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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Lapu most competitive

By Cris Evert Lato
Cebu Daily News First Posted 07:30:00 07/05/2008 Filed Under: Government

Lapu-Lapu City is among the country's top 25 “competitive” cities in the country.
This is according to the results of the Asian Institute of Management's 2007 Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project (PCCRP) presented by Dr. Federico Macaranas of the AIM Policy Center at the Intercontinental Manila Hotel yesterday.
Only Lapu-Lapu made it in the top 25 cities although Cebu City and Mandaue City were among those studied in the competitive survey conducted across the country.
The city ranked high in terms of infrastructure and cost of doing business mainly due to its two export processing zones.

“Competitiveness is how a nation manages the totality of its resources and competencies to increase the prosperity of its people,” according to the World Competitiveness yearbook, IMD 2008 used in the survey.
This was the second time in two months that Lapu-Lapu was recognized as one of the country's top cities by a national survey.

Last May, Lapu-Lapu ranked second among the cities in the country where entrepreneurs could easily start a business. The survey, dubbed “Doing Business in the Philippines,” was conducted by International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank.

Meanwhile, the recent PCCRP is a flagship research undertaking of the AIM Policy Center to identify the best cities in the Philippines in which to live, work and operate a business.

For its 2007 Round, the survey covered 90 cities. They were rated on the basis of six criteria or “competitiveness drivers.” These were dynamism of local economy, cost of doing business, infrastructure, human resources and training, responsiveness of local government units (LGUs) to business needs and quality of life.

The cities were classified into metro, mid-sized and small. The top 25 cities were chosen based on which cities topped in each classification. Among the 25 cities, four are from the Visayas –Lapu-Lapu (metro) and Bayawan in Negros Oriental, Tagbiliran in Bohol and Calbayog in Samar – all in the small-sized categories.
Four top cities are from the National Capital Region, 11 in Luzon and six in Mindanao.

The result was posted on the AIM's website (www.policy.aim.edu). While the top cities have been identified, these are listed down in alphabetical order and not based on their ranking in the survey.
Top performing for metro cities category Davao, Lapu-Lapu, Makati, Manila, Marikina and Quezon cities.

For mid-sized cities, the top-performing cities were Cabanatuan, General Santos, Lucena, Olongapo, San Pablo, Tagum and Tarlac.
In the small-sized cities, Bayawan, Calapan, Calbayog, Dagupan, Dipolog, Laoag, San Fernando (La Union), Malaybalay, Naga (Camarines Sur), Surigao, Tagbilaran and Tuguegarao emerged in the top.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza said he was “happy” of the new recognition, saying it was vindication from allegations of corruption raised by his critics against him.

“But the mayor does not claim this to be the success of the city government alone but the entire people of Lapu-Lapu,” said Deputy City Attorney Michael Dignos.
“This new award will boost the mayor's resolve to continue with the development projects for the city.”
But Jun Monzon, secretary general of Mactan Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI), expressed doubts on the results of the AIM survey. The MICCI has been a staunch critic of Radaza.
“What infrastructure are we talking about? There are no new infrastructure projects initiated by the local government for the past six to seven years. Most of the projects are nationally funded,” Monzon said.
He said it is best for the city government to first present real results before bragging about any study.

Monzon was referring to another AIM study conducted by the International Finance Corp. and World Bank where Lapu-Lapu also ranked second in the cost of doing business.

Cebu City Administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez was disappointed.
Fernandez said he will examine the recent AIM survey the moment he gets a copy and see where Cebu City may have failed to perform well.
“I don't know how they (AIM) do it but I will definitely read the study. But as far as I can remember I have not been interviewed by any representatives from AIM,” he told last night.

While Cebu City's non-inclusion in the top 20 most competitive metropolitan cities may be a negative point, Fernandez stressed that Cebu City remains a primary investment haven in the south.
“I am not familiar with how the AIM study was conducted but in terms of dynamism and investor-friendliness I believe Cebu City is good. Most call centers come to Cebu City,” he said.

Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Eric Ng Mendoza said he was more concerned with looking at reality than any surveys.
“I don't pay attention to surveys. I pay attention to reality. Mandaue is busier today because more stores such as Save More and Park Mall just opened. A city would need stores to be livable,” Mendoza said.
He pointed out that from January to June this year, Mandaue received more than 9,000 applications for business permits in Mandaue, or an increase of over 1,000 from the 8,000 received last year.

