joint efforts have been successful in pushing for revenge travel after the pandemic held it to a standstill. Now more and more travel restrictions have eased in popular local and international destinations. This is an exciting prospect for us all on the road to recovery, and the Cebu Travel Catalogue International 2023 is yet another milestone for the travel and tour industry,” CTCI-2023 chair, Angelita Dy said during the media launch on January 23 at Golden Prince Hotel & Suites.

Dy added that the Travel Catalogue features cultural performances alongside a guided exhibit tour, exciting onstage activities with special guests; a daily raffle draw, the much-awaited travel show mini-concert and the timeless travel auction.

Top airlines, hotels and resorts, and travel and tour companies are showcasing remarkable packages and special offers.  Dy said that the Cebu Tours and Travel Association (CTTA) renews its efforts to continue to explore the road to recovery and turn people’s passion to travel into reality again.

CTTA president Joan Tiu added that the Cebu Travel Catalogue International will make it easier for travelers skip the long hunt and enjoy the tour packages and discounts, cheap flights to charming destinations, holiday promos and luxury stays, land and water-based attractions, and exciting leads to the adventure of an individual’s choice.

Now in its seventh year, CTCI 2023 highlights the resiliency of the travel and tourism industry even as it fuels the spark of post-pandemic revenge travel - a testament that reliable travel partners stay every step of the way in the travel show and beyond, Dy bared.

The three-day travel catalogue fair is supported by top airlines in the country, Department of Tourism (DOT-7), Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC), Ayala Center Cebu and CATOS. 

Riza Macaibay, Senior Tourism Operations Officer at DOT-7 revealed that DOT advocates for domestic tourism as it saw in 2022 the big increase in the travel and tourism industry with international flights opening up in various direct flights to domestic and international destinations.

“More domestic direct flights to Baguio and in Mindanao have opened up and China also with more flights.  We are hoping and working to increase connectivity in the international and more domestic routes,” Macaibay said.

She added that DOT is excited that the tourism sector has revived and recovered as one of the country’s economic drivers.  “We are bullish in travel fairs and travel exchanges which encourage more connectivity in local and international travels.”

Macaibay revealed that based on DOT’s records, tourist arrivals in Central Visayas as of September 2022 was at 2.2 million, the bulk of which is 70 percent or 1.1M were domestic tourists and about 300,000 were foreign tourists.

“For Cebu alone, 1.8M tourist arrivals last year with 1.5M domestic and more than 317,000 foreign visitors. We were expecting some three million tourists by the end of the last quarter of 2022,” she added.

Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) chair, City Councilor Joy Pesquera on the other hand said that CCTC supports fully the programs of CTTA and the CTCI 2023 because these promote Cebu and its local tourism attractions.

Pesquera said Cebu City has been promoting several tourist attractions such as the Heritage tour of historical sites; the Highland Blooms and Eco-Tourism as Farm to Table Food Trail; Pilgrimage Tours in Barangays and Coastal tourism promoting the sunset cruise, beach sports and diving.

“We are also promoting Cebu City as the MICE destination of choice with the presence of world-class hotels and resorts here,” she said.

According to Alice Quiblatin, president of Cebu Association of Travel Operators (CATOS) this year’s travel fair may bring people to recharge fully, to escape to favorite spaces such as shopping, dining with the best view, chasing waterfalls, trekking, basking on the beach and other travel and tour possibilities to suit an individual’s fancy getaway.

“We want to promote Cebu as a mono destination, that it has everything a traveler needs and wants.  What Cebu can offer must be interesting and connectivity is easier, efficient and there are sustainable flights coming in and from Cebu,” Quiblatin said.

Connectivity, cuts down on travel expenses and time, Quiblatin noted that efficient travel system from all local travel and tour destinations and open flights must be established for stakeholders to want to travel to Cebu and the other provinces in Central Visayas.

 

 

PRO-7 describes ‘Sinulog sa Carmen’ orderly, peacefully successful

CARMEN, Cebu – The Police Regional Office (PRO-7) described the 50th Sinulog Festival in Carmen on January 22 as generally peaceful and a success with the police providing public safety services during the event with an estimated crowd of about 150,000 that attended the festivities.

PRO-7 director, PB/Gen Jerry Bearis said, the security services were also augmented in close coordination and collaboration with the Provincial Government of Cebu, other partner agencies, force multipliers, and volunteers.

"The well-coordinated early security preparations, close inter-agency coordination and the use of the state-of-the-art technology in monitoring the overall situation contributed primarily to maximizing the efficiency of our planned actions and assessing the situation on the ground,” Bearis said.

He commended the security personnel including the 514 force multipliers strategically prepositioned to secure the venue.  With the PNP, other government forces and agencies provided communications, mobility and medical support during the event in Carmen.

He bared that the security forces were composed of members from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency in Central Visayas, Regional Communication Electronics Unit, Regional Medical and Dental Unit, members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, local government units and other volunteers.

