BusinessDaily Mindanao (May 21, 2013 Issue)

INSIDE LOOK

Quick distribution of coco-levy fund Turkish Cultural Center to rise in CDO

Face-lifting of CDOC starts

Mindanao bags NGCP’s first lineman’s competition

Sun Cellular expands good choices for users with Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

BusinessDaily Economy

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Volume III, No. 217

Market Indicators

As of 6:10 pm may 20, 2013 (Monday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P41.18

7,275.38 points

1 cents

X

4.49 points

X

Briefly Lines upgrade THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the operator of the country’s electric transmission backbone, is set to complete one of its projects to further improve the reliability of the Visayas grid.

The Ormoc-Maasin 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line project included in NGCP’s 2012 Transmission Development Plan will be completed by the first quarter of 2014.

The proje c t aims to reinforce the existing 138 kV line from Ormoc, Leyte to Maasin, Southern Leyte by stringing another circuit i nto t he fac il i t y wi t h a 113.97-kilometer span.

Petron investment OIL giant Petron Corp. is investing around P5 million for the construction of a refueling facility in partnership with the provincial government of South Cotabato.

Roman Escanio, Petron’s network development executive, said Monday the construction of the facility is presently ongoing in a lot owned by the local government in Barangay Morales in Koronadal City.

He said the refueling station project is being im plemente d und er t he company’s micro-filling or Bulilit Station program.

The Petron Bulilit Station is an easy-to-build gasoline station that can start with two to three product pumps and is considered as a more financially viable alternative yet equally sustainable business for micro-entrepreneurs, a project briefer said.

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‘Hybrid’ dispatch seen to end power problem Cagayan de Oro City

By BONG FABE, Associate Editor

I

F they will have their way, the so-called Mindanao Power Crisis will be a thing of the past and will forever be erased from the vocabulary of every Filipino, claimed a group of businessmen in Mindanao.

The Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber), together with other business groups in the southern Philippines, are strongly pushing for the institutionalization of what it called the Hybrid Economic Dispatch to forever solve the power crisis in Mindanao.

The Hybrid Economic Dispatch called for a 24/7 operations of all diesel plants in Mindanao, especially the Power Barges 117 and 118 operated

by Therma Marine, Inc. (TMI), to enable the hydropower plants to save water during daytime and release these during evening peak hours.

The Hybrid Economic Dispatch was first proposed by Engr. Cerael “Dodong” Donggay, former vice power/PAGE 11

Tuesday

May 21, 2013

Ledesma reminded Oca his ‘marching orders’

By BONG FABE Associate Editor

ARCHBISHOP Antonio J. Ledesma yesterday reminded Mayor-elect Oscar “Oca” S. Moreno a nd t he cit y councilors-elect the eightpoint governance agenda that they should implement starting on their first day in office, June 30.

These are (1) water system improvements; (2) health program for the poor; (3) increased budget allotment for the city hospital; (4) city peace and order); (5) environmental preservation and cleanliness; (6) enforcement of traffic rules and regulations; (7) transparency of city hall; and (8) balanced integrated urban-rural development.

In his homily during the Thanksgiving Mass offered

by Team Oca Friday night, Ledesma echoed t hese “marching orders” as he

STERN REMINDER. Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma issued a stern reminder to Mayor-elect Oscar Moreno and other incoming city officials to always adhere to the principle of solidarity, participation and political charity in governance.

stressed the need for newly-elected public officials to adhere to the principles of solidarity, participation and political charity.

T he se t h ree pr i nciple s , he

stressed, are the foundation for good governance “that should be heeded especially by our public officials.”

But these principles also apply to orders/PAGE 11

Rustan’s Supermartket A sustainable energy paradigm for Mindanao adds value to life The people’s RE Power Development Plan POWER OUTLOOK

By BONG D. FABE, Associate Editor

By MIKE BAÑOS Editor-at-Large

T H E power gener at ion sec tor of t he cou nt r y ’s energy industry need not be completely privatized, after all. Neither does it need fossil fuels to make it affordable and sustainable. outlook/PAGE 11

Ambangal mini-hydro plant

“WE ARE here so we can add value to your life. We are here to stay, we are here to grow and we are here to serve.”