The rise in the applications showed that Mandaue's economy is growing, he added.
Dr. Macaranas said in his presentation of the survey result that the PCCRP was conducted every two years starting 1999 to provide a broad perspective of the general well-being of a city, to serve as benchmark for both local government units and investors and to be an avenue for city government to learn from the best practices of other cities.

The PCCRP 2007 is the fifth round covering 90 cities classified as metropolitan (20), mid-sized (25) and small-sized (45). Each city has an average of 40 respondents.
Metropolitan cities are in Metro Manila, Metro Davao and Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
Mid-sized cities have a population of more than 200,000 and less than 20,000 for small-sized cities.

In specific criteria, Lapu-Lapu scored high in cost of doing business and infrastructure. The city ranked fourth in both criteria.
The city's major infrastructure were Mactan Economic Processing Zones 1 and 2 as well as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
AIM said that while doing the study, it noticed that neither LGUs nor national government agencies could provide comprehensive and updated statistics for all cities in the country.

In this light, the study noted that national government needs to support data management so that cities will have accurate and up-to-date statistics.
LGUs, on the other hand, need to have constant communication with local business groups and chambers of commerce to identify the short and long-term needs of the local business sector. with a report from Reporter Dale Israel

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Punto de Vista

Daghan ang mga alegasyon nga gilabay sa kampo ni Ahong Chan ug Rufo Bering sa kasamtangang pangagamhanan ni Mayor Arturo O. Radaza ning dakbayan sa Lapu-Lapu.

Usa niini mao nga kun ngano kuno nga gusto man lugwayan sa Mayor ang iyang panahon sa pagserbisyo sa katawhang Oponganon? Ang tubag niini mao nga ang atong halangdong Mayor dako kaayo ug pangandoy nga mapadayon ug matibawas gayud ang mga programa nga iyang nasugdan kansang lintunganay magadala unya ug kalamboan ug tingusbawan niining iyang pinalanggang dakbayan.

Kun buot gayud nato palandungon, kita ang angayan nga mangutana kanila ni Rufo Bering ug kung unsa ba gayud ang naa sa gahum sa pagka mayor nga daw sa hilabihang kahidlaw ug sa walay paglipud-lipud gusto man nila kining ilugon? Gani tungod sa hilabihang kahakog sa gahum si Ahong Chan nakaako pagsalikway ug pagsamad sa kasingkasing ug pagsalig sa tawo nga sama na sa iyang tinuod nga amahan. Unsa man gayud ang anaa sa gahum kansa takos magtukmod sa susama kang Ahong ngadto sa pagka mabudhion?

Ikaduhang punto, ilang gi kwestyon sa pagka karon ang katakos ni Ma’am Paz Corro Radaza sa pagdumala unya sa siyudad sa Lapu-Lapu. Tubag, walay kwestyon kung abilidad ug katakos lamang sa pagdumala ni Ma’am Paz ang hisgutan. Gain atong makita kun giunsa paglambo ug pagbuswak sama sa usa ka matahom nga bulak ang Barangay Mactan ubos sa pagdumala ni Ma’am Paz. Pinaagi sa limbong gusto nila nga iduhig ang pangalan ni Ma’am Paz sa pagka hagsa sa banko sa mga Gaisano nga mao ang Rural Bank of Subangdaku. Para sa kasayuran sa kadaghanan dili kay eksklusibong problema sa RBS ang maong financial difficulties. Kun kini si Rufo makamao pa lang mobasa sa mga ulohang balita labot sa negosyo ug sa mga panghitabo sa tibuok kalibutan unta mas nilapad pa ang iyang kasayuran. Kini man gud mag sige lang ta ug basa sa mga lindog kabahin sa Showbiz ug mga blind items mawad-an man gud kita ug situational awareness when it comes to current events. Sa tibuok kalibutan dili kay ang RBS lang ang nabangkaruta gani didto sa Estados Unidos ang Lehman Brothers ug ang CITI Bank nakasinati man sa susamang mga kalisdanan. Kining mga bangkoha mao kini ang mga haligi sa financial institutions sa tibuok kalibutan apan sila sama sa RBS naigo usab sa ginatawag ug Global Economic Crisis. Sa lokal nga mga kompaniya gawas sa Legacy Group aduna usab karon nasinati nga kalisdanan ang mga kompaniyang sama sa Ayala Life, Sunlife Financial ug uban pa, kini mas dako kaysa RBS Bank nga aduna lamay 6,000 ka mga depositors sa tibuok nasud. Hasta pa ang Intel ug ang Microsoft dagko o kun sa inengles pa industry giants nanirado usab ug nanangtang ug empleyado. Tungod lang kay gisagulan ug bulok sa politika ila na dayong ilansang sa krus si Ma’am Paz? Mura man hinuon ni ug nakapatay ug tawo si Ma’am Paz aning kalakiha. Kun silay pasultihon mas makamao ug mas may katakos pa sila kaysa ni Ma’am Paz Radaza kay nanirado lagi ang RBS Bank. Ang Microsoft Corporation nagkalisud-lisud man usab sa pagkakaron, sa ato pa kung kining ilang ang atong basehan, nagtuo sab ni silang Rufo ug Ahong nga mas maayo pa ni silang Bill Gates. Makapanlimbawot sa balhibo ang kay they are at the height of their intellectual naivety! They both are intellectually naïve!

