BusinessDaily (July 4, 2013)

INSIDE LOOK

Partylist solons seek to amend CDA charter

GM, Honda partner on fuel cell dev’t

PHL calls for more ASEANUS ties on maritime security

DAR, KFI ink MOA for cacao production in M’nao

Children’s nutrition status in NorthMin improves

BusinessDaily Economy

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Motoring

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Volume III, No. 249

Market Indicators

As of 6:02 pm july 3, 2013 (Wednesday)

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PHISIX

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21 cents

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Briefly P-Noy’s SONA

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P15.00

Normin posts higher trade volume in 1Q July 4, 2013

By IRENE DOMINGO, Reporter

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SECURITY and economy would be the two important elements that President Benigno Aquino III would likely focus in his scheduled State of the Nation Address (SONA) this month.

Leonardo Librea, 28, a c o n s t r u c t i o n w o r ke r, s a i d that the state of the country’s e c o n o my s h o u l d b e g i ve n impetus by the President.

He expressed hope that the government would exert more effort in alleviating the plight of the poor.

Erlinda Dagupyo, 19, a college student, wished the cost of education would soon start going down.

“Our parents can hardly send us to school anymore because even if we are enrolled in state-owned colleges and universities we could hardly meet both ends meet,” she said.

ORTHERN Mindanao continues to register an uptrend in domestic trade volume and ranked fourth nationwide with the value of goods traded at P11.79 billion or 9% increase from last year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported yesterday.

K to 12 DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) region 10 said that the K to 12 curriculum is cost effective especially for families who could not afford to send their children to college.

Wilfreda T. Famador, chief of basic education of DepEd 10 during the Ang Rehiyon Karon (ARK) radio program of the Philippine Information Agency region 10 aired at DXIM Radyo Ng Bayan on Friday said t hat t hroug h De pEd ’s K-12 curriculum, high school students will be equipped with different skills and be ready for the world of work when they graduate.

She added that these skills are that of the standards of the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and equivalent of the National Certificate II (NCII).

When a high school student graduates at 18 years old, he or she will be allowed to apply and get a job without violating any child labor policies, she added.

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Container vans containing goods stacked at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. Volume of goods traded in northern Mindanao continue to rise, registering a 9% increase in the first quarter of the year. photo by gerry lee gorit

P20/daily wage hike takes effect June 20 in R-10

By RUTCHIE C. AGUHOB Contributor

P R I VAT E w o r k e r s i n nor t hern Mindanao are expected to get an additional P20 in their minimum daily wage effective June 20, this year, with the implementation of Wage Order (WO) RX-17, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productiv it y Board hike/PAGE 11

On the national scale, a total 5.99 million tons of commodities were traded within the country, up by 26.7% from 4.73 million tons in the same period last year, according to the NSO’s preliminary results.

Goods continued to be transported mostly via water, with 99.9% of goods shipped, only slightly higher than last year’s 99.8%.

The value of commodities fell by a slim 0.3% to P131 billion from P131.41 billion in the first quarter of 2012.

Food and live animals chipped in the biggest value with P38.8 billion, almost a third of total trade value nationwide. trade/PAGE 11

Rufus gets back to work, unveils projects

By REMEE MONIQUE O. ESPIRITU Reporter

JUST a day after assumption to office as a third-termer representative of Cagayan de Oro’s second district, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez gets back to work with the turning over of several projects funded by his congressional development fund.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez u nvei led i nf rast r uc t u re projects in his district worth Projects/PAGE 11

Mrs. Annabelle J. Lariba, principal 1 of Puer to Elementary School, explains to Cagayan de Oro 1st district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (L) the need to renovate the school’s MultiPurpose Building. Rodriguez, together with his brother Abam i n Pa r t y l i s t Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, pledged P250,000 to rehabilitate the facility. photo by rolando sudaria

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

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Economy

Partylist solons seek to amend CDA charter LAWMAKERS seek to enhance the charter of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) by filing House Bill No. 276 on the first day of the 16th Philippine Congress.

Reps. Cresente Paez and Anthony Bravo of Partylist Coop-NATCCO said the role of the government in creating conducive environment for further development and growth of cooperatives is indispensable.

C DA i s t h e s o l e

gove r n me nt b o d y t h at regulates cooperatives in the country. Section 15, Article XII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the CDA to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments of equity, charter/PAGE 11

KORONADAL CITY—The management of the Yellow Bus Lines, Inc. (YBL), the largest bus f leet in Soccsksargen Region, yesterday signed a supplemental agreement with its employees’ union, assuring the latter of almost P 3 m i l l i on a d d it ion a l benefits.

The supplementa l agreement, according to a press statement from the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) 12 , cont a i ns econom ic prov i sion s t h at wou ld cover the last two years of the existing Collective

Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the YBL and the YBL Employees Union (YBLEU).

Virginia Yap, owner of the transport company said, “our good relationship with our partners in the union is the main reason why this CBA is being signed today (July 2).”

“As long as we bot h cooperate and do our share in the performance of our duties, the YBL company will go a very long way,” she added.

Under the incremental agreement, YBLEU — with its 420 members — will

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New minimum wage rates takes effect in Region 10

OROQUIETA CITY—The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Northern Mindanao (RTWPB-10) said Wage Order (WO) RX-17 has started to take effect on June 20, this year.

The wage order grants a P20 per day increase in the minimum daily wage of workers and employees in the private sector in the region, i.e., P10 in basic wage and P10 cost of living allowance (COLA), lawyer Johnson G. Caňete, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment-X (DOLE-10), said.

Caňete, who also is the chairperson of RTWPB-X, said the P10 COLA will then be integrated to the basic wage

by January 1, 2014, as approved by the board members.

The members are Arsenio L. Sebastian III and Prudencio T. Plaza, management representatives; Jose B. Ares and Milbert M. Macarambon, labor representatives; Engr. Leon M. Dacanay Jr. regional director of the National Economic Rep. Cresente Paez and Development Authority-X (NEDA-10) and Linda O. Boniao, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry-X (DTI-10), RTWPB-X vice chairpersons.

The last increase in the minimum daily wage of these workers was covered by WO RX-16, effective July 24, 2011, that provided for an increase in COLA of P17 per day knowing that more buses which was integrated into the basic wage six (6) months mean more employment. from its affectivity.

Ta l k i n g a b o u t t h e It can be recalled that on March 2012 and April, this negotiation, union president year, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Jose Ronnie Mondragon said, and the Associated Labor Union (ALU)–TUCP filed with “the experience was very RTWPB-X, a petition for an P80 per day and P88 per day good because the owner across the board wage increase, respectively. herself, Ma’am Nene (Mrs. However, after a series of public consultations and Yap), did not leave us during hearings done last April, the position papers submitted the negotiation.” by labor and management groups and the evaluation of “She believed in the union, the socio-economic conditions of the region, vis-à-vis, the and that left us no reason consumer price indices and other indicators, including its not to believe her either,” competitiveness, RTWPB-X resolved to provide assistance Mondragon added. to the workers to cope with the standard of living without Having witnessed the necessarily affecting business viability. adversaria l relationship Thus, RTWPB-X came up with WO RX-17, with the between YBL management new minimum wage rates for the following workers in and union, three years ago, the region, effective June 20, this year: Non-Agricultural supplement/PAGE 11 rates/PAGE 11

YBL, union sign CBA supplement enjoy an economic package amounting to P2,721,600 as merit increase.

The financial package will be implemented from July 1, 2013 until June 30, 2015. Their existing CBA also end in 2015.

“Our trust with you as our partner (referring to the union), is what encouraged the YBL management to take the risk to acquire for this year, 34 brand new bus units for our re-fleeting program,” Yap announced.

The announcement was received with yells of approval from the union members

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GM, Honda partner on fuel cell dev’t CHICAGO — General Motors and Honda will combine forces to develop hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the hopes of delivering them to customers by around 2020, the US and Japanese automakers said Tuesday.

The pa r t nership is aimed at solving the two biggest problems facing the commercial feasibility of fuel cells: high cost and lack of fueling stations.

“Honda and GM are eager to accelerate the market penetration of this ultimate clean mobility technology,” Honda chief Takanobu Ito

said in a statement.

“I am excited to form this collaboration to fuse our leading fuel cell technologies and create an advanced system that will be both more capable and more affordable.”

Engineers from bot h compa nies w i l l work toget her to develop t he next generation of fuel cell

technology, sharing all their previous research and future discoveries at joint research facilities in Michigan and Japan.

