Plumera Mactan, the affordable urban condominium village in Basak, Lapulapu City, has started to take shape, with homeowners moving into their respective units and establishments opening within its commercial-retail strip.

Four four-storey residential buildings have been completed on the five-hectare property. The condominium buildings host a total of 376 studio and one-bedroom residences with kitchen, living space, toilet and bath and provisions for telephone and cable TV connections, all ready for occupancy.

Construction of the village amenities and other residential buildings is progressing as scheduled.

Structures within the community are built for strength with the integration of shear wall technology. This system creates durability for the structure, particularly making it resistant to lateral forces such as strong winds and seismic activity. 

Residents have convenience at their fingertips. Access to basic commodities and lifestyle services are assured with a well-curated complement of locators at Plumera Square, the village’s retail anchor. 7-11, Rose Pharmacy, Aquabest and Cebuana Lhuillier are now serving Plumera Mactan as well as the Barangay Basak community.

A view of Plumera Square; a typical residential unit offers ample space for quality living; bathroom; dining area showing the unit’s main door; wide picture windows provide sufficient daytime lighting and ventilation; entrance to the emerging village.

With a fire protection system installed within each residential structure, a perimeter fence enclosing the gated property, a closed-circuit monitoring system and 24/7 security services, homeowners at Plumera Mactan also enjoy an elevated sense of safety and security. 

A fifteen-meter-wide main spine road running the entire length of the community and primary roads measuring 12 meters across allow easy two-way vehicular traffic flow. Parking spaces are available within the development.

A landmark project of veteran developer Johndorf Ventures Corporation (JVC), Plumera Mactan’s location within a few minutes’ drive to the Mactan Cebu International Airport, beach resorts, theme and amusement parks, places of worship, schools and commercial hubs, is one of the community’s greatest advantages.

Plumera Mactan gives an added advantage with reasonable pricing making it an ideal investment for young professionals, overseas Filipino workers, small families, hospitality sector executives, BPO-ICT employees and business owners.

Interested investors may access specific information on Plumera Mactan and other JVC properties by messaging JVC’s social media platforms or www.johndorfventures.com.

The Bohol run of the Motor7 Photo and Video Competition 2022 rolled out this week. Motorbikers have until August 22, 2022 to roam the Philippines’s tenth largest island and snap stills or record videos of their experiences at its alluring geosites.

Motorbike riders are capturing the amazing natural and man-made wonders of the Central Visayas provinces in awe-inspiring pictures and videos through the contest series initiated by the Department of Tourism- Central Visayas (DOT7).

“Motor7 – The Geopark Ride to Recovery,” as the Bohol leg is captioned, advances from Bohol’s application for the coveted Global Geopark distinction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  It is, to date, the only site in the Philippines being considered for the citation.

DOT7 Chief Tourism Operations Officer Gelena Asis-Dimpas says riders travelling through Bohol may choose as their subjects any of the unique geosites within the newly-documented Motor7 circuits in the province - caves, karsts, springs, waterfalls, uplifted marine terraces and an uplifted coral garden. They may also opt to feature the indigenous Eskaya tribe in their entries aside from highlighting the local motorbiking culture.

Motorbiking is developing into a cultural phenomenon, a lifestyle that enables enthusiasts to celebrate the outdoors and bear witness to the bounties of the natural environment, appreciating the panoramic land and seascapes of the region while traversing mountain trails, highways and seaside lanes. 

Motor7 was established by the DOT7 as a regional program to fully harness the potential of the activity as a tourism product. Through its program status, Motor7 has sustained events that promote environmental awareness and conservation, heritage preservation and livelihood development.

Dimpas adds, “The Motor7 Photo and Video Competition is helping riders appreciate the significance of open spaces, protection of land and seascapes and our common heritage. It is also opening up opportunities for start-up food outlets, campsites and other businesses.”

