BUSINESSWEEK MINDANAO (Nov 14-15 2012)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

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Issue No. 126, Volume III •

Market Indicators

As of 5:57 pm Nov. 12, 2012 (Monday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P41.08

5,470.70 points

X X Briefly 5 cents

1.91 points

Stable rice supply

KORONADAL City -- Residents of South Cotabato do not need to stock up on prime commodities, especially rice for the holiday season, an agriculture official here said.

“There is no chance for prices of rice to go up this month until the end of this year,” provincial agriculturist Reynaldo Legaste assured.

This is because “we are expecting at least 12,000 hectares of palay from the last week of November until the end of December,” he said.

Cagayan de Oro City

Wednesday-Thursday

November 14-15, 2012

With Steag in full capacity:

P15.00

M’danao back to life

By IRENE DOMINGO, Reporter and CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO, Correspondent

M

INDANAO residents get back to life as one of the major sources of electricity in the island has completed its maintenance work ahead of schedule.

Saudi donates road

COTABATO City -– The Philippine government will construct beginning next month a 14-kilometer “Peace diversion artery,” a highway that will serve as an alternate connection between Cotabato City and Maguindanao.

Maguindanao and Cotabato City Rep. Bai Sandra Sema said the Saudi government will finance the road network that will include three long bridges to interconnect villages to complete the 14-kilometer stretch.

Through the Saudi Fund for Development, Sema said, the Saudi government has earmarked P709 million fund aim at decongesting the lone highway that connects southern Maguindanao, Cotabato City and nothern Maguindanao.

every Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays

DANGEROUS JOB. Workers (inset) dangerously weld a billboard structure along Marcos Bridge without any safety gadgets. Few months ago, just a few meters away, a man, also working on a 100-meter high billboard structure, fell to the ground and died on the spot. photos by shaun alejandrae yap uy

Over the week end, Steag State Power, Inc. officially announced the synchronization of its power capacity back to the Mindanao grid after finishing the preventive maintenance works of its two coal-fired power units that generates a total of 210 megawatts.

“Both units now are fully operational with an available power of 210 megawatts,” Steag’s Communications Officer Jerome R. Soldevilla said.

The coa l pla nt’s t wo 105-megawatt generating units were disconnected

from the grid to make way for maintenance work after six years of operations.

With this development, the grid’s power deficiency has eased significantly.

Based on figures from the Web site of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Sunday, power shortage in Mindanao was at a low of 49 MW. System capacity was estimated at 1,008 MW while peak demand was estimated at 1,057 MW. Weekend power demand in Mindanao, however, is roughly 200 MW lower than life/PAGE 9

Aselco inks power deal with Aboitiz AGUSAN del Sur Electric Cooperative (Aselco) has signed up to buy 10 MW of power from the 300-MW coal-fired power plant project of AboitizPower in Davao which is set to be completed

in 2015.

With distribution utilities Davao Light and Cotabato Light already signing for a combined 105 MW, there are around 185 MW of capacity left for other Mindanao DUs

and electric cooperatives to sign up for.

Aselco general manager Emmanuel B. Galarse said their signing with Therma South ensures the cooperative aboitiz/PAGE 9

Anti-poverty

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Mindanao will soon start implementing an P11 million worth of infrastructure project in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

DSWD-12 regional director Bai Zorahayda Taha said that under the program, KALAHICIDSS would construct new classroom buildings in Kenram Elementary School and Mapantig Elementary School, in barangays Kenram and Pamantig, respectively.

The project also includes the construction of Alternative Learning Center for out-ofschool youth of Barangay Laguilayan.

Former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar thanks the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (Makabayan) for endorsing her as one of its “Six Senate Champions” for the 2013 senatorial elections. With her are (L-R) Makabayan President Satur Ocampo, senatoriables Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Sen. Francis Escudero, Rep. Teddy Casino, Sen. Loren Legarda, Atty. Gwenn Pimentel representing Sen. Koko Pimentel and Makabayan Co-Chairperson Liza Masa. (A dvertorial)

Makabayan endorsement will boost candidacy: Villar SENATORIAL candidate Cynthia Villar believes inclusion in the “Magic 6” of Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (Makabayan), which extols almost 4 million membership nationwide, will boost chances

of winning in the 2013 midterm elections.

Aside from Villar, Makabayan also endorsed the candidacy of re-electionists Senators Loren Legarda, Francis “Chiz” Escudero and makabayan/PAGE 9

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Region 10 cooperatives paid up capital grows to P1.25B in 2Q

By RUTCHIE C. AGUHOB, Contributor

COOPERATIVES in Northern Mindanao have accumulated a paid-up capital of P1.25 billion had been accumulated, as of the second quarter of 2012.

This capitalization grew by 3.15 percent compared to P1.22 billion, in the same period, last year, Orlando Ravanera, regional director of the Cooperatives Development Authority (CDA), region 10 said.

The CDA data revealed

that the number of cooperatives in the region, during the period, grew from 1,405 to 1,494 or a 6.33 percent increase, while the members grew from 266,341 to 267,407 or by 1.15 percent.

Contributing the biggest capitalization was the prov-

ince of Misamis Oriental with P847.95 million, followed

by Bukidnon, P217.95 million, Misamis Occidental, P93.02 million, Lanao del Norte, P82.44 million and Camiguin, P12.67 million.

In terms of growth of capitalization, however, Lanao del Norte posted the highest increase of 6.64 percent, followed by Misamis Oriental, 3.87 percent, Camiguin, 1.20 percent, Misamis Occidental, 0.47 percent and Bukidnon,

0.44 percent.

The CDA data also show that in terms of the number of cooperatives Lanao del Norte posted the highest growth of 9.77 percent, followed

by Misamis Oriental, 7.31 percent, Misamis Occidental, 4.94 percent, Bukidnon, 2.92 percent and Camiguin by 1.89 percent.

However, in terms of membership, Misamis Occidental posted the highest growth of 1.05 percent, followed by Misamis Oriental, 0.95 percent, Bukidnon, 0.85 percent, Lanao del Norte, 0.04 percent and Camiguin,

0.18 percent.

For the second quarter of 2012 alone, a paid-up capital of P38.22 million was posted by the cooperatives of the region, an increase of 2,353.99 percent over P1.44 million, in the same period, last year.

The number of newlyregistered cooperatives, also increased during the period from 32 to 38 or 11.01 percent, and the members from 1,199 to 1,331 or 11.01 percent.

Likewise, contributing the biggest capitalization, in the second quarter, was the province of Misamis

Oriental with P30.47 million, followed by Lanao del Norte, P3.99 million, Bukidnon, P505,151.64, Camiguin, P150,000 and Misamis Occidental, P101,000.

Again, in terms in growth of capitalization, Misamis Oriental posted the biggest growth of 2,943 percent, followed by Lanao del Norte, 1,177.12 percent, Misamis Occidental, 475.34 percent and Bukidnon, 388.54 percent.

No growth was noted in Camiguin, as no capitalization came in, during the second quarter of 2011.

By BEN D. ARCHE Correspondent

of the coin-operated Internet machines, not found in the former ordinance.

Under the amended ordinance, the operation of the coinoperated computer machines shall be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and should not be confused with the “video karera” machine, which has no Internet capabilities.

In addition, the stores handling the coin-operated machines are now required by the new ordinance to have a business permit to operate them.

Internet cafes operating

without a business permit will face immediate closure which would be final and no more first, second and third offense.

Pornography is strictly prohibited. Internet cafes allowing users to access pornographic sites will be fined P5,000 for the first offense, imprisonment from 5 to 30 days, and confiscation of computer units.

Users caught accessing porno sites will be fined P3,000 for the first offense, and P5,000 for the second and subsequent offenses. They may also face community service of not less than five days.

Davao council strengthens Internet café ordinance DAVAO City – The City Council here recently approved the amendments on the ordinance prescribing the guidelines on the operation of Internet cafes in the city.

The amendments on the 6 years old Internet café law now include stricter guidelines for users and operators providing Internet services.

Councilor Pilar Braga, author of the amendments said one of the salient points in the new ordinance is the insertion

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Davao’s professional services spending hiked by P132.2M

By BEN D. ARCHE Correspondent

DAVAO City – The City Government here has spent more on professional services increasing its expenses to P469.4 million or an increase of at least P132.2 million for the first three quarters (Q3) of this year compared to last year’s spending.

Records showed that the City Hall spent a total of P469,434,276 for professional services from January to September 30 this year.

In 2010, the city only spent P346,789,659 for the same sector covering the same period.

The city’s expenses on professional services include P77,336,205 for environment/ sanitary services; P5,571,442 for consultancy services; P1,800,000 for auditing services; P1,059,228 for janitorial services; P1,294,789 for security services; and P624,500 for other professional services.

The city’s total expenditure for the whole third quarter of 2012 is also pegged at P2,629,968,480.57 under the general fund. A big portion of the expenditure for the same period went to maintenance and other expenses at P718,632,347.

Within the first nine months of this year, the city spent P11,444,210.67 for comservices/PAGE 9

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Toyota to invest $1.3-B in Indonesia over 5 years TOKYO — Japan’s Toyota group said Saturday it will invest about 13 trillion rupiah ($1.3 billion) over the next five years in expanding its vehicle production in Indonesia.

Toyota Motor and its five affiliated firms are making the move “considering the remarkable growth of the (Indonesian) market in recent years”, a statement from the group said.

The investment will create 9,000 new jobs, raising the group’s total workforce in Indonesia to around 41,000, according to Japanese media.

Toyota Motor’s Indonesian unit, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN), will buy 150 hectares (370 acres) of land near its two plants in Karawang outside Jakarta to build a new

engine plant, the statement said.

