This Week in Cebu (November 18 to 24, 2018)

Bring your rain gear if you are planning a trip to Cebu this week. The Queen City of the South is set to experience rainy weather throughout the week. Sunday will be the last chance you will get to see the sun as clouds will start to cover old Sol. Monday will be mostly cloudy with a rain shower expected in the afternoon followed by a thunderstorm in the evening. Stormy weather will dominate the rest of the week with heavy showers soaking the city until the weekend. Temperatures for the week are expected to be between 24°C and 31°C [1].

A voluntary proposal from Tokagawa Global Corporation will set the stage for the modernization of the on-street parking system of Cebu. In the proposal, the system will transmit parking information into a website real time. The information will include parking fees collected per street and for every collector. Aside from implementing an intelligent system, the private company will also rehabilitate the streets without any cost to the city [2].

Rehabilitation of major streets of Cebu, including historic Colon Street, will start once the proposal is approved.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) is expecting more flights coming in and out of the airport after it received a certification from the International Organization for Standardization. MCIAA attained the ISO 9001:2015 certification for meeting the quality management system requirements [3].

With the certification, global carriers may now consider Cebu as one of their hubs in the region. It also shows the competitiveness of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport with other international airports around the world. Flights to and from Cebu is also expected to increase. In fact, Cebu is set to become the first destination of Tigerair Taiwan in the Philippines by December 1.

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 7 issued a notice of violation to 337 beach resorts in Central Visayas. Most of these resorts are located in Cebu. Having no wastewater treatment facilities, these resorts violate the Clean Water Act. Resorts without these facilities are required to build or enhance existing facilities to protect the environment [4].

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has already warned the resorts to follow the law or face closure. In response to the order of the DOT, resorts in Mactan Island have already started policing themselves. It can be recalled that Boracay Island reopened recently after being shut down for a six-month rehabilitation.

The Sinulog Foundation organizers are set to remove obstructions from the streets for Sinulog 2019. Aside from disallowing parking along the parade route, a “No Parking Zone” will also be implemented around the Basilica del Sto. Niño from January 10 to 19, 2019.

Parties along the parade route will also be prohibited from January 19 to 21. The prohibition is intended to make the festivities more meaningful and dynamic. The Sinulog Grand Parade will still follow the same route as last year from Imus Road to General Maxilom Ave before rounding Fuente Osmeña and going through Osmeña Boulevard to the Cebu City Sports Center [5].

Environmental protection is necessary to attract visitors as well as ensure the safety of the residents of Cebu. In connection to this, lawyers of the Naga City landslide victims are seeking the issuance of a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) against quarrying operations in Cebu. The EPO is intended to stop these operations in the mountains, which are prone to landslides. In addition to preventing future tragedies, the order is also sought to protect the remaining natural resources of Cebu as well as rehabilitating areas that were already damaged [6].