With these words, Rustan’s Supermarket President and CEO Bienvenido “Donnie” V. Tantoco III summarized what Rustan’s Supermarket is all about.

True to adding value to every customer’s life, the supermarket t hat treats customers like very special guests, is offering imported yet very affordable items not found in other super or hyper markets. It is able to do this because of its partners and suppliers who put premium Rustan’s/PAGE 11

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

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What every Filipino consumer should know

By JASPER MARIE OBLINA-RUCAT Contributor

LAWYER Fel Lester G. Brillantes of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) region 10 shares important information and reminder to all “modern day” Filipino consumers.

He emphasized five reminders.

First, don’t let anyone insert or swipe your credit card twice without giving you a “transaction cancelled” receipt from the first swipe.

Second, if you have difficulty paying your credit card debt or you are complaining against excessive bank finance charges and credit card agents, do not go to DTI. Instead, lodge a written complaint with the Financial Consumer Affairs Group (FCAG) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Third, don’t respond to any text messages claiming that you won in a raffle and the source of the text is just an ordinary 11-digit number instead of the special three to four digit numbers. Most scammers love to identify themselves as “lawyers.”

Contact NTC’s one-stop public assistance center at 921-32-51 or 926-77-22 for sim card blocking request.

If you want to check whether or not a DTI sales promo number is genuine, verify the same at the DTINCR website. (http://dtincr.ph/verifysalespromo.php) Fourth, tell your parents not to entertain “vulture agents.” They are the annoying people inside the malls asking you if you have a credit card. In some instances, target victims are approached by vulture agents informing them that he/she has won a gift or a “give-away.”

After fraudulent manipulation, victims will be convinced to part their money as insurance premiums or down payments of their products. If they are selling insurance products, lodge your complaint with the Insurance Commission for malpractices of insurance companies or agents.

Fifth, do not invest your money to companies with “Pyramid-Scam-Like-Behavior.” The only people that consumer/PAGE 11

Economy

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor : Nelson Constantino

M’nao products showcased in international food expo ABOUT 100 food products produced and processed in Mindanao were recently fe at u red i n t h i s ye a r’s International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex from May 16-19.

Along with more than 600 other exhibitors from the country and abroad, these Mindanao products stand a good chance for more opportunities to find export partners.

Rome o Montene g ro, Investment and Public Affairs Director of the Mindanao Development Aut horit y (MinDA) cited the recent shipment of Mindanao’s very own organic black rice now being exported to the Middle East.

After positioning the said product in international exhibitions like IFEX, local producers and processors expect more partners and export opportunities to come their way.

“In fact, we were informed that a group of Singaporeans wa nted to get more of this product and explore possibilities for partnership,” he said.

International buyers look for black rice as this is found rich in fiber and anti-oxidants and are usually consumed by health-conscious individuals.

Another product showcased in this year’s IFEX Philippines is the u nsweetened chocolate produced in Davao City by the Puentespinas.

Charita Puentespina, a former Waling-Waling grower who now expands entrepreneurship to cacao pr o d u c t i o n , l e a d s t h e consolidation of cacao beans from various local growers to

supply the foreign chocolate demand.

“We are doing our best to meet the 100,000 metric tons international requirement of fermented chocolate. We are only producing 10,000 to 12,000 metric tons right now but we launched a campaign of planting 70 million cacao trees to produce the required metric tons of cacao by 2016.”, she said.

Other products found at the Exporters Mindanao Hall in the IFEX are Chokolate de San Isidro,Green Gold Gourmet Foods Inc., MRL

Bangus, Ocean Bounties Fresh and Frozen Foods Inc. and many more.

These Mindanao brands are given opportunities to meet with Asia Pacific’s top food industry players like Australia’s Metcash/Metfood, Ch i na’s B& S C ompa ny, Korea’s E-Mart, Kuwait’s Kuwait Food Americana, Malaysia’s Sogo Inc., Middle East’s Emke Group/Lulu Group, Singapore’s 24-Hour Mustafa Center, Thailand’s CP All, and Vietnam’s Saigon Union.

