BusinessDaily (June 6, 2013)

INSIDE LOOK

Metrobank revises PH growth forecast to 7%

Mining firm faces charges for violation of envi laws STI and GCASH Remit make college educ. dreams come true

Napocor ordered to settle unpaid bills with Alsons

Seda Centrio: An ‘emerging international’ destination in Kagay-an

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Volume III, No. 229

Market Indicators

As of 6:16 pm june 5, 2013 (Wednesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P42.01

6,557 points

1 cents

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115.58 points

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Briefly Jobs fair THE Department of Labor and Employment Region XI will be holding its 2013 Kalayaan Jobs Fair this June 12 coinciding with the 115th anniversar y of the Philippine Independence.

DOLE-XI Regional Director Atty. Joffrey Suyao said that the jobs fair will be simultaneously held in two big malls in Davao City (NCCC Mall and Ayala’s Abreeza Mall). He said as of May 31 there are 35 local employers and agencies and 23 overseas employers/agencies participating in the event.

As of May 31 there were about 11,887 job vacancies for the independence day jobs fair of which majority of the jobs are overseas hirings.

Based on the data presented

by DOLE-XI the top 10 occupations with the most number of vacancies include call center agents, sales personnel, product specialists, customer ser vice assistants, sales clerks, drivers, service crew, technical support staff, cashier and factory workers.

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June 6, 2013

Growth further pushes competitiveness higher AboitizPower finishes maintenance works in time for beginning of classes

By CHRISTINE CABIASA Reporter

A BOI T I Z POW E R ha s completed the maintenance works in one of the generators of its power barge moored in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, providing back 50-MW to the Mindanao grid, just in time with the opening of school classes.

The routine preventive maintenance service (PMS) of the generator was necessary to enable the power barge to operate at full capacity, said Jovy P. Batiquin, chief operating officer of Therma Marine South, a an AboitizPower subsidiary that operates the company’s two diesel-fired power barges classes/PAGE 11

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By JOMIE JEAN APOSTOL Contributor

HE National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) is confident that the Philippines will continue its ascent on the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness rankings.

The country climbed up to No. 38 from No. 43 in 2012 out of 60 economies reviewed and is the biggest gainer among Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries. higher/PAGE 11

Sue Cebu Pacific? Not a ‘corporate DNA’: PAL

The 100sMW power barge moored at Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.

DESPITE the cancellation of 50 flights, Philippine Airlines (PAL) yesterday said it won’t claim damages from Cebu Pacific after one of its aircraft overshot the Davao International Airport runway and shut PAL/PAGE 11

Davao City suffers P250-M losses from stalled flights

DOT accreditation THE regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) is working for the accreditation of tourism-related establishments so the latter can avail themselves of government programs.

Accreditation with the DOT brings with it perks like being included in DOT programs and promotional materials, DOT Regional Director Mary June Bugante said during an interview with local media here.

B u g a nte, h oweve r, s a i d they have yet to convince most establishments in the region for accreditation as most are not keen on this program.

“Most of them don’t see any reason to be accredited because they are doing well whether they are accredited or not”, she said. Bugante, however, said the government is intensifying its drive to encourage businesses or establishments to be accredited with DOT.

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By MindaNews

BACK IN OPERATION. A crane pulled out the Cebu Pacific plane that stuck in a muddy ground after it veered off the Davao International Airport runway Monday evening. The airport returned back to normal operation yesterday after having been closed to air traffic for almost two days.

DAVAO City -- Operations at the Davao International Airport resumed at 8 p.m.

Tuesday, 49 hours after a Cebu Pacific aircraft veered off the runway on Sunday night and caused the closure of the airport, cancellation and diversion of flights and losses to the local economy of at least P250 million.

“Conservative estimate of lo s s e s t o t h e lo c a l economy since yesterday is around P250 million,” Jason Magnaye, head of the Davao City Investment stalled/PAGE 11

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

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Surigao chamber to host Mindanao is important to mining industry, says MGB chief Caraga bizcon on June 13-14

By Roel Catoto

OUT of the 397 mining contracts and permits issued by the government as of April 2013, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau said Monday that 31 percent or 123 are in Mindanao, including 106 out of 339 mineral production sharing agreements.

A lso, 16 ex plorat ion permits out of 52 and 1 f i n a nc i a l or t e c h n ic a l assistance agreements were all based in Mindanao.

“The figures on operating metallic mines are more interesting for Mindanao,” Mines Bureau executive director Leo Jasareno told the Chamber of Mines during a mining forum in Quezon City Out of the 38 operating metallic mines of the country, as of May 2013, 20 or 53 percent are in Mindanao.

“When the MGB started accepting mining applications on March 18, 2013, after a moratorium of about 2 years, 16 exploration permit applications or 29 percent of the 56 accepted so far are situated in Mindanao,” noted Jasareno.

“The numbers clearly demonstrate t he ver y important role of Mindanao in the Philippines minerals

industry today,” Jasareno told reporters on the sidelines of the first “Mining Forum: T he M i nd a nao m i n i ng agenda: Socio-economic Transformation.”

At the forum, Mai Dalena Samling, a female tribal chieftain of the B’laan in Tampakan, South Cotabato said tribe members were already benefiting from the presence of the Sagittarius Mines Inc. the proponent of the $5.9 billion Tampakan copper-gold project in South Cotabato.

“Without it, may be our

children would not be able to go to school until now.

There will still be no roads, no water, or health centers,” Samling noted.

SMI is the holder of the financial and or technical assistance agreement since 1995.

SMI was given a conditional environmental clearance certificate (ECC) by t he D e p a r t ment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) early this year.

Jasareno said the of the five major mining projects

in the making, three are in Mindanao, including the SMI Ta mpa ka n coppergold project, the BoyonganBayugo copper gold project led by Philex Mining Corp. in Surigao del Norte and the Kingking copper-gold project of Nationwide Development Corp. in Compostella Valley.

The Mines Bureau expects some 1,20 0 new permit applications for the 1,218 areas now opened to mining.

With the moratorium on new mining applications lif ted, Jasareno said industry/PAGE 11

SURIGAO City— The Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industries Inc., (SCCI) will host the 18th Caraga Business Conference on June 13-14, at the Hotel Tavern here.

SCCI president Willie Gan told MindaNews the conference is designed to update not just business executives but also professionals, academics, government execut ives, investors a nd decisionmakers on current issues a s we l l a s i mp e n d i n g oppor t u nit ies a f fec t i ng business in Caraga region.

The theme for this year’s Caraga regional conference is “Towards Inclusive and Susta inable Economic Growth.”

Topics schedu led for discussion include current economic situation, coping up with the effects of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) e c on o m i c i nt e g r a t i on , weather proofing investments

for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, investing in m i ne r a l pro c e s si n g i n Surigao, public investments in Caraga Tourism Roads, a m on g o t h e r s w i l l b e discussed on this two-day event.

Gan said the conference will assess Caraga’s readiness with regard the integration wherein products of Vietnam and Thailand are expected to penetrate the local market and vice versa.

He said there is a need for assessment so that the business community will be ready once economic integration takes effect in 2015.

By 2015, ASEAN will integrate the economies of its ten-member states into a single ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla will be the key note spea ker at t he conference.

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The Southern Philippine Power Corporation (SPPC) stationed in barangay Baluntay, Alabel supplies 50-MW to the Mindanao grid.

for Philippine-made goods.

Agriculture grew st ronger, at 3. 3 percent f rom 1.1 percent wh i le services expanded by seven percent, slower than in the first quarter of last year.

The manufacturing and construction subsectors suppor ted t he i ndust r y

sector, which grew 10.9 percent from 5.3 percent last year.

