BusinessDaily (July 18, 2013)

INSIDE LOOK

Church leaders urge GPH, NDF to continue peace negotiations

Senior Citizen to get P1K monthly allowance Max’s continues expasion abroad

Gov’t revises peso-dollar assumption to P41-43

Solons seek gun regulation to minimize loose firearms

BusinessDaily Corporate World

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Volume III, No. 258

Market Indicators

As of 6:12 pm july 17, 2013 (Wednesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P43.38

6,574.72 points

9 cents

X

8.83 points

X

Briefly Tax collection up TAX collections in Northern Mindanao during the first quarter this year rose to P1.80 billion, up by 26 percent from the P1.43 billion collections in the same quarter last year, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in the region announced last week.

The NEDA-10 said the d o u b l e - d i g i t g r ow t h wa s at tributed to the stric ter implementation of O plan Kandado and Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Collections mostly came from income taxes and valueadded taxes (VAT) which cornered 86 percent of the total receipts.

Receipts from income taxes which accounted for the largest share with 60 percent was posted at P1.07 billion during the quarter while VAT collections was at P482.3 million.

Camiguin’s water park THE establishment of the P1.4million Taguines Lagoon AquaSports and Recreational Facility here is seen as an alternative approach in the protection and preservation of coastal resources in the province.

The local government unit (LGU) through its Mahinog Business Development Office (MBDO) targets to lessen local folks reliance on fishing by providing tourism livelihood services to partner fisher folks association.

Apart from the existing three-lane zip line crossing the lagoon, operating separately in area, this new facility likewise offers low-impact water-based recreational activities like kayaking, guided pedal and paddle boating activities, as well as, refreshment services.

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Cagayan de Oro City

Feature

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Thursday

P15.00

July 18, 2013

Construction boom lifts investments in Normin T

By REMEE MONIQUE ESPIRITU, Reporter and APIPA P. BAGUMBARAN, Contributor

HE BOOMING construction industry in Cagayan de Oro City, mostly tourism-related projects, brought in P3.44 billion worth of investments to northern Mindanao during the first quarter of this year, data from the regional office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) here showed.

CONSTRUCTION BOOM. The robust construction industry in Cagayan de Oro City constitutes the big bulk of investments in northern Mindanao for the first quarter of 2013 which registered P3.44 billion, more than double as compared to last year’s P1.06 billion, government data showed. photo courtesy of www. cdodev. com

Comparatively, the influx of investments recorded is more than double than the P1.06 billion posted by the region during the same period in 2012, or a whopping 223% increase.

Engr. Cecilio Clarete, regional chief economic

development specia list, at t r ibuted t he reg ion’s performance to the 419% increase in investments in Misamis Oriental and 602% increase in Lanao del Norte, particularly in Iligan City.

Misamis Oriental recorded P2.37 billion of investments

sharing 69% of the total regional investments while Lanao del Norte posted P688 million or 20% of the total.

Clarete said the increase in investments in Misamis Oriental is mostly from infrastructure and services sector which is 78.6% of the total investments in the region.

Major investments in the province include construction and expansion of tourism and business-related facilities in Cagayan de Oro such as that of Seda Hotel, Primavera Condotel, Tune Hotel, Monte Carlo Hotel and partial development of A lber to Resort. lifts/PAGE 11

DTI-10 embarks on PWDs vow to be productive Filipinos ‘Big Push’ for SMEs

By BUTCH D. ENERIO Correspondent

By BUTCH D. ENERIO Correspondent

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in northern Mindanao launched on Monday its small and medium enterprise (SME) Roving Academy to help and push forward entrepreneurs in their endeavors, increase productivity and meet the challenges posed by the global economy.

Coined The ‘Big Push’, DTI said that the program aims to make microenterprise and SMEs to be efficient that would help government achieve the 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plans to alleviate poverty with inclusive growth.

The DTI’s Big Push scheme will guide small businesses in: product development and marketing; equitable financing/credit guarantee; communitybased enterprise development; and shared service facilities.

The Big Push is anchored on industry clustering as a key strategy for the development of the micro, small and medium enterprises with focus on market driven production; convergence and collaboration among national government agencies and local embarks/PAGE 11

THE differently abled persons or persons with disability (PWD), here have closed their ranks and vowed to achieve ‘independence’ in the near future in addressing the issues and concerns confronting them - with less government interventions.

In celebrating the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, t he PWDs said that what they w a nt f r o m g ov e r n m e nt agencies concerned is the implementation of laws that are supposed to help them be part of the mainstream of society, rather than being considered as a liability.

T he C a gay a n de Oro Federation of Persons with Disabi lit y Association (Cafedpa), said that through

Persons with disabilities are seeking government’s protection and right accommodation for them to be productive Filipinos. photo courtesy of romeo paculba- pia

the years since the passage of pertinent laws to protect the rights of the PWDs, most of the local government units (LGUs) are lacking implementation of most of the provisions of Republic Act No. 9442 or the

Magna Carta For Persons With Disability.

This city is the home more than 3,000 PWDs. Me l a g ro s M aqu i l i ng , Cafedpa president, said that PWD/PAGE 11

J.P. RIZAL - CRUZ TAAL STS., (NEAR SHANGHAI BAKERY) DIVISORIA, CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

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2 DTI, NEDA to draft new investment plan DTI awards SSF projs thursday - July 18, 2013

to coop groups in R12

THE Trade and Industry department will work closely with the National Economic and Development Authority in drafting the parameters for sectors that should qualify under the 2014 Investment Priorities Plan.

KORONADAL CITY—The Department of Trade and “We will work closer with NEDA on the setting of parameters for choosing the

industries so we can align the IPP closely with the medium term development plan. We’ll

try to issue the 2014 IPP earlier,” Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said.

Domingo said all approved industry road maps would be incorporated in the 2014 investment plan and that public consultations would start in August this year.

Domingo said unlike the 2013 investment plan, which was just a carryover of the 2012 program, the 2014 IPP would implement major changes.

The department wants a draft investment plan in place by December to enable

the Board of Investments implement the plan starting on Jan. 1, 2014.

DTI recently submitted the proposed 2013 investment plan for approval of President Benigno Aquino, with only minimal changes.

Once approved by M a l a c a ñ a n g , t he 2 013 investment plan will be in effect until the 2014 plan is approved and implemented.

“We crafted the [2013] plan because that is what the law tells us. But it’s all a matter of compliance. The plan/PAGE 10

Industry in Region XII (DTI-12) has launched and awarded intervention packages to three cooperatives in Soccsksargen.

Groups of women, sugarcane planters and a communitybased native food producers were among the initial beneficiaries of the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) projects for entrepreneurs in the region.

Sugarcane Planters Association of Tinaungan (SPAT) in President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat was provided a mechanized sugarcane crusher with four stainless vats of 800 liters capacity each worth P350,000. The project benefits 25 sugarcane farmers in the municipality.

In Tampakan, South Cotabato, DTI-12 Regional Director Ibrahim Guiamadel and DTI-Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (DTI-BMSMED) Assistant Director Jerry Clavesillas awarded the Danlag Women’s Association (DWA) with a solar dryer and seal machine amounting to P650,000 for the production of awards/PAGE 8

COA: City Hall may have incurred P120-M losses Teleperformance CITY HALL might have incurred potential losses amounting to more than P120.6 million due to alleged financial mismanagement and lost bank accounts during the Vicente Y. Emano administration, the Commissions on Audit said.

“The accuracy and correctness of genera l ledger Cash-in-Ba n k, Local Currency, Current & Savings Accounts and Time Deposits amounting P1,196.198 million as of December 31, 2012 could not be easily ascertained in the absence of Bank Reconciliation Statements Reports (BRS),” the COA’s state auditors noted.

COA ‘s verification disclosed that the period of the latest BRS submitted for verification were August 2012 for

General Fund and Special Education Fund and April for the Trust Fund.

Auditors said per bank confirmation, City Hall has P1,075,584,349.52 while on per book it has P1,196,198,345.29.

COA even said that City Hall could not establish the correctness and accuracy of the cash In bank – Local Currency, Current & Savings Accounts and Time Deposits.

St ate aud itors , for i nst a nce, discovered that City Hall has failed to compel the liquidation of the Current and Time accounts under General Fund amounting to P66,606,877.11 (Current) and P5,429,792.66 (Time).

Under the Special Education Fund, after the bank conf irmation, the losses/PAGE 8

opens Davao center

DAVAO CIT Y—Teleper forma nce opened its 11th branch in Davao City with a formal launch held last July 12 at its site in SM City-Davao.

Teleperformance, one of the world’s leading provider of outsourced customer experience management services, has a 11,200 square meter contact center that covers 1,500 employee workstations and state-of-the-art employee facilities such as fitness gyms, spacious cafeteria, full-service clinic, sleeping quarters, game and recreation area and employee lockers.

Aside from the contact center, the opens/PAGE 8

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Smart leads Globe Max’s continues expansion abroad again in NTC’s Q2 service quality test THE latest network qua lit y tests conducted for the second quarter of the year by the National Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission shows once more the mobile phone network of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) outperforming competition, according to the company spokesperson.

