DSWD-7 releases over P12.707M cash-for-work for PWDs in 15 towns in C.Visayas

CEBU CITY – Some 3,044 persons with disabilities in 15 municipalities in Central Visayas received various amounts each for services rendered under the Cash-For-Work (CFW) Program for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Regional Field Office VII that released a total of P12,707.220.00 on December 3 in celebration of the PWD International Day.

DSWD-7 joined in the national simultaneous payout for the CFW for PWDs program of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) in Region VII.

According to DSWD-7 regional director Shalaine Lucero that this program provides work and other opportunities to PWDs that aims to give financial assistance to PWDs in exchange for community service, work, or task. The PWD
s worked for 10 days in their respective communities and received the minimum regional wage of Php 435.00 per day.

As of December 3, this year Cebu Province has 1,426 PWD-beneficiaries from DaanBantayan, San Remigio, Samboan and Sibonga.  Negros Oriental has 962 beneficiaries from Bais City, Basay, Dauin, Siaton and Zamoanguita while Bohol has 656 from Antiquera, Dimiao, Lila, Maribojoc, San Miguel and Ubay.

Lucero thanked LGUs for accepting the programs and for helping validate the deserving PWDs who took part in the series of community works such as clerical work, community cleaning, carpentry work, and gardening.

"We all know that PWDs are among the sectors badly affected by the pandemic. They are also one of the most affected by the increasing prices of fuel, which resulted in a price increase for basic commodities. That is why DSWD, through our KALAHI-CIDSS program, initiated a cash-for-work program for them," Lucero added.

In Sibonga, Cebu, Assistant Secretary Janus Siddayao and Lucero with local officials led the ceremonial payout to beneficiaries of the CFW program.

Romson Panganoron, one of the beneficiaries said that he has experienced difficulty in applying for a job, but this program offered him a job that he is good at, such as cleaning toilets and sweeping in public areas.

Lucero hopes that more families will allow their family members who are PWDs to be mainstreamed in society, allowing them to go out and join various sectoral groups and activities. "In this way, PWDs who are capable of having an education will not be limited to cash for work but rather create a future that is not limited for them," she added.

Meanwhile, in Dumanjug, Cebu the DSWD-Field Office VII represented by Protective Services Division Chief Rosemarie Salazar facilitated the distribution of family food packs to barangay workers and/or identified vulnerable sectors such as PWDs in the Caravan of Services in Dumanjug, Cebu last week.

The caravan was spearheaded by the provincial government in partnership with various government organizations to bring government's services directly to the people in the seventh district of Cebu. Some of the services offered were free legal consultation, medical and dental services, veterinary services, among others. (Photos: DSWD-7 FB)

Cañizares Architects Design Company turns gold

CEBU CITY -- Cañizares Architects Design Company (CAD Co.), founded by renowned Cebuano architect, Jose Mari Cañizares, turned 50 on November 29 this year and celebrated this milestone with its clients, friends, and suppliers with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama graced the occasion at the Citadines Ballroom, Base Line Center.

Architect Mari has gained recognition and awards for excellence from both local and international organizations including the 2003 Outstanding Professional of the Year award given by the Professional Regulation Commission through the 50 years of the firm’s existence.

He was elevated to fellow for his contribution to architecture by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP); he was also conferred in 2008 as an APEC architect that enables him to provide architectural services throughout the Asia Pacific region and allows him to collaborate with other APEC Member Architects.

He is also a Registered ASEAN architect since 2016 allowing him to collaborate with other ASEAN Architects in their respective countries.

Architect Mari’s first project was a house with a coral stone facade in Maria Luisa Park. The project was completed in 1973 and was awarded the 1978 Bahay Filipino Award for its outstanding design and innovative use of indigenous building materials.

Early in his career, his clients were his relatives and family friends. To gain the confidence of his first clients, he made himself look older than his age of 23 years by growing a beard and putting white powder on his hair. But he soon realized that building a reputation could not be achieved overnight.

In time, with repeat clients and referrals, the number of his projects grew and became more diverse. His projects include malls and strip malls, banks, resorts and hotels, condominiums, townhouses, and schools.

He pioneered the design of beach resorts and other master-planned communities in Cebu and neighboring islands. These include the Pulchra Resort, Badian Island Resort, and Bohol Beach Club.

As part of his initiative to give back to his community, he designed several churches such as the Mactan Sto. Nino Church which is shaped like a Magellan’s helmet, Parish of The Alliance of Two Hearts and the expansion of Redemptorist Church.

Architect Mari’s interest in architecture began when, as a young boy, he saw carpenters constructing the family residence in General Maxilom Ave. He played with the sawed bits of wood, constructing a mini city inside his bedroom cabinet. He chose to take up architecture, thinking about how it impacts on the lives of people.