Ikatulong isyu mao ang pagdaug-daug kuno ni Mayor Arturo Radaza sa iyang mga tawo. Matud pa niya sa iyang programa nga hilabihan naka daug-daug ang mayor sa ilang mga tawo ni Ahong Chan, ang uban kuno niini gipanglabay ngadto sa Isla sa Olango. Unsa man diay ning Isla sa Olango sa mata nilang Ahong ug Rufo? Ubos ug uyamot na lang ba gayud kining maong isla nga hilabihan mang katula sa ilang mga sampot nga ang ila kunong mga tawo gibalhin didto pagdestino sa mayor. Dako kining pagtamay, insulto ug pagpanghimaraot sa mga lumolopyo sa Isla sa Olango kay alang diay kanilang duha dili kini takos labayan sa ilang mga pinalangga nga mga hinanib. Ug unsa man diay kining mga paryente ug mga JO ni Ahong ug Rufo? Sakit ba diay kaayo sa ilang buot nga hatagan sila ug higayon sa pagserbisyo ngadto sa atong mga kaigsuonan sa isla sa olango? Ang desisyon sa mayor ginatawag kana ug executive decision, kung duna silay nakitang kalapasan sa pagbalhin sa mayor sa maong mga empleyado ngadto sa laing departamento hala Rufo ug Ahong naay Civil Service Commision adto mo reklamo ug dili sa radio kay ang mga tawo nga gisibyaan ninyo, dili mga buta, bungol ug bugo nga motuo na lang bisan inyo pang tingalon ug bakak. Usa pa Rufo, kining mga position nga Honorarium, JO, Casual ug Confidential are positions that serve only at the pleasure of the Chief Executive. Dili kana hinimo-himo, dili minao-mao ug walay sagol nga hilo sa huna-huna sama sa mga sibya ni Rufo, nahisubay kana sa atong balaod oi Rufo! You are not above the Law! Tuo Ka! You are not a baby in the woods bisan unsaon pa ninyo sa pagpaka aron ingnon! Niadtong panahon nga napukan ang pamilyang Weigel sa natad sa politika ning dakbayan, daghan usab nga mga tawo ang nakulban ug kulon gani wala ra na sa katunga ang imung mga tawo. Kun tinuod kang ligdong ug may pagbati sa mga dinaug-daug diin ka man niadto? Nibati ka ba ug kasubo niadto? Nising-al, niuwang ug nipaghot ka ba sa radyo? Nanglugmaw ba ang mga luha ni Ahong para niadtong mga tawhana? Ang tubag Rufo mao ang dako kaayong WALA nga napatik sa inyong agtang, gani usa ka sa mga niabiba ug niambahan kaniadto. Sa pagkapilde nilang Ma’am Norma sa piniliay niadton 2006, duna usay mga tawo nga nakulban sa kulon Rufo Bering, nibati ka ba ug kasakit? Kaguol? Konsensya? Bisan muta duna bay nilugmaw sa inyong mga mata ni Ahong Chan? Wala! Dihang adunay mga kawani nga gipanglabay sa isla kaniadto, mikatol ba ang inyong mga sampot kay gihasol kamo sa inyong konsensya? Wala usab. Karon na lang kamo nibati niana, karon na lang mo tugki ug kaluoy ug konsensya. Ang yawa man gud, mahimong manghuwan ug dagway sa anghel ug manintal bisan sa sulod pa sa templo aron lamang pag-ganoy sa mga kalag ngadto sa nagdilaab nga kalayo. Sama kaninyong duha sa imong amo, si Ahong ang akong gipasabot ug dili si Lucifer Rufo ha! Tugkan lang mo ug konsensya kun ang sitwasyon pabor ninyo, tugkan lang mo ug kaluoy kung kamo siguradong makabenipisyo.

