PRESS RELEASE The Office of Congresswoman Cindi King-Chan conducted a profiling of beneficiaries of TUPAD, or “Tulong Pangkabuhayan Alang sa mga Displaced” workers. The profiling activities, held at the City Sports Gym on Friday, are intended for the P1 million fund allocation for TUPAD beneficiaries through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Julieta Soon, assistant program coordinator, said each TUPAD beneficiary will work for 10 days in her barangay and will receive a total of P4,680, or P468 daily. She said the daily rate was increased from the previous P435 per day due to the rising cost of basic commodities. The P1 million is Tingog Partylist fund allocation, coursed through the Alangang Tingog Center (ATC) here in the city, with the assistance of the staff of Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Representative, Cong. Cindi King-Chan. Today, TUPAD staff processed 204 female beneficiaries. Soon, after processing their documents, the papers will be sent to DOLE. The labor department will then call qualified beneficiaries for orientation and processing of their insurance. Beneficiaries will then be sent to work in their assigned areas to plant and clean the streets. They will then receive their pay after 10 days of work. PIO

PRESS RELEASE Lapu-Lapu City held a public hearing last Tuesday on the proposed rate increase on market stall rentals, and it went smoothly. But market sellers complained of the rate increase but were evasive when Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan asked then, revealing their profit, or "ginansiya". Market sellers have enjoyed a wide profit margin through the years for their 21-year-old stall rental rates. Fish vendors, for example, enjoy their daily profit but only pay a meager P100 monthly rental, plus P10 for a full bañera fish or P5 for a half-filled bañera. They are complaining about the proposed rent rate increase of P150 per day. Meat vendors pay only P150 per month in rental, which will be increased in the proposed rate to P150 per day. Lapu-Lapu City Public Market has a total of 701 stalls and 400 to 500 ambulant vendors, making it one of the city’s revenue earners. But the mayor reasoned out that the city government will be at a loss if it does not increase its stall rental rates. "Kung alkase pirmi ang gobyerno, aw, manirado na lang ta o pasirad-an ta sa DENR kay wa tay tarong nga STP," he told the vendors. Being a highly urbanized city (HUC), Mayor Chan said it is incumbent upon the city to develop their market facility and have a functional sewage treatment plant (STP). STP is the facility that regulates market waste and odor. And the current STP nowadays costs millions. The mayor added that the high cost of maintaining a public market prompted their neighboring cities to privatize their market or let a private company manage the facility. Then the city just collects revenues from this managing company. During the public hearing, the majority of vendors aired their gripes, saying they incurred huge losses during lockdown and were devastated by Typhoon Odette. They are just now slowly making headway in their business, but they are worried about this proposed rate increase. Mayor Chan told them that if they were at a loss, they should have ceased operating years ago and sold their stall rights because many are waiting to acquire them. But stall owners did not sell their rights. Apparently they are having the heyday of the old, 21-year-old rental rates and raking in big profits. Mayor, Vice Mayor Celsie Sitoy, and city councilors listened to stall occupants who each gave their stall rate counter proposal during last Tuesday’s public hearing. This is the proposed ordinance of Councilors Climaco Tatoy Jr. and Annabeth Cuizon, which is an ordinance amending City Ordinance No. 029-2007, "The Revised Market Code of 2007 of the City of Lapu-Lapu. PIO

