MAY 28,2012 BUSINESSWEEK MINDANAO by BusinessWeek Mindanao

RURAL TRANSIT BACHELOR EXPRESS

“First in Service, Foremost in Fleet Maintenance”

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www.businessweekmindanao.com Issue No. 76, Volume III • May 28-31, 2012

Market Indicators FOREX

PHISIX 4,925.97 points

1.5 cents

;

21.75 points

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III’s economic team is set to submit Monday their proposed package of assistance for banana growers affected by the stricter phytosanitary measures being implemented by Chinese authorities. At a press briefing Friday, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the president met with the government agencies dealing with the banana issue Thursday. “The President asked the eco-

;

Briefly Protest vs brownouts

KIDAPAWAN City -- Some 700 members of an alliance of groups of farmers, consumers, workers and urban poor in North Cotabato staged a three-hour protest rally here Friday to demand that the Department of Energy (DoE), through the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), dispatch to the province 25 percent of the power generated by the geothermal power plants located at Mount Apo, which they said is mandated by law. The rally staged by members of Makabayan was held at the intersection along the Old PC Barracks and Daang Maharlika, a 45-minute ride to Barangay Ilomavis where the two geothermal power plants owned by EDC are situated. “This rally is part of what we call noynoying. This is to show to the PNoy administration that we’re really annoyed or we’re not happy with this energy crisis,” said Makabayan convenor Ruby Padilla Sison.

Strike-free

P15.00

Government mulls assistance for banana growers

AS OF 6:10 P.M., MAY. 25, 2012 (Friday)

US$1 = P43.755

Editorial: 088-856-3344 • Advertising: 0917-7121424

GENERAL Santos City -Industries in Region 12 or Soccsksargen have remained “strike-free” in the last three years due to the interventions of the area’s Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC). Feliciano Orihuela Jr., National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB)Region 12 acting director, said the timely intercessions of the TIPC has so far helped quell plans by some local labor groups to stage strikes and related actions. “We didn’t have any single case of labor strike or picket against any company or industry in the area in the past three years,” he said.

nomic team, the respective government officials, to come up with a definitive package assistance plan by next week, Monday,” he said. He said the long-term position of the government is to broaden and increase the markets for banana exports while the short-term is to assist the banana growers. “The exports in China only constitute 30 percent; 70 percent we are doing well. So we need to broaden the market of our banana

exports,” he said. “We are going to identify who the affected banana growers are. The President was very, very emphatic that if we’re going to provide assistance, let’s focus on those who really do need the assistance. Not all the banana exports are suffering as much as what the export association claims it is. We have to identify and focus on the growers who send their exports to China,” GROWERS/PAGE 9

By IRENE DOMINGO, Reporter

HE energy crisis Mindanao is currently facing encouraged Hydro Electric Development Corporation (Hedcor) to build five more plants with a total capacity of 54 megawatts (MW) to help address the situation.

Hedcor, a subsidiary of AboitizPower, is now on its 34th year of generating clean energy through its run-of-river hydropower systems in Davao, Benguet, and Ilocos Sur. In Davao, it currently generates 47 MW. The Tudaya project, an expansion of the 42.5-MW Sibulan Hydropower Plant in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur Hedcor, will soon start its construction after the Renewable Energy contract of Department of Energy will be given to them. In the province of Bukidnon, necessary permits are presently applied for by the company for the 28.2-MW Sita-Simod project. The project will harness the Sita and HEDCOR/PAGE 9

SUNSET. A beautiful sunset silhouetting coconut trees in eastern Misamis Oriental town of Magsaysay. PHOTO BY GERRY GORIT

DepEd to post list of authorized private schools Beside U.C.C.P., C.M. Recto Ave., Nat’l Highway, Cag. de Oro City

Cell No.: 0917-304-6195

BACK TO SCHOOL PROMO!

Trained by:

RICKY REYES & DAVID’S SALON Makati City

By RUTCHIE C. AGUHOB Contributor

IN preparation for the 2012 Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE), the Department of Education (DepEd) has required the regional offices to list down the names and ad-

dresses of private schools with permits to operate, recognition and accreditation within their area of responsibility (AOR). Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, in DepEd Order No. 38, issued last May 11, has di-

rected the said list to be submitted to the Office of the Undersecretary for Regional Operations at telefax No. (02) 631-8492 or sent through email address: action@deped.gov.ph on or before May 31, 2012. He also directed the

same list to be posted at the DepEd Regional Offices (RO) and Division Offices (DO), Municipal Halls and other conspicuous places for the public to read. Meanwhile, Secretary Luistro has advised the ROs DEPED/PAGE 9

May 28-31, 2012

Economy

BusinessWeek

MINDANAO

Electricity reaches distant barangay in North Cotabato By SHAHANA JOY E. DUERME, Contributor

KORONADAL City --The long wait for electricity is now over for the residents of the remote village of Kadingilan in Midsayap, North Cotabato. Kadingilan Barangay Chairman Peng Lakiman extended his appreciation to the national government in the fulfillment of electrification in their barangay, which is one of the barangays in Midsayap that was greatly affected by armed conflict

in the past years. Information from the district office of Cotabato First District Congressman Jesus Sacdalan, the implementation of this project is under the initiative of the Cotabato E l e c t r i c C o op e r at i ve (COTELCO).

COTELCO is the service provider of electricity in the whole province of North Cotabato, serving the province’s 17 municipalities and one city. In addition, this electrification project is in line with “Ilaw para sa Kapayapaan Program,” which the first district of Cotabato, National Electrification Administration and other branches of the government promote. These organizations

are extending help by serving rural areas with the electrification they need. Aimed at doing their responsibilities, these groups make sure that proper lighting is extended to far-f lung areas. The primary goal of this electrification project in North Cotabato is to help conflict-affected barangays to start a new life again and to help them live in a peaceful and progressive community.

BFAR strengthens inland fishing By ROBERT E. ROPEROS Contributor

BUTUAN City -- With nearly two weeks left as Fisherfolk Regional Director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Caraga, Dir. Marciano Monato recently said the agency is eyeing to strengthen inland fishing here in the region. Monato said the region’s fisheries bureau is giving focus on culturing fish of different types especially in inland fishing as this is beneficial to those provinces that are far from coastal areas like Agusan del Sur, although the province is

near the Agusan River. Aside from inland fishing, the agency is also enjoining local fisherfolk communities to strengthen the establishment of fish ponds and fish pens to ensure livelihood sustainability. The official said fisherfolk may coordinate with the farmers to establish fishponds beside the ricefields. He added they are also giving attention to culturing fish in streams and rivers for those fishes that can thrive on fresh waters. The fisherfolk director was installed on May 2, 2012 in time with the opening of the Farmers’ and Fisherfolks’ Month celebration.

He assumes the position as regional director of BFAR during the month-long celebration. His term of office will end on May 31, 2012. Meawhile, BFAR-Caraga Regional Director Nerio Casil will assume the position on the first day of June. He is expected to continue the plans and programs that are put in place by the outgoing fisherfolk director to improve the economic condition of the fisherfolk community in the region. Accordingly, among the inland fishing locations are the lakes, rivers, streams, and even backyard pond at home.