While the master agreement does not cover manufacturing, it will likely lead the automakers to use essentially the same engine and storage tanks in their fuel cell vehicles.

One of the goals is to reduce costs by working with suppliers to develop standardized — and less honda/PAGE 10

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A hybrid Honda CR-Z

Isuzu launches new trucks End-May car assembly ISUZU Philippines Corporation (IPC) recently announced the launching of their latest medium sized trucks.

In a statement, IPC said that the new Isuzu Forward FRR and FVM medium-duty trucks will “s e t to prov id e t he pu bl ic u n iqu e transportation solutions” as they would feature a lineup of trucks “that have been fitted with various body configurations, highlighting their potential in numerous business and service applications.”

The local arm of the Japanese automaker also claimed that the new medium-duty trucks are expected to bolster IPC’s leadership in this segment.

Powered by a 4HK1-TCS 5.2-liter, turbocharged, intercooled, Euro II-compliant

diesel engine with common rail direct injection fuel system the Forward FRR is capable of delivering a maximum power of 210ps at 2,600rpm and a maximum torque of 637Nm at 1,600rpm and is mated to a six-speed transmission. The FRR has a gross vehicle weight of 10,600 kilograms and a payload capacity of 7,450 kilograms.

Meanwhile, the Forward FVM is powered by a 6HK1-TCN 7.8-liter, six-cylinder, turbocharged, intercooled, Euro II-compliant diesel engine that is combined with a sixspeed transmission. With common rail direct injection, it delivers a maximum power of 240ps at 2,400rpm and a maximum torque of 706Nm at 1,450rpm. The FVM has a gross vehicle weight of 25,000 kilograms and a Isuzu/PAGE 10

drops, as motorcycle production zooms CAR assembly in t he Philippines shrank further in the first five months of the year while production of motorcycles zoomed, data from the Asean Automotive Federation (AAF) showed.

At end-May, the memberf irms of the Motorcycle D e ve lopme nt P ro g r a m

Participants Association Inc (MDPPA) produced a combined 268,790 units, or 30 percent more than the 207,018 in the same fivemonth period last year.

In May alone, production jumped 43 percent to 58,524 units this year from 40,835 last year.

M DPPA g roups fou r Japanese-led assemblers, namely Honda Philippines I nc , K aw a s a k i Mot or s Philippines Corp, Suzuki Philippines Inc and Yamaha Motor Philippines Inc, as well as Taiwanese-led Kymco Philippines Inc. drops/PAGE 10

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AseanWatch

ASEAN urges engagement with China in sea disputes BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN— The foreign ministers of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said they saw the need to maintain the positive momentum in the interaction between ASEAN countries and China over the disputes in the South China Sea. The statement encouraging China-ASEAN engagement was included in a joint communique issued after Sunday’s meeting of the ASEAN foreign ministers in Bandar Seri Begawan, where Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario launched an accusation of China’s militarization of the South China Sea. Rosario voiced “serious concern over the increasing militarization of the South China Sea,” amid the joint exercises of 1,000 soldiers from the Philippines and the United States in the South China Sea.

The joint communique mainly focused on the efforts of ASEAN to push for the building of an ASEAN Community by the end of 2015 and improve interconnectivity among the member states, including a plan for a common visa.

It also touched on some of the hot issues including the South China Sea disputes.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Singapore’s Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam described the closeddoor discussions as being positive and constructive.

The issuance of the joint communique helped avoid a repeat of the embarrassing failure to produce a joint statement at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh last year as the Philippines tried to force contents related to its island disputes with China into the joint statement. asean/PAGE 10

PHL calls for more ASEAN-US M’nao to benefit from integration ties on maritime security MANILA— Amid the Philippines’ unresolved territorial dispute with China, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has called for an expanded ASEAN-United States cooperation on maritime security.

Del Rosario issued the call in his address of the ASEAN-US Post Ministerial Conference in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam on Monday, noting that maritime security is gaining greater importance in the dialogue partnership.

His suggestion, contained in a news release from the Depa r t ment of Foreig n Affairs, came a few days after he accused China of militarizing the South China Sea (or West Philippine Sea to t he Philippines). Del Rosario pointed to “massive presence of Chinese military and paramilitar y ships” at t wo g roups of islets w it hi n t he Phi l ippi nes’ exclusive economic zone called Scarborough Shoal

and Second Thomas Shoal.

He described the Chinese military presence at these islets as “threats to efforts to maintain maritime peace and stability in the region.”

“To prevent disputes from escalating into conf lict,” del Rosa r io a lso ca l led for the “full and effective i mplementat ion” of t he ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in t he Sout h China Sea (DOC) in the meantime that a regional code of conduct is yet to be negotiated and concluded.

The pact, which was signed in 2002, enjoins all claimants from actions that would tend to escalate tension in the area. However, it will be noted that according

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to Philippine authorities, since April last year, Chinese fishing vessels continue to occupy the Scarborough Shoals off Zambales, keeping Filipino fishermen from the fish-rich outcrop.

At t he sa me t i me, Chinese authorities have bristled at the joint naval exercises of the Philippines and the United States near the Scarborough Schoal, which is 230 k ilometers (140 miles) east of Luzon and 1,200 kilometers from

ASEAN to study Davao’s anti-smoking law DAVAO CITY—Nine out of ten ASEAN members have confirmed their participation in a workshop next month that will focus on measures to effectively implement the anti-smoking law A total of 60 delegates coming from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines will be arriving on July 7 to participate in the three-day workshop organized by the South East Asia Tobacco Control Alliance on July 8-10.

The event is tentatively eyed to be held in SMX Convention Center.

“It will focus on enforcement, because

these countries would like to do the same in their cities but they have difficulty in enforcing their law,” said Villareiz, adding that in some countries, the police are not tapped to arrest the violators.

“This is the biggest delegation so far, as last time there was only about 10,” she said of the second workshop on anti-smoking law held in the city. (SIP/MT)

the nearest major Chinese landmass.

China claims nearly all of the strategically vital South China Sea, even waters close to the shores of its smaller neighbors.

Tensions between China a nd ot her cla i ma nts to the sea, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam, have escalated in recent years amid a series of Chinese political and military actions to assert its claims to the waters. (Interaksyon)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Mindanao is poised to benefit from the 2015 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) economic integration, the island being a focus area in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) sub-regional cooperation.

Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), voiced such optimism during an ASEAN 2015 Regional Integration forum recently.

The forum was capped by the launching of the Mindanao Trade Policy Center (MTPC), a body formed to act as a link for business chambers in Mindanao.

The center is a brainchild of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Mindanao, headed by Ricardo Juliano, who stressed it will also act as the information center for the ASEAN Integration programs and initiatives.

“We have aspired for many years for bigger markets in trade, tourism, and investments. Therefore, we have to be prepared when ASEAN member countries integrate their economies into one ASEAN community and become more globally competitive,” Antonino said.

She stressed that the opening of a single ASEAN market and production base characterized by freer flow of goods, services, investment, capital, and skilled labor presents tremendous opportunities for the country, especially for Mindanao. ”With ASEAN looking closely at regional sub-groupings, now is the best time for the BIMP-EAGA to put its best foot forward,” Antonino explained. Mindanao, being a benefit/PAGE 10

Region to intensify drive vs. transnational crime VIETNAM—Senior officials from member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) enhanced their cooperation to fight transnational crime, a menace which they said can affect the peace and security of every nation and region in the world.

The pledge to step up the fight against transnational

crime was made during the 13th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) held in Da Nang, Vietnam, on June 19 and 20.

ASEAN senior officials considered and endorsed the SOMTC Work Program 20132015. The work program includes policy guidelines and activities on the eight

a re a s of t r a n sn at ion a l crime—terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, arms smuggling, sea piracy, money laundering, internationa l crime and cybercrime.

T h e S O M T C Wo r k Programme will be tabled at the 9th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational intensify/PAGE 10

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of energy mix as well as mitigate foreign exchange and environmental costs.

Wit h 50 0 megawat ts (MW) of fossil fuel-based capacit ies coming on stream by 2016, the share of renewable power sources in Mindanao will go down from the current 59 percent to 47 percent, while share of fossil power will increase from 41 percent to 53 percent.

“Although coal provides reliable baseload and high capacity factor, the long-term power development strategy and policy framework being espoused by MinDA point to diversification of energy sources, with renewable energy high on the agenda,” added Montengro.

