BusinessDaily (June 10, 2013)

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Market Indicators

As of 6:12 pm june 8, 2013 (Saturday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P42.24

6,701.95 points

10 cents

X

92.94 points

X

Briefly SSS collections BUTUAN City -- The Social Security System (SSS) collected a total of P4.76 billion in contributions from members in Visayas and Mindanao from January to March 2013, up by nine percent from its P4.35-billion collection during the same period in 2012. This was disclosed by SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio de Quiros, Jr. during a “Kapihan sa SSS” with members of the local press.

De Quiros said collections in the Northern Mindanao region also grew by five percent for a total of P704.25 million. He was in the region for the formal launch of SSS partnerships with two informal sector groups as well as meet with employers and members in the area, “Our accomplishments in Visayas and Mindanao, as well as in Northern Mindanao, are in step with overall SSS per formance during the first quarter, which is characterized by higher contribution collections c o m p l e m e nte d by i m pr ove d management of benefits,” he said.

New wage hike THE Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPBIX) has approved the new minimum wage rates May 6. This shall take effect June 10.

R e p u b l i c A c t N o. 672 7, otherwise known as the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989, empowers the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards to determine and fix minimum wage rates applicable in the regions and to is sue c orres p onding wage orders subject to existing guidelines issued by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).

After conducting an evaluation of the region’s socio-economic and labor market indicators, particularly the region’s poverty incidence, the erosion of the purchasing power of the peso, as well as the problematic power situation prevailing in the region, the Board deemed it just and equitable to adjust and increase the current minimum wage rates.

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Cagayan de Oro City

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Monday

P15.00

Quick, long-term plans sought to end outages

M

June 10, 2013

By MYRNA VELASCO Contributor

INDANAO needs a concrete plan of action, both short- and long-term to address the power shortage, and the business sector is ready to cooperate, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said in a statement.

Suffering from severe revenue losses, the business sector of Mindanao re pre s ent e d by P C C I ’s Mindanao chambers is calling the attention of government to accelerate the development and implementation of doable quick fixes and long-term

solutions that will finally prov ide sustainable and reliable energy to the region.

PCCI Vice President for Mindanao, Ricky Juliano said that the power shortages have resulted to server revenue losses for enterprises and outages/PAGE 11

COWD vows to normalize water supply this week

By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

THE Cagayan de Oro City Water District has assured consumers the water supply situation in its west service area will normalize within this week.

“A water supply as wide as COWD western service

area needs at least a week to restore and recover dissipated pressure in the system given cont i nuou s a nd ste ady supply,” said Rachel M. Beja, COWD General Manager in a press conference held June COWD/PAGE 11

DARKNESS. The eight-hour rotating brownouts in Kidapawan City have forced residents to make do with candles during dinner time. Most parts of Mindanao are also plagued by brownouts that last at least two hours daily. file photo mindanews photo

Hedcor takes care of watersheds to protect power investments

By BONG D. FABE, Associate Editor

THE power company that operates 19 run-of-river hydropower plants in the Philippines yesterday said that

part of its service commitment to the community is the protection of watersheds in its areas of operation.

Eng r. Boy Jaboni l lo, vice president for Business Development of Hedcor, hedcor/PAGE 11

AS PH OBSERVES MIGRANT WORKERS DAY

Villar bats for protection of OFWs

The modern water facility of Rio Verde Water Consortium, Inc. that supplies the bulk of Cagayan de Oro’s water needs.

SENATOR- elect Cynthia Villar renewed her call to the Philippine government to always protect and promote the welfare of over 10 million Filipino migrant workers as the nation commemorates Migrant Workers Day. “It is fitting to celebrate the day of our Overseas Filipino

Work e r s to re me mb e r a nd ack nowledge t hei r significant contributions to nation-building,” said Villar.

She said OFWs are worthy of being called our ‘modern day heroes’ because of their immense assistance in saving villar/PAGE 11

Sen.-elect Cynthia Villar

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

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Dairy farming seen to push livelihood, nutrition scheme

By JORIE C. VALCORZA Contributor

MAMBAJAO, Camiguin -Farmers as well as children will soon benefit from a new dairy farm, expected to open this month in the province.

The first on the island and located in Mt. Campana, the pilot dairy farm will house 25 dairy cows, loaned from the National Dairy Authority (NDA) for P140,000 each.

Dr. Louis S. Bollozos, ch ief of t he Prov i ncia l Veterinary Office, said the cows are already pregnant and in four months will be able to produce milk.

Bollozos estimated each cow can yield at least 10 liters of milk daily.

The NDA also loaned two milking machines and other farm implements needed to t he prov i ncia l loc a l government unit (PLGU).

Named the “Camiguin Pi lot Da i r y Produc t ion Farm,” the facility will be

operated and maintained by the PLGU, which will in turn enter into a contract growing agreement with the local farmers to supply food for the herd.

The government will buy 77-day-old chopped corn plants at P2.10 per kilo to serve as feeds for the cows. Cutting may be done manually or by use of machine, which the PLGU

is also willing to provide.

Meanwhile, Camiguin Governor Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo earlier revealed his plan to use the milk collected from farm for its nutrition program.

Priority schools ident i f ied w it h most number of underweight/ malnourished children will first benefit from the farm’s fresh harvest.

ZAMBOANGA City -- The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has intensified its tax mapping operation in a bid to meet this year’s P2.4 Billion target collection in this southern port city.