PPA bares major RO-RO routes By FRANKLIN P. GUMAPON Contributor

DIPOLOG City -- There are now three major routes of the roll-on, roll-off (RORO) nautical highway the traveling public may follow in traversing the archipelago, according to the Philippine Ports Authority. Atty. Roger V. Asprer, port manager of the Port Management Office in Dapi-

tan City said that the three major RORO routes from Mindanao to Visayas and Luzon are the western route, central route, and eastern route. The western route starts at Dapitan City port and then to Dumaguete City, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Caticlan, Roxas City, Calapan, Batangas, and Manila. The central route goes straight from Cagayan de

Oro City to Balingoan, Mambajao, Jagna, Tagbilaran, Cebu, Bogo, Daang Bantayan, and Manila. The eastern route begins in Lipata, Surigao del Norte and passes through Naval, Mariripi, Masbate, Bulan, and Manila. Asprer also disclosed that the number of travelers using RORO has tremendously increased since the RORO ports became operational.

DTI monitors local price of school supplies regular opening of classes in June, the provincial office of the Department of Trade DIPOLOG City -- With and Industry in Zamboanga barely two weeks before the del Norte, in coordination By ALFONSO T. RUDA Contributor

with the consumer watch group has strengthened its monitoring on the price and quality of school supplies in the local market. Engr. Noel E. Bazan, DTI-Zamboanga Norte Provincial Director said the move is to ensure the availability of high-quality school supplies at the various stores in province. Basan said that based on their monitoring, the price of school supplies remain normal and his office also has not received any report nor complain concerning over-priced school supplies. However, he urges the public to be vigilant and careful in buying school supplies for their children as cheap but low-quality school supplies are noticed to have been displayed in some stores in Dipolog City, lately. The government wants to ensure that quality standards are followed and that consumers are protected from over-priced school products.

BusinessWeek

MINDANAO

May 28-31, 2012

Companies

BusinessWeek

MINDANAO

Aboitiz expresses interest in government contracts for airports and public utilities ABOITIZ EQUITY Ventures, Inc. has joined the ranks of local conglomerates keen to broaden their portfolio to include public infrastructure, with a ranking official airing interest in contracts to build and manage airports and utilities. “Right now, we are keeping our eyes open for PPPs (public-private partnership). Airports and water projects are opportunities for us,” Jon Ramon Aboitiz, company chairman, told reporters at a briefing yesterday. “We are looking into water distribution or bulk water supply, depending on the opportunity. Water is a very important component in all our needs and the needs of our company, so that is something we will be interested in,” Mr. Aboitiz added. A P25-billion new water supply project is among the state contracts up for bidding according to the PPP Center’s most recent list dated April 29. The project, which aims to supply water to Manila, calls for the construction of a dam, water treatment plant, and pipeline.

Airports have also drawn the conglomerate’s interest as demand for air travel has been increasing, Mr. Aboitiz said. “Airports will be important gateways in the country just as water ports are. More people are now traveling by air, so I think airports would then have to be modernized and be made more efficient. There’s a great opportunity for growth there,” Mr. Aboitiz explained. Airport projects up for bidding include the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Passenger Terminal (P10.15 billion), New Bohol Airport (P8 billion), as well as the operation and maintenance contracts of the Laguindingan (P1.80 billion) and Puerto Princesa airports. However, Aboitiz Equity Ventures is not keen on participating in road infrastructure projects. “We are not looking at toll roads right now. There are a lot of people there already, and we do not have the expertise for those,” Mr. Aboitiz said. “I think it’s a good move. Its flagship arm, Aboitiz

Power, has a lot of cash, and that’s where you would want to go to because infrastructure has a good [rate of] return. And after power, it’s a logical progression that you would want go to other sectors like infrastructure,” Joseph Y. Roxas, president of brokerage Eagle Equities, Inc., said. In the meantime, Aboitiz Equity Ventures is “optimistic” for 2012 due to the health of its core power business as well as for its banking and food segments through Union Bank of the Philippines and non-listed Pilmico Foods Corp. “Power prices have been good. We’re still in good shape,” said Luis Miguel O. Aboitiz, Aboitiz Power marketing and trading senior vice-president. “For banking, we had an exceptional first quarter, so we also expect this year to be a strong year. For food, [first quarter earnings] was a little below expectations because input costs have been rising, but overall, we are still very optimistic this can improve for the year,” the chairman of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, for his part, said.

The auction of state-owned National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) power barges has been moved.

Privatization of power barges moved to H2 THE AUCTION for power barges 101 to 104 may be revived in the second half of the year, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) said last week. POWER barges 101 and 102, which are up for sale, are seen from a vantage point. “We are targeting to bid out the power barges in September,” said PSALM President Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. in a text message, noting, however, that this timetable will still have to be approved. The auction to privatize the power barges failed earlier this month after only one bidder, ACTA Power, submitted a proposal. ACTA Power is a joint venture between AC Energy Holdings Corp. of Ayala Corp. and Trans-Asia Oil

and Energy Development Corp. PSALM rules state there must be at least two bidders participating in an auction. The four barges each have a capacity of 32 megawatts and are diesel fired. The first three barges are currently moored in Iloilo while power barge 104 is in Davao. Companies like San Miguel Corp., Aboitiz Power Corp. and First Gen Corp. had earlier expressed interest in the barges. The statement comes as prospective bidders had been apprehensive the barges would not be contracted

out because consumers may not support generation rates private owners feel is viable. Power barges 117 and 118, now owned by Therma Marine, Inc., faced difficulties in contracting out its power. Consumers had complained that its prices were too high especially since it uses diesel which is more expensive than hydroelectric power. There had also been concerns over calls to immediately transfer the power barges to Mindanao as the winning firm will still need to secure government approvals. The Energy department wants these barges moved down south to provide additional capacity to the power-starved region.

Filinvest shelves plans for LNG power plants FILINVEST DEVELOPMENT Corp. has shelved its earlier-announced plans to venture into gas-fired power plants, preferring instead to invest about P25 billion in other forms of energy instead, company officials said on Friday. “LNG (liquified natural gas) will be on the back burner for a while. It doesn’t mean there won’t be opportunities there, but in the short term we will focus on other types of power plants so we can accomplish some movement,” said Jonathan T. Gotianun, Filinvest Development chairman at the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting. Last year, Filinvest Development, through power unit FDC Utilities, Inc., had announced it was keen to build four LNG power plants across the country. But rising gas costs appear

to have dashed the group’s plans. “Our LNG plans have been overtaken by the tsunami incident in Japan last year. As a result of that, prices of LNG went sky high. We had to look for other niches in the industry, so we signed up around 70 megawatts (MW) worth of contracts during that period,” Jesus N. Alcordo, FDC Utilities president, told reporters following the stockholders’ meeting. Demand for Japanese LNG ballooned in the aftermath of the meltdown of some of Japan’s nuclear plants following a tsunami last year, causing a spike in worldwide prices for the commodity. Nevertheless, FDC Utilities aims to end the year with 200 MW worth of contracts, comprised of a mix of clean coal and biomass plants, Mr. Alcordo said.

He said plants should be developed in two to three years. “Very roughly, we are looking at a P25-billion project cost for the 200MW contracts, but this will depend on a number of factors as we go through the final designs, location, size, and specific technologies,” Mr. Gotianun said. Officials further said the company may also bid for plants and contracts to be auctioned off by the state-run the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM). “PSALM privatization bids will depend if we are successful in increasing our capacity this year. If opportunities will come around, then we will actively pursue,” Mr. Gotianun said. Shares of Filinvest Development slid by 1.20% to P4.10 on Friday versus P4.15 the day previous.