Metrobank said initial indicators point to a robust domestic economy, adding that it has revised its fullyear growth forecast from 6 percent to around 7 percent. growth/PAGE 11

Sarsi manufacturer cleared for delisting from stock market T H E Ph i l ippi ne Sto c k Exchange (PSE) has approved the voluntary exit of the manufacturer of Sarsi from the stock market effective June 21.

Cosmos Bottling Corp is delisting its shares from the bourse’s official registry

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Metrobank revises PH growth forecast to 7% WITH the surprise growth during the first quarter, the Philippine economy is likely to achieve the higher end of the government’s target range of 6-7 percent for the year, according to Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. In its latest research note, Metrobank said investment spending was a “surprise” top performer during the quarter, rebounding 47.7 percent from a contraction of 31.3 percent in 2012. Investment was supported by construction and durable equipment.

Private consumption and government spending have expanded but slower than last year.

E x p o r t s , h o w e v e r, remained a drag amid a lackluster global demand

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given the company’s inability to meet the PSE’s 10 percent minimum public ownership requirement.

Publ ic ow nersh ip i n Cosmos stands at 1.79 percent prior to the tender offer, with Philippine Bottlers Inc (PBI) controlling 98.21 percent of

the listed company.

Cosmos shareholders tendered 23 percent of their publicly held shares at P1.758 each following the conclusion of the tender offer last month.

Cosmos has been under trading suspension since sarsi/PAGE 11

Napocor ordered to settle unpaid bills with Alsons REGULATORS have ordered state-owned National Power Corp (Napocor) to settle its unpaid bills with Alsons Power Holdings Corp.

In a decision, the Energy Regulator y Commission (ERC) ordered Napocor to pay Alsons Power subsidiary, Sout hern Phi lippi nes Power Corp (SPPC), for the contracted capacity of 55 megawatts from 2005 to 2010.

“Relative thereto, SPPC and [Napocor] are directed to reconcile their accounts and submit the same, including t he prop o s e d pay ment scheme, within 30 days, from

receipt hereof,” ERC said.

SPPC operates a 50-megawatt diesel plant in General Santos City that has been covered by an energy conversion agreement (ECA) with Napocor since 1998.

Under the deal, SPPC will convert fuel supplied by Napocor into electricity, which the latter will also purchase.

SPP C e x pa nde d t he plant’s capacity by another 5 megawatts in 2005 as the agreement between the two parties allows the private firm to generate and supply up to 110 percent of the diesel plant’s 50-megawatt capacity

to Napocor.

Napocor, however, refused to pay the fees corresponding to the additional 10 percent capacity, as it did not give its consent to the expansion of SPPC’s plant.

In its decision, ERC said SPPC’s contracted capacity “may not exceed 110 percent” of the diesel plant’s nominal capacity and that as owner of the facility “it can do whatever is necessary to manage and operate it for the purposes identified” in their agreement.

And despite its refusal to pay, ERC said Napocor Napocor/PAGE 11

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DoE OKs selection rules on green energy projects THE Department of Energy (DoE) has issued the much awaited guidelines in the selection and awarding of certificates for renewable energy projects that will be found eligible for feed-intariff rates.

According to a May 28 circular signed by Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, the DoE will still apply the “first come, first served” policy in allocating the 760-megawatt installation target for renewable energy (RE) projects.

This policy means t hat upon t he projec t ’s declaration of commerciality, a developer must race against other project proponents in building his own renewable energy facility before he can be awarded an allocation and be declared eligible to avail himself of a fixed cash f low over a 20-year period via the feed-in-tariff rate structure.

Based on the circular, the DoE will have to complete the processing of the declaration of commerciality (DOC) w it hin 30 work ing days upon receipt of necessary documents from proponents.

Upon the issuance of the certificate confirming t he commercia lit y of a project, the DoE must issue an endorsement to National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for interconnection

requirements, such as the g r id i mpac t st udy a nd interconnection agreement.

O nc e t he d e ve lop e r has completed 80 percent of construction, a s m ay b e de ter m i ne d f r o m t h e p r o p o n e n t ’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) cont rac t, he ca n f i le for elect romecha nica l completion before the DoE. The DoE will then issue the confirmation or denial of the electromechanical completion not later than 15 working days from the last day of site validation, the circular stated.

In t he event t he DoE confirms the electromechanical completion of the renewable energy project, the agency will nominate the eligibility of the project under the FIT system to the Energy Regulatory Commission, which will then process the application for certificate of compliance (CoC).

A CoC is a prerequisite to the commencement of the commercial operations of a power generation plant.

It is valid for five years and must be renewed six months prior to its expiration. A CoC also helps ensure that power plant operators will deliver electricity in a clean, safe, dependable and sustainable manner.

DoE/PAGE 10

Applications now open for ITU Telecom World 2013 Young Innovators’ Competition GENEVA—Only four weeks remain for young social technopreneurs from around the world to submit applications to the ITU Telecom World 2013 Young Innovators’ Competition and win up to US$10,000 in seed funding.

The deadline is 30 June 2013.

The third edition of the annual Young Innovators’ Competition seeks innovative ICT-based solutions to six Global Challenges. It is open to any young person between the ages of 18 and 26 with an original concept or start-up with the potential to impact the world and improve people’s lives through the use of connected technologies (ICTs) It’s easy to apply.

Just fill in the application form and send it to young. innovators@itu.int with “2013 Young Innovators Competition” in the subject line. Remember, your submission must address one of our six Global Challenges: 1. Improve employment opportunities for young people and migrant workers High rates of youth unemployment are becoming a social emergency. Many young people seek better ITU/PAGE 10

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Mining firm faces charges for violation of envi laws A MINING firm operating in Surigao del Norte is now facing criminal charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for alleged violations of environmental laws.

by PGMC, soil erosion and u nrehabi l itated m i ni ng areas.”

Named respondents in the charge sheet were Chinese executives of the firm from Hong Kong — chairman Lin Ou Wen and directors Lin Zheng, Lin Qing Ping and Lin Hui. Its president, Joseph Sy, and vice chairman, Rafael Atayde, were also charged.

The NBI a lso sought indictment of four other incorporators of the Makati City-based PGMC Nickel Corp. — Ceferino Paredes Jr., Dante Bravo, Cymbelly

de los Santos and Mindy Guevarra.

The NBI had summoned the executives of the PGMC during its initial probe but failed to show up.

However, they submitted a reply letter, saying the allegations stemmed from a blatant attempt of another f irm, Case Mining a nd Development Corp. (CMDC), to gain leverage in an ongoing commercial negotiation.

CMDC a l leged t he siltation in the mining site has posed danger to the Mining/PAGE 10

Ifugao solon to revive AMMB in Congress

Recall campaign for KIA vehicles on

The complaint for the violation of Republic Act (R A) 79 4 2 (Ph i l ippi ne Mining Act) and RA 9275 (Philippine Clean Water Act) was filed by the National Bureau of Investigation against the incorporators and officers of Platinum Group Metals Corp. (PGMC).

The NBI said the PGMC ha s com m it ted m i n i ng malpractice that posed grave

MANILA—The reelected representative of the lone district of Ifugao yesterday vowed to revive the proposal for an alternative mining law in the 16th Congress.

“There is need to change the existing Mining Act and replace it with a law that will be more responsive to the needs of host communities and sensitive to t he environment,” said Rep. Teddy Baguilat.

Baguilat said the current law, which paves the way for mining operations in select areas in the country, have destroyed communities, caused health problems, d e c re a s e d a g r ic u lt u r a l productivity, and caused the loss of biodiversity.

Local governments do not earn as much as it should

threat to ecological habitat and communities near its site in Cagdianao, Claver town.

In its report following an ocular inspection in April, the NBI said the ore-mining firm had failed to rehabilitate the site.

