The Freeman
Capitol to set clearer rules
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has called on concerned government agencies, health experts, school officials, and local government units (LGUs) to discuss air quality concerns and establish clearer guidelines for class suspensions amid worsening air...
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Lapu-Lapu City seeking ₱5.13B
The executive branch of the Lapu-Lapu City government under Mayor Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” KingChan has formally submitted its proposed ₱5.13-billion annual budget for 2027 yesterday, October 16, 2026, to the City Council for approval, with higher...
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Cebu gang recruiting minors
A criminal gang is allegedly recruiting minors in Cebu and exposing them to criminal activities as part of its initiation practices, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said. During his visit to Cebu on...
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BBM: Match skills with jobs
Speaking before around 1,700 delegates nationwide, Marcos said limited access to job information and employment services, along with skills mismatch, continues to prevent Filipinos from securing decent work.
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Tomas loses cool over waste plan
Garganera described the vice mayor’s action as “unparliamentary”. Garganera’s detailed critique of the city’s waste management failures prompted Osmeña to toss a sheet of paper onto the rostrum and interrupt the councilor. Osmeña was also heard...
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‘No quick fixes’
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin acknowledged the delay in long-term solutions during the Cebu Energy Summit on Monday, October 12, saying the Visayas must bridge the gap between its current electricity supply and growing demand while...
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P278.8M drug haul
Around 41 kilos of shabu worth ₱278.8 million were seized from a 30-year-old habal-habal driver during a buy-bust operation along Arca Street in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, on Sunday morning, October 11.
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COA questions 16 infra projects
The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged implementation deficiencies in 16 ongoing infrastructure projects of the City Government of Naga, Cebu, amounting to P425.35 million, saying the issues could delay project completion and the delivery of intended...
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Landslide kills 3
Staff Member What was supposed to be a joyful homecoming turned into heartbreak when a landslide buried a family of four in Sitio Riverside, Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City, on Friday afternoon, October 9, killing two children and their grandmother....
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P5.6M gratuity pay questioned
The Commission on Audit (COA) has questioned the City of Naga’s grant of P5.613 million in gratuity pay to 814 Job Order (JO) and Contract of Service (COS) personnel in 2025, citing insufficient documentation to establish their actual satisfactory...
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Cebu braces for dry spell
The plan prioritizes water security, with measures ranging from the deployment of water tankers and storage facilities to the rehabilitation of existing water systems and development of alternative water sources. The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk...
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P379.6M project backlogs – COA
In its 2025 audit report, COA said the delays violated Section 3.2.3 of the DBMDOF-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1 dated November 4, 2020, which requires local government units to ensure that projects funded through the 20% Development Fund...
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‘Unfinished housing’
The NHA and Bogo City Government entered into a memorandum of agreement on March 6, 2019, for the development of a relocation site and construction of 750 housing units under the NHA’s Yolanda Permanent Housing Program. The project had an allocation...
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CH faces P13B ‘cash shortfall’
“You’re emphasizing only the one billion difference. I’m emphasizing that 13 billion is 13 billion,” Osmeña told Councilor Dave Tumulak, stressing that whether the figure was ₱14.44 billion or the corrected ₱13.70 billion, the city still faces a...
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RTC denies plea to stop vessels from docking at south port
A Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Cebu has denied the application of Oriental Port & Allied Services Corp. (OPASCOR) for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and writ of preliminary injunction against the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) and Cebu South Harbor &...
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CLO:Holdpayments
The Cebu City Legal Office has advised the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) Project Management Office (PMO) to hold off on payments to residents affected by the project pending the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) official position on the City...
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Capitol: Quake recovery still far from over
One year after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake devastated northern Cebu, the provincial government acknowledged that recovery remains a long way from complete, with a three-year rehabilitation plan in place. The province estimates that rebuilding...
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‘CCMC very unsafe’
The Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), which city officials had hoped to be completed by December, faces renewed uncertainty after experts tagged the city-run hospital as “very unsafe” and identified numerous discrepancies and substandard installations...
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Cebu bears power burden from Negros, Bohol coal bans
Cebu is being forced to shoulder part of the baseload power requirements of Negros and Bohol because of the provinces’ bans on coal-fired and diesel power plants, a Cebubased energy advocacy group said, warning that the arrangement is putting...
