GenSan Talipapa

Dolefil plants 1,100 bamboo trees with Lead.ph to launch 5-year Greening Program

2011-09-24T10:44:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to Dolefil Management headed by Dolefil VP and Managing Director Simon Denye and 200 of its employees who are members of Lead.ph (Labor Employeess Association of Dolefil.Polomolok Hourlies) for the launch of their 5-year Greening Program with their planting of 1,100 bamboo seedlings on September 8, 2011 in Polomolok, South Cotabato.

The tree planting event is LEAD.PH’s expression of its commitment and support to the company’s CSSR (Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility) initiatives as reflected in the Green Clause of the said union’s CBA. LEAD.PH is the official bargaining agent of Polomolok-based hourly-paid employees of Dolefil.

Our hats off to you Dolefil and Lead.ph! This deserves unlimited fresh pineapple drinks compliments of Dolefil Kalsangi Clubhouse!

For more of this story from Dolefil... please CLICK HERE.

2009 Tuna Festival opens!

2009-09-01T12:51:00.004+08:00

Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio address the crowds during yesterday's opening ceremony for the 2009 Tuna Festival. Behind her is Senate President and Guest Speaker Juan Ponce Enrile.

Soccsksargen Bloggers Unite!

2009-01-23T08:59:00.001+08:00

Mabuhay ang SOCCSKSARGEN BLOGGERS!

Regional Consular Office of DFA to open in GenSan soon

2008-11-29T22:52:00.004+08:00

According to a report by Bariles in his blog, the Regional Consular Office of the Department of Foreigners Affairs will be opening at the Gaisano Mall of GenSan compound this month.

This came upon as a directive of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a few months back.

The GenSan RCO will occupy the vacant two-storey unit beside the restaurants Big Chow, Cafe Uno and Shakeys.

For more info, please check out BARILES REPUBLIC.

First 2 parts of Dela Hoya-Pacquiao 24/7 HBO Specials can now be seen

2008-11-25T11:39:00.007+08:00

Good news to all fans of Manny Pacquiao!

HBO Sports has started airing its 4-part series to drumbeat the Dela Hoya-Pacquaiao Fight on December 6th, according to Bariles Republic.

The series entitled "Dela Hoya-Pacquiao 24/7" follows the two protagonists in the course of their preparations for their match up at their respective training headquarters in the US. It also features segments filmed in their native hometowns in Mexico and General Santos City, Philippines.

To view the first 2 parts, please CLICK HERE and HERE.

Source: Bariles Republic

MBS 2, Here I Come with 100 Bloggers from all over!

2008-10-03T11:21:00.000+08:00

CO-PRESENTERS:
NOKIA (Philippines), Inc.
Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr.
Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio
ABS-CBN Regional Network Group
<Bariles Republic

GOLD SPONSORS:
ACLC-Skeptron Ventures, Inc.
Gregoria Printing Press

SILVER SPONSORS:
Asia United Bank
NoKiAHOST.COM - P5/day Philippines Webhosting
Family Country Hotel & Convention Center
East Asia Royale Hotel

BRONZE SPONSORS:
GensanSALE.COM - AnyThings for Sale in Gensan
Blogging from Home Book
Pacific Seas Seafood Market
Shalom-Crest Wizard Academy
Generals Logimark Exponent
Prints and You
Sta. Cruz Seafood, Inc.
Dellosa Design Builders, Inc.

Registration on for Mindanao Bloggers Summit in GenSan!

2008-09-27T13:54:00.007+08:00

The Soccsksargen Convenors Collective, the group spearheading the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit this year in General Santos City recently announced the opening of the registration for what is to be the biggest gathering of blog writers in the island.

A project of the Mindanao Bloggers, the first one was held a year ago in Davao City and was meant to organize the bloggers into a cohesive group and encourage them to write more about their home.

For this year, the theme is "Mindanawan, Paminawon Intawon: Blogging the Mindanao Consciousness" which seeks to strengthen the voice of these young islanders.

The 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit is scheduled during the GenSan E-Business Week, from October 25-26, 2008 and will be held at the Family Country Hotel and Convention Center.

Anybody who has a BLOG hosted at Wordpress, Blogger, Multiply, i.ph, Live Journal, Friendster or other publishing platforms are welcome to join.

Registration is FREE but they will have to write about the event in their blogs and put the names and links of the sponsors.

Some examples can be found below:

Only 100 slots are to be given out to interested bloggers.

If they are able to fulfill the requirements, they are entitled to the following:

MBS2 Kit
Identification Card
3 Meal Coupons
Raffle Tickets
Sashimi Night Pass
Tour Pass (October 26)
Certificate of Attendance
More Freebies!

For more details, check out BARILES REPUBLIC at http://www.gensantos.com or the MINDANAO BLOGGERS at http://www.mindanaobloggers.com .

It's all systems go for GenSan Tuna Festival 2008

2008-08-05T16:49:00.003+08:00

Everything is set for the conduct of the 2008 Tuna Festival in Gensan, the only festival of such kind in the whole world.

Now on its 10th year, this festival has been rated as one of the country's Best Festivals by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines in 2007. It was conceptualized in 1998 by then Gensan Mayor Adelbert Antonino to commemorate the Charter Anniversary of the city and as a means to give focus on the Tuna industry to which Gensan owes much of its economic livelihood.

This year's festival officially starts on August 29 and ends on September 7, two days longer than the usual. For the schedule of activities, CLICK HERE.

Gensan awarded 2007's Most Competitive Mid-Sized City of the Philippines

2008-07-06T10:32:00.007+08:00

Mayor Jun Acharon's Thank You Message Billboard for the generals

General Santos City has just been proclaimed by the Asia Institute of Management Policy Center as MOST COMPETITIVE MID-SIZED CITY of 2007.

For a more detailed report, CLICK HERE.

Yaman GenSan 2008 Opens

2008-06-23T18:52:00.006+08:00

The 6th YAMAN GenSan formally opened today, June 23, 2008 at the KCC Convention Hall attended by city bigwigs and corporate sponsors from Manila.

For more about the event, please read Bariles Republic or click HERE.

YAMAN GENSAN 2008 BIGWIGS. GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon (3rd from left) leads the distinguished roster of guests at the opening of the month-long YAMAN GenSan 2008 (GSC Business Month) at the KCC Convention Center on June 23, 2008 consisting of (from left) Tentay Food Sauces, Inc. and speaker Velia Cruz, SMEDCI President Tess Pacheco, Barangay South Captain Flora Aponesto, Muslim Business Forum Chair Sultan Tungko Saikol, GSCCCII Exec Director Pilar Afuang, Office of Muslim Affairs Guialill Kanda, ABS-CBN star Aldred Gatchalian & DTI ARD Doris Delima, among others. The event, now on its 6th year also served as the launching of Globe Bridgecom sa Bayan and the Entrep-Fair 2008. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

YAMAN GENSAN 2008 OPENS. GenSan Mayor Jun Acharon and Vice-Mayor Flor Congson (shown 3rd & 4th from left) formally opens the month-long celebration of the 6th YAMAN Gensan with a ceremonial unveiling of a giant backdrop at the KCC Convention Center on June 23, 2008. This event hosted by TV host Amy Perez was also the launching of Globe Bridgecom sa Bayan & the Entrep-Fair. A yearly project of the local government and the DTI, it focuses on activities geared towards the upliftment of small and medium entrepreneurs. Also shown in photo (from L-R) are SMEDCI Prexy Tess Pacheco, ABS-CBN Bayan's Irma Cosico, Tentay Foods & Sauces Prexy Velia Cruz and Globe Vizmin External Affairs Head Jerry Yntig. (GENSAN CMO/avel manansala)

YAMAN GENSAN ENTREP-FAIR. This is one of the booths featured during the one-day Entrep-Fair at the opening of the 6th YAMAN GenSan 2008 at the KCC Convention Center. The event was graced by ABS-CBN star and host of the weekly business program SWAK NA KABUHAYN Ms. Amy Perez. YAMAN Gensan 2008 will run for one month. For more info, please visit www.yamangensan.ph. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Kalilangan 2008 Opens

2008-02-17T15:02:00.002+08:00

KALILANGAN OPENING. Gen.Santos Mayor Jun Acharon in his Welcome Speech during the opening program of Kalilangan Festival 2008 on February 16 at the Oval Plaza stage. Behind him are Department of Agriculture Regional Director Abosama M. Alid, CESO IV, representing the DA Secretary, City Administrator Engr. Teody Dumagan, Counciors Orly Oco and Richard Atendido & former Councilor Minda Atendido. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

KALILANGAN BOAT SAILING HIGH. Gen. Santos City Officials headed by Mayor Jun Acharon (3rd from right) release the Kalilangan boat signaling the start of the Kalilangan 2008 Festival with its theme, "Kalinaw, Kauswagan, Kasadya" (Peace, Progress, Pageantry or Pomp) on February 16 at the Oval Plaza Stage. This was followed by the grand fireworks display at 7:00pm. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Indon Consul Keynotes Kalilangan 2008 Opening

2008-02-15T15:52:00.003+08:00

INDON CONSUL KEYNOTES KALILANGAN OPENING. Indonesian Consul General Honorable Lalu Malik Partawanan (extreme right) is the Guest of Honor during the Opening Program of the Kalilangan Festival 2008 Opening slated on February 16, 3pm at the Oval Plaza Stage. The consul was a recent visitor to the city during the Mayor's SOCA on February 7 as evidenced by this photo which also includes (from left) Kalilangan Vice-Chair Rey Billena and City Councilors Jon Gonzales, Lulu Casabuena and Richard Atendido. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Acharon Bares GenSan City Hospital Accomplishments, plans