TMMIN will increase annual production at one of the Karawang plants from 110,000 vehicles to 130,000

by September 2013 to reinforce supply of pickup trucks, minivans and sports utility vehicles.

The five Toyota group firms are Daihatsu Motor, Toyota Auto Body, Aisin Seiki, Denso and Toyota Tsusho.

In the expansion project, Toyota Auto Body will begin vehicle production in December, the statement said.

Daihatsu Motor will also begin construction of its second test track and design centre outside Japan — at one of its Karawang plants — by the end of this year. toyota/PAGE 9

Langdong

Yuedong

HONG KONG -- South Korea’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. saw its two Elantra models rank among China’s ten best-selling sedans in October, industry data showed Monday.

Korean firm’s Verna also ranked 15th on the list, with 15,996 units.

No Japanese car model ranked on the top 20 sedans list, the association data showed.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor’s ix35 ranked third among the top 15 best-selling sports utility vehicles (SUVs), with sales of 12,519 units. Hyundai Motor’s Tucson ranked 14th

with 4,133 units.

Hyundai Motor was the fifth-largest passenger car seller in October with 78,267 units, up 7 percent from 73,122 in September.

In October, China saw a 6.4 percent increase on-year in the passenger car sales, which rose to 1,298,900 cars from 1,220,770.

Kia Motors Corp., Hyunelantra/PAGE 7

tomers with its new global design image and customer service offerings. Its service bay is also one of the largest in the area as it accommodates 22 cars simultaneously and has room to display eight vehicles.

“We are very proud to open the doors of Ford Cainta and showcase Ford’s new

brand and retail image. We are excited to be a partner of Ford’s growing presence in the Philippines and look forward to bringing Ford vehicles and quality service to even more customers,” said Edmund Yee, dealer principal.

The Cainta branch is ford/PAGE 9

Hyundai Elantra models among China’s 10 best-selling cars According to the China Passenger Car Association, Hyundai Motor saw the Yuedong and the Langdong, both of which are the Chinese version of its steady-seller Elantra, rank ninth and tenth,

respectively, on the list of the top 20 best-selling sedans in China last month.

Hy u nda i Motor sold 18,317 units of the Yuedong and 18,207 units of the Langdong last month. The South

Ford opens in Cainta Toyota’s production plant in Indonesia. Japan’s carmaker’s executives said they are investing $1.3 billion to raise its production in Indonesia.

FORD Philippines recently opened its state-of-the-art branch at Cainta, Rizal, the first of 12 new authorized dealerships the company plans to open within the next six months.

The opening of a dealer-

ship in Cainta shows Ford’s commitment to provide customers with its products and after-sales service. Strategically located along Ortigas Avenue Extension in Cainta, Rizal, the 3,000-sq-m lot showroom will attract cus-

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Investment scam rocks Pagadian City

By Richel V. Umel

3 Groups Take Oath @ City Hall New sets of officers of the Federation of Westbound Public Market & Terminal Association, the Sendong Survivors Drivers Organization, and the Hiver Guard Neighborhood Association, Inc. of District 2-Canitoan simultaneously took their oaths before City Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Y. Emano during the flagraising ceremony @ City Hall, November 12, 2012.

CIOPHOTO

Christmas shoppers urged to buy Pinoy, build Pinoy As the Christmas shopping rush is about to begin, the House Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Chairman Rep. Teddy Casiño is calling on consumers to buy Filipino-made products "to help spur the local economy and provide much needed income to our local producers, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)."

Casiño made the call during a visit today at the Trade Fair: Kabuhayan 2012 at the Megatrade Hall II, SM Megamall organized by the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. (CSFI).

"It is during Christmas that we encounter a lot of

imported products - from fruits to Christmas lights and other retail products.

Sana huwag nating kalimutan ang ating mga kababayang Pinoy na lumilikha ng sarili nating produkto na may kalidad. Kung bibili rin naman tayo ng pang noche buena o panregalo, bilhin na natin ang gawang Pinoy," said Casiño.

He likewise called on returning OFWs to shun duty free shops and avoid the hassle of transporting boxes of imported goods. "Ipakita natin sa ating mga kamag-anak at kaibigan na ang tunay na balikbayan ay yung bumabalik sa pagtangkilik ng produktong Pilipino. Mas maganda kung ang ating

mga pasalubong, bagamat nagmula sa perang dayuhan, ay gawang Pinoy, pusong Pinoy."

The lawmaker stressed that the country's MSMEs gain to benefit the most if Christmas shoppers buy Philippine-made products.

The sector is comprised of more than 750,000 firms or 99.6% of total establishments in the country, contributing 61.2% of total employment. Most MSMEs are mostly into food and retail services.

"From a multiplier effect standpoint, it would be best for our kababayans to buy from tiangges and small stores that sell locally-sourced products.

For noche buena, let's

Special loan window sought for school teachers in SSS and GSIS

PUBLIC and private school teachers may soon be granted a special loan window in the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Social Security System (SSS) that would cater to their loan applications once a bill filed in the House of Representatives is enacted into law.

Rep. Winston Castelo filed House Bills 6624 and 6625 extending assistance to teachers of either private or public schools to expedite the processing of their loans with a special loan window dedicated specially for them.

The bill to be known as the “Private School Teachers Special Loan Window Act of 2012” and “Public School Teachers Special Loan Window Act of 2012,” will entitle every bonafide

member of the SSS and GSIS the right to avail and apply for a loan or financial assistance under the Special Loan Window as may be granted for every private and public school teacher by the systems at interest rate of repayment lower than the prevailing interest rate.

“Unlike any other profession, teaching is perhaps the type that calls for the need that teachers become the role models themselves,” Castelo said.

Castelo said teachers both in private and public should be empowered to lead simple but decent lives free from the dangers or risks of having to borrow money or financial resources from “loan sharks” who now have run a profitable cottage industry catering to the rather sad

socio-economic plight of a sizeable population in the teaching profession.

“It is the intent of the measure to help the teacher sector cope with hard times given certain hardships that they are prone to finding themselves in. In other words, their improved salaries and allowances have not truly reached a desired point where there will be no need for them to look for sources of funds through loans or lending schemes that result, most often, in them being badly victimized by loan sharks,” Castelo said.

Under the measures, any other form of financial assistance that could be availed of, particularly an emergency loan, should be deemed different and separate from this special loan window.

buy locally-grown fruits from the market. Bumili tayo ng bibingka at puto bungbong, tsokolateng tablea imbes na imported instant chocolate. Kesong puti sa halip na queso de bola. T-shirt na gawa sa Bulacan o sapatos galing Marikina, sa halip na imported sa France at US," he stressed.

Casiño is the author of House Bill 5573 declaring November as the “Buy Pinoy, Build Pinoy Month.”

"We set November as the Buy Pinoy, Build Pinoy Month in preparation for the yuletide season. The campaign will be on the minds of the consumers, just in time for Christmas shopping,” Casiño ended.

Comval pursues IP MNCHN Project Mindanao

Compostela ValleyThe Provincial Governor’s Office of Compostela Valley headed by Governor Arturo T. Uy recently signed Executive Order No. 021-2012 creating the Provincial P roj e c t Ma n a g e m e nt Committee (PPMC) on Maternal, Neonatal and Child health and Nutrition Needs (MNCHN) of Indigenous Peoples/ Indigenous Cultural Communities and other disadvantaged communities in Compostela Valley.

The PPMC of Compostela Valley includes the provincial governor as the chairperson and the chairman of the provincial committee on Indigenous Peoples as the co-chairper-

PAGADIAN CITY - About 8,000 victims of the ” Ahman investment scam” filed their complaints at the National Bureau of Investigation this city after the suspect and leader o f the scam, Manuel Amalilio , declared the investment closed in mid September.

Macapagal Pantaran , a member of the Board of Directors of Pagadian City Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a trader told Mindanao Daily News that his total investment including that of his relatives reached P263 Million."

I started with P1 million and I earned and invested more capital,” Panataran said" Pantaran said in Pagadian City alone more than 90 per cent of the businessmen have investted with Amalilio.

Pasto Hipolito Paner of Christ the Lord of Glory said" there were 1,000 of us in the entire country and our investment reached more than P800 Million and nothing had been returned until Manuel Amalilio declared the investment closed in mid of September this year.

Pastor Paner urged the national government to facilitate the legal action against Amalilio who had already gone into hiding in Malayasia. In a dialogue, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas urged the investors Friday to file and pursue their complaint.

Dina Marisigan a businesswoman also informed Secretary Mar Roxas on the alleged report that there are Local Government Units in Zamboanga del Sur and nearby provinces to invested their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) with the Ahman Investment.

Secretary Roxas issued a directive to the Departrior

and Local Government to look into the report by requiring all LGU treasurers to submit reports of the situation of their IRA for the month of September .

He asked all local executives to issue a certificaton regarding the status of their IRA and their bank accounts and their reports will be submitted to the DILG. Secretary Roxas also said, " Lanao del Sur province and Maraw City will be included in the series of investigation since there were also Maranaws who were affected.”

Roxas said,"Tingnan natin kung kasali ba ito sa Pagadian City or separate investment". Ikinalulungkot na ito ay ang sirkomstansya . Gagawin nating ang lahat na magagawa na ma huli ang perpetrators na gumagawa ng kalukuhan." (I was saddened of waht had happened . We will do everything to capture the perpetrators.)

Meanwhile, the NBI Agent In-charge told MDNMonday afternoon in a phone call that some of the Maranaws who are complainants reported to the NBI that Manule Amalilio was seen in Kuta Kinabalu,Malaysia on November 7 but since there was no warrant of arrest the group has done nothing".

