This Week in Cebu and Bohol (May 29 to June 4, 2022)

Logs of COVID cases show optimistic records of below 1% positivity rate as of the past two months, reported by Cebu City’s Emergency Operations Center.

Councilor Joel Garganera, the EOC deputy chief implementer, says that records remain at only 23 COVID cases as of May 21; four were reported on the same day. [1]

Garganera added that Cebu City has safely passed within the World Health Organization’s threshold of 5%. However, he also emphasized that the public should still be vigilant through social media posts.

The occupancy rate in intensive care unit beds specialized to accommodate COVID cases, and isolation beds and ventilators used in designated health facilities also show low numbers. Specifically, only 0.88% of beds in private hospitals were used, whereas 0.86% in public hospitals and facilities.

Also, in Cebu City, 13 public schools are already holding face-to-face classes, with a smooth launching last May 17. The Department of Education (DepEd)-Cebu City Division reported such and allowed the following schools to resume face-to-face classes: Adlaon Integrated School, Bitlang Integrated School, Cantipla Integrated School, DEOSIS, Lusaran National High School, Mangabon Elementary School, Pamutan Integrated School, Sibugay Integrated School, Sinsin Elementary School, Sinsin National High School, Tabunan Integrated School, Tagba-o National High School, and Taptap Integrated School.

The schools, as mentioned above, are located in areas that have recorded no active COVID cases for the previous months. These schools were then granted a safety seal by the regional office of DepEd, which allowed each school to resume the face-to-face classes.

While these schools currently have their respective face-to-face classes, more schools in Cebu City are also preparing to resume the limited face-to-face classes on or before May.

A list of 37 schools was released by DepEd Cebu City Schools Division which was carefully selected among barangays who have tallied zero active COVID cases for the past two months. These selected schools are transitioning to getting each safety seal issued by the Department of Health (DOH) and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

The initial setup of the limited face-to-face classes shall only limit 15 to 20 students for the high school level and 10 to 15 students only for the elementary level.

The schools set to resume and operate their face-to-face classes starting May 30 are: Abellana National School, Apas National High School, Babag Integrated School, Banawa Elementary School, Barrio Luz National High School, Basak Community Elementary School, Bonbon Elementary School, Bonbon National High School, Budlaan Integrated School, Camp Lapu-Lapu Elementary School, Cebu City National Science High School, City Central School, Don Carlos Gothong M National High School, First High School for the Hearing Impaired, Hipodorom Elementary School, Hipodromo National High School, Labangon Elementary School, Lahug Elementary School, Lahug National High School, Mabolo Elementary School, Mabolo National High School, Mambaling National High School, Oprra National High School, Pasil Elementary School, Pit-os National High School, Punta Princesa Elementary School, San Jose Elementary School, San Nicolas Elementary School, Sawang Calero Elementary School, Sudlon Elementary School, Sudlon National High School, Tagbao Elementary School, Talamaban Elementary School, Tejero Elementary School, Tejero National High School, Zapatera Elementary School, and Zapatera National High School. [2]

Meanwhile, in Bohol, DepEd also now allows physical graduation rites and moving up ceremonies to be conducted in schools that have complied with the required government clearances under the health and safety restrictions in Bohol.

According to DepEd Bohol School Governance and Operations Division Chief Danilo Gudelusao, schools must apply for a new authorization to hold the physical and face-to-face ceremonies. These also include those already conducting the face-to-face classes and those who have already been granted a safety seal. He also added that clearance is required since parents and other family members will attend the said gatherings.

This July, Cebu Pacific shall resume its international flights from Mactan Cebu International Airport.

Starting on July 3, Cebu Pacific shall cater two weekly flights from Cebu to Seoul as South Korea imposes fewer travel restrictions for foreign tourists and travelers.

Cebu Pacific Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao says that in the upcoming months of 2022, Cebu Pacific plans to expand their international network since the airline has already been stably operating at almost a hundred percent pre-pandemic capacity.

Fully vaccinated travelers bound to Korea shall secure a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours of departure, a legitimate vaccination certificate, and a completed foreigner registration card.

With this, Filipinos can now also apply for a Korean tourist visa. The Korean embassy now allows the application and issuance of all types of visas in the Philippines starting June 1. South Korea also reminds all Filipinos who plan to travel there that health and safety protocols should still be observed and that quarantine and medical testing for unvaccinated individuals are required.

On a closer scope, a free bus ride in Cebu can now be availed by Cebuano commuters as Cebu’s northern and southern localities launch the national government’s Libre Sakay program. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) office has approved more routes for Cebu’s free bus ride. Regional director Eduardo Montealto Jr. also added that the office of LTFRB-7 authorizes the routes of the free rides and the Libre Sakay under the national government’s service contracting program of the Department of Transportation.

Twenty-three routes have been added for the free bus ride to accommodate Cebuano passengers from the south and north Cebu areas. Another route added shall also accommodate those bound to catch a flight through the route passing the Talisay-Mactan Cebu International Airport corridor.

Added routes for the Libre Sakay approved: Cebu North Bus Terminal going to Borbon and Tabogon, Cebu City to Bogo and Tuburan, and a special route from Carmen town in North Cebu province to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Cebuanos and other local passengers bound to and from Alcoy, Moalboal, Pinamungajan, and Balamban may also avail the Libre Sakay program.

There are also six routes for the free ride program in Bohol from Tagbilaran City to six towns in the province.

Good news awaits drivers in Central Visayas! The Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the Central Visayas region officially announced the opening of more offices specifically to accommodate more clients and aid in the faster processing of its services—such as licensing and vehicle registration.