2008-02-15T15:40:00.004+08:00

STATE OF THE HOSPITAL. GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon delivers his SOHA (State of the City Hospital) during the February 14th 34th Foundation Anniversary of the General Santos City Hospital before hospital employees and guests, revealing his plans for the next 2 years and evaluating his performance for the past 12 months. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

LOYAL HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE. GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon congratulates City Government Hospital employee Mercedes Lacera, one of the loyalty awardees given recognition during the hospital's 34th Foundation Anniversary celebration on February 14, 2008 where the former also read out his State of the Hospital Address. Looking on (from left) are City Hospital Chief Dr. Arvin Alejandro and Hospital Administrator Marcelino Dospueblos. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

GenSan Mayor delivers State of the City Address

2008-02-15T15:28:00.004+08:00

VISION AND MISSION. The Mayor delivering his SOCA at the SP Session Hall before the city council and Gensan's movers and shakers. (GenSan cmo/avel manansala)

BUSINESS SECTOR. Association of Barangay Captains Prexy Lulu Casabuena (center) in a souvenir pose with Gen. Santos City Chamber of Commerce & Industry Executive Director Pilar Afuang and Vice-President Orman Manansala at the SP Hall for Mayor Jun Acharon's SOCA on February 7, 2008. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

US Ambassador Graces Waste Water Treatment Facility Project Presentation

2008-02-15T15:17:00.003+08:00

MOA SIGNING. US Ambassador Kristie Kenny (sitting, 3rd from left) pose with Gensan Mayor Jun Acharon (to her right) after presenting to him the contract of BNS Phils. to the city government directing them to prepare a Detailed Engineering Design for the city's public market Wastewater Treatment Facility in simple ceremonies on February 8 at the public market access road. The project is a joint undertaking of the city government, the US government through USAID's Philippine Environmental Governance Project (EcoGov), DENR and DILG. Also in photo are left-right (standing) EcoGov's Ernesto Gulang, USAID Deputy Mission Director Ezadia Washington, DENR's Datu Tungko Saikol, City Administrator Teody Dumagan, City Assistant Administrator and program emcee Glennville Gonzales, City Planning Officer Nael Cruspero, City Environment Officer Dr. Val Lastimoso; and (sitting) Councilors Odjok Acharon and Richard Atendido, Amb. Kenny, Mayor Acharon, Vice-Mayor Flor Congson, & BNSP's Engr. Jonas Maronilla. (GenSan City Mayor's Ofc/avel manansala)

RMMC's Teatro Ambahanon Sparkles at CCP

2008-02-08T21:30:00.001+08:00

Just when City Mayor Pedro B. Acharon Jr. declared 2008 as the year of Excellence in General Santos City, Teatro Ambahanon - the resident Dance and Theater Company of the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges - was invited to perform at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines for “Galaw, Galaw… The Filipino Soul in Dance”, CCP’s program offering for the National Arts Month Celebrations.

“Galaw, Galaw…” which ran from February 1, 2, and 3 was dubbed “the Concert of the Best in Philippine Dance”. RMMC’s Teatro Ambahanon (TA) shared the limelight with world class dance companies like Ballet Philippines, Lisa Macuja and Ballet Manila, the Philippine Allstars, Philippine Ballet Theater, the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Dance Troupe, among others.

TA performed their critically-acclaimed dance piece called “Sa Ngalan Sang Inahan” from their “Oraciones” series choreograped by Julius Lagare. The nine-minute program slated for General Santos City’s dance company was well received by both audience and critics.

TA was discovered by Nestor O. Jardin, President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, when the group competed in July 2007 at the National Modern Dance Competition in Koronadal City. Mr Jardin, who was one of the judges of the competition, invited the group to perform at CCP immediately after the program, to the surprise of the group considering the piece only ranked fourth in the competition. Apparently, the CCP President saw the appropriateness of the piece and its aesthetic appeal.

Vision of Excellence and Community Involvement

Teatro Ambahanon Contemporary Dance Company started as a dance arm of RMMC Theater company as its training laboratory for dancers and choreographers in the region. In the four years since its founding, the group won in many local, regional and national competitions.

TA is also a training ground for emergent leadership and has produced three GSC Youth Awardees and a finalist. Julius Lagare, the group’s Principal Dancer, was a 2005 recipient and is now based in Cebu as the resident choreographer and teacher at Nicolas Pacaña’s Ballet Center; Hosen Ngilay was a 2006 Finalist; Jan Robert Acharon was a 2007 Awardee. Both are sough-after choreographers. Another member, DeeJay De Vera danced for Exquizyth as guest performer when it competed and won in ABS-CBN’s TV show “You Can Dance Competition” in 2007.

Alongside leadership and excellence, the group is also active in community extension program. Jan Robert Acharon, the group’s Dance Master, formed Renegade 360 and Extreme Boys, two hiphop dance groups composed of both in- and out-of-school boys in Barangay Bula. These two groups, both award-winning in local dance competitions, are recipient of the program Tulbong - a training initiative by RMMC and Teatro Ambahanon in the fields of leadership and excellence.

Promoting Dance Appeciation and Introducing New Form

Having rooted its artistic direction on contemporary or modern dance form, Teatro Ambahanon has been active in its mission of bringing to fore this relatively new dance mold. Utilizing materials which are of rural and provincial appeal, the group creates dance pieces that depict “Philippine-ness” of dance. This did not escape the eye of Ms Edna Vida, a premier Filipina ballerina who directed the CCP show “Galaw, Galaw…”. “The choreograhy and movements have a distinct Filipino flavor. It’s a raw, pure Filipino form and I would love to see you choreograph more pieces like that…”, Ms Vida enthused.

Future Performances

Aside from such raving reviews after the 3-day performance, the group also received two invitations. Myram Beltran, Artistic Director of Dance Forum and the forerunner of WIFI Body Festival which has supported independent Filipino choreographers and dancers, invited the group to participate in WIFI’s 2008 season at CCP this June.

Another invitation came from Floy Quintos, a respected Theater, Movie and Television Director who said he was enthralled and “moved to tears” by the performance. He personally requested the group to perform, along with Filipino luminaries in world Opera, in his upcoming show “Virtuosos” on February 28, 2008 again at the CCP Main Theater.

With all these pouring-in of invitations, Gensan Dancers sparkle with the stars of Philippine Performing Arts, proving that Generals are indeed a breed of excellent artists. (press release)

_______________________________________________________________________

RMMC Teatro Ambahanon recruits new members through its Summer Dance Workshop. This workshop is free for incoming RMMC Freshmen enrollees. Six new members will be chosen. College scholarships will be granted to successful auditioners. For information and inquiries, see the RMMC Admissions Office.

Teatro Ambahanon displays a trademark structure before an appreciative crowd as Philippine Allstars looks on, at the Main Entrance of CCP after the February 3, performance

Jamming with a full house crowd after the performance inside the Main Theater

City Coop Dev Council Inducted

2008-02-06T17:02:00.000+08:00

The City Cooperative Development Council officers were inducted Monday, February 4, 2008 by Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. during the flag ceremony at the City Hall grounds.

Art Aller of the Workers Cooperative of the Philippines (WCP) chairs the council and Co-chaired by Mr. Danilo Paredes. Melvin Tolibas of the General Santos City Government employees' multi-purpose cooperative was elected as the vice chairman, Mila Eugenio-GSTENPC treasurer and Emma Gatmaitan of Land Bank of the Philippines as auditor.

The officers sworn to perform their duties and responsibilities in accordance with law provided for the cooperatives in front of the city government employees.

Aller and the other officers' challenge is the hosting of the 9th National Cooperative Summit in October where around 5,000 delegates are expected to arrive have in the city and join the 3 days activity.

The city hotels and lodging houses can only accommodate half of its expected participants. The council encourages the residents here to cooperate in the "Home Stay Accommodations" which will answer the deficiency of the City's Accreditation.

"If we will be able to maximize the support from residents in the city, we can accommodate roughly around 10,000 visitors", said Aller.

Mayor Acharon on the other hand encourages the participation of local government employees and civil society in the said program so as to invite more groups to conduct their seminar here in the city.

It is a known fact that the city government supports the small and micro entrepreneurs. Acharon believes that leadership of the CCDC such endeavor will succeed with the aid and cooperation of the civil society.

Newly inducted offices are optimistic in meeting the necessity for the summit before the month of October. They are also hoping for the cooperation of everyone in achieving the goals of the council. (CPIO-ALJVillanueva)COOPERATIVE COUNCIL. GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. inducts into office the new leaders of the City Cooperative Development Council during the Flag Raising Ceremony of city government employees on February 3, 2008. The city is hosting the National Cooperative Summit this year where it expects more than 5,000 delegates. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Mayor's SOCA airs live over cable & radio

2008-02-05T16:51:00.001+08:00

Everything is set for City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr.'s delivery of his State of the City Address (SOCA) on February 7, 2008 at exactly 9:00 in the morning.

Timed during the regular session of the City Council at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Hall, the city mayor's office have invited multi-sectoral representatives including business leaders, heads of NGO's and NGA's to the event.

A wide screen will be set-up at the lobby of the city hall to accommodate walk-in visitors and government employees. Chairs will be provided at the area including the balcony of the second floor.

For those who couldn't be there, the mayor's SOCA could be seen LIVE over SkyCable's Kapamilya Channel 28 (with replays in the evening) and heard simultaneously over radio stations, Bombo Radyo, Radio Mindanao Network, DXCP, RPN DXDX, DXGS, Bay Radio and K101.

The full transcript of the address will also be published over the city's print dailies and weeklies. It can also be downloaded from the city government's website at http://www.gensantos.gov.ph immediately following the mayor's delivery.