BusinessWeek

MINDANAO

Banking

May 28-31, 2012

In less than a week, second rural bank goes under STATE-run Philippine Deposit Insurance had 1,451 accounts with Corp. on Friday took over Millennium Bank total deposit liabilities of Inc. – the second rural lender to close in less P37.52 million. The bank ’s General than a week. In a statement, PDIC said the Monetary Board on May 24 issued Resolution No. 817 placing Millennium Bank under the receivership of the

state deposit insurer. Millennium Bank only has one branch along Del Pilar St. in Cabanatuan Cit y, Nueva Ecija. As of March 31, the lender

Bourse approves BDO’s $1-billion share sale THE Philippine Stock Exchange has approved the $1-bi l l ion stock r ig ht s offering of BDO Unibank Inc. slated next month. According to a memorandum posted on the PSE website, BDO will sell up to 896 million common shares at P10 apiece to stock holders as of June 13. Each eligible shareholder can subscribe to one rights share for every three common shares held. The offering would run from June 18 to 27. BDO will set the price of the offer shares on June 15 based on the 10- to 15day trading day volumeweighted average price of the bank’s common shares listed on the PSE prior to the pricing date, subject to a discount of up to 20 to 25 percent. Tentative listing date is on July 4. Proceeds of the offer would strengthen the core Tier 1 capital of BDO, further solidifying its capital adequacy and financial strength. The funds raised from the rights offering will also support strategic growth initiatives, including extending its credit and the balance sheet to meet increased demand from the growing economy, deepening and expanding customer relationships while developing new business segments, broadening its product and services and evaluating and pursuing any inorganic growth opportunities as they arise. BDO Capital & investment Corp. was appointed as issue manager and domestic underwriter, BDO

tapped Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche B a n k AG -Hon g Kon g Branch, J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd., and United O verseas Ba n k Ltd. as joint international lead ma nagers a nd international underwriters. Reduced downside rating risk Fitch Ratings on Friday said BDO’s rights issue has reduced the lender’s downside rating risk, adding t hat t he additiona l share sale “would improve its capacit y to suppor t rapid loan growth, cope with unexpected losses and meet higher capital standards under Basel III in 2014.” In a statement, Fitch said it af f irmed BDO’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating at ‘BB’, and maintained a stable outlook on the lender after the announced rights issue, which could raise BDO’s Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio to between 14 and 15 percent from 10 percent at end-March. T he rat i ngs “ref lec t BDO’s modest but gradually improving profitability and rapid loan growth record as well as its dominant domestic presence and satisfactory balance sheet strength,” Fitch said. “A track record of preserving core capital and f u r t her i mprovement s in profitability to levels comparable with those of higher-rated Philippine banks could be positive for BDO’s ratings,” says Alfred Chan, director of Fitch’s Financial Institutions team.

Information Sheet filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that the majority owner is Phil. Indi. Comml. Ent. at 40 percent, followed by Norberto dela Merced, 19.99 percent; and Ma. Victoria Cristina S. Abraham, 18 percent. Its chairman is Ma. Victoria Cristina S. Abraham and its president is Ma. Cristina S. Abraham. PDIC said it would start

mailing payments to the last known addresses of depositors on July. Those depositors with balances of P10,000 and below, and who have no outstanding loans with Millennium Bank need not file deposit insurance claims to get their payments. However, depositors with balances of more than P10,000 and have outstanding loans are required to file their deposit insurance claims. PDIC said it would announce the schedule of claims settlement in

August through notices that would be posted in the bank’s premises, other public places and on the state deposit insurer’s website, www.pdic.gov. ph. Representatives of PDIC will hold a depositors’ forum on May 31. Mi l lennium Bank ’s closure comes less than a week after PDIC took over another rural bank in Quezon province. On May 18, the state deposit insurer assumed control over New Rural Bank of Tagkawayan Inc. In a separate statement

issued also on Friday, PDIC advised those with outstanding debts to the rural lender to continue paying them and to transact with authorized representatives of the state deposit insurer. PDIC said loan payments should be made to its deputy receiver or assisting deputy receiver stationed at the bank premises, or deposited to the designated accounts of Philippine National Bank. Borrowers also are advised to keep copies of their payment slips.

Opinion

May 28-31, 2012

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BusinessWeek MINDANAO

How to Debate with Your Mate THINK a minute… A wise marriage counselor asks every couple wanting to get married if they have had a real argument yet. Often they answer: “Oh, no! We love each other. We never fight!” This marriage counselor tells every couple to fight first before they get married. He says that when couples disagree, they must learn to listen and understand each other’s feelings so they can solve their differences and forgive each other each time they disagree. A very important skill in building a happy marriage and life together is learning how to debate with your mate. But there are rules you must follow to have a fair, good

debate, so you will still be close friends afterwards. First, before you start, both of you should agree to stick only to that issue. Don’t bring up past problems and hurts. Second, remember that your goal is not to win the argument, but to understand each other’s feelings. In other words, TUNE IN. Really listen to what each other is thinking and feeling. Try to understand how you are causing them to feel hurt or wronged. Put yourself in their place and see things from their side. Remember, feelings are not right or wrong, but they are very real to your mate. So how your wife or husband feels should be important to you.

Third, never argue and talk about personal, private matters in front of other people. Number four, stop the fight if either of you loses control of your anger or words. And the final rule on how to debate with your mate is TONE DOWN. This means we must try to stay calm, kind and gentle. They say that 90% of the tension and anger in families is caused by the wrong tone of voice. Many times it’s not what we say, but how we say it. What we say may be right, but how we say it is wrong. We need to kindly and gently say how we feel without attacking and hurting each other with our words. In just one moment, our hurtful words can do years of damage.

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST So why not ask Jesus Christ to take charge of your heart and marriage? He will help you start communicating with your mate both honestly and kindly. Then you will both win each debate, and only become happier, better friends. Just think a minute…

Run for your Life! The Marathon Craze in Cagayan MEDICAL journals have written a lot about the benefit of running. It says runners have more energy than non – exercisers. It develops our endurance, a healthy heart and a healthy pair of lungs and stronger leg muscles. Running can be done without much of the instructional manuals. If you can walk, you can run. If you run you can enter a 5K Race as easy as that. If you run a bit more, you can race for the 21 K. If you have the stamina and a regular runner, go for the 42 K and beat the records held by foreign runners competing in the Philippines marathon series. The Kenyans runner today seems to be the best in this field establishing world records and even ruling the Olympics. But any Tom, Dick and Harry can outrun them if we take the sports seriously. Everybody wants to have a

healthy lifestyle, but sadly, not all people exercise. I myself just started taking up the sports yesterday when I learned of the generous prizes the organizers dangled to the runners of Cagayan de Oro City. Purses are getting bigger and even without the attractive prizes; more people are running today from running errands, in paying for the electric bills and even the regular Sunday trip to the market. Thanks to the effort of Circle Production Group headed by Jeffry Ang organizer of the LKK Run and the Freedom Run next month. Jeffrey has sparked in the city the interest in running and has been bringing established runners to Cagayan de Oro coming up with the modern marathon tracking equipment, the stringent rules the carbo loading diets and the discipline that has brought improvement to the sports. Running has also cap-

tured the interest of Pryce Gas, Chairman, Salvador P. Escaño, who has been in the forefront of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas business since the enactment of the Oil Deregulation Law. He has conceived the idea that every run is a journey. You will never know what you will find or what you will see unless you stay grounded on your feet and give a return of the business equities to the society. Escaño, “Joy Joy” to his friends and SPE to his subordinates have advanced his foray of the LPG business in Luzon challenging the big four multinational oil companies in their own playground. He envisioned slicing 25% of the growing LPG market for his Pryce Gas Manufacturing Plant and distribution from Pangasinan down to Metro Manila with 35 Million Gas consumers at stake. The Northern Luzon area is an open field for market

TRAVERSING THE TOURISM HI-WAY

PED T. QUIAMJOT distribution of the LPG fuel for household and industrial consumption among the 18 Million of the population. On June 7, 2012 at Pryce Plaza in Carmen Hill, Cagayan de Oro City, an important announcement of the biggest marathon event in Cagayan de Oro will be unveiled by Pryce Gas. Jeffry and Joy Joy are both businessmen of different dimensions successful in their fields but have common agenda which is running for life.

