GenSan News Online Mag

Yellow Bus, Husky Bus and Holiday Bus Lines will soon be providing “breastfeeding seats” in their buses.

This is in view of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 12 under Chairperson Darlene Antonino Custodio, City Mayor of General Santos City, passing a resolution last year “urging the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 12 to issue a directive requiring all bus operators in Region 12 to designate a breastfeeding seat/corner inside buses.”

The RDC-12 Social Development Committee has recommended that the three bus operators apportion the “third seat by the window” of their buses as breastfeeding stations.

On their end, LTFRB XII, in response to the resolution, issued a directive to bus operators in the region enjoining their compliance.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MRSDEWEES9'S FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

The directive orders bus operators to put a “signage” on these designated seats so that they will be exclusively “occupied by the breastfeeding mothers.”

This development will create a “mother-baby friendly ride,” favorable for both since it provides “privacy” for breastfeeding mothers to feed their babies properly.

All this  is in line with the “Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009” (Republic Act 10028) which mandates that “lactation stations” be put up in all private institutions and government agencies.

Tax incentives will be given to the Big Three Bus Operators once they comply with the law, along with other institutions which provide the same, according to the law.

In addition, RA 10028 also mandates all health and non-health facilities, establishments or institutions to assign not only lactation stations.  They also need to provide  appropriate facilities such as lavatory for hand washing, refrigeration for storing breast milk, electrical outlets for breast pumps, a small table; and comfortable seats for working lactating mothers.

RA 10028 also apportions 40 minutes for every 8-hour working period for nursing employees to “express milk” in addition to the regular meal time-off. – from a report by CT Apelacio of Philippine Information Agency

General Santos City showed the most significant increase in membership figures of Pag-IBIG compared to three other cities in Southern Mindanao.

According to Pag-IBIG Fund’s Vice-President for Southern Mindanao, Jose W. Banzon, this figure is directly related to the number of business enterprises existing in any specific area.

A PIA report says, “General Santos City actually increased its membership over the same period, from 122,302 in 2010 to 143,383 last year.”

This is a 17.24% increase, the largest growth among the four major cities, which include Davao, Kidapawan and Tagum.

Tagum City is next with a 16.72-percent growth from 101,953 to 118,997 members. Davao City is third, with 256,649 members, an 11.65-percent increase from 229,876. Kidapawan posted the smallest growth at  5.86-percent growth, from 88,826 to 94,032 members.

In terms of membership contribution to the Pag-IBIG Fund last year, Davao City posted the largest at P644.002 million (up by 13.79% than in 2010), followed by General Santos City at P316.593 million (20% more than in 2010).

Furthermore, the PIA report states: “Total membership has already breached the half-million mark (in Southern Mindanao), with 613,061 members as of December this year, 12.91 percent higher than the previous year. This number also meant an increase in contribution to P1.622 billion for the whole of 2010.”

In conclusion, the report goes on to say, “The growth in General Santos is likely to increase further as SM City opens its largest shopping mall in Mindanao in that city in 2012. The Gaisano Mall has also expanded its operation with an additional building to boost its space.”

All these mean that General Santos City is poised for a tremendous growth in housing soon enough and with the influx of investments in the city, expect the Tuna Capital’s membership and membership contribution in Pag-IBIG to continue skyrocketing upwards.

WATCH OUT for more subdivisions to crop up soon at the Home of the Champions!

I should have included this in my predictions for 2012!

Effective March 22, 2012, AirPhil Express will be flying passengers out of the General Santos City International Airport to new destinations Cebu and Iloilo Cities!

According to their official website, the Cebu-GenSan-Cebu and GenSan-Iloilo-GenSan flights of AirPhil Express will be available 3x a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays initially.

Here then are AirPhil Express flight schedules to these new areas:

• GenSan – Iloilo  (Flight 2P 393):
  • Depart GenSan – 10:10 AM
  • Arrive Iloilo –  11:30 AM
• Iloilo – GenSan (Flight 2P 394)
  • Depart Iloilo – 12:00 PM
  • Arrive GenSan – 1:20 PM
• Cebu – GenSan (Flight 2P 389)
  • Depart Cebu –  8:30 AM
  • Arrive GenSan –  9:40 AM
• GenSan – Cebu (Flight 2P 390)
  • Depart GenSan  -  1:50 AM
  • Arrive GenSan  -   3:00 PM

Currently, only Cebu Pacific services the GenSan-Cebu-GenSan route and with AirPhil Express in the picture, expect the plane rates to go down.