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Council seeks review of upland projects
The Cebu City Council is now seeking a comprehensive review of residential developments in the upland areas after Councilor Alvin Arcilla proposed a temporary suspension of new condominium and subdivision projects in Talamban due to worsening traffic...
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LLC inks pact withPPPCenter
The partnership was formalized through a memorandum of agreement with the PPP Center, signed by City Mayor Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan, aimed at strengthening the city’s capacity to pursue poten-tial publicprivate partnership projects. The agreement...
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BBM postpones brgy, SK elections
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos has postponed the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, signing Republic Act No. 12326 into law, which extends officials’ terms to five years and resets the polls from November 2, 2026 to November 13,...
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‘Very strong’ El Niño
While the country is currently experiencing a strong El Niño, the phenomenon is expected to intensify into a “very strong” one before the end of 2026 and persist through the first half of 2027, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and...
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New vote threshold
Thirteen members of the Senate impeachment court voted Wednesday to overturn the fixed 16vote requirement for convicting Vice President Sara Duterte, ruling that the two-thirds threshold should be based on senator-judges who are legally and factually...
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Citygov’traces to resolve row
With barely two weeks left, the Cebu City government is trying to “cover all bases” as the September 30, 2026, deadline for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) loan approaches, with efforts underway to resolve compensation disputes before the World Bank...
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City Hall back to 4-day week
"Starting today (yesteday), trabaho sa Cebu City government is Monday to Thursday, alas 8:00 sa buntag hangtod alas 7:00 sa gabii. Friday, walay tawo sa City Hall, but si Mayor magpadayon gihapon bisag naa ang iyahang EO, he will continue to serve...
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Classes suspended
Metro Cebu’s air quality index (AQI) remained “acutely unhealthy” on Sunday, Sept. 20, amid continuing transboundary haze from forest fires in Indonesia, prompting at least 10 local government units to suspend face-to-face classes today, Monday, Sept....
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MCIA among best airports in Asia-Pacific
For the second consecutive year, Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) has been recognized among the Best Airports in Asia-Pacific in the 5–15 million passengers category under the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ)...
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MayortoMCWD: Cut water losses
The directive was issued during the regular meeting of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), where Archival instructed the council secretariat to pass a resolution mandating MCWD to bring down its NRW rate.
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Toledo landfill eyed
Admitting that hauling garbage to Aloguinsan is unsustainable and costly, the Cebu City government is negotiating with Toledo City for the use of its landfill after the latest bidding for a solid waste disposal facility failed for lack of...
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Ex-justices split on vote ruling
Retired Chief Justices Artemio Panganiban, Reynato Puno and Hilario Davide Jr., and retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna gave their positions on how to interpret the 1987 Constitution's impeachment clause requiring “two-thirds of all the Members of...
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Capitol readies ₱53 million aid
Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena said the province has lined up several measures to help agricultural communities cope with expected dry conditions, particularly in production areas vulnerable to water shortages. The planned interventions...
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Garbage bid fails anew
Cebu City’s latest attempt to secure a solid waste disposal facility failed after no bidder participated in the fourth scheduled bidding on September 10, leaving the city government with no option but to continue hauling most of its garbage to...
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Water backup plan
The council approved a resolution authored by Councilor Harry Eran directing the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to prepare and implement a Water-Service Continuity and Power-Outage Contingency Plan. The measure comes amid multiple red alerts...
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Service caravan
A service caravan awaits Cebuanos as the Cebu Provincial Government celebrates President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s 69th birthday through a day of public service, bringing various government assistance, employment, and skills programs at the...
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Cebu power 12x costlier
Electricity in Cebu is costing businesses more than 12 times the wholesale price in Metro Manila, an extraordinary disparity that business groups warn is eroding the competitiveness of one of the Philippines’ most important regional economies. The...
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House probe sought
“ ” Cebu Third District Representative Karen Hope F. Garcia is seeking a congressional inquiry into the recurring power outages in the Visayas and their possible impact on electricity rates, amid reports that Cebu’s power rates could rise to nearly...
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Irrigation crisis hits Cebu City
City Agriculturist Joey Baclayon said most of the affected areas are planted with vegetables and corn, which are now under severe water stress. The situation has been aggravated by irrigation facilities that had already been non-operational even...
