‘Manila still first in ban on smoking’
LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS
By Sandy Araneta WITH the City of Manila being the first local government unit in the Philippines to enforce a citywide smoking ban way back in 1969, Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Friday said he is elated he has maintained the capital city’s distinction as a “model city” in the anti-smoking campaign. Estrada said he believes that with the recent passage of Ordinance No. 7812, or “The Smoke-Free Ordinance of the City Government of Manila,” he has cemented Manila’s title as the pioneer city that introduced a comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance 48 years ago. “Our city has always been the first in putting premium to public health,” the mayor said. “With our new smokefree ordinance, we will show to everyone that we are indeed serious in taking care of the people’s health.” Warning smokers the city will not be lenient in enforcing the anti-smoking law that prescribes up to P5,000 in fine and three-day imprisonment, Estrada said he will see to it that every violator “will learn a lesson or two and serve as an example to others.” Upon the urging of thenManila Mayor Antonio Villegas, Estrada recounted that the city council enacted Ordinance No. 6842 on Jan. 17, 1969, which strictly prohibits smoking in buildings, bars and restaurants, factories and plants, public theaters, inside elevators, and in public utility vehicles. Violators back then were fined P100 and imprisonment of 20 days, or both. “Even before a national law against smoking was passed, Mayor Villegas made Manila as a nonsmoking city that prohibited smoking inside the buildings, including the public transports and movie theaters,” Estrada noted. After quitting smoking last December, Estrada ordered a citywide smoking ban last February, calling on the Manileños to follow his example. “I will not remind our countrymen again. The bad effects of smoking on health is not a joke,” he said. On March 30, the Sangguniang Panglungsod unanimously approved in third and final reading Ordinance No. 7812 or the “Smoke-Free Ordinance of the City Government of Manila.” Authored by Councilor Casimiro Sison, the new ordinance is intended to support the implementation of the old law, Ordinance No. 7748 that has been in effect since 1991. It prohibits smoking in all enclosed spaces and establishments such as bars, restaurants, public theaters, and malls; factories and plants, public utility vehicles, classrooms and school grounds, hospitals and clinics, and markets, among others.
Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017
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A reminder of Bataan Day M By Honor Blanco Cabie
OUNT Samat, Bataan—Two days before the full moon in April, many elderly Filipinos will join the younger generation of their countrymen mark, yet again, the day Filipinos and their American comrades surrendered to Japan’s Imperial troops on April 9.
The surrender, under the scorching Philippine sun that summer, had its genesis with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Dec 7, 1941, Dec 8 in the Philippines. The attack prompted the United States’ immediate declaration—the day after—of war against Japan. The war in the Pacific theater had begun. Germany and Italy, both allies of Japan, declared war against the United States and Britain, igniting the global war. The war in Europe itself was triggered by the invasion of Poland by the Germans on Sept. 1, 1939. But the war was fundamentally a conflict between two ideologies: Democracy and totalitarianism. When Japan was included in the alliance of Germany and Italy, they were called the Axis Powers. By 1941, Japan, with an expanding population, was on its way to conquer other territories, two of which were Manchuria and Indochina. This brought the Philippines yet again on the war map after Emperor Hirohito’s Imperial Forces and Kamikaze fighters occupied the country for three years and put their foot down on civil liberties. This rudely interrupted the 10-year preparatory period for the restoration of Philippine Independence, known as the Commonwealth. The country’s economy was pushed to meet the demands of the Japanese war efforts, its educational
