This Week in Cebu (June 4 to 10, 2018)

The week will start with the sun peeking out of the clouds hovering above the Queen City of the South on Monday. However, gloomy weather will dominate the rest of the week. Friday will see rain falling down at the start of the day and in some places in the evening. The bed weather will continue until the end of the week as clouds will continue to hover above the city, so it is advisable to always bring an umbrella with you in case you are planning to paint the town red over the weekend. Temperatures for the week will range from as low as 25 0C to as high as 34 0C [1].

Passengers going to the towns of Asturias and Tuburan should be prepared to pay more if they plan to ride vans or Garage to Terminal (GT) vans. The fare increase, which ranges from PhP10 to PhP20, is mainly due to the increase in fuel prices. Currently, vans to Tuburan are charging PhP140, but this will now go up to PhP160. The fare from the terminal to Santa Lucia, Asturias will increase from PhP120 to 130, while the fare from the terminal to Bago, Asturias will go up from PhP130 to PhP140 [2].

The new terminal of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will be inaugurated on June 7, and full operations will start on June 22. Hailed by Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar as the best in Asia, Terminal 2 has a planned span of 45,000 square meters and will be expanded in the second phase. It is comparable to the best airport terminals in Asia. Del Mar added that Cebuanos will be full of pride once the new terminal will open. It will have a good and lasting impression on visitors to Cebu and the Philippines as a whole [3].

While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will delineate the standard easement zone along the shores, the local government unit (LGU) will remove any structures situated in the easement zone. This was revealed by DENR-7 Director Gilbert Gonzales since the LGUs granted the building permits to the resorts and hotels. DENR-7 is initially focusing on beach resorts located in Cebu and Bohol since they are prime tourist destinations. It is one of the main projects of the agency following the temporary closure of Boracay Island. While Mactan Island was prioritized, the agency will eventually check resorts located in Oslob and Moalboal [4].

The Environmental Management Bureau Region 7 (EMB-7) clarified an earlier report showing high levels of fecal coliform in the waters off Mactan Island. While the fecal bacteria in many of the samples taken by the agency exceeded safe levels, majority of the samples were within safe levels, according to EMB-7 Regional Director William Cuñado. This was in contrast to an earlier report indicating that all water samples did not pass the safe levels of fecal coliform in the area. Cuñado added that the intensified efforts by the government on wastewater discharge and treatment resulted to an improvement in saltwater quality around the island [5].

The recent oil price hike will have a domino effect on the prices of basic goods are expected to increase. The effects may not be felt right away, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Gladys Oro of the Consumer Protection Division at DTI Cebu said manufacturers are required to get an approval from the central office of the agency before they can make any price adjustments. The last time the price of basic goods increased in the province of Cebu was on April 16 basing on the DTI Cebu Provincial Office records [6].