Of Vacations and Deposits THERE is a Chinese proverb that says: too much of anything is not good. In the case of the Palawan Underground River, which recently earned a place on the prestigious “The New 7 Wonders of Nature,” it’s too much passengers and too little “organization.” One of our hardworking officials at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Assistant Governor Winnie Santiago, learned this the hard way during a recent family vacation. AG Winnie sent us an e-mail (with accompanying photos) while waiting for their river tour to start: “(The Underground River permit) said 3:30 p.m. sharp. Guess what time it is now and we are still waiting for our turn.” She sent another e-mail detailing the rest of her family’s Underground River “horror” story: “It didn’t end (with the waiting). We finished the underground river tour at

past 6 p.m. Our assigned boat should have been ready and waiting but unfortunately, it had to ferry other passengers. We were last on the island, seven of us, plus our tour guide and one of the boatmen. The boat came back for us at past 7 p.m. It was totally dark by then, with no electricity by the shore. My 82-year-old mother quietly prayed.” She added, “If you can somehow share (this story) with someone who can improve the way the underground river tour is organized, it will help the Philippines a lot.” I agree with AG Winnie. A world-class wonder of nature certainly deserves world-class facilities and services. *** Some depositors of the recently closed Export & Industry Bank have been lamenting the loss of their money—and rightly so, since they worked hard to earn what they have tried

to save. In light of this sad development, Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. gave some advice on how depositors can ensure that their deposits would remain safe in banks. First, Espenilla said depositors should try to spread their deposits in several banks, instead of putting all of their money in just one bank. Espenilla added that depositors should not be easily tempted by high interest rates offered by some banks. It is best to deposit in a bank offering rates generally comparable with those of other banks. The BSP official also said that depositors should check if their chosen bank is transparent about its financial condition. Here are simple and practical reminders from the BSP on how to safeguard your deposits: Only banks are allowed by law to accept deposits

SPEAKING OUT

IGNACIO BUNYE from the public. If in doubt, you may inquire from the BSP’s Financial Consumer Affairs Group (telephone number 02-7087087; e-mail consumeraffairs@bsp.gov. ph) or the Depositors Assistance Bureau of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (telephone number 02-8414630 to 31; e-mail dab@pdic.gov.ph). Deal directly with bank employees within the premises of the bank. The rate of interest paid by banks to deposits and BUNYE/PAGE 9

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May 28-31, 2012

Province receives fund to boost farm output THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) has allotted P74 million for Camarines Norte to increase the crop and fishery production and income of farmers and rural folk, a Cabinet official said. In a statement on Friday, Agriculture S e c re t a r y P ro c e s o J. Alcala said of the amount, P60 million will finance the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation projects. The balance, he said, will assist in the procurement of farm machinery, planting materials, fishing paraphernalia, a potable water system and start-up capital for livelihood projects. Mr. Alcala made the commitment during his visit to the provincial capital Daet early this month whereby

he inaugurated and inspected several agricultural projects and held with about 1,000 stakeholders in the agri-fishery industry and local government officials of the province. Aside from the total allotment, the department, through the Bureau of Fishe r i e s a n d Aq u at i c Resources-Region V, also committed funds for aquasilviculture and seaweed projects, mangrove rehabilitation, the production of mangrove propagules and the establishment of a community multipurpose fish hatchery. The department is also set to give an additional P5 million for the repair and improvement of the Alawihao Dam, which serves as the only source of water supply in Daet.

Aggie News

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

Corn yield value seen to rise KORONADAL -- The volume of corn harvest in South Cotabato is expected to rise as harvest season nears, an Agriculture official said on Friday. Angelina M. Lucena, assistant manager of National Food Authority (NFA)South Cotabato told reporters that based on projection for corn, the harvest will start to peak next month until July especially in the province’s Allah Valley area. Ms. Lucena, however, did not cite the amount of expected increase in corn harvest, adding that the NFA is readying a strategy to complement the rise in volume by buying the farmers’ produce. NFA procurement teams in the towns of Banga and Surallah, she said, will be ready in the coming weeks to buy corn produce to enhance procurement operation. With the deployment of

the teams, services of NFA will become more accessible to farmers from the agricultural plains of Allah Valley area, Mr. Lucena said. Allah Valley area, or the second district of South Cotabato, comprises the towns of Surallah, Banga, T’boli, Lake Sebu, Sto. Nino

and Norala. White corn is the most preferred variety for the crop at a base price of P13 per kilogram (kg), Ms. Lucena said. “For this season we will be giving farmers an incentive of 40 centavos/kg,” she said.

South Cotabato yielded 428,718 metric tons of corn in 2011, making it the fourth largest top corn producer in the country. The three top corn producers are Isabela, Bukidnon and Maguindanao. South Cotabato corners over a third of Central Mindanao’s corn output.

DA ramps up meat production for regions THE Agriculture department intends to attain self-sufficiency in meat by 2016 and to supply the meat requirement of other regions in the next 10 years, an official said, citing the newly drafted livestock and poultry road map. The road map, according to Department of Agriculture

(DA) Regional Executive Director Antonio G. Gerundio aims to eliminate barriers to the growth of the industry in the region. Among these constraints, he noted, are low breeder base, high cost of breeder and commercial stocks, poor access to technology, high input cost, diseases incidence, influx of cheap imports, smuggling, and the wide gap between retail price and farm-gate price. “There’s really a need to give more attention to the livestock sector since they are less vulnerable to climate change. You can raise animals in the backyard and they are less exposed to nature, unlike crops,” Mr. Gerundio said in a media briefing.

Mr. Gerundio also said that considering the lesser risk of the livestock sector to global warming, this can help uplift the economic status of many poor farmers. Under the road map, the DA aims to increase the number of existing counts of livestock to 316,000 heads of carabao; 23,000 heads of cattle; 186,000 heads of goats; 900,000 heads of hogs, and 4.5 million heads of chicken. Latest Bureau of Agriculture Statistics (BAS) data shows that as of mid-2011, the region has 306,966 carabaos; 14,596 cattle; 86,694 goats; 636,179 hogs; and 3.08 million heads of chicken. Citing BAS reports, DA livestock program coordinator Andrew T. Orais said that

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the region is sufficient in pork, carabeef and chicken meat but there’s a need to sustain activities for the region to send surplus to other parts of the country. “In all commodities, the region is about 80% sufficient. Our weak point is on the supply of eggs wherein we are only 40% self-sufficient because of low local feed requirement,” Mr. Orais told BusinessWorld. From January to June 2011, the region produced only 1,693 metric tons (mt) of eggs; lower than Central Visayas’ 20,128 mt; and Western Visayas’ 14,618 mt. The province of Cebu remains the major source of Region 8’s egg supply. The DA said that they aim to increase egg production by 3% in the next five years under the new road map. The road map will focus on disease control and eradication, genetic resource improvement, meat safety and quality, capability development, and stronger public and private partnerships. In terms of genetic improvement, the DA will introduce superior quality genetics through the male breeder loan program, unified national artificial insemination program, and production farm development. On animal health, the DA will assess the geographical distribution and monitoring of diseases occurrences in the community using the Philippine Animal Health Information System. Among the animal diseases noted in the past are hemorrhagic septicemia, surra/trypanosomosis, newcastle disease, hog cholera, fasciolosis and rabies. “In the past two years, there has been no major disease incidence that threatened the region. Cases were only sporadic and there’s no cause for alarm but we continue our regular monitoring,” Mr. Orais added.