As proof, t he NBI submitted photos of “uprooted t rees on t he mountainside being operated

from the mining permits issued for the operations, he added.

“Mining’s contributions to the local economy in ter ms of adequ ate a nd s u s t a i ne d e mploy me nt don’t compensate for the environmental and social cost such as displacement of families and discord among people,” he said.

In his proposed Alternative Minerals Management Bill (AMMB), excise taxes on mined products w ill be raised, as well as royalties to indigenous peoples as the majority of mining claims are in ancestral domains.

He a lso proposed to include a provision to set up an environmental guarantee fee to ensure that companies will be able to pay affected

people in the event of an environmental disaster.

“Likewise, we propose that companies must set up processing plants in the Philippines for more employment and higher value of mineral products, which will also mean higher taxes, instead of us just exporting raw ore,” he added.

Baguilat added that the concurrence or rejection to mining operations of loca l government u nits or i nd i ge nou s p e ople s com mu n it ie s wou ld be respected under the proposed AMMB. He also called for the ident i f ic at ion of more protected areas where the mining ban will be strictly enforced. These include Ifugao/PAGE 10

PA G A D I A N C I T Y— Columbian Autocar C o r p o r a t i on (C AC), authorized distributor of KIA vehicles in the Philippines, has announced a nationwide reca ll campaign of KIA vehicles starting last Monday.

DTI Provincial Director Ma. Socorro M. Atay said the CAC, through its nationwide dealership network, shall conduct a limited recall campaign to inspect, repair and replace the stop lamp switch of certain vehicles belonging to some production batch of Sorento (BL and XM0, Carnival (VQ), Carens (UN), and soul (AM) models sold in the Philippine market.

Further, she said the recall campaign is in line with the KIA/PAGE 10

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Foreign couples adopt Filipino children with DSWD’s help

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ore and more couples from around the world are now all eyes with love for Filipino children that are legally available for adoption.

Recently, two couples from Indiana, United States of America, and Zaragosa, Spain visited the Regional Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC) to finally meet their adopted children.

RSCC is a residential facility for children under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The children-residents whose age range from zero to seven years old are declared open for adoption.

Under Republic Act 8043, also known as the InterCountry Adoption Act of 1998, an alien or a Filipino citizen permanent ly residing abroad may f ile an

application for inter-country adoption of a Filipino child under certain qualifications that uphold the welfare and rights of the Filipino child. Among them is that the adopter must be at least twenty-seven (27) years of age and at least sixteen (16) years older than the child to be adopted and If he or she is married, his/ her spouse must jointly file for the adoption; With the capacity to act and assume all rights and responsibilities of parental authority under his national laws, the adopter shall undergo appropriate counseling from an accredited counselor in his/her country; Moreover, the foreign adopter must also come from a country with whom the Philippines has diplomatic relations and whose government maintains a similarly authorized and accredited agency and that adoption is

allowed under his/her national laws; If found qualified, the adopter may file for adoption with the Philippine Regional Trial Court having jurisdiction over the child, or with the Inter-Country Adoption Board, through an intermediate agency, whether governmental or an authorized and accredited agency, in the country of the prospective adoptive parents.

Adoption has been one of the processes being actively advocated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The policy of the State is to provide every neglected and abandoned child with a family that will provide such child with love and care as well as opportunities for growth and development.

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, Regional Information Officer, DSWD-X

DOE consults stakeholders on Resherr code

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat, Contributor

The Department of Energy (DOE) met with biomass renewable energy producers in Mindanao Monday to d i s c u s s t he Rene w able Energy Safety, Health and Env ironment Ru les and R e g u l a t i o n s ( R e s h e r r) Code of Practice before its implementation.

Ruby B. De Guzman of the DOE said there is a need to formulate the Code of Pract ice to be implemented in Biomass process/sector particularly with its many technologies such as combustion, landfill and bio gas digester and so on. We understand that each producer already has its own existing code of practice that is why we need additional input from the Biomass sector before this Resherr becomes law, she added.

Biomass is biological material from living, or recently living organisms, most often referring to plants or plant-derived materials. As a renewable energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or indirectly—once or converted into another type of energy product such as biofuel. Biomass can be converted to energy in three ways: thermal conversion, chemical conversion, and biochemical conversion.

F u r t h e r, b e n e f i c i a l biomass are as follows: energy crops that don’t compete with food crops for land; portions of crop residues such as wheat straw or corn stovers;

sustainably-harvested wood and forest residues and clean municipal and industrial wastes.

P u rsu a nt to Ru le 2 , Section 8 of the Department Circular No. 2012-11-0009, otherwise k nown as the “Renewable Energy Safety, Health and Environment Ru les a nd Reg u lations” (Resherr), and in order to ensure adequate safety and protection against hazards to health, life and property as well as pollution of air, land and water from biomass operations, biomass safety health and environment code are promulgated.

Angeles Bhon Rosal of the DOE said that a biomass operator should provide a safe workplace while protecting the health of the workers.

To achieve t his, sa fet y, health and environment concerns must be thoroughly integrated in the biomass operator’s manual.

B hon s a id t h at t h e essence of this consultation is to gather information to incorporate in the Resherr draft Code of Practice. This is so critical because it involves health and safety of workers, the environment and the entire operation as a whole.

He added that we must be conscious of the safety in the workplace, environment and employees, otherwise not only will it ruin the business and people attached but the cost involved if something happens w i l l be a huge liability to the company.

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FIBECO conducts massive change meter in Bukidnon

By Mildred Borbon Torrejas

To distribute power supply effectively in defected areas, the First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative (FIBECO) has conducted massive change meter in Purok 2, Poblacion, Valencia City, Bukidnon on June 4.

Mr. Armando Canatoy, ma nager, Inst it ut iona l S er v ic e s D e p a r t ment , FIBECO sa id t hat t he program is set to benefit identified areas that has defective kilowatt hour meters specifically ones greatly exposed to extreme heat of the sun and continuous heavy rains in which it is one of the reasons of the meters not running.

“It (not running meters) needs to be ca librated immediately and be sealed by the Energy Regulatory Commission so that the consumers will only pay what is due to them,” Canatoy added.

Meanwhile, Engr. Renato Cortezano, FIBECO general manager said that all area managers are required to submit list of filtered areas or routes wherein defective meters were seen so that the cooperative will take actions towards right away.

Cortezano added that if the consumers have noticed that their meters are not running, they can bring it to the FIBECO office and recalibrate it and if there are some discrepancies, like for example the meters are not registered based on ERC’s actual load basis, the consumers have the right to take back their bills.

Also, the massive change meter was conducted to secure all households safety and to avoid the increase of system loss or non-technical reduction of system loss.

The event was spearheaded by Mr. Ronald Flores of Purok 2.

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Your mind is a terrible The window is closing thing to waste wo years ago, the Macabalan port was scheduled to The P50-million threeget a P400-million upgrade as part of the Philippine unit Roll on-Roll off berth H ammer T hink a minute…Have you Ports Authority’s aim to meet international port facility and breasting dolphins were

T

THINK

heard this expression, “It’s A Minute raining cats and dogs?”

By Jhan Tiafau Hurst It was started in Europe in the 1500’s when many European houses had thatched roofs made from straw.

At night time the animals would climb up on the roof to stay warm, including cats, dogs, and other small animals.

But when it rained hard, the straw became slippery and sometimes the animals slipped and fell off the roof.

So they started the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

It’s interesting how many of us go through life saying and doing things that often we don’t even know why we do them.

Like superstitions which don’t make any sense, yet many of us still believe them.

But as we grow and learn more about life, we slowly begin to understand and change some of our incorrect beliefs and thinking.

