PDEA FOR MORE FUNDS
THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7), with Sylvan Jakosalem, consultant on Drug and Traffic Improvement, sent a letter of request to the Cebu City government for additional funds of at least P100,000 a month for their operational needs.
The requested allocation would cover expenses for raids and intelligence.
“That’s too small, considering we have 50 barangays”, Jakosalem said.
Jakosalem said PDEA was reported number 1 in anti-drug operations in the nation and stressed it should get the help of the city government since 80 percent to 90 percent of crimes in the city are drug-related.
Jakosalem said they also implemented educational anti-drug-related programs in some schools. Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said the most effective program was to bring former drug addicts schools to give their testimonies to the students./UPV Tacloban Intern Joy Cherry S. Quito
BIGGEST BIBINGKA
MOST ingredients for the biggest rice cake or bibingka that will be made on Monday in Mandaue City Sports Complex were donated by the private sector.
The kitchen utensils were borrowed from the Department of Education (DepEd), said Louella Cabanero of the tourism department.
Sixty-one sacks of rice were donated by three rice traders, and 60 sacks of sugar were from Ong King-king. The oven was donated by San Miguel Corp., IPI and Ginebra.
Banana leaves and 13,500 coconuts will be taken from 27 barangays in the city. Four thousand coconuts will be taken from the northern towns.
Almost 300 teachers and students will make the biggest rice cake to defeat the Korea’s title in the “Guiness Book of World Records.”
The 100 students from different schools in Mandaue will be clustered in 10 shifts. Six teachers will guide each cluster.
Their aim is to produce about 1,500 square rice cakes, each 40 x 40 centimeters, that will be arranged in a big circle in the basketball court. The project budget is P500,000 but some money will be returned to the fiesta committee after the private sector donated. The bibingka making will begin on Monday around 3 p.m. and end the next day by 3 p.m./REPORTER JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS
MUSLIMS PLEDGE PEACE
Members of the Muslim community here reiterated their support for the protection of Cebu against terrorist threats.
Malo Manonggaring, director of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in Central Visayas, said they continue to monitor the entry of new faces especially those suspicious-looking individuals into their communities.
“We also plan to have an ID system that will help us in identifying the newcomers. If it is within the bounds of law, we will do it,” he said in yesterday’s visit at the office of Cebu City mayor Michael Rama.
Col. Mariano Natuel said the cooperation of the Muslim community is expected to continuously keep Cebu safe and peaceful./CORRESPONDENT EDISON A. DELOS ANGELES