BusinessWeek

May 28-31, 2012

MINDANAO

Bunye... from page 6

other terms and conditions vary among banks. The higher the rates, the higher the risk. Offers that sound too good to be true may not be true at all. Be wary of offers of unrealistically high interest rates or expensive gifts (such as cars, local or foreign trips, gadgets, etc.) in addition to interest, in exchange for your deposit. Always keep in a safe place the proof of your deposits such as passbooks, copies of deposit slips, certificates of time deposit or confirmation statements (if transactions is done through the Internet). Bank deposits are insured up to P500,000 per individual depositor by the PDIC. It should be noted that despite the Export & Industry Bank experience, Espenilla has assured the Filipino public that the entire banking industry remains stable.

Growers... from page 1

he added. He said they are looking at ways to provide assistance, cash for work, financial assistance and assistance to the packaging and housing of the bananas to the growers. Chinese agriculture officials had earlier intercepted and blocked 40-foot con-

tainers of bananas from the country, claiming the fruits were infested by Aonidiella comperei, a type of worm more commonly found in coconuts. Amid escalating tensions between China and the Philippines over Panatag Shoal, China then extended the inspection to pineapples and papayas. With the stricter measures in place, local banana growers have already lost $236,000, or almost P1 billion, in export receipts, according to the Department of Agriculture. Bananas are the country’s No. 2 agriculture commodity export after coconuts, earning about $720 million a year. According to the DA, the banana sector directly employs some 240,000 workers. China, meanwhile, is the country’s second-largest market for bananas after Japan. Since Wednesday, Chinese authorities have allowed the entry of at least 170 containers of bananas from the Philippines.

“We feel very strongly that we are part of the solution to Mindanao’s power woes rather than the problem,” said AboitizPower President and CEO Erramon I. Aboitiz. Hedcor is the largest developer of run-of-river hydropower in the countr y, owns and operates 19 hydropower plants in Benguet, Ilocos Sur, and Davao with a total capacity of 154 megawatts. AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, retail and power services. It is a major producer of Cleanergy, its brand for clean and renewable energy in the Philippines with several hydroelectric and geothermal assets in its generation portfolio, and also has non-renewable power plants located across the country. The comp any ow ns distribution utilities that operate in high-growth areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Hedcor...

DepEd...

Simod rivers. The two host barangays and the Municipality of Kitaotao already endorsed the proposed project after signing the memorandum of agreement with Hedcor officials. Another project is in Davao City with 12 megawatts.

and Dos to encourage parents to check whether or not the private schools where they intend to enroll their children is duly permitted, recognized or accredited by DepEd. The pupils and students who finished an alleged grade/year level in a school without the required per-

from page 1

mit are advised to take the Philippine Validating Test (PVT), prior to admission in another school in order to validate the required learning gains. The PV T is administered by the National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC) located at the Deped Central Office, 2nd Floor, Mabini Building, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, with tel. no. (02) 631-2589. This year’s OBE is activated from May 28-June 8, to address the problems commonly encountered during this period and give the assurance that students are properly enrolled and able to attend school in the first day of classes on June 4. In DepEd Memo No. 83, s. of 2012, Secretary Luistro has directed the Regional Directors and schools division/city superintendents to form the Local Information and Action Center (LIAC) to serve as information and complaints processing and routing mechanism for the duration of the project. Among others, the LIAC is tasked to oversee the regional/division and local concerns, set up hotlines to receive calls, text messages, fax messages and emails on complaints, requests and suggestions from parents, students and other concerned citizens and set-up help desks to accommodate walk-in concerns.

Feature:

Mantigue Island Nature Park, Camiguin’s restored paradise By JORIE C. VALCORZA, Contributor

CAMIGUIN’S piece of paradise, once a fishing village, now offers a fantastic island experience. The Mantigue Island Nature Park, gleaming with white beaches filled of powdery coral and surrounded by crystal clear water, is more of an adventure than a sight-seeing experience - one of the best when in Camiguin. It lies only three kilometers off from barangay San Roque shore in the town of Mahinog. The 15-minute motor boat ride gives an added thrill to the visitors and allows a great view of the water corals and surrounding seaweeds. Aside from enjoying a great swim, guests may opt to take a walk in its dense tropical coast forest at the center of the nature park, which is filled with wild grass, wide variety of trees and plants often used as shelter by migratory birds and turtles seeking refuge in the island. A part of its coast offers a pristine beach with soft white sand and shallow waters while on the opposite side is a deep drop-off suitable for diving and snorkeling. Along its underwater cracks, diving enthusiasts will be entertained by a wonderful view of sea anemones, stingrays, and variety of tropical fishes. If one gets lucky, you might come across sea turtles, especially when these head back to the island’s coast to nest and lay their eggs. The emergence of the island as an ecotourism destination is seen to bring beneficial effects on its environment. Having been long declared as forest land, the government carried out an aggressive action and policy direction to protect Mantigue.

May 28-31, 2012

Misor Today

BusinessWeek

MINDANAO

Former NPA stronghold makes big turnaround THE Municipality of Salay in Misamis Oriental has been selected as the “Best Performing LGU” by the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program – Adaptable Program Loan Phase 2 (MRDP2). The program is a poverty-alleviation initiative implemented through the Department of Agriculture (DA) jointly funded by the World Bank, National Government, and Local Government Units covering Mindanao’s 26 provinces and 225 municipalities. It aims to improve rural incomes and ensure food security through agri-fishery infrastructure, livelihood enterprise and biodiversity conservation projects. During his weekly

TV program “Ang Lalawigan Karon”, Gov. Oscar S. Moreno expressed his elation over Salay’s selection as a “victory for the people of Salay” who have been embroiled for the past decades in the insurgency due to government’s failure to adequately deliver basic services. President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III personally handed a P5-million check intended for additional rural infrastructure projects to Salay Mayor Romeo L. Gue with Gov. Moreno and Provincial Agriculturist Danilo O. Maputol in attendance during the “Parangal sa Bosing ng Kanayunan”, one of the highlights of the MRDP People’s Organizations

