Sun.Star Cebu
Transport group holds 2nd strike in a week
METRO Cebu’s second transport strike in a week sparked conflicting reports Friday, March 27, 2026. The Cebu chapter of transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) claimed widespread disruption, but a city...
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WASTE-TO-FUEL PLANT EYED
THE Cebu Provincial Government is eyeing turning its plastic garbage problem into a local fuel supply. The Capitol plans to open a waste-to-fuel facility this April at the materials recovery facility near the abandoned Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice...
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DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
Secretary Vince Dizon, together with Cebu Gov. Pam Baricuatro and Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr., inspect the ongoing riprap construction along the Mananga River in Isla Verde, Barangay San Isidro, Talisay City, on Wednesday, March 25,...
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IN FULL STROKE.
Student-athletes slice through their lanes during a swimming event in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association at the Cebu City Sports Center on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as competitors push for the lead in one of the meet’s tightly contested...
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PROTEST.
Several transport groups stage a mobilization outside the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 office in Cebu City on Monday, March 23, 2026. Partidong Manggagawa-Sentro Cebu, National Confederation of Transportworkers Union,...
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READY FOR CVIRAA 2026.
Nearly 500 police personnel receive a blessing from Rev. Fr. Benedicto John Sarchez Jr. during their official deployment following a send-off ceremony in the City of Naga on Saturday, March 21, 2026. These officers will provide strict security at all...
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GO-TO PLACE.
As Holy Week 2026 approaches — observed from March 29 to April 5 — one of the most visited destinations is The Good Shepherd at Celestial Garden in Banawa, Cebu City. Here, life-size statues vividly portray the Passion of Christ, offering a powerful...
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CEBU LGUS STRUGGLE TO ENFORCE WASTE LAW
Failure to execute waste management plans leads to high costs and lost lives decades after the passage of RA 9003 TWENTY-FIVE years after the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, local government...
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HALO-HALO LANE.
Modern public utility vehicles and traditional jeepneys are now allowed to use the dedicated lanes of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit starting Thursday, March 19, 2026, nearly a week after the lanes were exclusively used by CBRT buses (Cibus). In the photo,...
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REOPENED LANES.
The dedicated lanes for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit reopens to modern and traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The move follows mounting public complaints following the system’s initial rollout on Saturday, March 14.
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Mt. Manunggal keeps Magsaysay legacy alive
SIXTY-NINE years after the tragic crash that claimed the life of former President Ramon Magsaysay, the memory of his final flight to Mt. Manunggal continues to live on in the hearts of residents of Barangay Magsaysay, Balamban. On Tuesday, March 17,...
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BREAKING POINT.
As global tensions drive diesel prices up by over P20 per liter, Filipino transport workers and commuters face a double blow of record-high pump prices and rising base fares. While the House fast-tracks House Bill 8418 to allow for emergency tax cuts,...
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CEBU CITY CLEARS SRP TRASH HEAP
FOLLOWING a deadly landfill collapse, Cebu City faces mounting logistical hurdles and a billion-peso price tag as it scrambles to replace long-distance waste hauling with permanent infrastructure. Cebu City authorities confront a severe logistical...
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SUROY-SUROY SUGBO IN PRIVATE HANDS
IN A landmark shift in tourism strategy, the Cebu Provincial Government will no longer lead the organization of the long-running tourism caravan, Suroy-Suroy Sugbo. Instead, the Capitol has decided to transition the program’s future implementation to...
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Passenger confusion mars Day 1 of CBRT’s initial run
PASSENGER confusion over boarding and disembarking locations emerged as an early challenge when the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) system began its initial operations on Friday, March 13, 2026. While the dedicated lanes allowed for faster travel times...
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STILL UNAFFECTED.
Amid escalating Middle East tensions and the oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel attack on Iran, vendors at Carbon Public Market in Cebu City continue to offer a variety of vegetables at more affordable prices as of March 12, 2026. Despite global...
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FUEL VOLATILITY HITS SUPPLY CHAIN, POWER GRIDS
THE Philippines is facing a compounding economic shock as surging global fuel costs, driven by Middle East tensions and supply chain bottlenecks, hit two of the nation’s most critical sectors: inter-island maritime logistics and domestic electricity...
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PALACE: FUEL STABLE; HOUSE BACKS TAX CUT
AS TENSIONS in the Middle East drive global crude prices toward critical thresholds, the Philippine government is fast-tracking legislative and administrative measures to buffer the domestic economy from an impending oil price shock. While the...
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DIESEL ‘PAST P80’ AS OIL PRICES CLIMB
Global geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, are driving staggered fuel price hikes (See table), threatening to exacerbate the already high six percent inflation rate in Central Visayas. Echoing the economic shocks seen during the...
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ROAD DISCIPLINE.
THE Cebu City Transportation Office has ramped up enforcement against counter-flowing and other violations, particularly for motorcycle riders. It said counter-flowing disrupts the normal flow of traffic and increases the risk of accidents. The agency...
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AFTERNOON BLAZE.
