PBA All-Star Weekend 2008

Active stars top Shootout
Source: INQUIRER.net April 28, 2008

BACOLOD -- The active players got enough contributions from everyone to turn back the old-timers in the Legends Shootout that preceded the annual Smart PBA All-Star Game Sunday night at the West Negros University gym here.
Coca-Cola hotshot John Arigo and Magnolia ace Dondon Hontiveros scored 18 points each and newly crowned three-point king Renren Ritualo chipped in 13 for a 49-45 victory over the Legends.
Sta. Lucia Realty coach Boyet Fernandez carried the fight for the Legends, who were also backstopped by former Alaska gunslinger Ruehl Gomez and one-time All-Star Game MVP Elmer "Boy" Cabahug.
Fernandez, a streaky shooter during his time, scored 17, while Gomez had 15 and the University of Visayas coach Cabahug, who won the All-Star MVP in 1991, added 13.
The victory marked the second straight year that the active players won the event. Last year in Baguio City, Hontiveros led a squad that humbled a trio made up of Fernandez, Ato Agustin and Pido Jarencio.
"Nakadalawa na sila, hindi na maganda ito," said Fernandez.
In the Shooting Stars event, the team of Ronald Tubid, Jason Webb and Councilor Greg Gasataya triumphed with a time of one minute and 34 seconds, beating two other teams led by Ronjay Buenafe and Nelbert Omolon.

Bacolod's waste segregation to start in 3 public markets with Japanese NGO's help

BACOLOD CITY, May 4 (PNA) - The City of Bacolod will be starting the implementation of waste segregation in three public markets soon.
Bacolod Councilor Greg Gasataya, Chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Environment and Chairperson of the Clean and Green Coordinating Action Team, said that the waste segregation will be started in the public markets of Libertad, Central and Burgos where the vendors have shown willingness to cooperate.
Gasataya further said this is part of the city's compliance with RA 9003, an act providing for Ecological Solid Waste Management program and creating the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives.
The councilor, in relation to this, has also met Toshido Maeda and Koji Takakura of the non-government organization Kitakyushu Initiative Network who expressed willingness to help the city in garbage composting at no expense on the local government unit.
The waste segregation project will be started off at the public markets and will be expanded to cover the barangays depending on the success.
Councilor Gasataya added that the program is not expected to succeed overnight. But it will be observed little by little for this will involve a change of attitude by the public towards proper waste disposal. By implementing the project, the city government intends to adopt waste reduction scheme rather than waste collection. (PNA) Source:Positive News Media

Purchase of dumpsite

The Clean and Green Coordinating Action Team of Bacolod City is recommending that the city prepares to purchase property to be developed into a waste disposal facility, Bacolod Councilor Greg Gasataya said yesterday.

The property will be developed to comply with the standards required by Republic Act 9003, Gasataya said. He said they are requesting Mayor Evelio Leonardia to consider the six criteria they have created for choosing the property to be purchased.
These are suitability, social acceptability, cost, location, area capacity and availability, he added.
He said the property should pass the geological assessment conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, should be accepted by the community or barangay for use as a waste disposal site and will allow continuity of operation.

The three sites they are recommending are the Moya 63-hectare property in Brgy. Cabug, the 6-hectare Gallespin property between Brgys. Felisa and Cabug, and the 7-hectare Lopez property in Brgy. Felisa, Gasataya said.
The barangay council of Cabug had previously opposed the use of the Moya property as a landfill site, he said, while the Gallespin property, has an endorsement from Brgy. Felisa, but no official stand has been made on the Cabug side of the property.
The Lopez property has a favorable endorsement from Brgy. Felisa, he added.
Gasataya said the three properties have been declared by DENR as suitable for a waste disposal facility and geological studies have been conducted in the past.

He said the Moya property has a distance of about 12.5 kilometers from the city, the Gallespin property - 14 kilometers and the Lopez property - 15 kilometers.
The Moya property is being offered at P150 per square meter, the Gallespin property at P400 per square meter, and the Lopez property at P600 per square meter, Gasataya said.
The Lopez property has been issued a notice to proceed, he said, and the city allowed it to be used for a controlled dumpsite.

Gasataya said they will submit their recommendation to the mayor soon. He said the city has a budget of about P20 million for landbanking in the annual budget which had been approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.Source: VDS

P20 Million for Bacolod City Students..

The Bacolod City school board has approved a total of P20 million from the supplemental budget for payment of miscellaneous fees of about 90,000 public elementary and high school students in Bacolod City and for other expenses, Councilor Greg Gasataya said yesterday.
The budget includes free school bags and school supplies that will be provided by the city government to about 60,000 elementary students in Bacolod, he said.
The city has allocated about P3 million for the miscellaneous fees of about 60,000 elementary and about 30,000 high school students and P1.2 million for the construction and repair of classrooms, he added.

Gasataya said part of the budget will be allocated for the scholars of the Bacolod City National High School Arts and Science class under “Project BING”, or the Building, Intelligence for Growth program of the city.
The scholars will be given additional financial assistance of P200 a month each, he said, and this will cover those from the first year up to the fourth year.

Gasataya said that last year, the city gave the BCNHS scholars P500 every grading.
Meanwhile, the local school board of Bacolod City passed a resolution Friday seeking the retention of Milagros Gonzales as Schools Division Superintendent of Bacolod City, Gasataya said.

Gasataya said the resolution was addressed to Department of Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz, undersecretary Ramon Bacani and regional director Victoriano Tirol Jr.
Earlier, the officers and members of the Bacolod City Public School Teachers’ and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative composed of more than 1,700 elementary and high school teachers, and the Bacolod City Public School Teachers Association, and National Organization of Professional Teachers composed of 2,600 elementary and high school teachers, also manifested their strong support for the leadership of Gonzales, in response to the moves of Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella for her transfer or promotion.. Source: VDS