This is to ensure that everyone can have access to the more important points in the city mayor's review of his administration for 2007 and a preview for 2008 and beyond.

For more inquiries, please contact the City Public Info Office at 302-2309. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

MEDIA TAPPED FOR SOCA. City Mayor Jun Acharon while being interviewed by news reporters at his office has tapped all forms of media to broadcast LIVE his State of the City Address on February 7, 2008 which he will deliver at the SP Hall at the City Hall Building. It will be seen in its entirety at SkyCable Kapamilya Channel 28 and heard at various FM and AM stations in real time. Replays will be aired intermittently afterwards while full transcripts will run at the city's print dailies and weeklies. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

DILG to strengthen Barangay Development Councils

2008-02-04T22:07:00.000+08:00

City Director Rodolfo Bernardino of the Department of Interior and Local Government disclosed that they are going to prioritize the strengthening of Barangay Development Councils in the 26 barangays of Gensan within the first quarter of 2008.

During the City Development Council Good Governance Committee Meeting this week, Bernardino pointed out that the BDCs are already organized and what is needed is to strengthen them because BDCs are tasked to provide priority listing of projects of every barangay.

He also added that accredited Non-Government Organizations and People's Organizations must be ensured of their seats so that they can participate in the process of selecting projects and programs to be given priority.

He clarified that NGOs and POs must also apply for accreditation with the barangay where they operate.

Meanwhile, former Rep. Mario Aguja, chairperson of the CDC Good Governance Committee, disclosed his plan to hold a one-day Orientation for all barangay captains and department heads to discuss concerns on livability, bankability, competitiveness and good governance.

The orientation is to be scheduled within this quarter of the year. (CPIO/ping aponesto)

Mayor Turns over crime-fighting car

2008-02-04T21:57:00.000+08:00

NEW CRIME-FIGHTING CAR. Gensan City Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. turns over a new patrol car to Joint Task Force Gensan HQ Commandant Major Evacuado during the flag ceremony at the city hall grounds on February 4, 2008. The mayor has committed to release more vehicles this year to the Philippine National Police. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

City Intensifies investigation on GenSan Bomb Blast

2008-01-31T21:52:00.001+08:00

City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr., with PRO 12 Regional Director, CSupt Felizardo Serapio, Jr. and City Director PSSupt Robert Po, CEO VI in today's Press Briefing has orderdered an intensified investigation on the bombing incident that traspired at 6:40pm on January 30, 2008 outside the fenced property of Philbest Canning Corporation (owned by Rd Group of Companies) in Barangay Tambler, General Santos City.

GSCPO investigators were directed to interview the victims including the owners of the two motorcycles damaged by the explosion to gather exploitable information that may facilitate in the identification of the perpetrators or motives behind the incident.

On the previous information that the possible motives for the explosion are extortion and labor/management-related, this could have not been possible. According to Mr. Rodrigo Rivera, Chairman and President of the PhilBest Canning Corporation, their companies and affiliates have never received any demand in any manner from anyone for cash or extorting in "exchange" for "protection".

Mr. Rivera further revealed that they have a harmonious relationship with their employees and that they take care of their workers as members of the family. Nevertheless, our Office will look into a previous labor dispute filed by at least eighteen individuals for "illegal dismissal" against an affiliate company, RD Fishing Industry. The initial decision on this case was favorable to the company owners, however, it is on appeal by the dismissed workers.

The initial findings of our EOD personnel and PRO12 crime laboratory personnel is that the blast was caused by an explosive material of small quantity. From the evidences gathered, a grenade blast is discounted and that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device or IED. The order of detonation is also high is revealed by the gathered pieces of evidence. They are small or minute pieces which means that the IED almost completely disintegrated. The pieces of evidence are being examined and pieced together at the office of CL,PRO12, Their final report on the shape and make of the IED including the type of explosive material will be submitted anytime soon.

Our investigation as of this moment is looking into other possible causes or motives aside from those mentioned. Another report will be submitted as soon as the examination of our EOD and CL personnel will be finished.

The OIC, GCSPO has already directed all COP's of (8) police station/CMG/SWAT to undertake appropriate security measures to all vital installations, economic key points places of convergence and public places to thwart occurrence of same incident within this city.

PRESS BRIEFING. GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. answers a query from a media personnel during the January 31st Press Briefing conducted at the Camp Fermin Lira, Jr. in relation to the previous night's bombing incident in Barangay Tambler. The mayor together with PR 12 Regional Director CSupt. Felizardo Serapio and City Director PSSupt. Robert Po announced that an intensified investigation is still going on with regard to the identity and motives of the perpetrators of the crime. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Mayor Finishes 2nd Module on Toxic Waste Management

2008-01-30T15:33:00.001+08:00

Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. recently finished another round of training seminar on his road to completing a Certificate Program on Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD).

The 5-day training course which was on “Chemical Emergency and Preparedness (THW 220)” was conducted by the UP through the National Engineering Center (NEC). This is the 2^nd module in the 4-module program which aims to build the technical capacity of staff from the government and private sectors on the key elements of toxic and hazardous waste management as a requirement for the implementation of RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990).

The mayor has placed Environment Regeneration and Protection in the forefront of his administration’s guiding policies under the SHEEP program and has always been cognizant of the need of the local government to be adept, updated and knowledgeable on issues related to it.

In November of 2007, he finished the program’s first module together with City Planning Officer Engr. Nael Cruspero and will be going back for the 3^rd and final modules next month and March 2008 at the same university in Quezon City. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

TOXIC WASTE MANAGEMENT. GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon assisting his team (where he acted as Incident Commander) in preparing to respond to a hazardous chemical spill simulation at the Clark Development Corporation grounds in Angeles City last January 24, 2008. This activity is part of the 2nd phase of his 4-module course leading to a Certificate Program on Toxic & Hazardous Waste Management conducted by UP Diliman through the National Engineering Center (NEC). (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

TransCo finishes repairs on damaged towers

2008-01-30T15:27:00.000+08:00

The National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) said it has completed repairs on eight of the nine transmission line towers that were damaged by the recent series of bombings in the Lanao provinces.

TransCo assistant vice president for Mindanao OIC Emmanuel Abellanosa said TransCo’s line crews have already repaired Towers 22, 26, 4, 36, 19, 15, 8 and 9.

“We are now rushing repairs on the ninth, Tower 50, in Lanao del Sur,” he said.

Abellanosa also reiterated that contingency measures to address the situation are firmly in place.

“Although the bombings have affected the efficiency and reliability of our system, we are in control of the situation. If these destructive acts continue, we have a system in place to mitigate a possible prolonged power interruption,” he added.

Abellanosa cited TransCo’s linemen for risking their lives in order to repair the transmission towers and energize the lines at the soonest possible time.

He also thanked the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army contingents assigned in the Lanao areas for their help. “We are constantly in coordination with them in these trying times,” he said. (transco pr)

TransCo Adopts Contingency Measures on felled towers

2008-01-29T16:49:00.000+08:00

The National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) has activated a number of contingency measures today, January 25, to normalize power supply in the grid following the reduction of its power transmission capacity to various parts of Mindanao due to three separate bombings of its transmission line towers early morning today.

TransCo line crews have been dispatched to the trouble spots to immediately start repairs on Tower 8 and 9 of the Abaga-Tagoloan line in Balo-i, Lanao del Sur and Tower 50 of the Agus 2-Kibawe line in Brgy. Fatima, Iligan City respectively.

TransCo OIC-Assistant VP Emmanuel Abellanosa said TransCo is dealing with the reduced transmission capacity in accordance with its contingency plan. The recent series of bombings have affected the efficient delivery of electricity to several provinces in Mindanao.

“All remedial measures are being done to restore the affected lines at the earliest time possible,” Abellanosa said.

Expanded City Hall sa Barangay Starts

2008-01-29T16:34:00.000+08:00

City Hall sa barangay is scheduled to resume this coming January 23, 2008.

City Administrator Engr. Teodorico Dumagan met yesterday with barangay officials and department heads of the city government to thresh out last minute arrangements.

First to be visited will be barangay Fatima (Jan. 23-25) to be followed by barangay Dadiangas North on January 30-February 1.

Administrator Dumagan said City Hall sa Barangay will now be expanded to 3 days. Offices under the different clusters will be deployed to deliver services on separate days.

Barangay residents could now expect an improved service delivery by various offices of government participating in city hall sa barangay activities Dumagan said.

The succeeding CHB schedules will be discussed by barangay captains in a meeting to be called by Barangay Captain Lulu Casabuena, Liga President, next week. (CPIO/ping aponesto)

Mayor's Stand on IRA cut

2008-01-29T16:22:00.000+08:00

SOLID STAND. GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. wears a black arm band on his left arm during an interview by ABS-CBN in solidarity with the stand of the League of Cities of the Philippines where he is the Vice-President for Mindanao, against the congress' plan to convert 16 municipalities into cities without having to comply with the laws on cityhood. GenSan will stand to lose about P57 million this year from its IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) increase of P82 million with the plan. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

OFW's form association

2008-01-28T17:09:00.000+08:00

Former Overseas Filipino Workers and their immediate family members residing in barangay Fatima were orgaized into an association by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA-12) and the OFW Desk of City Hall Wednesday this week.

The 22 OFWs who joined the Fatima OFW Association also participated in the 3-day Capability-building Training and Seminar on Leadership, Value Formation and Team-building held at the Senior Citizens building at barangay Fatima.

The training was facilitated by Ms. Nurul Ashiqin Basman, Family Welfare Officer of OWWA 12 and Ms. Erlinda Abara, OFW Desk in-charge of the city.

