Sun.Star Cebu
MOBILE LIBRARY.
A mobile library themed “Pages of Hope: Stories on Wheels” is launched to bring books, storytelling and volunteer-led activities to children in disaster-hit communities. The initiative will begin its first outreach in earthquake-affected Bogo City,...
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DENR TO SEEK TEMPORARY USE OF INAYAWAN LANDFILL
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) intends to seek permission to temporarily reuse the closed Inayawan landfill as a waste transfer station. DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla said they will petition the Supreme Court (SC) for this...
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
AFTERNOON SPLASH. Children enjoy the late afternoon as they swim and jump off the breakwater along South Road Properties in Cebu City on Jan. 21, 2026, taking advantage of the calm seas and fine weather.
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LEARNING CRISIS STARTS AT HOME
A new Edcom 2 report reveals that fewer than half of households possess essential learning materials like books and toys. This gap is widened by a shortage of functional Child Development Centers and uneven local government funding, leaving millions of...
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A SEA OF FAITH.
An estimated 1.9 million devotees fill the streets of Cebu City for the 5.5-kilometer Solemn Foot Procession of the Señor Sto. Niño on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Authorities reported a peaceful and orderly event despite the recordbreaking attendance.
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HYMN OF FAITH.
FEWER devotees joined this year’s Walk with Mary, with authorities citing forecasted unfavorable weather conditions as a possible factor. An estimated 216,000 devotees participated in the religious activities on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, according to...
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LANDFILL COLLAPSE RAISES QUESTIONS ON OVERSIGHT
CEBU City Councilor Joel Garganera has slammed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 over the deadly collapse of the Binaliw landfill, explicitly blaming the agency for failing to monitor the facility before the tragedy. The...
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MEDAL DELAYS.
Logistical failures mar the Cebu City Marathon 2026 on Sunday, Jan. 11, leaving thousands of finishers fuming. Participants in the 42K and 21K categories are met with empty hands at the finish line, as organizers announce that medals will not arrive...
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Death toll rises to 3 in Binaliw
THE death toll from the collapse of the landfill in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City rose to three as of 6:35 p.m. Friday, according to the latest situation report from the Bureau of Fire Protection. All three fatalities have been recovered from the site....
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CEBU PROVINCE BRACES FOR TOURISM SURGE
CEBU is currently facing a massive surge in tourism that has pushed the province to near-full capacity even before the peak of the Sinulog festivities. The Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 expects over 300,000 arrivals this month, matching the figures...
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TRASH IN THE CITY.
A pedestrian passes by a pile of trash along Pope John Paul II Ave. in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. The City Government is set to fully enforce the “no segregation, no collection” policy starting Jan. 16, in accordance with...
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RED TAPE DELAYS SCHOOL REOPENING
Four months after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake devastated northern Cebu, a start recovery gap has emerged in Bogo City: private schools have largely resumed in-person learning, while public schools remain shuttered pending bureaucratic safety...
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TALISAY VISIT.
The revered image of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu visits the Talisay City Jail on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, as part of the 460th Fiesta Señor religious activities. This tradition marks the beginning of the festivities, which will officially commence with the...
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FIESTA FEVER.
A woman sells balloons outside the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, 16 days before the Fiesta Señor. This year’s fiesta, which falls on Sunday, Jan. 18, carries the theme, “In Santo Niño We Are One.” More images on Page 5.
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CEBU BIZ VOWS UNITY FOR 2026 RECOVERY
Growth takes a back seat to resilience, collaboration, and rebuilding confidence Unity—not speed— will define Cebu’s next phase of recovery CEBU’S business community is heading into 2026 with cautious optimism and a renewed push for coordinated,...
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ARCHIVAL PROMISES TO SAVE CBRT PROJECT
MAYOR Nestor Archival is vowing to finish what has been started after the World Bank flagged the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project’s implementation as “unsatisfactory” due to repeated delays and pulled its remaining funding. The mayor announced...
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EX-LAWMAKER DEFENDS P32B DISTRICT ALLOCATION
The controversy surrounding the “Cabral Files” reveals a staggering P32.87 billion allocation for Cebu’s 7th District, sparking a national debate over whether infrastructure spending is driven by public need or political influence. While former...
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CCMC CONSTRUCTION TO RESTART IN JANUARY
The project has been hampered by P400 million in inherited structural flaws and a reliance on City subsidies due to low Philhealth reimbursement rates, prompting a new strategy to decentralize Philhealth accreditation to the barangay level A CITY’S...
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NEW DATA REVEALS BILLIONS GOING TO CEBU’S 7TH DISTRICT
Internal DPWH documents released in late 2025 reveal that the congressional district secured a staggering P32.87 billion in infrastructure funding from 2023 to 2026, making it the top recipient in Central Visayas. This allocation surpasses the combined...
