Oro Chamber to host BEST Expo ‘07

The Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. is set to host the first ever Cagayan de Oro Business Enterprises, Services and Trade Exposition or ORO BEST EXPO 2007 at The Atrium of Limketkai Mall on October 17-19, 2007.

A salient feature of the Oro BEST Expo 2007 is the Go Negosyo Conference on the third day which will be headed by Mr. Joey Concepcion, the Presidential Assistant for Entrepreneurship and the Founding Trustee of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship. During that conference, the organizers shall confer the "Inspiring Entrepreneur Award" to twenty entrepreneurs from all over Northern Mindanao.

Oro Chamber President Elpie Paras took pride in hosting the Go Negosyo Conference which is also the first of its kind in Mindanao.

"The Oro Chamber is now expanding its reach to make sure that the truly inspiring and deserving entrepreneurs from all over the region are known and recognized," Paras said.

Along this, the Oro Chamber is inviting local government units, business organizations and all the entrepreneurs of the area to join in the nomination phase.

All nominees will be screened by the Oro Chamber Go Negosyo Awards Committee and the names of the top twenty nominees will be forwarded to the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship for confirmation. Their stories will then be used for the Go Negosyo Seminar and the winners will be invited to receive their awards on October 19 from the event organizers and Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Oro Chamber Secretary General Heidi Grace P. Mendoza, the point person for the Go Negosyo Conference revealed that Oro Chamber is lining up a full day for all participants in six forums with successful entrepreneurs from all over the country who will share their success stories to the budding businessmen and even students who are expected to join the seminar.

For inquiries on the expo event, the Oro Chamber may be reached through Tel# 726-492 Fax# 856-3764 or e-mail address orochamber@gmail.com.



PNPA now accepts applicants

The Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) is now accepting applicants for Cadet Admission Test to be held on October 28, 2007 here in Cagayan de Oro City.

This was revealed by P/Supt. Nestor Fajura, acting director of PNPA, in a letter sent recently to City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to pursue a four-year Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Cadetship Program Class 2012, P/Supt. Fajura said.

The PNPA is a premiere institution of the country which provides preparatory education and training for future police, fire and jail commissioned officers of the country.

Interested applicants must be a natural born Filipino; of good moral character; male or female; single with no legal obligation to support a child or children; ages 18-22; at least 5 ft 4 in for male and 5 ft 2 in for female; at least high school graduate; must be able to perform physical fitness exercise like pull-ups, full arms hanging, push ups, sit ups and can run; weight of not more nor less than five kilograms of the standard weight measurement corresponding to height, age and sex; physically and mentally fit for cadetship; no criminal, administrative or civil case on file and not a former cadet of PNPA or other service academies.

Deadline for submission of application is on September 28, 2007. Application forms are available at the Public Employment Services Office (PESO), 3rd floor J.V. Serina Building, City Hall. (City Information Office)



Mayor Jaraula wants more skills trainings for Cagayanons

With more investors coming to the city and its nearby towns in Misamis Oriental, City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula wants the Cagayanons to equip themselves with skills that will make them more competitive.

Mayor Jaraula made this pronouncement as the Lim Ket Kai Corporation is now starting their 18-storey hotel in the middle of their commercial complex while Hanjin Heavy Industries at the PHIVIDEC area also needs 1,800 employees for their plant and Koresco Hotel is expanding its business.

Mayor Jaraula said that with the mushrooming of giant investments here, the Cagayanons are set to benefit from the employment opportunities that will arise from such investments, thus, the need to enhance the present education system to include skills training in schools.

INVESTING IN THE CITY. Investors on a nursing center in the city meet with City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula as they presented to him their plan of opening a review center which also hires nurses for abroad.

The city chief executive pointed out that it is only appropriate for the city government to respond to the overwhelming confidence expressed by the business community in the economic potential of the city by providing a ready pool of highly-skilled and highly-educated manpower.

Along this thrust, Mayor Jaraula is set to establish a partnership with TESDA, Xavier University and Mindanao Polytechnic State College to provide skills training program for the Cagayanons especially the out-of-school-youth and the unemployed.

Early this week, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) turned-over to the city government the P1.5 Million Kalahi Center- a livelihood training center situated at the Calaanan Resettlement Site in Barangay Canitoan.

Mayor Jaraula said that the Kalahi Center can greatly help his vision to empower and capacitate the residents at the Calaanan relocation site to become highly skilled workers.

Mayor Jaraula envisioned the Calaanan Relocation Site to be a showcase of effective local governance for the entire country, as a program that truly addresses the needs of the people in the community. (City Information Office)



TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Wearing of helmet for all motorcycle riders

The Roads and Traffic Administration is set to conduct starting tomorrow, September 21, an intensive campaign for the enforcement of City Ordinance Number 6852-99 which mandates the wearing of helmet for all motorcycle riders.

RTA Administrator Filipino Amoguis said that the ordinance will be strictly enforced even for the police, military and employees of the city government and RTA.

Those who will be caught violating the Helmet Ordinance will be fined P500 for the first, second and third offenses.



Development of River Boulevard soon to start

There’s no stopping the development of a boulevard by the Cagayan de Oro River near the City Hall area.

City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula revealed this as he with the residents of Barangay 13 under Barangay Chair Obdullah Paasa whose houses will be affected by a road extension project at Montalban Street from Burgos Street to Isla de Oro.

Mayor Jaraula succeeded in persuading the affected residents that the project will benefit not only a few persons but the entire city.