New LTO full-service district offices in Cebu will be in Alcoy, Southern Cebu, and Liloan in Northern Cebu.

Bohol shall also open its Tagbilaran City Drivers’ License Renewal Offices (DLROs) at Island City Mall in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, in Medellin, Cebu, one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Cebu province, recently highlighted its popular Bamboo Forest and became famous for the Aisle of Medellin. This municipality by the north is also planning to become Cebu’s Golfing Capital and Bonsai Capital, as affirmed by Gyles Anthony Villamor, Medellin Tourism Head.

Travelers will delight in traveling to Medellin, Cebu, as the municipality offers more attractive tourist spots and destinations.

Speaking of Cebu’s latest tourist attractions, an ancestral house in Barangay Parian, Cebu City, has been declared important cultural property. This ancestral house in Cebu is the Yap-San Diego house, one of the only two oldest Chinese houses built outside China. It was initially constructed as a bahay kubo or native house and then a bahay na bato or stone house. Visitors and travelers can drop by and visit the Sandiego ancestral house near Parian Monument, a heritage spot in Cebu City, located on Colon Street, the oldest street in the Philippines.

For travelers in Cebu for a night out party, Cebu can be a place for that because of the resumption of Cebu’s nightlife spots plus the opening of a few nights out bars, clubs, and lounges.

Such bars and clubs that travelers and party animals can visit are Verified Lounge located at Avenir Building rooftop, Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City, La Plage Club at Ouano Ave., North Reclamation Area, Mandaue City, Cebu, Maya Mexican Restaurant at Crossroads Mall, Banilad, Cebu City, Asmara Urban Resort and Lifestyle Village at 1 Paseo Saturnino, Cebu City, X Marks The Spot at Queensland Manor, Rahmann St., Cebu City, and Trademark Cebu at 88th Avenue, Gov. M. Cuenco Ave., Cebu City. [4]

In Mactan, Cebu pioneering business and leisure project, Amisa Private Residences offers resort-inspired living and breathtaking sceneries with their resort-inspired property.

The property offers a scenic, panoramic view of Magellan Bay, Olango Island, and the Hilutungan Channel, therefore capturing the picture-perfect seascape of Cebu.

Another successful establishment launched in Cebu is the Primeway Suites Cebu, a luxury hotel near Fuente Osmeña Circle, a famous historical landmark. The hotel is ideally at the city’s heart, where all significant establishments, schools, and commercial spaces converge. The conveniently accessible location lets guests and travelers enjoy the best of Cebu’s shopping, dining, nightlife, and other must-visit spots in Cebu without having to go far.

In Central Visayas, only 1,470 individuals have already received their second booster jabs. This record only shows 0.2% of the eligible population of over 650,000.

Cebu City logs the biggest number of vaccinated individuals with the second booster dose, inoculating 915 individuals or 0.6% of the eligible population. [3]

Bohol follows with 207 individuals logged, and that would be 0.2% of its eligible population. [5]

A dengue outbreak is slowly emerging in Cebu and Bohol.

Cebu City has recently recorded a significantly high number of dengue cases of 422 from January to May, higher than last year. The Bohol Provincial Health Office (PHO) also reports an alarming rise of dengue cases at 521.

Cebu City Health Department (CHD) Chief Dr. Jeffrey Ibones reports that deaths caused by dengue have reached 36, also higher than the same period in the previous year. Whereas in Bohol, PHO officer-in-charge Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez reports no deaths so far, compared to last year with one death record. Lopez warns the public that a dengue epidemic might happen this year if people are not careful.

Ibones states that one factor in the high rise of dengue cases is the recent typhoons that have hit the country. He also added that the public should learn to eradicate mosquitoes through the ‘search and destroy’. Ibones added that the CHD should collaborate with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to further their campaign in fighting the dengue outbreak.

Lopez also emphasized the need to reactivate Barangay Dengue Brigades and apply the ‘search and destroy’ strategy while efficiently doing house-to-house sanitation.

Cebuano consumers are urged to be vigilant in buying banned beauty and cosmetic products.

Banned beauty creams are rampant in Cebu City, reports the Environment watchdog EcoWaste Coalition. In Colon Street downtown, skin whitening creams manufactured in China are still being sold to unsuspecting customers, even though such beauty creams have already been banned.

EcoWaste Coalition has also discovered stores in a mall on the same street selling banned product variants of Jiaoli and S’Zitang.

These banned beauty products have been found to contain excessive amounts of mercury, which, according to the Food and Drug Administration, can further lead to skin rashes, skin discoloration, kidney damage, scarring, and neurodevelopmental deficits in fetuses or babies.

In the province of Cebu, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia plans to upgrade all provincial hospitals under her administration.

Garcia added that two provincial hospitals in Danao City and Bogo City in Northern Cebu should be improved.

This upgrade would permit more specialists and more doctors, increase bed capacity and upgrade medical equipment in Cebu’s provincial hospitals.

Cebu still has 12 district hospitals to improve, which Garcia promised.

The Sunday Carbon Cebu Night Market has been officially launched at Carbon Market Bagsakan Area and interim market.

The launch was led by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama last May 22.

The Carbon Cebu Night Market will serve as an avenue for Cebu’s various local flavors and products to be showcased. This event also paved the way for Cebuano entrepreneurs to reach more customers and help the business activity in Cebu City recover.

Cebu’s weekly night market has been a new tourist spot attraction since its soft opening on the last Sunday of April.

Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more travel and COVID-19 updates and guidelines in Cebu and Bohol!