He explained that with various energy potentials in Mindanao such as hydro, biomass and solar, it’s time to create the renewable energy rush and maintain a desired 50-50 percent mix in the years to come. power/PAGE 10

MALAYBALAY CITY – Final action on the recommended dismissal of a provincial government official and three hospital administrators who were implicated in alleged anomalies last year involving hospital funds is now in the hands of Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr., former governor Alex P. Calingasan said on Monday.

The four, who were earlier meted a 2-month preventive suspension are Marie Carmen Unabia, provincial economic enterprise management officer; Corazon Jamero, hospital administrator of the Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center (BPMC); Dr. Janet Mercadera, hospital administrator of Bukidnon Provincial Hospital (BPH)Maramag; and Elvira Roa, supervising administrative officer of BPH-Kibawe.

Calingasan charged the four along with five other hospital officials on October 31 last year with “serious dishonesty in the course of

official duties” over their use of petty cash in purchasing medicines.

Calingasan, who is back to his former position as vice governor, said he approved the recommendation of the Provincial Discipline Committee for the dismissal of the four officials based on the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in Civil Service (RRACCS).

But he said his approval will be subject to review and final decision by the new governor.

He explained he no longer had time to execute the decision since the committee gave him its recommendation

only last week.

He admitted to MindaNews on June 26 that it was one of the most difficult decisions he has ever made as a government official.

“I didn’t want to hurt anybody as I always give chance to every erring employee,” he added.

Calingasan said that while the decision may be against his principles in life “I might reconsider” if it is what the people wanted.

Mercy Ibcas, who was acting administrator and chair of the committee until June 30, said via telephone that they only followed the provision of the RRACCS on the serious dishonesty charges against the four.

RRACCS Rule 10 Section 46A.1 states that serious dishonesty is a grave offence punishable by dismissal from government service.

The alleged anomaly has been dubbed by others “one of the biggest controversies

to hit the provincial government.”

Unabia told MindaNews late Monday afternoon they would reserve further comments until they receive their copy of the order.

Calingasan cited earlier that the preliminary investigation report presented to the discipline committee by the special investigating committee “has uncovered in the course of its fact finding investigation several unauthorized transactions involving the use of hospital petty cash funds.”

In his memorandum then, he described as “anomalous” the unauthorized use of petty cash funds in the purchase of medicines and other supplies.

He directed the officials to “answer within five days from receipt,” reminded them of their right to a counsel, and “whether you elect to have a formal investigation of the charge.”

In a press conference later that week, Zubiri identified the respondents as Unabia, Jamero, Mercadera, Roa, BPH-San Fernando administrative officer Daryl Minguez, BPH-Manolo Fortich administrator Judy Pancrudo, BPH-Talakag administrative officer Mario Cedeño, BPH-Kalilangan administrative officer Merlyn Calam, and BPH-Malitbog administrative officer Juanito Kilem.

Unabia has earlier denied the charges and maintained they have not done any irregularities.

Ibcas said Cedeño and Kilem were absolved while Minguez and Calam, who were found to have “less grave offense”, were suspended for a month each.

The charges against Pancrudo, who is currently on study leave abroad, was held in abeyance until her return. (Walter I. Balane/ MindaNews)

Electric cooperatives seek genset suppliers ELECTRIC cooperatives in Mindanao are seeking suppliers of modu la r generation sets or gensets to improve the region’s power supply.

In an invitation to bid, the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives Inc (Amreco) sought offers for the purchase or rental of gensets that will be used to boost electricity supply in

their service areas.

Interested parties may ava i l of bid documents from Amreco’s office in Cagayan de Oro or t he Nationa l Electrif ication Administration’s (NEA) headquarters in Quezon City from July 1-14.

A pre-bid conference has been set on July 15 at the NEA building. The submission and opening of bids will be

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TURN-OVER-Rufus B. Rodriguez representative of 2nd District Cagayan de Oro City with ABAMIN congressman Maximo B. Rodriguez led the ribbon cutting and turn-over ceremony of 300 thousand worth of contruction/ repair of Kababalahan Day Care Center of Kababalahan, Barangay Agusan Cagayan de Oro City. Mrs Irene G. Romualdo teacher of the school with the parents and pupils receive the symbolic ribbon from congressman Rufus. With Rufus is newly Cagayan de Oro City councilor Teodulfo Lao, councilor Enrico Salcedo, CDO 2nd District Engineer, Allan S. Borromeo and Assistant District Engineer Cesar M. Hipona Jr. photo by rolando n . sudaria

Fate of 4 execs in hospital fund mess rests on Zubiri

By Walter Balane of Mindanews

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‘Clean and green,’ affordable power sources pushed AS share of fossil technology in Mindanao’s energy mix is expected to rise, t he Mindanao Development Aut hor it y (M i n DA) i s pu sh i ng for a g g re s sive deployment of renewable energy projects to ensure sustainable and affordable power supply in Mindanao.

“Ensuring sufficient and reliable power supply for Mindanao is particularly cr ucia l to at t rac t more i nvest ment s to ach ieve broad-based growth and l o n g- t e r m s u s t a i n a b l e development,” said Romeo Montenegro, MinDA director for investment promotion and public affairs during a recent briefing with energy beat reporters in Manila.

Montenegro however ex pla i ned t hat wh i le a considerable por tion of new capacities being bu i lt in Minda nao w i l l come from coal, tapping renewable energy sources is of the utmost imperative to maintain an ideal balance

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held on July 29 at Amreco’s office.

The group is composed of 33 electric cooperatives distributing electricity to nearly two million residential customers in Mindanao.

Of the 33 coops, 27 are connected to the Mindanao grid while six serve isolated off-grid islands.

The government earlier allocated P4.4 billion in

royalties from the Malampaya natural gas field to help finance the purchase or lease of gensets.

T he a mou nt w i l l be coursed through NEA, the state-agency that supervises electric cooperatives’ operations.

Irma C. Exconde, De pa r t ment of E nerg y (D OE) E le c t r ic Powe r I n du s t r y M a n a g e m e nt

Bureau assistant director, earlier said the Mindanao electric cooperatives need to secure gensets to reduce the persistent power outages hitting the region as a result of insufficient generation capacity.

T he u s e of gen s e t s , howe ve r, w i l l j a c k up electricity rates in Mindanao because these modular power suppliers/PAGE 10

Pioneer breaks ground in Oro

THE Pioneer group of insurance companies establishes its presence in the Mindanao region as it broke ground on the site of the 3rd Pioneer House. With a Pioneer House in Manila, Makati, and Cebu, the company extends its reach towards the south with Pioneer House Cagayan de Oro, which will be completed by the second quarter of 2014.

Located at the corner of Don Apolinar Velez and Mabini Streets, Pioneer House will be a stand out addition to the CDO skyline, one of the region’s most progressive and prime business districts.

The building is a six-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) structure with a roof garden among its features. This environment-friendly design makes it an energy-efficient building.

Pioneer’s substantial investment for a LEED Gold certification is the company’s contribution to environmental conservation. Once completed, Pioneer House-CDO will be one of the most innovative establishments in Mindanao.

In his speech during the ceremony, Uvilfredo Agor, Senior VP-Branches Division, said that Pioneer “dedicates this building as a testament of our commitment to Mindanao especially to Cagayan de Oro City. It is our hope that our presence here improves the delivery of our services to our valued and loyal clients, intermediaries and stakeholders.”

In 1966, Pioneer House Manila was inaugurated in the business center of Binondo, Manila. Eleven years later, in 1977, the company pioneer/PAGE 10

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Stick out your tongue

T

THINK

hink a minute…Have you noticed that one of the first A Minute things a doctor does when he

By Jhan Tiafau Hurst examines you is ask you to stick out your tongue.

It’s sometimes possible to know what’s wrong inside a person’s body just by looking inside a person’s mouth.

Some diseases and sicknesses can actually be seen on a person’s tongue.

In fact, our tongue gives away many other things about us.

Our accent and way we talk shows where we’re from.

Our tongue also reveals what’s inside our heart and mind.

We usually talk about the things we really care about, such as money, status, food, gossip about others, or sports.

But even more than our words and actions, it’s our reactions that show what kind of person we really are inside.

Most of the time we can be good actors and control our tongue, especially when we want to impress and look good in front of others.

So we carefully choose our words before we say them.

