TACLOBAN CITY – Some 17 individuals who are concessioners of the Bangon River Walk in Palo town attended a three-day trained on food preparation under the Community-based Kulinarya program of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The participants undergo training on how to prepare and handle food for tourists and regular customers in a professional manner, rules to having a clean kitchen, how to cook in the most systematic and efficient manner and presentation / plating.
They also gain a better understanding of the importance of food safety, sanitation, and hygiene. They were also taught on basic culinary math that helps the participants on how to do budgeting.
The concessioners were trained by Chef Mark Reynan Sabayan, the only accredited culinary trainor in the region by the DOT8.
Prior to the community-based Kulinarya, it was learned that the concessioners are selling foods in their stalls that are mostly of western influence.
With the training, they are taught how to prepare and cook local dishes like tinola, kinilaw, sinugba, prito, and pako salad.
Preparation and cooking including ingredients used by the participants were based on the traditional way how it is cooked.
Culminating the three-day training was the food presentation of dishes cooked by the participants.
“What you have acquired flourish it and try to look for your origin because it will be the key to your success, it will make us proud of our place, and somehow our place will be known and take the fame,” Sabayan said.
Sabayan also reminded the participants to be keen on food safety and preparation as it reflect on the dishes that they prepare and serve and on their well-being as the person who cooks.
DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes agreed with Sabayan saying that cleanliness is critical to food preparation and how food is being served and presented comes only at second.
“I hope you put to good use this help that the government gave you, and also you should also help you self. Whether your business will be successful or not will depend on you,” Tiopes said. (ROEL T.AMAZONA)
Top chef trains local stall owners on proper food preparation to entice tourists
Romualdez eases travel restrictions
With declining COVID-19 cases
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
TACLOBAN CITY-Travelers bound for this city would no longer be required to present any swab test result effective Monday (Nov. 1).
This after City Mayor Alfred Romualdez issued an executive order easing travel restrictions amid the declining number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In lifting the restrictions among travelers, Romualdez said that this could encourage more visitors to visit Tacloban and in the process, help revive its tourism industry and its economy hard hit by the pandemic.
“Less stringent travel protocols will stimulate and revive a dwindling economy and local tourism and encourage growth of the commercial sector and economic activity of Tacloban City and neighboring municipalities…” Romualdez said.
Under his order as contain under Executive Order number 2021-10-39, aside from travelers, the easing of travel protocols also affects authorized persons outside residence, and returning city residents who will be coming to the city through air, sea, and land travel.
This means that they would no longer be required to have an RT-PCR test and register under the Balik Tacloban project.
However, the same order also make it still mandatory for all to wear facemask and face shield and observe physical distancing in all public places and transportation.
As of Monday, Tacloban has posted just two new cases with 10 new recoveries, report the City Health Office (CHO).
The CHO said that the city has only 119 active cases.
It also announced that out of the city’s 138 barangays, 13 of them have already reached population protection or 70 percent of their respective populace have been fully vaccinated.
More than 80,000 of the entire city residents are now fully vaccinated.
Mayor Romualdez had earlier vowed to achieve herd immunity for Tacloban before the end of this year as he ordered for massive vaccination roll-out by putting up additional vaccination centers aside from its regular sites and mobile vaccination teams.
The city government is also readying its inoculation campaign from 12 years old up to 17 years old. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
SWU PHINMA Business School hosted one of the country’s top IT Executives
To give significant insights in today’s pandemic-challenged businesses, Southwestern University PHINMA’s B-School once again held Business Next Forum on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The event gathered business leaders, entrepreneurs, industry practitioners and mentors including those from the academe, students taking up business and those aspiring to build their own business.
SWU PHINMA through its Business School launched Business Next Forum in October 2019 with Accenture Philippines Country Managing Director, Lito Tayag as guest speaker on “Digital Transformation: The “Wise Pivot”.
In this year’s forum, seasoned IT professional Aileen Judan – Jiao, President and Country General Manager of tech giant IBM Philippines, an Information Technology organization that serves domestic and international clients, talked about “Big Data and Analytics for Value Creation and Business Insights”.
In her talk, Jiao emphasized the relevance and impact of Big Data and Analytics on business and people. According to Jiao, “data is the new currency and every company must be a data company”, to remain relevant and competitive under any circumstance.