A firefighter rests after battling a fourth-alarm fire that engulfed several houses along J. Panis St. in Sitio Univille, Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City, on Saturday afternoon, March 7, 2026.
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UNSUITABLE SITE.
The Environmental Management Bureau 7 has rejected Cebu City’s use of a portion of the South Road Properties near Pond A as a temporary waste holding area. Despite the decision, the City has continued dumping garbage there before hauling it to a...
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ANTI-WAR PROTEST.
SOME 299 Filipinos returned home safely from Dubai on Thursday, March 5, 2026, amid rising tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the group, which...
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TRANSPORT GROUPS FAVOR SUBSIDIES OVER FARE HIKES
FACED with volatile global oil markets, Cebu’s transport sector is prioritizing government intervention to maintain operational stability and protect commuters from rising travel costs. Transport cooperatives in Cebu, led by the Federation of Cebu...
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OIL SHOCK: RETAILERS BRACE FOR PRICE HIKES
CEBU consumers may soon feel the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East as rising global oil prices threaten to push up fuel costs, transport expenses and, ultimately, prices of basic goods on supermarket shelves. While industry leaders...
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FIRE PREVENTION MONTH.
Fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Cebu City Fire Stations, various government agencies and volunteer groups rolled through the main thoroughfares of Cebu City during an annual motorcade on Sunday, March 1,...
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TOURISM CHIEFS MOVE TO PROTECT BOOKINGS
AS THE summer travel season approaches, the Cebu Association of Local Tourism Officers (Calto) is intensifying its campaign against a persistent threat: online booking scams. While travelers look for sun and sand, digital fraudsters are increasingly...
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CANDLES FOR JUSTICE.
Families of drug war victims hold a candle-lighting vigil at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines-Center for Development Education and Training along Osmeña Blvd. in Cebu City on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, coinciding with the fourth and final day...
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
DANGEROUS PLAY. Despite the risk of slipping and falling into the Mactan Channel, children run along the concrete base of the South Road Properties viaduct pillars off Barangay Ermita, Cebu City on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
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NEW MACHINES.
Faster and more efficient relief operations are expected to benefit disaster-affected communities in the Visayas and Mindanao following the installation of five mechanized production systems at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center in Barangay Tingub,...
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EDSA ANNIVERSARY MARCH.
Various civil and religious groups march from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to Plaza Independencia in downtown Cebu City for the “Panagtagbo,” commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026.
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A YEAR TO FIX BINALIW; TRASH COSTS DOUBLE
THE struggle to manage urban waste often remains invisible until a system failure turns a logistical challenge into a public crisis. When infrastructure collapses, cities are forced into high-stakes scrambles that drain public funds, strain neighboring...
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LANDFILL ROW FORCES 61-KM TRASH HAUL
A payment dispute has prompted the Asian Energy Landfill in Consolacion to stop accepting waste from the Cebu City Government as of Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, forcing the City to transport garbage to a facility in Aloguinsan in southwest Cebu A SUDDEN ban...
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BRIDGE REOPENING.
Workers conduct final checks on the Cambogaong Bridge in Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City before it fully reopened to motorists on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. The Department of Public Works and Highways elevated the bridge to address frequent flooding, which...
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DECADES OF POLICY FAILURES FUEL CEBU’S GARBAGE CRISIS
THE catastrophic trash slide at the Binaliw landfill claimed 36 lives, turning a long-simmering local government issue into a human rights tragedy. While the incident shocked the Cebu residents, environmental scientists and policy experts argue the...
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GIRL FOUND DEAD IN TOLEDO CITY
A 12-YEAR-OLD girl who was reported missing earlier this month was found dead in a forested area in Toledo City, Cebu on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, police said. The victim, Crystal Joy Lagaras Abarquez, a Grade 6 pupil from Barangay Poblacion, had been...
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Police seize P100M in smuggled cigarettes
THE Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) seized more than P100 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in separate operations Thursday, Feb. 19, across the city, arresting two suspects and uncovering what authorities said was a growing flow of untaxed products...
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA LANDMARK.
Did you know that the Fuente Osmeña Circle is already 114 years old? The fountain at the center was originally the “spigot” or symbol of the arrival of piped water to Cebu from the Buhisan Dam. It is considered the “heart” of Cebu City and serves as...
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TRADITIONS.
Red lanterns and festive lights adorn the Yap–San Diego Ancestral House in Barangay Parian, Cebu City, on Feb. 16, 2026, as two lion dance figures are displayed on a balcony ahead of Lunar New Year festivities. The decorations, commonly associated with...
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE. The San Diego Dance Company performs a lion dance routine accompanied by firecrackers to welcome the Chinese New Year 2026 at the Yap–San Diego Ancestral House in Barangay Parian, Cebu City, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
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CEBU CITY EYES BREATHALYZER BUY
The City Government is considering bypassing the standard bidding process to immediately procure breathalyzers following a fatal hit-and-run in Barangay Banilad. The move coincides with the proposed Kingston Ralph Ordinance, which seeks to hold...