PRESS RELEASE Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan and Congresswoman Cindi King-Chan poured millions into infrastructure projects in two barangays on Olango Island. Mayor Chan said, aside from these two infrastructure projects, more development projects are underway on Olango Island. Mayor Chan and Cong Cindi led the formal opening of Barangay Tingo Causeway, which is jointly funded by the local government unit and the Congressional district fund of Cong Cindi. The P46.997 million causeway is sourced from Cong. Chan's congressional allocations, while the 95-meter roadway, which complements the causeway and is worth P7.5 million, is funded by the city government. These two projects in Tingo had long been bid out and awarded years ago. Tingo Barangay Captain Audie Flores thanked Mayor Chan and Cong. Cindi, as this causeway is a big boost to their economy. He said it will ease the transport of goods in their community and tourist arrivals in their barangay. Barangay Captain Flores is challenged by his brother, Dr. Cipriano Flores, a former councilor and city health officer. The causeway project is implemented by the DPWH 6th District Engineering Office through private contractor PhilAsia Resources and Development Corporation. The event was also attended by City Engineer Perla Amar and city councilors Joseph Pangatungan, Celestino Aying, Climaco Tatoy, Annabeth Cuizon, Emilio Galaroza, and Joergen Eyas-Booc were also present. After the causeway opened, Mayor Ahong and Cong. Cindi went straight to barangay Sabang for the ground-breaking of a P30 million-worth 4-story, 8-classroom school building in Sabang Elementary School. School Admin Officer Elmarie Igoy said their school is the home of 900+ pupils, managed by 27 teachers. Construction of the school building will be undertaken by the DPWH 6th District Engineering Office through a private contractor, Vanguard Builders. Before the ground-breaking Cong. Cindi, DepEd City Superintendent Marilyn Andales, Engr. Luisito Longcob of Vanguard, Elementary School Head Roel Versales, and DPWH 6th DEO Representative Engr. Christian Rhey Llevado made the ceremonial signing of the plans. Mayor Chan said this is a back-to-back school project in barangay Sabang, as a 4-story school building is ongoing in Suba-Sabang Elementary School, also in the same barangay. “Dako kaayo ang among pasalamat ni Cong. Cindi ug ni Mayor Chan nga niabot ning project, ug sa ilang adbokasiya sa edukasyon,” said Student Parent Teachers Association (SPTA) president Jhobert Sabang, whose family name is similar to the barangay. With the concurrence of Superintendent Andales, Mayor Chan announced that the city will establish Sabang National High. Parents present and teachers met the announcement with loud applause and joyful cheers. “Dili na maglakaw ang atong mga anak para mo eskuyla sa high school sa Sta. Rosa,” the mayor told the cheerful crowd. The mayor said the city is now pooling funds in preparation for the P91 million road project for the entire Olango island. PIO

PRESS RELEASE   Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan, Chairman of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, presided the 3rd quarter City Anti-Drug Abuse Council Meeting at the mayor's conference room on Wednesday, September 27. During the roll call of members, the meeting was attended by the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, Department of the Interior and Local Government Lapu-Lapu City, Philippine Drug Enforcement Unit, Parole and Probation Office, City Prosecutor's Office, City of Lapu-Lapu Office for Substance Abuse Prevention, Public Information Office, and Bidlisiw Foundation.    After the declaration of a quorum, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) RenewHealth Program presented its accomplishment report. Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin, Deputy Chief of Party for the USAID RenewHealth Project, described the good practices and initiatives of the LGU (Local Government Unit) and USAID partnership aimed at supporting community-based drug rehabilitation in Lapu-Lapu City. Some of the good practices included the creation and development of a local pool of CBDR (Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation) screeners, facilitators, and trainers, as well as sustaining an aftercare program and maintaining a functional Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC).   USAID also discussed ways to sustain CBDR, and Mayor Chan expressed his agreement to support the council in strengthening collaboration, assisting people who use drugs, and empowering the community regarding the negative consequences of illegal drug use. Both Mayor Chan and Dr. Escartin exchanged tokens as proof of their strong partnership. Meanwhile, during the accomplishment reports of concerned offices, the City DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) announced that Lapu-Lapu City had passed the 2022 Peace and Order Council (POC) Performance Audit at the national level. The Lapu-Lapu City Police Office also reported that Lapu-Lapu City was the most peaceful city in the region and had the lowest crime rate among all highly urbanized cities in Cebu. These peace and order indicators, which encompass both index and non-index crimes, reflect the true peace and order situation in the city. Notably, with Mayor Chan's security policies, crime incidence decreased in Police Stations (PS) 2, 3, 4, and 5, except for PS 1. In the presence of Fiscal Ruso Zaragoza, the City Prosecutor's Office delivered its manifestation to the council. Additionally, the City DILG and PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) planned to add three more barangays to the list of drug-cleared areas before the year ends, based on the recommendation of the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Program (ROCBDC).   Lapu-Lapu City's drug-cleared barangays currently include Tingo, Baring, Tungasan, Caw-oy, Subabasbas (mainland barangay), and Sabang, while Caohagan remains a drug-free barangay. Before adjournment, Barangay Caohagan was recognized and maintained its drug-free status, unanimously approved and adopted with Resolution Number 1843, along with Resolution Number 1755, which confirmed the absence of active drug personalities in Barangay Caohagan through the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing. PIO