Merlyn Vicente, head of BIR’s Revenue District Office

93A, said the intensified tax mapping operation is part of her office’ strategies to meet the target collection goal for this year.

Aside from tax mapping, Vicente is also batting for compliance on the part of the taxpayers to be able to

meet the target collection goal for the year.

Vicente said they are also conducting meetings with several working groups to help them in their tax collection campaign.

Vicente said they have to bir/PAGE 11

BIR intensifies tax mapping in Zambo City

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Don’t follow your conscience THINK

hink a minute…Some you ng ch i ld ren were A Minute asked this question: “What By Jhan Tiafau Hurst is a conscience?” A 6-year-old boy said he thought it was “the bad feeling you get when you kick girls and puppies.” A 9-year-old said your conscience is “a voice inside that says ‘No’ when you want to beat up your little brother.” A guy was giving his friend advice on how to make a decision.

He said: “You’ve got to follow your conscience. It’s like the little man inside you telling you what’s right and wrong.

Just do whatever your little man tells you to do.” His friend answered: “No, that won’t work for me. My little man’s an idiot!”

It’s like the popular song about a person who’s committing adultery that says: “How can this love be so wrong if it feels so right? If lovin’ you is wrong, I don’t want to be right!” Our feelings and conscience are NOT always a good guide to show us what’s right and wrong. Since everyone one of us has the tendency to be self-centered in one way or another, we’ve damaged and confused our conscience.

So we often tell ourselves that certain wrong things are right so we won’t feel guilty about doing them.

A person can be very wrong even though he doesn’t feel wrong or guilty. For example: Adolph Hitler had 6 million Jews tortured and murdered just because of their race! But he did not show any guilt for all the evil he did.

Does that mean he was not guilty of all those wrongs, just because he didn’t feel guilty? Of course not! You and I can tell a small lie, cheat on our taxes, school exams or customs duty, or get away with a little stealing. But that does not mean it’s right, or that we will never be caught and punished. The fact is we’re still guilty of doing those hurst/PAGE 11

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Is stock market investing for you?

W

ord goes around among the finance boys in the stock market: “The bulls run, the bears retreat, but the greedy pigs get slaughtered!”

In mass investor psychology, being bullish or bearish reflects the prevailing market sentiment. It arises from the totality of a variety of factors that are either fundamental or technical, including local and international events of economic and political importance, temporary and seasonal factors, as well as historical data of market prices.

A bullish sentiment is seen with an upward trend in stock prices in the background of good economic prospects, while a bearish sentiment is reflected in negative market downturns.

Exposure to stock market investing may come in two forms. Direct stock market investors buy stocks straight in the stock exchange. Managed stock or equity fund investors secure units or shares of a fund which buys into a diversified portfolio of stocks. But whether bullish or bearish, whichever way a market goes, both kinds of investors are still exposed to the inherent volatility of stock market trading.

If you directly buy stocks through your stockbroker, chances are to a great extent you are managing your own portfolio of stocks by yourself. Are you a savvy investor with decent know-how and experience in stock trading?

Then if so, perhaps the extent of your exposure to volatility risk may be significantly minimized. However, to become savvy you need to go through a learning curve and this doesn’t happen overnight.

So if you’ve got the mettle to go into direct stock market trading yet your own know-how and experience

A

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is dubious, then you’d better have somebody reliable in the Financial D octor fundamental and technical

By Adonis Agcopra aspects of the market to back you up. Otherwise, should you be willing to engage in the stock market without proper backup, be sure you are playing with money that you can afford to burn without so much tears to lose. As the finance people would say, if at times you win big, at other times be also prepared to lose big.

If you still highly desire to play in the stock market battlefield yet you do not have the luxury of time and are not currently prepared with the fundamental and technical tools and experience, investing through professionally managed funds may be a risk-mitigated stock market strategy that is more suitable for you.

Assuming the proper time horizon for your investment, a managed stock or equity fund strategy may allow you to harness greater diversification for the same amount of investible funds with the added benefit of direct supervision by professionally-trained and seasoned fund managers with several decades of cumulative experience in finance.

Continue seeking to learn and find ways to make your money work for you. Investigate before you invest. Do it now!

THE

A fair warning to wayward bankers

former president of a closed rural bank learned this well-known legal adage the hard way after the Supreme Court declared his earlier conviction for estafa through falsification “final and executory.”

Hilario P. Soriano, former Chairman/President of the closed Rural Bank of San Miguel (Bulacan), had been convicted of estafa through falsification— in a case filed by his own brother Antonio—before the Manila Regional Trial Court.

Instead of applying for probation, Soriano appealed his conviction before the CA, which affirmed the conviction.

When said conviction was appealed before the Supreme Court, the conviction was again reaffirmed. The SC decision became final and executory on September 17, 2012.

Soriano is now imprisoned at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City, where he is serving a term of four months to four years. He was also ordered to pay a fine of P5,000.

But his woes won’t end there. Soriano is actually facing a slew of estafa cases filed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The criminal cases stemmed from his “fraudulent misappropriation” of the proceeds of the Rural Bank of San Miguel’s emergency loans from the BSP—prior to the bank’s declaration of a bank holiday.

Investigation conducted by the BSP’s Office of Special Investigation, headed by Atty. Gene Penaco, revealed that part of the emergency loan proceeds eventually ended up in Soriano’s Valle Verde residence.

