- Carcar will be the Capitol's southern base for El Niño water deliveries
- Working today or tomorrow? DOLE sets 130% pay for 1 and 2 November
- Capitol gets a mobile clinic with X-ray, ultrasound and lab tests for far-flung areas
- Buy only certified Christmas lights, fire bureau warns
Carcar will be the Capitol's southern base for El Niño water deliveries
The provincial disaster office (PDRRMO) has picked Carcar City as the staging area for emergency water deliveries in southern Cebu during the expected El Niño, with Bogo City serving the north, The Freeman reported. The Capitol is bidding for six more water tankers, two of 6,000 litres and four of 2,000 litres, to add to its three 10,000-litre trucks, mainly for upland barangays. The province's forecast has dry conditions from December, a dry spell in January and February 2027, and drought in March. It is also adding 105 payaw, or fish aggregating devices, for fisherfolk.
Carcar is not on the province's list of the eight most vulnerable towns, all of them in the north, but tankers serving the south would be dispatched from here. If your barangay's spring or well drops early next year, report it to the Carcar City DRRM office so it is on the delivery list. PDRRMO also suggests catching rainwater now for washing and gardening.
Sources: The Freeman, Banat, SunStar
Working today or tomorrow? DOLE sets 130% pay for 1 and 2 November
Sunday 1 November and Monday 2 November are special non-working days. Under DOLE Labor Advisory 18, series of 2026, employees who work get 130% of their basic wage for the first eight hours, plus 30% of the hourly rate for overtime, and 150% if the day is also their rest day. Those who do not work are not paid unless company policy or a union agreement says otherwise. Bonifacio Day, 30 November, is a regular holiday: 100% pay if you do not work, 200% if you do.
This covers private-sector workers in Carcar's shops, factories and farms. Check your payslip for the 1 and 2 November rates, and ask HR or the DOLE Cebu Provincial Field Office if they are missing.
Sources: SunStar, PhilstarLife
Capitol gets a mobile clinic with X-ray, ultrasound and lab tests for far-flung areas
The provincial government has acquired a 20-foot mobile clinic fitted with a chest X-ray, a blood chemistry analyzer, a hematology analyzer, an ECG, ultrasound and mammography equipment, according to provincial health consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan. It will go to communities with poor access to health care, chosen with town health offices, and will also sign people up for PhilHealth YAKAP. The schedule and the first towns to be served have not been announced.
Upland barangays in Carcar far from the city proper could be candidates. Ask your barangay health worker or the City Health Office to request a visit once the schedule is out.
Source: SunStar
Buy only certified Christmas lights, fire bureau warns
The Bureau of Fire Protection in Central Visayas is urging people to buy only Christmas lights and electric decorations that carry the Philippine Standard (PS) mark for local products or the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark for imports. Its regional director said cheap, substandard decorations caused fires in past holiday seasons. The bureau is stepping up house-to-house inspections and fire safety patrols.
Lights are already for sale in Carcar's market stalls and stores. Look for the PS or ICC sticker before you buy, and unplug the lights before bed or when you leave the house.
Source: The Freeman
