Oil freeze in Manila? But it's up in Cebu!

I’d like to congratulate the Cebu Investment Promotion Center (CIPC) on its 15th anniversary. It’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed since 1994 when a small group of friends and businessmen grouped together to create the CIPC in order to promote Cebu not just as a tourist destination, but also for Foreign Direct Investors (FDI). We can only applaud and pat the back of my friend, CIPC Executive Director Joel Mari Yu for his role in bringing many investors to the shores of Cebu. CIPC is envied by other cities as we cannot wait for the national government to promote Cebu as an investment hub.

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Last Tuesday, The Philippine Star headlined the news “Oil Prices Fall Anew in Asia” which should be good news for us in Cebu. Today, we are still paying an average of P6 more on a per liter of fuel since last year, something that was reported in a Cabinet meeting held in Cebu last March. Yet, when I gassed up my car at the Petron in Banilad yesterday, I had to shell out P44.20 for a liter of XCS in Petron. I always keep records. The last time I gassed up was last Oct.15 and my record shows that I paid only P42.94 for every liter of XCS gasoline. That’s a price differential of P1.26 for every liter of gasoline.

Now the banner headlines of The Philippine Star last Tuesday was “Palace to Oil Firms: Comply or Face Raps: EO 839 Freezes pump prices at Oct.15 Levels.” This only proves that the oil companies or at least Petron has already violated EO 839 because they have already increased their fuel prices by at least P1.26 per liter.

As if to scare oil consumers, the oil companies have warned the government of an oil shortage, while complying with the freeze in oil pump prices in Luzon. This is why I believe that the Big 3 Oil companies has increased the oil pump prices in the Visayas and Mindanao, where our oil prices are already very high. It is high time we put a stop to this nonsense and fight the Big 3 Oil companies who do not care if Cebuanos suffer for as long as they get what they want.

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Here is a self-explanatory “Open Letter” on the evils of Communism:

“Victims of NPA’s deception and recruitment”

My warmest greeting to you sir. I am an avid reader of your column and I really admire it the way you presented it before the readers. I hope this article of mine will be given a little attention for my reaction on the recent incident publicized over the print and broadcast media involving three students from Cebu City who were captured by the Army in a checkpoint in a mountain barangay in Zamboanguita town in Negros Oriental.

According to the news report, the three students, Ma. Carla Alvarico, a nursing graduate from Velez College, Karlo Cabahug, a computer technology student from USC and Absin Glenn Filamer, a political science student from the University of Cebu were allegedly recruited and joined the communist armed group New People’s Army (NPA).Itend to believe, that indeed, they are neophyte members of the NPA from the youth and student.

As a former member of the editorial staff of our school publication, Lakandiwa of the University of Cebu., I happen to know Ma. Carla Alvarico because of my involvement with the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) before where the latter is also a member. It is only lately that I quit from the organization because I am preoccupied with my studies and do not have enough time to participate in activities. I did not have what Ms. Alvarico and companies have experienced of being recruited into the armed group level but I have already the idea on NPA recruitment of some students.

My only appeal is that I hope that the Armed Forces of the Philippines will not treat them as enemies of our government. They are considered victims of the massive and deceptive recruitment of the communist armed group New People’s Army in the youth and student sector. The common characteristics of a youth or a student as idealistic, curious and vigilant have made us prone to the recruitment of the CPP/NPA/NDF.

As a student I did not see anything wrong in joining an organization or being an activist, everything is wrong if you will join armed movement. I am asking my fellow students to take caution in considering membership especially with activist groups. There is nothing wrong in joining as long as it is peaceful assemblies. Everything is wrong in joining the CPP/NPA/NDF who promotes terror and violence and worse, will only ruin your future as youth and students. Let’s stop this recruitment by CPP/NPA/NDF inside school campuses. The precious lives of the youth who are supposedly the future hope of our nation is at stake. (Signed) Rosemarie D. Serrano, Student- University of Cebu.”