The group is beneficiary of OWWAs livelihood assistance. After the training, they are scheduled to start their Groceria Livelihood Project.

This is the first OFW association in Gensan which was lucky to be the beneficiary of OWWAs livelihood assistance program.

Another group, the Barangay South OFW Association, is also scheduled to undergo a separate 3-day training on January 24-26, 2008.

OFWs of Barangay Dadiangas South are also set to benefit from OWWAs Groceria Livelihood Project this first quarter of 2008.
(CPIO/ping aponesto)

City's Biz Permits Collection Increases

2008-01-28T17:02:00.000+08:00

General Santos City – The local treasury has recorded an increase in its collection for the first quarter of this year compared to the same period the previous year.

City Treasurer's Office Chief Rodilon Lacap said in a press conference that this year's collection on the renewal of business permits reached P57 million, higher by P2 million compared to the same period last year.

Lacap said that as of January 21, total assessment of the amount collectible has managed to reach P119 million, which is higher by P17million compared to the same period the previous year.

Councilor Jong Gonzales, Committee Chairman on Finance during last week's council meeting, backed the treasurer's claim by reporting that there are a lot of new business registrations this year.

"Media reports that the city did not hit its target collection is not true", he said.

Lacap attributed the increase in revenue collections to the massive tax collection campaign launched by his office and the City Mayor's Office through their "One Stop Shop" Documentation at City Hall.

He is optimistic that his office could surpass this year's target set forth by the Department of Budget and Management.

The Permits and Licenses division has reported a total of 2427 printed permits as of today , 144 of which are new businesses. The figures shows that it is about the same trend last year in the same period.

More than 6,200 business permits were issued last year and has recorded 1,118 new applicants. It is expected that there were still other businesses that will come for renewal in the coming weeks. (GENSAN CPIO)

New Bank Opens in Lagao

2008-01-24T17:42:00.000+08:00

NEW BANK OPENING. GenSan City Acting Mayor Florentina Congson (right) chats with One Network Bank President Alex Buenaventura and a bank employee during the inauguration of their new branch at Barangay Lagao recently. Earlier during her speech, she thanked the management for their continued belief in the economic potential of the city and vowed to strenthen the city's support measures for the benefit of new investors, through the Sangguniang Panlungsod. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

SMART VISITORS

2008-01-22T21:43:00.000+08:00

SMART VISITORS. SMART Communications' top honchos recently paid a visit on GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (5th from left) at this office. They discussed possible ways to extend assistance to the mayor's flagship projects, most notably SHEEP which provides computers to the city's public schools and technical support for their computer literacy programs. From left are Engr. Rodel Agustin (Mngr - Subscriber Network Connectivity- Mindanao), Dennis Gatuslao (Senior Mngr, Usage Voice), Kathryn Carag (Mainstream Mktg. Head), Danilo Mojica (Wireless Consumer Division Head), Annie Naval (Marketing Services Head) and Steve Alcoseba (VISMIN Senior Sales Mngr.) (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

New GSC Chamber Visits City Hall

2008-01-18T10:37:00.000+08:00

NEW GSC CHAMBER @ THE CITY HALL. New officers of the Gen. Santos City Chamber of Commerce & Industry pay a visit on Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (seated) on January 17, 2008 where they reiterated their support of the city's economic policies and committed to reinforce their partnership with the local government towards moves to further strengthen the viability and vitality of the city's economy. Standing from left are Raymund Salangsang (Director for Gen. Services), Engr. Manuel F.D. Yaphockun (Director for Real Estate & Construction); Domingo Teng (Director for Fishing & Aquaculture); Jan Ced (President & Director for Information Technology); Pilar Afuang (GSCCCII Executive Director); Thomas Y. Haw (Director for Commerce & Trade); Ms. Bebei Gonzales (Director for Sector-at-Large); and Orman O. Manansala (Vice-President & Director for Financial Sector). (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Mayor tenders dinner for Papal Nuncio

2008-01-15T16:44:00.001+08:00

DINNER WITH PAPAL NUNCIO. Gensan City officials led by Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (standing, extreme right) in a souvenir shot with Papal Nuncio to the Phils. Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams during the welcome dinner for him tendered by the mayor at the residence of fishing magnate Marfin Tan on January . Archbishop Adams is in town upon the invitation of Diocese of Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez to grace the 30th Patronal Fiesta of Sto. Niño Parish in Bula. Also in photo are (standing from left) City Councilors Ramon Milleza, Meg Santos, Nep-nep Natividad, Bing Dinopol, Lulu Casabuena and Orly Oco. Sitting at the front row (from left) are First Lady Dr. Rose Acharon, Monsignor, Archibishop Adams and Bro. Bob Mcgovern, FMS. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Mayor fetes Pasko personages

2008-01-14T12:26:00.000+08:00

PASKO THANKSGIVING. Some of the personages who were behind the success of Pasko-sa-Gensan 2007 in a souvenir shot taken during the Thanksgiving dinner hosted by City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. at the Queen Tuna Park last January 11, 2009. From left are Councilor Meg Santos, Assistant City Administrator for Operations Glennville Gonzales, City Engineer's Ofifice's Mylene Gecosala, City Planning Office's Rizza Paces, Congressional Office's Bebe-i Gonzales, and Kagandahan Gensan Chair Dr. Rose Acharon. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Notre Dame Golden Jubilarians Honored

2008-01-14T11:47:00.000+08:00

NOTRE DAME GOLDEN JUBILARIANS. Notre Dame of Dadiangas University President Bro. John Tan, FMS (extreme left) with some Golden Jubilarians from Batch 57, who were honored during last month's Grand Alumni Homecoming at the NDDU Football Grounds. The homecoming affair was spearheaded by the Silver Jubilarians from Batch 82 with the assistance of the group of NDDC Alumni Coordinator Chair Mea Dayot. From left are Bro. John, Marcelino Dospueblos, Asuncion Rodriguez, Milagros Robleza, Floradora Abaoag, Janina Tito, Dr. Zenon Plateros and Bro. Robert McGovern, FMS. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Electronic Queuing Machines Ease Up Paying at CTO

2008-01-11T16:40:00.000+08:00

ELECTRONIC QUEUING MACHINES. Florentino Magoncia, Lilia Salera and Solomon Vinculado, of the Cash Receipts Divison of the City Treasurer's Office of Gensan are caught in action while receiving payments from their numerous clients who are processing their business permits. Their tasks have been made easier with the installation of the "electronic queuing machines" above them which control and regulate the flow of payment transactions. The local government has set January 20 as the deadline for the registration of business permits. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

US-Based Pioneer's Kin Calls on Mayor

2008-01-10T15:32:00.000+08:00

PIONEER'S KIN. General Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. in a souvenir shot with (from right) Carmelita Larrabaster-Vinson who flew in from San Diego, California and her sister, Zamboanga-based Shirley, both daughters of Lt. Jesus Larrabaster, former pioneer and overseer of the Marbel Settlement District when it was created on January 10, 1940 under the National Land Settlement Administration. Together with them is (extreme left) Koronadal Program Evaluation Officer Jennifer Malinao. They were guests of the Koronadal LGU which celebrated its Hinugyaw Festival this week. They called on Mayor Acharon to map out the possibility of a program which could strengthen the viability of Gensan and the whole of the Socsargen Area in the areas of commerce and tourism among retiring Fil-Americans. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Mayor Calls First Cabinet Meeting

2008-01-08T15:54:00.000+08:00

FIRST CABINET MEETING. General Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (center) is flanked by Vice Mayor Florentina Congson and OIC City Administrator Teodorico Dumagan during his first Cabinet Meeting for the year on January 7th at the city mayor's conference room where priority projects were discussed. 2008 has been declared as "YEAR OF EXCELLENCE" by the mayor, details of which will be explained during his State of the City Address (SOCA) scheduled on February 7, 2008. (GenSan cmo/amanansala/foto by pbernaldez)

GenSan Youth Achievers Proclaimed

2008-01-07T15:36:00.000+08:00

GENSAN YOUTH ACHIEVERS. Past & present winners of the GSC Youth Achievers Award pose for the camera after the awarding ceremony for Batch 2007 at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Hall, City Hall. From left to right are Joanna Grace Banting-Lapore (2001 awardee), Jonie Rose Louise R. Wee (In-school youth category high school), Jan Robert D. Acharon of RMMC (college), Hannan M. Masdoc (Cultural Communities category), Jovar G. Pantao (2005 awardee), Jessie Augustus R. Lagon of RMMC (in-school youth college category), Eugene L. Dato-on of the Youth Community Service Club (Young Professionals and Workers Category), Allan S. Remedious (2000 awardee), Alfie Maria Rio-Custodio (2003 awardees), City Youth Affairs & Development Officer Elmer Cequiña, and Faustino Jerome G. Babate, MBA (2001 awardee). (CMO/avel manansala/FOTO from YADO)

VIS-MIN'S Biggest Cold Storage Complex Opens in Gensan

2008-01-04T16:06:00.000+08:00

P300M GENSAN COLD STORAGE COMPLEX. Gen. Santos City's Igloo Cold Storage Corporation, the biggest refrigeration warehousing service facility outside of Luzon opened last month with a simple inauguration ceremony graced by (L-R) owner and RD Group of Companies Chairman Rodrigo Rivera, EVP Dolores Rivera, Security Bank First VP Loretta Mangilit, Philbest FVP-COO Roland Salangsang, City Councilor Richard Atendido, RD AVP Richie Rivera and wife Cecille. This P300-million world-class project with its ten state-of-the-art cold storage rooms which can store 10,000 metric tons of frozen resources is located at Barangay Tambler, along the coast of Sarangani Bay. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Just before the year 2007 came to a close, the P300-million Igloo Storage Complex Corporation, another testament to Gen. Santos City's economic boom, opened its doors through a simple inauguration ceremony on December 18, 2007 at its sprawling compound in Barangay Tambler, Gen. Santos City .