“Just as in the last quarter, Smart had a clear edge in all five parameters of the 2nd Quarter Quality of Service (QoS) Benchmarking tests of the NTC,” said Smart public affairs head, Ramon R. Isberto.

Smart beat its competition in the Blocked Calls or Grade of Service (GoS) parameter, with only 1.26 percent of calls made on the Smart network not connecting successfully, versus 1.46 percent of Globe Telecom.

Smart had a Drop Call Rate (DCR) of only 1.07 percent - against the minimum 2 percent DCR standard. Globe also had more dropped calls, again with 1.40 percent of incoming calls made on the Globe network terminating involuntarily.

Smart also led in terms of Average Receive Signal

Level, registering -65.52 dBm against Globe’s -71.45 dBm. This parameter measures the signal strength provided by the serving cell site to the mobile handset of the subscriber while a conversation is ongoing, and results that are closer to 0 are considered better.

Smart was also ahead in the Average Signal Quality c ategor y. Sma r t scored 0.72 while Globe scored .91, against the minimum acceptable range of from 0 to 4, or the closer to 0, the better. This shows that Smart had better voice quality transmission.

Smart also outdid the competition in terms of Call Set Up Time, or the time it takes for a network to activate the called party.

Smart met quality standards with a score of 11.12 seconds, versus Globe’s 12 seconds.

The acceptable industr y standard is below 14 seconds.

“These numbers only va lidate what Smart subscribers experience, that of a mobile service that is clearly superior in terms of reliability, quality, and coverage. To us it’s a reminder test/PAGE 8

M A X’S R E STAU R A N T will open its first store in gaming hub Las Vegas in September, on top of three other new restaurants in Canada, Kuwait and Qatar before yearend.

On t he sidel i ne s of a Ph i l ippi ne Fra nch ise A s s o c i a t i o n ( PFA) symposium-workshop late Monday, Max’s Franchising, Inc. president Robert F. Trota told reporters that the branch in Las Vegas, Nevada will be opened in the first week of September. The 515-square meter Las Vegas outlet is company-owned, and costs $1.2 million or roughly P52 million to put up, he said.

Max’s said its Las Vegas restaurant will be located at 1290 East Flamingo Road.

Max’s Restaurant has eight other branches in the US— five in California (Glendale, Milpitas, Puente Hills, San Francisco and Vallejo); two in Hawaii (Dillingham and Waipahu); and one in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Trota said the latest US branch is also set to be the f lagship training store in America.

Max’s Las Vegas restaurant aims to attract a w ider customer base, Trota said, as “a lot of people go to Vegas.”

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority “nearly 40 million

visitors” flock the city every year.

At present, 9 out of 10 customers of Max’s stores in the US are Filipinos, five percent have “FilipinoAmerican influences” while the remaining five percent are “Americans who are adventurous” in their food choices, Trota said.

This customer profile is consistent with Max’s strategy of opening stores in areas with huge Filipino populations, Trota said, adding that, “We needed the Filipino community to

help us bring Max’s to the mainstream.”

The company however would like to expand its clientele to non-Filipinos, who so far have taken to Max’s signature fried chicken and adobo, he said.

Besides the Las Vegas store, Max’s will inaugurate a branch in Alberta, Canada by yearend, Trota said. The A lber ta restaura nt is a franchise with an investment of also $1.2 million for a 780-square meter site. Max’s has a branch each in the Canadian cities of Toronto

and Vancouver.

Max’s franchisees in the US and Canada are Filipinos, Trota said.

Two more restaurants in the Middle East are also in the works, hopefully for opening before the year ends, he said.

“We have chosen the sites in Qatar and Kuwait but we have not yet signed the lease,” he said. Max’s has three existing branches in the United Arab Emirates—one each in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah—all operated

by Arab franchisees.

Max/PAGE 8

MRDP turns-over farm-to -market roads with a total length of 14.834 kms. to four towns in Region 10 amounting to more than P36M. DA-10 Regional Executive Director Lealyn A. Ramos together with Eng. Roxana H. Hojas, DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations hand-over the responsibility of the proper use and maintenance of the four newly constructed road sections in Lala, Lanao del Norte to Mayor Allan J. Lim (top right) and the upgraded Nabataan-Salagsag-Yungod FMR in Salay, Misamis Oriental to Misamis Oriental Vice-Governor Norris Babiera and Salay Mayor Romeo Gue (top left). Meanwhile, DA-10 Regional Technical Director Constancio C. Maghanoy, Jr. spearheads the ceremonial turn-over of the rehabilitated Occasion-Licoan FMR in Sumilao, Bukidnon to Barangay Captains Adronico A. Bulanta of Licoan and Ronnie G. Mangga of Ocasion (bottom left) and the upgraded Sumalag FMR in Konoguitan, Misamis Oriental to Mayor Jerome Lagbas (bottom right) .

photo credits: eusabellina and vmssiano

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Creation of Rule Book for coop banks pushed

Rep. Cresente Paez

A LAWMAKER will pursue the creation of a Rule Book or a Cooperative Banking statute to govern the existence and operations of cooperative banks in the country in the 16th Congress.

Rep. Cresente C. Paez (Coop-NATCCO) said there is a need for the cooperative banking sector to have its own rulebook, distinct and different from that of rural and commercial banks.

“Ma na gement a nd operat ions of cooperative banks clearly manifests their peculiarities because of its nature in terms of ownership, governance, clients and profit allocation,” Rep. Jose R. Ping-ay (CoopNATCCO) explained.

The provision for the creation of the cooperative banking act is contained in House Bill 4478 which Paez, together with Ping-ay, filed in the 15th Congress.

Under the measure, the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) are tasked to formulate the necessary rules and regulations governing the establishment and operation of cooperative banks, separate and distinct from rural and commercial banks.

“It shall be called the Rule Book governing cooperative banks and the organization of cooperative banks shall be based on Article 97 of Republic Act 9520 otherwise known as

the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008,” Paez said.

T he bi l l f u r t her st ate s t hat t he administration of cooperative banks shall be an utmost concern of the Board of Directors and Management pursuant to Article 98 of Republic Act 952000 and that the capital requirements of cooperative banks shall be subscribed and paid by the listed primary cooperative shareholders.

Paez said the supplemental capital for cooperatives banks shall come from the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines or any government-owned or controlled bank or financial institutions. pushed/PAGE 10

backs govt’s Solons seek gun regulation Speaker energy security prog to minimize loose firearms

By BONG D. FABE

A PARTYLIST lawmaker, among other members of the House of Representatives, has expressed strong support for the passage of a bill filed by two Cagayan de Oro City-based congressmen seeking to regulate the local gun industry to lessen the proliferation of illegal firearms in the country.

AGHAM partylist Rep. Angelo Palmones said he is “strongly pushing for House Resolution 1461,” which directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to “seriously consider procuring loca l ly-made f irearms to support the local gun industry instead of buying US made guns.”

“We have good and skilled gunsmiths that can be at par with other countries but the government needs to provide enough funding for R&D to improve our local capability

to produce firearms, and its legal parameters,” he said in a news release.

House Resolution 1461 was filed by Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) and his younger brother Abante Mindanao partylist Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. The brothers cited in t heir proposed measure the Filipino-owned gun company United Defense Manufacturing Corporation (UDMC), whose guns are “reportedly being used by

EXPRESSING strong support for the Philippine Energy Plan 2009-2030, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the Filipino gunsmiths work in an illegal makeshift gun government’s efforts to level the playing field in energy factory on the outskirts of Danao City in Cebu Province. development are truly crucial to energy security. photo by reuters/erik de castro from intellasia . net “A level playing field would encourage the private sector to invest more in energy development to augment the limited resources of government to ensure countryside development,” the House leader said, adding that the current efforts towards transparency in governance are earning the confidence of investors.

The Speaker noted that at the start of the Aquino government, the energy sector came out with its major guideposts and focus: 1) Energy security; 2) optimal energy pricing, and 3) a sustainable energy plan.

To ensure energy security, the Department of Energy enumerated important programs that would have great impact in the next 20 years: a) acceleration of the United States and British sophisticated and better exploration and utilization of oil, gas and coal resources; private security forces, but M-16 rif le, which is being b) intensification of development and utilization of are not appreciated by our r e c o m m e n d e d b y t h e renewable and environment-friendly alternative energy Philippine Nav y specia l resources/technologies; c) enhancement of energy efficiency own government.”

UDMC is engaged in warfare group or SEALS, and conservation; d) improvement of transmission and t he business of t rading but is not used by the AFP distribution systems; e) securing vital energy infrastructure and maintaining imported and the PNP. and facilities; and, d) securing a competitive energy or locally manufactured “Army Lt. Gen. Roland investment climate. firearms, ammunitions, spare Detabali and retired Maj. Belmonte cited the matter of transmission and distribution parts, ordinance and other Philip Manlapaz, reportedly systems, along with infrastructure and facilities, including both experts in M-16 and the energy investment climate as part of the strategic role equipment.