But then if somebody suddenly wrongs and hurts us, we may react quickly out of anger and try to hurt them back with unkind words.

It’s in those unexpected pressure times that you and I show what is really in our heart by what comes out in the words on our tongue.

We show our true feelings of anger, pride, prejudice, or unforgiveness, which we usually hide under the nice mask or act we put on in front of others.

But Jesus Christ loves us and knows we cannot clean and change our talking until we’ve first cleaned and changed our heart inside.

Just like clean water cannot come out of a water tank hurst/PAGE 11

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account of evident electronic akampi or computer tampering.

Mo A ng Batas Bondoc’s colu m n wa s

By Atty. Batas Mauricio entitled “More votes than voters in Pasay; pre-empting Comelec’s alibi”, and it said, in part: “Not only were more votes t ha n voters merely extrapolated — but actually counted — in Pasay City.

That’s why several citizens, represented by columnistl aw y e r Me l a n i o `B at a s ’ Mauricio, are questioning the proclamation of their mayor.

“In a petition filed with the Comelec on June 25, the citizens asked for a manual recount in more than 300 precincts in Pasay’s 1st district. This is because more votes were credited to the four candidates for mayor than there were ballots tallied by the PCOS (precinct count optical scan) voting machines. With such statistical-mathematical impossibility, they said there was a clear failure of the local election.

“The citizens zeroed in on Clustered Precincts 1 to 10, 20 to 25, 27 and 28, and 46 to 49. The PCOS machines counted only 7,547 ballots, as shown in the official statements of votes, copies of which were attached to the petition. But the number of votes credited to the four mayoralty candidates batas/PAGE 7

K

Food Heroes

U

nknown to many, feeding the country – and 93 million Filipinos – also falls on the shoulders of women,” Joseph Edward Alegado, Oxfam in the Philippines media and communications officer, said.

Filipino women in fact work longer hours, because aside from planting, harvesting, and fishing, they also carry out household chores. Sadly, their work remains unheralded.

“Food Heroes pays tribute to Filipino women farmers and fishers who brave sun and rain, low pay, and backbreaking work to bring food to our table and buoy up our economy,” Alegado added.

By way of a tribute to these remarkable women, I will be featuring Oxfam’s “Food Heroes” in this week and next week’s columns to show how valuable rural women food producers are to the entire Filipino food system.

Trinidad ‘Trining’ Domingo, Organic Rice Farmer, Nueva Ecija • Ka Trining has spent half of her life planting and growing rice, corn, vegetables, and root crops. Her deep bond with every square inch of their land has inspired her to lead the struggle for agrarian reform and women’s rights. Being the president of the National Congress for Rural Women, Ka Trining has managed to continue tilling her two-hectare rice farm and has maintained her selfreliant household with various backyard vegetable crops, poultry, and fruit trees.

SPEAKING

Rebecca ‘Becca’ Miranda, Fa r mer a nd C om mu n it y O ut Development Worker, Nueva By Ignacio Bunye Ecija • As the head of the national federation of rural women and an advocate of organic farming, Ka Becca has seen the benefits of chemical-free farming as an ethical business practice.

In 2012, with the support of Oxfam, she participated in the Association for Women’s R i g ht s i n D e ve l o pm e nt (AWID) International Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. Women like Ka Becca have indeed gone a long way in improving their status in society.

Rosario ‘Sario’ Mendoza, Fisher, Naic, Cavite • Ka Sario is the chair of NAMAMANGKA, which promotes the recognition of women as farmers. Together with her husband Raffy and their seven children, they have sustained their lives making money out of fishing.

Everyone in the family pitches in from the preparation of fishing implements to fishing to selling. As chair of the women’s group NAMAMANGKA, Ka Sario has led the bunye/PAGE 7

Revisiting marriage

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Bible and Koran will transform PNP, not P9B

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will…”

(Romans 12:2, the Holy Bible).

-ooo CLARIFICATION NEEDED FROM PROTESTERS: Question: what is more dangerous for the safety and general well-being of our people and for the sovereignty of our nation---the holding of mere war games or war exercises between the United States and the Philippines to train Filipino soldiers, or a real invasion of our territories by a world superpower like China? To any right thinking Filipino, the answer should not be difficult to see.

And yet, why are many groups contesting and publicly protesting the training of our soldiers by US troops, but are totally and absolutely silent and unwilling to condemn the occupation of Chinese troops of the Scarborough Shoal, the Ayungin Shoal, and practically all of the Spratlys at the West Philippine Sea, which are decidedly Philippineowned? Will anyone of the protesters against the US clarify this?

-ooo THANK YOU, STAR’S JARIUS BONDOC: I wish to publicly thank fellow columnist Jarius Bondoc of the Philippine Star for his “Gotcha” column of July 03, 2013, where he featured the petition which I filed for a group of Pasay City residents with the Commission on Elections, seeking a declaration of a failure of election in the city on

Crystaline pino ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

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“

WHAT God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

(Mk 10,10) We have just been reminded of the biblical basis for the indissolubility of marriage recently.

With all the forces and elements now undermining the true nature and purpose of marriage, there is an urgent need to clarify and show the real face and beauty of this human, natural as well as supernatural institution.

Countries and nations, supposedly developed and quite rich, are now legalizing forms of marriage that really have nothing to do with marriage. Same-sex unions, divorce, civil marriages among Catholic, temporary unions and cohabitations are not only spreading but are also getting legalized.

The consolation so far is that they have not gone as far as to outlaw marriage as traditionally understood and as a sacrament. But if we are not careful, who knows what can happen in the near future?

If they can legalize abortion, not to mention, contraception, there is reason to suspect these distortions of marriage can also be legalized sooner or later. So, we really have to keep close watch on the RH Bill, because the bad spirit behind it is the same one that animates all these disturbing developments involving marriage.

In fact, someone just told me the Philippines is under heavy pressure now because we seem to be the only country in the world that has not legalized divorce yet. And there’s a bill already filed in Congress seeking to legalize divorce.

There are those who are quite convinced, and wrongly convinced, if I may say, that marital problems can be solved by legalizing divorce. We need to talk a lot about this issue.

The statistics on the ground seem to favor divorce. Of 10 Catholic couples, a friend told and Traces me, 4 are married in Church,

By Fr. Roy Cimagala 3 are civilly married and 3 are simply cohabiting. That’s, of course, a big problem. But it’s actually a challenge to face that requires more concerted and comprehensive efforts from those concerned.

We are contending with a world culture that has lost the capacity to think deeply and thoroughly. It’s an ethos that is held captive by the quick and easy way of thinking and reacting, dominated mainly by worldly values like convenience, practicality, popularity, etc.

The full and global picture of who and what we are is ignored if not ridiculed. This, of course, determines our proper attitude and praxis about marriage and the other institutions related to it—family, education... the spiritual and supernatural dimension of man is set aside. Instead only the material and social aspects are considered. The dynamism of today’s world, now heavily dependent on new technologies, has made people to be less thinking and just to be more practical, if not more self-absorbed and selfseeking. cimagala/PAGE 11

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DAR, KFI ink MOA for cacao production in M’nao

By Edith R. Salvador

CAGAYAN DE ORO, July 1 (PIA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform has signed a memorandum of agreement with Kennemer Foods International, Inc., (KFI) for the development and scaling of cacao production here.

Under the MOA, the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries will be assisted in consolidating their produce through block farms.

It also aims to assist the private sector to have a steady supply of cacao beans at the same time provide ARBs with access to global markets for cocoa.

The project also provides the technology that will help the ARBs increase their income and develop sustainable agribusiness enterprises. It intends to cover 10,000 hectares of ARB lands in Mindanao.

In force and effective for a period of three years, the MOA ensures that the ARBs retain the control and possession of their awarded lands.

KFI is an international organization that specializes in growing and trading of high-quality agricultural products particularly fermented cacao beans.

Its products and programs encompass complete agricultural value-chain from planting materials, training, agri-technology to market.

KFI Pres. Simon Bakker bared that the Philippines’ annual consumption of cocoa is 30,000 tons yet production is only about 6,000 tons a year. This presents a big opportunity for ARBs especially in Mindanao where the climate is suitable for cacao growing.

According to Bakker, cacao needs just a little shade which makes it an

ideal intercrop for coconut.

The DAR has no financial exposure in this undertaking except for the regular funding for

support services that may be given to the ARBs and their organizations involved in the project.

