Mantalaan Volume 1 Issue 1 by Tonett Magallanes

MANTALAAN Stay smart. Be entertained.

The Official Gazette of Cagayan de Oro City

Lead Story Headline

September 20, 2013, Friday. Volume 1 Issue 1

Inside this issue: City Council approves water rate hike

City gov’t launches BLT program

Mendicant no more

When there was Friday-Saturday lights

City Council approves water rate hike

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By Tonett Magallanes The City council approved a 30-percent increase of water rate for the residents of Cagayan de Oro, including Opol and Casinglot in Misamis Oriental. Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) General Manager Rachel Beja said that the water rate adjustment has been approved by the Local Water Utilities Administration during a meeting together with the City Council committee on public utilities headed by Councilor Roger Abaday on September 12, Thursday.

MANTALAAN Mantalaan is a Cebuano word which means masthead, newspaper or tabloid.

The said 30-percent water rate increase will be implemented on a staggered basis for 80,000 water consumers. The first part will take effect on November 1 this year with a 10-percent rate adjustment generating the minimum charge from P168 for the first ten cubic meters to P184.80 for residen tial consumers and from P336 for the first ten cubic meters to P369.60 for commercial users. The succeeding adjustments will be carried out on February 1 and May 1 next year.

Acording to Beja, the approved water adjustment is proposed to maintain the utilities, perform necessary improvements especially on the reparation of pipelines and defective meters and to fund water expansion projects such as the non-revenue water (NRW) reduction program. The adjustment will also help cover the inflationary cost of electricity, oil and other consumables used in operations since 2007.

City Gov’t launches BLT program By Rezza Tolinero

Photo by PIA 10 With the aim to improve the health, nutrition and early education of children, the Cagayan de Oro City Government starts the Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT) Program on September 17 at Balulang Elementary School. In partnership with Jollibee Group Foundation, this > BLT Program, ❷

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opinion MANTALAAN

Mendicant no more

e’ve all been in a situation wherein we’re constantly followed by determined beggars to ask alms from us; poking, giving a businessman alike sales talk, using pitiful cradled infants as bate, and the so called “friendship status” which they use when you usually meet them on streets. These were just few of their evolving tactics just to ensure that passer-by can lend an amount to them. This insinuated act must not be tolerated as the more we give, the more they develop self-reliance to others. Good thing that our City Government is mapping out plans to combat this rising dilemma. The City Social Welfare and Development By Jade Alfie Sale Armed innuendo (CSWD) head Teddy Sabugaa had been mandated by the City Mayor to start campaigns aimed to stop people from giving alms to the beggars. He also ordered the CSWD to strictly impose the Presidential Decree 1563 or the AntiMendicancy Law. By the way, what is AntiMendicancy Law or the PD 1563? Well this law is all about establishing an integrating system for the control and eradication of mendicancy – depending on alms for a living, providing penalty, appropriating funds therefore, and for other purposes. Do we even know that we have this law? Why was it only brought up now? If we had this law since then, why would this problem be constantly on rise? Well, cheers to the higher ups!

*** The CSWD also revealed that majority of these child beggars were exploited by adults. They were already planning to contain these child beggars and send them to Boys Town, Sabuga-a said that the social workers would then try to identify their parents and teach them how to earn without sending their children to beg on the streets. The said sector would also tap the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) to help in training the beggars. For now, certain measures were already been brought up by the City Government to end up this dilemma. But still the public has to take part by not anymore giving alms to those beggars. Mendicancy breeds crimes and exposes mendicants to indignities and degradation, an immediate need to provide appropriate services to enable mendicants to meet their needs and develop self reliance is in dire at stake. So let’s all take part in making our place a child- friendly city where mendicancy is just a word in the dictionary.