The contest is open to Central Visayas-based photography, videography and motorcycle touring enthusiasts. Professionals and hobbyists alike are welcome to submit entries.

Details on the Motor7 Photo and Video Competition 2022, including guidelines and mechanics, are available on the Motor7 Central Visayas Adventures and Visit Central Visayas facebook pages. Strict adherence to competition guidelines and mechanics is strongly advised.

Vic Metal Fabrication and Environmental Services Inc. held the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Training Center groundbreaking and Cebu Waste Management Facility inauguration last July 28 at its 8,647 sq. m. property in Brgy. Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City.

The integrated waste management solution will help address the challenges in waste management that the province is facing.

Leading the activity were Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard ‘Ahong’ Chan, and Vic Metal President and CEO Victoriano Ocon. They were joined by representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Pollution Control Association of the Philippines Inc., MatLuster Corp., and PT. Indopower International. 

Vic Metal has already completed the first and second phases of the project which involves the construction of the Water Laboratory for Wastewater Analysis and Treatment as well as the MRF and Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facility for the recovery, segregation, treatment, and disposal of different wastes.

This is expected to reduce residual wastes disposed of in Cebu landfills to around 50 tons per month. The project will also diminish the mishandling of waste and other waste-related environmental issues, and the hazards posed by illegal dumpsites and mismanaged landfills in the province. 

The design implementation ensures proper segregation, recycling, and composting of solid waste and wastewater treatment through different technologies.

“The said facility will significantly reduce waste disposed in landfills which has become a major urban development issue in Cebu,” said DILG Secretary Atty. Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. in a video message dedicated to the event.

“I hope these kinds of initiatives, private and public sector partnership, will be enhanced and that similar environment related projects will also be emulated by other local government units in the future,” added Secretary Abalos. 

The last phase of the project involves the development of a training center, the first in the province to highlight education and training on proper solid and liquid waste management.  It also includes the building of a park for recreation and the promotion of environmental awareness.

While the project is a private sector initiative, Vic Metal Fabrication works with the public sector to ensure that municipal solid wastes will be collected, transported, treated, and disposed of properly. Its successful operation will positively impact the community, the economy, and the environment. 

“Vic Metal Fabrication and Environmental Services Incorporated commits to actively ensure the management of wastes from proper segregation, recycling and composting reduction of wastes disposed in landfills as well as treatment of wastewater, and manage other wastes generated by the different sectors of society,” says Victoriano Ocon, President & CEO of Vic Metal Fabrication and Environmental Services, Inc.

Cebu province has a population of over 5 million as of 2019. Its growing economy and population have led to increasing infrastructure development, contributing to more waste generated. 

The projected daily waste generation for the province by 2025 is 1.2M tons.  This will go directly to landfills if proper waste management is not implemented. 

Negative effects of the mismanagement of wastes can contribute to the loss of biodiversity; land, water, and air pollution; generation of greenhouse gasses; and the risk of several diseases and health problems.

The fully-airconditioned, brownout-free facility will have its own landscaped garden lawn with panoramic sea views

BORACAY ISLAND, Philippines, Megaworld subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI) is opening its Boracay Newcoast Convention Center (BNCC) this month, right within its expansive 150-hectare Boracay Newcoast in the eastern part of Boracay Island. 

The 1,200-seater convention facility is a modern tensile structure that can be divided into three smaller rooms, each with a capacity of 400 persons for theatre-type set-up and 250 persons for banquet-type set-up. Surrounding the facility is an open garden lawn, which can be used as an extended amenity for events.

“A theatre-type setting will give us a capacity of around 1,200 persons, while a banquet set-up will allow up to 750 persons. With a view overlooking the Sibuyan Sea, the Boracay Newcoast Convention Center is perfect blend of a modern MICE facility and a tropical haven, right at the heart of our 150-hectare tourism township,” says Cleofe Albiso, managing director, Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, the operator of the BNCC.