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SOUTHERN EXODUS.
Star lanterns hang above the passenger lounge of the Cebu South Bus Terminal on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. A crowd gathered past 1 p.m. to secure seats on buses bound for towns in southern part of the province. Thousands are traveling to the province to...
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DAWN MASS STAPLE.
A vendor sells fresh bibingka outside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown Cebu City after the first Misa de Gallo on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. Bibingka, a soft rice cake, is one of the favorite snacks of churchgoers during this time of the year....
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DANAO MAYOR BLOCKS DPWH INFRA PROJECTS
THE standoff between Danao City and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) highlights a growing tension in Philippine governance: the gap between national infrastructure spending and local survival needs. When a city refuses multi-million...
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SC MOVES GRAFT RAPS VS. DISCAYA TO CEBU COURT
CONTROVERSIAL contractor Sara Discaya, accused in a P96.5-million ghost infrastructure project in Davao Occidental, is facing two graft cases transferred to Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City, along with charges against 11 engineers...
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DEPED 7 STRUGGLES TO REBUILD SCHOOLS
THE Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd 7) is struggling to repair hundreds of public schools in Cebu Province damaged by a major earthquake and a typhoon as recovery costs far outpace available government funding. Following a magnitude...
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HOLIDAY TRAFFIC TESTS PATIENCE
MOTORISTS and commuters that pass through the cities of Mandaue and Cebu face worsening travel delays as holiday activities reach their peak. Authorities anticipate gridlock to intensify through Dec. 23, 2025, due to a collision of events: the...
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RICE PRICES IN CEBU SOAR P500 PER SACK
Spike can be attributed to a combination of factors: a national decision to temporarily halt rice importation for September, damage to crops and logistics from successive typhoons and sudden, heavy bulk purchases by local government units and relief...
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CEBU CITY RAMPS UP GARBAGE WAR
Mayor Nestor Archival, while supportive of the recommendation to strictly enforce the “No Segregation, No Collection” policy, has explicitly mandated an extensive public information drive before any actual implementation or issuance of penalties...
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FRUITS FOR SALE.
Workers unload pineapples and watermelons at the Carbon Public Market in Cebu City on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. Prices of round fruits are expected to rise ahead of the holidays as vendors prepare displays of at least 12 varieties, a tradition believed...
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VISIT CEBU CAMPAIGN EYES STRONGER ARRIVALS
A NEW strategic campaign is targeting tourists from Asian countries of Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam to revitalize the travel economy in Cebu. The Visit Cebu Campaign, formally launched Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, represents a...
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PROCESSION.
Devotees fill the streets of Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, for the procession on the eve of the feast honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. The nighttime walk began at the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe....
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MAYOR TAPS EX-MCWD CHAIR TO BREAK BOARD DEADLOCK
CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has appointed former Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) chairman Ruben Almendras as the civic sector representative to the water district’s board. The move, announced on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, is intended to break...
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SEAWEED PRODUCTION IN CV PLUMMETS 90%
To prevent the collapse of this vital sector—which produces carrageenan, a key global commodity for industries like food and cosmetics—a multi-sectoral Technical Working Group has launched a coordinated revitalization program. This initiative focuses...
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DRIVER SHORTAGE STALLS HEALTHCARE EXPANSION
Cebu’s P1.3 billion hospital upgrade is facing a critical bottleneck as a shortage of ambulance drivers creates a “Response Desert” across its 16 public facilities. While the Province has successfully hired 171 medical professionals, rigid budget caps...
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COA WARNS: CEBU CITY BOOKS DO NOT ADD UP
The Commission on Audit flags Cebu City’s 2024 finances for reporting P11.18 billion in planned spending as actual spending — making it look like the City spent money it hasn’t yet released. More concerning, the City used only 7.4 percent of its P3.9...
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
STILL SEARCHING. Personnel from the Philippine Navy, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Compostela Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office search for possible bodies beneath the Cotcot Bridge on the Compostela side on...
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MONTH AFTER ‘TINO’: CEBU’S RECOVERY STILL UNFINISHED
ONE month after typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) battered Cebu, clearing operations and power restoration continue while thousands remain displaced. Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Dennis Pastor said the Province works...
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COALITION SEEKS ZONING OVERHAUL IN CEBU CITY
URBAN growth usually signals economic health, but in Cebu City, recent disasters suggest that expansion has outpaced the land’s physical capacity to support it. The devastation wrought by typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) has reignited a critical debate over...
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NEW FORMULA, SAME OLD PORK?
Cebu’s 11 district representatives were allocated a combined P55.77 billion in discretionary public works funds from 2023 to 2025, part of a nearly P1.2 trillion nationwide pool determined by an opaque “BBM Parametric Formula” THE Supreme Court (SC)...
