The Philippines’ innovation of its penology system through the so-called “Dancing Inmates” program has caught international attention with eight million viewers in the YouTube website and counting.

Director Pedro Noval of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 7, said that four countries South Korea, Chile, Ecuador and Cambodia have expressed interest of the unique program after viewing a video of 1,500 inmates from Cebu gracefully dancing to the tune “Thrilla” during an international penology forum, focusing on strategy and performance held in South Korea recently.

Noval was the Philippine representative to the convention. More…

The Cebu City government’s 2008 annual budget is expected to reach P2.6 billion, or P200 million more compared to this year’s annual allocation of P2.4 billion.

Former councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, who now sits as consultant on finance, budget and appropriation, said they have scheduled a budget hearing on Monday, which will be attended by the different department heads and city councilors. More…

The Freeman: Em-em gains final in Malaysia

Cebu’s top female junior tennis player, Sally Mae “Em-em” Siso became the first Pinoy to get a final berth in the Selangor International Junior Tennis Championships at Pikinis Sports Complex in Selangor, Malaysia.

Siso showed no mercy in beating Tijia Min 6-0, 6-0 yesterday. She will meet Theviya Selvarjoo for the title in the girls’ 14-under division.

The Filipinos’ dominance of the tournament continues as two other girls advanced to the semifinal round in their respective divisions while two boys made it to the quarterfinals.

WITH the growing popularity of Japanese food among Cebuanos, a group of young Japanese entrepreneurs part-nered with a Cebuano businesswoman to open a Japanese res-taurant.

“There is a strong demand for Japanese food, even among locals,” said Raquel Dungog, proprietor of Gokuizakaya Japanese restaurant.

Gokuizakaya, located near the Maria Luisa subdivision in Banilad, Cebu City, opened yesterday. More…

EVEN with limited funds, Sinulog 2008 organizers will innovate and apply some of the things they learned from shows in Las Vegas to give spectators something new this January.

The Sinulog Foundation Inc. will design the Sinulog grand parade on Jan. 20 for an international audience, using new concepts they learned from a recent trip to Las Vegas, Nevada in the US.

From the Asian-inspired theme last January when Cebu hosted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, preparations for next year’s grand parade will focus on the theme “Sinulog Goes International.” SunStar

Microsoft Philippines, Inc., in its bid to help Cebu position itself as the preferred convention hub in the country, vowed to promote the province as the new favorite conference hub of the company’s worldwide conferences.

This year, Microsoft has brought in Cebu two international conventions for worldwide Microsoft executives with representations from 80 countries.

“Normally Microsoft will require each country to send at least two to three representatives. This is a good promotional tool for Cebu,” said Microsoft Philippines director for business marketing organization Karrie Capellan-Iligan. More…

Ayala-led Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corp. (CPVDC) Wednesday unveiled the eBloc, its latest project at Asiatown IT Park that is being undertaken through the newly created special purpose vehicle Asian I-Office Properties, Inc.

The 12-storey building, which CPVDC had identified as Project MIDI in a recent disclosure, will host business process outsourcing (BPO) companies upon completion in September 2008. It will provide a gross leasable area of 20,780 square meters. More…

Standing (L-R) ” Nilo “On2boy”, Maimai, Elmer Lim; Back: Marlvin Lao, Sitting (L-R) Marving Maning, Sunstar Intern Arrah, Mr. and Mrs. Farl “The Real Master”, Wantet, Jenny, Mr. and Mrs. MJ and Gerald Yuvallos sitting front: James Jason Ty..Group Shot at Bo’s Coffee IT Park.
Photo compliment by ever talented friend/master in photography,[2]rokbot[2]y!

PHOTO FRENZY (Cebu Sunstar Newspaper)By Arrah Camillia R. Quistadio
SOMETIMES, even the most poetic of words are not enough to capture a scene in its entirety. When words fall short, trust this group to make photos suffice.

They’re the Cebu-Sugbo club, a pack of people from diverse backgrounds united by their enthusiasm for photography. Members post their photos online through their Flickr accounts, open for comments by other shutterbugs. Once in a while, active members hold critique sessions or plan for future snap-happy opportunities. More..

As one of the members of the club, we are keeping our best to promote the best of Cebu and show it to the world.  Cebu-Sugbo flickr rocks!  For latest Cebu-Sugbo fun activities, register and join cebu-group discussion.

THE University of the Visayas top wordsmith Teodoro Martus Jr. finished 59th among 106 players in the World Scrabble Championships at the Taj President Hotel yesterday in Mumbai, India.

Martus was among three Filipino word masters who joined the four-day event which attracted participants from 41 countries.

Martus, a graduating engineering student from UV and the champion of the fourth leg of the National Scrabble Championships last March and the UV Scrabble Challenge last October, joined two other top scrabble players in the country, Lawyer Carmina Odette Rio from Iloilo and Engineer Ronald Credo in the prestigious meet.SunStarCebu

Two Cebuano choral groups won big at the first ever Asian Choir Games—also dubbed as the Asia-Pacific Olympics for Amateur Choirs—held from November 2 – 10, 2007 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In a text update received by The FREEMAN Entertainment Saturday afternoon, the Cebu Chamber Singers, the only year-old mixed singing group composed of professionals, students and different church choir members, scored two golds in the gospel singing category and mixed choir category.

The Garbo sa Sugbo awardee, Mandaue School for the Arts’ Children’s Choir, on the other hand, collected three golds, after competing in the children’s choir, folklore and music of the religions categories. More…

Talented, creative, fashionista and influencing.These describes Jun Escario, a 32-year old Cebuano designer who gain national recognition and contributed to Philippine fashion. 
I used to meet this guy on one of our fashion shoots in Waterfront last month.  Models wearing his creations gracefully walks on there best cat-walk style and everyone applauded loudly and it seems everyone was in awe of his creations.  I’m not into really a fashion thing but I am quiet impressed how Jun Escario did a thing when it comes to his fashion dress designs.  He quite have been paralleled to Prada as a symbol for fashion so to speak!

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