We realize that some things we used to think and believe actually are not true, such as superstitions and racial prejudice.

It’s so important that we always keep learning, because our mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Someone said: “You should always keep an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out!”

In other words, we need to use our mind and conscience God gave us to sort through what’s true and what isn’t.

We’re responsible to think and find out the truth for ourselves.

That way we won’t let others rent space in our heads!

As a professor of mine used to say: “If you don’t know for yourself, you’ll get hustled and fooled all your life.” hurst/PAGE 7

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and service standards for 10 key ports by the end of 2011.

Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro) hosted a press conference at the PPA Cagayan de Oro Port Manager’s Office where Port Manager Capt. Necitas G. Layola, Jr. (Ret., PA) presented the following priority projects approved by then PPA General Manager Juan C. Sta. Ana: construction of a new passenger terminal building (P250-million); paving of newly completed back-up area (P71.269-M) and construction of RoRo berthing facilities and berthing dolphins (P50-M).

The first two projects would have been funded by PPA’s internal funds while the third project was conceptualized as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project to be undertaken by the private sector.

The facility would have been used for general cargo, dry bulk and containerized conventional domestic and foreign vessels. It would have also included an additional area for break bulk cargo like fertilizer, corn grains and sugar, and a common storage area for break bulk cargo in crates, rolled steel coils, logs, lumber, bottled cargo and other steel products. A notice of award was given to the winning bidder by the PPA Head Office on May 23, 2011.

The jewel of the expansion project was the P250million two storey passenger terminal with an estimated 1,000-person seating capacity. The program of work for the project was completed by the PPA Head Office and bidding was scheduled at the end of June, 2011.

and

A nvil

By Mike Baños to have been constructed at Berths 1-5 near the passenger terminal complex to ease berth congestion and dedicated to Manila, Cebu, Bohol and Bacolod route RoRo passenger vessels using Mediterranean docking. With the provision of 3-meter w ide elevated walkways, the RORO berth and breasting dolphins would have enhanced the convenience, safety and security of embarking and disembarking passengers.

Initially, five projects were requested by Rep. Rodriguez from the PPA including P20-million for the repair of the warehouse which now serves as the passenger terminal and another P80-million for the construction of a new terminal but the PPA Head Office instead chose to upgrade the request to the two-story P250-million facility.

Why are we referring to all these in the past tense?

Because during the tenure at the Dept. of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) of now DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, he downgraded this and most other of the PPA’s expansion projects so what’s left of the jewel which would have catapulted Cagayan de Oro’s progress to the next level baños/PAGE 7

Charges Dismissed

B

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has scored a legal victory with the dismissal of criminal and administrative complaints filed against three of its officials by representatives of a closed bank.

In a Resolution dated June 29, 2012, the Office of the Ombudsman found no probable cause to indict Bangko Sentral Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr, and Deputy Governors Nestor Espenilla, Jr. and Juan d. de Zuniga, Jr. for alleged violation of Republic Act 7653 (New Central Bank Act) and Republic Act 3019 (Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).

The charges were filed by lawyer Perfecto Yasay, Jr. and Maxy S. Abad. Yasay and Abad represented Banco Filipino, which was closed down by the BSP in early 2011 due to insolvency and other deficiencies.

The Office of the Ombudsman also dismissed the administrative complaint filed against the BSP officials for alleged violation of Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The Ombudsman did not find any convincing and sufficient evidence as basis to indict the BSP officials.

Yasay and Abad had accused the BSP, through the respondent BSP officials, of violating its solemn duty not to reveal information relating to the condition or business of any institution.

They alleged that the BSP had issued a press release, entitled “Banco Filipino operates ‘without safety’ — BSP.” The complainants charged that the supposed press release, which was used as the banner story of a major broadsheet (The Manila Standard) in December 2010, “was obviously

SPEAKING

designed to make its depositors withdraw their deposits from O ut Banco Filipino, if not cause a

By Ignacio Bunye bank run.”

The BSP officials denied issuing any such press release.

BSP’s claim was substantiated by t he newspaper which bannered the story.

Former Manila Standard Editorial Board Chairman Victor C. Agustin, in a sworn af f idav it, stated t hat t he newspaper “secured relevant court documents” and “based on allegations and argument raised by both parties in the court documents, we (meaning Manila Standard) published the article.”

Agustin further declared that “we did not interview any officer, directors, or representatives of Bangko Sentral or Banco Filipino.”

In its June 29, 2012, Decision and Resolution, the Office of the Ombudsman declared that the “complainants’ imputation is x x x squarely controverted and disproved by respondents.”

“In contrast, apart from complainants’ bare allegation, no pertinent or convincing evidence is presented to substantiate and establish the occurrence of the act complained of,” the Office of the Ombudsman concluded.

When one comes to think about it, the BSP officials Bunye/PAGE 7

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 Financial D octor be significantly minimized.

By Adonis Agcopra 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 knowh ow a n d e x p e r i e n c e i s dubious, then you’d better have somebody reliable in the fundamental and technical 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 agcopra/PAGE 7

THE

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Hurst... from page 6

This is why Jesus Christ came: to explain and show us the true way we were made to enjoy the life He gave us.

He didn’t create us to stumble through life in the dark, not knowing the right way to live a successful life.

So why not ask Jesus Christ to forgive you for your past wrongs?

Then ask Him to start showing you His way to true success and satisfaction.

You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Just Think a Minute…

Baños... from page 6

is a pathetic P50-million shell of a Passenger Terminal Building.

H ow p a t h e t i c? T h e original P250-million plan the funds for which were already allocated from PPA’s internal funds and scheduled for bidding, had two stories with a total area of 6,940.54 sq.m. vs. the 2,520 sq.m. of the reduced PTB which is only a bare shell of a building without anything in it.

As in bare floor sans any chairs, baggage carousel, public address system, airconditioning units, baggage claim area, genset, sorting carousel, business center/ c a r r ie r lou n ge , d i ap e r changing area, male/female toilets, baggage handling a r e a , b a g g a ge l o a d i n g

conveyor, departure and arrival galleries, baggage cart parking, escalators, utility rooms, storage rooms, port police/security CCTV monitoring area, check-in area, X-ray machine area and sprinkler system.

And with the disappearance of the second floor as well went the port ad m i n of f ice, smok i ng area, Ka la kbay Centers, carrier of f ices, securit y offices, arrival gates/room, immigration processing a re a , e c u men ic a l h a l l, play area, departure gates, concessionaire stalls, balcony are and view decks.

Although Mr. Roxas may have thought inter-island commuters were increasingly taking to air travel with the advent of budget air carriers, recent passenger traffic at the Macabalan port show the number of commuters who travel by sea through the Cagayan de Oro Port still increased 12.13 percent from 2011 (1,012,099) to 2012 (1,134,824).

The downgrade of the PTB project to its present P50-million shell also comes at a time when air commuters especially to Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo are having second thoughts about undertaking the expensive overland trip to the new Laguindingan Airport which would cost them more in terms of the travel time and airfare than they would have spent had they originated from the

present Lumbia airport.

It is an insult to a city with the prestige and potential of Cagayan de Oro and Nor t her n M i nd a nao to have a passenger terminal building at its premier port without even the barest of amenities its other PTBs in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental a nd B enon i, C a m ig u i n already have.

Re p. Ro d r i g u e z h a s promised to fight the budget cut when the 16th Congress convenes later this year and we are sure he will have t he business sector and civil society behind him all the way. But the window is closing and we have to move fast while the bidding for the P50M PTB is stymied by technical issues else we will not have anyone except ourselves to blame for settling for less than what we deserve to have.

