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Cracks found in Cebu South Coastal Road tunnel; repairs underway

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Hairline cracks have formed on the ceiling and pavement of the Cebu South Coastal Road, Sun.Star Cebu reported today.

Engineer Roger Quibilan of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Project Management Office (PMO) assured the public these were only surface cracks that are minor defects and do not pose a danger to motorists.

Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) Chairman Sylvan Jakosalem told Sun.Star Cebu what had formed were “just hairline cracks, very small cracks and I think they are just superficial cracks, not through and through.”

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Road Revolution organizers apologize, pledge to do better next time

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Organizers of Road Revolution 2 have apologized for the problems caused by the road closures in downtown Cebu City last Saturday, September 24.

The complaints, however, will not stop the group from their campaign. “Road Rev will not shut down anytime soon,” said 350.org country coordinator Vince Cinches in a Sun.Star Cebu report.

Cinches said that in their next staging of the event, they will have a “checklist of necessary technical and social preparations.”

He said the next Road Revolution will be held on Osmeña Blvd., the venue of the first one last June 12, and only half of the road will be closed to motor vehicles. Organizers will also be consulting establishments on Osmeña Blvd.

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DOH: Stop asking nurses to pay to work in hospitals

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THE Department of Health (DPH) has ordered public hospitals to stop the practice of making registered nurses pay to work as trainees.

DOH Secretary Enrique Ona signed an order last August 22 terminating all nurse training programs in public hospitals for not being consistent with provisions of the law.

DOH said some hospitals promote “nurse volunteerism to justify the collection of training fees.”

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Road Revolution proponents seek ‘partial closure’ of Osmeña Blvd. on Oct. 23

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Proponents of the Road Revolution, a movement that seeks the transformation of roads to give more space to pedestrians and bikers, are seeking a partial closure of Osmeña Blvd. On Oct. 23.

The request came after last Saturday’s closure of Colon St. and parts of downtown Cebu City. The traffic gridlock caused by the closure generated criticisms from several people.

Ramon Magsaysay awardee Antonio Oposa, according to a Cebu Daily News report, admitted the need for better prepration and a longer time to alert the public.

“Rest assured that despite setbacks, we are determined to illustrate the working principles of what we are trying to advance – sharing of public space,” Oposa said in the report.

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Burnt remains of man found at scene of Punta Princesa fire

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Fire investigators found Thursday the remains of a resident believed to have started the fire that gutted down 127 houses early Wednesday night in Barangay Punta Princesa.

Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar returned to Gregoria Bacon’s residence, where the fire started, to verify reports that her son-in-law was at the second floor of the house when it caught fire and failed to come out.

Comar’s team found the burnt remains of Domingo Gacasan, 44, in one of the ground floor rooms early Thursday morning. Gacasan’s body was covered by a sheet of galvanized iron.

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News briefing: 3 girls rescued from another cybersex den in Cordova

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Police raided another cybersex den in Cordova town in Cebu yesterday, more than a month after a couple was arrested there for using their children as performers for their cybersex operations.

Three minors, aged 9, 12, and 17, were rescued in yesterday’s raid by the Provincial Intelligence Branch headed by Supt. Rodolfo Albotra. The three were brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for counseling.

Albotra said they caught the 3 children naked and doing “lewd acts” in front of a computer-mounted camera.

The house has been placed under surveillance for 2 months on suspicion its owner was involved with an illegal online business.

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News briefing: 3 fires break out in Cebu in 3 hours

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Two days after a fire left an estimated 1,200 people homeless in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City, 3 fires broke out in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue yesterday. Initial estimates place the total property damage in the 3 fires at P370,000.

Several people were injured when a fire razed 7 houses and damaged 3 houses in Sitio Bramans in Barangay Mambaling at 9:16 a.m. yesterday. Two hours earlier, a fire hit Sitio Caimito in Barangay Sambag I.

Barely had the firemen placed the Mambaling fire under control, another blaze broke out in Barangay Ibabao-Estancia in Mandaue City. The fire, reported at 10:15 a.m. burned down a bunkhouse, damaged a van and an auto repair shop and killed a dog and 6 chickens. For the full story, read Sun.Star Cebu’s article, “3 fires break out in 3 hours.”

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has ordered the re-blocking and road restoration in 3 sitios hit by fire in Barangay Tejero. Rama ordered 8 City Hall offices and 2 councilors to implement these in 3 days.

Rama also asked the fire department to conduct an inventory of all fire hydrants in the city after finding out that there was a fire hydrant 50 meters from the area hit by Saturday’s fire but fire fighters could not use it because it was inside a house. For the story, read The Freeman article “Tejero hydrant inside a house?: Rama orders BFP: Inspect hydrants”

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News briefing: Local governments to get smaller share of government revenues

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With lower tax collections in 2009, local governments were told to prepare for smaller share of the internal revenue allotment (IRA), Sun.Star Cebu reported yesterday.

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia, who is president of the League of Municipalities (LMP) in Cebu, said the cut in share will affect basic services and development projects. Dumanjug will get P2.9 million less than what it got last year.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Nelson’s sister, asked local government officials to “come up with alternative revenue sources, like economic enterprises.”

Mayor Garcia, however, said Cebu’s mayors are studying ways to oppose the cuts.

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Fire breaks out in Mambaling, Cebu City

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Another fire has hit Cebu City, this time in Barangay Mambaling. Radio station dyAB reported that a fire razed several houses on Natalio Bacalso Ave. near the Cebu Institute of Technology. The fire is still on-going as of this writing at 9:34 a.m. The station report that there are 5 to 7 houses made of light materials in the area. Update: dyAB has reported that the fire is starting to get under control.