The flights to and from Iloilo City however is exclusively AirPhil Express‘ as of the moment.  Knowing how Cebu Pacific operates, they would not want any competitor to dominate this route for sure.   We can expect them to follow suit right away.

Right now, AirPhil Express which will be using their brand new Airbus 320 is offering a marked-down one way fare of P106o.00 for their new flights to Cebu and Iloilo from General Santos City and vice versa.

So if I were you, I would immediately stop what I am doing and go log on to their website at www.airphilexpress.com and book my future flights.  Am sure, many Ilonggos and Cebuanos here and in the Visayas would be wanting to do just the same.  Go na!

And yes, one more thing!  Boracay is not that far anymore!!!! Yey!

Let me play Jojo Acuin or Madame Auring just this once by sharing with you my Top 7 Predictions for 2012 that could happen here in General Santos City and Soccsksargen within the next 12 months.

Here they are:

1.  The establishment of a LONE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT for General Santos City.   – This is long overdue considering that the total population of GenSan has already reached more than half a million already.  But unless the National Government approves for publication the 2010 National Census figures, which will peg latest census figures at 600,000 and which will be a major basis for the re-alignment of the congressional districts of South Cotabato, this will have to wait.  Hopefully, by the 4th quarter of 2012, our representative, Congressman Jun Acharon will be focusing on just the city alone.

2.  The construction of Gokongwei’s GoHotel beside their Robinsons’ Place GenSan lot in Barangay Lagao. – With more and more conventions and large conferences being conducted in GenSan, the hotel boom will reach fever pitch this year with the entry of national players in the hotel industry, including GoHotel which will open its Tacloban branch this year.  That only means that GenSan will be next.

3.  The ground-breaking of the Mindanao Campus of University of Santo Tomas in Barangay Ligaya, General Santos City.  Touted to be a full university and not just a college annexed under the UST Main Campus in Manila, UST General Santos will offer the same courses.  This will give Mindanaoans full access to quality education under the tutelage of the Dominicans.

4.  The expansion of the General Santos City Hospital and the improvement of its operations. – Health being at the forefront of the administration of Mayor Darlene Antonino Custodio, expect this one to materialize with the entry of Private-Public-Partnerships (PPP) in the operations of key departments in the City Hospital.  Thus within the year, we shall witness the opening of the Dialysis Center that will drastically lower the costs of a dialysis procedure,  PPP-initiated pharmacy and laboratory which will offer lower medicines and services, respectively; and additional beds with the opening up of the 2nd floor of the hostpital’s new building.

5.  The commencement of the construction of the city’s Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Sinawal which hopefully can begin its operation by the end of the year or early 2013.  This will further boost the city’s Garbage Disposal and Segregation Program which it is trying to strengthen among the generals.  Cleaner city = healthier environment = mas Magandang GenSan!

6.  The entry of more major players in GenSan, notably Ayala Land.  - With Robinsons and SM here, can Ayala be far behind?  This could either be by the Kastilaloy-owned company’s joining the now very competitive mall industry or through the still-very-open and lucrative mass housing business in the Home of Champions.  Either way, we have received reports that Ayala has sent feelers to brokers to look for large tracts of lands in Barangay Lagao.

7.  The privatization of the General Santos City Central Public Market. –  As mentioned earlier, since the local government is keen on Private-Public-Partnerships, then the idea of pushing for the privatization of the GenSan Central Public Market should be put in the forefront.   Reports have reached us that the SM group is keeping an eye on this possibility.  If that happens in 2012, then we will soon have our very first air-conditioned MALLENGKE!   Cool!

So that’s it –  our 2012 Top 7 Predictions for GenSan!  Do you agree with most or some of them?

What does your own BOLANG KRISTAL say?

Happy New Year to all the readers of GenSan News Online Mag!

Thank you for coming along for the ride in 2011 and being with us all throughout these years!  Here’s hoping for a more prosperous, productive and healthier new year for everyone!