In a decision dated April 3, 2007, the Malolos Regional Trial

SPEAKING

Court Branch 11 convicted Soriano on all four counts of O ut estafa filed by the BSP.

By Ignacio Bunye He was sentenced to suffer imprisonment of 10 to 14 years for each count, and to pay the BSP and co-complainant Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation an approximate amount of P33.6 million.

The following year, another Malolos RTC branch convicted Soriano of one count of estafa.

The Malolos RTC Branch 15 sentenced the former rural bank president to imprisonment of 10 to 12 years. He was also ordered to pay the BSP the amount of P360,000.

Soriano then appealed both convictions before the Court of Appeals (CA). However the appellate court affirmed both convictions.

The CA also modified the judgment of the earlier conviction: Soriano was sentenced to suffer imprisonment of four to 20 years -- instead of 10 to 14 years -- for each count.

Soriano has elevated both convictions before the Supreme Court, which has yet to resolve both appeals.

In the meantime, the BSP had filed six more criminal cases of the same nature against Soriano.

Bunye/PAGE 11

Be the hero Mr. President

Juni Law Office Cruz Taal St.,CDO Legal Counsel

The Business Daily is published by BusinessWeek Mindanao Advertising and Promotions daily with office address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Region 10 with Certificate No. 00875701, and with Business Permit No. 2013-10946, TIN No. 946-396-807 – Non VAT. Tel. Nos.: (088)8578447, 745380, 0923-432-0687, 0917-7121424

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L

ower the cost of rice and stop starving of Filipinos all over the country. With the billions of dollars saved and earned by the government, it is a wonder why government cannot lower the price of rice to feed the people.

The farmers will not suffer the reduction in profits. It is the traders who will be wiped out. But why are they even allowed to do business with the staple food of the country to earn profits for themselves to the detriment of close 100 million Filipinos.

Yes, the economy is growing and all the foreigners are all praises but who cares, poor Juan Dela Cruz is starving.

Unless of course the survey companies are wrong which is probable all considering since they are managed by personal authoritative interests to drive public opinion for personal gain.

Why is it so hard to feed the Filipinos? It does not take a rocket scientist to realize starving the people will only lead to more chaos and destruction.

Lower the price of rice to a maximum retail selling price at Php 10.00 per kilo and all will be well. Unless of course, the influence peddlers who are well placed and rich who monopolize the delivery and supply of rice all over the country can stop you.

With political will and the popularity of the president this can be done regardless of any effects economist may say or do.

SUPER

We are already spending allegedly some 40+ billion on B randing the Conditional Cash Transfer

By Harry Tambuatco for the select poor so why not divert this money to cover the distribution for the rice for all Filipinos to afford?

We can leave the other products in the free market allowing the price to be dictated upon by the laws of supply and demand. T raders, manufacturers and importers will learn their lessons when the consumers will stop supporting their products by refusing to buy them.

But to subject the poor Filipino to Php 40.00 for a kilo of rice is unconscionable. Be the hero Mr. President and lower the price of rice, now!

It seems nothing can be stabilized other than prices of commodities climbing especially the staple food and by the month.

While we may do without canned goods, meat poultry or fish, rice is our staple. tambuatco/PAGE 11

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P122.68-M infra projects in MisOcc

By RUTCHIE C. AGUHOB, Contributor

AT least 24 infrastructure projects worth P12.114 million, Oroquieta using the MOOE Fund Oroquieta City – Calamba M i s a m i s O c c i d e n t a l P122.683 million have been completed in City-Calamba Mountain for the DPWH Building Mountain Road, P 11.014 Construction, MBD General Road, Phase I and Phase II, in Tangub City, P600,000, million and P69.842 million, C o n s t r u c t i o n , G r a c e Misamis Occidental, as of April 30, 2013.

These projects, however, had a contracted amount of P115.588 million only, after these had been bidden out to the different contractors, resulting in P7.095 million savings for the government, or 5.78 percent of t he projects’ total cost, according to Engr. Denise M. Ayag, 2nd Engineering District officerin-charge, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) here.

He said among the sources of funds for the projects were the Basic Education Facilities Fund(BEFF), the Preventive Maintenance Fund (PVMF), Maintenance, Operations and Other Expenses Fund (MOOEF) Fund and savings of the DPWH. Likewise, these projects were exempted from the public works ban either because their contracts were awarded before the ban took effect last March 29 or that the projects were started even before the ban took effect.

Meanwhile, District Engineer (DE) Ayag said the projects, their location

and respective worth are as follows: Construction of schoolbuildings using the BEFF - Sinara Bajo and Gata Primary Schools (PS), both of Jimenez, Zamora Elementary School (ES) and Mitazan Integrated School (IS), both of Aloran and Cartagena ES, Plaridel, P654,000, each.

Manla and Caluya ES, both of Sapang Dalaga and Mangidkid ES, Plaridel, P664,000, each, Bunga Nat iona l Hig h School (NHS), Oroquieta City and Lower Montol ES, Bonifacio, P781,000, each, and Durias ES and Proceso Alburo Memorial ES, also of Bonifacio, P634, 000 and P1.156 million, respectively.

Asphalt over-laying, 50mm.-thick using the PVMF - Jimenez Old Route, Jimenez town, P386,000, Calamba-Baliangao Road, P496,000 and OroquietaLangcangan Road, P4.572 million.