Agcopra... from page 6

and experience, investing t h rou g h profe s siona l ly 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 strateg y may allow you to ha r ness g reater diversification for the same amount of investible funds w it h t he added benef it of direct super vision by professionally-trained and

seasoned fund managers with several decades of cumulative experience in finance.

Cont i nue seek i ng to learn and find ways to make your money work for you.

Investigate before you invest.

Do it now!

---- (Dr. Adonis Agcopra, MBA, CIS, RFC® is with the IARFC and is portfolio director of AFIC Meridian Consultants. URL: www. aficfinancialconsultants. c o m .

E m a i l : aficfinancialconsultants@ outlook.com.)

to P305 million) on February 26, 2009; P500 million on March 4, 2009; P600 million on March 11, 2009; P600 million on March 18, 2009; and P1 billion on March 26, 2009.

Mu c h e a r l i e r, o n December 4, 2002, the BSP

7

extended to Banco Filipino a 180-day special liquidity facility amounting to P3.5 billion. Of this amount, P2.65 billion is past due.

Without BSP’s emergency assistance, Banco Filipino would have collapsed much much sooner.

Bunye... from page 6

had no reason or motivation whatsoever to do the acts complained of.

On the contrary, the BSP officials did whatever was necessary and legally possible to still save Banco Filipino despite its mounting financial and operational problems.

In an effort to stabilize the operations of Banco Filipino, BSP had extended a series of emergency assistance by way of Overnight Clearing Lines (OCL) to prevent the latter’s checks from bouncing.

These Overnight Clearing Lines were extended to Banco Filipino in the amounts and on the dates indicated as follows: P500 million on January 30, 2009, P185 million on Febr ua r y 5, 20 09, P320 million on February 12, 2009; P273 (later increased

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

STI and GCASH Remit make college education dreams come true It is every parent’s dream to see their children finish their education, and achieve their greatest potential. Now, GCASH REMIT in partnership with STI, one of the country's largest network of schools, makes every parent’s dream come true by sending five (5) OFW nominees to college with the Magpadala, Magka-diploma GCASH REMIT Promo.

OFWs sending money from abroad to the Philippines via GCASH REMIT will have a chance to nominate their child, relative or other family member to receive a full scholarship grant for any 4-year course at any STI campus nationwide.

“Education is definitely the best foundation for a successful future, and we at GCASH REMIT understand the need for young Filipinos to acquire a college diploma for a better life ahead. We are excited for this new promo as we are not only sending a deserving student to ter tiar y education, but we’ll also reward the beneficiaries of our OFWs abroad with cash prizes for the winning nominations,”

said Paolo Baltao, President of G-Xchange Inc., a whollyowned subsidiary of Globe and operator of GCASH. “This is our simple way of honoring our overseas Filipinos using GCASH REMIT, who have worked hard for their families from a distance in order to send their kids to college and provide better lives for their loved ones. We hope that with the scholarships, we will be able to make a difference in their lives.”

To nominate a loved one, an OFW family member must send money to the Philippines via GCASH REMIT, which has outlets in 33 countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia,

United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia, Guam, and Saipan.

Ever y remittance sent entitles the OFW to nominate one deserving student for the scholarship g r ant v i a w w w. g l ob e. com.ph/gcashdiploma.

Beneficiaries of OFWs with winning nominees additionally get Php10,000 each. 100 pieces of Jollibee gift certificates would also be raffled away. Promo is from May 27 to August 27, 2013. Scholarship winners will be announced on September 20, 2013.

With GCASH REMIT, the cash pick-up service of Globe, OFWs now have an easier and more

Globe Telecom reaps two awards from Frost & Sullivan G l o b e Te l e c o m w a s honored as Frost & Sullivan Philippines Mobile Service Provider of the Year for 2013 following its remarkable performance in 2012 despite intense competition in mobile markets.

“The strong performance of t he compa ny is t he result of its ability to offer customizable and innovative service offerings, value-formoney promotions, handset and gadget launches as well as the boost from increasing demand for mobile browsing and voice services,” said Serene Chan, Senior Industry Analyst for ICT, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific.

T h e le ad i ng telecommunications company was also recognized by the business consulting firm as Philippines Emerging Infrastructure-as-a-Service Vendor of the Year. The company began offering Globe Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a comprehensive range of cloud solutions relevant to the needs of various small, medium and large enterprises in the Philippines a few years ago.

“Our Cloud Solutions a l low businesses access to the most advanced and rele va nt IC T solut ions available in t he market without the high costs of

READ!

purchasing and maintaining hardware. We are extremely proud that Globe continues to be recognized locally a nd i nternat iona l ly for delivering superior products and services,” said Jesus C. Romero, Head of IT-Enabled Services Group.

Romero explained that with Globe IaaS, customers can get network access and solutions on-demand, and pay only for what they use as equipment that support operations are outsourced to a virtual environment. “With the on-going transformation of our network, Globe will continue to enrich the ICT sector in the country,” he added.

The two awards were given at a ceremony held on June 4 at the Sofitel Philippines Plaza Manila.

The Frost & Sullivan Ph i l ippi ne s E xc el lenc e Awards is now in its third consecutive year and seeks to recognize companies and individuals that have pushed the boundaries of excellence rising above the competition and demonstrating outstanding performance in the Philippines market.

A detailed study of each nominated company was based on actua l market per forma nce ind icators that include revenue growth,

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growth in market share, leadership in new product introduction and innovation, business or market strategy, among others.

In the first quarter of the year, Globe outpaced the telecommunications industry with a revenue growth of 6%, totaling PHP21.4 billion driven by robust growth in its mobile business as subscribers reached 35.1 million follow ing a net addition of 2.0 million.

The first phase of the company’s modernization prog ra m, involv ing a complete change-out of its cell sites nationwide, has already been completed.

Around 60% of its network is already is already on 4G HSPA+ providing faster mobile browsing experience amid growing preference for smartphone use.

In 2012, Globe Telecom garnered two awards from Frost & Sullivan Philippines.

These are Telecom Service Provider of the Year and Broadband Service Provider of the Year. The Frost & Sullivan awards program seeks to recognize companies t h a t h av e p u s h e d t h e boundaries of excellence and rising above the competition and demonstrating outstanding performance in the Philippine market.

Committed to education. GXI President Paolo Baltao (2nd from left) shakes hands with STI VP for Communications Elbert De Guzman (3rd from left) to seal the partnership between GCASH REMIT and STI in providing scholarships to deserving OFW nominees.

With them are GXI Marketing Head Franchette Chingcuanco-Cardona (leftmost) and STI Brand Manager Karen Tabije (rightmost).

Startup Weekend to stimulate growth: Synacy

Australian execs head new Cebu-based tech firm

The Cebu Startup Weekend series should stimulate the growth of a dynamic community of fast-growing global IT businesses in Cebu City that is traditionally a driver of economic growth in the country, say top officials of an Australian technology company that has recently located in Metro Cebu.

“Startup Weekend is a great place for having fun with coders, entrepreneurs and startup-aficionados. Anyone who can knock out a well thought out prototype in a weekend with people they’ve just met we want to chat with,” said Tom Okagami, the vice president of Synacy Inc. Synacy Inc, the newest technology company and employer of choice in Cebu, is privileged to be this year’s gold sponsor for the 3rd Cebu Startup Weekend to be held on June 7-9, 2013 at the Buttenbruch Hall, University of San Carlos - Downtown Campus, Cebu City, Okagami said.

“We are very happy to support the event as a number of our developers and business line staff will join in as participants, while our CEO Rhett Jones will be one of the judges,” he said. “Synacy is excited to take part in the three-day workshop that brings together web designers, software developers, marketers, business nerds and industry heavyweights help each other build and create new ideas and innovations for startups on-site.

