CEBU CITY – The Philippine Retailers Association of Cebu (PRA-Cebu) vows that it will not bring up the prices of consumer goods this last few months leading to the Holiday Season. PRA-Cebu head Melanie Ng made this assurance following the recently concluded general membership meeting of the organization.

“We are very cautious on increasing our prices in any consumer good, unless it is already needed. The consumers’ buying attitude has changed, providing value added services to customers is now the top priority,” Ng said.

According to Ng, consumer spending has improved significantly this year, due to the renewed confidence of the consumer market brought by the change in government leadership. “The sector is targeting to hit at least five percent growth by the end of this year,” she added.

The retail sector in Cebu is fueled by the increasing investments and employment generation of business process outsourcing (BPO) and sustained growth of OFW (overseas Filipino workers) remittances.

The sustained growth in tourism has also helped the retail industry in this city cope with the global economic challenges.  (Malou Mozo)

Grade 6 Pupil Winds Nat'l Art Contest

ILOILO CITY (PNA) – A grade six pupil, representing Western Visayas, won in the 2010 World Food Day (WFD) national on-the-spot poster making contest held in Manila Wednesday. Juvy Gaton, information chief of the Region 6 office of the Department of Agriculture (DA 6), said Angelane Navarro of Ticud Elementary School, Barangay Caingin in La Paz, Iloilo became one of the four national winners in the WFD national on-the-spot poster making event.

Navarro and the other contestants used agricultural and fishery products in their artwork, including grains, seeds, husks, shells, and dried products, among others. Navarro made an entirely new poster for the national event, said Gaton. The other national winners were representatives from Regions 2, 3, and 8.

They will each receive a cash prize of P12,000, a trophy and a plaque for the winning school. Navarro and her fellow winners will also join an education tour as part of the prizes.

Navarro and other best poster winners in the national level will awarded during the culmination of the WFD celebration on Friday.

244 Beneficiaries Get Land Titles

CEBU CITY – The Provincial Capitol Friday distributed the 244 remaining deeds of sale to occupants of the controversial 93-1 lots who have fully paid their obligations to the provincial government.

The 244 beneficiaries, who received their titles Friday, were part of the 4,364 occupants of the province-owned lots covered by Ordinance 93-1. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said that from the 4,364 total beneficiaries, only 1,445 have fully paid, 1,188 partially paid, while 1,731 have not paid a single centavo to the province.

Garcia said that the province have so far distributed 1,201 deeds of absolute sale. Capitol spokesman Rory Jon Sepulveda, however, said they are continuously monitoring those beneficiaries who have not fully paid.

He stressed that they are distributing the deeds of sale despite the election ban saying the distribution will not violate the election law.

Sepulveda said that even those beneficiaries who failed to attend Friday’s distribution will still get their proof of ownership of the lot that they now occupy.  (Mars Mosqueda Jr.)