Nawa’y matatamasa natin ang mas Magandang GenSan sa 2012!

Happy New Year!

As we end the year 2011, allow me to release the layout of the official calendar of General Santos City for 2012!

The calendar features the  Honorable City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio in a full-body shot looking confident in a take-charge pose.  Her administration’s battlecry – Think Global, Act Local is prominently captured in the layout.

This official 2012 calendar of General Santos City was designed by Soccsksargen blogger/photographer Leonard Pe who also took Mayor Darlene’s photograph.  Hope you like it since I also had a say on its layout. 

Happy New Year everyone!

With Christmas Day over and the countdown to 2012 just beginning, here’s a piece of good news from KCC Malls!

Both KCC Mall of GenSan and KCC Mall of Koronadal are conducting a CLEARANCE SALE!

Opening soon:  KCC Veranza Mall up in 2012

This means they aside from their Christmas Deals (click here), both malls are selling off their old inventory at discounted prices by as much as 70% off the original!  Isn’t that great?

So if you still have spare money left from your Christmas shopping, why not spend the remainder at KCC Mall of GenSan or Koronadal’s Clearance Sale? There’s something right there for everyone, promise.

Now and give yourself a nice New Year’s gift!  You owe it to yourself!

The people of General Santos City and the rest of Soccsksargen who are in the midst of celebrating Christmas Day today are in for a special treat as all the cinemas in the city are showing the movie entries of the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival!

This simultaneous showing of the MMFF entries nationwide started years back when cineplexes in the major malls in the countryside started popping out.

For Robinsons Movieworld GenSan, here is their Christmas Weekend and beyond movie line-up:

• Cinema 1 – Ang Panday 2
• Cinema 2 – Enteng ng Ina Mo
• Cinema 3 – Segunda Mano
• Cinema 4 – Shake, Rattle & Roll 13

Ticket price at Robinsons Movieworld GenSan is P100 for the MMFF 2011 entries.

For KCC Cinemas, here is their Christmas offering:

• Cinema 1 – Mission Impossible 4 2D
• Cinema 2 – Househusband
• Cinema 3 – Panday 2
• Cinema 4 – Segunda Mano
• Cinema 5 – Shake, Rattle & Roll 13
• Cinema 6 – Enteng ng Ina Mo

Ticket price at KCC Cinemas is P95.00 (inclusive of P5 for MMFF Fund) for Cinemas 2 to 6.

Personally, I would like to watch Shake, Rattle & Roll 13 first because I have never missed a single installment ever.  And besides, all its three episodes are helmed by new directors and that’s something worth anticipating.

So what are you staring there at?  Enjoy your Christmas break and watch a Pinoy movie with your families and loved ones.  Now na!

The honorable mayor of the Home of Champions, General Santos City, Honorable Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who is celebrating her birthday tomorrow, December 26th, 2011 has released her official Christmas Message to her constituents.

This is through a print ad in the city’s various local tabloids and newspapers.

Worded in the vernacular, here is Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio‘s Yuletide greetings to the generals.

Merry Christmas too Mayor!

May you continue to lead General Santos City and the generals towards the vision for a more progressive, more livable and globally competitive city that is truly Magandang GenSan!

In a magnanimous move, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of General Santos City unanimously approved this morning the resolution of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for the appropriation of Five Hundred Thousand pesos (P500,000.00) each for the cities of  Cagayan de Oro and Iligan devastated by Typhoon Sendong last weekend.

The CDRRMC is chaired by Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio.

She has also instructed the Office of the City Social Service and Development to accept donations for the survivors at their building beside the Oval Plaza. The CSWDO will be open 24/7 until December 31, 2011 for this purpose.

The first batch of donations will be transported by at least four trucks to Northern Mindanao early tomorrow morning, December 22, 2011.

The second batch will depart GenSan on December 26, 2011.

On a related note, Mayor Darlene Custodio has also issued a memo canceling the Christmas Party of the City Hall employees (numbering 3,500++) in deference to the victims of this recent calamity.  Instead, a portion of the budget for the party will be used to purchase more relief goods for CDO and Iligan.

If you are truly a general, please help our sister cities by donating in kind or in cash and make them still feel the spirit of Christmas in their hearts.

Let us also show to the world that in our own small way, GenSan cares!