CebPac rolls out Independence Day P1 one-way promo fares

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific on Monday announced P1 one-way promotional base fares for select domestic and international destinations, in line with the country’s celebration of the 125th anniversary of Philippine independence.

In an advisory, Cebu Pacific said the promotional fares — exclusive of fees and surcharges — will be available from June 12 to 15, 2023, covering flights from November 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024.

“The Super Seat Fest is CEB’s special way of celebrating Independence Day to bring people to their dream getaways through affordable and convenient flights,” the advisory read.

Malacañang earlier declared June 12 as a regular holiday. Cebu Pacific bounced back to profitability in the first quarter of 2023, with 11 additional aircraft set to be added to its fleet this year.

“The soil is the great connector of life, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.”

That statement came from Wendell Berry, author of The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture.

In Biblical times, farmers used the land they had for six years. Every seventh year, however, the land was left untouched. It’s called sabbatical year, which is mandated by the Torah in the Land of Israel. It’s a great rest for the fields, so that the land could regenerate.

When farmers plant crops, the nutrients present in the soil are taken by the crops. If this goes on for several years, the land is soon devoid of nutrients. The nutrient requirements of the crops are not met from soil reserves until these reserves are replenished.

This is where fertilizers come into the picture. Without fertilizers, Mother Nature cannot immediately replenish the nutrients taken by crops in the soil. But these days, most farmers complain because of the high

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

SOIL-TEST FARMS FIRST BEFORE FERTILIZING

cost of this farm input.

Fertilizers are composed of main nutrients, macroelements, and microelements. When farmers are talking of complete fertilizer (14-14-14, for instance), they are talking of the main nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).

Macroelements, the secondary nutrients, include calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg). The microelements, thus completing the formulation, are zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), boron (B), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe).

Topsoil – the link between the rock core of the earth and the living things on its surface – is the single most important resource on farmland, which is built up over time. Experts claim it takes 200 to 1,000 years to form 2.5 centimeters of rich topsoil.

On the average, farmlands are losing 2.5 centimeters of topsoil every 16 years, or 17 times faster than it can be replaced.

That’s the reason why Filipino farmers need to conserve and protect topsoil as it is the primary resource in crop production. “We need to get to know our soils: Healthy soils produce healthy food and healthy people, and also support a healthy environment,” says Dr. Johnvie B.

Goloran, an agricultural and environmental scientist. “Knowing the health of your soil is worth investing in.”

He knows what he is saying. After all, he has a PhD in soil science and postdoctoral training in soil health and plant nutrition from Australia’s Griffith University and the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute, respectively.

Perhaps, one of the reasons why farmers don’t harvest the optimum yield from their farms is because they just fertilize their crops without really knowing if they need them in the first place.

“Most farmers really don’t know their soils,” Dr. Goloran deplores. “Because of this, they lose the opportunity to design or develop a strategic program/ practice suitable for their farm lands.”

If only farmers get to know the basic knowledge of their farms, particularly the soil where they are planting their crops, they can definitely lessen the farm inputs, thereby increasing their farm income.

To know what’s in the soil, all they have to do is to test it. The goal of soil testing is to provide farmers an accurate assessment of the soil’s fertility to make proper fertilizer recommen-

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

Next to the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), established on August 1, 1851, as El Ban-co Español Filipino de Isabel II and the country’s oldest, Monte de Piedad y Caja de Ahorros, a Catholic outfit, is the second oldest, organized in 1882 and is the first savings bank in the archipelago. Seven years earlier, Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), a foreign lending institution, started operating in Binondo in November 1875.

In Davao City, the Monte de Piedad branch used to occupy the space beside the lot of the now defunct Mila’s Tailoring, which is now leased to Medisense Laboratory Clinic, Inc., right next to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ compound along Claveria (C.M. Recto) Street.

The idea of having a charitable banking institution was dations. With the increasing awareness of fertilizer effects on environment quality, soil tests also can be used to determine where fertilizers or manure should not be applied.

“Soil testing gives you the critical information on the nutritional status of your farm,” Dr. Goloran says. “This means that farmers would be able to select what type and rate of fertilizers are suitable to maintain a good nutritional status of the soils and at the same time address the nutritional requirements of the crops.”

Farmers can have their soil tested through the Regional Soils Laboratories (RSLs) under the Department of Agriculture. “It would be great if they can do or analyze at least 8 to 12 available forms of soil nutrients,” he says.

Soil testing can really help farmers in optimizing their crop production. “The standard practice should be that farmers would get not just the soil test results but also a set of recommendations for the crop that they prefer to plant on their farms,” Dr. Goloran says.

The website of James Lind Institute (JLI) says fertilizers help plants become resilient against harmful plant pathogens, pests, and weeds. Elimination of dis- eases in plants increases the value in the harvest.

The use of animal manures as compost is as old as agriculture itself.

Farmers can use both organic and inorganic fertilizers to restore the fertility of their farmers. “We have to understand that organic and inorganic fertilizers are both food to crops,” he points out. “The former takes time as it needs to be mineralized before it will be taken up by the plants. The latter is already available for crop uptake.”

