This Week in Cebu and Bohol (July 24 to 30, 2022)

Cebu City informs the locals and tourists to take caution while traveling the Queen City of the South since crime cases have been reported to be rampant, mainly theft and snatching cases. In the last weeks of June, 21 have been reported in Cebu City, logging a total of 202 snatching cases, according to Cebu City Police.

Lt. Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay reported that the numbers were higher than last year, and theft was the most prevalent crime case logged. She added that the lenient restrictions and policies that have eased were one of the causes of the increasing crime reports.

With this, the public is advised to stay vigilant, especially in crowded places. You may also opt not to bring your valuables and expensive belongings with you when you roam in the crowd. However, Macatangay expressed that the rampant cases of snatching should not cause panic since the instances of snatching are just 0.02 percent when regarded to the whole population of Cebu City. [1]

The announcement of the full in-person face-to-face classes has been disseminated and shall commence all over the country, slowly transitioning from August to November. However, the Cebu transport groups declare that they are still not ready for the resumption of classes, and one of the reasons is that passenger jeepneys in Cebu province are not enough to accommodate commuters.

Bayan Central Visayas Chair Jaime Paglinawan confirms this, saying that they are now working to scrap pending fines among jeepney drivers so that they can proceed and start operations. During a transport summit, Paglinawan told a local news source that they still do not have sufficient funds to pay for the fines, plus the high prices of oil and gasoline.

Concerned transport groups shall submit their issues and concerns through a position paper, said Paglinawan. They shall raise their concerns to various local government units (LGUs), lawmakers, and government agencies.

Meanwhile, in Bohol, the full face-to-face classes shall start, given all areas in the country to prepare and be ready until November 2 before the official start of classes.

Bohol Schools Division Superintendent Bianito Dagatan, educational institutions, and schools still have the option to hold full in-person classes. They have blended or distance learning upon the start of the school year this August. A school must maintain full in-person classes five days a week. Meanwhile, blended classes will require three days of physical, in-person classes and two days of distance learning, or have physical classes four days a week, and one day will be allotted for distance learning.

To note, the Philippines belongs to those few countries that have not yet returned to the new normal, physical face-to-face classes.

In Bohol, the Land Transporation Office (LTO) opened its upgraded extension office in Talibon Town, making it an independent district government office.

Former President Duterte has already approved the bill for the LTO district office’s transition, and it has finally been established. In this development, personnel assigned in Bohol’s Tagbilaran District Office may return to further serve the public and extend their services.

Cebu is once again acknowledged as among the world’s best islands, together with Palawan and Boracay.

These islands in the Philippines were listed under the World’s Best Islands by a New-York based magazine in the Travel and Leisure sections. Cebu is listed as the 16th best island among 25 others, with a score of 90.12.

In the international magazine, islands and tourist destinations all over the world are surveyed and rated according to activities, sights and sceneries, beaches, hotspot attractions, food and dining, friendliness, and overall value of the place. Readers of the Travel and Leisure and World’s Best Island Awards wanted to discover more of the stunning beaches and coasts all over the world while reexamining and having a glimpse of the dreamy island life.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco is proud to have three islands in the Philippines chosen to be among the best along with other international destinations. She says that the country is indeed blessed to be home to one of the most beautiful and unrivaled natural resources and stunning spots, with the Filipinos’ warmth and talent. [4]

Italy’s Ischia Island topped the said prestigious list.

Following the upscale of tourism in the Philippines, Bohol also fully reopened its tourism sites to the public, particularly in the municipality of Danao, Bohol province. Danao, Bohol is popularly regarded as Bohol’s adventure capital, and the reopening of the tourism spots in this municipality will further help revive the tourism and economy in Bohol. The Danao Adventure Park is among the reopened tourism sites in Baranggay Magtangtang.

Almost 80 stalls in Cebu Freedom Public Park were destroyed last July 18, and the vendors of Cebu City’s historic Carbon Market refused to abide and leave in peace.

Around 8:00 AM, many people gathered for a protest in the area and went against the order of the Cebu City Market Administration. More people came to join the protest, but police authorities immediately responded in the area to ensure the demolition was pushed through.

The vendors are set to be transferred near where their previous stalls used to stand, and the Office of the City Markets declared that old stalls are demolished to clear the pathways. However, hearing the vendor’s side regarding this makes the demolition hard to reinforce for them. Vendors demand if they may be given the option to choose between paying high rental fees at the new selling area or selling their products in a closed area and section of the market with fewer customers. Some of them would claim that the new fees for the rent, tariffs, and other charges are too high for them.

Cebu City is set to implement stricter COVID vaccination programs for the youth and minors in preparation for the full in-person, face-to-face classes. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has already ordered the government’s city health department to further augment the vaccination programs for the youth and ensure that most of them will also be inoculated with booster shots.

In this order, more house–to-house vaccinations shall be imposed, and vaccination sites in schools will be opened. The mayor said that everyone, especially the students and children, should be prepared for the resumption of face-to-face classes.

The Department of Education has also declared that implementation of physical, in-person classes will be final regardless of the alert level of each respective area in the country.

Central Visayas logs an uptick in new COVID cases in the region, as also announced by the Department of Health (DOH) Region 7. The latest health bulletin announces 191 new cases of COVID in Central Visayas, recording a total of 570 active cases.

The current increase makes the daily positivity rate of the region reach 50%, according to DOH. The health department continuously reminds the public to adhere to the minimum health and safety protocols, even if an area is under Alert Level 1 or 2.

Mandaue, Cebu excitingly prepares for the upcoming Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival this August.

Chairperson of the Committee on Tourism and at the same time, City Councilor Immaline Cortes-Zafra announced that they had already opened the applications for choreographers who want to apply and contribute to the city’s festival. The councilor said they will highlight the Panagtagbo Festival, the meeting of Sto. Niño, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Virgin of the Rule.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia also says that the provincial government will give financial assistance amounting to 1 million pesos to all LGUs in mainland Cebu who will participate in the said festivities.

Forty-nine LGUs are among the participants in the said festival, and the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Cebu will be guest contingents.

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