I t h a s r e p o r t e d l y similar weapons, agreed that of electric cooperatives in rural electrification. m a nu f a c t u r e d a m o r e minimize/PAGE 10 backs/PAGE 10

New solons undergo Senior Citizens to get P1K monthly allowance 4-day special seminar ANOTHER 44 new members of the House of Representatives have undergone a fourday special course and training on the legislative works.

Aside from short lesson on legislative works, the neophytes were also briefed on how to build good relationship with the colleagues during committee hearings, plenary debate and caucuses.

The Executive Course on Legislation is a collaborative initiative of the Lower House, led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., and the University of the PhilippinesNational College of Public Administration seminar/PAGE 10

SENIOR citizens will get a P1,000 monthly financial assistance from the government under a bill addressing their financial needs to cope up with the rising prices of basic commodities.

Rep. Antonio Lagdameo, Jr. (2nd District, Davao Del Norte), author HB 1859 which he vowed to re-file in the 16th Congress, said the measure will greatly help a big number of senior citizens in the country who are living below the poverty level.

“The benefits provided under this measure will help alleviate living conditions of our elderly who for having offered their best years for this country deserve all the necessary assistance during their twilight years,” Lagdameo said.

Likewise, the proposed Senior Citizens Financial Assistance Act shall provide a loan of P20,000 assistance to qualified elderly.

To avail of the financial and other benefits, a senior citizen must be a Filipino Citizen, 60 years of age or older, unemployed and has no other source of income or relatives capable of giving support and without adequate means of subsistence, and must be within the poverty threshold as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“It is the policy of the State to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to social development which shall make essential goods, health and other social allowance/PAGE 10

Rep. Antonio Lagdameo Jr.

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Banking&Finance

Gov’t revises peso-dollar assumption to P41-43 THE Aquino administration has revised its foreign exchange assumption for 2014, expecting that the peso would be stronger against the dollar than previously assumed.

On t he sidel i ne s of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) general meeting, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said the economic managers have narrowed down the forex assumption

to 41-43 to a dollar from the previous 42-45 when they drafted the country’s 2014 budget.

“I expect 43-to-a-dollar is more comfortable for exporters but because of confidence in the Philippines,

documentary proof of their travel from Syria such as original passport or original travel document issued by the Philippine Embassy in Damascus stamped with an exit visa by the Syrian immigration and Passport Directorate.

The exchange facility will be available in the next six months and the exchange may be done at the BSP’s head off ice, its regional offices and branches, and with authorized agent banks.

Danvil planholders sue insurance company for cancelling benefit A BOU T one hu nd red pla n holders of Da nv i l Plans, Inc. trooped to the Insurance Commission (IC) on Thursday, asking the regulator to revoke the license of Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Co for the sudden termination of the benefits of their paid-up policies.

The planholders have filed before the commission administrative and criminal charges against the management of Philippine Prudential.

Those with claims of P100,000 and below would file their case before the IC and those with more than P100,000-claims would be filing charges before the regional trial court.

One planholder said that they have been saving up since 2004 to pay for the education plan and protector plan they bought from Danvil. They said Philippine Prudential’s license must be revoked so people would not be duped into buying these products again.

They lamented that until now Philippine Prudential still operates with a license

and is still selling insurance and preneed products.

The Danvil planholders want to redeem 100 percent of their payments instead of the 30 percent arranged by Philippine Prudential Life.

These planholders fought for the “no claim bonus” benefit promised to them

by Berkley International, wherein clients whose plans that have no claims within 10 years can get a P100,000bonus.

Rod Estrera, Philippine Pr udent ia l cor porate c om mu n ic at ion s he a d , told InterAksyon.com that Berkley International had two companies in the Philippines prior to its pull-out in 2007: Berkley Plans and Berkley Life Insurance.

Berkley Plans was later bought by its chief financial officer, Daniel L. Villanueva, and was renamed into Danvil Plans. The life insurance unit of Berkley International had totally pulled out of the country.

However, Berkley Life had a product, similar to today’s insurance “rider”, that the danvil/PAGE 10

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there’s a tendency for the currency to appreciate,” Domingo told reporters.

On Wednesday, the peso closed 9 centavos weaker at 43.380 to a dollar from Tuesday’s 43.290.

The local currency opened at 43.20 before t rad ing between 43.420 and 43.190.

Total trading dropped $857 million from the previous $1.2 billion.

Returning OFWs from Syria has 6 months to convert earnings to pesos

TO help OFWs displaced by the conf lict in Syria, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has reopened its currency exchange facility.

In a statement, the BSP said the Monetary Board approved the re-opening of the facility, which aims to allow returning OFWs a nd t heir fa mi lies to exchange Syrian currency for Philippine pesos up to P10,0 0 0 per el ig ible applicant.

The OFWs have to present

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Strong currency prompted the country’s economic planners to revise its target for 2014.

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Shopping spree

T

THINK

hin k a minute…On a TV game show, I saw a A Minute woman who won a shopping By Jhan Tiafau Hurst spree in a supermarket.

She had 10 minutes to fill her cart with anything she wanted in the store.

In those few minutes, she had to be smart and find the most valuable things she could to fill her cart with.

Do you realize that your life is like a shopping spree?

In this short life, we have only a limited amount of time to get the most valuable things we can.

To get the most for our time. One successful man said it this way: “The time of your life is the one dollar you’re given.

It’s the only dollar you have, so be very careful how you choose to spend it.

Don’t ever let other people spend it for you. Counting time is not nearly as important as making time count.”

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.

Time never stops for any of us, no matter who we are.

“You may be able to take the day off, but you can’t put it back.”

Since we can’t keep it or save it, we have to spend it.

A wise man said: “The only smart use of your time and life is to spend it on something that will last longer than your life and keep benefiting you even after you die.”

This short, simple poem tells us the secret to spending our life for that one thing that will secure and always take care of us.

It says: “Only one life, will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

You see, Jesus Christ is the only One Who lasts, since He is the Creator of life itself. So if you have Him, you never run out of life. hurst/PAGE 7

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Lesson in Glee star’s death

L

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul... then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes, and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you…” (Deuteronomy 30:2-3, the Holy Bible).

-ooo LESSONS IN GLEE STAR’S DEATH: How come a rich, famous, and talented young man like “Glee” star Keith Monteith still found the urge or the desire to imbibe heroin and alcohol? Was wealth, fame, and talent not enough entertainment or reward on their own so that it was necessary for Monteith and, I am sure, for a lot of other youngsters out there in the world, to indulge in deadly vices which, as in his case, can only lead to early death?

There must be something wrong somewhere here.

I thought that when one already has every thing in life, he would do everything to preserve that life and the abundance that comes with it. Why would people still desire to do things that are clearly dangerous and deadly and would be contrary to the principle of selfpreservation?

It must be their upbringing. I am sure that these people were not trained in the way that children should go, and

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K

were not brought up in the akampi training and instruction of Mo A ng Batas the Lord our God. I am sure

By Atty. Batas Mauricio they grew up without the Word of God and, therefore, without God at all. As it were, they grew up separated from God, and grew up with God’s enemy instead, the dev il, making them capable of doing despicable and devilish acts.

-ooo GROWING UP WITH GOD BRINGS STABILITY: How then can parents assure themselves that their children would be trained in the way that they should go, so that even when they grow older, they will never depart from it? How can children be raised in the training and instruction of the Lord, so that they will be growing up with God, not with His enemy, and therefore enjoy His divine protection, direction and benedictions all their lives?

Proverbs 22:6 of the Holy Bible gives us the initial advice. It says: “Train the child in the way that he should go, and he will never depart from it even when he grows batas/PAGE 7

The need to save

hy are banks important?

Just a few weeks back, we observed National Banking Week — a special opportunity that seeks to highlight the benefits banks provide to society.

National Banking Week, annually held every first week of January, enjoins all banking institutions and their branches to undertake promotional and publicitygenerating activities regarding their significant role in the Filipino community, pursuant to Proclamation No. 2250 dated 10 December 1982.

This year’s theme is “Masaganang Lipunan, Bunga ng Salaping Iniingatan. Mag-impok sa Bangko.”

The Financial Consumer Affairs Group (FCAG) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, in its weekly e-newsletter, stressed the need for continuing campaign efforts to highlight the importance of saving in banks.

Citing the 2009 Consumer Finance Survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral’s Department of Economic Statistics, the FCAG disclosed that eight out of ten or 78.5 percent of Filipino households still do not have a bank deposit account.

The survey further showed that 92.8 percent of that figure stated “the lack of money” as the primary reason for the absence of a bank account. On the other hand, the remaining 7.2 percent of the households cited the following: •Do not need a bank/cash account (1.7 percent).

•Cannot manage an account (1.5 percent).

•Minimum balance is too high (1.2 percent).

•Do not like to deal with banks/financial institutions

Crystaline pino ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

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SPEAKING

(1 percent).

•Others not specified (1.8 O ut percent).

By Ignacio Bunye L a s t l y, t h e B SP d at a revealed that households in areas outside the National Capital Region were found less inclined to open bank accounts than those residing in Metro Manila. “ W h a t p e o p l e o u g ht to rea l i z e is t hat sav i ng money in banks is way more advantageous than keeping it elsewhere such as in piggy banks, in a locked drawer or cabinet at home, or through the traditional under-the-mattress approach,” the FCAG explained.