Farmers are also urged to understand the time element on the effects of both organic and inorganic fertilizers. “If their crops need urgent attention, farmers have an option which one to choose,” Dr. Goloran says. “One thing that I would like to emphasize, regardless of fertilizer sources, be it organic or inorganic, both require soil testing as a prerequisite, so that farmers would know the rate and type of fertilizer to be applied to their crops.”

Farmers should not devoid the fields of nutrients. They must be reminded of the popular saying which goes something like this: They don’t inherit the land from their parents; they just borrow it from their children’s children

MONTE DE PIEDAD, A CATHOLIC BANK

proposed in March 1880 by Span-ish governor-general Domingo Moriones Murillo to help the needy through a model that ex-tends a modest interest and gives out loans using the loanee’s tangible properties as collateral. As a result, he issued a decree creating the Monte de Piedad with P33,959, Mexican currency, from the Obras Pias of the Casa de Misericordia as an initial deposit of the new institution.

On July 20, 1882, the bank was opened in Intramuros, Manila, based on the Monte de Piedad de Madrid rules, and started operations on August 2, 1882.

When the Americans came, the charitable institution had outstanding loans of about P900,000 that were extended to the poor at 6% a year, “secured by the pledge of jewelry, household articles and apparel delivered into the possession of the institution, or, to a small extent, by real estate mortgages.” It operated like today’s pawnshops and was at the time managed by the Catholic church or whoever was the head of the Manila See.

A man named Manuel Luis M. Quezon, who later became the Commonwealth president, had worked in the bank in 1900 with a monthly take-home pay of P25.

Against the odds, the bank, with the archbishop of Manila as its president, survived the global war and later financial crises; it even expanded its portfolio by counting loans to the poorest of the poor, including tricycle drivers and teachers. But the program was eventually abused, which affected the liquidity of the lending bank.

In October 1994, the program was stopped, and the bank temporarily ceased operations in April 1997. Through the brokering of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, it was sold to Keppel Group of Singapore. At the time, it only had assets of US$90 million and 30 branches. The new owner invested US$40 million to cover unfunded manager’s cheques issued before the bank closed.

On October 5, 2005, General Electric Co. of Connecticut, USA, acquired Monte de Piedad, renamed as Keppel Bank, for $25.8 million. In March 2007, GE Money Bank, the reincarna-tion of Monte de Piedad, reported asset growth of over 10% with assets reaching P8.9 billion.

Two years later, BDO Unibank took over the erstwhile Catholic banking outfit and agreed to a share-whap deal with GE to acquire a minority stake in BDO Unibank, the equal of 1.5% stake, with an option to increase its holdings to up to 10%. The takeover involved the inclu-sion of GE Money Bank’s 31 branches, 30,000 customers, and 38 ATMs nationwide.

Following the completion of the deal, BDO Unibank refurbished the Davao branch of the defunct charitable institution and gave it a new name. But as soon as the new owner had opened a more spacious building on a prime lot situated just over 100 meters away, the old, one-story Monte de Piedad was relinquished and leased to a high-end housing company.

A reminder that the lending institution has contributed to the city’s progress is the Monte de Piedad Housing at Maa.

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She also thanked modern-day heroes who continue to fight for freedom from terrorism, criminality, corruption, and local communism, and who, to this day, remained unwavering in securing the gains of development across public health, economy, peace and order, and governance.

“Let our cherished freedoms and liberties lead us to a more just society upholding the greater good of our kababayan. Above all, may we continue to find the indelible mark of heroism not just in the unfurled and hoisted colors of our Philippine flag but also in our shared resolve to build a better way of life, defend our people’s liberties, and protect our Republic,” Duterte said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte also gave his message read by acting Mayor J. Melchor Quitain Jr. during the city government of Davao’s celebration of the 125th Independence Day at Rizal Park.

The mayor commended the Dabawenyos, workers in the city government of Davao, military and police personnel, religious groups, and the private and different non-government organizations for their unwavering commitment to fulfilling their civic duties and mandates, which contributes to the stability of the

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Brunei Marian Jocelyn Tirol-Ignacio led the flag raising ceremony in the Philippine Embassy in Brunei on Monday morning.

The Embassy also launched the book “The Legend of Malakas and Maganda,” along with the Reading and Literacy Association of Brunei.

After Brunei, Duterte is set to go straight to Singapore for a two-day visit also as SEAMEO president.

city’s peace and order situation.

“The declaration of our independence in 1898 highlights both the heroism and nationalism of our countrymen. With this legacy, it is our responsibility to make the most of our liberty and build more sustainable avenues providing betterment and assurance for the next generation. We have come a long way and it is the lasting support of everyone that incline us to further strive for progress that shall take our nation to greater heights,” he said.

The celebration of the city government was attended by deputy mayor Sheirelle Uy-Anino of the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe, Alwyn Buissan of the Iranun tribe, Davao City Police Officer director Alberto Lupaz and Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) director Alden Delvo.

optimistic nor pessimistic.