The ideas presented stimulated the business sector of Cebu, led by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to use and exploit data analytics in making data driven decisions for sound business outcomes. In response to IBM’s presentation, Felix Taguiam, President of CCCI, said that the benefits of Big Data & Analytics include strategic Marketing approach, new revenue opportunities, customer personification and improved operational efficacy that will provide competitive advantages to businesses.
Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the only Chamber of Commerce outside Metro Manila with an ISO Certification, is one of SWU PHINMA B-School’s industry partners in transforming business students into competent future business leaders and professionals.
Dr. Chito Salazar, the President of Southwestern University PHINMA reiterated in his closing remarks that Business Next is another platform of the university to bridge the gap between the academe & industry. Salazar said that SWU structured business program to maximize partnerships with the industry like the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and IBM Philippines in exposing students to people who are practitioners in business. This is part of SWU PHINMA B-School’s thrust in guiding students to become the best so they can land in the best possible job and rise to the peak of their profession.
With the timely Business Next topics, Aileen Judan – Jiao commended SWU PHINMA for having the foresight in bringing significant discussions which present real scenarios in the business world including the necessary shifts in the way business is done.
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For program offering related inquiries, contact SWU PHINMA through 0917 835 2881 or 0942 082 0539. Or follow the university’s official Facebook page Southwestern University PHINMA for updates and important announcement. Visit http://swu.phinma.edu.ph for more information about SWU PHINMA and its programs.
LGU Tacloban ranked 10th among cities in PH on 2019 local revenue generation
TACLOBAN CITY- This city has added another feather to its cap as it was recognized by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) for making it to the top 10 among all the cities in the country based on 2019 year-on-year growth in locally sourced revenues.
With pride and gratitude, Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez together with the staff of the Tacloban City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) received the certificate from BLGF Regional Director Gerardo Avorque on Thursday morning, October 28.
Due to the recognition received by the LGU, CTO thru the headship of Zosima Cordaño, was challenged to aim higher.
From the P384,959,808.69 in 2018, the city recorded P445,307,785.57 in 2019, thus garnering a 15.7% growth rate
“This would not have been possible without the continued support and trust of our valued taxpayers in the leadership of Mayor Alfred. Thanks to the close coordination and support of other revenue generating offices of the city, most of all to the hard work, sacrifices, and dedication of team CTO,” Cordaño said as she commended the efforts done to attain the award—proving the city government is doing its job in terms of efficiently collecting local revenues.
The said award was supposed to be given last February, however, due to quarantine restrictions and prohibition of gatherings, BLGF opted to hand over it this time. (TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Borongan mayor appeals to RIATF to allow fully vaxxed to enter cemeteries
All cemeteries in PH closed during the ‘Undas’
TACLOBAN CITY-The mayor of Borongan City, Jose Ivan Dayan Agda, is appealing to the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF) to allow his constituents to visit the cemeteries during the All Saints and Souls Days.
Agda, however, in his request, emphasized that only fully vaccinated persons should be allowed to enter the cemeteries.
The government through the IATF and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has barred entry to the cemeteries, memorial parks and even columbaria beginning Friday (Oct.29) until Nov.2 as part of measures against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“(I am appealing to the RIATF) to allow my constituents who are fully vaccinated to enter the cemeteries as a respite for the long limited movement of our people and to be able to pay respect to our deceased loved ones,” the city mayor said.
Agda said that he hopes that the RIATF will heed on his appeal. Otherwise he will follow the order of the DILG and IATF on this matter.
The city mayor said that more than 33,000 of his residents are considered to be fully vaccinated having received their second dose.
Agda also said that they will be needing around 7,000 people for them to achieve herd immunity.
Borongan has only eight active COVID-19 cases out of its 955 total cases.
The RIATF, as of press time, has yet to issue any response to the request of the Borongan city mayor.
Meanwhile, in Ormoc City, Leyte, the wearing of face shields inside business establishments like shopping malls and banks have been lifted by its city government effective Oct.26.
The move, a first in Eastern Visayas and perhaps in the country, was part of the measures of the city under Mayor Richard Gomez easing some protocols as its COVID-19 cases is declining for the past weeks now.
Still the wearing of face masks and observance of social distancing remain mandatory in the city.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)