BALANCING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

KANAAS EDITORIAL

Hon. Belinda N. Rodriguez
Editor-In-Chief
KANAAS GIKAN SA AMIHANAN

OCTOBER 2011 VOL. 1 NO. 2

Now that the economic engine for Bogo’s growth and development is on the move, our city’s future looks bright. The development in what is now called the “new Bogo City” in the economic zone augurs well for our people. Bogo will no longer be a totally agricultural economy as this new economic zone will be home to commercial and industrial centers, as well as a port that will be the pride of the northern part of Cebu province. Already, a new city hall and a housing project named the “Teachers’ Village” are in the works. A master development plan has been commissioned by the city government so we could have a holistic approach in planning our city. Needless to say, we welcome this new phase in our city’s quest for progress and prosperity as it will mean more jobs for our people and more opportunities for a better life for all Bogohanons.

But in the process of industrialization and commercialization, we should bear in mind that we also have a responsibility to take care of the environment. We should therefore see to it that in giving in to these developments we are assured that our seas, mountains, trees and the rest of the natural  environment are not destroyed.

We should invite for investments only environmentally – friendly industries and businesses that are willing to help protect our environment. Our city has already initiated a massive tree planting activity and this is a very good start. The city council has also sponsored several ordinances and resolutions aimed at protecting the natural environment like regulating the opening of quarries, banning the capture and sale of the humble “kaka” or spider and requiring graduating students to plant ten trees each as a requisite for graduation. There are ordinances too for the protection of our bird and fi sh sanctuaries. In developing Capitancillo Island, we kept as much as possible its natural beauty since we want to promote Bogo as an eco-cultural tourism destination. The city council is also monitoring reclamation projects and oil exploration in our city.

Funding has also been given by the city government to our coastal barangays to rehabilitate their mangrove areas. It is therefore imperative on our part that before we reclaim portions of our seas, or give the go-signal to oil companies to explore our waters or permits to quarries, we should see to it first that these activities do not have a negative impact on our environment.

Too much human activity, according to a study, causes environmental problems such as pollution. Pollution is not only a killer of plants, animals and human beings but it also disrupts the balance of nature and pollution is the number one cause of climate change. We do not want our corals and other marine life destroyed and our beautiful mountains denuded all in the name of progress.

Thus, we must not only develop a pro-environment behavior but also the belief that nature is inherently fragile, interconnected, and threatened by human activity.

When we can do this for Bogo, then our city will have truly lived up to its vision as a “globally competitive and environmentally friendly center of trade and industry.”-

Bogo Joins PASIGARBO 2011

Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals was once again held last August 10-13, 2011 at the Cebu International Convention Center grounds in Mandaue City. It featured the search for Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival Queen, Ritual Showdown, Streetdancing, Andas Making, and Best in Jingle Competition. Forty municipalities and cities of the Province of Cebu crossed the threshold together as the cultural activity was initiated. Bogo for the third time sent the Pintos Festival contingent choreographed by Christian Kay Yurango.

Dancers and propsmen of Pintos Festival entry were chosen from among the members of Katipunan ng Kabataan in their high school and college who passed the screening conducted in July. Eighty dancers and one hundred six props-men improved each day as they rehearsed the rituals that convinced the staff and committee they had the confidence to win the competition.

As part of the activity, the search for Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival Queen 2011 was also held on the first day, Aug. 10, participated in by thirty aspiring candidates. Mira Mae Dimmerling, 18, representing the City of Bogo’s Pintos Festival won as fourth runner-up. She went home with P5,000.00 and a trophy.

Princess Grace Alvorado of Kabkaban Festival (Carcar City) and Mikee Kristine Beltran of La Torta Festival (Argao) prevailed as 3rd runner up and 2nd runner- up, respectively. Leonora Cristina Kristensen of Sugat Kabanhawan Festival (Minglanilla) reigned as 1st runner-up and Halad Inasal Festival (Talisay City) candidate, Mary Lorens Goyenechea was crowned Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival Queen 2011.

City of Bogo’s Pintos Festival ranked fifteenth in the Ritual Showdown competition. Sarok Festival (Consolacion), Kagasangan (Moalboal), La Torta (Argao) and Isda Festival (Madridejos) placed 4th, 3rd and 2nd respectively. Kabkaban Festival (Carcar) won the event and received 1 million pesos. - TJL

Kagasangan Festival Moalboal, La Torta Festival Argao, Isda Festival Madridejos, Kabkaban Festival Carcar


Related Topic
Famous Bogohanon - Mira Mae Dimmerling

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BOGO QUARTERLY

KANAAS GIKAN SA AMIHANAN

OCTOBER 2011 VOL. 1 NO. 2

Bogo - NSO MOA Signed

(from KANAAS PUBLICATION)

Cebu City - THE NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE (NSO) – OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL represented by its Civil Registrar General, Carmelita N. Ericta signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the City Government of Bogo represented by its City Mayor, Celestino E. Martinez Jr. covenanting the use of Philippine Civil Registry Information System (PHILCRIS) software.

PHILCRIS is an application developed by NSO. It is designed to automate civil registry information management. The new version is compatible with Microsoft’s Windows operating system and facilitates the encoding of relevant information from civil registry documents, storage of vital data, query and retrieval of encoded records, printing and issuance of certified copies of encoded civil registry documents, generation of transmittal files, data management and maintenance of the local civil registry databases. One of its key features is that the local Civil Registrar’s Office to may now preview and print the new civil registry forms directly.