“The weekend is also a chance for us to scout for talented individuals with the right mix of innovation and exceptional performance who are exploring job opportunities in Cebu,” he said The first 100 registrants will be given Synacy shirts co-branded with Orange and Bronze Software Labs, our partner in software programming and development.

Synacy is also sponsoring the Startup Weekend after party.

“We are thankful for the organizers, TechTalks.ph, JCI Mandaue, and DOSTICT, for creating such event that could help business-minded people and innovators create their own startups and becoming their very own boss while supporting the eco-system in Philippines”, said Rhett Jones, CEO of Synacy.

The Startup Weekend series in Cebu is critical in the development of a local IT entrepreneurial eco-system that should drive economic growth during the Information era.

After the startup weekend, interested Java developers will gather for an associated presentation made by Orange & Bronze Software Labs associate software engineer, Froilan Co who is assigned to the Synacy team. Presenting a talk about Java for rapid development suitable for startup related projects.

To register for a weekend of ideas and innovations, visithttp://cebu.startupweekend. org Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world in 2011 and has various facilitators and organizers in over 200 cities around the world. Its headquarters is located in Seattle, Washington.

About Synacy Inc. Synacy Inc. is a technology company. It develops software and supports businesses for companies within its own management group. With diverse interests ranging from mineral exploration to information technology and telecommunications businesses the senior management is Australian but Cebu based.

Our software development projects provide interesting technical challenges synacy/PAGE 10

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Mining... from page 4

environment and nearby communities and that PGMC has also failed to remit to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples its royalty dues in favor of the Ma ma nwa a nd Ma nobo tribes in the affected areas.

It said these findings of environmental violations were already established in a multi-disciplinary team report of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in March 2012.

The respondents said they have all the necessary permits for nickel exploration and development in the areas and alleged that CMDC has “money claim” against them as they vowed to disprove the charges in the preliminary investigation.

T he N BI decided to elevate the case to the DOJ for preliminary investigation where all the parties can present their evidence for proper evaluation. (BM)

Ifugao... from page 4

prime agricultural lands, critical watersheds, and small island ecosystems.

“The new mining law will be a very important agenda in the next congress,” he said, adding that on the matter of taxes, most stakeholders such as the Chamber of Mines and government agencies agree that they should be

increased to help the country.

(Interaksyon)

KIA... from page 4

worldwide program of KIA Motors Corporation (KMC).

In the Philippines, the recall will cover 301 units of Sorento BL, 1037 units of Sorento XM, 266 units of Carnival VQ, 1018 units of Carens UN and 394 units of Soul AM. All parts and services will be provided free of cha rge. O w ners of t he above-mentioned models are enjoined to take advantage of this recall campaign. (PIA)

ITU... from page 4

abroad, but migrant works are often vulnerable to fraud, inadequate social protection, difficulties in transferring funds or finding work upon their return. How can ICTs be used to improve youth employment prospects and empower and protect young migrant workers?

This challenge is organized in collaboration w it h t he I nter nat iona l Labour Organization and International Organization for Migration.

2.

Reduce food and water wastage at individual and retail level Almost a third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted in current systems of food production and consumption. This is

often due to retailers or individuals discarding food that is fit for consumption, despite ex pi rat ion date management or improved production processes. How can we use ICTs to reduce the amount of food wasted?

This challenge is organized in partnership with FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and YPARD – Young Professionals’ Platform for Agricultural Research for Development.

3.

Facilitate access to public services for the elderly Senior people utilize online services less frequently t ha n ot her g roups of popu lat ion. Add ressi ng elderly people’s concerns about using these services, as well as improving the efficiency and decreasing cost of provision of these would allow greater political participation and enhance governments’ transparency and accountability. How can connected technology enhance the access to and the delivery of public services for the elderly?

This challenge is organized in collaboration with G3ict – t he Globa l In it iat ive for Inclusive Information a nd Communication Technologies.

4.

Improve natural d isaster pred ict ion a nd response Predicting natura l disasters before they strike is vital to ensure correct

preparations and an adequate response. First responders, those arriving first at the scene of disaster, often rely on outdated and inefficient radio equipment to communicate.

How can we use connected technologies to improve current prediction systems and create user-friendly communication systems for first responders?

5.

Improve road safety for both drivers and pedestrians A rou nd 1. 3 m i l l ion people die each year on the world’s roads and millions sustain non-fatal injuries, particularly young people.

Technolog y has focused on innovation within the automotive sector – it now needs to drive the road safety debate. How can we use technology to make the roads safer for both drivers and pedestrians?

6.

Protect sensitive personal data and inspire the creation of local digital content We have created vast amounts of digital content, including cultural, educational, scientific and administrative resources, as well as technical, legal, and medical information.

It is all vulnerable to loss or misuse, and must be preserved and protected.

Creating digital content drives the economy, but digital devices unequipped for local content (especially in non-Latin scripts) are holding

back local development and infrastructure. How can we use technology to safeguard existing personal data and other forms of digital content without compromising on its availability? How can ICTs inspire the creation of local digital content and bridge the content divide between cultures?

Ten winning finalists will be selected to attend ITU Telecom World 2013 in Bangkok, 19-22 November 2013.

I T U Telecom World 2013 is the leading platform for debate, net work ing, innovation showcasing and knowledge-exchange for the global ICT community.

Yo u n g I n n o v a t o r s ’ Competition finalists will take part in workshops, pitching sessions, mentoring and networking, in addition to receiv ing up to USD 10,0 0 0 pr i z e mone y to further develop their project.

Competition details are found at world 2013.itu. int/#itu_2013

DoE... from page 4

The RE developer will then inform the DoE of t he d at e of s u c c e s s f u l commissioning of the power facility. Once validated, the DoE will issue a certificate of endorsement for FIT eligibility to the ERC. The DoE will issue the CoE until the maximum i n s t a l l at ion t a r ge t p er

technology is subscribed.

In cases of oversubscription, the project proponent must notify the DoE of its option, which may include entering into a bilateral agreement or selling to the wholesale electricity spot market. (EcoBusiness)

Synacy... from page 8

including scaling a high volume transactional system, optimising and building APIs for our partners and developing exciting front end products. We employ agile development methods utilizing Java, Grails, Spring, PostgreSQL and LAMP. The company aims to build a culture that rewards initiative, hard work, ingenuity, and to provide a platform for people who aspire to excel their field.

About Orange and Bronze Software Labs O r a n ge a nd Br on z e Sof t ware Labs is t he f i r s t Ph i l i p p i n e - b a s e d S p r i n g S o u r c e p a r t n e r, w it h over one hu nd red seasoned software engineers specia l i zi ng i n Spr i ng , Gra i ls, Spring Roo a nd Hibernate. As one of the first companies in Asia to use Agile Software Development, O&B was founded on the belief that realistic software development practices and decoupling dependencies usi ng t he Spr i ng a nd Hibernate framework would lead to successful projects and maintainable code bases.

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Higher... from page 1

IMD, a top-ranked global business school based in Switzerland, released the list Wednesday.

After announcing a 7.8 percent g ross domest ic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of 2013, NEDA Director General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretar y Arsenio M. Balisacan said in a press br ief i ng yesterd ay t hat they expect the ratings to improve even further if the kind of growth the economy is experiencing is maintained throughout the year.

“I f you lo ok at t he indicators of competitiveness, how high your economy is growing; how much you are investing in infrastructure; what is your tax effort, nagiimprove talaga tayo (we are certainly improving) so it’s not surprising that our competitiveness rating improves,” Balisacan said.

A statement from the Department of Trade and Industry said the Philippines ranked 11th in Asia Pacific countries, up from 13th in 2011 and 2012, overtaking Indonesia and India.