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SRP STATE OF MIND.
They say you don’t need much to be happy and Valentine’s Day at the South Road Properties proves it. No fancy candlelit dinners or overpriced roses here — just the smell of the salt air, the sound of kids splashing in the harbor and a slow cruise on...
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19-HOUR DELAY BLURS PAJARILLO’S SOBRIETY
THE fatal hit-and-run of a local entrepreneur has exposed a critical gap in Cebu City’s law enforcement capabilities, specifically the inability of authorities to conduct timely, scientific alcohol testing on suspects due to both medical infrastructure...
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GARBAGE COLLECTION MOVES TO ‘INTERVAL-BASED’ SYSTEM
THE closure of the Binaliw landfill has forced the City to ration disposal slots, leaving neighborhoods with a rotating schedule and stricter segregation rules. Cebu City residents are adjusting to a new reality where garbage trucks no longer visit...
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PB CHALLENGES E-TAXI ‘LOOPHOLE’
The Provincial Board (PB) has launched an inquiry into the operations of Vietnam-based Green and Smart Mobility electric taxis, with PB Member Caminero questioning the national approval of the taxis, arguing that local planning and the displacement of...
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BUSINESS AS USUAL.
Flooding damaged several farms in Dalaguete after heavy rains from tropical depression Basyang struck the town on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Despite the damage in the “Vegetable Basket” of the province, activity at the Mantalongon Public Market remained...
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MAYOR REFUSES TO AXE CARBON MARKET JVA
As vendors protest a projected 300 percent rent hike and impending fee collections scheduled for Feb. 15, Archival maintains he must uphold the existing law despite acknowledging the traders’ fears of displacement. The dispute now hinges on a potential...
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CEBU CITY STILL IN LIMBO ON DENR BINALIW PROBE
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has not yet released findings from the Jan. 8, 2026 trash slide that killed 36 people at the Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. facility in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City. Without clear...
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COUNCILORS PROBE P60M TRASH DEAL
THE Cebu City Council is questioning the P60.83 million emergency garbage disposal contract with Asian Energy Systems Corp. — operator of a private landfill in Barangay Polog, Consolacion where the city is currently throwing its waste following the...
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SELECTIVITY FELLS MINGLANILLA EXECS
THE suspension of a Municipal Government’s top leadership highlights a recurring tension in local governance: the boundary between a town’s right to self-determination and its obligation to follow national technical expertise. When local officials...
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TARTANILLA RIDES.
Cebu City plans to regularize tartanilla rides after receiving positive feedback from foreign delegates during the Asean Tourism Forum. The response prompted the City Government to consider making the rides permanent.
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LANDSLIDE RISK CASE HALTS MAYOR’S TERM
Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad, who ordered preemptive evacuations and halted quarrying in Sitio Napo, Barangay Guindarohan, following reports of soil movement in November 2022, defends his actions as necessary for public safety and vows to pursue legal...
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HAULING ‘PERSISTS’ IN DANGER ZONE
THE persistence of industrial activity in the immediate aftermath of a deadly landslide has exposed a critical gap between safety regulations and their enforcement on the ground. When commercial demands for earth materials intersect with disaster...
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TRASH COVER?
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival defends the use of Asean-themed tarpaulins along the South Road Properties, including areas near Barangay Pasil, amid complaints that the covers hide garbage from foreign delegates attending the Asean Tourism Forum 2026...
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GREEN TAXIS START ROLLING IN CEBU
Electric taxis operated by a Vietnamese firm are now running in Cebu City, but local taxi groups warn the move could displace thousands of workers and add to the city’s traffic woes VIETNAM-BASED Green and Smart Mobility (GSM) has begun deploying its...
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BINALIW TRASH SLIDE: ‘OVERSIGHT FAILURE’
A CEBU City Council executive session Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, revealed that the Binaliw landfill, where a trash slide killed 36 people last Jan. 8, was still active in 2026 despite projections that it would cease operations in 2025. The tragedy’s...
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TRAVEL EXCHANGE.
Around 600 foreign buyers and local sellers converge for Travex 2026 at the newly opened Mactan Expo in Mactan Newtown, LapuLapu City on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The three-day Asean’s flagship travel trade exchange brings together 271 buyers from 50...
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NBI 7 LAUNCHES PROBE ON BINALIW TRASH SLIDE
THE deadly collapse of Binaliw landfill in Cebu City has triggered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 to conduct an investigation and a forced reevaluation of how the Philippines manages its waste. Newly installed NBI 7 Director Jose Ermie...
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REGIONAL COLLABORATION.
Department of Tourism Undersecretary Verna Esmeralda Buensuceso set the tone for regional collaboration on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, as she presided over the opening of the 63rd Asean National Tourism Organization Meeting. Speaking before delegates from...
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TOURISM FORUM.
Delegates from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) tour Magellan’s Cross and witness the reenactment of the first baptism in the Philippines, before visiting Fort San Pedro and the National Museum of Cebu on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. Cebu...
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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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