"Architecture is the most lasting and revealing record of civilization.  From concept to creation, I treat my projects with the same care I give to my own children.  My design philosophy is that the structure should be in harmony with its natural environment.  As such, we try to preserve as many trees as we can in my designs - an influence of my mother who was the president of the Cebu Garden Club for many years” Architect Mari explained.

In the 80s, Architect Mari searched for alternative materials to the coral stone because harvesting coral stone had an adverse impact on marine life. “A friend was exporting the Sudtunggan stone to Japan and I began to use it.  I found Sudtunggan difficult to pronounce, so I suggested that it was better to call it Mactan stone.”  The Mactan stone became Architect Mari’s signature finishing material and he used it in his design in several of his projects in the early 1990s.

In 2011, Architect Jose Diego “Jiggy” Cañizares, Mari’s son, joined the firm as a managing partner. Another son, Architect Kenzo John Cañizares, also joined the firm in 2016.

In 2019, the firm, originally known as JM Canizares architects, was renamed the CAD Corp.  CAD’s mission is to develop great design solutions that satisfy quality, budget, efficiency, and environmental responsiveness.

Mari and his two sons look forward to the next phase of CAD Corp.’s development into an integrated design solutions company with international reach. Jiggy says “Like our father, we hope to make our own mark in creating more livable and inspiring spaces, one building at a time.”

U.S. gov’t donates to PH 86,000 HIV testing cartridges worth P85M

MANILA – The United States government through U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson donated 86,000 HIV viral load testing cartridges valued at Php 85 million ($1.5 million) to strengthen the Philippine government’s HIV treatment program to Commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1, this year.

“These laboratory tests are further proof that the U.S. government is committed to working alongside the Department of Health (DOH), the community of Filipinos living with HIV, and local governments like Manila City to ensure that people living with HIV in the country have equitable access to a viral load test.   With this donation, we aim to amplify the hopeful message of U equals U: that undetectable is indeed untransmittable,” Ambassador Carlson said at the turnover ceremony hosted by the Manila City government.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, Manila City Councilor for Health Dr. Louisito Chua, DOH Undersecretary Carolina Vidal-Taiño, and members of the people living with HIV (PLHIV) community were present at the event.

Secured through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), these cartridges will be distributed to HIV treatment hubs and facilities across the Philippines and are expected to cover the country’s viral load testing requirements for all patients undergoing HIV treatment for one year.

According to DOH-Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, this donation of more than 86,000 viral load cartridges from the United States government will be pivotal to the country’s HIV treatment program.

Network Plus co-convenor Elena Felix, on behalf of the PLHIV community said, the PLHIV community is filled with so much hope that they will no longer have to lose their loved ones to HIV and that they will be able to carry on with their lives, free from worry and stigma.

Since December 2020, the U.S. government has provided more than Php 1 billion ($18.2 million) to the Philippine government through PEPFAR to support HIV prevention, case finding, and treatment interventions. 

This includes a donation of more than 81,000 bottles of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an HIV-preventive drug that is being distributed by the DOH in more than 50 facilities across Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.  This donation, valued at Php 31.3 million ($552,996), was turned over to the Philippine government in June 2021.

These recent donations signify the U.S. government’s commitment to support the Philippines in addressing supply chain bottlenecks in the procurement of critical commodities in HIV detection and treatment and in achieving the country’s goal to end AIDS by 2030 through evidence-based strategies. (Photos: US Embassy FB)

Converge partners with DOTr, airports for free public WiFi in 9 airports in PH

 MANILA -- Converge ICT Solutions Inc. (Converge), the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and airport operators agreed to provide free public WiFi services at the passenger terminals of nine international and domestic airports across the country.

“The joint project signifies our commitment to improve the connectivity services in our transport facilities, particularly in our airports and we also recognized the vital role played by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in this initiative,” DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said.

The memorandum of agreement was signed on November 17 with the DOTr, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and Davao International Airport Authority (DIAA) for the provisioning of free, fast, and reliable internet services in the departure and arrival areas of selected airports in the country.

Secretary of Justice and CAAP Board Principal Member Crispin Remulla said, the DOJ fully supports the transformation of the airports and passengers’ safety and convenience as the priority of this administration. Through the board memberships, CAAP provides legal clarity and certainty for all partners and stakeholders.

 Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy on the other hand said, the airports are gateways to and from the country and they play a vital role in leaving a positive impression on the Philippines for tourists and locals alike.

“As an ICT company, we recognize our role in providing the connectivity and the right technology to ensure that people have a great experience in these facilities. It is therefore, our honor to extend our capabilities to the DOTr, CAAP, and all our partner airports as we work together to empower travelers in this digital age,” Uy added.

