TUBURAN, Cebu, Philippines – This sleepy and once rebel-infested town in midwest Cebu is aiming to carve its name in the tourism map of the province as it opens its Tuburan Boulevard, patterned after Roxas Boulevard in Manila, the first project in this part of Cebu.

Mayor Democrito “Aljun” Diamante will lead the opening of the Tuburan Boulevard and the lights-on ceremony of the town’s P200,000 worth of Christmas lights on Monday. Diamante said he will invite all the mayors from the towns of Pinamungahan, Asturias, Balamban, Tabuelan, San Remigio, and the cities of Toledo and Bogo to witness the event.

Diamante said he relocated the vendors in the area to give way for its rehabilitation and convert the place into a tourist destination and recreational center for the Tuburan people who have limited money to go to other places.

In the boulevard, Diamante said vendors will be allowed to sell food and drinks, as well as other goods in designated areas.

Any person can bring his family during weekends to eat, sing, dance and enjoy. On the Christmas lights, Diamante said he donated P200,000 worth of Christmas lights because he doesn’t want the municipal government to spend money for it.

“The spirit of Christmas must be felt by the Tuburan residents no matter how hard life is. (Mars W. Mosqueda Jr.)

NEW CHILD GROWTH STANDARD CITED

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – The National Nutrition Council (NNC) in Region 8 will conduct Rollout Trainings on the New World Health Organization (WHO) “Child Growth Standard” (CGS), which had been adopted by the NNC Governing Board for use for children 0-5 years old in the Philippines.

Seminars in order to maximize the benefits of the new standards have been scheduled in Catarman, Northern Samar and in Naval, Biliran on Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 8-10 respectively. Expected to attend are Municipal Nutrition Action Officers, District Nutrition Program Coordinators, and Barangay Nutrition Scholars among others.

The new CGS is based on a Multicenter Growth Reference Study initiated by the WHO. It is a community-based research conducted primarily to develop a growth standard that would best describe the growth of children under five years of age. It is designed to set the standard as to how children 0-5 years old across countries should grow.

The study has shown that environment, sanitation and quality of health services are the most important determinants of growth in the first five years of life. Tall healthy children are those living in conditions likely to favor the achievement of full genetic growth potential, officials said. (Jack C. Gadaingan)

CEBU FIRE LEAVES 52 FAMILIES HOMELESS

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu, Philippines – A noontime fire possibly triggered by kids playing with matches in Barangay Alang-alang, this city, destroyed a total of 29 houses, leaving at least 52 families homeless.

The fire hit Perez Compound on Thursday afternoon, destroying a total of P480,000 worth of properties before it was placed under control after 15 minutes, Mandaue City Fire Marshal Rogelio Bongabong said they.

Witnesses said the fire started at the house of Merlyn Quiño, 48. Quino admitted that the fire started in a vacant room in their house.

She said she suspects the fire might have been triggered by three kids who were playing with matches near her house.

No one was injured in the fire. (Mars W. Mosqueda Jr.)