S ec. Virgilio de los

Reyes signed in behalf of the DAR during the Land Forum held in the city. DAR Undersecretary for Support Services Jerry

Pacturan witnessed the signing together with May Lynn Lee, KFI Managing Director. (ERSalvador/ DAR-10/PIA)

Bunye...

beans), sitaw (string beans), kalabasa (squash), and other fruit trees, with her children.

Nanay Nita is also an active member of Sa ma ha ng Magsasaka ng 53 Ektarya, a local farmers’ organization fighting for land rights.

Oxfam is an international humanitarian and development confederation of 17 organizations networked together in more than 94 countries. It aims to “build a future free from the injustice of poverty.”

“Food Heroes” is part of Oxfam’s GROW campaign, which pushes for better ways to grow, manage, and consume food. It features 10 remarkable women, five of whom we read about in last week’s Speaking Out. However, while this list shows that women have indeed gone a long way in improving their status in society, Oxfam points out that “challenges remain.”

“I n pa r t ic u la r, governments must recognize the crucial role women play in feeding the world by ensuring women are in positions of leadership in institutions where agricultural, food security, and climate change decisions are made,” Joseph Edward Alegado, Oxfam in the Philippines media and communications officer, explained.

Here are the remaining five women food producers on the “Food Heroes” list: Gloria Bolando, Vegetable and Abaca Farmer, Lanuza, Surigao del Sur

* Nanay Gloria, a Manobo, divides her time between two family farms, making sure she visits at least one every day. On one farm she grows kamote (sweet potatoes), while in another, abaca and bananas. Harvesting abaca happens only once every three months, so Nanay Gloria and her family rely on the vegetables and root crops for daily food needs.

She manages the Yuha tu Banwa, a community health and food bank where women can deposit surplus food and herbal plants (which they can then borrow during lean months and in times of disasters). The Yuha is a traditional community practice that has been revived with the help of Oxfam to prepare Nanay Gloria and her village for climate change impacts.

Zenaida ‘Zeny’ Ma nsi lioha n, Vegetable Farmer, Agusan del Sur • N a n g Z e n y, a n indigenous woman leader from Agusan, sees the benefit of flood-resistant rice and vegetable varieties. As the vice president of the National Congress of Rural Women, she has advanced the rights of rural women who produce half of the country’s food.

Oxfam brought Nang Zeny to meet with women leaders from around the world to discuss the failing food system and other economic issues confronting poor women at the Association of Women’s R i g ht s i n Development (AWID) Forum

in Istanbul, Turkey in 2012.

Aida Fernandez, Seaweed Farmer, Isla Cabgan, Surigao del Sur • Nanay Aida, a seaweed farmer, lives on Isla Cabgan in Hinatuan, Surigao del S u r. S e awe e d f a r m i n g requires intensive work.

In Nanay Aida’s case, her entire family – her husband and two sons living close to her – all help out from prepa r i ng t he s e awe ed seedlings to “planting” them and harvesting them. Aside from this, Nanay Aida, like most women, takes care of her family as she prepares dinner, cleans up, and attends to other household tasks.

There is no electricity on the island so there is very little diversion. They maintain a motor battery at home for lighting the house. The battery is recharged regularly for 60 pesos. Using it to run the television would mean having the battery run out in three days time and would have been very costly. So, at 8 p.m. Nanay Aida retires to bed. She rises up again at 5:00 the following morning to attend to her many roles.

Dolores ‘Dory’ Cabato, Ve ge t a ble a nd Ru b b e r Farmer, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur • Nanay Dory raises all her six children by herself.

She tends a small vegetable farm, selling her harvest a rou nd t he v i l lage a nd supplying local eateries. She earns extra income as an agriculture para-technician, giving advice on planting to

other farmers, and as a hired laborer on her neighbors’ farms. She also worked as a household helper for one year and used her earnings to start a rubber farm that she hopes would make money in five years.

Nida R iza lado, Shel l Gleaner, Mahaba Island, Surigao del Sur • Oxfam and the National Coalition of Rural Women have a continuing project called the Women’s Market where women farmers and fishers come to sell their sustainably grown produce.

One of these women is Nida Rizalado, a shell gleaner from the island of Mahaba in Surigao. Nanay Nida and her other companions go out to glean at low tide. Using a paddleboat, they go to a nearby sandbar and spend two to three hours collecting as much as four kilos of seashells on a good day. This would earn her around 200 pesos, enough to buy basic necessities such as soap for laundry, sugar and salt.

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from page 6

organization in managing a m i c r o - e nt e r p r i s e i n sardines-making, conducting leadership trainings for women, and in responding to cases of domestic violence and abuse.

L igay a ‘L a l i ng ’O r i a , Onion Famer, San Jose, Nueva Ecija • Ligaya “Ka Laling” Oria started organic farming in 1990. As a widow, she raised her six daughters on her own through onion farming. In completing the course on ecological farming, she was able to experiment for nine (9) cropping seasons which enabled her to make decisions on what farming technologies to adapt. She believes that organic farming enhances soil’s fertility. For Ka Laling, the most important lesson she learned as a woman farmer, it is this: “Yakapin ang buhay sa komunidad ng buhay, sa komunidad (to embrace life in the community).”

Nita Oigoan, Vegetable Farmer, Macabud, Rizal • Nanay Nita Oigoan belongs to a community of small vegetable farmers fighting to keep the land they have been tilling for decades in Macabud, Rizal.

A real estate developer has since laid claim on the land, challenging the community’s ownership. She continues to till her six-hectare farm pla nted w it h ma ngoes , kaimito (star apple), ampalaya (bitter gourd), mango (mung

DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes signs a MOA with Simon Bakker, President of Kennemer Foods International, Inc., (KFI) for a cacao production project in Mindanao which intends to cover 10,000 hectares of ARB lands, as well as, link industry players to the global market. Witnessing the event are Jerry Pacturan, DAR Undersecretary for Support Services, and May Lynn Lee, KFI Managing Director.

(DAR 10)

from page 6

totaled a whopping 9,045. From where did the excess of 1,858 votes — also in the PCOS — come?”

-ooo B I B L E & KO R A N W I L L TRANSFORM PNP, NOT P9B: Once again, I do not wish to be “killjoy”, but I strongly believe that even if President Aquino has already approved the P9 billion “transformation fund” for the use of the Philippine National Police (PNP) between 2013 to 2016, there wouldn’t be any substantial improvement in the delivery of various police services to our people.

What the President must aspire for is a “transformation of the spirit” of each and every PNP officer and employee, by compelling them to undergo a change of their minds, instilling in them the fear and love of God, no matter what their religion maybe. For even if the PNP is made awash with cash, and its guns and equipment modernized, nothing is going to change if the bag eggs and the scalawags and the abusers and extortionists in its rooster are not transformed, too.

To effect this change of mind, I suggest that the PNP must be made to immediately undertake Bible or Koran studies, depending on the religious affiliation of its officers and civilian employees, and make this a regular, if daily, part of official routine. There is really a need to change the mind of men and women in the PNP, as Romans 12:2 of the Holy Bible is saying. Then and only then will real transformation start, PNP Director General Allan Purisima.

-ooo REACTIONS? Please call me at 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0922 833 43 96. Email: b a t a s m au r i c i o@ya h o o.c o m , mmauriciojr111@gmail.com.

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Children’s nutrition status in NorthMin improves CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has declared that the health of 10,361 children in Northern Mindanao has "normalized," the agency said in a statement.

A year ago, the DSWD repor ted the child ren, who come f rom the f ive provinces of the region, to be “malnourished.”

DSWD’s report revealed that in 2012 about 18.59 percent of the 94,829 children in Northern Mindanao were malnourished.

The agency conducted a Supplementar y Feeding Program (SFP) for children in Day Care Centers, in addition to their regular meals.

The program provides

indigenous foods and/or locally produced foods equivalent to 1/3 recommended energy nutrient intake (RENI).

In addition, the parents, children, and including the caregivers are also given support by improving their k nowledge, at t it ude a nd practices by educating them on proper nutrition and health education. This way, according to DSWD, will improve and sustain the nutrition status of the children.

T he SFP is cu r rently being implemented in all the provinces in Northern Mindanao and the nutrition status of the children in the region has been constantly monitored by the DSWD and the local government units.

Ruby Ibarra, International Filipino Rapper and Music P r o d u c e r, a s s i s t s i n t h e distribution of slippers with Pilipinas Natin and Gawad Kalinga at G.L. Reyes Anhawon Elementar y School, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City on June 29. Ibarra has extended her help in raising funds for the said project.