The BNCC will be fully-airconditioned and will be equipped with a 100% back-up power supply. The convention facility will also be equipped with WiFi internet access, fixed video screens and motorized projector screens with sound system. The facility will also have its own service kitchen, ensuring smooth banquet services for MICE events.

“We will also have a high ceiling of up to nine (9) meters, which event organizers prefer so they can be flexible with their designs and program performances. We carefully took into consideration the major requirements of events, not just for conventions and conferences, but also for weddings,” adds Albiso.

Savoy Hotel Boracay and Belmont Hotel Boracay, the two hotels already operating inside Boracay Newcoast, will handle the banquet requirements of the BNCC.

The new convention facility will also have a close proximity to the beach area of Boracay Newcoast. Currently, the beach area offers WiFi services and other lounging facilities perfect for ‘workcation,’ a term that caters to the trend among travelers who want to enjoy the beach while working.

20 qualified micro-entrepreneurs from Dumanjug & Pinamungahan received Livelihood Starter Kits from Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. Microfinance (RAFI-MFI) through their Clustering for Livelihood Program (CLP) during the Turnover Ceremony last June 21, 2022.

The program was initiated to assist the RAFI-MFI clients and their families that were deeply affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Odette. The back-to-back crisis was hard enough for families of the greater population - all the more dire for the communities in the small rural areas of Dumanjug and Pinamungajan. Over 50 families were left with damaged homes in their area. To this day, families are still struggling to recover from the losses, especially of their small businesses, due to these disasters.

Seeing this immediate need to assist the families in the said areas, the RAFI-MFI team set out to create a program to equip them with the means to rise back up again. Thus, the Clustering for Livelihood Program (CLP) was born in 2021.

“CLP is an effective approach to help the clients especially to the business owners who were affected by the pandemic and odette so we will be able to provide another additional skills, knowledge and competency to livelihood training, give them marketing support and linkages and provide startup kits to help start their businesses…” stated Jonar B. Dorado, RAFI MFI Chief Operations Officer.

They coordinated closely with Hon. Elly Luague, Counselor of Dumanjug, and the local government units (LGUs) of each venue to make the turnover ceremony possible.

“Wala jud mahitabo kung wala’y kaalam, kahanas, ug kinaiya—mao ni sila ang mga pamaagi para sa kalambuan sa inyong kinabuhi. Maong paningkamot ug fight gyud para sa kalambuan,” Hon. Luage emphasized as she gave her closing statements.

Through the coordinated effort of the LGUs and RAFI-MFI, the Chorizo livelihood kits were successfully awarded to the identified cluster beneficiaries who are in food businesses during the small ceremony held at the program sites.

Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. Microfinance (RAFI-MFI) 

RAFI Partners and Stakeholders

“I hope that this program brings hope and a strong foundation for a productive livelihood journey and economic recovery because of the pandemic,” adds Mr. Dorado.

“Dako kaayo among pag-pasalamat sa RAFI na naay programa na sama niiini na gihatag namo na mga nanay gitagaan mi’g chance para mo elevate sad among mga panginabuhi labi na gayod na agian tag mga sakuna. Wako nag expect ing ani ang RAFI abi nko trainings ra siya pero gitagaan jud mi og kits na makatabang sa among panginabuhi (We have the deepest gratitude for RAFI’s programsprgrams that give mothers like us, a chance to elevate our lives, especially now that we’re still recovering from major crisis. I thought they were only giving trainings, but they went beyond and gave us livelihood kits too),” shared nanay Nelia Gines from Pinamungajan.

With the livelihood kits, the RAFI MFI hopes that the beneficiaries will have enough marketing support and linkages to grow their business, and in effect elevate their lives and that of their families & communities. The kits are only but tools to equip them to sustain & grow their businesses; but at the end of the day, it is up to these microentrepreneurs to take action.

The RAFI MFI organizers capped off the event by bringing home their message of hope & support as “Kaagapays” to the hardworking business-minded people.