The FCAG quoted the following reasons on why banks are important from financial websites w w w. topbusinessfinance.com andlawschool.unm.edu: • Safety—The bank remains the safest place to keep one’s money, according to FCAG. Banks maintain high security facilities that protect a depositor’s money from theft and safeguard it from the elements and other disasters such as fire, f loods and the action of rodents or insects.

• Interest—Instead of letting your money “sleep” at home, the FCAG advised, deposit it in the bank where it has the potential to earn interest. The amount you get bunye/PAGE 7

The world we love-hate

N biblical literature, the world can elicit two opposing reactions. One is hating it or at least be cautious of it, as in, “What shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” (Mk 8,36) Church Fathers have enlarged that line as typified by some words of St. Ignatius of Antioch: “No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire. Do not talk about Jesus Christ as long as you love this world.”

The other reaction is loving it, because God himself loves it, as in, “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.” (Jn 3,16) I am sure that after stirring our mind a bit, we can see that both reactions can be made compatible if we consider the contexts in which they are mentioned. We have to hate the world insofar as it has absorbed our own sinfulness and has become a source of temptation and sin itself.

But we also have to love it because in the first place it is also a creation of God like ourselves, and therefore is good, at least in its original state until we have corrupted it. The world is also where God has placed us to work out our free choice of whether we want to be God’s image and likeness and children as he wants us to be, or not.

It’s important that we don’t get confused and lost in

this very nuanced attitude we ought to have toward the and Traces world. We have to outgrow By Fr. Roy Cimagala the simplistic all-or-nothing mindset that forces us to choose whether we are for the world or against it.

That mentality has produced a distorted culture that divides people into either world ly or ot her-world ly, without making the effort to relate this world and the ‘other world.’

We need to love the world the way God loves it. We just have to learn to purify it because of the anomalies it has acquired due to our sins.

But we need to understand that the world has an inherent objective relation to God and to us that we need to discover, appreciate and enhance.

This is still a point hardly known and understood by many of us. The common attitude is that one is simply on his own as to what to make out of the world. While it’s true that we can discover some natural laws governing the world, we fail to see how these laws come from God and are supposed to be oriented toward God. And so we feel quite free, in a licentious way, to do with it in any way that suits our purposes, but hardly connecting it with God’s plans and providence. This is cimagala/PAGE 7

HINTS

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Hall of Justice installs CCTVs l The CCTV cameras will discourage anyone to commit crime within the premises of the Hall of Justice

By IRENE B. DAYO, Staff Reporter of Mindanao Daily News

THE 600 television lines Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs) had been installed in the vicinity of the Hall of Justice in Cagayan de Oro City for the protection of court personnel and clients, Regional State Prosecutor Jaime L. Umpa said on Tuesday.

Ump a s ai d t hat t he installation of the CCTVs star ted last Monday as p ar t of t he pre ve nt ive measures for the Hall of Justice building especially in and outside the halls of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office where“high profile” cases are usually heard.

T he e qu ipme nt w i l l monitor the prosecutors and staff of the hall in observing rules and regulations. One of these is the observance of the wearing of proper uniforms and identification cards, Umpa said.

According to the t e c h n i c i an , t h e C C T V has a system-quality high resolution which will give clear and good quality recordings, Umpa added.

He said the equipment had night and day visions which operate 24/7 including the date and time of actions

committed.

Umpa said that the newly installed CCTVs were still in “experimental stage.” “If necessary, the equipment could be upgraded,” he added.

Only a few portions of the Hall of Justice classified as sensitive and strategic have CCTV cameras installed for the lack of funds, Umpa said.

He said that a CCTV camera (four channel)would cost P45 to P 60,000. “I would support a proposal to Committee on Security and Secrecy for the installation of the CCTVs all over the Hall of Justice building.

The installation of the CCTVs was in pursuance to City Ordinance No. 110752008 or otherwise known as CCTV installation Ordinance of 2008 as amended and signed by former Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula.

Hurst...

long as we can remember.

Prayers and Bible reading in schools had been removed, in the guise of religious freedom. Companies no longer require prayers and Bible studies, in the guise of economic tolerance.

M a ny c hu rc he s w ho profess to be Christians in orientation no longer explain the Bible to their followers, relying instead on homilies which are often highly political and many t i me s i r rele va nt to t he Gospel or the Bible readings.

And even in millions of homes worldwide, parents no longer pray with their children, nor read the Bible with them.

S u r e l y, w e a r e n ow reaping the evil effects of our long-time separation f rom G od . We a re now being destroyed beyond redemption, as the Bible promised in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 and in Matthew 7:26-27 (and in many other Biblical verses). The only way to reverse this, while there is still time, is to go back to God---read His Bible again, and obey Him again (please read Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Matthew 7:24-25, Matthew 6:33 and many ot hers). L e t u s do t h i s together now.

-ooo R E AC T IONS? Plea se c a l l m e a t 0 917 9 8 4 2 4 6 8 , 0 918 574 019 3 , 0922 833 43 96. Ema i l: batasmauricio@yahoo.com, m mau r iciojr111@g ma i l. com.

from page 6

That’s what He came to show us by giving His own perfect life for our sins and then bringing Himself back to life.

So what will you do with the time you have left?

Why not start spending your life wisely: by living your Maker’s way for the only things that will keep taking care of you for the rest of your life, and even after you die.

Just Think a Minute…

Batas... from page 6

old.” Then, Ephesians 6:4 of the same Bible tells us: “… bring them (our children) up i n t he t r a i n i ng a nd instruction of the Lord…”

In Deuteronomy 6:45 a nd 7, “t r a i n i ng a nd instruction of the Lord ” is defined in the following manner: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength… Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…”

-ooo R EAPING MAN’S SEPARATION FROM GOD: It can not be denied that this kind of spiritual education has been removed from our children worldwide for as

The ordinance stated that all establishments with a gross income P600, 000.00 and above are required to put up CCTVs in order to record all persons coming in and out of their premises, as well as monitor the goingson inside the establishment.

The installation of the CCTV cameras at the Hall of Justice is an added security measure for a public place where all parties such as the complainant and the accused come in and out of the building.

Umpa said there are times that a disgruntled complainant or accused might cause trouble which would make it easier to identify for their possible arrest for filing cases against them in court.

The installation of cameras Umpa personal initiative with the help of some close friend to realize the project.

Umpa appeal to anybody who extend there help to make the security measures at the Hall of Justice a 100 percent assure.

Stantard to high

Bunye... from page 6

may not seem like much, but rest assured that it grows over time and adds up very quickly (the FCAG referred to this as “the power of compounding interest”). It stressed: “The earlier you start saving in the bank and if you continue putting more money in the pot, the better.”

National Banking Week is held on every first week of Ja nua r y, a nd enjoins all banks to promote and publicize their activities in the local communities.

I n a n e -n e w s l e t t e r, the Financial Consumer A f f a i r s Group (FC AG) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas discussed the need for continuing campaign ef for ts to hig h lig ht t he importance of saving in banks.

Citing financial websites www.topbusinessfinance. com and lawschool.unm. e d u , t h e F C AG n o t e d “safety” and “interest” as the top reasons why banks are essential to us.

The ba n k, of course, remains the safest place to keep one’s money. Highsecurity facilities ensure that the money is protected from theft, damaging elements (e.g. rodents, insects), and disasters (e.g. fire, f lood).

Banks also allow one’s money to earn interest, as opposed to letting it lie “dormant” in one’s house, the FCAG said.

SECURITY AT THE HALL OF JUSTICE - Regional State Prosecutor Jaime L. Umpa (left) listens as Edgar Gulye (right) general manager of ZAMED Enterprises CCTV distributors explains how the closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs) function. 600 television lines CCTV have been installed at the vicinity of the Hall of Justice in Cagayan de Oro City for the security of the personnel of the Hall of Justice here. photo by rolando sudaria of mindanao daily news

resolution CCT Vs need to make assurance of clear vision CCTVs, that give easy to locate the subject when it needed , Edgar Guyle general manager of the CCTVs distributors said.

T h e C C T V c am e r a s wou l d a l s o d i s c ou r age criminals to commit crimes within the premises of the at the Hall of Justice building, he said.

He r e a r e t h e o t h e r reasons why a f inancia l consumer should seriously consider putting his or her money in the bank: • Convenience — There are several bank branches to serve you so you always have easy access to your money. Most banks likewise of fer complementa r y online bank ing ser v ices such as bills payment, fund transfers, and e-shopping.

• Credit — Banks can help a financial consumer establish and build a credit history. They are willing to loan money to people with good financial standing and who manage their finances responsibly. If you start that relationship with the bank, they will be able to work with you when you need help (e.g., obtaining housing or car loans).

• Economic growth — The FCAG said that through banks, an ordinary depositor can help “pump-prime” the economy. Banks can “assist” families in buying homes, help sma l l businesses to grow and thrive, and u lt i mately promote t he country as a favorable place for doing business.