Bagacay Cadre Road, Ozamis City, P4.799 million, Ozamiz-Oroquieta Road,

P1.394 million and P2.594 million, respectively, and of 80mm-thick in Oroquieta City-Calamba Mountain Road, P5.558 million.

Repa ir/ma intena nce

a n d i n O z a m i z C i t y, P700,000.

Concreting of shoulders and upgrading from gravel to paved road from the savings of DPWH of the

respectively.

Among the contractors of the projects were Alinab Construction and Supplies, GLS Construction and Genera l Mercha nd ise,

Construction Corporation, Mindanao Rock, Henry S. Oaminal Construction and General Merchandise and the Administration, DE Ayag, also said.

The Paterno Velez Fdn. scholars in Capitol University with the Foundation President, Marinela Velez; Lorie Jane Bueno, BSBA 1, Catherine Uayan, BSBA 2, Jessica Tosloc, BEED 2, and Claudette Utlang, BSE 1.

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Monkayo residents learn charcoal briquette making

By Ramon Efren R. Lazaro

MONKAYO, Compostela Valley—Residents of this municipality, who suffered the brunt of Typhoon Pablo in December last year learned to turn uprooted trees and agro-forest waste into raw materials for charcoal briquette.

Recently, the Department of Science and Technology-11, Department of Trade and Industry-Compostela Valley, Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) and the local government of Monkayo conducted a technical training on charcoal production and briquetting for residents of Monkayo and Davao Oriental.

Belen Bisana, supervising science research specialist and chief of FPRDI’s Bio-Energy and Equipment Development Section, discussed the process and raw materials used for charcoal-making, the advantages of briquettes over ordinary charcoal, and the marketing of charcoal.

“Charcoal briquettes are compacted charcoal fines from agro-forest waste mixed with a binder such as cassava starch. They are deemed more cost-effective than ordinary

charcoal as they are denser, easy to ignite and burn longer and more steadily,” said Bisana.

“It is ideal for bakery, restaurant and poultry farm use, charcoal briquettes are easy to transport and almost smokeless when burning,” she added.

Zenaida Reyes, science research specialist II at the Technology Delivery and Industry Assistance Section and training coordinator, noted that the locals have been producing charcoal from coconut shells using the traditional system.

“Now, they are interested to try charcoal briquetting for a more controlled process that will give them higher quality fuel,” said Reyes.

“Since a large number of oil palm, rubber and fruit-bearing trees were destroyed during the typhoon, the local government sees charcoal briquetting as an opportunity for Monkayo residents to use the existing raw materials to earn additional income,” she added. (BM)

1.3B tons of food spoil while 1 in 7 persons starves FOOD waste and loss are in the spotlight this year on World Environment Day, 5 June, an annual United Nations (UN) observance organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to generate awareness and action on critical environmental issues. Its official theme for 2013 – “Think. Eat. Save. Reduce Your Foodprint” – builds on a global campaign launched by UNEP, the Food and Agriculture Organization and others earlier this year.

The campaign encourages consumers to reduce food waste by making informed choices that can minimize the environmental impact of food production. This is an important goal, since about a third of global food production is either wasted or lost, causing an enormous drain on natural resources.

Impact on the food supply: An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food that is wasted annually, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

And even as food waste and loss continue on a massive scale, one in seven people in the world suffers from hunger. Because small-scale farming households are among the poorest of the poor, they are particularly vulnerable to both food insecurity and environmental degradation. As a result, food waste is a matter of deep concern to IFAD. In a London speech on food security last December, IFAD President Kanayo F. Nwanze highlighted post-harvest crop losses and waste as major impediments to the global supply of available food, especially in poor rural communities. “Yes, it is true that the world population is growing, and that we have more mouths to feed than ever before,” he said.

“But today, there is no actual shortage of food, globally. And there is every reason to believe that tomorrow we will still be able to produce enough food.”

Nwanze continued: “If we focus on intensifying production without addressing the real problems of getting food where it is needed, of overcoming poverty and of ending these scandalous levels of food spoilage and waste, then we will never address the real issue – which is ensuring that every child, woman and man has access to the food they need to live full and productive lives.”

Underlying issues: For smallholder farmers, post-harvest losses have many causes. Chief among them are poor storage and processing facilities for perishable crops, and a lack of decent roads and market access to sell their produce before it is lost. IFAD supports a range of programmes and projects that work to address these underlying issues.

In the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, for instance, IFAD and the government have joined forces with the Australian-financedSeeds of Life programme to expand maize storage facilities. Improved storage, combined with higher-yielding seeds, can help farmers reduce their ‘hungry season’ – the period when food from the previous year’s crops has run out and the next harvest is yet to be reaped.

In Ethiopia, the IFAD-financed Agricultural Marketing Improvement Programme supports the government’s commitment to better marketing of smallholders’ food crops.

Among other objectives, the programme seeks to enhance processing, storage and transport technologies in order to reduce post-harvest crop losses and increase returns to farmers.

This is just one of many similar initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, where up to 40 per cent of crop production is lost because of deterioration after harvest.

Symptom of rural poverty: “Post-harvest losses on this scale are scandalous, particularly on a continent where millions go hungry,” IFAD’s Nwanze reiterated at a February 2013 seminar on feeding the world. “If we want farmers to grow a surplus, they need processing and safe storage facilities so they are not forced to watch their harvested crops be eaten by pests or spoil in un-insulated sheds. They need roads that are not only paved but able to withstand more frequent and extreme weather. And they need reliable access to electricity and clean water, as well as links to markets and information.”