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Binaliw landfill is not yet safe
Cebu City’s disaster office has raised serious safety concerns over the Binaliw landfill, warning that the facility cannot yet be considered safe for sustained operations due to deficiencies in fire protection, methane venting, slope stability and...
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City reopens bidding for garbage disposal
The Cebu City Government has reopened bidding for the procurement of services of a licensed solid waste disposal facility, with an approved budget of P99.3 million. The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) announced that bid documents will be available...
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CCMC tops green rating
The DOH-Central Visayas validated CCMC’s rating with a score of 91.63 percent, recognizing the hospital’s efforts to maintain a safe, sustainable and climateresilient healthcare environment. The GVA is a nationwide DOH initiative that assesses health...
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Christmas in the dark
With rotational brownouts already affecting parts of the Visayas, including Cebu, the Department of Energy (DOE) is working on shortand long-term measures to stabilize the grid and prevent the current supply shortage from worsening as the holiday...
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Visayas power woes worsen
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has admitted that the power supply situation in the Visayas has worsened, with several power plants remaining unavailable and taking nearly 1,000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity offline.
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Gov. Pam meeting energy players
As power shortages continue to trigger rotational brownouts across Cebu, Governor Pamela Baricuatro is bringing energy players to the table on Friday, September 4, in a bid to find immediate and long-term solutions to the province’s growing power...
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‘Toxic’ haze halts classes
The cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay and Carcar, as well as the town of Minglanilla, separately announced the suspension of face-to-face classes in public schools within their respective jurisdictions, citing deteriorating air quality conditions...
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Archival eyes P200M more to dispose waste
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the city may have to pass another supplemental budget to sustain its garbage hauling and disposal operations as the reopening of the Binaliw landfill remains uncertain despite the full lifting of the...
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Drying paddies alarm farmers
The Cebu City Agriculture Department (CAD) has conducted field inspections in the two upland barangays, led by Rice Program Coordinator Elyn Marie L. Burlaos and Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) Mina Funai. Farmers reported that available...
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New festival is born
A new Cebu festival may have been born. This, as Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro declared the inaugural Halad sa Pagtuo a success yesterday, August 29, which gathered approximately 7,000 spectators at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) for the...
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Jonkie bares gains, challenges in SOCA
Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano highlighted gains in health, education, infrastructure and basic services while acknowledging major projects and persistent problems like flooding that remain unfinished during his first State of the City...
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Charges eyed vs Bercede, others
The Mandaue City Legal (CLO) is recommending that the City Mayor’s Office file legal action against officials, including Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede, and former personnel of the previous administration over the purchase of two ambulances worth around P6...
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UNPAID PROPERTY TAXES Publicauctionlooms
Close to 250 real properties in Cebu City have been certified tax delinquent and may be sold at public auction if the owners fail to settle their obligations by the end of October.
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Pamela pushes street opening
Baricuatro raised the proposal with the Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command (VisCom), seeking its assistance in making the road accessible to motorists while ensuring that security measures within the military establishment are...
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LGUs urged: Adopt own FOI mechanism
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has urged all 51 towns and component cities in the province to establish and institutionalize Freedom of Information (FOI) mechanisms in their respective local government units (LGUs). Baricuatro issued Executive Order...
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Science-based drainage plan
This call comes from a resolution filed by Councilor Harold Go and approved by the council, urging Archival to engage a qualified consultant, engineering firm, consortium, academic institution, or multidisciplinary technical team to prepare and update...
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Cebu to host tourism forum
The three-day international gathering, themed “New EATOF, Go Glocal,” will bring together governors, standing commissioners, tourism officials, academics, industry stakeholders, and other representatives from EATOF member provinces and regions. Among...
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Largest sinkhole in Bogo discovered
A 16-meter-wide sinkhole discovered on August 20, 2026, in Barangay Guadalupe has become the 20th recorded sinkhole in Bogo City and the largest documented in the city so far. The site of the sinkhole was reported at around 5 a.m. on Thursday, in...
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Archival faces graft
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is facing criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas over his alleged refusal to stop the Monterrazas de Cebu development project despite documented environmental violations, as...