• Protection — Banks are highly regulated institutions, according to FCAG. The biggest safety net that you have with your bank savings comes from t he Ph i l ippi ne Deposit Insura nce Cor porat ion, which insures savings of up to P500,000. “Further, be secure k now ing t hat

READ! www.businessweekmindanao.com the BSP, as the supervisor of a l l ba n k s, cont i nues to formulate policies and institute controls that protect clients and their money from over-profiteering or erring bankers,” the FCAG emphasized.

We should also be aware that there is an existing Memorandum of Agreement between the Bangko Sentral and members of the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) regarding a special kiddie account program.

The BMAP, composed of the countr y’s leading banks, has developed the “Banking on Your Future (BOYF) Kiddie Account Program.” This new type of savings account encourages k ids and schoolchildren to start the habit of saving regularly.

T he prog ra m a l lows kids to avail of their kiddie savings accounts with R100 or less initial deposit and to build up the balance to the required minimum to earn interest.

Pa r t icipat i ng BM A P memb er ba n k s i nclude Allied Banking Corporation, Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, China Bank Savings, Inc., Development Bank of t he Phi lippines, East West Banking Corporation, Maybank Philippines Inc., Philippine National Bank, Philippines Savings Bank, Philippine Veterans Bank, RCBC Savings Bank, and Security Bank Corporation.

Cimagala... from page 6

mentality that is quite embedded in us but which we have to reform drastically, since it does not conform to how we in our relation with the world should be. We need to learn to see God in the world and to act the way God wants us to act in the world. Otherwise, we would just be at the mercy of the blind forces of the world, and vulnerable to the maneuverings the more clever and powerful people around.

We have to start by reminding ourselves that everything that we see, touch, handle, and use comes from God. The very least thing that we can do is to thank God for all these things, and then try to discern what God wants us to do with them.

We can always presume that God has something grand for us to do every day. He is love himself. His ways, his plans, his interventions in our life are of love. And love is always about being generous, heroic, making big things even out of small things.

This is something we need to be clear and be strongly convinced about. Otherwise, we would think our life is just a matter of coasting along and waiting for something big, in human terms, to happen.

If we have the right understanding of the world, we can always make beautiful music out of the humdrum routine of our daily life, for we would know how to discover God who is love there.

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Feature

Church leaders urge GPH, NDF to continue peace negotiations (last of three parts)

by BONG D. FABE, Executive Editor

L imitati o ns o f l o cal talks: While Summit participants — and even NDF consultant Casambre and GPH panel member Honculada — admit ted there is some wisdom in conducting local peace talks, its successes is limited only to the community and often have no bearing on the national level negotiations.

“Lantad is a good story, but how many Oca [Moreno] do we need? Gauging on his success, then we need a Moreno at the national level,” IFI’s Ablon said. He also stressed that success stories like Lantad often revert to its “old ways” once the “successful” political leader leaves office. “Let’s admit it, politicians have term limits.

It’s good and lucky we if the next leaders are like him.

What if they are not?” He also said that localized peace talks can never be a substitute for national peace negotiations.

He cited President Aquino’s executive order on mining (EO79) which stripped local officials of any role in the approval/disapproval of mining operations.

IFI - L ib o na, B uk i dn o n parish priest Fr. Chris Ablon said that even if Malacanang issues an order to localize the peace talks, success will still be limited because not all LGU executives are like Moreno. He said that for development to be more encompassing, there really is a need to institute national level initiatives such as pursuing the implementation of the

CAHRIHL and pursuing the CASER. Pastor Nasali Silava of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) s ai d that what may b e successful in a local community may not always be successful in the national level. “We are not just talking about development problems here.

This is an ideological problem, about worldviews. And that is very difficult to overcome.

It takes a lot of patience to do that, and patience usually takes years. But do we have years to negotiate until we attain peace?”

UCCP Pastor Cobbie Palm, from Silliman University in Dumaguete City who also works at the secretariat of the PEPP, said that usually what is binding in a local peace agreement is not binding at the top level. “The RPMM is different from the NDF. The RPMM is a local rebel group, whereas the NDF is national in scope and it has a chain of command.”

Even the NPA’s Mapano said he doubts if peace can be attained by localizing the talks.

Odd Couple: Casambre said local peace talks can “never decide on national issues like land reform, etc.” Which is why, according to Honculada, there is a great need to “work” and make the negotiations successful like in marriage.

“Marriage is a relationship.

For marriage or something to work, there has to be a relationship.”

Awards...

extra income and utilizing the resources within their surroundings.

The SSF, implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry, is a “publicprivate partnership” focused on improving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

The project entails the setting up of common service faci lit ies or product ion centers for certain processes to give MSMEs access to better technology and more sophisticated equipment to accelerate their bid for competitiveness and help them graduate to a next level where they could tap a better and wider market and be integrated in the global supply chain. (PIA)

from page 2

herbal food products as well as new packing technology for expansion of their market.

For Ma lapata n Food Proce s sors A s sociat ion (M F PA) i n Ma l apat a n, Sarangani, the SSF project involves a customized food production and packaging f a c i l it y supp or t wor t h P1 million for 7 microenterprises with a total of 25 members.

T he projec t a i ms to prov ide loca l groups of ent repreneu rs a way to boost their productivity and market competitiveness as well as generate additional income through processing and manufacturing tools and equipments provided by the agency.

Clavesillas challenged recipients to make good use of the project and continuously work to i mprove t hei r products for better profit.

Virginia Basan, president o f D a n l a g Wo m e n ’s Association expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the government’s intervention in their project.

“The solar drier and seal machine would be a big help to upgrade the quality of our products especially in the packaging aspect. With this, we could expand to a larger market,” Basan said.

Basan added that the project empowers the women in their barangay by having

Losses... from page 2

difference of 35,090,254.11 (Current) and P11,225,306.37 (Time) has been recorded, the state auditors said.

The COA also said under Cit y Ha l l ’s Tr ust Fu nd P506,310.97 (Current) and P1,510.006.33 (Time) were recorded no updated bank reconciliation statements. “ T he a bs enc e of a n updated bank reconciliation statement did not permit the complete tracing of the causes of the overstatement

by P120, 613,995 of said cash accounts,” the COA report reads.

T he C OA s a id t h at the City Hall Accounting

Fr. Bert "Paring Bert" Alejo urging the peace negotiating panels of the government and National Democratic Front (NDF) to conduct a dialogue and not debate during their negotiations. Photo by BONG D. FABE

Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. Founder and President Charlito “Kaloy” Manlupig sharing BMFI’s experience in the GRP-RPMM peace negotiations. Photo by BONG D. FABE

PCEC’s Silava reminded both Honculada and Casambre, and all participants, that “the problem is not just the GPH’s or NDF’s. Peace or unpeace is everybody’s problem. But we have to remember and stand on basic common ground, and that is our belief in God.” “We need to look at the heart of the negotiators. For the GPH, you need to be patient and humble.”

Honculada admitted that for the negotiations to succeed, the negotiators need to invest their heart, soul and mind. She described the GPHNDF as “an odd couple.” As such, “there is a need to realize that there is more that binds us than differentiate us” for that is the only way to make the GPH-NDF relationship work.“ A relationship is something dynamic, not static; if something did not work in the past, we have to try something new…There is a lot of common ground, but the barriers are highlighted

not to move the negotiations.

Making war is hard enough but making peace is harder.”

Honculada said that this odd couple need a “glue” to stick together and work, and that glue is composed of civil society organizations (CSOs), such as the PEPP. “I am happy with the CSOs’ involvement in pushing for the peace negotiations to continue,” Casambre said.

But Fr. Alejo said there is also a need for CSOs to engage in “sincere truth telling” through a process of “reflective dialogues which include admission of guilt” as well as a “review of its position and advocacy” in order to be an effective “binder” that glues the two parties together.

A Dose of Realism: UCCP Bishop Modesto Villasanta said that the Church and/or CSOs are best effective in the negotiations as third party facilitator and/or “active observe.”

A participant from Gingoog

City said that the Church must define “peace” for both the GPH and NDF panels because most often, the barrier to a successful negotiation is the panels’ definition of peace.

“We all talk about peace. What is our definition of peace? Do we have the same definition of peace? If we have different perspective of peace, that is one reason we cannot agree.

Are we sincere? Or do we have hidden agenda? Let’s give peace a chance. We cannot say that will happen. At least we try.”

Karen N. Taňada, executive director of the Gaston Z. Ortigas (GZO) Peace Institute and convenor of the Waging Peace Philippines said that the peace panels “need a dose of realism.” “The GPH and NDF need the spirit of the GPH-MILF negotiations—a suspension of disbelief and a greater willingness to trust in the other.”

Trust. That is what is lacking in the talks, a priest-

participant from Cagayan de Oro City said. But that is also the beauty of the negotiations as it forces the panels to do all they can to forge an agreement that is binding and lasting. And in order to bring about this much-needed trust, Taňada said that the panels should encourage a “different dynamic in the peace talks, perhaps explore parallel initiatives involving joint engagement of panel members so as to bring in a ‘spirit of magnanimity’.”

And one way of doing this is to get the support of what she calls “eminent persons or group of peace” whom both panels trust and have confidence in. “ You have a common ground—your need for peace.