“A better and more user-friendly civil registry information system is now within the reach of the public,” Engr. Ariel E. Florendo, the OIC Regional Director of NSO Region VII, announced during the MOA mass signing at the NSO Provincial Statistics Office last July 27. Mr. Firmo C. Diputado, the Provincial Statistics Officer of Region VII, emphasized that this system is granted to the LGU free of charge and is provided with technical support which includes assistance in the installation of the PHILCRIS software and troubleshooting the software and database problems.

The aim for world-class status runs true for both the NSO and the City of Bogo – the former as provider of statistical and civil registration products and services, the latter as a globally competitive and environmentally sound premier center of trade and industry. And both are steadily on their way to reaching the heights of it for both are committed to meet the expectations of the clientele for prompt, reliable and efficient services. - SFO

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BOGO QUARTERLY

KANAAS GIKAN SA AMIHANAN

OCTOBER 2011 VOL. 1 NO. 2

Science and Arts Academy to be Built

(Re-published from KANAAS)

Plans are underway for the establishment of the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy, a school that would cater to the needs of gifted and exceptionally talented children through a specialized curriculum in science and the arts, including sports and foreign languages. This is an integrated school from kindergarten to high school.

Conceptualized by Mayor Junie Martinez, this is a joint project of DepEd Bogo and the local government. DepEd will take charge of developing the curriculum, hiring, staffing and managing the school operations. While the City government provides the annual budget for its operation, renovation and construction of physical facilities, funds the salaries, wages and benefits for both teaching and non-teaching personnel including the managers and the procurement of the IM/ IT/ MM and its installation.

Expected to open in June 2012, the school will start with two sections of kindergarten and grade one and two sections of first year high school with 30 students in each section. The City Council has already approved an ordinance sponsored by Hon. Belinda Rodriguez, Chair, Committee on Education for the establishment of the school and the budget for its operation. - BNR

Update:
DepEd has already started screening for enrollees to CBSA. Preliminary screening was held last month.

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BOGO QUARTERLY

KANAAS GIKAN SA AMIHANAN

OCTOBER 2011 VOL. 1 NO. 2

Bogo Positions as Distribution Center

(Republished from KANAAS)

In Resolution No. 063-2011 dated July 16, 2011 the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Bogo makes a bold declaration of the City’s aspiration: to position the City as a regional logistics center and to develop the Polambato Port in preparation thereof. 

The aspiration is hinged on the City’s God-given strategic advantage that made it a natural springboard for people and goods going to the neighboring island provinces of Masbate and Leyte for a long time now. In addition, the city has always been some kind of a geographic bottleneck for people going to and from the nearby towns of northern Cebu, resulting in its becoming the hub of education and commerce in the north.

As far as transactions with the island provinces are concerned, this advantage was always the Bogo Bay with its cove that, with God’s grace and under San Vicente Ferrer’s benevolent watch, has always been a reliable shelter for seacraft in nasty weather. With the recent re-discovery of Polambato’s deep channel for big ships, interest in Bogo’s potential for inter-island shipping has been rekindled.

The City Government sees the potent reality of Bogo as Regional Logistics Center where manufactured goods from Manila get shipped down to the City for distribution around the region. It believes this is a sound alternative to the longer navigational time presently endured by the shipping industry in the belief that Cebu City is still the only place to land cargo for regional distribution. By longer navigational time, we are talking here of something like seven extra hours which, to shippers and shipping companies, mean unwanted downtime and unnecessary cost.

But if we are not yet seeing this reality on a scale that would put us on the map of big business, it is because some things have yet to be done. The Sanggunian is right in stipulating in the same Resolution that full-scale development of Polambato Port must be made with the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) even if at various phases, in order to make it a true major gateway to the national nautical highway.

Right now, two shipping companies have already made Polambato a regular port of call: Super Shuttle for its Palompon, Leyte route; and Montenegro Shipping for its Cataingan, Masbate route. Recently, the latter has decided to add another ship twice the size of its present one, in order to accommodate increasing passenger and cargo traffic.

Other shipping companies have been sending feelers of their desire to field other routes also. In addition, there is a large molasses carrier and a sand and gravel carrier that have become regular customers of the Polambato Port. Definitely this bodes well for the dream that underpins the resolution.

To the City Government, the urgency of the full-scale development of the Polambato Port is very real. Hence, Mayor Celestino Martinez, Jr. again made a personal follow up with the Cebu Ports Authority last September 21 to inquire into the status of the expansion project in Polambato as promised by the CPA.

In his talk with Engr. Mario Tan, Manager of the Engineering Services Department of the CPA, the Mayor was assured that the budget for the additional 40 meters of plank area as extension to the present capacity of the Port is already available. They expect the project to be bid by October and that, hopefully, implementation will start by November of this year. With the implementation of this project, the present port slipways will also be modified to maximize berthing capacity.

He was also assured that the curved nature of the channel makes it expedient for lighted buoys to be placed for further navigational safety. For the same reason, the sand bar that lies along the passageway will also be lighted, while it could not yet be extracted. More dredging is also in line for its next projects to further widen the turning basin, especially for bigger and longer ships.

With these developments soon taking place, it is imperative that Bogohanons ready themselves in order to share and contribute to the City’s march to progress. Probably, old ways of thinking and doing things need to be critically revisited. It is well to remember a line from one of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poems that goes, “The vine still clings to the moldering wall, but at every gust the dead leaves fall.”

It would be sad indeed when the march of progress comes and our constituents will just be watching by the wayside and later be staring at the marchers’ behind.

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BOGO QUARTERLY

KANAAS GIKAN SA AMIHANAN

OCTOBER 2011 VOL. 1 NO. 2