Sige mo ug ingon nga kamo mga ligdong, kanus-a gud intawn nahimong ligdong ang usa ka tawo nga nakakutlo na ug kinabuhi sa iyang isig ka tawo? Ligdong diay to si Cain? Kanus-a gud intawn nahimong ligdong ang tawo nga mibudhi sa iyang amahan? Ligdong diay to si Hudas? Mao kanay masakit nga kamatuoran Rufo Bering ug Ahong Chan. Matud pa sa kanta, Bakakon Ka, Liar, Evil Ka!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Radaza calms backers amid leader’s death

AMID calls by the local opposition to place Lapu-Lapu City under Commission on Elections (Comelec) control, Mayor Arturo Radaza called on supporters to remain calm and avoid any retaliation for the death of one of his political leaders.

Radaza, his wife and mayoralty candidate Paz and his allies visited the wake of 30-year-old fisherfolk leader Nicasio Pugoy in barangay Pangan-an, an islet in the city yesterday.

While not ruling out personal grudge as the motive behind Pugoy's murder, Radaza said the political climate in the city may have played a part in the killing.

Lapu-Lapu City police assigned more personnel in the area a day after the murder and arrested five suspects who are mostly ronda tanods in Pangan-an.

They were identified as Arnulfo Pugoy, Joselito Melleno, Jerry Lanoy, Benigno Menguito and Jonas Pugoy.

Jonas was released from detention after witnesses cleared him of the crime.

Monday, February 1, 2010

No need to place Lapu in watchlist: Comelec

By Jovy T. Gerodias and Mia E. Abellana

OFFICIALS see no need to place Lapu-Lapu City under the elections watch list.

Election officers met with their counterparts in the police and military yesterday morning and discussed some problems about the enforcement of election laws and procedures.

“We can say there is nothing serious insofar as peace and order is concerned. Nothing earth-shaking,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7 Director Rene Rey Buac told reporters after the conference.

As for Lapu-Lapu City, it is not included in the watch list, even after the involvement of supporters of politicians in a shooting last Saturday.

Lapu-Lapu City Police Director Mariano Natuel said it was clear the motive was not related to politics although “there is a political color.”

He said their connections to political candidates gave the case political color.

Election and police officials did not identify any areas that are now in the elections watch list.

Buac said the areas being considered are in Bogo City in Northern Cebu, La Libertad in Northern Negros Oriental and Central Bohol.

He said they will give special attention to these places “because of a possibility (of the occurence of violence), not an actuality.”

He added that they did not even mean the whole city or municipality, but just two or three barangays.

Though earlier, police said there were 13 areas under the watch list, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Lani-o Nerez said changes could be made as the need arose.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will be initiating an assessment on the political situation in the City to see if there is a need to declare any area under election areas of concern.

Earlier, CCPO Director Patrocinio Comendador said the city’s south district will be the police’s top security priority in the coming May polls, but did not see the need for this area to be considered an area of concern.

He cited intense political rivalry in Cebu City’s south district, where both Mayor Tomas Osmena and businessman Jonathan Guardo are gunning for the post in the House of Representatives, as the reason.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on February 2, 2010.

Supporter ni Radaza gipatay

Ni Bong soriano (Banat) Updated January 31, 2010 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Gipatay ang usa ka lider ni Lapulapu City Lone District congressional candidate ug incumbent Mayor Arturo "Boy" Radaza sa Isla sa Pangan-an, Olango Island dakbayan sa Lapulapu kagahapon sa buntag.