One of the forty existing business units under the RD Group of Companies, a wholly-owned Filipino conglomerate based in the country's Tuna Capital, this state-of-the-art refrigerated warehousing complex is the biggest of its kind outside of Luzon, capable of storing 10,000 metric tons of frozen resources.

This facility was designed to handle fresh and processed fish, meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables and other finished frozen products in any of its 10 cold storage rooms, six of which could store up to 1,200 metric tons of materials.

Local government and business leaders including City Councilor Richard Atendido, representing Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr., suppliers and contractors of the company, and the top honchos and employees of the RD Group were among those who graced the inauguration rites.

In his message before a guided tour inside the complex, RD Chairman Rodrigo Rivera said that aside from being equipped with an internationally accepted method of Cold Storage processes, Igloo upholds the commitment to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements of food retailers and regulatory bodies including those from the European Union and the USFDA, among others.

It has also started to seek accreditation with other international relevant sectors such as Kosher Certifying Organizations, Earth Island Institute, ISO standard bodies and others applicable to its operations, he added.

For his part, Councilor Atendido thanked the RD Group of companies for continuing to support the local government in its goal to provide employment opportunities for the people while vowing in his capacity as a member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to be more responsive to the needs of the city's investors. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Pasko sa Gensan 2007 A Colorful Success

2008-01-03T15:21:00.000+08:00

CHRISTMAS TRICYCLE WINNER. The grand prize winning entry of driver Juan Calidina at the "Ilawan-ang-Daan" contest of the recently concluded Pasko sa Gensan 2007. (foto by paul bernaldez/aom)

BEST TRICYCLE ENTRY. Juan Calidina receives a cash prize of P15,000 and a trophy from Gensan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and Pasko-sa-Gensan chair Dr. Rose Acharon after his tricycle entry was judged as the winner in the "Ilawan-ang-Daan" Competition, one of the major events of the recently concluded Pasko Sa Gensan 2007 Festival. (foto by paul bernaldez/aom)

General Santos City – Pasko sa Gensan ended with a high note for the generals and for those who have participated and won in the different competitions held during the celebration.

The month-long showcase of events prepared by the City Government under Mayor Pedro B. Acharon Jr. and his wife, Dra. Rose Acharon, chairperson of Pasko sa Gensan met its aim of giving everyone a more meaningful and colorful way of celebrating the yuletide season.

A triumphant display of talents, creativity, camaraderie, cheer, and sharing ignited the hearts of everyone who shared their time in staging the underwater-themed Christmas Pavilions at the Grand Reef aka oval plaza.

Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges's star shone the brightest and grabbed the championship in the Best Pavilion with a Php15,000 cash prize and best centerpiece with Php10,000 cash prize while Notre Dame Of Dadiangas University, Holy Trinity College, Mindanao State University, and Golden State College received Php7,000 consolation prize each.

Pedro B. Acharon Sr. Central Elementary School bested nine other schools in the "Tunog Tambol, Tunog Lira, Tunog Pasko" Drum & Lyre contest held during the December 3rd opening. RMMC High School Department and GSCSPED High School placed second and third place respectively.

In the various Expo Competitions, Emily Duarte won in the Christmas Card contest, Jezhel Rabino for Christmas ornament, Randy S. Ventic in the bottle décor and Kenjie John Dabon for Christmas character design contest.

They received a cash prize of Php2,500 each for their victories. In addition, James Ryan Sarmogenes of RMMC was also victorious in the Ostrich décor contest while Mon Paolo Lanega of NDDU and Julius Seneigo the next two slots.

Gensan Pop Idol 2007 grand finalist Martin Van Honor of NDDU IBED Lagao through his piece "Noche Buena" emerged as the champion in the Pasko Pop Music Fest, a song writing competition b esting Kathleen Kei Eula's "Paskong Gensan" who came in second and Jereme dela Pena's "Ilaw ng Pasko who was third.

2006 winner Juan Calidina still became the undefeated in the "Ilawan ang Daan" Light-Up-Your-Tricycle contest after winning first prize in the same contest again this year. He won the cash prize of P15,000 and trophy. In second place was Norlito Lopez who got P12,000 and Normilito Utlang who was in third place, getting P10,000 in the process.

A lone participating team in the Coastline Course Surveying contest from NDDU became the winner in the said competition and they brought home Php15,000 cash prize.

Hyper Boys outshined eight other teams in the Dance Fusion contest after being named as the grand winner in the said contest. S.P.A. Kalingaw Dancers ranked second place and Extreme Boys was the third placer.

After the successful holding of the annual Christmas extravaganza of the city government, the organizers are thankful for the support of the different groups who have contributed much to the smooth conduct of the celebration.

Mayor Acharon is hopeful that same partnership will be shown in the coming years of Pasko and is encouraging all others to join as one in making Gensan come alive during Christmas time.

Dr. Acharon on the other hand wants to thank all the event managers, the partipating schools and private corporations, the sponsors, the volunteers, the police, military and other peace-keeping forces, the local government and other government agencies, and the Task Force Pasko for ensuring the success of the festival. (CPIO-aljvillanueva)

Firecrackers Ban in Gensan

2007-12-30T19:02:00.000+08:00

FIRECRACKERS INSPECTION. Personnel from the Licenses and Permits Division of the City Mayor's Office of Gen. Santos inspect one of the stalls selling fireworks at the Oval Plaza. Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. has decreed a ban against the use and sale of the more dangerous firecrackers.

Darlene Treats Orphans to a Party

2007-12-27T17:15:00.000+08:00

PAMASKONG PAMBATA. Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio, of the 1st Congressional District of South Cotabato, hands out a gift to one of the kids from St. Gemma's Orphanage during the Pamaskong Pambata: Alay ng Kongreso affair at the Oval Plaza Children's Playground last weekend. The kids were earlier treated to games and entertainment courtesy of the office of the congresswoman who has been doing this annually to a number of the city's underprivileged kids and orphans.

New Dance Group Delights LGU Employees

2007-12-26T16:52:00.000+08:00

NEW LGU DANCE GROUP. Dr. Arvin Alejandro, City Chief of Hospital (front) leads his group from the Livability Cluster perform their dance moves during the Employees' Christmas Party of the local government of Gen. Santos last weekend at the KCC Mall Convention Center. Also in him in the photo are (back, L-R) LCR Assistant Department Head Inday Tablizo, CSWDO Head Becky Magante, LCR Department Head Elena Sarino and City Health Office Action Officer Dr. Lalaine Calonzo. More than 2,000 employees and their family members who showed up for the festive occasion cheered their lively number. Later on, Mayor Jun Acharon distributed cash gifts of P10,000 each to his workers.

Kitkat Wows Generals

2007-12-26T13:52:00.000+08:00

KITKAT AT THANKSGIVING CONCERT. ABS-CBN Sexy Comedienne Kitkat performs at the Pamaskong Bigtime Aginaldo-(PBA) Thanksgiving Concert mounted by the Office of City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and ABS-CBN Socsargen on December 22, 2007 at the Gensan Oval Plaza. More than 3,000 Christmas revelers were treated to this song-and-dance affair which signaled the end of the 3-week long Pasko-sa-Gensan 2007 Festival. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Mayor Releases P30M Cash Gifts

2007-12-21T17:03:00.000+08:00

CHRISTMAS CASH GIFTS. General Santos City Mayor gives out cash gifts of P10,000 each to the regular employees of the local government unit during their Christmas Party on December 21, 2007 at the KCC Convention Center. Assisting him are (L-R) Councilors Jane Calunsag, Nephthali Natividad, Meggie Santos and First Lady Dr. Rose Acharon. A total of P10million was appropriated by the Sangguniang Panlungsod for the said Christmas gifts.

Land Bank Chief Calls on Mayor

2007-12-21T10:19:00.000+08:00

BANK PRESIDENT AT CITY HALL. Land Bank of the Philippines president and chief executive Gilda Pico during her courtesy call on Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. on December 20, 2007 to discuss his priority environment-protection related projects. The Land Bank of the Philippines is offering a loan facility of about P300million to the city to finance its Sanitary Landfill Project in Barangay Sinawal .

Bariles Supports AIDS Awareness Month

2007-12-20T19:01:00.001+08:00

Beach Volleyball Tourney Starts

2007-12-19T16:30:00.000+08:00

BEACH VOLLEYBELLES. SK Federation-Gensan President Jane Calunsag, representing City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. gives the thumbs up with volleybelles of Gen. Santos Doctor's Hospital Foundation (left) and Holy Trinity College - Team A at the start of the 2nd Beach Volleyball PBA Jr. Cup Tournament at the Queen Tuna Park (Lion's Beach) on December 19, 2007. Also with her are (extreme left) Rodolfo Yu and Christian Gonzales (extreme right), both from the Sports & Games Development Division of the City Mayor's Office. The Trinitarians won this first fight of the tournament which is an official event of Pasko sa Gensan 2007. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

December 19 is Muslim Holiday (Hariraya Hajji)

2007-12-18T16:27:00.000+08:00

The Office on Muslim Affairs under the Office of the President of the Philippines has announced on December 14 in a letter addressed to Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. that December 19, 2007 is a legal Muslim Holiday.

According to OMA Field Director Guialil R. Kanda, this is in observance of Eid'l Adha - Hariraya Hajji (Feast of Sacrifice) which falls on December 19, 2007 and corresponds to the 10th Jul Hijjah 1428.

