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BusinessWeek
YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER
www.businessweekmindanao.com Issue No. 71, Volume III • May 4-6, 2012
Editorial: 088-856-3344 • Advertising: 0917-7121424
P15.00
Market Indicators
AS OF 5:15 P.M., MAY 3, 2012 (Thursday)
FOREX
PHISIX
US$1 = P42.20
5,228.84 points
; ; Briefly .5 cents
64.98 points
XU aids Sendong victims
TO offset the impact of tuition fee increases that may adversely affect survivors of Typhoon Sendong, the Jesuitrun Xavier University (XU) is offering financial assistance to affected students for school year 2012-2013. XU is giving grants-in-aid of P1,500 for grade school, P2,000 for high school and P3,000 for college students, on top of any discounts and scholarships. Current students need only to present their University assistance access card to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for those in the tertiary level or the Principal for those in elementary and high school prior to enrolment. New students may present their DSWD cards.
Davao wage hike
DAVAO City -- Vice-Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has conceded that the P15 cost-of-living allowance (CoLA)approved in December last year by the regional tripartite wage and productivity board for Davao Region’s private sector workers is not enough to cover the basic needs of their families. The board approved a P15 CoLA, which was to be implemented in two tranches: the P5 took effect last Jan. 1 and the second tranche took effect yesterday. That brought the daily minimum wage for private sector workers in the region to P270-301. “How much is the (public transport) fare now? And we have so many kilometers in the city. If you want to have impact on food (affordability) and improve the daily lives of workers, I think the adjustment should be P70,” Mr. Duterte told journalists here.
By AIRENE DOMINGO, Reporter
C
ONGRESS has asked the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to enhance the incentives currently being offered to banks that will acquire troubled financial institutions to encourage mergers and prevent more closures of banks in the countryside.
This was contained in House Resolution 2222 filed by Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro even as he underscored the need to strengthen and enhance the incentives package in order to encourage big banks to acquire capital-deficient rural and cooperative banks in a bid to prevent more costly closures, which entail cost for the government, particularly to state-owned Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC), given the need to pay deposit BILL/PAGE 7
Government pushes for microinsurance By BUTCH D. ENERIO Correspondent
MANY Filipinos, mostly belonging to the poorest of the poor, are not covered by insurance, thus when tragedy happens, they have no means or access to mitigate the risks. The government through the Department of Finance, National Credit Council (DOFNCC) and the Insurance ComGOVERNMENT/PAGE 5
CLIMATE CHANGE REPORTERS. Journalists from Asia and Southeast Asia discussing ways and strategies on how to best communicate issues on climate change to their respective audience. PHOTO BY BONG D. FABE
Report climate change with compassion, journalists urged BANGKOK, Thailand—Passion and compassion. These are the two vital but missing elements in climate
change reportage in Asia and Southeast Asia, according to communications experts from the academe, environment group and
media organizations during a workshop at a posh hotel in the Phloen Chit area here. REPORT/PAGE 2
Global competitiveness with ‘local technology’ sought By MIKE BAÑOS, Correspondent
THE country’s foremost association of metalworking companies is looking to increase its global competitiveness with a little help from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
During his keynote speech at the recently concluded 25th National Convention of the Metalworking Industries Association of the Philippines (MIAP), Department of Science and Technology Mario G. Montejo said the domestic metalworking industries should focus on
making ‘local technology’ work to lower costs of imported technologies by as much as 75 percent. “Competitiveness can be enhanced by cutting edge technology which can be developed locally,” Mr. Montejo said. TECHNOLOGY/PAGE 8