In this sense, the problem of food waste – while itself a cause of hunger and environmental degradation – is also a symptom of the broader issues of poverty and inadequate infrastructure facing smallholder farming households throughout the developing world. On World Environment Day and every day, these issues are at the heart of IFAD’s mission. (UNIC)

HOME-MADE Charchoal Briquette. a mother and daughter dry outside their home charcoal briquette they made for fuel.

Abaca marketing strategy pays off

THE Philippines’ abaca industry is up for bigger market opportunities this year, thanks to the aggressive market promotion embarked on by the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) in 2012.

FIDA, in a recent press briefing, announced the opening of new markets — France, Spain, Qatar, and Russia — for fiber products in 2013. Buyers from these countries have started negotiating with the local manufacturers for the supply of abaca ropes, twines, fibermat, and pulp.

FIDA Deputy Administrator Josephine Regalado said that promotion of abaca in the international and local promotional events such as exhibitions, workshops, fora and fashion shows have also resulted in positive developments for industry stakeholders.

At the INFO Policy Workshops held in the Netherlands, for instance, the Philippines, through FIDA, was able to forge a partnership with a private company in Malaysia to carry out research on the use of abaca in manufacturing composite products. There, FIDA introduced abaca fiber to a Dutch manufacturer of composites using natural fibers, and has presented fiber-based packaging material for market test in Europe.

Farmers are also ensured that the farm sector initiatives are market driven, and sectoral issues and concerns were addressed. Th e regional fora that FIDA conducts allow fiber crop farmers to interact with buyers and manufacturers.

“These promotional events enabled FIDA to match buyers with appropriate suppliers/producers, and directly assist foreign and local buyers searching for local suppliers, enabling them to generate income of more than P9.1 million in 2012,” reported Engr. Ramon M. Branzuela, chief of FIDA’s Planning and Statistics Division.

For micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises, FIDA has pushed for fiber-based product commercialization through trainings that would eventually provide livelihood to the beneficiaries. In 2012, FIDA conducted 52 fiberbased trainings for 1,224 beneficiaries in abaca-growing regions in the country.

Among the successful recipients of the training on macrame bag-making using abaca fiber are the members of local communities of San Jose, Antique through the Antique Development Foundation, Inc. Today, the trainees supply SM Kultura in SM Megamall with macrame bags and other abaca-based woven products.

(Melpha M. Abello/MB)

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Dairy farming seen to push livelihood, nutri scheme

MAMBAJAO, Camiguin— Farmers as well as children will soon benefit from a new dairy farm, expected to open this month in the province.

The first on the island and located in Mt. Campana, the pilot dairy farm will house 25 dairy cows, loaned from the National Dairy Authority (NDA) for P140,000 each.

Dr. Louis S. Bollozos, chief of the Provincial Veterinary Office, said the cows are already pregnant and in four months will be able to produce milk.

Bollozos estimated each cow can yield at least 10 liters of milk daily.

The NDA also loaned two milking machines and other farm implements needed to the provincial local government unit (PLGU).

Named the “Camiguin Pilot Dairy Production Farm,” the facility will be operated and maintained by the PLGU, which will in turn enter into a contract growing agreement with the local farmers to supply food for the herd.

The government will buy 77-day-old chopped corn plants at P2.10 per kilo to serve as feeds for the cows.

Cutting may be done manually or by use of machine, which the PLGU is also willing to provide.

Meanwhile, Camiguin Governor Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo earlier revealed his plan to use the milk collected from farm for its nutrition program.

Priority schools identified w it h m o s t nu m b e r of underweight/malnourished children will first benefit from the farm’s fresh harvest. (PIA)

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DA-10 earmarks P59-M for Lanao Norte’s devt projects

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By CHRISTINE H. CABIASA, Reporter

THE regional office of the Department of Agriculture has slated development programs amounting to P59.3 million to support the government’s efforts on peace-building in armed-conflict vulnerable areas in Lanao del Norte through the Payapang at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program.

L ou rdes P. Rud i na s, Planning Division Chief, DA10 said that the PAMANA program is the government’s i nt e r ve nt ion a nc hore d on p ove r t y re du c t ion , community empowerment, and improved governance and it also encourages social cohesion i n add ressi ng t he pre s si ng i s sue s i n conflict areas that hinders development.

Fou r mu n ic ipa l it ie s of Lanao del Norte were identified as armed-conflict vulnerable areas by the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process (OPAPP).

These include t he municipalities of Kauswagan, Ta ngc a l, Sa lvador, a nd Poona-Piagapo.

Rudinas added that DA10 will focus on providing a s s i s t a nc e t o i nc re a s e agricu ltura l production t hrough bringing about local economic development, prov iding livelihood resou rces a nd bu i ld i ng agricultural infrastructure and postharvest facilities in the identified municipalities.

Cu r rent ly, the 5. 3 -k i lome ter fa r m-to market road project in the mu nicipa lit y of PoonaPiagapo with a total budget of P 44,700,000 has already started construction, which is seen to pave the way for more economic activities and faster delivery of social services in the area. This is also expected to benefit 650 farmers along

the Poblacion-Nunungan road segment and 1,500 farmers in the MandayaMaliwanag road segment with 6,598 hectares of corn, 370 hectares of upland rice, 10,514 hectares of coconut, 150 hectares of banana and 100 hectares of fruit trees.