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Congress held in Davao City on May 14, 2012 where the program recognized best performing LGUs in various projects such as rural infrastructure, Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD), and Natural Resources Management (NRM). “The MRDP has shown it has succeeded in mobilizing communities for agricultural development in Mindanao. It has successfully established through its various projects farmto-market roads, bridges, water systems and solar dryers as well as other agrifishery infrastructure in the rural areas,” the President said. “MRDP has contributed much in the country’s campaign to attain freedom from hunger.” Other LGUs recognized included Mati City, Davao Oriental (Best LGU implementing the MRDP-CFAD

program) ; Nasipit, Agusan del Norte (Best LGU for natural resources and agro-forestry management) ; Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat (Best LGU for mangrove rehabilitation and management); and Roseller Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay (Best LGU for fish sanctuary management). In his report to Gov. Moreno, Mr. Maputol said Salay was not originally among the local government units (LGUs) enrolled in the MRDP-APL2 due to the limited slots allotted to the province. However, Mayor Gue personally requested his staff be accommodated during MRDP related meetings and consultations so that when the municipality of Sagay in Camiguin withdrew from the program, the Program Support Office (PSO) in Davao City readily approved Gov. Moreno’s

strong endorsement of Salay as its replacement. Despite its late entry to the project, Salay became the first LGU in Misamis Oriental to complete its MRDP rural infrastructure (RI) sub-project, the “Upgrading of Guinalaban Farm-to-Market Road” (FMR), a 2.649 kilometer P4,198,255.77 dirt road which was formally turned over by RCPO 10 on October 1, 2010. Salay performed similarly with its second rural infrastructure sub-project, the P5, 328,480.34 “Upgrading of Alipuatan FMR” consistently recording a positive slippage during its construction until its turnover on November 29, 2011. Due to its exemplary management and performance in implementing these two projects, Salay has been awarded another

rural infrastructure subproject, “Upgrading of Yungod FMR” a 1.82 kilometer road with a contract cost of P3,917,094.30. The project is ongoing with a 51.36% accomplishment as of April 2012 and is 17.02% ahead of schedule. Another RI sub-project, “Upgrading of Salagsag FMR” is now undergoing procurement while two others have been strongly endorsed by the RCPO on the strength of Salay LGU’s outstanding performance (Upgrading of Ampenican FMR and the construction of a two (2) barrel box culvert with approaches). “This clearly manifests the absorptive capacity, technical and administrative capabilities of Salay LGU in terms of RI sub-project development, management, implementation and maintenance,” Mr. Maputol said in his report.

Four Misor boxers to national training pool FOUR of Misamis Oriental’s seven gold medal winners during the recently concluded 2012 PLDT-ABAP National Amateur Boxing Championship have been selected to the National Amateur Boxing Training Pool. Eduardo A. Ayunting, deputy regional director of the of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) for Region X said he recently received a letter from Edgar E. Picson, ABAP executive director who identified the four Misor boxers as 18 year-old Rey March Casas (Boys Light Flyweight), Julito Sumalinog, 16 (Jr. Boy’s Flyweight/light bantamweight?), Jeanvee Flores, 18 (Girl’s Bantamweight) and Margie Waga, 17 (Girl’s Flyweight). Mr. Ayunting said the province is now securing the parents’ permission to allow their children to report to the ABAP Training Center at the Rizal Memorial

Sports Complex, Manila so they can start practicing with the National Pool and hopefully make it someday as a National Boxer. According to the letter from Mr. Picson, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the ABAP will handle all the Misor boxers travel expenses to Manila, daily stipend and education should their parents permit them to join the National Pool. The province’s long running amateur boxing program emerged as the best team with seven gold medals at the recently concluded 2012 PLDT-ABAP National Amateur Boxing Championship held in Tagbilaran City. With five silvers and eight bronzes, the Misor team also had the most number of medals. Light flyweight Juniel Lacar emerged as the Best Boxer in his division. Other gold medal winners includ-

ed Julito Sumalinog (light bantamweight), Princess Galarfe (Girl’s flyweight), Rey March Casas (Boys Light Flyweight), Beverly Casero (Girls Pinweight), Margie Waga (Girl’s Flyweight) and Jeanvee Flores (Girl’s Bantamweight). However, the biggest accolade for the present crop of amateur Misor boxers so far in the sport known as the ‘sweet science’ has been accorded to 14-year old Roberto Miguel Jalnaiz, who was selected by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to represent the Philippines to the London Summer School Sports Program at St. Bede’s School in London on July 29 to August 12, 2012 for his outstanding performance at the Batang Pinoy Games. The program is a project of the PSC and The British Council to provide young athletes with foreign exposure while building charac-

ter and strengthening their self-confidence. Participants get to watch the London Olympics and meet with other athletes from other nations. This all-expenses paid program, which was started last year to promote the London Olympics locally, aims to expose the 14 and 15-yearold athletes, some of whom have not gone overseas, to living in a foreign country and interacting with kids from other nationalities. Jalnaiz and the medal winners in Tagbilaran are undergoing training at the MisOr-PLDT-ABAP Regional Amateur Boxing Training Center, a joint project of the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) and PLDT headed by head coach and trainer, 1990 Asian Games Bantamweight Gold Medalist and two-time Olympian Roberto Jalnaiz.

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May 28-31, 2012

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Aboitiz to finish Bakun rehabilitation by October

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REPAIRS on the 70 MW Bakun hydro facility in Ilocos Sur is taking longer than expected, according to its operator and manager Luzon Hydro Corp. (LHC). In a disclosure to the stock exchange, Aboitiz Power Corp. said LHC, its wholly owned subsidiary, expects the tunnel lining repair at the Bakun plant to be

completed by October. After the repairs are finished, LHC will resume operations of the Bakun plant immediately. Earlier, LHC said the repairs would be completed by June. Aboitiz Power is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, retail and other power services.

Pepsi investing P1.5 B on add’l bottling lines Globe pushes Ethernet A F T E R p ost i ng a 606-percent increase in first quarter net profits, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) is expanding its production capacity by investing roughly P1.5 billion for three more bottling lines that will be put up this year.

The company is embarking on aggressive expansion activities this year, through capacity building and widening of its distribution base, to make up for a measly onepercent growth in gross revenues last year. In an interview following the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting held at the Palms Country Club in Alabang on Friday, PCPPI president Partho Chakrabarti said the company is seeing a more favorable business environment this year. “We had a terrific first quarter and we hope to sustain that for the remainder of the year. We are investing more on infrastructure and increasing our capacity,” he said. The company is pouring in around P500 to P600 million into a new plant that will be put up in La Union this year. Construction

of the plant has begun and it is expected to begin operations at the end of the year. Both carbonated soft drinks (CSD) and noncarbonated beverages (NCB) will be bottled in the plant. Around 200 workers will be employed in the plant. Next year, two more bottling lines will be put up in Visayas and Mindanao, the exact site of which has not yet been determined. Chakrabarti said each bottling line costs P500 million on average. He said PCPPI intends to increase its production capacity in Luzon by 10 percent this year. In August year, PCPPI put up

a new bottling line for carbonated soft drinks (CSD) in Zamboanga which was completed early this year. A CSD and non-carbonated beverage (NCB) bottling line was also put up in Cagayan de Oro last year to produce NCBs in returnable glass bottles (RGB) for distribution in Mindanao. “In fact, we are one of the few companies that put up a plant in Zamboanga recently,” he said. In the first quarter of 2012, PCPPI’s net profit rose 606 percent to P225 million from the same period last year because of higher sales volume and lower input cost. PEPSI/PAGE 15

GLOBE Telecom, through its corporate arm Globe Business, pushes efforts to increase awareness and accelerate adoption of Carrier Ethernet services in the Philippines on the back of increasing focus on business continuity and disaster recovery centers; importance of compliances, regulations and convergence; IP migration, as well as the evolution of border-less enterprises. In an Ethernet Forum for its enterprise customers, Globe Business educated its clients on the true benefits of Carrier Ethernet services. With enterprises operating in multiple locations around the world, they require interconnection among their service providers as they expect the same service function and performance in all their branches. Carrier Ethernet is currently the leading technology for real-time services including VoIP, disaster recovery, video conferencing and other enterprise applications. The increasing usage of various applications such as core banking, broadcasting, PoS/ ATM applications and content is playing a key role in the Ethernet market growth. Bandwidth intensive applications like IT/ITeS are also

generating traction in Ethernet carrier services. Analysts show that worldwide Ethernet service is expected grow past the $40-Billion by 2015, as telecom industry players adopt ethernet services, products, solutions and equipment to meet the demand for backhaul and content rich applications, which in turn is fuelled by rising smartphone and tablet adoption rates. “Ethernet helps service providers with better usage of infrastructure and bandwidth utilization to meet the demands,” said Grace JarinCastillo, Head of Enterprise Segments at Globe Business, “Globe has always been a dynamic and pioneering player in the telco industry and we have been offering Ethernet services in the country for more than a decade now, benefitting to service providers, equipment vendors and users more quickly with higher quality services at lower cost. We are proud to say that we have made significant investments in our network infrastructure in order to provide high levels of availability and performance to our Ethernet subscribers.” Speaking at the forum were TelGLOBE/PAGE 15

