Lions paint Cebu red

After the 52nd Philsutech Convention, some 300 members of the Lions Club-District B in the Visayas area arrived in Cebu City to attend the first Cabinet meeting and district convention. The affair will be highlighted by the oathtaking of Tony Luy Kim Kok and Pablo Nava as district governor and vice district governor, respectively.

The two-day Lions confab starts this Saturday, Aug. 20. As previously mentioned, those who will be sworn into office are immediate past district governor Felipe Lim, secretary Anthony Luy Jr., treasurer Mariano Mano, executive secretary Renato Aquino, district executive secretary Renato Aquino, district executive administrator Frederick Lim, legal counsel Eduardo Rosello and district PRO Romeo Amores.

The theme of the convention is "Passion to Excel." This is manifested in the many programs and activities carried out by the Lions to improve communities and provide assistance to those in need.

The program encourages Lions to revitalize their passion in five key areas: service, growth, leadership, promotion, and performance.

District chairmen

Luy released the names of district heads and their clubs — Cebu Centennial’s David Go, Campus Club; Cebu City’s Pedro Fernandez Jr., district convention chairman; Mandaue’s Montano Ty, cultural and community activities; Cebu City’s Dr. Alejandro Mediano, diabetes awareness; Bayanihan’s Vicente Yu, environmental; Mt. Kanlaon’s Celia Ferrer, extension; and Downtown’s Alex Ho, district hearing, speech action and work with the deaf.

The others are Nestor Chua, honorary chairman; Sinulog’s Winston Go, information technology; Peter Lim, international understanding and cooperation; Ramon Manojo, leadership development; Mandaue Aquino, Leo Club; Nelson Go, LCIF; and Kanlaon’s Antonio Uy, membership.

The other nominees to district chairmanships are Atty. Anthony Eden Tan, Iloilo Integrated, peace poster contest; Henry Onglatco, public relations and Lions information; Bacolod Trader’s Elias Gregorio Jr., retention; Cebu Host’s Elizabeth Young, sight conservation and work for the blind; Centennial’s Grace Go, women’s membership development and participation; Mandaue’s Stanley Ong, youth; Magellan’s Angel Blanco, youth exchange; Cebu City’s Dr. Nelson Tudtud, youth outreach; and Diamond’s Romy Amores, service for children.

Luy also named Maning Guanzon of Cebu Bayanihan as area deputy governor for Cebu with Sonny Climaco of the same club as area deputy secretary.

The others area officers are Elfie Repunte of Cebu Hamili, treasurer; lawyer Johnny Mendoza of Cebu Metropolitan, legal officer; Francis Lee, area PRO; Cebu Capitol’s Ben Tan, area protocol officer; Hamili’s Beth Chiongbian, liaison officer; and Diamond’s Henry Tan, LCIF area coordinator.

There were a lot of appointments made but they will be included in this column in the future.

President defers Palawan’s WV integration

President Arroyo officially deferred the transfer of Palawan and Puerto Princesa City from Region 4-B to Western Visayas until a provincewide consultation shall have been conducted among Palawan residents.

This was decided upon after her luncheon meeting with Palawan officials at Malacañang last Saturday.

Vice Gov. David Ponce de Leon represented Gov. Joel Reyes.

Actually, De Leon was the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, which approved a resolution opposing Palawan’s integration into Western Visayas.

He said this is good news for the people of Palawan because the President listened to their sentiments on a very sensitive issue.

The President is reportedly expected to issue an executive order next week to defer the transfer and to announce the holding of consultations. This was also confirmed by Rep. Antonio Alvarez, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting with the President.

The new order will require the Department of the Interior and Local Government to submit the implementing plans if the transfer pushes through, De Leon said.

Regional Development Council chairwoman and Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar Perez, presidential assistant for Western Visayas Lito Coscolluela, Rep. Abraham Mitra, Puerto Princesa City Vice Mayor Lucilo Bayron, and presidential assistant Alfredo Abueg also attended the meeting.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Palawan chapter also questioned the constitutionality of the transfer which was done through an executive order.

IBP-Palawan president Carlos Gomez said territorial jurisdictions are conferred by law and cannot be amended by an executive order.

Among the major constraints to the transfer was the lack of transportation between the province and Panay Island or Iloilo City, the seat of the Western Visayas regional government offices.

In the past, Negros Navigation used to ply at least once a week from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa and back. The Philippine Airlines also used to have trips three times a week from Cebu, via Iloilo, to Puerto Princesa. But these have been canceled.

This will create a major communication problem between Palawan officials and Western Visayas regional officials.

DENR sees copper bonanza

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Mike Defensor predicted last Sunday that the Colet Mining and Development Corp. would generate billions of dollars worth of copper from its mining project in southern Negros Occidental.

Defensor recently granted a permit to the mining firm and signed on Aug. 2 a mineral production sharing agreement with CMDC, the partner of Copper Resources Inc. of the United Kingdom.

Defensor said the $2.5-million drilling program of CMDC would not threaten the environment because the drilling would be as shallow as artesian wells.

According to Leo Van Juaguan, of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the drilling program will confirm the copper volume in the 2,965-hectare Barangay Manlukahoc in Sipalay.

CMDC will reportedly pour in $268 million to develop the area, which is believed to have potential copper revenues of $4.5 billion.

Drop in sugar

The country’s refined sugar inventory dropped to only 176,523 metric tons as of July 31, or 32.62 percent lower than the 261,974 metric tons inventory during the same period last year.

In the case of raw sugar, however, the balance was 227,405 metric tons, or 42.74 below last year’s 397.166 metric tons.

Raw sugar production was down by 8.14 percent this year from 2,338,574 metric tons to only 2,148,156 metric tons. But that was made up by the slide of withdrawals by 5.41 percent or 107,301 metric tons from 1,982,973 metric tons for the same period last year to only 1,875,672 metric tons.

Refined sugar withdrawals also decreased by 40,548 metric tons, from last year’s 1,070,114 metric tons to only 1,029,566 this year.

Overall raw sugar production dropped to only 2,148,156 metric tons this year, compared to the 2,338,574 metric tons produced last year, or down by 8.14 percent or 190,418 metric tons. Luis Tongoy of Confed’s Negros-Panay chapter said it is still less than 15 percent gain compared to last year’s production.

The question that was raised at the Philsutech Convention yesterday was what will be the future of the sugar industry?

While bioethanol production may provide relief from surplus production, the reduction of the tariff on bioethanol imports from 10 to only one percent could very well undercut the pricing of standing cane for conversion to the alternative fuel.

A lot of questions were also raised last week on the President’s order even before the San Carlos bioethanol plant could take off.

Perhaps, Malacañang will be able to explain to the sugar farmers what that move means for an ethanol program that is still aborning.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban is definitely arriving in Cebu to address the Philsutech Convention at the Waterfront Hotel Convention Center. As of yesterday, 700 delegates have already registered. Philsutech expects more than 800 participants.