The country improved its ranking in three out of the four factors – economic performance (from 42nd to 31st), government efficiency (from 32nd to 31st), and business efficiency (from 26th to 19th). The doubled ig it i mprovement i n economic performance can be attributed to big gains in real GDP growth (2nd, up 23), growth in exports of goods (6th, up 53) and international trade (30th, up 25).

The 6.6 GDP grow th in 2012 boosted overa ll productivity growth (4th, up 43) measured as change of rea l GDP per person employed. The country is also ranked 5th (up two) in stock market performance.

However, t he cou nt r y ’s ratings went down seven places in employment (29th) and is ranked 59th in the level of overall productivity (down one) and labor productivity (down two).

On employment, Ba lisaca n sa id t hey a re a i m i ng to generate 1-2 million jobs every year.

“O u r l a b or forc e i s increasing by one million every year so for us to be able to reduce the unemployment rate and the number of the underemployed, we need to be generating more than that number,” Balisacan said.

He added that they will

focus the economy more on potential job-generator sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, logistics, business process outsourcing / information technolog y, ship building, housing and the halal food industry.

PAL... from page 1

and shut down the terminal for two days.

On the sidelines of the San Miguel Properties Inc. annual stockholders meeting, PAL president Ramon S. Ang said the airline has yet to quantify how much it lost from the cancelled flights.

Asked whet her t he f lag carrier would sue for damages, Ang said, “No, no, we don’t do that. We’re very friendly to them. Kawawa na nga, nagcrash na nga yung eroplano.”

“Di bale na yun, di na natin kinukwenta yun kasi y un na ma n na ng ya ring aksidente, di naman nila kagustuhan yun eh. Malas na nga ang inabot nung isa, kukuwentahin pa natin magkano yung loss natin,” he said.

Ang said it is not in PAL’s “corporate DNA to do that to anybody,” adding that, “We don’t take advantage of anybody’s misfortune.”

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) earlier today sa id ot her a irlines t hat suffered flight cancellations or d iversion c a n cla i m damages from Cebu Pacific.

To recall, Cebu Pacific f light 5J971 last Sunday overshot the Davao airport runway, forcing all airlines to cancel their flights in the past two days, with some re-routing to General Santos City, which is more than 152 kilometers south of Davao City.

S t a r t i n g y e s t e r d a y, flights to and from Davao resumed after Cebu Pacific cleared its damaged aircraft from the runway last night.

--Interaksyon

Classes...

from page 1 in Mindanao.

Batiquin said the company had the PMS scheduled one week ahead to May 25 to 28 because of the expected high demand of power when the school classes begin.

“The change in schedule of the PMS allowed Therma Marine to be online just when classes open and the demand for power goes up,” Batiquin said.

“Our team in Therma Marine is work ing hard to ensure Therma Marine

remains to be one of the most efficient peaking power plant, so we can reliably deliver power to our customers and help them cope up with the Mindanao power crisis.”

PMS ac t iv it ie s a re periodically set to maintain the optimum operation of power plants and prevent the facilities from encountering un-expected problems which could result in emergency shut downs.

Therma Marine’s peaking power plants in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte and Maco, Compostela Valley combine for 200 MW. T he ba rges ser ve 23 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities, helping them cushion the debilitating effects of the Mindanao power crisis.

Therma Marine has been running on extended hours in response to the demand for power by the Mindanao grid.

A s one of t he most ef f icient pea k ing power plants in the country, 90 percent of Therma Marine’s power rates are for fuel cost, which is a pass through rate.

The remaining 10-percent covers of Therma Marine’s cost like maintenance, salaries of employees, operations and capital recovery.

Stalled... from page 1

Promotion Center said. The amount includes “losses from cargo, a llied industries, hotel cancellations, airport concessionaires, airport management, among others.”

The airport alone lost about P1 million a day as 80 flights were canceled that could have carried about 2,000 to 3,000 passengers, he said.

Terminal fees alone are a major source of losses as each departing passenger pays P200.

Initial investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has pointed to “pilot error” as the cause of the mishap, CAAP Deputy Director General Capt. John Andrews told reporters in Manila.

Businessman John G a i s a no de s c r ib e d t he landing of Cebu Pacif ic Flight 5J971 Sunday night as “very rough” he thought they would die.

“We could have died when we landed,” Gaisano told MindaNews on Monday.

He said he felt like “we did not land on the runway.” “I think we landed on the soil,” he said.

Andrews showed photographs of the runway

that showed the aircraft t o u c h e d d ow n o n t h e shoulder of Runway 23 all the way to the grassy area.

Gaisano said Flight 5J971 was supposed to have left Manila at 4:50 p.m. but the flight was delayed and they took off only at 5:30 p.m., expecting to land at the Davao International Airport at around 7:30 p.m.

He said there was no announcement at all from the cockpit or the crew about what was happening. “It was strange. There was no announcement at all for so long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes or longer. The pilot said nothing. The flight crew did not come out.”

Andrews said the aircraft was “ beyond economical repair.”

Lance Gokong wei, Cebu Pacific President and Chief Executive Of f icer apologized for the mishap at the Davao airport. He told ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) Business Nightly on Monday that the incident was “most unfortunate” but said it was too early to speculate why it happened.

He explained to ANC that the pilot opted for “precautionary disembarkation” rather than “emergency disembarkation” to avoid panic and injuries.

Mea nwh i le, t he cit y government gave airport o f f i c i a l s u nt i l 5 p. m .

We d ne s d ay, Ju ne 5, to provide written explanation on what happened on Sunday night. The order was issued at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Mayor Sara Duter teCarpio gave the airport management until 5 p.m.

Wednesday to submit the documents asked for. The letter was received by Jose Emmanuel Saddam, assistant airport manager.

“In view of the incident which transpired last June 2, where Cebu Pacific Flight 5J971 crashed and overshot the airport runway, please submit to this office the following information and docu ments,” t he mayor wrote.

The order said airport management should submit t he na me and complete contact information of the designated airport disaster and emergency response officer; its standard operating procedures/ sta nda rd operational guidelines on airport emergency and or contingency plans.

S he a l s o i n s t r u c t e d management to prov ide a schedule of emergency response drills this year. The documents will be included in the formal complaint of

11

DOE consults renewable energy stakeholders in Mindanao on code of practice

By APIPA P. BAGUMBARAN, Contributor

THE Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) of the Department of Energy (DOE) has consulted renewable energy development stakeholders in Mindanao on the Code of Practice for the Renewable Energy Safety, Health and Environment Rules and Regulations (RESHERR).

The public consultation, held today at Dynasty Court Hotel here, was conducted in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency.

Lawyer Marissa P. Cerezo, REMB Assistant Director, said the consultation aims to gather insights, ideas and comments to finalize the Code of Practice for the RESHERR that will be observe in the industry so that the health and safety of environment and the workplace will not be compromise.

The DOE has earlier drafted the Code of Practice to ensure that every renewable energy employer will promote, protect and maintain the health and wellbeing of its employees through the implementation of an occupational health program.

Cerezo said the RESHERR which took effect in November, last year, mandates renewable energy developer and employer to observe the standards set to promote adequate safety and protection against hazards to health, life, property and the environment from renewable energy operations.

It grants authority to the DOE to enforce the rules and other pertinent regulations towards occupational safety, health and environment in the RE sector.

Cerezo said a similar consultation will also be conducted in Cebu on Wednesday for Visayas renewable energy developers and stakeholders. the city government against the airport management for its alleged lack of cooperation with the local government unit. The complaint will be formally filed with the CAAP. Saddam said they will fol low t he order of t he mayor and will submit the information and documents before the deadline. He also assured the public they have an airport emergency plan which was made in August last year. (MindaNews)

Growth... from page 3

This will be anchored by consu mer spend i ng , i n turn driven by strong OFW remittances and benign inflation.