Ang biktima mao si Necasio Pogoy, 30, residente sa sitio Bonbon Isla sa Pangan-an sa Isla sa Olango dakbayan sa Lapulapu samtang ang gitumbok nga mga suspetsado mao sila si Jerry Nanoy sakop sa Lupong Tagapamayapa; Benigno Minguito nga mao ang chief Tanod; Joselito Milleno, barangay tanod ug ang duha ka mananagat nga si Arnulfo Pogoy ug Jonas Pogoy, mga residente usab sa maong dapit.

Matud pa ni Tanny Caballa, ig-agaw sa biktima nga samtang gikan sila nag-inom gumikan sa kapistahan sa maong dapit ug motambong unta sa usa ka disko kalit lang silang gipareglahan sa limaka mga suspetsado hinungdan nga mipauli nalang sila sa ilang panimalay.

Sa ilang paglakaw gikatahong gisundan sila sa mga suspetsado ug gipangkulata, matud pa ni Caballa armado sila si Nanoy, Minguito ug Milleno hinungdan nga wala nalang sila mosukol.

Sumala pa ni Caballa nga si Nanoy maoy mipusil ni Pogoy (biktima) tumong sa ulo niini hinungdan sa hinanaling kamatayon niini, samtang si Minguito nagpabuto usab sa iyang armas ngadto pataas.

Matud pa ni Catalina Pogoy, asawa sa namatay nga nagduda kining adunay bulok politika ang pagpatay sa iyang bana (Nicasio) gumikan kay ang mga suspetsado giingong mga supporter sa ilang kaatbang.

Matud pa ni Catalina daan nang nasuko ang mga suspetsado sa iyang bana kay maayo kining manulti ug mangombinsir sa mga tawo maong kini maoy gihimong lider sa partido ni Radaza.

Samtang ang lima ka suspetsado nasikop ra usab sa kapolisan samtang nagtago sa panimalay ni Pangan-an barangay kapitan Climaco Tatoy Jr.

Ang tigpamaba sa partidong DERETCHO ni Radaza nga si Nestor Ymbong atol sa usa ka press conference mipadayag nga ang maong hitabo mahulagway nilang paagi sa ilang kontra sa politika nga madeklarar ubos sa Comelec control ang dakbayan sa Lapulapu.

Matud pani Ymbong ang maong insidente susama ra og pattern nga gihimo aron mapugos ang Comelec sa pagluwat sa maong kamanduan.

Gihimong ehemplo ni Ymbong ang giingong plano kuno kaniadtong pagpusil kang DILG Usec. Lito Ruiz sa barangay Subabas-bas, pagbutang og duha ka tawong buot mopatay ni Harry Radaza atol sa usa ka Christmas party ug ang pagbanhig patay kang Allan Berame nga ang tanan mga posibleng mugna sa politika. Samtang padayon karon ang imbestigasyon sa kapolisan sa tinud-anay nga sinugdanan sa maong hitabo ug pagsusi kun ang kamatayon ni Pogoy may kalambigitan ba gyud sa politika.(BANATNEWS)

Comelec won’t place Lapu-Lapu under its control

Cebu Daily News First Posted 08:21:00 02/01/2010 Filed Under: Elections, Election Violence, Politics

THE shooting incidents involving supporters of two rival political groups in Lapu-Lapu City isn't sufficient reason to place the area under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), a local elections official said yesterday.

“I don't think so. From the police investigations, we can see that the two shooting incidents were all isolated. The police will investigate and make recommendations to us and we will either approve or disapprove it),” said Lapu-Lapu City election officer Ferdinand Gujilde.

Gujilde said last month's shooting incident that resulted in the death of an opposition party supporter was reportedly caused by a “love triangle”.

He said last week's shooting on Pangan-an Island was motivated by a personal grudge between assailant and victim.

The shooting incidents, he said, could be classified as politically motivated if the victims had the resources and the standing to enable the candidates to win the elections.

Other factors to be included in placing an area under Comelec control is the occurrence of election-related violence and the presence of private armies.

Both conditions don't exist in Lapu-Lapu, Gujilde said.

A non-government organization officer asked the police to assign more personnel on Pangan-an Island following last Friday's shooting incident there.

Manny Ramirez, project manager of Learning Tools for Global School, said their operations in helping the school on Pangan-an Island were hampered because of the incident.

Ramirez is also the head of the Friends of Cebu City Library and Lapu-Lapu city. /Dale G. Israel