14 May 28-31, 2012

Metro CDO

Emergency employment for Sendong survivors launched AN emergency employment, livelihood recovery and reconstruction project for Tropical Storm Sendong survivors in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan has been launched on Monday, May 21 in Barangay Balulang, this city. The project, dubbed the C ommunity-Based Emergency Employment and Reconstruction Project (CBEERP), was a collaborative undertaking of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), International Labor Organization (ILO), Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the local government units as part of their continuing efforts to provide relief to Sendong survivors. It consists of three phases, namely, emergency employment, livelihood recovery and production of guides and manuals on emergency employment ap-

proach, said Nori T. Palarca, chief technical adviser of the ILO-Employment Intensive Investment Program. He said the emergency employment component involves a 15-day cleanup activity that includes de-clogging and dredging of the drainage canals in Sendong affected-barangays. The qualified beneficiary will be paid a daily wage of P215 or 75 percent of the approved minimum wage for the city. The livelihood recovery component, Palarca said, aims to re-establish the lost livelihood of the victims. It will be implemented through infrastructure de-

Bill...

linking the Philippines to the gross tourism market. Marciano Ragaza, a trustee of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, said the entry of foreign airlines to the country in light of the removal of onerous taxes will generate more economic activity not only in terms of tourism but by trade and industry like exports, among others. Steven Crowdey, vice chairman of the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR), said the passage of the proposal will definitely improve their connectivity to the Philippines and promote trade and tourism. Hous e Bill 6022 is authored by Reps. Hermilando Mandanas (2nd District, Batangas), Jerry Treñas (Lone District, Iloilo City), Giorgidi Aggabao (4th District, Isabela), Isidro Ungab (3rd District,

from page 15

business in the country from payment of the three percent tax of their quarterly gross receipts. The tourism and travel sectors have earlier expressed support for the measure as it would boost tourism in the Philippines through enhanced international air transport connectivity. Tourism Undersecretary Daniel Corpuz said the tax exemptions will enhance the tourism policy of the government and support the tourism industry in the Philippines which has a projected target of 4.2 million tourists for 2012. He said the current tax regime hampers the country’s international air transport connectivity which is the most critical infrastructure

PANEDOTTE PASTRIES

PANEDOTTE PASTRIES are available at Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, just in front of the Senior Citizens Center in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental with Tel Nos. (08822) 740-211, (088) 856-2419; Cell Phone Nos. 0917-706-2247 and 0917706-1516, or visit them at 162 M.H. del Pilar –Velez Sts., Cagayan de Oro City Available at GAISANO SUPERMART and at LUMBIA AIRPORT PRE DEPARTURE AREA

velopment that will need alternative livelihood like local resource-based hollow blocks production. He also said that part of the interventions of ILO is to provide skills training to those workers that will engaged in the recovery and reconstruction work such as skills on carpentry, masonry and welding, among others. On the other hand, the manual to be developed will serve as guide to the other areas in cases calamities or similar situations, he added. Meanwhile, Crispin D. Dannug, Jr., assistant regional director of DOLE10, disclosed that a total of 847 beneficiaries were already identified through the interviews administered by DOLE at the different relocation sites and from the database of the respective

barangays. The DOLE-10 earlier announced that 722 beneficiaries will be involved in the 15-day clean-up program and 125 workers will work in the respective relocation sites. Accordingly, the DOLE10 will provide the hand tools and protective gears like wheel barrow, shovel, rake, digging bar, picks, dust pan, broom and rubbers boots while the ILO will provide the work clothing and cover the costs of health insurance for the work crew. The pay loaders and dump trucks for hauling and dumping of the debris will be provided by the City Planning and Development Offices. Dannug further disclosed that the launch will also be done in Iligan City next week.

Davao City), Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro), Tomas Apacible (1st District, Batangas), Fernando Gonzalez (3rd District, Albay), Luis Villafuerte (3rd District, Camarines Sur), Roger Mercado (Lone District, Southern Leyte), Florencio Miraflores (Lone District, Aklan), Elmer Panotes (2nd District, Camarines Norte), Rodolfo Albano (1st District, Isabela) and Antonio Alvarez (1st District, Palawan).

tinguished by his love for what is Recollect, spending time and resources to delve into the Recollect beginnings of Northern Mindanao. He has made himself someone to count on for the needs of the apostolates, be it mission, formation, parish or education. His interest for the individual religious is strongly felt. Today he serves as member of the Board of Trustees of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Cebu and San Sebastian CollegeRecoletos, Manila. With his sharp insights, he stands in both, truly as a big brother. As a national leader, he has raised the level of politics, injecting integrity and good service to the constituents. His kindred spirit permeates his involvement with the Augustinian Recollect.

Oro...

from page 15

His distinction as Hermano General given by the Order of Augustinian Recollects hails from way back when he started serving the Recoletos as dean of the College of Law. He revised the Law curriculum and enriched it with a course on St. Augustine. Since then, he has been dis-

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

‘Sendong’ affected cops get financial aid AFTER the regular Monday flag-raising ceremony of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-10 held at the grandstand of Camp Alagar, this city, 372 police officers received cash donations from Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund, Inc. (PSMBFI). The tropical storm Sendong that devastated cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and some areas of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental has left three police officers and other residents dead and a number of displaced families. PCSupt. Jufel C. Adriatico, PRO-10 Regional Director, immediately implemented the order of the President not to allow residents to return to Isla de Oro, Isla Delta, and other places near Cagayan de Oro River where many have died as a result of Sendong. Since February, treeplanting activities are conducted region-wide in response to the Pulis Makakalikasan project of the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP)

and the National Greening Program of President Benigno Aquino III. The National Headquarters in Camp Crame recorded PRO-10 as the top planters of trees and in maintaining nurseries in all police stations. PCSupt. Adriatico has earlier pledged to the PNP Chief that 1 million trees will be planted until January 31, 2013. PSMBFI is a duly registered non-stock, nonprofit mutual benefit fund association, organized to provide insurance protection, and financial and material aid to its members, mostly police officers. It is committed to provide life insurance protection for law enforcers, as they go out in the streets to fight crime, insurgency, and terrorism. PCSupt. Adriatico personally handed the checks to police beneficiaries. He was assisted by PCSupt. Rizaldo A. Tungala, Jr. (retired), PSMBFI VicePresident, and Josephine Y. Adriatico, President of PRO-10 Officers Ladies Club.