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1K IN SAN REMIGIO TOLD TO EVACUATE
THE relocation of a thousand residents in a single town, not because of fire or flood, but due to fissures opening in the earth, reveals a critical tension in disaster management: how do we protect communities when the very ground beneath them turns...
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EX-OFFICIALS CHARGED IN P240M TRASH SCAM
The case centers on an alleged scheme to overbill Cebu City Gov’t for garbage collection, where the contracted rate of P600 per ton was allegedly inflated to P1,800 per ton WHEN the mundane process of paying for trash collection allegedly becomes a...
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JAIL WEDDING.
Six persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from Talisay City Jail (TCJ) and one newly released former PDL were married in a special mass wedding on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, at the facility’s House of Worship. Organized by TCJ Male Dormitory and the Cebu...
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FORUM.
Hydrologist Dr. Danilo Jaque of Hydronet Consultants Inc. explains the factors behind the devastating impact of the flash floods that occurred at Barangay Bacayan in Cebu City during the onslaught of typhoon Tino last Nov. 4, 2025. This was presented...
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HEAVY RAINS FLOOD BARILI, CARCAR CITY
TROPICAL Depression Verbena caused widespread flooding across Cebu Province after making landfall in Talisay City at 2:40 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, but disaster officials reported zero casualties thanks to preemptive evacuations. The storm brought...
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VERBENA TRIGGERS ALERT, EVACUATIONS
Cebu is operating under extreme caution as the tropical depression approaches on Monday, just three weeks after the devastating Typhoon Tino, with local governments in Cebu City and Mandaue City initiating preemptive evacuations, prioritizing residents...
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IS CEBU CITY SITTING ON A HEALTH CRISIS?
WHAT does the Inayawan landfill debate in Cebu City reveal about the deeper, often-neglected challenges in urban solid waste management? The persistent problem of the defunct Inayawan dumpsite, which has not undergone safe closure despite a Supreme...
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SEABORNE PROCESSION.
Devotees aboard dozens of boats join the seaborne procession honoring Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. The vessel carrying the revered image led the flotilla as it sailed through the Mactan Channel toward Muelle Osmeña...
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POST-TINO REALIZATION: REVIVAL OF MEGA CEBU
IN THE aftermath of typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi), the Cebu Provincial Government is moving to revive the long-stalled Mega Cebu blueprint. Gov. Pamela Baricuatro announced the move on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, pushing for an integrated water management system...
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FLOOD FIX FUNDED: SHELVED SINCE 2019
Vice governor calls for immediate implementation of dormant Metro Cebu Flood and Drainage System Master Plan, crafting of an ordinance requiring all developers in the province to install rainwater catchment facilities in their projects THE recurring...
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WASH DAY.
Residents of Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, rinse mud off their clothes in coastal seawater before washing them with clean water to conserve the limited supply. The clothes were soaked in floodwaters from typhoon Tino on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Water service...
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TYPHOON TINO STRIKES SHELTER, FOOD SECURITY
THE destruction left by typhoon Tino has starkly exposed the dual vulnerability of Cebu City, severely impacting both its densely populated urban centers and its vital upland agricultural communities. The estimated P1.2 billion in housing damage alone...
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STILL IN THE DARK.
A photo taken on Thursday night, Nov. 6, 2025, shows Barangay Cotcot in the northern town of Liloan, Cebu still in the dark. Power lines lay damaged and submerged following Typhoon Tino’s flash floods, contributing to the widespread blackout across...
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TYPHOON SURVIVORS NEED WATER, TOOLS TO REBUILD
SunStar Cebu launches #SunStarBayanihan campaign, allowing those in need to contact SunStar for what they require and SunStar then connects them with local government units, proper agencies and donors. THE immediate aftermath of a powerful typhoon...
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TINO’S FLOODS EXPOSE P17.4B INFRA FAILURE
Governor Baricuatro asserts her belief that there are alleged ghost and substandard flood control projects in the province, revealing that her administration discovered irregularities dating back to 2019, including contractors allegedly using borrowed...
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STORM’S WRATH.
Rescuers squeeze through a pile of cars swept away by floodwaters as they search for residents needing help in Villa del Rio, Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. A total of 28 individuals remain missing in the barangay. Typhoon Tino...
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LIGHTS ON, TAPS RUNNING: UTILITIES BRACE FOR TINO
The Philippine Coast Guard District Central Visayas raises a Red Alert Status, mobilizes 92 disaster response teams, comprising 554 personnel and various search and rescue assets, in respond to heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas brought by...