Muslim Holidays in the Philippines were created by virtue of P.D. 1083 and the Civil Service Commission Resolution NO. 81-1277 dated November 13, 1981. In view of this, the mayor has ordered all the local government employees not to report for work for that day in deference to this directive.

1st Table Tennis PBA Jr. Cup Tourney Held

2007-12-18T12:15:00.000+08:00

TABLE TENNIS PBA CUP. Dr. Arvin Alejandro, Tournament Director of the 1st PBA Jr. Invitational Table Tennis Tournament congratulates the winners during the awarding ceremony on December 16, 2007 at the Oval Plaza Gym while Event Manager Christian Gonzales listens behind him. Players from various high schools of Gensan were pitted against those from Davao, Cotabato City and North Cotabato during the 3-day tourney which was part of the Pasko-sa-Gensan calendar.

The first-ever PBA, Jr. Invitational Table Tennis Tournament finally ended on Sunday, December 16, 2007 at the capacity-filled Oval Plaza gymnasium after a three-day run which pitted the city’s best and upcoming young players from different schools against those from Cotabato City, Midsayap and Davao, among others.

An official event of the Pasko-sa-Gensan 2007, the tournament this year was spearheaded by the Sports & Games Development Division under the City Mayor’s Office under Sports Division Officer Ernesto Nanali in cooperation with TATAP (Table Tennis Association of the Philippines – Gensan).

Dr. Arvin Alejandro was the Tournament Director while Christian Gonzales was the Event Manager.

Here is the complete set of winners who received cash prizes of P3,000 (1st), P2,000 (2nd) and P1,000 (3rd) respectively:

• Boys – 17 Years Under
o Champion – Wilbert Lio
o 2nd Place – Kevin Hilado
o 3rd Place – Carl James Ranoa

• Boys – 13 Years Under
o Champion – Gil Ablanque
o 2nd Place - Ronald Gamaliel Donaire
o 3rd Place – James Philip Ybañez

• Girls – 17 Years Under
o Champion – Mirabel Roferos
o 2nd Place – Princess Laarni Masong
o 3rd Place – Jaren Castro

• Girls – 13 Years Under
o Champion – Lyndel Sellado
o 2nd Place – Ma. Joven Bugnos
o 3rd Place – Roxanette Mae Noriega

The Team Event winners are: Champion – Medatta A of Davao (P5,000); 2nd Place – UM Davao (P3,000); and, 3rd Place – PNP Gensan (P2,000).

BBC Reporter Calls on Mayor

2007-12-17T17:39:00.000+08:00

BBC REPORTER. Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. orients British Broadcasting Corporation Reporter Andrew Harding and his camera man Darren Conway (2nd & 3rd from left) on the current state of the Tuna Industry in the city during their courtesy call on him last week. The award-winning BBC Asia Correspondent was in town to do a special report about the aforementioned matter and meet up with some of its major stakeholders.

75 City Hall Employees Honored

2007-12-16T18:46:00.000+08:00

For serving the city government for 20 years with utmost dedication and good performance, seventy five (75) rank-and-file employees were honored Thursday night at Sydney Hotel.

Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. personally awarded the employees brand new Nokia cellular phones (colored, polyphonic, with accessories) in recognition of the contributions of these employees in delivering total quality service to the people of Gensan.

This is the second batch of employees who were honored by the city through its “Parangal sa Kawani” program.

This annual program is initiated by the city’s PRAISE committee whose officers include HRMDO Department Head Ms. Sarah t. Sanchez and Mr. Ernesto V. Quisay, chief of staff of the Office of the City Mayor.

In his message, mayor Acharon cited the employees good performance and challenged them to continue working for the betterment of the city’s constituents.

Mr. Quisay, on the other hand, said that they made sure that the awards night this year will be truly memorable. The preparations were made earlier particularly on the venue, food, entertainment plus the token for each of the awardees. (CPIO/ping aponesto)PARANGAL NG KAWANI. Chief of Staff Ernie Quisay of the City Mayor's Office of Gen. Santos is flanked by emcees City Assistant Administrator Glennville Gonzales and City Population Program Officer Judith Janiola while welcoming the 75 honorees from the local government to the Parangal ng Kawani, a tribute-of-sorts for their 20 years of service. Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. later awarded a Nokia cellphone to each one of them as a token for their longevity and dedication.

WBO Champ Peñalosa Visits City Hall

2007-12-15T15:22:00.000+08:00

PEÑALOSA AT THE CITY HALL. Reigning WBO Bantamweight Champion Gerry Peñalosa (3rd from left) shown here with City Administrator Teodorico Dumagan (4th from left) in a recent visit to the Gen. Santos City Hall. The champ was accompanied by his wife, GenSan beauty Goody Llido-Peñalosa (2nd from left). Also shown in photo are (L-R) Gerry's brother-in-law Mark Landseer Llido, mother-in-law Virgie Odi-Llido, sis-in-law Shandy Llido-Pestaño and nephew Billy.

Acharon @ the LCP Caravan in North Mindanao

2007-12-14T15:40:00.000+08:00

LCP'S OPLAN LINGAP-ESKWELA IN MARAWI. Gen. Santos City Mayor and Vice-President for Mindanao of the League of Cities of the Philippines Pedro Acharon, Jr. (standing 2nd from right) is flanked by two Marawi City DepEd officials and Tagum City Mayor Nestor Alvarez during the MOA Signing for OPLAN LINGAP-ESKWELA at the Marawi City Hall recently. This project of the LCP and Ciarra Abalos Foundation, in cooperation with the DepEd and UAP-Marawi Chapter will provide for the construction of schoolbuildings in Marawi. Also shown in photo are (seated L-R) Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham Tolentino, Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz, Mandaluyong City Mayor and LCP President Benhur Abalos, Marawi City Mayor Fahad U. Salic and Ms. Ciarra Abalos, Foundation Trustee. LCP MAYORS IN MSU-MARAWI. Mayors from various areas representing the League of Cities of the Philipines is shown here during their courtesy call on Mindanao State University President Dr. Ricardo De Leon recently, as part of their LCP Caravan in Northern Mindanao. From left to right are Tagum City Mayor Rey Chiong T. Uy (LCP Representative for Region 11), Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (LCP VP for Mindanao), Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos (LCP President), Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham Tolentino (LCP Treasurer), Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz (LCP Representative for Region 10), Muñoz City Mayor Nestor Alvarez (LCP Focal Mayor for the Millenium Development Goals), former Samal Mayor Roger Antalan (LCP Program Coordinator), and Mr. Ram Sitaldas, President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Barangay Orientation Held

2007-12-13T10:47:00.001+08:00

BARANGAY ORIENTATION. Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. during his welcome address at the opening of the Barangay Orientation Seminar for newly-elected barangay officials of the city held at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Hall on December 10 and 11, 2007 where he introduced the members of his cabinet including the department heads and officers-in-charge of the different local government offices.

Gourmet Resto Opens in Osmeña North

2007-12-12T15:41:00.000+08:00

NEW GOURMET RESTO. Fr. Alex Salas, DCC performs the ceremonial blessing rites for Theresa's Cafe and Gourmet Restaurant late last week while flanked by (from right) Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and owners Malou and Beth Lim. Located along the "quieter" North side of Osmeña Street as opposed to its busier South side, this newest restaurant destination in downtown Gensan aims to cater to people who need a "more relaxed and cozier ambience" and a varied American and European gastronomic fare. GenSan has been experiencing a boom in the opening up of dining establishments recently.

Christmas Festival Highlights

2007-12-11T20:56:00.001+08:00

ADMIRING THE FIREWORKS. Kagandahan GenSan Chairperson and GenSan First Lady Dr. Rose Acharon and City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. observe the Fireworks Display in the sky above the Oval Plaza right after the latter led the countdown signalling the formal start of the Pasko-sa-Gensan 2007 during a jampacked Opening Ceremony of the Pasko-Sa-Gnsan 2007 Festival.
FREE TUNA AT FISHERMAN'S WHARF. Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (partly hidden from camera) observes City Economic Management and Cooperative Development Office (CEMCDO) staff Darlon Solana and Stewart Ang prepare the tuna sashimi they were giving out for free at the Fisherman's Wharf at the Oval Plaza last week as part of the activities during the Opening Week of the Pasko-sa-Gensan 2007 Festival. This annual activity by the local government runs for the whole month of December.

Barangay Apopong Awarded Best Lupong Tagapamayapa

2007-12-10T16:36:00.000+08:00

BEST LUPONG TAGAPAMAYAPA. Outgoing Barangay Apopong Captain Delia Rabanes (2nd from right) proudly displays the mock check of P50,000 she received from Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and DILG City Director Rodolfo Bernardino (1st & 2nd to her right) which her barangay won as the Best Lupong Tagapamayapa of the city, besting 25 others and giving it the right to compete in the Regional Finals sponsored by the DILG. Republic Act 7160 known as the Local Government Code of 1991, mandates in its Section 399 the creation in each barangay a Lupong Tagapamayapa and in Sec 402 the functions of such body for dispute settlement and conflict resolution. Also in this photo taken during the Barangay Councilors' Oathtaking last week are (from left) City Councilor Ramon Milleza and Vice-Mayor Florentina Congson.

SK Federation Elect Officers

2007-12-09T14:16:00.001+08:00

SK FEDERATION OFFICERS. Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr.(center) with the newly-elected officers of the Federation of Sangguniang Kabataan Chairpersons, (from L-R) Sgt.-at-Arms Keven Pragados (Dadiangas South), Auditor Marianne Dayap (Calumpang), Vice-President Alysa Marie De Leoz (City Heights), President Jane Calunsag (Barangay Apopong), Secretary John Ruel Cunanan (San Isidro), Treasurer Irene Baguio (Tinagakan) and PRO Precious Pia Abatayo (Bula). They and their 19 other young honorables underwent a 2-day orientation seminar conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Goverment prior to their election at the Sydney Hotel. SKF president Calunsag immediately becomes their permanent representative to the City Council.