CAGAYAN DE ORO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers – Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947 CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491 CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City DIVISORIA BRANCH AƩy. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631 LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739a

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Congress.Watch

Lower House okays bill rationalizing taxes on international air carriers

Oro lawmaker conferred Doctor of Laws Degree

MINDANAO

THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill 6022 seeking to rationalize the taxes on international air carriers which lawmakers said would boost tourism in the Philippines and enable the country to recognize the tax treaties that have not been honored. House Bill 6022 titled “Rationalizing the Taxes on International Air Carriers operating in the Philippines” seeks to amend Sections 28 (A) (3) (a) , 108 (B) (6) and 118 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended. It provides that international air carriers doing business in the country shall not be liable to pay a tax of two and a half percent on its Gross Philippine Billings pursuant to the principle of reciprocity. The grant of reciprocal exemptions to international air carriers shall enter into force 30 days from the exchange of

diplomatic notes between the Philippines and the foreign jurisdiction. Said diplomatic notes shall constitute the agreement between the two countries, the bill provides. As defined in the bill, Gross Philippine Billings refers to the amount of gross revenue derived from carriage of persons, excess baggage, cargo, and mail originating from the country in a continuous and uninterrupted flight, irrespective of the place of sale or issue and the place of payment of the ticket or passage document. The measure also provides that the transport of passengers and cargo by domestic and international air or sea carriers from the Philippines to a foreign country shall be subject to zero percent value added tax rate. It also exempts international air carriers doing BILL/PAGE 14

Pepsi...

raw materials and packaging inputs. As a result, its gross profit in 2011 amounted to P3.7 billion, down by six percent from 2010. Its operating income for 2011 fell to P408 million from P613 million in 2010. As a result of slow earning for 2011, the company will

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Last year, the company’s gross revenues grew only one percent to P20 billion from the previous year because of volatile prices of sugar, other

Globe... from page 13

Tellabs’ Systems Solutions for APAC Neelaksh Sharma, who shared his insights on the latest market trends and cost benefits of Carrier Ethernet and provided information on Ethernet access infrastructure for both Ethernet and IP services; Globe Business Technical Solutions Architect Gilbert Virtucio, on the other hand, discussed specific case studies on successful Ethernet deployments. He also spoke about the next generation Carrier Ethernet, CE 2.0, which is characterized by three powerful features – Multiple Classes of Service (Multi-CoS), Interconnect and Manageability. To e st abl ish a sol id foundation for its Carrier Ethernet services, Globe passed numerous compliance tests and has achieved certifications from the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), the defining body for Carrier Ethernet. Backed by MEF 9 and MEF 14 certifications, the company’s customers are guaranteed that the Carrier Ethernet services offered by Globe meet globally-accepted international standards. In addition, Globe was the first local telco to have MEF Carrier Ethernet Certified Professionals (MEF-CECPs), with Globe technical personnel successfully passing the rigorous exams on professional knowledge of Carrier Ethernet technologies, standards, services and applications since July 2011.

THE University of Negros Occ. Recoletos (UNO-R) will confer the Doctor of Laws Degree (Honoris Causa) on an Outstanding legislator, Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City during investiture ceremonies last week. Rev. Fr. Dionisio C. Cachero, OAR, University President will confer the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws on Rodriguez followed by hooding and capping ceremonies, awarding of Medallion and Diploma on him. Rodriguez will also be inducted to the Alumni Association by Atty. Mateo A. Valenzuela, BGAA, Inc. president. Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez was born on September 13, 1953 in Cagayan De Oro City to Mr. and Mrs. Maximo G. Rodriguez, Sr. His education, done in prestigious schools like not pay dividends for the year and will instead reinvest its earnings and attempt to sustain strong growth in the long term. “Strong sales over the medium term should give us double-digit growth. That should be over the next five years,” said Chakrabarti.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 10TH JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 28 MAMBAJAO, CAMIGUIN In the Matter of Petition for Issuance of New Owner’s Duplicate Copy of Original Certificates of Titles (OCT) Nos. 8698, 8699, 8702, 8703 and 9827 in lieu of the Lost Ones,

MISC. CASE NO. 109

TEODOMILA CASIMIRO by her AttorneyIn-fact, MA. DOLORES M. RIGONAN, Petitioner, x-------------------------------------------------------- / ORDER Petitioner, Teodomilia Casimiro by her Attorney-in-Fact, Ma. Dolores M. Rigonan, of legal age, Filipino, married and resident of No. 21 Guyabano St., Project 2, Brgy. Quirino 2-B, Quezon City, 1102, Metro Manila, thru counsel, states that parcels of land, duly registered in the office of the Register of Deeds of Camiguin under Original Certificates of Titles Nos. 8698, 8699, 8702, 8703, and 9827 are owned by her mother Josefa R. Casimiro who passed away last 20 January 2012. That the owner’s duplicate copy of the OCT’s of the aforesaid parcels of land were lost and despite earnest effort to locate them, the same was of no avail. The fact of such loss was duly registered in the office of the Registry of Deeds of Camiguin. That petitioner had not entered into any transaction involving the subject parcels of land and the said titles do not contain any encumbrance. It is the main thrust of the petition that after hearing the Owner’s Duplicate of the Original Certificates of Title which have been lost be declared null and void and a new Owner’s Duplicate of Original Certificates of Title Nos. 8698, 8699, 8702, 8703 and 9827 be issued in lieu thereof under the same terms and conditions as contained in the original on file. The petition being sufficient in form and substance is hereby set for hearing on July 5, 2012 in this Court’s Session Hall, to start at 8:30 o’clock in the morning. Let copy of the petition together with all its annexes and of this Order be furnished The Register of Deeds at Mambajao, Camiguin; The Administrator, Land Registration Authority at Quezon City; and Provincial Prosecutor of Camiguin. The Process Server of this Court is directed to post copies of this Order in the 1.) Bulletin Board – Public Market, Mambajao, Camiguin; 2.) Bulletin Board – Municipal Hall, Mambajao, Camiguin; 3.) Bulletin Board – Provincial Capitol, Mambajao, Camiguin; and 4.) Bulletin Board – this Court. Let copy of this Order be published at petitioner’s expense once a week for three consecutive weeks prior to the date of hearing in any newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Camiguin. Any person or entity whose interests might be adversely affected by this proceeding may file written opposition within a reasonable time prior to the date of hearing and appear personally during the hearing to substantiate the same. SO ORDERED. Done at Mambajao, Camiguin, this 3rd day of May 2012.

BWM: MAY 14, 21, & 28, 2012

RUSTICO D. PADERANGA Judge

May 28-31, 2012

Xavier University, De La young Rufus took his reSalle University and Uni- sponsibility, obtaining the versity of the Philippines, highest honors in all levels. shows how seriously the This led him to the 17th

place in the 1982 Bar examinations and to such offices as provincial board member at the age of 27, vice-governor at 30, dean of San Sebastian College of Law at 37. Then he became Bureau of Immigration Commissioner in 1996 and since 2007, he has been serving as member of the House of Representatives, with the distinct honor of having perfect attendance and the second among 268 Congressmen in the most number of bills and resolutions filed during the 14th Congress (53 of the 554 became Republic Acts). He has written a vast array of books on politics, law and international relations. However, his most precious virtue has been his love and care for his family, his wife Fenina Tiukinhoy and daughter Regine Beatrice. ORO/PAGE 14

The company is a lso expanding its distribution capacity to include had-toreach areas and small outlets. PCPPI chairman Oscar Reyes said the business environment is becoming more positive this year, and hopefully, will be more favorable

to the company. “We expect the Philippine economy to perform better in 2012 with higher public and private spending, a net exports turnaround, stronger capital inflows and an accommodative monetary policy,” he said.

Rodriguez

He said growth this year would be driven by improved infrastructure and distribution channels as well as the introduction of new products. PCPPI manufactures the brands Pepsi, Sting, Tropicana Twister, Mountain Dew, Milkis, Gatorade, and Lipton.

May 28-31, 2012

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