Roxas said : "maki pag ugnayan ako sa Bankers Association of the Philippines , Bangko Sentral Sa Pilipinas at anti Money-Laudering Council upang ma buksan ang mga accounts ng mga kompanyang ito sa pamamagitan ng money trail.( I will link with the Bankers Association of the Philippines, Central Bank of the Philippines and the Aunti Money Laundering Committee so we could open account of these companies involed in investment scam through a money trail..)

Roxas said.

son. The committee also involves as members the Provincial Health Office, 72nd Infantry Battalion Commander of Compostela, the local chief of police, the municipal tribal chieftain, UNFPA program officer for Comval and relevant agencies.

“We commend the initiative of the provincial government of Compostela Valley for institutionalizing PPMC which will consequently make the implementation of the project in the locality more efficient.

This will help organize coordination among the stakeholders in the provincial, regional, and national levels,” IP MNCHN Project Director Dr. Lilibeth D. Malabanan said.

Among the duties and

responsibilities of the PPMC is the identification of roles and functions of each member of the committee and relevant guidelines necessary to carry out the objectives of the project.

“We are encouraging the same initiative to be taken-up by all the provinces that will take part in the implementation of the project. In the end, it is the Indigenous Peoples who will benefit from the efficiency that this kind of coordination will develop,” Dr. Malabanan stressed.

The PPMC of Compostela Valley will also ensure the commitment and active involvement of the agencies concerned in the implementation of the program.

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Maybank to get $100-M infusion MAYBANK Philippines, Inc. has secured the approval of Malayan Banking Berhad, its parent bank, for a $100-million additional capital infusion, an official said.

“We got the approval of the Maybank Group’s board for the capital infusion last Oct. 25,” Maybank Philippines Corporate Planning Head Benedict F. Borlado said in a phone interview last Friday.

“We hope to receive the $100 million additional capital within the first quarter next year,” he said.

The additional equity infusion is double the $50 million that Maybank Philippines got in December 2010.

The first infusion allowed the bank to pursue more business opportunities.

Mr. Borlado reiterated the new funds will be used by the bank to beef up its capital in preparation for the higher capital requirements of Basel 3. The bank will also be taking in more risks as it scales up its operations.

Universal and commercial banks are required to have a capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 12.5% starting Jan. 1, 2014 under Basel 3 from 10% under Basel 2.

As of end-August, Maybank Philippines had capital totaling P5.6 billion while its CAR stood at 14.23% The bank currently has 54 branches and plans to put up another in Davao before the end of the year.

It targets to double its branch network by 2015 to reach more clients nationwide.

Malayan Banking Berhad, Malaysia’s largest lender, in September raised $800 million from the sale of 10maybank/PAGE 7

Banking & Finance

Wednesday-Thursday Nov. 14-15, 2012

5

Smart to launch microfinance bank TELECOM firm Smart Communications Inc. said it will establish the country’s first microfinance bank, in which the company will tap its mobile-phone subscribers focusing on those who have little or no access to the formal banking system.

The company already announced its plan during a summit in Italy last month, wherein the country’s top mobile phone company said it will soon launch mBank Philippines after it secured the necessary approvals from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Smart will utilize the mBank Holding, the mobile microfinance firm of PLDTSmart Foundation, Finnish development finance company Finnfund and Dutch development bank FMO in launching the micro finance bank.

Pilot services are already

being offered by mCompany, a non-government organization, which will spin off into mBank Philippines once the central bank approves its application for a formal banking license, Smart said in a statement.

“By offering simple and effective financial services, mCompany and eventually

mBank seek to increase financial inclusion and ensure that people have enough money at any given moment,” said Smart Financial Services Head Tricia Dizon.

Once the microfinance bank is launched, Smart and Talk ‘N Text subscribers will be able to open a savings account with the help of mBank

“We appeal to different business sectors and government agencies to deposit their accounts in this bank to avoid losing this new branch,” Pico said.

As the number four leading bank in the country, LBP helps in the organization of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other government projects such as housing, power and water system, farm to market roads

and schools.

Meanwhile, the province of Maguindanao is set to transfer its accounts to the new bank in the province.

Engineer Abdulwahab Tunga, Maguindanao provincial administrator said the provincial government is very thankful for Land Bank in choosing the place to put up their new branch as this will help prosper peace and development in the area.

“This will serve as a milestone of development because

this will help in alleviating poverty as investors and businessmen are expected to come in the place,” he further said.

The new bank is the second branch in the province while the other is located in the municipality of Parang.

In his message read by

Engr. Tunga, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu extended his appreciation to the officials of the bank for being the partner of development again being the conduit bank of the province during the construction of the public market in 2005.

trust fees climbed by 20.06%.

RCBC’s operating expenses amounted to P9.98 billion in the nine-month period.

The bank’s net interest margin remained one of the highest in the industry at 3.88% as of September, RCBC claimed.

Capital expanded by 6.35% to P43.18 billion.

Consolidated assets grew by 13.19% to P352.31 billion The bank’s capital adequacy ratio (CAR), a measure of a bank’s financial strength, was at 18.52%, nearly twice the central bank’s 10% minimum requirement.

Its Tier 1 CAR stood at 13.75%.

RCBC currently has 405 branches and 928 automated teller machines nationwide ready to serve its 4.3 million clients.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is nearly done fine tuning an expanded set of guidelines under which banks must work out their systems to recover quickly from any disaster.

According to BSP Director Gail U. Fule, the expanded guidelines are now being bounced off among the various banks in the country for their comments.

Feedback from the banking community is solicited because the guidelines follow a principles-based format and recognize that different banks face system risks differently from its rivals or colleagues.

Because disaster-recovery systems are bank-specific rather than generic, it was important that bank comment or feedback was sought, Fule said.

When completed, the guidelines replace an existing eight-page framework in place since 1999 when the banks were faced with the uncertainties believed at that time to bedevil the

industry as the year 2000 or the Y2K scare unfolded.

Since then, threats of widespread flooding, massive earthquake, incessant rain or even a military revolt were some of the risks to the continued operation of any bank’s electronic payments or settlement systems and for which the banks must steel themselves against.

Fu le sa id t he nature and magnitude of risks the banks face then and now have evolved as well and this was why the guidelines were recalibrated in a manner that will address not just the concerns of some of the country’s largest and most complex bank but the risk and business continuity requirements of even the simplest of their colleagues.

Fule said the guidelines should be in place early next year once the Monetar y Board, the policy-making body of the BSP, approves them.

Such guidelines are important given that even lenders as big as the Bank of

the Philippine Islands lose millions of pesos worth of revenues for each hour that its online banking facilities are offline.

Automated teller machines generate substantial fee earnings for their owners, particularly from clients of other banks who must use their machines for convenience or other reasons, it was learned at a briefing hosted in behalf of information technology solutions provider Dimension Data at the Resorts World Hotel on Thursday.

Fule said once the guidelines come on stream, the BSP anticipates putting in place a system that rewards compliant banks with a rating mechanism patterned after the CAMELS yardstick.

The yardstick measures any bank in terms of its capital adequacy, asset quality, its management, its earnings ability, liquidity and sensitivity to market risks.

Banks with a high rating of four or five are “rewarded” bsp/PAGE 7

Smart Money will enable MFI members to send and receive funds through their Smart mobile phone, whenever, and wherever they may be.

Land Bank of the Phils opens new branch in Buluan, Maguindanao

By SHAHANA JOY E. DUERME Contributor

KORONADAL City -- The Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) formally opened its new branch in the Buluan, Maguindanao.

Gilda E. Pico, president and CEO of Land Bank said the new branch will serve the neighboring communities, adding that the bank aims to provide good service as well as to contribute growth and development to its service areas.

pilot, we started offering the product on Sept. 26, 2012.

By October 16, mCompany already had 110 account holders and had already disbursed P265,700 in loans to Smart subscribers,” said Arnaud Ventura, board director of mCompany and co-founder of mBank Holding.

Smart has earlier tried to offer financial solutions and services for the un-banked and underserved. Previous projects include Hapinoy with MicroVentures and CARD-MRI and the Islands Activations Program with SeedFinance.

The company was also tapped by the United States Agency for International Development for its Scaling Innovations in Mobile Money project which seeks to boost mobile money transactions in the country using Smart Money.

field agents deployed in their communities. Activated account holders can apply for a loan product, immediately get a response about their application and select a weekly repayment schedule--all via their mobile phone.

“The process eliminates the need to travel far to deposit and withdraw money, apply for loans, and pay amortization. This is very convenient especially for those who cannot afford to be absent from work or leave their sari-sari stores,” Dizon said.

Bank will operate a very advanced credit risk management capability delivered

by Experian, a credit risk management automation firm.

“We believe this is the right way to go to drive financial inclusion in the countryside. In our Leyte

RCBC income up by 18% BSP readies disaster-recovery plan

NET profits of Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) rose by nearly 18% in the nine months ending September, with net interest and non-interest earnings climbing during the period.

In a statement released on Friday, the bank said: “RCBC’s net income for the [January to September period] reached P4.8 billion, 17.65% higher than the P4.08 billion registered in the same period last year.”

This translated to a 16.11% return on equity, or the net income earned as percent of stockholders’ investment and a key measure of performance.

The bank ’s shares closed at P46.85 apiece last Friday, 85 centavos or 1.85% higher than their P46 close the previous day.

RCBC’s net interest income jumped by 4.5% to P8.36 billion, accounting for about half of its total income.

Its loa n por t fol io expanded by 12.95% to P188.54 billion, with corporate loans growing by 13.35%; consumer loans by 28.02%; and loans to small and medium enterprises by 27.67%.

Deposits, meanwhile, grew by 7.02% to P233.61 billion, supported by low cost deposits that accounted for 57% of RCBC’s total deposits.

The bank’s non-interest income, meanwhle, surged by 22.25% to P8.72 billion, buoyed by hefty earnings from securities and foreign exchange trading, which rose by 49%.