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Low turnout hits vax drive
The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) has intensified its measles-rubella vaccination campaign after only 87,738 of the 630,214 children targeted in the region had been vaccinated as of Tuesday, August 18. Based on DOH MeaslesRubella...
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School shooting kills 2, injures 9
Two students were killed and nine others were seriously wounded after a junior high school student allegedly opened fire inside Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) in Zamboanga City Tuesday morning, August 18. ADZU confirmed the two fatalities in a...
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Socmed blamed for low vax rate
The council adopted the measure following the first week of the Ligtas Tigdas Campaign, or Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA), launched in Mandaue City on August 10 by the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) and the...
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Debt may stall Binaliw return
During the City Council’s latest executive session on the Binaliw landfill, councilors pressed Primewaste General Manager Niño Abellana to clarify whether the company’s acceptance of the city’s garbage hinged solely on the full lifting of the...
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JVvowsP400M for 4 hospitals
Ejercito, in a press conference in Cebu City on Friday, said he intends to seek an initial P100 million each for Danao City Hospital, Cebu City Medical Center, Minglanilla Hospital and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. He, however, clarified...
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Capitol: CBRT may operate sans station
Provincial Administrator Atty. ACE DURANO on the proposed CBRT Capitol Station The Cebu Provincial Government said the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) can operate even without a station directly in front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol, as it awaits the...
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Waste drains school funds
Archival made the admission as he pushed forward with his “Basura Namo, Kaugmaon Nato” school-based waste diversion program, expanding it to Camp Lapu-Lapu, City Central, and Pasil Elementary Schools.
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Cebu blood supply tight
Cebu Province barely has enough blood supply, leaving the province vulnerable amid a surge in dengue cases. The Philippine Red Cross-Cebu Chapter said its blood inventory remains sufficient for the time being but stressed that it is only at the minimum...
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DPWHtohasten flood projects
Dizon inspected several flood-prone areas in Cebu City and Mandaue City yesterday, August 11, to assess existing drainage capacity and identify measures that could reduce the severity and duration of flooding. He was joined by DPWH-7 officials, Cebu...
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Flight delay irks passengers
At least 80 passengers bound for Caticlan were stranded for two days at the MactanCebu International Airport (MCIA) amid flight disruptions allegedly caused by bad weather and a subsequent technical problem, prompting complaints and a demand for...
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Labor group hits RTWPB
Labor group Partido Manggagawa-Cebu (PM-Cebu) has slammed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Visayas (RTWPB-7) for allegedly insisting that there is no “supervening event” to justify a wage increase. PM-Cebu spokesperson...
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Councilor faces extortion rap
Cebu City Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa is now facing a criminal complaint filed by an Albaybased construction firm for allegedly “extorting and defrauding” the company of P26.8 million in connection with a memorial park project. The same...
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Mayor denies dog euthanasia claims
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ma. Cynthia "Cindi" King-Chan has denied allegations that the city government routinely euthanizes impounded dogs in preparation for the annual Ironman 70.3 race, saying the city's animal control operations are conducted year-round...
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Clamor prompts Ban-Tal tweak
The decision came a day after the city fully implemented the new traffic scheme, which drew criticism from motorists who blamed it for worsening congestion along Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue. CCTO chief Raquel Arce said reopening the flyover for motorcycles...
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Traffic snarls Ban-Tal
Despite numerous complaints from motorists and commuters due to the heavy traffic on the first day of the strict enforcement of the Banilad-Talamban (BanTal) Discipline Zone on Wednesday, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) head Raquel Arce said the...
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City tightens ASF defenses Archival open to ‘Pax Silica’
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has issued a supplemental executive order strengthening the city's defenses against African Swine Fever (ASF), expanding enforcement powers, requiring faster barangay response and Archival made the remarks following the...
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Capitol kicks off month-long anniversary celebrations
The Cebu Provincial Government officially launched on Monday, August 3, the monthlong celebration of Cebu's 457th Founding Anniversary with an opening salvo and the inauguration of this year's expanded “Tabo sa Kapitolyo: Agri-Fisheries Trade Fair” at...
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Governor's Run nets P2.9 million
The inaugural Governor's Zero Hunger Run raised P2.9 million for food security and nutrition programs while drawing some 3,500 participants, setting what Cebu Governor Pamela S. Baricuatro described as the country's first footrace dedicated to ending...
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