Capitol, SUGECO sign pact versus graffiti, vandalism

CEBU, Philippines - The Province of Cebu has partnered with the Superior Gas and Equipments Corporation (SUGECO) in the fight against graffiti and vandalism.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and SUGECO President Alvin Lua signed a memorandum of agreement for the free supply of calcium carbide, commonly known as “calburo” to all component cities, towns and barangays to implement the Anti-Graffiti Ordinance of Cebu.

The signing was done in the presence of the mayors, vice mayors and barangay captains during a general assembly called by Garcia at the Cebu International Convention Center yesterday.

Calburo is the waste product in the production of acetylene.

Lua said it can give best result if mixed with seawater to last long and can be added with little amount of tinting color to paint the area being vandalized.

LGUs can pick up the supply at the SUGECO plant in Highway Basak, Mandaue City.

Garcia said the police will arrest violators and rewards will be given to persons who report violators.

In yesterday’s assembly, local officials were also briefed by Illiac Diaz, executive officer of the Manila-based My Shelter Foundation on the “A Liter of Light Project” which is aimed to light a million homes by 2013.

Diaz together with the Rotary Club of Cebu Fuente installed the first 40 solar bottle bulbs in stalls at the Larsian Food Market in Fuente Osmeña last week after the presentation was made to Garcia.

The low-cost bulb is made of plastic soda bottles, corrugated sheets and a solution of water and chlorine mounted on the roof, the bottle protrudes from a hole in the ceiling so the upper part of the bottle absorbs solar energy and the lower part produces light.

With the heat of the sun, a plastic soda bottle filled with water can provide light equivalent to that of a 55 watts of light bulb.

The foundation yesterday distributed 50 samples to the mayors.

The League of Muni-cipalities of the Philippines – Cebu chapter also distributed yesterday to each mayor weighing scale it bought out of the P2 million given to them by Garcia.

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia, LMP president, said that they decided to purchase the weighing scale timely for the celebration of nutrition month so it can be used to weigh malnourished children in their locality.

The general assembly also highlighted the awarding of three performing barangays each of the component cities and towns in the Expanded Greening With our Environment that Nurtures (EGWEN) Program.

Winners received P150,000; P100,000 and P50,000 for first, second and third placer, respectively.

The winning barangays will compete for the top ten barangays in the entire Province of Cebu to be awarded next month in time of the celebration of the 442nd founding anniversary of the province. — (FREEMAN)