That is why you have to talk.

It is not solving the whole economic problem but finding the doable thing…You should go back to the negotiating table,” the priest-participant from Cagayan de Oro said.

Department prepared the statements up to October 2012 but the adjustment in the entries of the recorded items was not immediately made since it failed to retrieve the verified documents such as bank and credit memos and supporting documents to support the adjusting entries.

The cit y government maintains the following depository accounts for its Cash-in-Bank account: Under city hall’s general funds were Land Bank of the Philippine, Philippine Amanah Bank, Philippine Veterans Bank, Development Bank of t he Philippine, Philippine Postal Savings Bank, Philippine National Bank.

Special Education Funds were at the Development Bank of the Philippine and Philippine Postal Savings Bank.

For City Hall’s Trust Funds, the banks were Land Bank of the Philippine, Development Bank of the Philippine and Philippine National Bank.

Cit y Ha ll ’s failure to follow correct procedures in recording bank statements resulting in a cash-in-bank ac cou nt s cou ld not b e established, COA said.

C OA r e c o m m e n d e d that the City Hall makes representation w it h t he concerned depository banks to so that copies of lost bank statements together with the debit/credit memos could

be forwarded to the City Accounting Office so that reconciliation could be made to ascertain the correctness of the affected accounts.

(PNA)

like ambulant balot/penoy and packed food peddlers will benefit from the growth of the contact center.

Davao City is the second largest Teleperformance site in the country after Mandaluyong City. It also operates sites in Bacolod, Cebu and Antipolo in Rizal Province.

The company is expected to hump the growing contact center industry in Davao City which now records about 16,000 contact/call center workers.

Teleperformance is a giant in contact center operations operating in 46 countries with 138,000 employees spread across the 270 contact centers worldwide. (PIA)

has the largest and most pervasive cellular network infrastructure in the country, providing wireless coverage to over 99% of the population.

Opens... from page 2

the SM- City Davao facility i nclude s a recr u it ment center, which can process applications from prospective contact center applicants.

Ac c ord i n g to Br i a n Johnson, the center has hired hundreds of Dabawenyos and will continue to expand to a total of over 2,000 employees in the near future.

Johnson sees the Davao operations as being sustainable for a long-term, as he explained that in 17 years of existence, Teleperformance has never seen a site that has been reduced or closed down.

“Building our presence in the country’s premiere ‘Next Wave City’ allows the company to nurture diverse talents to meet the anticipated market growth and ensure sustainability of our nationwide operations,” said David Rizzo, Teleperformance Asia Pacific president.

Aside from providing employment, the contact center is also expected to factor in a trick le down employ ment ef fec t a s support businesses like public transportation, cafes and restaurants, night vendors

Test... from page 3

to keep i mprov i ng a nd strengthening our network even as we move to more advanced services like LTE or Long-Term Evolution,” Isberto said.

LT E p i o n e e r S m a r t continues to have the widest LTE coverage in the country, with subscribers enjoying the world’s fastest mobile broadband in over a hundred cities and municipalities, and in close to a thousand establishments.

Smart’s parent company, PLDT, has over 71.7 million cellular subscribers under the wireless brands Smart, Talk ‘N Text, and Sun Cellular, as of end-March 2013. PLDT

Max... from page 3

For its Asian expansion, Max’s Restaurant is eyeing the so-called “TIPS,” which be side s t he Ph i l ippi ne s a l s o i nc lu d e T h a i l a nd , Indonesia and Singapore.

“We just have to find the right franchisees,” Trota said.

On the local front, six to eight new stores will be opened in the second half to add to the existing 135 nationwide. “The additional branches will be in the new malls,” Trota said.

More than half of Max’s stores i n t he cou nt r y a re compa ny-ow ned .

I nve st ment for a Ma x’s Restaurant costs between P12 million and P18 million.

Despite t he inf lu x of other local as well as foreign-led restaurants also offering different types of chicken dishes, Trota said Max’s continues to expand its sales. “The pie is just growing bigger,” he said.

Max’s Restaurant was e s t a bl i s he d i n 19 4 5 by Trota’s grandmother, whose sig nat u re f r ied ch icken dish became popular with American GIs staying in the Philippines after the S e c o n d Wo r l d Wa r. It started franchising in 1998.

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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) 231-6739

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DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631

CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491

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Pushed... from page 4

“A s re qu i re d u nd e r the bill, these banks shall subscribe within 30 days to the capital stock of any cooperative bank from time to time in an amount equal to the total equity investment of the shareholders which shall be paid in full at the time of the subscription or such amount as may be necessary to promote and expand rural economic development,” he further said.

In add it ion to t he op er at ion s sp e c i f ic a l ly authorized under the bill, any cooperative bank may accept savings and time deposits; open current or checking accounts; act as correspondent for other financial institutions and act as a collection agent, among other things.

Paez said the important role of cooperative banks in the provision of credit and other financial services to the so-called non-bankable sector have been very noteworthy.

“A n d w i t h t h e implementation of the new Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008, bigger challenges have been posted for the cooperative sector to play a bigger and more meaningful role in the delivery of credit and credit facilities to the countryside,” he added. (HoR)

Minimize... from page 4

UDMC’s guns are much sturdier and are easier to handle, hardly kick during automatic fire, and are much cheaper than the US-made M-16,” the elder Rodriguez said.

The UDMC received its manufacturing license from the Philippine government in August of 2009 allowing the manufacture of UDMCbr a nd e d h i g h-p owe re d firearms of various calibres.

There are an estimated

600,000 unlicensed firearms in circulation, according to news reports.

Palmones said that once regulated, there is no need to smuggle out of the country locally-made guns to buyers who are syndicated criminals.

“The country is a wellknown gun exporter to Japan, among others, so why don’t we regulate the gun industry, improve it, by providing the necessary support from the government and then let us export guns legally,” he said.

Palmones said it is urgent to pass this measure as he cited reports of illegal gun trading in the country at the height of the election gun ban.

Recent BBC News report said that local residents in Cebu City are also making guns at home, aside from several big firearms factories in the Queen City of the South.

“It’s an existing open industry in Cebu. It’s just that wala tayong suporta kaya hindi ganoon ka-regulated.

So kung ma re-regulate natin to provide them with R&D support and help them put up the necessary infrastructure, we will be able to export it globally and legally. Hindi yung pailalim, kamukha ng ginagawa ng mga sindikato,” he said.

Backs... from page 4

“Even as government is not leaving any stone unturned to prevent any power crisis especially in Mindanao, we must always look beyond the immediate and into the future,” the Speaker said.

Along this line, B e l m ont e u nd e r s c ore d t he C ong re s s-approved measure strengthening the Nationa l Electrif ication Administration, furt her amending Presidential Decree No. 269, as amended, or the

“National Electrification Administration Decree” now under presidential review.

Belmonte, at the same time, gave due credit to the hard work of the authors and members of the energy panel that steered the bill through plenary.

Rep. Henedina RazonAbad, Chairma n of t he House Committee on Energy and principa l aut hor of the original HB 5578 with Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella and Rep. Kimi Cojuangco, stressed that the proposed statute “aims to strengthen the NEA to carry its mandate of total electrification of all puroks and barangays through the electric cooperatives.”

B e l m ont e , l i k e w i s e , acknowledged the authors of related bills (HB nos.

1018 and 1019) filed by Reps.

Cresente Paez and Jose Pingay, which were consolidated into the final and enrolled copy submitted to the Office of the President.

T he ba sic pr i nciples behind t he a mendator y statute include the following: (a) promote the sustainable development in the rural areas through rural electrification; (b) empower and strengthen t he NEA to pursue t he electrification program and bring electricity, through the electric cooperatives as its implementing arm, to the countryside even in missionary or economically unviable areas; and (c) empower and enable electric cooperatives to cope with the changes brought about by the restructuring of t h e E l e c t r i c Powe r Industry pursuant to R.A. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.

It s aut hors s a id t he measure would ensure that the NEA has adequate powers to protect the investments in the ECs and provide them with better options to ensure the continued delivery of adequate and reliable electric service. (HoR)

Seminar... from page 4

and Governance, led by Dean Edna Co. Bel monte sa id t he specia l course will help new lawmakers be equipped with working knowledge of the theories, concepts and dynamics of legislation specifically in the context of the strategic development of t he Ph i l ippi nes a nd the lawmakers’ legislative districts.

The second Executive Course was held at Andaya Hall of the Batasan Complex.