The project is seen to benefit around 5,200 farmers and fisherfolks to more than 20 barangays of the four municipalities in Lanao del Norte.

A Muslim woman utilizes the government-initiated solar dryer which was implemented to help farmers in far-flung areas in Lanao del Norte. The Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked P59 million to support peace-building efforts in the province.

Saudi Arabia sets pesticide residue limits for food products Filipino food exporters and manufacturers are advised to comply with the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides on food products imposed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to avoid rejection of shipments.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) announced that all relevant parties importing food products to KSA shall use Codex Alimentarius standards as the reference in the absence of a pesticide MRL. Codex international food standards and guidelines a re ba s e d on t he b e s t available science assisted by independent international risk assessment bodies or adhoc consultations organized

by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WTO).

However, if a pesticide MRL is not indicated either in the KSA or Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) or the Codex, t he European Union or United States standards shall be considered, whichever is less.

Saudi Arabia shall adopt the maximum level of 0.01 milligram/kilogram should a pesticide MR L is not incorporated in all of the

READ!

above standards.

A l l S aud i a nd G CC standards concerning MRLs shall be met,” it said.

SFDA noted that they are adopting these well-defined MRLs to safeguard consumer health.

“Within the framework of keeping imported food under constant control, it has been reported that some products contain pesticide residues which pose risk to consumer health. These residues are yet to be included in the current standard specifications,” it added.

A copy of the announcement was furnished by the Office of Middle East and African Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). DTI provided a copy to the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT).

Food imports spending of G CC cou nt r ies t hat include KSA is projected to reach $49 billion by 2020, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. KSA is also an important market in the Middle East for Philippine Halal products exports. -Danielle Venz, PHILEXPORT News and Features

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Outages... from page 1

industries including delayed production operations, cancellation of transactions, low production output and partial labor lay-offs.

As a quick-fix alternative to the use of modular generator sets proposed by government, PCCI is proposing to optimize available capacity. For example, of the 651 MW diesel power plants in Mindanao, only about 143 MW is being dispatched to the grid.

Another source is from the sugar mills in Bukidnon that can provide 60-75 MW of reliable baseload power during a 5-month off-season (May-October) and at least a third of that during 7-month milling season (November-May).

PCCI Vice President for Energy, Mr. Jose Alejandro said “The program of putting most of those diesel-fuelled plants and biomass would not take more than 12 months, if implemented with urgency. In effect, the power supply shortfall in Mindanao would be dramatically reduced to a minimum in 12 months or less.”

On the demand side, PCCI said it has been encouraging its members and allied enterprises and industries to transfer their operations hours to off-peak hours and for malls to start running their generators even while the interruptible load program (ILP) has yet to be fully implemented. Juliano reported that under the leadership of the Oro Chamber, the ILP has been successfully implemented in Cagayan de Oro. In the long-term, PCCI urged government start the pre-development of Pulangi 5, Bulanog and Agus 3 Hydro Projects to address long-term energy requirements at reasonable cost, given the fact that these are indigenous, renewables, clean and green, which can save the country from foreign exchange on energy imports.

Additionally, PCCI said it will continue to pursue initiatives to improve the framework for investing in power generation in Mindanao. These include the creation of an entity that would monitor and ensure that distribution utilities (DUs) and electric cooperatives (ECs) follow the load-to-maintain policy and providing technical assistance to ECs to pursue demand aggregation, negotiate as a group to draw up a competitive price and sign long-term power supply agreements (PSAs).

Expressing concern on the impact of revenue losses to ECs that could disrupt the entry of investments in power generation in Mindanao, Alejandro said, “We need not raise the negative impact of this power situation on business and peace and the inclusive drive of our economic leaders.”

He added, “If the situation is not arrested and addressed soonest, this could greatly damage the balance sheets and cash flows of the electric cooperatives and other distribution utilities, which could have a much longer lasting negative financial and political impact on the administration’s economic program and the industry as a whole.”

COWD... from page 1

7 at the COWD social hall.

“We may need more technical adjustments in our system after having been emptied intermittently for some time. We are doing everything possible to facilitate restoration of the system to normal condition,” Beja said.

COWD had been receiving a mounting volume of complaints from irate residents complaining of low water pressure or the lack of any supply at all especially during the peak morning hours.

“Although water demand in this area is around 40,000 cubic meters (cu.m.) a day, the demand rises and doubles between 6-8AM,” said Engr. Bienvenido V. Batar. Jr.,

COWD assistant general manager for technical services.

The daily water supply to the area totals 70,000 cu.m. of which 40,000 (60 percent) is provided by bulk water supplier Rio Verde Water Consortium, Inc. (RVWCI) and the balance of 30,000 cu.m. by COWD’s 10 production wells in the area.

In his briefing to media, Mr. Batar said the disruption of water service in the west service area were caused by the intermittent supply from RVWCI to COWD due to problems arising from turbidity and power interruptions.

Rio Verde’s monthly delivery to COWD from January-June, 2013 showed supply approximating its contracted 40,000 cu.m. daily except for April when it managed to deliver only 95.93 of the 1,200,000 cu.m. monthly volume ordered by COWD due to five interruptions.

“In May 2013, the problem became more pronounced with eleven (11) interruptions due to turbidity and over delivery. As a result, Rio Verde increased its delivery rate to as much as 2,500 cu.m. per hour to compensate but would stop when they had reached 40,000 cu.m. This was not what was needed by our system and certainly not what we specified to Rio Verde,” Mr. Batar said.

