This Week in Cebu (June 25 to July 1, 2018)

The week starts with rain clouds hovering over the Queen City of the South. While Tuesday and Wednesday will be mainly cloudy, this will change by Thursday with thunderstorms expected from morning till night. The rainy weather will continue over the weekend as rain showers and thunderstorms keep the sun from shining. A brief respite is expected on Sunday when the sun will get the chance to peek from behind the clouds in the morning. Temperatures for the week range from 240 C up to 330 C [1].

When the construction of the Mambaling underpass started in August 2017, motorists and commuters had to endure heavy traffic going to and from the southern part of the city. The construction was initially expected to be completed by March 2019. But, it appears it will be completed by December 2018, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7). Engr. Roy Dela Cruz said the project is 75 percent complete and the underpass is expected to be usable by January or February of next year. For the moment, at least 14 traffic enforcers are deployed in the area to help facilitate the flow of traffic [2].

AirAsia is set to transfer a number of international flights to the newly-inaugurated Terminal 2 of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on July 1. Captain Dexter Comendador, CEO of the airline, said the relocation of several flights to the new terminal provides the airline great capacity for long-term growth and expansion in Cebu as its hub. Among the international flights that will use Terminal 2 are flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur, Hangzhou, Singapore, Incheon, Shenzhen, and Taipei. The Cebu to Shanghai service of AirAsia, which is set to start on July 7, will also use the new terminal [3].

Cebu tourism stakeholders met at the Waterfront Mactan Hotel and Casino recently to discuss the findings of government agencies on overcrowding and E. coli contamination of the coastal areas of Mactan Island. Businessmen joined government representatives to find ways to avoid having the same fate as Boracay Island, which was temporarily closed for rehabilitation. Among the concerns tackled were easement violations by resorts and developers. The group also discussed the use of water treatment facilities and discharge of clean water into the coastal areas. Tourism stakeholders were asked to organize a group to monitor the self-rehabilitation of the island and ensure the proper implementation of environmental laws [4].

The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) is set to step up its efforts in running after unregistered motorized bancas (small boats) in Central Visayas. The government agency received reports that many of these unregistered watercrafts are operating from different towns of Cebu and Barangay Pasil in Cebu City. They ferry passengers to and from Camotes Island, Bantayan Island, Leyte, and Bohol. Marina 7 Director Venancio Vero Jr. said a permit is required before a motorized banca is built. It should also be built by a licensed boat maker. If no permit is secured, fines will be imposed on the owner of the boat and the boat maker [5].

A drug test is no longer a requirement to get or renew a driver’s license. This comes after the 19th Division of the Court of Appeals reversed the decision of a regional trial court that ordered the Land Transportation Office to implement mandatory drug testing. Anyone looking to get or renew a driver’s license will save over PhP200, which is the cost of a drug test [6].