Among t hose who attended were: Cavite Rep. Fr a nc i s G er a ld Abay a ; Magdalo Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedilo; Cavite Rep. Alex Advincula; Quezon Rep. Vicente Alcala; Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano;Baguio City Nicasio Aliping Jr.; Palawan Rep. Francis Josef George Alvarez; Agusan del Norte Rep. Erle John Amante; 1-Bap Rep. Silvestre Bello; Iloilo Rep. Hernan Biron; Coop

Natcco Rep. Anthony Bravo; Davao del Sur Rep. Mercedes Cagas; Cebu Rep. Wilfredo C a m i nero; Tag u ig Cit y Rep. Lino Cayetano Negros Occidental Rep. Leo Rafael; Abono Rep. Conrado Estrella; Cavite Rep. Luis Ferrer; Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia; Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian; Alay Buhay Rep. Weslie Gatchalian; Agap Rep. R ico Geron; Iloi lo Rep. Arcadio Gorriceta; Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullar Jr.; Amin Rep. Sitti Hataman; South Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez; Anakpwis Rep. Fernando Hicap; Negros Oriental Rep. Manuel Iway; Zambales Rep. Jeffrey Khonghun; Albay Rep Edcel Lagman; 1-care Rep. Edgardo Masongsong; Zamboanga city Rep. Lilia Nuno; Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal; OFW Rep. Juan Johnny Revilla; Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo; Bukidnon Rep. Rogelio Neil Roque; Tawi Tawi Rep. Ruby Sahali; Sagip Rep. Erlinda Santiago; OFW Rep. Roy Seneres; Quezon Rep. Aleta Suarez; North cotabato Rep. Jose Tejada; A M A p a r t y-l i s t L or n a Velasco; Tarlac Rep. Noel Villanueva and Bayan Muna Rep. Isagani Zarate.

S om e of t h e t opic s included were Philippine Ad m i nist rat ive System, which discussion covered the governance challenges facing the government system and the role of the legislators in addressing challenges; Philippine Development Plan and the Economy, a briefing on the state of the country’s economy and its performance; and Working with the Executive agencies to provide the needs of the constituents.

Other topics dealt on the specif ic roles of the law ma kers such as: t he Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), its uses, processes, limitation and accountability requirements; Roles and Challenges facing legislators; National Legislative Process; National Budget Process and the Role of the Legislators in the passage of the General Appropriations Act; Negotiating the Legislative Mill and From Platform to Legislative Agenda. (Journal online)

Allowance...

Danvil... from page 5

company called insurance protector, which allows the insurance policy to pay for itself if the policyholder dies before the insurance policy has matured. The planholders of Danvil ’s Family First Future Provider who were enrolled in this protector plan called PNCB are supposed to enjoy five riders: accidental death benefit, permanent disability benefit, hospital income benefit, burial benefit and the “No Claim Bonus”-the latter rider was availed at no cost to the client.

This protector plan was bought by Danvil as well but had to have an insurance company to take care of its perpetuation as it was orphaned by Berkley Life’s pullout from the country.

So in 2007, Philippine Prudential Life absorbed all the protector plans of the Berkley International that was left with Danvil since t he IC , “requ ired the assumption of Berkley International’s obligations by Philippine Prudential in view of the surrender of Berkley International’s license as an insurance company and its exit in doing business in the Philippines,” the insurance firm’s official statement said.

According to Estrera, they took in Danvil as a client under a group master policy, which is like taking the group insurance of a company for its employees. In this case, however, Danvil used the group master policy for the planholders left with them.

Under the group master policy, if the membership or participation falls less than 75 percent, then the insurance company can terminate the policy at any time.

“Group life insurance (wholesale life insurance or institutional life insurance) is term insurance covering a defined group of people, such as company employees, union or association members and, in this case, the Family First Future Prov ider Planholders. Individual proof of insurability is not the primary consideration, but more of the size, turnover and financial strength of the

group,” Philippine Prudential said in an earlier statement.

Estrera said Philippine Prudential in 2010 already saw that participation had fa l len below 75 percent of the 4,000 planholders with Danvil so they had to terminate the group policy as “it is already a heavy burden to us.”

“We are just like a supplier of life insurance coverage for them [Danvil Plans]. We did not buy the company [Berkley], their business nor their potrfolio. We just sold Danvil the coverage. We are under no obligation to pay for the ‘no claim bonus’,” Estrera said.

Philippine Prudential said a series of consultations w it h t he IC, Phi lippine Prudentia l Management and representatives of the concerned planholders were held.

“As a resu lt of t hese meetings and as a gesture of goodw i l l, Phi lippi ne Prudential has offered to refund to these planholders a substantial portion of the premiums paid by them. After four mediation conferences, however, the Company’s offer and the specifics of its implementation were not accepted by the claimants who still insisted on a full or 100 percent refund of their premiums,” the company said.

According to Estrera, their offer to pay 30 percent of the “no claim bonus” still stands.

Plan... from page 2

IPP should not change every year but because of the law that requires us to change every year, we have to abide by it. In the future, maybe we could just revise it every three years,” said Domingo.

The BoI spearheads interagency efforts to annually draw up the investment plan.

The IPP aims to attract more investments and mobilize private capital in key areas of the economy.

Investments in identified sectors will be accorded fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, depending on the investment category or whether pioneer or non-pioneer. (MST)

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from page 4

affordable and accessible to all,” Lagdameo said.

“There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, disabled, women, children and the elderly,” Lagdameo added.

The bill mandates the DSWD to issue an identification card to enable the qualified senior citizen to claim their quarterly financial assistance and shall assist the elderly in their application for loans.

In consultation with affected sectors, the DSWD shall issue the necessary rules and regulations, publish or cause to publish the rules in a newspaper of general circulation. (HoR)

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He sa id most of t he investments in Lanao del Norte are also classified under the infra and services sector which constitute plant expansion of Pilmico Foods Corporation and building renovation of Madelicious bakery in Iligan City.

Ot her i nvest ments in Lanao del Norte also include expansion of coffee production and establishment of school building in Tubod, he added.

The other three provinces me a nw h i le p o s t e d t he fol low i ng i nve s t ment s: Misamis Occidental with P226 million, Bukidnon with P115 million and Camiguin with P35 million.

Embarks... from page 1

government units and the private sector; and ‘green industry for green economy’.

One of the projects of the Big Push is the shared s er v ic e fac i l it ie s (S SF) t hat would improve t he quality of productivity of microenterprises and SMEs by addressing the gaps and bottlenecks in the value chain of priority industry clusters through the provision of processing machines/ equipment.

“This will benefit the most number of existing m icroenter pr ises a nd SMEs all over the country located in the poorest 609 municipalities. And we need the private sector’s help to realize this project”, said Linda Boniao, DTI region 10 officer in charge.

On the other hand, DTI’s Big Push program has also lined up new start up small business opportunities- cell phone repair shop; food preparations such as native longganisa and corned beef; pou ltr y raising; powder detergent, fabric softener, and dish washing; herbal bath soap; rice retailing; home bake shop-pandesal; and franchising.

PWD... from page 1

although they see d e ve lopme nt s i n s ome a re a s of c onc er n, l i k e t he i mplement at ion of the accessibility law, an administrative order that supposed to help them in their economic endeavors and social welfare is not being implemented by local chief executives.

Administrative Order (AO) No. 240 mandates that

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School building has exposed electrical wiring CAGAYAN de Oro City--One classroom building at the East City Central School in Barangay Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City was found to have exposed electrical wire connections which could possibly endanger students, a multi-agency task force today said.

The task force led by the Office of Civil Defense and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management C o u n c i l i n No r t h e r n Mindanao said the exposed electrical wires found on the roof and walls of 17 classrooms pose a danger to the kindergarten students, with ages between five and six years old.

The inspection came after a magnitude 5.2 quake jolted this city and other parts of Mindanao at 9:28am on July 15.

The Philippine Institute o f Vo l c a n o l o g y a n d Seismology (Phivolcs) said the earthquake’s epicenter was located 14 kilometers northeast of Carmen town in North Cotabato and had a depth of 2 kilometers.

“These loose electrical wires can start a fire in case a stronger earthquake hits our city,” Marcial Labininay, head of the Phivolcs station in Cagayan de Oro station, said.

Aside f rom exp os e d wires, Luiben Magto of the Cagayan de Oro Office of the Building Official found that only a 60-ampere safety fuse was mounted on the circuit breaker of the school building.

Both the safety fuse and circuit breakers protect against overloading of electricity f low once it

PWDs will get a share of 0.5 percent from the one percent of the annual budget of an LGU. “But sad to say that local executives have remained a d a m a nt i n a l lo c at i n g t he budget to t he PWD orga nizat ion in t heir locality.” Maquiling said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that in Region 10, on ly Gi ngo og Cit y complied with the AO 240 by allocating P1.4 million for the 1,245 PWDs in the city that enabled them to put up livelihood projects, and their medical requirements such as medicines, are being provided.

Monav ic Bud ionga n, DSW D reg iona l foca l person for PWD in northern Mindanao, said that as of 2013 there are close to 13,629 PWDs in the region and the compliance to the AO 240 is minimal.

“There are even LGUs who just allocate a meager budget, say P10,000/year for the more than 100 PWDs in their municipality.” Budiongan said, adding “but there are also a number of towns where even if they do not have an identified PWD, they have allocated an amount, part of their annual budget, for the purpose.”

Foster Anayron, Department of Interior and Local Government, chief Local Government Capability Division, said that they have been sending memorandum to LGUs to comply with AO

240 and will continue to remind local executives for its implementation.

“Since we do not have the police power over the LGUs, we cannot obligate them when it comes to the implementation of the AO, but the DILG will do its part the best way possible to address the concerns of PWDs.” Anayron said.