IFEX Philippines is the biggest and most respected export-oriented food show in the Philippines which showcases Asia’s best ethnic and specialty food; tropical fruits and vegetables; fresh sea food ; Ha la-cer t i f ied commodities; and natural, organic and functional food products.

It is considered an excellent networking platform for food exporters and a one-stop sourcing destination for the world to tap into the rich Asian market.

Mindanao region bags NGCP’s first lineman’s skills competition

By LORRY V. GABULE, Contributor

ILIGAN City -- The host region, Mindanao, emerged as overall champion in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) 1st Lineman’s Skills Competition held at the Lineman’s Academy in Maria Cristina, Iligan City on April 23 to 25, 2013.

Four teams composed of 14 linemen coming from several districts in North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas , and Mindanao competed during the threeday event.

After such intensive and exhilarating competitions, the Mindanao Region garnered a total of six gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.

Sout h Luzon ca me in second, followed closely by North Luzon and the Visayas.

Mark Emmanuel Villaspin,

a lineman from North Luzon, was crowned ‘Rodeo King’ for garnering the highest score in the individual and group events.

The linemen were showcased in their full duty gear during the 10 events that they competed, particularly: Steel Pole Erection; Wood Pole Climbing; Rope Splicing; Pole Dressing; Conductor Riding; Knot Tying; Pole Undressing; Hurt Man Pole Top Resource; Bandaging, Splints, and Transfer; and Emergency Restoration System (ERS) Installation.

The event was designed to display the unique skills and talents of linemen that are rarely seen by the public.

Atty Cynthia P. Alabanza, NGCP Spokesperson a nd He ad of C or por ate

Communications, clarified that more than showcasing the competence and expertise of linemen, the competition is an opportunity to honor unsung heroes. NGCP linemen are the frontliners of our operations.

This would give everyone a better appreciation of the risks they take on a day-to-day basis and under all types of weather conditions.

Their commitment and passion to ensuring the safety and reliability of the grid makes them the heart and soul of NGCP, added Alabanza.

NGCP’s regular training activities aim to enhance the quality of transmission services to ensure the reliability of electricity delivered to gridconnected customers like generators, distributors, and large industries, said Alabanza.

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I humbly thank all Maranaos in Lanao del Sur for your overwhelming support. In compliance with your mandate. Together, we will work for the well-being of the poor, farmers, the unemployed, the downtrodden, the youth, students, teachers, senior citizens, and all those who need help.

May Allah bless us all!

Re-elected Gov. MAMINTAL ALONTO-ADIONG, JR.

Face-lifting of CDOC national highway starts MEMBERS of the Maintenance Crew started the facelifting of the national highway here two weeks after DPWH-10 Regional Director Evelyn Barroso gave the instruction to do it on Cagayan de Oro City’s stretch of highways.

The project is being undertaken though a concerted effort of the Regional Maintenance Division and Cagayan de Oro’s 1st and 2nd DEOs, Maintenance Engineers that instructed their field men to rush to the site to implement the order.

Acting Regional Maintenance Engineer Virgie G.

Nayve took time in supervising the work of the field men and sees to it that the instructions were properly executed.

Areas to be improved are the roads within the stretch from Barangays Puerto to Bulua. The island of the road near Gaisano and Centrio malls will be raised to emphasize its structure and for more visibility to the motorists. To prevent pedestrians from crossing, plants will be placed thereat. The structure will also be painted with the DPWH standard color for added beauty and visibility.

Members of the DPWH-X Maintenance crew cleans up the drainage canal along the national highway of Kauswagagan in preparation for the rainy days.

A resident of this place, Director Barroso wants to see Cagayan de Oro City with a clean national highway, well paved roads, painted curbs and gutters, and canals cleared of garbage and debris.

With the on-going improvement, DPWH 10 Regional Office has this to say: “We are appealing to the public to please bear with us in this temporary inconvenience in your trips and travels. Our office is requesting for your understanding and cooperation in giving a face lift to Cagayan de Oro City national highway.” (Sandra v. flores, Information officer/spokesperson)

“Facelifting” of CDO City road is started with the repair/ improvement of the island of the national highway. Photo shows work being done at the Gaisano area.