MANTALAAN Rezza Mae Tolinero Editor –in-chief Mary Antoinette Magallanes Layout artist Jade Alfie Sale Erika Carmela Inovero Writers

BLT program... from page 1 feeding program will accommodate 40 malnourished children aged 0-6 years old from selected schools in the city for 120 days. 40 pupils from kindergarten to grade 3 in Balulang Elementary School feasted on the vegetable balls-- comprised of crushed horse radish or malunggay, kangkong, carrots and tuna, slice of banana and fish soup which were prepared by their parents. “Ang mga kulang na nutrisyon sa bata kinahanglan na atong apason para mahimo siya nga epektibo na estudyante (We should meet the child’s proper nutrition so that he or she can become an effective student), ” says Teddy Sabuga-a, City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Officer during the program. He also added that the City has been focusing on the formative years of children as “we are trying to make a social development to our future leaders.” On the three major components that CSWD is working on namely health, nutrition and education, Sabuga-a highlighted nutrition as the most important component which has a greater impact on the two other components. As the representative of City Mayor Oscar Moreno, Sabuga-a relayed that the Mayor intends to separate CSWD from other departments in order to set a program focusing on children aged 0 to 6 years old particularly on early childhood care and development. The Department of Education (DepEd) together with the city and barangay officials has also placed their support for the said activity.

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Photo by: http://www.fotopedia.com/albums/NZS3kQxzF1c

feature

By: Erika Carmela B. Inovero

ometimes the most important thing during a whole week is to uplift the atmosphere in ones mind. The challenge lies in knowing how to bring this sort of week with wisdom. After the long days of stress and sorrow, the sole workable solution is to relax, serene, and enjoy a night out. Give your stress wings and let it fly away. For the past ten years, families and friends would look forward to the night bazaar, live bands, and food trips in Divisoria every Friday and Saturday night. During 2003, the city government of Cagayan de Oro converted a large section of the Golden Friendship Park into an open-air restaurant called Night Café. It’s a nightlife place at the heart of the city where all class of people gather together to dine and unwind. Night Café became a tourist attraction for it was something uniquely Kagayanon before the rest followed. Indeed, a great venue for expats and local tourists to experience Kagayanon Cuisines and converse with the local folks. Though not exactly the same, but

our own version of night cafes and markets found in Hong Kong and Singapore. It similarly offers “Halal” food for Muslims just like in Mecca. Some streets are also closed to transform them into a miniKhao San Road (Bangkok) place. Isn’t that amazing? Some even said, pag Cagayan? Night Café na! It brought Divisoria’s magnificence as the Central Business District of CdeO for when Divisoria Night Café came, everything adhered. With an awesome atmosphere, it was a great place to hangout, chill and

anywhere else to find peace and order. It is another system of achieving inner peace and relaxation within the community. Will this continuously be the situation one is seeking from Divisoria which will revert to its former sleepy and melancholic

tail products and services which one can wonder the night around inexpensively. There were also bonuses of live bands and local musicians or singers who offer free concerts to the delight of the audience. No doubt night cafe captured the heart of the “masa” which manic scene would surely be missed by many. Nowadays, there are only engine sound of cars and beggars roaming around the park. There is no need to go

Cagayan, Night Café na!”

state?

bond with others. It was a typical Filipino consort with the wide array of cheap re-

“pag

Any way around, it's a helpful idea to do something relaxing prior to making an important decision in your life. Our world grows smaller, but it grows dearer and greater. Simple things have a new charm for us, and we suddenly realize that we have been renouncing all that is greatest and best, in our pursuit of some phantom. Sources: http://tsadagyud.com/tag/cdo-night-cafe/ http://www.thehappytrip.com/2011/11/cagayan-de-oros -night-cafe/

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I haven’t noticed lot of changes except when they abolished Night Café. It’s an advantage to for vehicle riders but a disadvantage to some street vendors.

The city admin is trying their best to reform the city but the people are not cooperating.

I can see no apparent changes as of now. Traffic jam is still there. “Hapsay” is what they are telling us but I can’t feel it.

I admire the new administration. The streets are harmonious and peaceful.

The King of the Rapids

ne experience that I can never forget when I was still living in Cagayan de Oro City was being one of the tour guides in White Water rafting. To me, happiness is seeing the people enjoy what the Cagayan has to offer to them. Others may scream and shout as they encounter the white rapids but most of them are feeling the pleasure as the water splashes to them. When you are in CDO, you should never miss this ride. The thrill and excitement is truly worth it. You will surely be one of the

witnesses of the wonders of the city. Makaingun g’yud ka nga “TSADA” ang Cagayan. #WhiteWaterRafting #OnlyInCagayan Story sent by: Darwin Golis

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