PRO-7 thanked Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for the support provided to the police force of Central Visayas and also acknowledged the public's cooperation and vigilance in keeping the festivity peaceful and orderly. (Photos: PRO7/Robby Alugar)

U.S. donates P1.6M worth of equipment to support environmental justice in Palawan

MANILA – The United States government donated three evidence containers, valued at Php 1.6 million or ($30,700) to strengthen the capacity of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) to properly retain confiscated contraband and evidence presented in the prosecution of wildlife traffickers and persons engaging in environmental crime.

The equipment handover at the PCSD headquarters in Puerto Princesa City on January 17 was led by visiting U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lisa Johnson and joined in by PCSD Acting Executive Director Nño Rey Estoya.

“INL is strongly committed to doing everything it can to disrupt the criminal networks behind wildlife trafficking.  Building our partners’ capacity to investigate and prosecute environmental crimes is a priority for the U.S. government,” Johnson said at the turnover ceremony.

The U.S.-donated storage units will be used by investigators and prosecutors in the proper handling of evidence in cases involving illegal poaching and environmental crime.  The secured storage units are expected to improve the PCSD’s adherence to chain of custody requirements, making evidence more likely to be admissible in court, PCSD director said.

Estoya thanked the U.S. government for its continued support, noting the donation would be critical in ensuring that cases PCSD teams investigate and prosecute over several months are not dismissed for technical reasons.  

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the value of the global illegal wildlife trade is estimated at between P548 billion or $10 billion to P1.26 trillion or $23 billion per year, making wildlife crime the fourth most lucrative illegal business after narcotics, human trafficking, and arms. 

INL’s support for environmental justice in Palawan began in 2019 through a P28M or $500,000 partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to strengthen the institutional capacity of PCSD and its law enforcement partners to combat and prevent environmental crimes.

Globally, INL assists partner governments in assessing, building, reforming, and sustaining competent and legitimate criminal justice systems.  It also develops and implements the architecture necessary for cross-border law enforcement cooperation. (Photos: US Embassy-PH/FB/PCSD)

 

 

PRO-7 vows to sustain drive against illegal drugs with CPSA strategy

CEBU CITY -- The Police Regional Office (PRO-7) vowed to sustain its drive against illegal drugs with an aggressive education campaign for the youth and adopting a new strategy that focuses on transparency and accountability in collaboration with local government authorities and the community.

PRO-7 regional director, Police Brigadier General Jerry Bearis urged all police officers to continue the fight against illegal drugs with consistent collaboration with other government units and the barangays for a more improved and effective police force in Central Visayas.

"Our anti-illegal drugs campaign adopts a whole-of-government approach, which would only be effective if we can carry out plans like the local anti-drug plan of action and barangay anti-drug plan of action down at the grassroots. It is crucial that our LGUs collaborate with us and work on a common goal of an action-based anti-drug plan", he said.

As he took the helm, PRO7 has performed a total of 492 operations which resulted in the arrest of 622 drug personalities and the confiscation of 7,126.76 grams of shabu worth PhP48,461,968.00 and marijuana with 404.60 grams valued at PhP48,552.00 from December 19, 2022, to January 20, 2023.

Bearis said, law enforcement efforts take on a whole new dimension in policing and law enforcement supported by an aggressive informational drive and educational campaign targeting students, who are frequently the key demographic of drug organizations.

 New anti-drug campaign strategy

The new strategy, motivated by the Israeli Diplomacy and National Security learning, in one of his studies abroad would help Bisdak cops in fighting crime and enhance police professionalism and transparency in crime prevention and law enforcement.

Bearis said the main areas on which the new strategy focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration for drug dependents.  The fight against illegal drugs must be comprehensive, analytical, community-based, and human rights-sensitive.  PRO 7’s strategy is deeply anchored on SILG’s BIDA (Buhay ay Ingatan, Droga ay Ayawan) program of SILG and the MKK=K, Peace, and Security Framework of CPNP.

Balance approach between aggressive supply reduction and demand reduction.  We should be as aggressive in demand reduction as we are in supply reduction.

To significantly reduce supply, PRO7 will throw our 100% support to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s One Cebu Inter-Agency Task Force Against Illegal Drugs.  Sealing Central Visayas, illegal drug supply will be reduced to the minimum level that needs multi-agency approach, which is indispensable.

Community-based approach against illegal drugs which means employing the support of the LGU, other agencies, stakeholders, and the community.  Illegal drugs are everyone’s concern.

Aggressive demand reduction strategy by ensuring that previous drug users will be converted into Anti-Illegal Drug Advocates.  Converting these people into hard-core government allies in the fight against illegal drugs by creating battalions of Anti-Drug Advocates across the region as  strong allies in the prevention of the proliferation of illegal drugs.

The fight against illegal drugs and crimes will proceed from the analysis of the illegal drug situation in Central Visayas.  To this effect, PRO7 has created the Center for Public Safety Analysis (CPSA), an Israel-inspired strategy for defeating the menace with the keywords Intelligence, analysis, and foresight.

Adopting these sets of strategies, Bearis believed would prevent individuals and communities from participating in drug trafficking and production.

"This is everyone's concern. The time has come that we decide to work together and see the big picture. Let us put our actions into one for a drug-free Central Visayas community working in partnership with a responsive community for a safer place to live, work and do business", Bearis concluded. (Photos: PRO7)