(RTPaculba/PIA10)

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program children beneficiaries playfully pass the time away outside the covered hall, Barangay Siloy, Calamba, Misamis Occidental.

File Photo by Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy

(Charmaine P. Tadlas/RTP/PIA10)

VP Binay presented awards for excellent Pag-IBIG performance Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, c o n c u r r e nt C h a i r m a n of t h e Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the PagIBIG Fund Board of Tr ustees, commended the Pag-IBIG Fund on the awards it has received for its excellent performance during the formal presentation of said awards at the Coconut Palace.

“Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa inyo dahil sa maayos ninyong pagsasakatuparan sa direksiyong aking inilahad nang ako’y umupo bilang Chairman ng Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council at ng Pag-IBIG Board, magtatatlong taon na ang nakararaan.

Malaking bagay sa ating tagumpay ang ating pagkakaisa’t pagtutulungan para lalong mapaigi ang Pag-IBIG Fund. Madalas nga ninyong sabihin, at inuulit ko rin – bigger, better, faster Pag-IBIG Fund!” said Vice President Binay, as he addressed

the audience of Pag-IBIG officials, led by their President and Chief Executive Officer, Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe. Pag-IBIG Trustees and partners also joined the presentation.

The Pag-IBIG Citi Prepaid Card has been highly commended as a Best Card Solution at the Adam Smith Awards, making Pag-IBIG the first government institution to receive such recognition.

P a g - I B I G ’s m e m b e r s h i p registration processes passed the Surveillance Audit and maintained its ISO 9001:2008 Certification, signifying its capacity to participate in the international arena.

The Civil Service Commission conferred the Citizen’s Satisfaction Center Seal of Excellence to PagIBIG Davao Branch, and four other branches received Excellent Rating at the Anti-Red Tape Act Survey, showing Pag-IBIG’s discipline in

providing excellent service to its members.

Atty. Berberabe has been chosen as the Outstanding CEO of the Year by the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, the first Filipina to win said award, for her exceptional leadership in making Pag-IBIG an excellent organization true to its mandate of delivering to its members and stakeholders a saving culture and access to finance for housing and other basic needs.

Meanwhile, her Deputy CEO for Support Services Cluster, Ms. Emma Linda B. Faria, has been named the Outstanding Government Chief Financial Off icer in the Philippines at the Government CFO Awards, the first to be awarded in the country, for leading PagIBIG in sustaining its financial stability through innovative systems, prudence in fund management, and

discipline in fund utility.

Pag-IBIG’s awards are testaments of its quest for excellence, as it executes the directions set by Vice President Binay, who added, “Ang mga pagkilala at gantimpalang inyong natatanggap ay magagandang sorpresa na hindi sinasarili, bagkus ay dapat ibahagi sa ating mga miyembro. Ang ating 12.6 milyong miyembro ang tunay na panalo kapag kinikilala ang kagalingan ng Pag-IBIG Fund.”

Almost three years since Vice President Binay assumed leadership at Pag-IBIG in the latter part of 2010, Pag-IBIG has grown in terms of membership and assets, and has increased its benefits for its members, the Filipino workers worldwide. Membership has grown from 8.8 million at the start of 2011 to the current 12.6 million worldwide.

The P320-billion housing agency continues to increase the dividends

it credits to its members at the end of each year. In 2012, it posted the highest dividend amount ever, at P9.28 billion, which is P0.79 billion more than the one given out in 2011. The Fund’s net income also increased from 2011’s P11.96 billion to 2012’s P13.26 billion.

Recent months saw the reduction of Pag-IBIG’s calamity loan interest rate from 10.75% to 5.95%. Its Affordable Housing Loan Program boasts of a 4.5% interest rate, the lowest in Pag-IBIG history.

The maximum housing loan amount also doubled f rom the previous P3 million to the current P6 million, with loan terms still as long as 30 years.

For more details on Pag-IBIG’s programs, call the Pag-IBIG Call Center at 724-4244, log on to www. pagibigfund.gov.ph, or visit the nearest Pag-IBIG branch in your area.

Sun Cellular launches hottest mobile Internet browser with Sun Opera Mini

DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes signs a MOA with Simon Bakker, President of Kennemer Foods International, Inc., (KFI) for a cacao production project in Mindanao which intends to cover 10,000 hectares of ARB lands, as well as, link industry players to the global market. Witnessing the event are Jerry Pacturan, DAR Undersecretary for Support Services, and May Lynn Lee, KFI Managing Director. (DAR 10)

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Honda... from page 3

expensive — components.

The automa kers w i l l also work with governments and fuel station operators to develop the necessary infrastructure to support the vehicles. “ T h i s c ol l a b or at ion builds upon Honda and GM’s strengths as leaders i n hy d r o g e n f u e l c e l l technology,” said GM chief Dan Akerson.

“We are convinced this is the best way to develop this important technology, which has the potential to help reduce the dependence on petroleum and establish sustainable mobility.”

Fuel cell vehicles are considered the holy grail of green cars because they emit not hing but water vapor from the tailpipe and can operate on renewable hydrogen gas made from non-polluting sources like wind and biomass.

The current technology allows the vehicles to drive up to 400 miles (640 kilometers) on a single tank and to be refueled in just a few minutes — an advantage over slow-charging electric vehicles. The propulsion technology also has sufficient horsepower to be used on large vehicles.

GM, which has been working on the technology since the 1960s, has logged nearly three million miles on a fleet of 119 hydrogenpowered vehicles launched in 2007.

Honda leased its first fuel cell vehicle in 2002 and has deployed 85 so far in the US and Japan. It plans to make hundreds of the FCX Clarity available to customers in Japan and the United States in 2015.

Isuzu... from page 3

and a payload capacity of 18,380 kilograms.

Both the Forward FRR and FVM are backed by a two-year or 50,000-kilometer warranty, whichever comes first, according to IPC. At the Isuzu Truck Fest, which happened on June 20 to 22 at the Le Pavillon in Pasay City, the new trucks were showcased in a variety of body applications such as an aluminum van, boom crane,

cargo dropside, articulated crane with dropside, fuel tanker, mobile testing van, aerial platform, cargo crane, rivet-less aluminum van with power tail lift, and wing van.

The trucks were also displayed in their cab and chassis form, including a bus chassis and a tractor head, which sitted alongside the two.

Also at the event were seminars that offered show visitors “Conversion Safety Tips” concerning Truck Body Applications, and talks on Philippine Road Regulations and Restrictions governing trucks, and a discussion on Direct Injection Diesel Technology.

Early buyers — those who purchased a truck from June 20, and extending up to July 31 — will have a free LTO registration, plus P20,000 worth of Caltex fuel cards.

Drops... from page 3

Including completely built up (CBU) imports, sales of MDPPA member-companies climbed three percent to 283,871 units this year from 275,037 last year.

MDPPA sales comprise about 70 percent of t he motorc ycles sold in t he country, as Chinese brands increasingly grow their share of the market.

Across Asea n, t he Philippines was t he third biggest producer of motorcycles next to Indonesia and Thailand, but ahead of Malaysia.

For cars, the Philippines produced 30,039 units at endMay, slightly lower than the 30,282 units assembled in the same five-month period last year.

The AAF data reflected the combined output of mostly Japanese-led companies in the country, such as Honda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan a nd Toyot a . A mer ic a n carmaker Ford shut down its assembly and export operations in Santa Rosa, Laguna early this year, citing lower manufacturing costs in other Asean countries as well as a small domestic market here.

The four other Asean four-wheel manufacturing cou nt r ies a l l saw t hei r production increase in the same period, with Thailand, dubbed as Asean’s Detroit,

leading the pack.

Philippine automotive manufacturers are awaiting the release of the auto industry roadmap this month, which assemblers had said will help determine if their principals would continue operations in the country or just purely import.

Benefit... from page 4

area to this sub-regional cooperation, is in the best position to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the ASEAN integration, she said. (PNA)

ASEAN... from page 4

Shanmugam said that what the ASEAN wants is for the competing sovereign claims to be dealt with in a manner that is peaceful and in accordance w it h international law.

“The specif ic claims, who owns what, whether it’s Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, that is not something that non-claimant states like Singapore can get involved,” he said.