“Our plant can deal with all kinds of turbidity but we just chose to operate when the raw water abstracted from the Bubunawan River is less turbid since we can still comply with the daily requirement of 40,000 cu.m. even if we choose to do this,” said Engr.

Joffrey E. Hapitan, Sr. Vice President for Operations of Rio Verde in a text message from Leyte.

COWD management met with Rio Verde officials on April 24 and again last May 31 to address the problem.

Mr. Hapitan confirmed COWD has ordered additional volumes starting June 1st which has enabled them to deliver at the average rate of 2,000 cu.m. per hour.

“As of today, supply from Rio Verde is stable at more or less a constant rate throughout the day,” Mr. Batar said. “This is what is most beneficial to our system.”| Besides the bulk water supply, Ms. Beja also stressed the need to address the COWD’s long standing problem with Non-Revenue Water (NRW) which is now averaging around 52-54%, down from the previous 59%.

She said addressing NRW is a very capital extensive undertaking requiring at least P500,000.

“This involves extensive pipe replacement and rehabilitation and the program was integrated into the proposed increase in water rates from P16 to P21/cu.m. However, since the rate adjustment supposed to have been implemented two years ago was shelved, it has been very difficult to address without a major capex,” Beja said.

Ralph Vincent T. Abaragan, chairman of the SAVE CDO Now Movement, who was present during the press conference, posted online his disappointment with the COWD’s poor performance in addressing the issues facing it.

“We acknowledge the efforts of the management to explain to the public how services failed on some occasions before and presently and how they address it, but to us the consuming public couldn’t care less about such details and that the board of directors together with the top management obviously was not able to anticipate, much more prepare, in arresting possible failures related to the works of the whole system,” Abaragan said.

“We see no concrete master plan on how to curb system loss, connection theft, future immediate demand increments and much more preventive maintenance to avoid service failures. Back up systems are clearly not defined, rescue initiatives not evident. We view your efforts to be your best but unfortunately your best isn’t good enough. The data you have

accumulated over the years of operation are enough tools and references for your necessary study or analysis and actions that need not be the defining line of your shortcomings,” he said.

“On this light the public must be made satisfied, and participation of civil society and all other sectors must be given an outmost priority as taxpayers and stake holders of this failing institution.”

However, Tito Mora, a member of the environmental watchdog SULOG, One Sendong is Enough, who attended the press conference, said there’s more to water supply problem than meets the eye.

“Rio Verde stopped the supply of water due to the river’s turbidity.

Now that Rio Verde and the COWD have sat down to have a continuous supply despite turbidity of the river, we all need to address the root cause of turbidity. On June 25, SULOG will be facing multinational and industrial firms deriving their income from the environment. Our hope is for the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, payment for environmental services and other issues to address concerns such as the turbidity of our water system. This is the second forum/ workshop and follow-up to the SULOG forum which will serve as an input for the incoming leaders of the region which carries with it our commitment to make the plans work,” he said.

Former Councilor Bob Ocio, who chaired the city council environment committee during his tenure, shared this observation: “The water supply situation is like a ticking time bomb. It is not a problem but simply a symptom of a large-scale environmental crisis.

How are we going to solve the problem in a split second when all they left are denuded forests? I have been advocating for a massive and large scale Food Forest Restoration Program”. The earlier for us to realize this, the better. Or we shall be all glued in disaster and disasters due to the environmental crisis which we are actually facing.”

Hedcor... from page 1

Inc., said that taking care of the watershed is part of the company’s business as it is only in protecting the watershed can it ensure the protection of its investments in the power industry.

“A big part of the components of hydro system is we have to manage the watershed since we rely on the watershed. Thus, we always make sure that we take care very good care of the environment,” he told the Business Daily in a recent interview.

“Since our business relies on water, we have to make sure that we have adequate water supply to run our turbines to produce electricity for our customers. The only sure way to ensure that is through the protection of watersheds,” he added.

Jabonillo disclosed that in Davao City and Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur alone, Hedcor had planted close to 14,000 trees during the first quarter of this year. These cover at least 14,000 hectares in Sibulan, Sta.Cruz, Davao del Sur and Tamugan, Davao City.

This year, Hedcor aims at planting at least 200,000 trees to protect the environment and its investments in the power industry.

The company do this through partnership with its host communities.

Also, every employee of the whollyowned subsidiary of the AboitizPower Corp. is encouraged to plant at least 20 trees a year.

“Tree planting in partnership with host communities has been observed regularly,” he said.

Last year, Hedcor planted over 600,000 trees all over the country.

“We also educate people not to cut trees,” he said as he explained that educating residents of host communities on the importance of watersheds is just as important as its reforestation projects.

Hedcor is also into river bank

stabilization, road-side rehabilitation and watershed management/reforestation.

No other company in the power industry can top Hedcor’s projects in protecting the environment, which it has been doing for the past 35 years of its existence.

Proof to this is its Seal of Approval from the Department of Energy (DoE) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The company is also an ISO certified for Environment Management Systems.

The company, however, does not stop there. Its foresters constantly monitor and maintain the trees to ensure its survival.

Hedcor is presently coordinating with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for the free and prior intent consent (FPIC) process for its 52 megawatt (MW) hydropower plant project in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

“This project in Manolo Fortich will not affect any lumad community. But we will be passing through an ancestral domain land, so we need to get their FPIC to allow us to pass through to our project site,” he said.