Income from service fees and commissions jumped by 10.64% while

6

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How to Right Wrongs THINK a minute…

Edwin Thomas was one of the greatest actors in the 1800’s. He became worldfamous for his acting performances in Shakespeare’s plays. Edwin’s two brothers, John and Junius, were also actors, but they were not as talented as Edwin.

Then one night, almost like a Shakespearean play, tragedy hit their whole family. The brother, John Wilkes Booth, shot and killed the American President, Abraham Lincoln, while Lincoln was in a theatre watching a play.

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The folly of relativism is now a growing Hints and traces sectorThere of people who believe

FR. ROY CIMAGALA

I WONDER if people in general are aware of the folly of relativism. They may not even be aware of relativism itself, the menace we have been warned about quite strongly since the pontificate of John Paul II and now of Benedict XVI. In spite of its dominant presence in the world today, I believe people are still ignorant of it and therefore clueless as to what to do about it. They seem unable to point what’s wrong. The anomaly has become so widespread it seems it has become normal.

Its effects are actually all over. Abortion is now legalized in many rich and supposedly developed countries. Divorce is, of course, already a non-issue in many places. Contraception is also a given.

Marriage is now deformed and defaced in many ways as more and more people and societies are approving same-sex unions and are even open to have national leaders, let alone leaders of less stature, whose marital status is clearly irregular.

they should just be left alone on practically whatever they like to do, including infidelity, pornography, gossips, slanders, etc., as long as they don’t cause public trouble.

All these are manifestations of a relativistic culture engulfing the world today.

It’s a mindset and attitude that is based on the belief that everything is relative, nothing is absolute.

Everything is relative to one’s preferences or at worst the consensus of the people.

Relativism makes us in the great variety of our situations and predicaments as the ultimate arbiter of what’s good and bad, what right and wrong. It’s not God anymore.

Or, another way of looking at it is that we make ourselves our own God. What’s right and wrong simply depend on us. They can be a negotiable affair, a matter of consensus.

There can be no intrinsic good or evil applicable to everyone in all places at all times.

This is a very terrible predicament because in the DNA of relativism is the inherent weakness that unavoidably would lead us to subjectivism, disunity, fragmentation, conflicts. Everyone would be left to his own preferences, often a result of feelings and other conditionings. Differences and conflicts become inevitable.

And to resolve or soften the impact of these unavoidable consequences, there cimagala/PAGE 9

IGNACIO BUNYE

EVER received threatening phone calls from a credit card collection agent? How about calls in the wee hours of the morning or in the middle of the night?

Worry not, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) actually has regulations that prohibit credit card issuers and their collection agents from engaging in unfair collection practices.

According to the BSP, credit card issuers and their collection agents should ob-

After that night Edwin Thomas Booth’s reputation was greatly hurt. In fact, shortly after his brother killed President Lincoln, Edwin actually quit acting and ended his very successful career.

Many years later Edwin tried to return to acting for a time, but he was never the same because he was filled with terrible shame and guilt from his brother murdering the President.

One night, Edwin was getting on a train when it suddenly moved and jolted forward. A young man next

to him slipped and fell down onto the track by the moving train. Very quickly, Edwin risked his own life to reach down and pull the man back up to safety.

A few days later Edwin received a letter of thanks from the man whose life he had saved.

The man had recognized Edwin as the famous actor and wanted to thank him again in a letter.

Amazingly, that young man whose life Edwin had saved was Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of the man Edwin’s brother had killed.

JHAN TIAFAU HURST

So while one brother had killed the President, the other brother had saved the President’s son.

Collection practices serve good faith and refrain from engaging in unscrupulous acts that would harass and humiliate the credit card holder.

In a recent public advisory, the BSP enumerated the following instances of unfair collection practices: — The use of threat or violence or other criminal means to harm the physical person, reputation, or property of any person.

— The use of obscenities, insults, or profane language which amount to a criminal act or offense under applicable laws.

— Disclosure of the names of credit card holders who allegedly refuse to pay debts.

— Threat to take any action that cannot legally be taken.

— Communicating or threat to communicate to any person credit information which is known to be false, including failure to communicate that a debt is

being disputed.

— Any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any debt or to obtain information concerning a card holder.

— Making contact at unreasonable or inconvenient times or hours which the BSP defines as “contact before 6 a.m. or after 10 p.m., unless the account is past due for more than sixty (60) days, or the card holder has given express permission (that he or she be contacted), or said times are the only reasonable or convenient opportunities for contact.”

BSP Circular No. 702, dated 15 December 2010, specifies that banks or quasibanks and their subsidiary/ affiliate credit card companies should inform their card holders of the endorsement of the collection of their account to a collection agency or agent at least seven days before the actual endorse-

Schizophrenia HEALTH is not just the absence of disease. Health is the totality of a person: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual.

Once a break occurs in any of these, then a disorder or illness is present, which may hamper one’s ability to live a full, quality life. Despite our claim that we are in the 21st century, which makes this generation to be more open and accepting to the so called freaks , there seems to be a hesitance as yet to admit that we, or a family member may be suffering from a mental illness.

The tendency is to deny such existence, which, can be hazardous to the patient, as help becomes delayed or denied.

Schizophrenia is one such mental disorder. In the early stages, it may be difficult to tell if the person is suffering from such, as the symptoms develop slowly over months or years. It is a chronic , severe and disabling disorder.

As a Medical student, many years back, I was privileged to be enrolled in a school whose Neuro-

Think a minute

Psychiatry Department was one of the best.

My exposure to patients with mental disorders ranging from personality disorders to Psychotics to Schizophrenia was such, that, my skills to detect the illness was honed.

I nearly fell in love with the Specialty, and would have chosen it. Until, a patient under my care, who I thought was well enough to be discharged, committed suicide. That was when I decided that it wasn’t for me.

To be labelled as a “mentally ill person” carries with it a responsibility.

If a friend, a family member or an acquaintance is mentally ill, this person needs help as he/she may pose a threat to himself/herself, and to the people around them.

Diagnosing it correctly, just like other diseases, is of utmost importance, as treatment is vital to the patient’s capacity to a near normal existence.

For schizophrenia , a Psychiatric evaluation is a MUST, as the medical history taken from the interview of

the patient and the family ,is central to its diagnosis.

Otherwise, for anybody to just label one as a schizophrenic may not be a wise thing to do.

Patients who are diagnosed as Schizophrenics have problems with their thoughts, which may be disorganized, claim to hear voices like someone is talking to them, controlling their minds or plotting against them.

When this happens, the patient may withdraw and sit for hours without moving, losing touch with reality.

At other times, hallucinations or delusions may occur. If one were in the hallucinatory stage, he/she would claim seeing, hearing feeling or sensing things or voices that others do not see, hear or feel.

Delusions on one hand are false beliefs, wherein the patient may be believe that his/her neighbour can control their behaviours through magnetic waves.

These false beliefs can vary, but nonetheless is present. Schizophrenics often say meaningless words “ne-

ment.

This also applies in the event of a bank or credit card company’s endorsement of a card holder’s account from one collection agency/agent to another.

The notification shall include the full name of the collection agency and its contact details, according to the BSP circular.

Banks or quasi-banks and their subsidiary/affiliate credit card companies are also directed to adopt policies and procedures to ensure that the personnel handling the collection of accounts shall disclose his/ her full name and true identity to the card holder.

This directive covers both in-house collectors and thirdparty collection agents.

Put in mind, however, that you can always avoid the embarrassment of having to deal with debt payment if you contact your credit card BUNYE/PAGE 9

Health in Focus

DR. MARY JEAN LORECHE

ologisms.” Their emotions are usually “flat” meaning they have no facial expressions at all: may profess to be happy and yet the face doesn’t reflect it at all!

The patient likewise shows no pleasure at all for everyday living and usually are so quiet, keeping to himself/ herself. There is no attempt to even dress up or clean themselves.

Not to forget, t hat a schizophrenic has agitated bodily movements or may be catatonic: staying still with no sign of any movements loreche/PAGE 9

BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O

7 300 MW Aboitiz coal plant construction in full swing Wednesday-Thursday I Nov. 14-15, 2012

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

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By Carmencita A. Carillo

DAVAO City -- The construction of the P25-billion, 300-MegaWatt (MW) coal-fired power plant owned by Aboitiz Power Corporation located at the boundary of Davao City and Davao del Sur is in full swing and is expected to start operating by 2015.

“The plant will be able to meet a substantial part

Maybank... from page 5

subordinated notes that carried a 3.25% yield.

Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, Malayan Banking Berhad president and chief executive officer, said pro-

BSP...

from page 5

with less stringent requirements for branch petitions by the BSP, for instance.

Disaster recovery-com-

Elantra... from page 3

dai Motor’s smaller affiliate, was the ninth-largest passenger car seller in China, selling 44,019 vehicles.

Nissan Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. were the two Japanese makers

de Davao University last Friday, November 9.

Orig assured the people that the coal-fired power plant makes use of modern technology and is capable of meeting environmental standards. He said the plant is in full swing and while there are minor problems, these are manageable and won’t delay the opening of the plant.

The biggest economic problem facing Mindanao today, he said, is the lack ceeds of the debt sale will of power to fuel economic be partly used to bankroll growth. The projected of the power requirements of Mindanao which is expected to have a shortfall of 484 MW by 2014,” Aboitiz Power Mindanao Affairs First Vice President Manuel Orig said.

Aboitiz had the chance to convince students and environmentalists to see the benefits of the coalfired power plant during a forum held at the Finster Auditorium of the Ateneo

its operations in Indonesia, the Philippines and other regional markets.