Cafedpa members are now engage in livelihood project, manufacturing school chairs for t he Depa r t ment of Education. And they hope that their endeavor will address the needs of their members.

“The proceeds of our l ivel i ho o d wou ld s o on benefit our PWD members and address their economic needs like in other areas where their members are already relatively well off because of their livelihood projects.” Maquiling said.

She said that gone are the days when a PWD uses his handicap as reason to be a beggar.“ We are encouraging other PWDs to join us and become members and earn decent income and not rely on dole outs,” said Maquiling.

Cafedca and other PWD organizations here are one in asking LGUs to enforce the Anti- Mendicancy Law so to discourage and lessen the number of PWDs in the streets begging.

“What we are asking is for society to give us the right accommodation so that we can be productive Filipinos.”

Maquiling said.

PRESENT DANGER. Inspectors find an exposed electrical wire dangling from the roof of the East City Central School in Barangay Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City on Monday, on July 15, 2013. A multi-agency taskforce from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is conducting an inspections on schools and public markets in the city to check building integrity against earthquakes and fires. mindanews photo by froilan gallardo

exceeds safe levels. “ Wi t h t h i s k i n d o f school building with all the lights, electrical fans and airconditioners, the safety fuse that should be used is about 200 amperes to take on that load,” Magto said.

The school building is of the pre-fab type which became popular during the Marcos administration. It is already scheduled for demolition but Department of E du c at i on ( D e p E d ) officials delayed it pending the arrival of funds for the constr uc tion of its replacement.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Sam Velarde of the Bureau of Fire Protection said the old electrical plan submitted

by DepED only covered the electrical lights in the classrooms but as the years passed, more appliances have been used by the teachers and students.

“The teachers and the parents would decide to add electrical fans or lights without bothering to check whether the safety breaker can handle the additional electrical load. This is usually the problem,” Velarde said.

He said a major alteration made on the pre-fab building was the conversion of a part of it into a canteen.

He said the canteen had five or six more appliances attached to the electrical connection adding to its overload.

DepEd supervisor John Mingo said the old prefab school building should

have been demolished long ago after it reached over 30 years, but the lack of money prevented the agency from carrying out the plan.

“Where will the students go? We do not have enough classrooms. The old school building was better than nothing,” Mingo said.

He said if they have the money, they would have built newer schools because its designs have incorporated safety features on its electrical fixtures.

Roger Lapera, of the NDRMMC Regional Safety Inspection team said the task force composed of government agencies and NGOs will conduct inspections at the Cagayan de Oro National High School and the public markets in

the city’s Cogon and Carmen districts.

“We are checking the integrity of these buildings if the y can withstand earthquakes. We are also che ck ing if t he s cho ol pr i nc ip a l and marke t administrators have an emergency evacuation plans,” he said.

Lapera said evacuation plans are very important for Cogon and Carmen public market buildings since these have “high density of occupancy.”

“We do not want vendors scrambling around not knowing where to go in case an earthquake occurs or a bomb explodes in one of these buildings,” he said. (Froilan Gallardo/ MindaNews)

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Two top-caliber artists to grace Rodelsa Hall in August

T

here is no stopping Rodelsa Hall from bringing to Cagayan de Oro top classical performers. As part of her continuing mission to produce high-quality shows for the community, come August, Cagayanons will have a rare treat of experiencing music through the renditions of well-loved classics by LA-based tenor Sal Malaki on August 8 and trumpet artist Raymond Deleon on August 31.

These featured artists have agreed to perform at Rodelsa Hall as part of the One With You Advocacy Campaign of Liceo de Cagayan University that aims to raise awareness and create sustainability measure of the three advocacies of the institution mainly Environment, Culture and Education undertaken by Safer River, Life Saver Foundation, Inc. and Rodolfo Neri Pelaez Foundation, Inc. By watching the shows, you shall have already made your contribution to these efforts and ensure a better future for the beneficiaries.

To know more about the upcoming shows at Rodelsa Hall, please call the

Raymond Deleon

Office of Cultural Affairs of Liceo de Cagayan University at (088) 8584093 to 95 local 109 or 09176366528 and look for Mr. Sheldon Frias or Mr. Owen Jaen.

You may also like the Rodelsa Hall Facebook Fanpage to receive online updates.

See you at Rodelsa Hall!

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor : Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy

Micronutrient Deficiency:

Kaya Nating Labanan!

Millions of Filipino kids suffer from lack of Iron, Zinc, Vitamin C and other essential micronutrients, but various health advocates are confident that the situation can be turned around with extensive concerted efforts from both the private and public sectors.

This conviction drives Nestlé Philippines in its fight against Micronutrient Deficiency.

The company continues to partner with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) to encourage students and their parents to eat and drink healthy foods and fortified beverages.

The 2008 National Nutrition Survey conducted by FNRI-DOST reveals that millions of school children could possibly have Micronutrient Deficiency, which is a kind of malnutrition. Four out of five students suffer from lack of Iron and seven out of ten lack Vitamin C from their daily diet, while one of out five is deficient of Zinc.

Iron deficiency causes anemia in children over time, affecting body and brain functions that require iron-carrying red blood cells.

Lack of Zinc, meanwhile, causes stunted growth and lowers immune system, making kids sickly and prone to infections. Vitamin C cannot be produced by the body and must definitely be obtained through diet; otherwise kids also suffer from weak immune system, weak bone and muscle structure, and slow wound healing.

N e s t lé P hilippine s pr omo te s f o o d fortification as among the solutions to combat micronutrient deficiency. “This process of adding more nutrients to food and beverages gives consumers nutritious options to include in their diet,” said Babylyn Cayabyab, the

company’s Nutrition Adviser.

Nestlé revealed a collaborative study it conducted with the FNRI-DOST involving over a hundred students from six public schools.

The children were given milk fortified or may dagdag Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C everyday for a period of four months. They were supervised from Mondays to Fridays by their teachers and during weekends by their parents.

After the study, the children experienced increase in height and showed improvements in their concentration, comprehension and memory based on the tests used to measure these parameters. The children also showed higher levels of Iron, Zinc, and Vitamin C, important nutrients to help them develop strong body resistance.

“The students were no longer micronutrient deficient,” said Dr. Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa, assistant scientist of FNRI-DOST. Drinking for tified milk ever yday really makes a difference.”

Nestlé and FNRI-DOST constantly share these findings with other health advocates and especially with the parents to educate them the importance of giving right nutrition to their kids. Mothers in particular are called upon to provide nutritious and fortified foods for their children to help address their Micronutrient Deficiencies.

Wilfrido de Ocampo Jr., Consumer Marketing Manager for BEAR BRAND Powdered Milk Drink, said that proper nutrition must be taken alongside drinking milk every day. “BEAR BRAND Powdered Milk Drink is fortified with Tibay Resistensya nutrients Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C to help maintain children in their proper growth and development especially during their formative years,” he said.

Ms CDO candidates introduced to the public in a press presentation Story & Photos by Remee Monique O. Espiritu, Correspondent

C

agayan de Oro City is starting to get into its celebratory mood as the city fiesta draws nearer and nearer each day. As per tradition to the said celebration, the competition for the most elegant and talented woman of CDO is also starting to get the attention of city residents.

The Ms. Cagayan de Oro or Ms. CDO competition recently had their press presentation, Saturday July 13, where the 12 candidates were publicly introduced to the press and residents of the city.

The candidates were at ages 18-23, most of them being students whereas 2 are already working.

So far in the history of Ms. CDO competitions, this is one of the first to be organized by a non-government civic organization, which is the JCI’s Bai Lawanen chapter in CDO. But that doesn’t exclude the help of the city government in organizing such event.

According to Ms. Gean TulangCesar, Bai Lawanen member and Project Chair of Ms. CDO, the government won’t be able to give their focus and time on the said event because of the political situation wherein the city just got under a recent change in administration.

Thus, they sought for help in JCI’s Bai Lawanen.

Another first of the Ms. CDO competition is the press presentation

was made public, whereas traditionally it was held in private like in hotel conference rooms.

This year they were presented in Limketkai Center’s rotunda, and later the candidates and members of the press were escorted to a secluded area of the mall where they set up a small cocktail party-like area.

The candidates had a small table each where anyone could approach and chat with any of the candidates one by one and choose who will be their Darling of the Press.

“We wanted a more personal interaction with the candidates.” says Ms. Cesar, talking about how she The candidates after taking their walk down the catwalk. wanted the press to have a somewhat intimate interaction with the candidates.

In the past the press presentations, Ms. Cesar says that it was mostly just a Q&A forum and it was more controlled and limited. This new way of presenting the candidates was also meant to protect the candidates from questions asked through the microphone that may deem too personal.

The organization’s goal for the Ms. CDO winner is tourism related, as they would want to send someone for national presentation and take her on an Asian trip, where she will be promoting global awareness.

“Equally promising.” was the terms she used to describe the girls this year.

Then again it may be too early to tell who will be crowned this year’s Miss Cagayan de Oro. JCI Bai Lawanen member Sara Corpus chatting with Ms. CDO Candidate #5 Amadea Lucia Taperla Piatti.

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