Converge is given 90 days from the signing of the MOA to come out with a roll-out plan and expects to launch its first free public WiFi by the first quarter of 2023.  Converge is bringing together its technology partners to provide this free WiFi service to airport passengers.

The free public connectivity covers the arrival and departure areas of all the terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Francisco Bangoy International Airport, and Mactan-
Cebu International Airport.

 Several CAAP-operated airports are also covered in the project which are Bacolod-Silay Airport, Iloilo International Airport, Laoag International Airport; Pagadian Airport; Tacloban Airport; and Zamboanga International Airport.

Through this partnership, Converge will provide free access to fast, reliable, and secure internet services for 120 minutes a day per registered user. Passengers will experience a minimum bandwidth speed of 1Gbps at 80 percent service reliability at the arrival and departure areas of each passenger terminal building of the said airports, Uy bared.

 

 As of the third quarter of 2022, Converge has more than 6.7 million fiber ports nationwide, making it the largest fiber infrastructure network in the Philippines, putting its household coverage at 53 percent.  “We are on track to reach the accelerated target to cover approximately 55 percent of households in the Philippines by 2023, Uy concluded. (Photos: Converge FB/Google Images)

 

BSP to strengthen rural banks

​The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) underscored its commitment to strengthening rural banks’ capital base during the 65th Charter Anniversary Symposium of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines held on 22 November 2022.

BSP Monetary Board Member V. Bruce J. Tolentino said that the Rural Bank Strengthening Program (RBSP) is designed to address key issues that rural banks face, including the push for a stronger capital base that is more attuned to the current financial landscape.

The RBSP is anchored on the principle that a safe and sound bank is well-capitalized. The program will help boost rural banks' resilience against shocks, thereby allowing them to adopt better risk management systems, upgrade resources, manage operational costs, meet prudential standards, and accelerate the digitalization of services. 

For more information on the RBSP, visit: bit.ly/rbsp2022

MCIA welcomes China Airlines’ Cebu-Taipei service, December 1

LAPULAPU CITY— Mactan-Cebu Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) welcomed the inaugural flight of China Airlines from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport that arrived Cebu at 11:00am today, December 1 with around 120 passengers. 

The aircraft was given the traditional water cannon salute upon its arrival and departures. 

GMCAC President Louie Ferrer said, MCIA is very much looking forward to the China Airlines' Cebu to Taipei service, saying that through this, MCIA hopes to strengthen leisure travel demand during this recovery period.  “We are proud to partner with China Airlines in pushing for the growth in traffic that we are working on,” he added.

Beginning December 1, China Airlines started its direct service to and from Taipei four times weekly every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday using its Airbus A321neo aircraft with 180 seat capacity and a two-class configuration.

China Airlines sets to push for more leisure travel demand and grow the Taipei Taoyuan hub with as it adds more Southeast Asia destinations in its network.

"As China Airlines joins our network with its Cebu to Taipei service and vice versa, we are hopeful in the strong, positive growth at MCIA, most notably in recovery of passenger traffic. We are grateful for the strong support of our airline partners and the entire airport community," MCIAA General Manager and CEO Julius Neri, Jr. said.

With the addition of this new carrier, MCIA now has 13 foreign and 4 Philippine-based airline partners and connecting to 27 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations

A departure ceremony was also given to passengers departing for Taipei on the same day with a cake-cutting ceremony and a water cannon salute.  Flights from MCIA to Taipei also operate four times weekly and departing around 11:35 a.m. 

Neri thanked China Airlines for considering and interconnecting Cebu as a tourist destination. The arrival of China Airlines here is an important step to Cebu’s  economic recovery.  With this new airline, new connection to Taipei, China reconnect Cebu to China and to the world.

China Airlines general manager-Philippines, David Fu Sheng Wang Welcomed everyone and the first passengers from Taipei to this ceremony.  He said that two years ago this was already in the pipeline with Cebu and Mindanao as profitable markets, adding that China airlines is a major carrier to the world. 

Subhash Murikenchery, GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation Chief Executive Advisor said they are all excited for this milestone as a wonderful step to take opening its route to Taipei.  

“I think with this, more and more airlines are coming and we are looking forward to a great economy with China Airlines paving the way for more airlines to come,” Murikenchery said.

To welcome the aircraft and its passengers, Chih Yuan Hsieh, China Airlines General Manager for Cebu branch; Julius G. Neri Jr., Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority General Manager;  Fu Sheng Wang, China Airlines General Manager for the Philippines branch; Subhash Murikenchery, GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation Chief Executive Advisor and Riza Macaibay, Department of Tourism Region 7 led the cake and ribbon cutting ceremony today at the MCIA departure area for Taipei. (Photos: MBCNewman)