Maybank Philippines’ net income surged by 304.04% to P359.6 million in the first semester. pliant banks would have a similar mechanism that rewards those lenders with say, less frequent bank book and system audits than the BSP normally conducts, Fule said.

ranked among the top ten passenger car makers, selling 47,748 units and 45,891 units, respectively.

Most Japa nese automakers’ sales continued to tumble last month in the world’s largest car market amid a territorial spat with China.

power shortfall by 2014, he added, is equivalent to the power usage of various cities including General Santos, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Butuan.

“The only viable option available is the putting up of a generating facility that can provide adequate and reliable power supply at competitive rates and with the least adverse effect to the environment,” he said.

He said Aboitiz has considered renewable fuels but “it would be ex-

tremely difficult to find and attain the scale of renewable fuels capable of meeting the shortfall.”

It is important to reduce Mindanao’s dependence on hydro power, he said, although the cost of other sources like biomass, solar and wind are higher than hydro.

Aboitiz is counting on the high environmental standards practiced by the Steag coal-fired power plant in Misamis Oriental ever since it started operating in 2006. He said Steag’s

actual emissions are lower than the Philippine Clean Air Act, DENR and even World Bank standards.

“This coal-fired power plant is the best available and most practical solution to Mindanao’s biggest problem,” he said.

Aside from being capable of producing adequate and reliable power, he said, the plant can also produce power at competitive rates.

He said Davao City is also proximate to Kalimantan, Indonesia where the coal will be sourced.

Bukidnon’s power sector alliance holds third congress

By MILDRED BORBON TORREJAS, Correspondent

THE 3rd Multi-Sectorial Electrification Alliance Council (MSEAC) Congress was held at the Farmers Training Center of the Central Mindanao University (CMU) last November 10.

M S E AC i s c o m posed of three electric cooperatives, namely First Bukidnon Elec-

tric Cooperatives (Fibeco), Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative (Buseco) and the Bukidnon Electric Consumers Foundation (Beco) and representatives from different sectors such as agro-fishery, business, barangay council, civic, education, local government, media religious, youth and women.

The event was spearheaded by Beco Board

Chairma n Architect Raul L. Alkuino, who also gave the welcome address.

Beco-CEO President Engr. Edgardo R. Masongsong presented before t he members the brief review of the pre v iou s C ong re s s , including the yearly performance report of Fibeco and Buseco.

L i kew ise, Bu seco Branch Manager Juan-

cho Chiong also gave the strategic plans of Beco, whi le Ma naging Consultant Oda S. Beltran introduces the objectives and expected output of this year’s congress.

Activity workshop was also done in the afternoon by Mindanao Development Authority representative Gerardo Ramon Caesar B. Reynaldo.

BUKIDNON MULTI SECTORAL ELECTRIFICATION ALIANCE COUNCIL (MSEAC) 3RD CONGRESS NOVEMBER 10, 2012 FARMER’S TRAINING CENTER CMU, MUSUAN BUKIDNON

PAGHATAG SA CERTIFICATE SA GUEST MR.GERARDO RAMON CESAR B. REYNALDO (MINDANAO DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY). DIR. RAUL ALKUINO FIBECO BOD , DIR. REGIN D. MORDENO MD FIBECO BOD PRES., DIR. ELIGIO DAVID JR. BOD PRES. BUSECO, ENGR. EDGARDO R. MASONGSONG GEN. MANAGER BUSECO AND ENGR. RENATO S. CORTEZANO GEN. MANAGER FIBECO.

GUEST SPEAKER MR.GERARDO RAMON CESAR B. REYNALDO (MINDANAO DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND ENGR. RENATO S. CORTEZANO GEN. MANAGER FIBECO.

OATH TAKING OF NEWLY ELECTED OFFICER OF MSEAC FOR 2013.

PAGHATAG SA CERTIFICATE SA GUEST MR.GERARDO RAMON CESAR B. REYNALDO (MINDANAO DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY). DIR. RAUL ALKUINO FIBECO BOD , DIR. REGIN D. MORDENO MD FIBECO BOD PRES., DIR. ELIGIO DAVID JR. BOD PRES. BUSECO, ENGR. EDGARDO R. MASONGSONG GEN. MANAGER BUSECO AND ENGR. RENATO S. CORTEZANO GEN. MANAGER FIBECO.

TURN OVER OR DONATE 100THOUSAND SUPPORT FROM BUSECO TO BECO. BECO Chairman Board of Trustees Archetic Raul L. Alkuino, center DIR. ELIGIO DAVID JR. BOD PRES. BUSECO, ENGR. EDGARDO R. MASONGSONG GEN. MANAGER BUSECO.

DIR. RAUL ALKUINO FIBECO BOD & BECO Chairman Board of Trustees Archetic Raul L. Alkuino.

8

Wednesday-Thursday I Nov. 14-15, 2012

Agri News

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FAO projects rice exports to go up 2%

run by the Thai government to g uara ntee high prices to producers, which has severely hindered the country’s competitive edge,” the report noted.

For 2013, FAO anticipates that rice exports could also go up slightly to 37.5 mil-

lion tons as ample supplies in exporting countries may intensify competition for world markets and foster a further easing of prices.

Global rice utilization in the 2012/2013 period is predicted to increase by 1.4 percent to 475 MMT due to

an increase in population.

Being a major staple food, FAO noted that over 85 percent of the total, or 402 MMT, are estimated to be destined for human consumption, w it h only small amounts diverted to feed or industrial uses.

POST-HARVEST facilities worth P17 million built by a Japanese nongovernment organization (NGO) were turned over last Nov. 7, 2012,

by Japan Embassy’s Minister Shinsuke Shimizu to the town of Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat.

Funded through the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects, a small-grant funding program of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), the facilities were under the Japanese government’s “Construction of Small-Scale Agriculture Facilities for Climate Change Adaptation” project.

The project amounted to US$399,263 with the turnover ceremony attended by Helen T. Latog, Municipal Mayor; and First Secretary Kei Fukunaga and First Secretary Takayuki Nakagawa of the Japanese Embassy.

On Nov. 8, 2012, another turnover ceremony of

the project was held in the other project site, Balabagan, Lanao Del Sur, attended

by Fukunaga and Quirino Sampiano, vice-Mayor of the Municipality.

In both ceremonies, Kiyoko Takahashi, Program Officer, and Kosuke Nagino, Project Coordinator, from Oxfam Japan witnessed the ceremonies.

In the municipality of Balabagan, six post-harvest facilities for cassava have been constructed, each equipped with a set of storehouse and cassava dryer. One cassava grating machine has also been purchased and shared by farmers.

In the municipality of Esperanza, three post-harvest facilities for rice and corn with a set of storehouse and dryer have been constructed as well as an irrigation canal stretching about one kilometer.

Through the project, the farmers in the municipality

of Esperanza can increase their crop production, and in both municipalities, the loss after the harvest can decrease. Thanks to these, the market access of the agricultural products and the farmers’ income are expected to improve. As a soft component of the project, various trainings will be also conducted for the farmers so that they can properly manage and sustain the facilities all by themselves.

The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects started in the Philippines in 2002. Since then, the Japanese Government has disbursed approximately P188 million for a total of 29 projects in the Philippines. Japan believes that this project will strengthen not only friendship between the peoples of Japan and the Philippines but also the existing strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines.

COCONUT oil exports surged over a third in October this year, the sixth straight month of increase as traditional markets replenish their stocks, the United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP) said on Monday.

Yvonne Agustin, UCAP executive director, said that preliminary data showed that the country’s CNO exports reached 94,880 metric tons (MT) in October 2012, or 35 percent higher than the 70,303 MT a year ago.

This brought total coconut oil exports to 741,256 MT in January to October 2012, or 5.1 percent higher than the 705,214 MT during the same period last year.

Agustin said the industry was able to meet demand from international buyers because of the ample supply of the commodity, which can be attributed to favorable weather condition in the second half of 2012.

“Demand continues to pick up for six straight months now, with copra production expected to peak before the end of the year,” she said.

Agustin said that base effects is a major factor in the increase of CNO exports, noting that demand from the United States and Europe –the key overseas market for the commodity– had slumped last year.

The executive also ascribed the higher shipments this year to the market’s shift away from palm kernel oil and towards CNO because of narrowing price differentials.

Palm kernel oil is coconut oil’s premier competitor in the world market.

Early this year, coconut oil was priced higher than palm kernel oil, but since March, the premium between both began to narrow.

Last month, CNO was priced at an average of $ 845 per MT, while palm kernel oil was at $ 850 per MT. “Because of lower international prices, our earnings continued to slow down despite the six consecutive months of export growth,” Agustin noted.

With the continued growth in CNO exports, the official also said that the industry remains on-track towards meeting its target.

The Philippines aims to ship 925,000 metric tons of CNO this year.

In 2011, the industry fell short of its coconut oil export target of 900,000 MT because of the persistent tight supply of coconut in the domestic market.

Coconut oil exports last year dropped nearly 39 percent annually to 823,381 MT. (PNA)

THE Department of Agricu lture may require exporters of farm produce to invest in infrastructure abroad before they are allowed to do business overseas.

In the case of banana growers and exporters planning to tap the US market, Agriculture Secretar y Proceso A lca la sa id t hey shou ld f irst

build ripening facilities or warehouses where the produce is expected to land.

“Banana exportation does not end with shipment,” the Agriculture chief noted. “After shipment, it has to be placed in a ripening room in a controlled temperature…

“If you do not have a ripening room, it would

be useless to export,” he added.

Dole Philippines will be the first to ship 3,000 metric tons of Cavendish bananas to the US by the end of the year. Dole has the proper facilities for handling bananas posttransport, Alcala said.

Exporters are wooing the US market, particularly its military com-

missaries, after China imposed stricter sanitary and phytosanitary measures on Philippine bananas.