Christmas Under-the-Sea Wonderland Wows Indonesians

2007-12-08T11:00:00.000+08:00

PASKO-SA-GENSAN TOUR. Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. gives Major General Jenderal Tni. Djoko Susilo Utomo, Chairman of the Border Committee of the Republic of Indonesia a walking tour of the different pavilions and other features of the oval plaza which has been converted into an under-the-sea wonderland, the centerpiece of the Pasko-Sa-Gensan 2007 festivity which formally opened this week. The Indonesian visitor who was with his wife and 30 others also witnessed and enjoyed the DANCE FUSION Competition at the oval plaza stage. They were in the city to attend the 26th Chairman's Meeting of the Border Committees with their Filipino counterparts.

FIRST LADIES. Gen. Santos City First Lady Dr. Rose Acharon with the wives of some of the members of the Border Committee of the Republic of Indonesia at a Welcome Dinner hosted by Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. on December 4, 2007 at the Sydney Hotel prior to their tour of the Pasko-Sa-Gensan Grand Reef festivity at the Oval Plaza. To her left is the wife of Major General Jenderal Tni. Djoko Susilo Utomo, head of the delegation. They were in the city for a joint border patrol meeting with their Filipino counterparts.

26th Chairman's Meeting of Indo-RP Border Committee in Gensan

2007-12-07T15:17:00.000+08:00

INDON BORDER COMMITTEE CHAIR. Major General Jenderal Tni. Djoko Susilo Utomo, Chairman of the Border Committee of the Republic of Indonesia is welcomed at the Gen. Santos City International Airport by Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. upon his arrival on December 4, 2007 from Manado, North Sulawesi on board their own army plane. He and 35 members of his team are in town for the 26th Chairmen's Conference of the Border Committe members from both countries at the East Asia Royale Hotel. BORDER TALKS. GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. addresses the 35 members of the Indonesian Border Committe during the Welcome Luncheon he tendered for them at the Babes Bar of the East Asia Royale Hotel on December 4, 2007. They and their Filipino counterparts from the Philippine Navy and Philippine Army are in the city for their joint country 26th Chairman's Meeting on December 5-6.

Simultaneous Lighting of City Ushers in Pasko Sa Gensan 2007

2007-12-04T18:27:00.000+08:00

In a never before seen spectacle in General Santos City, on December 3, 2007, the whole stretch of Pioneer Avenue including the Gen. Paulino Santos, Sr. Park up to the large expanse of the Carlos P. Garcia Park (Oval Plaza) simultaneously burst into a sparkling exhibit of muti-colored lights signalling the start of the city's annual yuletide festival.

After leading a countdown among the 5,000-strong crowd at the oval plaza stage prior to the light-up, GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. formally announced the commencement of the month-long PASKO-SA-GENSAN 2007.

A dazzling fireworks display then ensued , illuminating the sky and eliciting screams of delight among the spectators, mostly members and supporters of the ten school bands which participated in the TUNOG TAMBOL, TUNOG LIRA Drum & Lyre Competition conducted earlier that afternoon.

Pasko-Sa-Gensan which started in 2003 under the administration of Mayor Acharon has been growing in grandeur and scale annually. For this year, the festival took on a theme which played around the city's fame as the country's Tuna Capital and on the resiliency of its people who have managed to survive a series of unfortunate events the past 5 years or so. Thus, the theme "KULAY PASKO ANG DAGAT NG BUHAY" was conceptualized as the rallying point for the festivities.

According to the mayor, "Not only will our displays, decors and activities remind us of the blessings we have gotten from the bounty of our seas but will also help instill in us the spirit of hope as symbolized by the vibrant colors of the sea creatures so much present in the festive hues of the Christmas season."

Indeed, if one goes around the city, colorful marine flora and fauna are displayed side by side with symbols of Christmas while the oval plaza takes on the character of a Grand Reef with a Giant Seaweeds Christmas Tree in the center.

Pavilions built by participating schools RMMC, NDDU, HTC, MSU and Golden State College are scattered near the tree, each one adopting a certain marine creature as its mascot.

Other than that are the Coral Carnival Pavilion (carnival rides), the Fisherman's Wharf Mini Trade Fair and Food Bazaar and the Seashells Pavilion (Kids Playground).

Nightly events are also scheduled at the Oval Plaza Stage with the city's FM Radio stations outdoing themselves with their concerts, dance parties and cultural programs.

Everything culminates at the same venue with a Closing Program on December 21 and a thanksgiving concert on December 22 dubbed as Pamaskong Bigtime Aginaldo-Pasasalamat Concert sponsored by the City Mayor's Office and ABS-CBN Socssargen. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Takes Oath

2007-11-30T21:24:00.000+08:00

THE MAYOR & SK CHAIRS.

Gensan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. strikes a wacky pose with the Sangguniang Kabataan Chaipersons of the city's 26 Barangays after their oath-taking ceremony on November 28, 2007 at the Lagao Gym. Earlier the mayor briefed them and their councilors on his administration's vision and development strategies while challenging them, as "generals" (term coined for GenSan residents) to be "general solutions" to today's problems. In a few days time, these chairpersons will elect among themselves a president to be their permanent representative at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

208 Barangay Officials take oath

2007-11-29T13:09:00.000+08:00

BARANGAY OFFICIALS MASS OATH-TAKING.

Two-hundred eight newly-elected officials from General Santos City's twenty six barangays take their oath of office before Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. on November 28, 2007 at the Lagao Gym. The mayor proceeded to orient them on his administration's programs and policies, goals and benchmarks based on his 15-year city development strategies or SHEEP Development Agenda to ensure a unified and coordinated approach on each individual barangay's plans for the continuous progress of their turfs.

ACHIEVERS ALL. Gensan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. strikes a happy pose with members of his clan, all newly-elected barangay officials after administering their mass oath-taking ceremony along with 205 others from the city's 26 barangays on the morning of November 28, 2007 at the Lagao Gym. Photo shows (L-R) Brgy. Dadiangas West Councilor Yolando Acharon, the mayor, Barangay Sinawal Councilor Ricardo Acharon, and Barangay Dadiangas West Captain Edgar Acharon.

Mayor Attends Peace Forum

2007-11-26T17:38:00.001+08:00

PEACE FORUM. Gensan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. acknowledges the crowd at the opening of the Peace Forum at the Sarangani Capitol Gym on November 26, 2007. The forum is part of the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace which is an initiative of the Office of the President under Honorable Jesus Dureza, Secretary of the Peace Process. Photo shows (L-R) General Vicente Luna (Eastern Mindanao Command Chief), Secretary Dureza, Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez, Mayor Acharon and Sarangani Vice-Governor Steve Solon.

SarGen Leaders in Tahuna, North Sulawesi

2007-11-22T16:09:00.001+08:00

SARGEN LEADERS IN INDONESIA. Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and Sarangani Province Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez (1st & 2nd from right) stand in attention during the arrival honors for the Philippine delegation at the Tahuna City Airport in Sangihe Island, North Sulawesi on November 21, 2007. The leaders were in this Indonesian island for trade talks and to witness the culmination of the 3-day joint border patrol exercise between the two countries. Also in photo are (from right) AFP Eastern Mindanao Commander Gen. Cardozo Luna, Chair of the Philippine panel overseeing the border crossing agreement and Regent Winsulan Salindejo, Regent of the Sangihe Islands chain. (avel manansala/foto by edwin espejo)

INDONESIAN DANCE. Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and Mindanao Economic Development Council Chair Virgilio Leyretana perform the Indonesian welcome dance "Kabasaran" with lady dancers at the arrival program in honor of the Philippine Delegation in Tahuna City, Sangihe Island on November 21, 2007. The mayor was in this Northern Sulawesi territory to witness the culmination of a joint border patrol exercise between the Philippines and Indonesia and for trade talks between Gensan, Sarangani Province and Tahuna. Together with him was Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez. (avel manansala/foto by edwin espejo)

McDonald's Donates Reading Kits to local schools

2007-11-22T13:45:00.000+08:00

MCDO DONATES READING KITS. McDonalds' Manager-Tainee Nathaniel Atoc (extreme right) looks on as GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (2nd from right) hands over a sample copy of their Bright Minds Read Kit to City Councilor Richard Atendido and DepEd Supervisor Emerenciana Robin (extreme right) at a turn-over ceremony during the regular prescon moderated by City Assistant Administrator Glennville Gonzales (partly hidden from camera) at the City Mayor's Conference Room on November 20, 2007. These kits will be used by public school teachers as tools in improving the english reading and comprehension skills of their pupils. This endeavor is a project of McDonalds Charities, Inc and the Department of Education in coordination with the City Mayor's Office.

Junior Officials Take Over City Hall

2007-11-20T15:24:00.000+08:00

JUNIOR OFFICIALS TAKE OVER CITY HALL. Photo shows Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (seated) and the Junior Officials tasked to take over the duties of the elected local government leaders during their first day of office at the city hall on November 19, 2007. Selected from more than 75 applicants from various schools in the city, these high school students will perform the basic functions of the mayor, the vice mayor and the councilors for a week. Also in photo are (L-R) Hope Christian School's Ruby Jane Ong, Stephanie Chu, Sharla Billena, Kenn Derik Sy (Junior Vice-Mayor) and Mary Rose Torrijos; Notre Dame of GSC's Dennis Marigon and Eva Cynthia Flores; MSU's Boni Brendi Abuyog (Junior Mayor); Leoncio Enobio, Jr. of GSC National School of Arts and Trade; Trixia Marie Ebol of MSU; Ivan Dimadid of RMMC; Angelica Rose Dellosa of NDDU-IBED and City Youth Affairs Division Chief Elmer Cequiña. Not in photo is Jamie Villamor of Holy Trinity College. This undertaking is an annual project of the YADO which is under the City Mayor's Office.