The ASEAN said in the joint communique that it “appreciated the exchange of views on the issues including initiatives and approaches to enhance trust, confidence, and dialogue, and address incidents in the South China Sea.” “We underscored the importance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles on the South China Sea, a nd t he A SE A N- Ch i na Joint Statement on the 10th anniversary of the DOC,” it said.

China a nd ASEAN concluded the DOC in 2002 and have been pushing for efforts to start talks on a Code of Conduct.

Shanmugam said China has told its ASEAN neighbors that it believes in peaceful coexistence and development and being a partner in peace.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is in Brunei for a meeting with ASEAN counter par ts, said later Sunday that China’s new leadership is committed to continuously consolidate and deepen the strategic partnership with the ASEAN and ad heres to friend ly

consultations to properly handle its problems with some ASEAN countries.

(PNA/Xinhua)

Intensify... from page 4

Crime (AMMTC) to be held in Vientiane, Laos, from September 15 to 19, for adoption by ministers.

In view of the increasing scope and complexity of t he c y b erc r i me t h re at , ASEAN senior officials also endorsed the establishment of a work i ng g roup on cybercrime.

The SOMTC also agreed to task its experts to further work on the drafts of the ASE A N C onvent ion on Trafficking in Persons and the Regional Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Persons.

To enhance cooperation w it h dia log ue par tners, SOMTC also held consultations with Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States.

During consultations, b ot h S OM T C a nd t he dialogue partners agreed to i mplement prac t ic a l cooperation in supporting ASEAN’s efforts to stem transnational crime in the region.

Future work includes the implementation of joint work plans on combating t ra nsnat iona l crime, as well as various projects and activities. (BM)

Power...

development in two years instead of the usual five.

The facility is also seen to address bottlenecks in the waiting time for the releasing of permits and clearances to expedite the approval and implementation of RE projects.

“O ver a decade ago, 83 percent of Mindanao’s power was generated from RE sources, mainly hydro, while oil-based power accounted for only 17 percent of generated power,” said Montenegro.

He e x pl a i ne d ot he r realities face Mindanao’s growing need for power, such as the declining capacity of the ageing Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex (which to date supplies 54 percent to the Mindanao grid) due to maintenance needs, as well as silting-up of its river systems and dams; these have caused a declining share of renewable energy sources.

“Mindanao’s electricity need is also growing at a rate of 4.7 to 5.28 percent annually, spurred by the expansion of industries, real estate development, and services sector such as tourism facilities, malls, a nd business process outsourcing industries,” added Montenegro.

Investments in power generation sector in Mindanao, however, did not move at a pa ra l lel pace. Mindanao’s thriving industries posted 7.8 percent in the first quarter of the year owing to strong performance

of the manufacturing and construction sectors.

Suppliers... from page 5

plants cost nearly twice to operate than the grid’s average P6.20 per kilowatthour rate from a mix of hydro, coal and similar oilbased plants.

The impact on Mindanao’s generation charges --which exclude other items such as transmission, distribution, system losses and taxes in electricity bills-- will depend on how long the gensets are used.

Exconde said the use of gensets will result in a P2 per kilowatt-hour hike in generation charges in Mindanao at the most.

“No electricity is more expensive than nothing,” she however said.

The DOE expects Mindanao’s power crisis to stay until 2015 when new coal, geothermal and hydro plants are completed.

Pioneer... from page 5

transferred corporate headquarters to Pioneer House Makati located at the heart of the Makati Central Business District.

In 2007, Pioneer House Cebu, located at the Cebu Business Park, opened its doors to become the company’s first building outside of Metro Manila. Pioneer House CDO is the company’s first building in one of Mindanao’s major business centers.

from page 5

Montene g ro f u r t her added that renewable energy development is vital not only to achieve balance in Mindanao’s energ y mix, but also to mitigate foreign exchange risks as fossil fuel is traded at global prices, and lessen the environmental impacts of fossil-based power plants.

A one-stop processing and facilitation for renewable energy projects is now being worked out by MinDA in col lab or at ion w it h t he Department of Energy (DOE) to fast-track approval and accelerate deployment of renewable energy projects in Mindanao.

T he mecha nism w i l l h a s ten t he appl ic at ion process of RE projects and aims to facilitate project

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Hurst... from page 6

that’s dirty inside, Jesus already sees what we are inside our heart and mind.

He also knows that we are not able to change our heart by ourselves.

So why not ask Him to take control of your life, so He can start cleaning and changing your heart today and for the rest of your life?

Just Think a Minute…

Cimagala... from page 6

The objective, fundamental laws of our life, as written in our nature and as given by God our Creator, are often glossed over. In their stead are our mere estimations of things that simply come from purely human criteria arrived at through certain consensus.

In the effort to correct this anomaly, we need to learn how to explain, with gift of tongues, the biblical basis of marriage, connecting it with what our own reason can actually and easily discover.

Our problem now is that many people consider the Bible as remote, if not completely irrelevant and just a trouble-maker. We have to correct that by making an effort to meditate more deeply on God’s word, knowing that it is a living word that will never become obsolete, but rather will always be relevant to us in our varied situations.

As Po p e B e n e d i c t’s Verbum Domini puts it, we have to ask: What does the Bible say about a particular issue, what is it saying to me now, what is it trying to say to all of us now?

From there, we can use all the human sciences and knowledge to explain why marriage is between one man and one woman, why it is indissoluble until death, why spouses have to live chastity just like anybody else but according to one’s state in life?

We have to explain why healthy marriages lead to healthy families that in turn lead to healthy societies and a healthy world.

I’m happy to know that certain groups are into busy advocacy for healthy marriages. I can cite the Beyond-I-do group as one of them. May more groups of this type come out.

There’s a great need for them, even if the demand may still not be felt. But with the challenges of the times, I’m

sure many people will realize the value of these groups.

Charter... from page 2

social justice and economic development.

“We are very keen on strengthening the regulatory powers of the CDA to ensure that the coop’s financials are safe and sound and there is discipline in governance,” Paez said.

Bravo emphasized the need to update the current C h a r t e r o f t h e C DA especially with the approval and implementation of the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 (RA 9520).

“There is really a need to review the organizational s t r u c t u re , p owe r s a nd functions of the CDA so that it will be in consonance with the provisions of the new Coop Code,” Bravo said.

The lawmakers maintained that reorganizing and strengthening the CDA wou ld not on ly ensu re s ou nd i mple m e nt at ion of RA 9520 but will also warrant the promotion of cooperatives into viable and responsive social enterprises that contribute to socioeconomic development of the country.

There are over 22,000 cooperatives registered to the CDA with combined membership of more than 10 million. According to t he Nat iona l Stat ist ica l Coordination Board (NSCB), t he c o op er at i ve s e c tor generated 342,485 direct and indirect employment in 2010. The CDA reported 3.12% GDP contribution of the sector in said year.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers urge cooperatives to strengthen participation within their membership a nd elevate cooperat ive governance. This call comes as cooperatives across the world obser ve t he 19t h UN International Day of Cooperatives on July 6 with the theme “Co-operative enterprise remains strong in time of crisis.”

I n 19 92 , t he Un ited Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first Saturday of Ju ly as Internationa l Day of Cooperat ives to recog ni z e a nd rea f f i r m t he role of cooperatives in economic, socia l and cultural development and in the achievement of social policy objectives. UN also declared the year 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives.

Supplement... from page 2

NCMB-12 OIC-Director Fe l ic i a no O r i hu e l a Jr. thanked the parties for the opportunity of serving them and for allowing the DOLE attached agency to impart its advocac y on L aborManagement Cooperation (LMC) through the skills trainings and seminars that the office conducted.

“Nothing beats a healthy and good working relationship between the employees a nd t he top management,” he said. “The closer the relationship the more productive the company will be.”

He noted the supplemental CBA was concluded in merely two meetings without direct intervention from NCMB 12 or DOLE 12, a testament, he added of a strong working relationship between the company and its employees.

Surallah Mayor Atty.

Antonio Bendita, who is also the company’s legal officer graced the CBA signing held at Fred Ann’s Restaurant.

YBL, which has nearly 200 units of buses, ferry passengers from Isulan and Tacurong in Sultan Kudarat province and Sto. Niño and Surallah in South Cotabato via Koronadal City to General Santos City in Region 12 and to Davao City in Region 11.

(PIA)

Rates... from page 2

Workers: Wage Category (WC) 1 – P306, WC II, P301, WC III, P296 and WC IV, P291, Agricultural Workers: WC I, P294, WC II, P289, WC III, P284, WC IV, P279, and WC V, the applicable “Pakyaw” rates, regardless of geographical locations.