A lca la sa id t he US market would be bigger than the Chinese market.

The department is also working on expanding the market to Japan and Korea and Middle East countries.

DESPITE the restraint exercised by the Philippines and Indonesia, two of the biggest rice importers in the world, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projected that global rice export will go up by 2 percent on year to 37.3 million metric tons (MMT).

In its “Food Outlook,” FAO noted that both the Philippines and Indonesia have rolled out self-sufficiency policies and are restraining their reliance on world markets. “[A] major development for the rice trade in 2012 is a sharp retrenchment from the world market by Bangladesh, and especially,

by Indonesia and the Philippines,” the report read.

FAO foresees Indonesia to halve imports to 1.3 MMT this year while the Philippines’ purchases will drop by 22 percent on year to 900,000 tons.

Nigeria, which has been tagged by the Asian Development Ba n k (A DB) as the world’s biggest rice importer, will increase its purchases by 17 percent on year to a record 2.8 MMT.

“Although Nigeria is also engaged in ambitious ricedevelopment programs, the announced heightening of import taxes in 2012 had the effect of prompting a rush of purchases,” the report read.

Aside from Nigeria, the FAO report noted expectations of a sharp increase in the rice imports of other countries in Near East and Africa such as Iran, Brazil, and Venezuela will contribute to the rise in global rice trade.

FAO said an “outstanding development” in the international rice trade is the emergence of India as the top rice supplier after decades of Thailand’s leadership.

“The displacement of Thailand from its leadership was mainly the result of the pledging program

Banana players pin hope on chips for revenue The banana export industry in the Philippines, reeling from China’s strict quarantine measures that has resulted in many rejected shipments, is pinning its hopes on banana chips’ good performance in the world market to rake in the dollars.

According to Trade Undersecretary Merly Cruz, the export value for banana chips has been rising by 15 percent every year since 2009, with $36-million reported revenue last year.

Cruz said this is good news since the worldwide snack food market value is expected to rise up to $300 billion by 2015, with 17 percent of that coming from the chips and crisps industry.

At present, the Philippines is the only country exporting banana chips.

Cruz said there are 35 banana chip processors all over the country—25 in Mindanao, six in Luzon, and four in the Visayas— exporting

to countries like Vietnam, USA, Germany, UK and Singapore.

“As optimistic as the outlook for this industry is, it has been facing some serious challenges these past few years that could affect industry growth,” Cruz said during the Mindanao Banana Congress last November 8 at the SMX Convention Center.

Quoting from the Saba Banana Industry Investment Study launched by the Department of Trade and Industry, Cruz said these problems include the unpredictable supply of saba or cardava, lack of organization between the stakeholders, lack of support and financing, and the lack of established quality and safety standards.

“The unpredictable supply of cardava banana for banana chips is mainly due to the dwindling land area used for cardava plantations,” Cruz said.

Coconut oil exports up 35% in October

World rice exports are expected to rice despite restraint implement by importing countries, including the Philippines.

Facilities for Mindanao farmers being built by Japanese NGO completed

DA to task exporters to invest in infras abroad

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 Atty. 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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Life...

from page 1

during weekdays when requirements from industries and other businesses are at their peak.

Power supply deficiency figures ranged from 300 MW to 500 MW in the last few weeks while one or both plants of STEAG were closed for maintenance.

“The precarious power supply condition in Mindanao is expected to substantially improve with the full capacity operation of STEAG’s (power plants),” the company said.

He said the preventive maintenance shutdown -- its first plant shutting down on Oct. 6 and its second plant turned off on Oct. 29 -- was necessary to improve power availability from the plants.

The company’s first plant went back to its normal operations on Nov. 4, 10 hours ahead of schedule.

“Carrying out the necessary preventive maintenance as planned and scheduled will bring long-term benefits for Mindanao power consumers in terms of operational reliability,” it added.

The Mindanao power situation has been problematic lately after old hydroelectric plants of the government-run National Power Corp. have experienced problems in the last five years.

Based on official data, government-operated hydroelectric plants in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur produce about 50% of the island’s total requirements.

Prior to the completion of repair works on the coal plant, only some parts of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Norte were spared from the daily power outages of between 30 minutes to 4 hours, said Energy Undersecretary Josefina Patricia M. Asirit.

The said areas in Mindanao have been spared from the brownouts because they either have back-up power supply or host power plants in their localities.

Mindanao’s power supply has been unreliable for much of the year resulting in persistent brownouts because of insufficient generating capacity.

The Department of Energy had blamed this on the region’s reliance on hydroelectric power plants, which are unreliable because of changing weather and reservoir conditions.

This was further compounded by repair and maintenance works on the region’s power plants, the bulk of which are state-owned generating facilities that have been operating for decades.

Aboitiz... from page 1

will have power not only at present but also for its future needs especially that Therma South has already started construction.

“Our franchise area is experiencing very encouraging economic growth. Our role as the electric cooperative is

to ensure that this growth is supported by reliable and affordable power,” Aselco board president Joel Q. Jumonong said.

With construction in full swing for the circulating f luidized-bed power plant project in southern Davao, the project of AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South Inc. is seen to provide the solution to ongoing Mindanao power crisis soonest.

The signing was held in Butuan City with Jumonong and Galarse representing Aselco and Jay Gatmaitan, AboitizPower AVP for sales and marketing representing Therma South.

Aselco has an estimated daily peak demand of 24 MW as it serves Bayugan City and 13 other municipalities in Agusan del Sur. “We are happy to have earned the confidence of Aselco and will do our best to build and deliver our power plant as scheduled by 2015,” Therma South chief operating officer Benjamin A. Cariaso Jr. said. “We have the advantage of having already started our construction and we will ensure we will build a world-class power plant that the people of Mindanao will be proud of.”

TSI is employing the latest circulating fluidized-bed technology to ensure the power plant meets stringent Philippine environmental standards.

Aselco has been awarded as one of the country’s best operating electric cooperatives in the recently concluded NEA Lumens held in Davao City, April 2012.

Other awards Aselco harvested during the said event were the Special Awards for Category A+ EC, the Special Awards for Sitio Energization, the Sunshine Region Award, and the Sunshine Award.

Makabayan... from page 1

and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and former MTRCB chairman Grace Poe Llamanzares.

“Yes, they will reinforce our candidacy rather than us reinforcing their candidacy,” said Villar.

She noted that Makabayan has several organizations and partylist groups campaigning all over the nation.

“Of course, we hope to get the support of members and supporters of the organizations under Makabayan,” said Villar.

Makabayan is a political coalition of 11 party list organizations namely: Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela Women’s Party, Migrante, Courage, Akap Bata, Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), Piston, Katribu, and Kalikasan.

It is fielding just one official candidate, former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino who is running as an Independent candidate for senator in next year’s polls.

Villar also stressed that the so-called “6 Senate Champions” of the Makabayan share the same advocacies.

“They laid down their advocacies. We read them.

We agreed to support in varying degrees certain advocacies of Makabayan. We saw no problem since they are good,” she said.

Sharing Ma kabayan’s advocacies was the reason cited by the group’s president, former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, in taking in the five as guest candidates.

Ocampo said they adopted the candidacy of the five based on a history of cooperative relationship with each of them on people’s issues and advocacies.

Among the Makabayan advocacies shared by Villar are lowering the prices of oil products, water, power and other basic commodities and services; pushing for genuine agrarian reform, pro-people mining policies and environmental protection; equitable minimum wage and salary adjustments in the public and private sectors and subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk.

Villar also vouches for increasing budgetary allocations for essential social services; asserting national sovereignty and pepole’s interest; working for the passage of the Freedom of Information and Whistleblowers Act; seeking an end to extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearances of activists and journalists and amnesty to political prisoners and repealing or amending the Cybercrime Law and decriminalizing libel and pushing for resumption of peace talks.

Villar sees nothing wrong in the Makabayan endorsement since all of them are running under the ticket of the ruling Liberal Party and its coalition partners.

Except for Villar and Pimentel, Legarda, Escudero and Poe are also guest candidates of both LP and the United Nationalist Alliance, a coalition of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of former President Joseph Estrada and PDP-Laban of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The former congresswoman has likewise maintained that having several endorsements would not prejudice chances of winning of a candidate due to alleged ‘overexposure.”

“The more, the better,” added Villar, as she reminded the electorate to focus on issues and not on personalities.” (Advertorial)

Bill...

from page 11

may be an option under the rules, the same allows them to replace it with a substitute one on a majority vote in the plenary or “amendment by substitution.”

A group of lady lawmakers composed of Reps. Luz Ilagan of Gabriela party list, Emmeline Aglipay (Diwa party list), Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Bagong Henerasyon party list) and Kimi Cojuangco of Pangasinan said it is high time that the measure be voted upon.

“We are calling on the House leadership to put it to a vote already and calling

on our colleagues to ensure quorum whether they are supporting the RH or not,” Herrera-Dy said.

Cojuangco said: “I know the numbers, and we have the numbers.”

She also said she already spoke to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to finally set the ground rules for the second reading approval of the RH bill.

Aglipay said their group is now “focused on getting our colleagues to put the RH bill amendments on the agenda so that we can discuss it.”

She said the RH bill would be able to provide the services for care of mothers and decrease of maternal deaths.

Congress has about a month until it goes on Christmas break from December 22 to January 20.

Under the substitute bill, the RH campaign will be focused on the poorest of the poor who are mostly beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s conditional cash transfer program.

Services...

from page 2 munication expenses; repair and maintenance expenditure at P73,075,604.27; confidential, intelligence, extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses P87,696,714.01; subsidies and donations at P4,255,670.25; taxes, insurance premiums and other fees at P18,229,252.53; and non-cash expenses at P116,057,840.47.