structure dismantled to enable the Filipinos to think along Tokyo’s track, and political life was shaped The celebration of the summer surrender—on April 9, 1942—of Filipinos and American troops to the Japanese forces comes amid a fast changing political and economic landscape as the Philippines continues to make a pivot towards other countries. Exports to Hong Kong have increased by 20.7 percent, followed by those from China (23.6 percent, the US (21.2 percent), Singapore (16.8 percent), the Asean countries (19.3 percent) and the EU countries (82.5 percent). In contrast, sales to Japan, the country’s top export destination decreased by 6.6 percent. Since the 1980s, the Philippines has opened the domestic economy to foreign markets, and established a network of free trade agreements with several countries. The United States is one of the Philippines top trading partner. In 2010, according to US Department of Commerce data, trade between the Philippines and US amounted to $15.4 billion. The US was also the Philippines’ largest foreign investor, with foreign direct investment close to $6 billion at the end of 2009. The war veterans, the commentariat and history buffs will once more gather at the memorial shrine complex in the town of Pilar overlooking Manila Bay established to honor and remember the gallantry of Filipino and American soldiers who fought during the bloody second world war. The park, which echoed with gun bursts in April 1942, has become a tourist attraction and consists of a Colonnade and a large Memorial Park, which was commissioned in 1966 by then President Ferdinand Marcos, a decorated soldier during the war, for the 25th anniversary of World War II. Historians say the white Memorial Cross stands as a remembrance to the soldiers who fought and lost their lives in the Battle of Bataan. The 73,665-hectare shrine complex—designed by Lorenzo del Castillo and landscaped by Dolly QuimboPerez, also includes a war museum with a wide array of collections from paintings of Filipino heroes, to armaments used by the Filipino, American and Japanese
forces during the battle. From the Colonnade and the Cross, there is a panoramic view of Bataan, Corregidor Island and, on a clear day, the country’s capital city of Manila, some 50 kms across the often-placid Manila Bay. War veterans will once more recall on April 9 that among the fiercest battles were fought on the scorched slopes of Mount Samat. It was on April 9, 1942 when some 78,000 Filipino and American troops surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Forces, in the words of its commanding officer Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainright, Jr., “to end the useless effusion of blood” on the peninsula. The Battle of Bataan had ended. But it was, in the view of a soldier who fought there, the beginning of yet another battle—not to fight but to stay alive. It was on the slopes of this mountain that battlescarred and exhausted American and Filipino soldiers surrendered to the Japanese, ending the organized resistance of the US Armed Forces in the Far East in the early months of the Pacific war. Only 54,000 men, including some from Pinili in far Ilocos Norte, survived the subsequent “Death March” of 112 kms on hot, dusty roads across the Bataan peninsula to San Fernando in Pampanga before the train ride to a piteously congested prison camp in the now lahar-devastated Central Luzon Plains town of Capas in Tarlac. The town is about 10 kms northwest of the site of the Kamikaze—sometimes referred to as the Divine Wind —Airfield in Mabalacat, off the northeast perimeter fence of Clark Economic Zone. But many, decades after the notorious Death March, waited in vain for justice. In March 2004, one of those who participated in the Death March, retired Col. Bartolome Gacad, wore on his death bed a T-shirt that read “Justice for the Filipino WW II veterans.” It was a powerful reminder of a controversy that had resonated for decades, after what military historians had described as one of the worst atrocities of World War II. Each passing year, the veteran lines were getting thinner. But their search for justice was a continuing, if painful, drama.