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STORM TINO THREATENS QUAKE-RAVAGED NORTH
THE immediate danger of tropical storm Tino (international name Kalmaegi) is clear, yet the event itself illuminates a deeper, ongoing crisis: how a region recovers from one disaster while simultaneously bracing for the next. The storm is not simply a...
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LAPU-LAPU SEIZES 3 TONS OF MEAT
THE seizure of over 3,000 kilograms of chicken and pork in Lapu-Lapu City highlights a recurring tension in the country: the struggle to enforce food safety standards against the pressures of the meat supply chain. On the surface, the operation on...
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CEBU MOVES TO EQUALIZE POST-QUAKE ASSESSMENTS
WHAT does a disaster reveal about a government’s commitment to fairness? The recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake that violently shook northern Cebu on Sept. 30, 2025, has triggered an intense administrative mobilization aimed at recalibrating the official...
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NERI: TRAVEL FEAR YIELDS TO ‘KALAG-KALAG’ RUSH
A SUDDEN drop in domestic travel following a major natural disaster often captures headlines, but the rapid rebound being seen at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) highlights a more powerful story: the underlying resilience of community ties and...
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ALCOVER FILES GRAFT RAPS VS. ARCHIVAL, CITY EXECS
CEBU City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. has filed criminal and administrative complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman–Visayas against Mayor Nestor Archival, City Treasurer Emma Villarete and City Administrator Albert Tan. The 27-page...
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AVOIDING THE CROWD.
A few people visit the cemetery in Barangay Pardo, Cebu City, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, days before the start of the Kalagkalag observance, which falls on Saturday, Nov. 1 (All Saints’ Day) and Sunday, Nov. 2 (All Souls’ Day). The Police Regional...
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HOW 10 YEARS OF NOTHING KILLED WORLD BANK SUPPORT
Cebu City mayor optimistic that Packages 2, 3 will still push through, even after the international development organization signaled that it may no longer fund the remaining phases due to delays in implementation, says he and transportation department...
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COUNCIL TO MCWD: DELAY WATER HIKE
MCWD defends the adjustment, says that even with the hike, potable water remains among the most affordable utilities, costing less than bottled water, electricity or internet service THE Cebu City Council has urged the Metropolitan Cebu Water District...
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WORLD BANK HITS BRAKES ON CBRT PACKAGE 2, 3
THE World Bank is currently not pursuing Packages 2 and 3 of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project as it recommended to repackage or reassess the project’s approach before the loan for Package 1 expires in 2026. The primary concern is the...
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SANCIANGKO BRIDGE STILL UNFINISHED AFTER A YEAR
CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival expressed dismay at the project’s status after visiting the unfinished Sanciangko Bridge on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. The bridge, which closed to the public on Aug. 6, 2024, remains incomplete despite an original targeted...
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DISASTER OFFICE STRUGGLES WITH MANPOWER SHORTAGE
THE Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) is seeking a P152.9 million budget for 2026 while simultaneously admitting it is struggling with a severe manpower shortage. During budget deliberations on Thursday, Oct. 23,...
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PAM, DUKE TRADE BARBS OVER SOGOD AIRPORT
Frasco argues a second airport would protect Cebu if MCIA is crippled by disaster, but Baricuatro calls the plan “ridiculous” while the Camotes runway remains unfinished A POLITICAL dispute has erupted in Cebu over a proposal to build a new...
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SEIZURE ORDER LIFTED.
The legal team of River Valley Distribution Inc. and its sister company, Mixed Load Distribution Network Inc., attaches a tax court decision to a sack of rice at the National Food Authority Region 7 warehouse in Cebu City on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. The...
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DEFEND PH AGRICULTURE
PEASANT MONTH. A woman arranges cabbages for sale at the University of the Philippines Cebu campus in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. She was among the farmers and fisherfolk from the Taloot Rural Workers Association in Argao,...
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KERWIN ESPINOSA’S ASSETS FROZEN
THE government has seized multimillion-peso worth of laundered assets linked to Albuera Mayor Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, who admitted he was a drug lord during the Duterte administration but later recanted. Also seized were assets from alleged...
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7K more seniors to get aid
FOR thousands of Cebu City’s elderly residents, the wait is almost over. After more than a decade of delays, 7,780 new qualified senior citizens will finally receive their long-overdue financial assistance on Oct. 25, 2025 — a payout that traces back...
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Marcos returns to quake-hit Cebu as shift to modular homes begins
WEEKS after a powerful earthquake, northern Cebu residents shift focus from immediate survival to rebuilding. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Bogo City and San Remigio on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, inspecting aid and temporary housing, showed the...
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INSPECTION.
Personnel from the Cebu City Historical Affairs Office and the Office of the Building Official inspect the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Oct. 16, 2025, to assess possible structural damage following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Sept. 30, 2025,...
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