“The rosy outlook for the real estate and tourism sub-sectors w il l stil l underpin the services sector growth. Furthermore, the sustained growth in private construction is also seen to support overall industry s e c tor a nd i nve s t ment sp end i ng g row t h,” t he country’s second-biggest bank said.

Napocor... from page 3

had used t he contested additional capacity from

SPPC on various dates from 2005 to 2008. During this period, SPPC billed Napocor nearly P46 million to account for the 10 percent additional capacity of the company’s diesel plant.

“It will be iniquitous and grossly unfair to allow it to obtain 55 [megawatts] without paying for such capacity,” ERC said.

Sarsi... from page 3

2008 because of its failure to submit financial reports in violation of the Securities Regulation Code.

E s t a bl i she d i n 19 4 5 as Manila Aerated Water Fac tor y, Cosmos ha s ma nu f ac t u re d a nd distributed soft drinks under the brands Pop Cola, Sarsi, Cheers Lemon and Orange, Jaz Cola and Sparkle.

Industry... from page 2

i nvest ment s w i l l l i kely surpass the $718 million target for the year and may even reach $1 billion. The higher number is achievable, he added. “ We e x p e c t m o r e investments to come this year with the lifting of the moratorium,” he added.

When your in Butuan City or in any part of Caraga region, read...

Mindanao Daily Your Mindanao-wide Newspaper

caraga

BusinessDaily

12

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thursday - june 6, 2013

Feature

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

The Night Stalker

Seda Centrio: An ‘emerging international’ destination in Kagay-an

F

oreign visitors and Balikbayans to this City of Golden Friendship are finding Cagayan de Oro’s latest and plushest hotel a destination in itself.

“I have traveled around the world and stayed at 5-star hotels on business,” said Winston Lorenzana Mendoza, Chairman of Lim Solar Philippines and CEO of Mendoza Solar LLC based in California, USA. “Seda Centrio has a unique service, outstanding attention to details and personal requirements, they go out of their way to make my stay very pleasant.”

Lim Solar Philippines/ Mendoza Solar LLC are solar integration companies which are looking to help Mindanao solve its power crisis with renewable solar ener g y. M r. Mendoz a recently held a presentation in one of Seda Centrio’s function rooms and found the facilities and service up to his standards.

Architect Romolo Valentino Nati, chairman and CEO of Makati-based Italpinas Euroasian Design a nd E co -De velopment Corporation, shared the same sentiment. Although he’s been liv ing in the Philippines for the past f ive ye a rs , it w a s h i s first time in the recently opened hotel managed by his fellow Italian Lorenzo Tang. Mr. Nati is the only practicing Italian architect in the country and is the designer and builder of the Primavera Residences

condominium at Pueblo de Oro Business Park.

“I l i ke Sed a C ent r io’s ambience and amenities, very nice for Cagayan de Oro,” Mr. Nati noted. “I especially appreciate the w i-f i and fast internet c on ne c t ion s av a i l a ble to guests. I find it most convenient to be able to use my laptop anywhere in the hotel.”

Another recent visitor wa s Ha n nes K la rbach of Duisburg, Germany.

Mr. K larbach has been visiting the Philippines and Cagayan de Oro regularly every six months since 2006 and finds Seda Centrio a most welcome addition to the city’s growing list of excellent hotels.

“You must have noticed how I wa s const a nt ly grumbling about this and that and moving from one hotel to another with my entire luggage whenever I was in town,” Mr. Klarbach said during a recent tete a tete with this author and Messrs. Tang and Nati. w “Howe ver, I st ayed put in Seda Centrio this time because I found I cou ld actua l ly sleep undisturbed here despite being practically in the center of the city. Seda really is an ‘oasis’, a place of tranquility. The rooms are very well-designed, a

Europe Night at Seda Centrio with Hasan, Romolo and Lorenzo

real pleasure for the eyes.”

Not the least, brothers Mahmut and Rizal Dalkilic Derindag, Turkish nationals who’ve been residents of Cagaya n de Oro si nce 2007, recently booked at Seda Centrio their visiting members of the Risale-i Nur Institute: 25 from Turkey, two each from Saudi Arabia and Australia, and one each from Cambodia and t he U.K. The brot hers Dalkilic hail from the city of Malatya in the province of the same name in Eastern Anatolia region.

The visitors were in town for the 11 May 2013 ground breaking of the Turkish Cultural Center on Yacapin Street which would house a Peace Center, Islamic Art and Heritage Museum and Exhibition Areas, a Masjeed or Prayer area, a dormitory

Seda Centrio Poolside Cocktails

for students and a multipurpose hall. Among the guests was Honorable Selim Sezgin, representative of the Office of Religious Affairs of Turkey, one of the state institutions sponsoring the project. “ S e d a C e nt r i o w a s a beautiful experience for us,” said Mr. Rizal Dalkilic D er i nd a g , c o -fou nder of the Turk ish-Filipino Friendship Association which is t he initiating organizer and owner of the project. “Although it’s at the center of the city yet it’s very peaceful and silent.

Our guests don’t have to go anywhere for shopping since Ayala Centrio is just there, Divisoria is very near. The hotel crew from the reception to waiters at t he restaura nt were extremely kind, got pleasing personality and manifested great hospitality of Filipino culture. I was happy that this newly opened hotel, their rooms are so clean and everything was good.”

Mondebest International Corporation headed by Rizal’s brother Mahmut has also opened a corporate account with Seda Centrio.

Mondebest Corporation Construction and Consultancy department

will undertake the construction of the Turkish Cultural Center together with Bentley Realty Inc. Seda Centrio has 150 elegantly appointed deluxe and Premier club rooms, top tier facilities and amenities, and warm service, which is tru ly exceptiona l considering how the City of Golden Friendship is a l re ady renow ne d for its hospitality. Club and Premier Room guests can enjoy exclusive services at the Executive Club Lounge located at the 11th Floor including complimentary breakfast, evening cocktails and all-day refreshments, and private check-in and check-out.

Its Misto restaurant cum bar cum e-lounge/business center pioneers an all day 3-in-one dining concept that’s the brainchild of fastidious market research of its target clientele as are its flexible functions rooms in the fourth f loor.

The Seda Hotel collection has position itself as the Urban Lifestyle Hotel: fusing contemporary design with the local vibe to create an inviting mix of relaxation, play, and work. So while every hotel boasts of Seda’s trademark

st yle and ser vice, each retains its own distinct personality. Seda hotels are found in Bonifacio Global City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City and Nuvali, Santa Rosa City, Laguna.

“We provide comfort, v a lu e a n d r e f r e s h i n g simplicity that are in line with AyalaLand’s best-inclass product and service standards,” said Lorenzo Tang, Seda Centrio hotel manager.

Centrally located at the corner of C.M. Recto and Corrales Avenues, Seda Centrio is right next to Ayala Centrio Mall and a mere 10 minutes from Cagayan de Oro Airport at Lumbia. Its amenities i nc lude a n adu lt a nd children pool, gym (both at the 4th Level) in-room dining, in- room massage and complimentary Wi-Fi in public areas.

Although it also offers the usual amenities like laundry and dry cleaning, airport and city transfer, Seda Centrio is breaking ground w it h f irst-ever ser vices in Cagayan de Oro like Lifestyle Manager Assistance, Valet Parking, Baby-sitting and Doctor on Call.

Visitors from Turkey enjoying Seda Centrio Lobby

“I like Seda Centrio’s ambience and amenities, very nice for Cagayan de Oro”.

“I especially appreciate the wi-fi and fast internet connections available to guests.

I find it most convenient to be able to use my laptop anywhere in the hotel.”

-Mr. Nati