Meanwhile, Jose Robles, Provincial Director of DOLEMisamis Occidental, said the areas of the region are classified as follows: WC 1 - Cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and the towns of Tagoloan, Villanueva and Jasaan, Misamis Oriental and WC II - Cities of Malaybalay, Va le nc i a , G i n go o g , E l Salvador and Ozamiz and t he tow ns of Mara mag, Quezon and Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

WC I I I - C i t i e s o f Oroquieta and Tangub and the towns of Lugait and Opol, Misamis Oriental, Mambajao, Camiguin and all establishments employing 10 workers of less, WC IV – all other areas not covered by

the above wage categories a nd WC V – t he Sugar Agricultural Industry. (PIA)

Trade... from page 1

Machinery and transport equipment followed with 15.5% or P20.29 billion, and manufactured goods provided 14.9% or P19.48 billion.

Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes contributed the least value at 2.27 billion or 1.7% of the total trade value.

In terms of region, most of the goods came from Metro Manila with trade value at P35.31 billion, followed by Central Visayas with P23.79 billion.

Central Luzon contributed P13.6 billion or 10.4%.

Cagayan Valley accounted for the least value of domestic trade with only P30,000.

Sought for comment, economist Peter Lee U of the University of Asia and the Pacific attributed the lower total value of commodities, despite the higher volume, to lower average price in the past quarter than in the same period last year.

“That means the prices must have dropped. Maybe the prices are lower this year, so the value had a slight drop.

The average price must have fallen,” he said.

Apolinar F. Oblea, an NSO statistician, said that machinery and transport equ ipment “cou ld have influenced the decrease in value.”

Based on NSO data, quantity of machinery and transport equipment jumped to 317,361 tons in the last quarter from 286,426, but value declined to P20.29 billion from P27.76 billion.

Hike... from page 1

(RTWPB), region 10 said.

The new increase includes P10 in basic wage and P10 cost of living allowance (COLA), Atty. Johnson G. Caňete, Regional Director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), region 10, said.

C a ň e t e , w ho i s t he Chairperson of RTWPB-X, said the P10 COLA will then be integrated to the basic wage by January 1, 2014, as approved by the board members.

The members are Arsenio L. Sebastian III and Prudencio T. Pl a z a , M a n a ge me nt Representatives, Jose B. Ares and Milbert M. Macarambon,

L a b or Re pre s ent at ive s , Engr. Leon M. Dacanay, Jr. Regional Director of the Nationa l Economic and Development Aut horit y (NEDA) and Linda O. Boniao, Regional Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), RTWPB-X Vice-Chairpersons.

The last increase in the minimum daily wage of these workers was covered by WO RX-16, effective July 24, 2011, that provided for an increase in COLA of P17 per day which was integrated into the basic wage six (6) months from its affectivity.

It can be recalled that on March 2012 and April, this year, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the Associated Labor Union (ALU)–TUCP f i led w it h RT WPB-X, a petition for an P80 per day and P88 per day across the board wage increase, respectively.

However, after a series of public consultations and hearings done last April, the position papers submitted by labor and management groups and the evaluation of t he s o c io - e c onom ic conditions of the region, vis-à-vis, the consumer price indices and other indicators, including its competitiveness, RT W PB -X re s o l ve d t o provide assistance to the workers to cope with the standard of living without necessarily affecting business viability.

Thus, RTWPB-X came up with WO RX-17, with the new minimum wage rates for the following workers in the region, effective June 20, this year: Non-Ag r icu lt u ra l Workers: Wage Category (WC) 1 – P306, WC II, P301, WC III, P296 and WC IV, P291, Agricultural Workers: WC I, P294, WC II, P289, WC III, P284, WC IV, P279, and WC V, the applicable “Pakyaw” rates, regardless of geographical locations.

Meanwhile, Jose Robles, Provincial Director of DOLEMisamis Occidental, said

11

the areas of the region are classified as follows: WC 1 - Cities of Cagayan de Oro a nd I l iga n a nd t he tow ns of Tagoloa n, Vi l la nueva a nd Jasaa n, Misamis Oriental and WC II - Cities of Malaybalay, Va le nc i a , G i n go o g , E l Salvador and Ozamiz and t he tow ns of Mara mag, Quezon and Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

WC I I I - C i t i e s o f Oroquieta and Tangub and the towns of Lugait and Opol, Misamis Oriental, Mambajao, Camiguin and all establishments employing 10 workers of less, WC IV – all other areas not covered by the above wage categories a nd WC V – t he Sugar Agricultural Industry.

Projects... from page 1

P115,726,011.43. Among them is the Day Care Center in Brgy. Lapasan.

Brgy. Chairman Omar Labuntog expressed his gratitude to the congressman for providing pre-schoolers in his barangay with early childhood learning facilities.

T he s e c ond d i s t r ic t congressman, together with his brother Abamin Partylist Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, also took the initiative of providing a water system for the Philippine National Police Regional Office in Camp Alagar.

Labuntog, in his speech, jok i ng ly l i st dow n h i s “Christmas list/wish list” to Rodriguez asking for more projects.

Rodriguez is accompanied by his brother Maximo, City Councilor Teodulfo Lao, City Councilor Enrico Salcedo, District Engineer A llan Borromeo, Asst. District Engineer Cesar Hipona, Jr., and barangay officials.

Several other projects were a l s o l au nc he d i n Barangays Tablon, Bugo, Agusan, Puerto, Balubal, Cugman, Gusa, Lapasan, Macasandig, Camaman-an, Consolacion, Puntod and Macabalan.

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The Night Stalker :

Mayor Oca and Family grace Inaugural Sunday Brunch at Seda Centrio

M

ayor Oscar "Oca" S. Moreno personally graced the inaugural Sunday Brunch at Seda Centrio right after his joint inauguration with other local and national officials Sunday, 30 June 2013 at the Kiosko Kagawasan in historic Plaza Divisoria.

Mayor Moreno was inducted into office by former Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. along with Rep. Rolando Uy (1st District), Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd District), Rep. Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr. (ABAMIN Party List), Sen. Aquilino Martin Pimentel and five city councilors of the Liberal Party: Roger Abaday, Candy Darimbang, Bong Lao, Zaldy Ocon and Eric Salcedo.

Mayor Moreno enjoys Sunday Brunch with IBC-13 Pres & CEO Lito Ocampo Cruz, Mrs Arlene Moreno and son Jang

All set for the Inaugural Sunday Brunch

After attending a joint luncheon his newly minted fellow officials at another local restaurant, the new Mayor proceeded to Seda Centrio where he was joined by wife Arlene, son Atty.

Jang Moreno with wife Trina, and daughter Imee Lapuz with husband Aries. They were joined by Lito Ocampo Cruz, President and Chief Executive Officer of IBC-13. Mr. Cruz is a college classmate of Mayor Moreno at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Brunch has traditionally been prepared by restaurants and hotels for special occasions, such as weddings, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or Easter Sunday.

Mr Tang welcomes Mayor Moreno and Family

Josy Aliñabon and daughter Iya with Mike Baños and Maricel Rivera

Attorneys Jang and Trina Moreno with Mr and Mrs Aries and Imee Moreno-Lapuz

When you’re in Cagayan de Oro, read...

“We thought June 30 would be an auspicious day to restart this tradition at Seda Centrio since it’s the same date as the inauguration of the new city officials,” said Lorenzo Tang, general manager.

“So we invited Mayor Moreno and family to grace our inaugural our Sunday Brunch here at Seda Centrio after the inauguration rites at Plaza Divisoria.”

Mr. Tang said the Inauguration Sunday Brunch of Seda Centrio was inspired by the column of historian Ambeth Ocampo who talked about the menu for lunch and dinner on September 29, 1898 when the Kawit declaration of independence was ratified by Aguinaldo’s government in Malolos, Bulacan.

For posterity’s sake, here’s the menu for the June 30, 2013 Inauguration Day Sunday Brunch of Seda Centrio: SOUP: Seafood Chowder; SALAD: Fresh Garden Salad; VEGETABLE: Green Vegetable; HOT: Fish Fillet in Black Pepper Sauce, Patatim, Herb Chicken, Steamed White Rice; BEVERAGE & DESSERT: Chilled Juices (Orange/Guava/Dalandan/ Mango), Fruit Kebab.

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