Aliens... from page 11

mit the same violation in the Philippines should also be executed after final judgment.

“While there is no reason to question the laws of foreign countries, we must however ensure that our countrymen do not suffer the short end of the stick. As such there is a need to amend our laws to ensure that foreign nationals caught violating our laws on drugs be also convicted on the harshest penalties that their national law imposes,” said Rodriguez, who claims to be a pro-life advocate.

Cimagala... from page 6

be no other recourse than to violence and even anarchy, or to a drift toward totalitarianism.

It’s ironic to note that relativism is often invoked as the soul of democracy. It gives the illusion that with it, people are respected for what they are. It’s a very tempting idea but detached from the fact that we are not our own being, but rather creatures of a Creator, God. And so a democracy that upholds this rotten spirit and does away with a transcendent God will be a democracy that will not be guided by an absolute law that comes from God. It will be a democracy that will surely contradict itself and plunge sooner or later to totalitarianism to keep itself above water.

That’s because that democracy will not anymore

work for the common good, but rather for the good only of its stronger part, or the majority, and not all, of its people. But as an aside, we can still say that of all forms of government, democracy is still the best because “it ensures the participation of citizens in political options and guarantees them the possibility both of electing and controlling their rulers,” John Paul II said.

As to why relativism is attractive to many people, we can posit the idea that it appears respectful of the views and opinions of people.

The problem is that many people have lost the sense of the absolute, have hardly any serious life of religion, and that’s why everything seems to be matter of opinion only.

There are also those, more intellectually gifted and convinced about relativism, who claim that if God exists then he is a God who is constantly evolving because a God who is not dynamic cannot be God. The flaw with this reasoning is that they equate the perpetual dynamism of God with the process of evolution. But God, if he has to be God, cannot anymore evolve even if he is also in constant dynamism. That thought contradicts the very essence of God. This is, of course, a mystery to us, due to the limitation of our reasoning. But we cannot deny that if God is God, then he is both stably perfect and dynamically acting. His action does not imply change in him.

Bunye... from page 6

company immediately should you find yourself having trouble paying your bills.

Try to work out a modified payment plan that would reduce your payables to a more manageable level. Do not wait until your accounts get turned over to a collecting agent.

T he BSP ’s Fi na ncia l Consumer Affairs Group (FCAG) advises the public to report unscrupulous collection practices and other credit card-related concerns via telephone numbers (632) 708-7087 or (632) 524-7011 local 2584, fax number (632) 525-8930, or e-mail address consumeraffairs@bsp.gov. ph.

Loreche... from page 6

at all.

If one were diagnosed as such, with treatment, there may be improvement, but the prognosis is really is difficult to tell. Religious taking of the medications and a strong family support, are most needed by patients not just with schizophrenia but for all mental disorders.

Labels or name calling is nothing but a show of ignorance. An evidence based, scientific approach to diagnosis is important in helping a patient or a loved one.

Caring for the mentally ill takes a lot of courage and

9

compassion, and, if they are left on their own, they may not make it through in the jungles of life.

Ford... from page 3

Ford’s first brand retail dealership in the Philippines that offers all necessary and premium amenities in one building. It has a new salesand-service outlet called “Brand@Retail II,” which is built according to Ford’s global design standards and optimized for ensuring customer satisfaction. It also incorporates all Ford Service Programs that brings to life the “Go Further” Ford Brand promise to customers.

The t wo-stor y showroom boasts a comfortable and well-designed interior that demonstrates premium Ford’s image. The signature electric blue reception wall instantly orients you toward the reception area, which can also cater to events. The furniture and materials weave warm colors and textures throughout the space, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

Accord i ng to R a ndy Krieger, Ford Philippines president, “Ford is committed to an aggressive growth plan in the Philippines, which will be supported by a strong and expanding dealer network.

In addition to introducing segment-leading vehicles like the Ford Fiesta, all-new Ford Ranger and all-new Ford Focus, we are committed to further enhancing our world-class customer service experience.”

Despite the scheduled closure of its Santa Rosa plant at the end of the year, Ford will launch eight all-new global One Ford vehicles in Asean by mid-decade, which will help drive growth in the Philippines.

Ford’s overall retail sales in September jumped to staggering 68 percent from last month selling 964 units—due to the launch of the all-new Ranger, the all-new Explorer with EcoBoost, all-new Focus and the iconic Mustang sports car.

Present at the opening of the dealership were City Mayor of Cainta Mon Ylagan; Krieger; congressman of the first district of Rizal Joel Duavit; Ford Cainta dea ler principa ls Annie and Edmund Yee, former congressman of Rizal Bibit Duavit; Monsignor Lagarejos, Ford executives and selected friends from the motoring media.

Toyota... from page 3

The si x group f irms have a l re ady i nve s te d about 27 trillion rupiah over four decades with Toyota Motor accounting for 9.5 trillion rupiah, the statement said.

Strong investment and domestic spending have seen Indonesia remain one of the best performers in Asia. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy on Monday announced growth of 6.2 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier.

10

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Wednesday-Thursday I Nov. 14-15, 2012

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Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF BUKIDNON Malaybalay City

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF BUKIDNON Malaybalay City

OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR Bids and Awards Committee

OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR Bids and Awards Committee

INVITATION TO BID ITB NO. CW – 2012-054

INVITATION TO BID ITB NO. CW – 2012-055

1. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon, through the 20% Development Fund intends to apply the sum of the: Qty. 1

Unit of Issue contract

Name of Project

ABC

Proposed Concreting of P 1,897,021.51 Circumferential Road and Parking Lot at Kaamulan Open Theater (Phase I), Capitol Compound, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

Duration

Qty.

65.00 Calendar Days

1

101 102 103 105 200 201 311 500-1 500-2 502 SPL-1 SPL-2

Removal of Structure & Obstruction Roadway Excavation Structure Excavation (Cross Drainage & Catch Basin) Sub-grade Preparation Aggregate Sub-base Coarse Aggregate Base Coarse Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Pipe Culverts & Storm Drains Pipe Culverts & Storm Drains Catch Basin Coarse Aggregates (2” dia.)

Billboard

Name of Project

ABC

Proposed Concreting at Jct. P 7,595,000.00 (Inambakan-Imbatug) Buenavista Propoer Road at Baungon, Bukidnon

Duration 107.00 Calendar Days

2. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon now invites bids for:

2. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon now invites bids for: Description

Unit of Issue contract

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Item No.

1. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon, through the Trust Fund intends to apply the sum of the:

Quantity

1.00 468.00 57.50 780.00 260.00 260.00 156.00 37.00 17.00 8.00 260.00 1.00

Unit

day cu.m. cu.m. sq.m. cu.m. cu.m. cu.m. length length units cu.m. unit

Item No. 100 102(2) 104(1) 105 200 201 311 506

Description

Clearing & Grubbing Surplus Common Excavation Embankment from Roadway Excavation Sub-grade Preparation Aggregate Sub-base Coarse Aggregate Base Coarse Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Stone Masonry

Quantity

2.70 3,541.34 163.70 4,200.00 1,207.50 1,481.20 2,800.00 8.91

Unit

ha. cu.m. cu.m. sq.m. cu.m. cu.m. sq.m. cu.m.

Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders (ITB).

Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders (ITB).

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC Secretariat, Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from November 8, 2012 – December 4, 2012.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC Secretariat, Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from November 8, 2012 – December 4, 2012.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee in the amount of P 5,000.00.

It may be downloaded to the website of the Procuring entity (www.Bukidnon.Gov.Ph), provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon will hold a Pre-bid Conference on November 20, 2012, 10:00 a.m. at BAC Conference Room, Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, which shall be open to all interested parties.

7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before December 4, 2012, 9:30 a.m. at BAC Conference Room, Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened on December 4, 2012, 10:00 a.m. in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted .

8. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

BWM: Nov 14, 2012

It may be downloaded to the website of the Procuring entity (www.Bukidnon.Gov.Ph), provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon will hold a Pre-bid Conference on November 20, 2012, 10:00 a.m. at BAC Conference Room, Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, which shall be open to all interested parties.

7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before December 4, 2012, 9:30 a.m. at BAC Conference Room, Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened on December 4, 2012, 10:00 a.m. in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted .

8. The Provincial Government of Bukidnon reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9. For further information, please refer to:

9. For further information, please refer to: Engr. Charito G. Yulo Head, BAC Secretariat Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon Fax No. - 088-813-2141 Tel. No. - 088-221-3114

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee in the amount of P 10,000.00.

Engr. Jose Pastor P. de la Cerna BAC Secretariat/ Section Head (Civil Works) Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon Fax No. - 088-813-2141 Tel No. - 088-221-3114

PROVO B. ANTIPASADO, JR. Provincial Administrator BAC Chairman

Engr. Charito G. Yulo Head, BAC Secretariat Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon Fax No. - 088-813-2141 Tel. No. - 088-221-3114

BWM: Nov 14, 2012

Engr. Jose Pastor P. de la Cerna BAC Secretariat/ Section Head (Civil Works) Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon Fax No. - 088-813-2141 Tel No. - 088-221-3114

PROVO B. ANTIPASADO, JR. Provincial Administrator BAC Chairman

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Wednesday-Thursday Nov. 14-15, 2012

11

Congress watch

Anti-RH bill forces vow fight to the last line OPPONENTS of the reproductive health bill Manila Rep. Amado Baga- sive Policy on Responsible will do everything to block the passage of the tsing insisted the “omnibus Parenthood, Reproductive amendment” introduced Health, and Population and new version of the measure in the plenary.

Paraphrasing Winston Churchill when he rallied the British to steel themselves against the Germans in World War II, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the House leadership should follow procedures under the rules when they reach the period of amendments, and all amendments “should be done line by line, page by page.”