CdO swimming resort reopens after 20 years By Lance Baconguis
RESCUE TRAINING. Summer is also the perfect time for training in water-based
search and rescue operations, as proven by this team of Pagsanjan’s ‘Wasar’ group practicing with the Philippine Army under the initiative of Mayor Girlie ‘Maita’ JavierEjercito and former governor Jeorge ‘ER’ Ejercito. Roy Tomandao
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—After more than 20 years of neglect, the city government-owned Lawndale Spring swimming pool complex has completed its reboot, and opens to the public on April 8 in time for the summer season. Constructed in the 1980s, Lawndale Spring was constructed by the city government to commemorate its city sisterhood with Lawndale, California, USA. The spring is surrounded with lush forests, and the spring produces 600 gallons of fresh, cold water per minute. The redesigned resort now has five pools, including an Olympic-sized pool. It also features a separate pool for persons with disability, with ramps and handle bars. The two kiddie pools also feature a ramp for easy access for PWD children. Machines filter the water in the pools, to ensure it is clean and fit for swimming. Mayor Oscar Moreno said he is happy with the result of the project to reinvigorate the tourism site. “Obviously, we are happy with the result, this is just a start, we can do more, develop this site even more,” Moreno said. “With the limited resources we
have, this is more than we can ask for.” According to Councilor Jay Roa Pascual, the city spent P20 million to redevelop the complex. The entire complex was demolished and redesigned, the old lone swimming pool was covered, and the water source was recovered and rehabilitated, Pascual said. The resort now employs 10 lifeguards who are trained and certified by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department in life saving and basic life support. They are also certified by the Philippine Red Cross certification for Basic Life Support. The City Tourism Office said the resort is already fully booked with reservations for the entire month of April. Nipa huts and concrete cottages are available for rent. It also has a barbecue area. Pascual said the resort prohibits alcoholic beverages and smoking. “Since this is a public and family resorts, in line with anti-smoking in public spaces campaign of the government,” he added. Moreno said it is imperative the city government invests in the development of Lawndale Spring, “not just to make it as tourism attraction in the city, but in the near future, for the entire region.”
Camiguin all set for ‘Panaad,’ influx of 40k tourists to island By Lance Baconguis
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Camiguin Island is all set and ready for the annual “Panaad,” a weeklong Holy Week observance where more than 40,000 tourists flock to the island province. Panaad is the equivalent of the Catholic “Panata” in the Tagalog region. Tourists who participate in the rite would have to walk the island’s 64-kilometer circumferential road and climb the walkway leading to Mount Hibok-Hibok, where Stations of the Cross are located. Devotees usually start their walk around the island at 5 p.m., completing it within 24 hours before climbing the Walkway in Catarman town.
Police Supt. Wilbur Salaguste, Camiguin Provincial Police Deputy Director said they have already recalled all police officers assigned to the island and have canceled all leaves. “All our police have been accounted for, and we are all ready for the influx of tourists,” he said. Police will be deploying Explosives and Ordnance Division operatives at the Benoni port as well, he added. Salaguste also added the provincial government has prohibited drinking and smoking in religious sites. Data from the Camiguin Tourism Office shows the island’s room occupancy during Holy Week grows 100 percent, while other tourists would camp out in beaches, along the road, and other tourist destinations.
Early tourists to Camiguin take a picture in front of the cross marking the island’s popular Sunken Cemetery. The island province expects a huge influx of tourists for the Holy Week. Lance Baconguis
Mayor Sara promises support for Davao airport development By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte has vowed to support the improvement of the Davao International Airport here. Duterte said though the development or transfer of the airport is under the national government’s purview, she will fully support its development. “My take is just that Davao City
should have its own airport. To improve it? I will definitely support it,” the mayor said. The proposal of the development of the Davao airport, also known as Francisco Bangoy International Airport, has been around as early as 2014, Duterte noted. The proposed modernization of the airport would cost P40.57 billion. Several International governments
are considering partnering with the government to develop the airport. Recently, British Ambassador Asif Ahmad expressed the interest of United Kingdom to partner with the Philippines in developing the Davao airfield. “I know from the people I’ve spoken here that the next face of Davao Airport is coming along. The [sea] port is something that were also interested in,” Ah-
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mad said. During the visit of Chinese 3rd Vice Premier Wang Yang, the Davao airport project was also proposed to the city for a possible public-private partnership. City Planning and Development Office head Ivan Cortez said the Chinese are proposing a floating airport for the international flights, while the current airport would accommodate domestic flights.
“China is suggesting that we have another airport for international flights,” Cortez said. “We have a regular meeting with the six-division China construction company, and they are saying that we just need to tell them what we need and they will provide it.” The proposed Davao airport project is already with the national government’s PPP Board.