The survey focused on the views of adult Filipinos regarding their quality of life and the economy, as commissioned by Go Negosyo. It has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.

Just last week the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) maintained its economic growth projection at 6.0% to 7.0% for 2022, and from 6.5% to 8.0% from 2024 to 2028.

The economy expanded by 6.4% in the first quarter of the year, slower than the 8.0% growth in the first quarter of 2022, and the downward revised 7.1% in the fourth quarter of the previous year.

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and destinations primed for tourism and investment, and realize the travel aspirations of the 192 nationalities in the UAE.

Remo – who is also the publisher of The Filipino Times, the largest news media for overseas Filipinos globally – emphasized that overseas Filipinos serve as the most effective ambassadors of the Philippines to the rest of the world, as their highly regarded professionalism and friendliness create a year, the average farmgate price of palay at the national level was at PHP18.17 per kilogram, up by 3.9 percent from the previous quarter’s average farmgate price of PHP17.49 per kilogram.

It was also higher by 4.2 percent compared to last year.

The highest average farmgate price for the first quarter was recorded in Ilocos Region at PHP19.81 per kilogram, while the lowest was recorded in Caraga at PHP16.91 per kilogram. (PNA)

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P5.50 per liter for gasoline, and net decreases for P5.35 per liter for diesel, and P7.35 per liter for kerosene as of June 6, 2023.

Since Dec. 2023, the DOT has been incentivizing overseas Filipinos to invite tourists to explore the Philippines through the “Bisita Be My Guest” (BBMG) program.

These incentives include travel discounts and a chance to win a condominium and complimentary vacation trips.

The meeting was also attended by DOT Undersecretary Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan, DOT Undersecretary Ferdinand “Cocoy” Jumapao, and NPM Group Editorial Director Mark Nituma. (PNA) part of that becomes a history,” he said.

The Kalayaan Job Fair has been conducted in four venues in Davao Region: SM City Annex in Davao City on June 12, 2023; Carmen Municipal Gymnasium in Carmen, Davao del Norte on June 13; the University of Mindanao, Panabo City on June 14; and the University of Southeastern Philippines in Tagum City on June 15.

According to DOLE 11, there are 50 companies, 40 local and 10 international, that are participating in Davao Region’s Kalayaan Job Fair.

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agreed upon in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement signed by the Philippine government and the MILF in March 2014, involves not only decommissioning of MILF combatants and weapons but also the disbandment of private armed groups (PAGS) or what is referred to as private armies of politicians, redeployment of military and police, and transformation of MILF camps into productive communities.

The Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Region reported it still has 23 potential PAGs from 37 on their list, according to Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) had earlier reported that 15,300 MILF combatants out of 40,000 have yet to be decommissioned and only 4,625 firearms have been decommissioned.

defiance from time-to-time.”

For tenacity, the Heat don’t need to look any farther than their mascot, Burnie, who took two punches from former UFC champion Conor McGregor in a skit that led to the person in the costume seeking medical attention. Burnie could be back on the court, though, should the Heat force a Game Six in Miami on Thursday.

“That’s the Miami Heat toughness that we’re talking about,” Spoesltra said of the mascot’s return. “He should have been allowed to take the first swing. We won’t reveal who that is, but yeah, he can take a punch and get back up.”

The Nuggets have the Heat down on the canvas, with no desire to let them back up. Still, they realize it won’t be easy.

Closeout games rarely are.

“Obviously, they’ve been doubted the whole year and they made it this far for a reason,” said Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown, whose team is 9-1 at home, with the lone blemish in Game 2 against Miami. “It’s going to be crazy. It’s going to be loud. The fans are going to be here probably early. But I can’t wait. I feed off their energy, so hopefully it’s going to be a big night.”

The Nuggets have history on their side. Of the 36 teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals, the lone one to come back to win the title was the 2016 Cleveland team led by LeBron James against Golden State.

On that Cavaliers squad was Kevin Love, the 34-year-old Heat forward who’s been preaching that anything can happen.

“You really just have to take it one possession at a time,” Love said. “It’s just one possession, one quarter, half-to-half. Just get it done by any means necessary and figure the rest out.”

Butler couldn’t agree more. Just don’t mention moral victories and how much they’ve accomplished.

It’s ring or bust.

“All the odds, 8-seed — nah, none of that matters,” Butler said. “It’s just two really good basketball teams. One has to get one win, and one has to get three. Let’s just hope that the other that has to get three, gets three.”

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Murad” Ebrahim, concurrent chair of the MILF, presided the RPOC meeting. Local Governments Minister Naguib Sinarimbo told MIndaNews a Technical Working Group will be created to study the proposal of the governors “as the postponement is a matter that needs congressional enactment.”

The RPOC was attended by Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, BARMM police chief Nobleza, Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez, Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Arthur M. Cordura and OPAPRU Undersecretary David Diciano and Assistant Secretary Jordan Bayam.

Governors Sali, Salliman and Macacua attended the RPOC hosted by Sulu Governor Tan. Mangudadatu and Adiong were absent. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)