Rodriguez

Solon seeks antibiotics prescriptions probe in PH CAGAYAN de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez intends to find answers to this question when he called on the House of Representatives to look into the issuance process of drug prescriptions in the Philippines.

The lawmaker from Mindanao expressed alarm that over-prescription of medicines in the Philippines may have been causing drug resistance among Filipinos.

Citing an international study, Rodriguez said 50 to 70 percent of the antibiotics prescribed by health workers were unnecessary, and often resulted to antimicrobial resistance to drugs. “(While this is) inevitable, there is still a need for a more

comprehensive antimicrobial surveillance system to encompass most, if not all major disease-causing bacteria,” Rodriguez explained “There is a need to come up with the legislation to prevent the misuse of medicines and prevent over-prescription,” he insisted.

Filing House Resolution No. 2541, Rodriguez urged House Committee on Health to invite government officials, doctors, and experts who can shed light on the matter and a related World Health Organization (WHO) report.

Earlier, WHO directorgeneral Margaret Chan said the the world is entering an era when drug treatments

will no longer be effective against many infections.

She explained most common infections like strep throat or a child’s scratched knee are starting to become drug-resistant and “could once again kill” due to irrational use of drugs.

Chan also said that some operations like hip replacements, organ transplants, cancer chemotherapy and care of pre-term infants would become far more difficult or even too dangerous to undertake.

“There is a need to address the problem especially in far-f lung areas of the country where people have limited access to medicines,” Rodriguez said.

WHILE “human life is worth preserving,” a Mindanao lawmaker on Tuesday renewed his appeal to the leaders of the House of Representatives to pass a measure that will impose the death penalty on foreign drug offenders whose countries have existing capital punishment.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, at a news conference, pressed for the approval of his House Bill 4510 which has been languishing before the House committee on dangerous drugs. He said his bill sought to amend the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of

2002 to impose death penalty on foreigners convicted of drug-related offenses.

If Filipinos die abroad following their drug-related convictions, Rodriguez said foreigners whose countries have been implementing death penalty and who comaliens/PAGE9

Rodriguez said the new version of the RH bill, or the watered-down substitute bill, will have to go back to the committee level if the House leadership really wants an “omnibus amendment” to the measure.

by the RH bill’s authors is prohibited under the rules.

The substitute bill was the offshoot of a compromise reached by RH authors and critics.

The substitute version of House Bill No. 4244 (An Act Providing for a Comprehen-

Development, and for Other Purposes) is being offered by authors to appease critics of the RH bill.

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, one of the bill’s authors, earlier said that while remanding the bill to the committee level bill/PAGE9

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BusinessWeek 12 Cagayan de Oro City’s house of memorabilia Wednesday-Thursday I Nov. 14-15, 2012

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a feature by CHRISTINE H. CABIASA of The Cagayan de Oro TIMES

C

onserves collection of artifacts.

Exhibits cultural heritages. Cares for historical significance. Houses memorabilia and memoirs. Preserves traditions and customs. Displays faces of yesterday.

Whatever it is, a museum serves a universal function that is to care for objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, and historical substance. And if you want to know the place’s history, visit the museum at the heart of it and check on amazing facts and figures of yesteryears and probably you can utter “I didn’t know that”.

Time machine. Fasten your seatbelts Kagay-anons and I will take you to Cagayan de Oro’s house of memorabilia- the City Museum. Let’s see if you can utter that fourword avowal.

Bautista expressed.

A Closer Look The building has three floors. In the first floor, your eyes will be stunned on the images of the city’s leaders before it was proclaimed as a city up to the present. It is recorded that former Mayor Pablo Magtajas manned the city for 12 years (1984-1996) and had the longest term seated as a Mayor.

Also, you can see footages and pictures of the first established radio broadcasting company in Northern Mindanao, DXCC (now Radio Mindanao Network) pushed through by Henry Canoy and a Filipiña gown worn by Congresswoman Benedicta Roa. The first floor is entitled “Ramon and Rosario Chaves Gallery” as they had pioneered the renovation and facility improvement.

Officials of the Adaptive Reuse In the second floor, the National Museum of of a Heritage Kagay-anons way of life the Philippines lauded before was depicted through Structure True indeed, factor retrieved pictures of the first the City Government that caught my attention car and first local bus in the for the “adaptive is the building structure country as their means of of the City Museum. transportation. The preserved reuse of a heritage “Actually, it’s a heritage pen used by former President structure” when the structure over cultural Elpidio Quirino as he signed heritages”, Thaddeos Republic Act No. 521, water tower became Bautista, Vice Chairman creating the City of Cagayan the Cagayan de Oro of the City Museum de Oro on June 15, 1950 is City Museum in 2010 also there. Archaeological and said. It is a water-tanklike structure in which political facts about the city it is really the water are also displayed. The latter reservoir of the city before. is labeled as “Felomino Bautista Gallery”, The water tank or tower was constructed same reason in the first. in 1921 and was completed in 1922. It served Paving our way to the last floor, I was as a reservoir for the old municipality of caught more amazed as I saw beyond words Cagayan (now Cagayan de Oro) with water and figures, the artifacts conserved for coming from Malasag Hills. The tower is decades. I touched them. I read the captions. located in the oldest section of the city where It was great. There you can see the Bishop’s the 1622 settlement was first established by Chair in which it is the same as we can see the Spanish Recollect Missionaries for Datu in the Cathedral and was used by the Miss Salansan and his people.

Kagay-ans before, artifacts from the Malasag On September 1944, the tower withstood museum like paintings and sculptures, gowns the heavy aerial bombings of the town used by former Miss Kagay-ans and many by the American planes. Today, it is the others. oldest known public structure of the City.

The City Museum indeed preserves true Furthermore, the officials of the National Kagay-anons heritage imbued with a sense Museum of the Philippines lauded the City of august pride, from facts to artifacts and Government for the “adaptive reuse of a from former public figures to figures. What heritage structure” when the water tower the City Museum has to offer are beyond became the Cagayan de Oro City Museum in words of this article. Only in the first floor, 2010 (City Museum note artifacts). this paper’s photographer is allowed to After 95 years, the water reservoir turned take photos on that’s why if you hunger for museum houses artifacts and the City’s facts about this city, come and visit the City treasures. A large collection of it came from Museum near Gaston Park. They are open for the Malasag Museum. “This building is an visitors, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. artifact itself, it has been tested through time and now preserves Cagayan de Oro’s pride”, Now we know.

T

hese days I feel life passing me by too quickly. I feel out of breath. I am constantly on the go. I look back and I can’t recall as quickly. I am lost in modernity.

I need something to hold on to, to grasp, to contain that tiny sliver of memory. The good old days. The memory of childhood.

I seek to impart to my kids and those of their generation and the next the simple peaceful joyful years of childhood.”

Alaala is a one man art exhibition

by Anthony Fermin a

Visayan artist with roots from Cebu and Negros.

Fermin is known for his playful, vibrant works full of the positivity and innocence of life that we all need these days.

His works have been exhibited both locally and internationally with his latest one man show being a complete sellout in SM Art Center in Metro Cebu.

Alaala” is Filipino for “Memories”. Fermin aches to carve his memories in canvas. It is as if he feels the need to do so as his memories are fast fading away.

“Alaala” is his tribute to childhood.

Charlies Art Gallery www.charliesartgallery.com OPENING COCKTAIL NOVEMBER 14, 2012 THE ENTERPRISE CENTER ART HALL LEVEL 3 PASEO DE ROXAS COR AYALA AVE., MAKATI CITY CONTACT: 0917-3006985

The Great Flood of 1916

Photo by ROSELYN PAGLINAWAN

Photo Courtesy of City Museum of Cagayan de Oro

Photo Courtesy of City Museum of Cagayan de Oro

It’s the season for sharing!

by OWEN JAEN

A

few more days and December will finally arrive- the season for shopping spree!

However, let us not forget that giving thanks means giving back, too. In this day and age of clinging too much to material things, one must know what and when to let go of things we no longer need.

The first thing to raid would have to be our closets, check out what you no longer need and donate them. Next, gather old books, unused kitchenware or gifts from the past that you never really had the time or the occasion to use and give them to those who might have the right use for them. This is a good way to de-clutter and refresh one’s wardrobe and household shelves!

For those who have the passion and the time, volunteer for Christmas charity events!

This is a time to pay it forward by participating in the countless charitable institutions that need an extra hand. To make

the deed more meaningful, try encouraging the rest of your family or some of your close friends and make it a moment to bond during the holidays.

And for those who are planning to reach out to more people in need, you can donate a portion of your funds to a Foundation or NGO of your choice and ensure that their ongoing programs and projects will go a long, long way.

And the best would have to do all three this coming Christmas and spread joy to as we can. Little acts of kindness will spark more to do the same and hopefully bring more cheers to more people. One gift may bring hope and inspire one person to become better.

This Christmas time, I am personally supporting a benefit concert (Doctoring the Law, December 15, 2012, 7PM at the Rodelsa Hall) for the fight against breast cancer.

Pledges for cash donations are encouraged to help raise funds for breast cancer awareness

and treatment of beneficiaries.

Also, we are inviting everyone to come and visit Liceo de Cagayan University for a Charity Christmas Bazaar (Liceo Mad Rush Christmas Sale, December 10-12), all proceeds of the items will be donated to two Foundations, the Safer River Life Saver Foundation and the Rodolfo N. Pelaez Foundation and form part of the funds being raised to provide scholarships for the underprivileged and sustain the community projects for the communities along the Cagayan River.

Sharing indeed may be counted by how much we gave but most of all it must be measured by the smiles it bring and the seeds of hope we are planting. This perhaps is the greatest gift we can all give ourselves, the gift of compassion.

Give love, spread love.

Happy holidays everyone!