During the meeting, Mayor Jaraula explained that the road extension project will pave the way for the development of his long-time dream of establishing a boulevard by the river.

The city mayor allayed fears that the project will displace the residents in the area who have been living in the area since time immemorial.

Mayor Jaraula assured the residents that after the development of the area, they will be the priority in the awarding of lots for on-site relocation within the vacant lots in between Burgos Street and the Boulevard.

Mayor Jaraula said that the boulevard will not only provide an added tourism attraction for the city but will definitely open economic opportunities for the residents living near the river.

"All these are just part of our intention to bring back the old glory as well as the flora and fauna that once eem the Cagayan de Oro River," Mayor Jaraula declared.

The development of the boulevard will begin as soon as the affected families can start the voluntary demolition of their houses.

The city government will pay for the just compensation of the households that will be affected by the project. (City Information Office)



Traffic enforcers ink pact on traffic management

Traffic enforcers of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) vowed to take a more actively role in ensuring an efficient and effective traffic management system in the city.

This as 118 traffic enforcers assigned in the streets including the 74 RTA office personnel have signed a covenant which stipulated their pledge to support the successful implementation of the recently launched Traffic Interactive Network Nurtured Xystem (Oplan TEN-X).

In a simple covenant signing ceremony witnessed by City Councilor Alfonso Goking,RTA Administrator Gen. Filipino Amoguis and Major Jerry Martin Tamse, consultant of the Traffic Management Action Force (TMAF), the traffic enforcers pledged to implement the city’s traffic laws, rules and regulations in accordance with existing city ordinances, executive ordersand Oplan TEN-X.

The traffic enforcers also pledged to carry themselves with dignity at all times and refrain from doing things and acts detrimental to the government service affect the RTA in particular and the city government in general.

Another salient feature of the covenant signed by the traffic enforcers is their resolve to inculcate upon themselves the value of DECORUM.

DECORUM is an acronym for Discipline: for traffic enforcers to carry themselves with dispatch and as models of discipline among stakeholders; Education: being knowledgeable on traffic laws, rules and regulations and be able to educate the drivers, the riding public and the pedestrians; Courtesy: begetting courtesy and being able to address every stakeholder with the magic word "Sir" and "Ma’am" and always sporting smile to everyone; Obedience, being willing to obey the orders of proper authorities and superior officers as an examplar of obedience; Respectful of the rights of others; Understanding and considerate of the public in general and the environment where the traffic enforcers are conducting their duties; and Mindful of their duties, obligations and responsibilities to the organization, the RTA and the public whom they are sworn to serve.

The signed covenant was later blessed by Fr. Ruel Bontol. Gen. Amoguis hoped that with the signing of the covenant, traffic enforcers can become more effective in their duties and responsibilities along traffic management. (City Information Office)



City Govt. seeks involvement of tanods, security guards in peace and order drive

The city government is seeking the involvement of the various stakeholders in the community to strengthen efforts along the maintenance of peace and order in the city.

City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula disclosed that he is planning to reactivate the barangay tanod to help the law enforcers in protecting the residents in the barangays against lawless elements.

Mayor Jaraula said that aside from helping the policemen in ensuring public safety, the barangay tanods can also be tapped along traffic management in their respective barangays especially at the school zone.

The city mayor added that he is also setting up a meeting with the various security agencies in the city to be able to come up with a unified approach with the local police force in the fight against criminality.

Mayor Jaraula is optimistic that with the support from the barangay tanod and the security agencies along the safety and protection of the people here, Cagayan de Oro can attract more investors to do business in the city.

"Our investment climate here is fifty percent dependent on peace and order because the first thing that investors would look for in a place is their safety in doing business," Mayor Jaraula pointed out

Mayor Jaraula said that for years, Cagayan de Oro has experienced tremendous economic growth mainly because it has maintained its position as the most peaceful city in Mindanao.

Early this week, Mayor Jaraula held a command conference with the officials of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office to discuss vital concerns that will have an impact in improving the efficiency of the local police force in their fight against criminality.

During the said conference, Mayor Jaraula approved the purchase of additional handheld radios, typewriters and computers as well as additional gasoline allocation for the mobile police operations.

Mayor Jaraula vowed to do his best to support the initiatives that will be undertaken by the COCPO if only to ensure the safety and protection of the people and visitors in Cagayan de Oro. (City Information Office)



Mayor Jaraula orders clearing of sidewalks along Cathedral

The Capistrano Street leading to the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral will be reopened and all sidewalks along the area and around Gaston Park will be cleared.

This, after City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula signed Executive Order 2007 CGJ 018 which orders the reopening of Capistrano street leading up to St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral and the clearing the sidewalks along the said street as well as around the Gaston Park, effective immediately.

Mayor Jaraula pointed out that there is a need to reopen the road to allow the passage of vehicular traffic and use the road for its intended purpose.

He also ordered Barangay 1 chair Anthony Abejuela together with the Roads and Traffic Administration and the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office to work together to ensure the compliance of the said order.

The city chief executive instructed city administrator Griscelda Joson to conduct an inventory of all the vendors in the area for relocation in the Duaw Park-the park at the riverside of Barangay 1 under the bridge where they will be provided with uniform stalls.

The said plan is part of Mayor Jaraula’s effort to ease the traffic congestion in the city and to start also his longtime dream of having a boulevard in the riverbanks of Cagayan de Oro River.

Mayor Jaraula had talked with Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, S.J. D.D. regarding the said plan.

Mayor Jaraula also planned to clear the sidewalks surrounding the Lourdes College and the City Central School. (City Information Office)