Mayor Enrolls in Waste Management Course at the UP

2007-11-19T11:52:00.000+08:00

WASTE MANAGEMENT COURSE AT UP FOR ACHARON. GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. (extreme left) during a break at his class on "Toxic & Hazardous Waste Management" at the University of the Philippines Diliman from November 9-12, 2007. This is the first of the four-module training course which the mayor, a licensed civil engineer, enrolled in under the Certificate Program on Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management of the UP's National Engineering Center to strenghten his administration's implemention of the city's Integrated Solid Waste and Waste Water Management Plan. With him in the photo are (L-R) Phil. Batteries, Inc.'s Jayme Gonzales, Course Director Dr. Gene Peralta of NEC, Globe Telecom's Beth Tamayo, Team Enery Sual Corp.'s Eric Legarda, Phil. Abatement Systems Specialist Inc.'s Lito Pogon and Carlito Cabanela, also of Team Energy.

For a period of five days early this November, Gen. Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. undertook a training course in the first of a series of modules on Waste Management at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

This is the Certicate Program on Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management which is a four-module training course conducted by the university through the National Engineering Center (NEC) in coordination with its Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering Graduate Program.

Its objective is to build the technical capacity of leaders from the government and private sectors on the key elements of toxic and hazardous waste management for the implementation of RA 6969 or the "Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act".

Mayor Acharon, who is a licensed civil engineer has focused on environment protection as one of his adminstration's flagship missions through his Environmental Governance Project or Eco-Gov2.

This includes his designs on the city's Integrated Solid Waste and Waste Water Management Plan and the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape Plan which is in partnership with Sarangani Province. An offshoot of these plans is the Sanitary Landfill project in Barangay Sinawal which is in its bidding stage at this point and will be completed in 2009 at the earliest.

The course in UP, according to the mayor, therefore, "will not only equip us with more technical knowledge on how the city should conduct its handling of its waste material but they will also strengthen our networking with capable institutions and agencies which may assist us on matters pertaining to environmental protection and regeneration."

For this first set of module from November 5 to 9, entitled "Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management", Mayor Acharon teamed up with Engr. Nael Cruspero, who heads the City Planning Development Office. Subsequent modules scheduled for next year are: "Chemical Emergency Response and Preparedness"; "Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement"; and "Pollution Prevention".

All of these are under Course Director Dr. Gene Peralta of the National Engineering Center.

Ms. Universe-Philippines in Gensan

2007-11-17T17:23:00.001+08:00

TOKEN FOR MS. UNIVERSE-PHILS. GenSan City Mayor hands over a token to Ms. Philippines-Universe 2007 Michelle Escuin during her last day of visit in the Tuna Capital on November 16, 2007. The 24-year old Fil-Am beauty whose family hails from Bacolod was in town to belie negative reports about the peace and order situation as usually reported in the US press. She toured the Fishport Complex, the world's largest pineapple plantation of DOLE in Polomolok, South Cotabato and the white beaches of Glan, Sarangani, among others. She also hobnobbed with the students of the Dole International school and a class of specially-abled kids at the SPED School in Gensan.( GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

TV Sets Turned Over to Gensan Schools

2007-11-15T16:38:00.001+08:00

GenSan City Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and Glan Mayor Enrique Yap, Jr. at the turnover of 7 television sets and educational dvd's to 5 schools in Gensan and Glan from SuperFerry under its Educational Television Program in partnership with ABS-CBN. In photo are (L-R) Elementary School Principals Flora Maglunsod (New Society), Erlinda Tobis (Bula Central), Renato Odi (Fatima Central), Agosto Libuton (Glan Padidu) with SuperFerry Manager Flor Luces, Mayor Yap, Mayor Acharon, DepEd Superintendent Estrella Lariosa, Bula District Superintendent Araceli Medina and Mr. Lucibar Salamanca. The activity was held during the Teacher Training Workshop conducted by SuperFerry at the Bula Central Elem. School on Nov. 15, 2007. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Raking in the Dough

2007-11-15T09:33:00.001+08:00

Right after Wilfredo "Bing" Royeca and Maria Carmela "Armie" Magtoto tied the knot in June of 1992, they immediately invested their wedding gift of forty thousand plus their savings of around twenty more in a bakery outlet at the old bus terminal of Gen. Santos City.

Bing's family has been in the bakeshop business for over twenty years in Gensan at that time and it was inevitable that he himself venture into it. But not after resigning from the NFA in Davao City and marrying Armie two years earlier who was then managing her family's furniture business in Gensan that he saw it fit to start their own Rolee Bakeshop outlet.

Luckily, their sixty square meter outlet with 5 workers was right smack in the middle of a high traffic area along the city's business district, Santiago Boulevard. Three months later, they opened their second branch at the Central Public Market.

The couple did not leave anything to chance and personally supervised the operations of their two outlets.

"With an old Toyota Tamaraw which I borrowed from my family, we personally did the purchasing of raw materials and helped in the delivery of our finished products to the two outlets," Bing says.

The newly-weds were sticklers for quality. According to Armie, "We made sure that we use the highest quality ingredients for our products available in the market. And we do not let our breads stay on the shelf for more than 24 hours including our flagship brand, the Rolee cream bread."

Armie who has Kapampangan roots even enrolled together with Bing at Asian Baking Institute in Manila, immersing themselves into discovering their own signature bread. She and Bing paid considerable attention to learning from other bakeshop outlets during their travels, tasting their bestsellers, hoping to ascertain what made them become such, and ultimately trying to produce their own versions.

The couple's efforts on R&D eventually paid off and from a product line of 20, Rolee's now boasts of 60 types of breads and pastries.

One current favorite is the La Crema with its soft-willowy crust and sweet-pastel filling. Armie recalls, "The first time we came out with it, our customers immediately liked it but were dismayed by the price. We had to come up with a solution where we made it a wee bit smaller but still we did not scrimp on our ingredients."

Just recently, they spun off the NATURA line of breads, for the health-conscious bread eaters. Bing, who visits the gym daily, considers this his baby.

"We're giving the consumers more reasons for patronizing our bakeshop. We want them to know that we value their health and well-being, hence this new line of baked goods. We never stop innovating; we never stop improving on our offerings to provide our clients more value for their money."

Armie, who has a degree on Master in Entrepreneurship at the Asian Institute of Management to her name said that this desire to constantly give their clients the best also moved them to come up with a premium version of their successful cream bread to which Rolee was known for.

She explains, "When we felt it was time to upgrade our flagship product, we knew we had to increase its price because we will be using more expensive ingredients and better packaging."

They however did not want to abandon their old customers who were loyal buyers of the classic cream bread.

"Although we have come up with first-rate products, we decided to keep the old cream bread bestseller because this was how Rolee became known for. Besides, why fix it if it isn't broken?" Armie opines.

So now if you visit any of their outlets, you will notice the old reliable variety still sitting side by side with the more pricey upstarts on the shelves.

From a mere 5 employees in 1992, the couple now supervises over a hundred workers, some of whom have been with them for more than ten years.

According to Bing, "We consider our employees as family members. We want them to feel that whatever success we reap is all because of team work, because of the individual contribution of each member. This business is also theirs as much as it is ours."

Now on its 13^th year, Bing and Armie consider this phase of their business as their "second wind".

With their two kids going off for college in the very near future, the couple is now getting ready for their eventual involvement in the family business but not before instituting more radical changes on their operations.

With 13 outlets including one franchise in Metro Manila and counting, they are now working on professionalizing the ranks of their workforce, hiring well-trained managers in the process. Simultaneously, a total upgrade of their Accounting and Inventory Systems will also be carried out.

"Our goal is to establish two additional outlets every year and the need to come up with more cohesive and fool-proof systems to better manage them is now on the pipeline," Bing explains.

"We could have actually built more outlets than we have now at a faster pace early on but we felt that this could get in the way of providing quality time for our children," he says.

That is why, in envisioning a future which requires minimal involvement from them in running the business, the couple couldn't help but smile at the prospect.

"We have been working so hard at it ever since we started. Although we have managed to balance our lives between our business and our kids, still it would be refreshing if we could delegate more and worry less," Armie adds.

Their advice for young entrepreneurs?

First, is to never sacrifice family on the course of earning a living. Despite what has been a busy lifestyle for the couple, they still had time to supervise their children's education. Their daughter and son are among the top of their classes at a school in General Santos.

Second, practice "delayed gratification" in handling your finances. If they couldn't afford it, Bing and Armie never purchased anything beyond what was in their savings even if it could be had on credit. They lived simply, only buying what they need for their business and their family.

Third, do what you can for your community. Bing is currently the President of the Rotary Club of General Santos City. He has devoted a lot of time in his incumbency in a series of projects to help out the less fortunate in the city. At the same time, Armie has ventured into a scheme for their bakery outlets which gives a percentage discount on purchases made by Senior Citizens. Both have also involved themselves in tourism-related affairs of the city government like the Tuna Festival.

"That is the least we could do bearing in mind the graces we have received from above. All of these were just loaned to us by our Maker and for anyone who wants to succeed in what he does, he should always be humbled and guided by the fact that to whomever much was given, much is also expected," Armie explains while husband Bing nods in agreement.