“So far, there is no opposition from the lumads,” he added.

H e d c o r ’s M a n o l o F o r t i c h hydropower plant project is composed of two cascading plants that will harness power from the Amusig, Guihean and Tanaon rivers. Its “Manolo Fortich Hydro 1” will have a capacity of 35.2 MW while the “Manolo Fortich Hydro 2” will generate 16.4 MW. “Both plants combined can produce a total of almost 300 million kWh a year,” Jabonillo said.

“The Manolo Fortich project is expected to go online in 2015 and will supply at least help in 35 percent of Mindanao’s power shortage assuming we get all necessary permits on time,” he said.

The greatest hurdle a hydropower plant project needs to overcome is how to secure a total of 27 permits before it can even start.

“It is Hedcor’s policy that we will not start a project if we lack even one permit,” Jabonillo said.

Hedcor signed last March a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with local government officials of the barangays of Dalirig, Guilang-Guilang, Santiago and Maluco of Manolo Fortich and Barangay Guihean of Impasug-ong town.

Also present during the MOA signing was Impasug-ong Mayor Mario Okinlay. He was present because one of the rivers that will be harnessed to provide power to Hedcor’s plants passes through Impasug-ong.

The MOA signing signalled the start of a more detailed feasibility study for the project.

Romeo Montenegro, Investment Promotion and Public Affairs director for the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), hailed Hedcor for its projects, saying these hydropower plants will help ease the Mindanao power shortage.

Montenegro told the Business Daily recently that Mindanao will require at least 500 MW of new capacity by 2016, another 500 MW by 2020, and 1,600MW by 2030.

Three years from now or by 2016, the power situation in the southern Philippines will considerably improve when all committed power projects, including coal-fired power plants project, will go online.

Aside from its Manolo Fortich project, Hedcor is also presently constructing two run-of-river hydro plants known as “Tudaya 1” and “Tudaya 2” in Davao del Sur, with a combined capacity of 14 MW.

These plants are expansions of the existing Sibulan Hydropower plants, which are generating 42.5 MW for the Davao Region, which hosts seven (2 in Sibulan and 5 in Talomo) of Hedcor’s 19 hydropower plants nationwide.

Villar... from page 1

remittances being sent to the country.

The dollar remittances provide a big boost to our economy,” said Villar. “ We should address all the concerns of our OFWs, starting from their recruitment until the time they are already working in a foreign country,” she added.

To ensure the that the rights and well-being of Filipino migrant workers are safeguarded, Villar vows to continue the fight for the creation of the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers (DOFW) when the 16th Congress resumes in July.

The former Las Pinas congresswoman said she will re-file the measure on DOFW initially filed by her husband, outgoing Senator Manny Villar, but was not passed in the previous Congress.

“This will be one way of recognizing the importance of our OFWs,” said Villar, also managing director of the Villar Foundation which has been helping distressed OFWs for over two decades.

She believes there is a need to centralize all the services and functions of concerned government agencies or bureaus for OFWs to effectively attend to their concerns in all aspects.

“The creation of a department dedicated solely to OFWs would simplify and harmonize efforts to look after them when there is a crisis and secure their welfare and rights during normal times,” she said.

She said this would also put an end to finger-pointing among government agencies involved in the evacuation and repatriation of our distressed OFWs, especially those who ran away from their abusive employers, and those in conflict areas.

BIR...

from page 2 intensify collection efforts citing they are in deficit by P140,412,450.77 for the past five months.

She disclosed that the target collection goal of her office for the past five months is P990,580,000 while the actual revenue collection has only reached P850,167,549.23.

She attributed the deficit in collection to the high collection goal coupled by the frequent blackouts that hampered the operations of her office.

This city, which falls under the jurisdiction of Vicente’s office, have experienced eight to nine hours daily brownout the past five months.

However, Vicente remain hopeful that they could still meet, if not surpass,

11

the target collection goal for the year citing they still have seven months to collect revenues. (PNA)

Hurst... from page 4

if everybody else is doing it.

So because we cannot depend on our conscience or feelings every time, we need Jesus Christ to be our guide Who can clearly show us what’s right and wrong every day. Today, even though you have not felt very guilty, you now understand that you are guilty of living your own way. You know that you’ve done wrong things: wrong thoughts, words, and actions.

Maybe they were even things you thought were not wrong because many other people do them. Yet the good news is Jesus Christ will still forgive you and start changing your life if you let Him. So why not ask Him to take full control of your life and help you start living His way every day? It’s the way you can finally have real peace in your conscience, and the satisfaction of living the right, successful way.

Just Think a Minute …

Tambuatco... from page 4

Tuition fees are sky rocketing as well and so are the educational supplies while the institutions suffer a quality acceptable to the community. Prices of fuel however out of our control make rather large profits for the established dealers and in the billions.

Our utility costs, well we can expect to continue rising as well.

Fish which is abundant so I still think is likewise becoming unaffordable with its prices going wild.

Imported goods however are dropping only to replace our local suppliers obviously with the effort to wipe them out.

This is bad economics. Our ports are replete of smuggling we are told by media and we do nothing about it.

Help!

Bunye... from page 4

The estafa cases, filed in 2000, are now pending before the RTC-Malolos Branches 17 and 83.

This should serve as fair warning to wayward bank officers who violate their fiduciary responsibility that requires high standards of integrity and performance.

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our economy through their remittances.

“We draw a lifeline from their

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