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Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor : Cheng Ordoñez

Celso Regencia is new Iligan City Mayor

By Sony V. Sudaria

Iligan City -- Police Senior Superentendent, Celso Gumera. Regencia # 8 indenpendent was proclaimed

new Mayor elected Iligan City, last May 14, 2013 with a gaining votes 43,586 in 176 precints all over the city again

him closer rival.

Atty. Joerich Cuevas City Board of Canvassers ViceChairman and Atty. Moli

Bayo Ramirez certificate of canvass of votes and proclaim mayor of winning candidates for Iligan City Mayor and

Salamat sa suporta ug pagsalig among kadaugan, inyong kaayuhan.

MABUHAY MGA KATAWHAN !!!

P/SSUPT. CELSO G. REGENCIA Mayor-Elect, Iligan City

Vice Mayor elected Ruderic C. Marso obtained 41,110 votes the same the highest number of votes legally casted for the said office ComelecCommission on election city election supervisors.

Regencia told the suporters during the mass victory hedded Monsinior Jemar Vera-cruz during the mass at Corpus Christi church

celdran village, Tubod Iligan City that peace and order in Iligan with save Iligan City movement people agains crime and corruption. Ug walay sa kausaban diha sa insakto nga padulngan, dinhi sa atong krusada sa kabus alagaran, diha sa panginabuhian.

Ug panag-inigsoonay oban sa pagpalambo ning syudad sa Iliganong katawhan.

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A nation and her trapped underemployed workers

By CHELIN EMMANUELLE HERNANDEZ

MANILA—Maricel Velasco, 41, dips a thick ball of cotton with a bottle of nail polish remover, Seated above her Maricel was her client, whose creamy, toned legs she stretched out to Maricel’s

lap. The client has her eyes and hands clutched on her iPhone 4, as Maricel dabs the acetone-soaked cotton on the woman’s toes with her brown, stubby fingers.

For half an hour, the woman did not move from her expensive, flowery furniture —so did Maricel, seated on a purple plastic stool. With her client, Maricel had her big and brown eyes

glinted; her round, jolly face resembled the sun, framed by her dark hair in a tight bun.

This half-an-hour work routine by Velasco has been her full-time thing “for a long time”, a decade to be exact, she says. As of late, her home-serviced manicure and pedicure service nets Velasco P300 a day; Sundays are a hit, hauling for Maricel P500 or more.

At around the same period of time that Velasco has been part of what labor analysts refer to as “underemployed,” the number of this army of workers continues to grow —even to an all-time high of 8.546 million after the July 2012 round of the Labor Force Survey. As of the January 2013 round of the LFS, announced last March (the same time economic managers trumpeted a 6.6 percent growth for 2012), there are some 7.934 million underemployed workers.

Being underemployed, says economist Dr. Fernando Aldaba of the Ateneo de Ma ni la Universit y, is a precarious situation. These workers do not have “good quality jobs” —jobs that are regular, with assured security of tenure, and provide a gainful wage, says the labor economist.

This lack of good quality

jobs is a major reason there are more underemployed and more who are poor, Aldaba said, pointing to the strong links between u nd e r e mploy m e nt a nd poverty (that even persists up to this current government of Benigno Simeon Aquino III).

S o Ve l a s c o h a s been walking the underemployment tightrope as the breadwinner of a family that includes livein partner Johnny (who’s unemployed) a nd seven children. She lives at a house owned by an extended family member here, with no light bulbs for the night, not even electric fans. “Paypay na lang, magtiisna lang (Make do with using a paper fan). I’m just glad I have somewhere to live and am not renting,” said the native of Sorsogon.

Upon moving to Manila, Velasco was once a domestic helper for a lawyer, then the former nursing student in Sorsogon learned tailoring at a vocational school upon the employer’s prodding.

She nailed a first crack at a full-time job, at the lawyeremployer’s firm St. Raphael’s, that sells uniforms and goods at a Shoemart outlet. The shop, however, closed in 2000, forcing Maricel to work at a salon in Pasay City nation/PAGE 11

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor : Christine Cabiasa

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Mindanao linemen emerge champions in University on the Air Program NGCP’s 1st Lineman’s Skills Competition for Corn Production soon to be heard in Caraga Region

By Lorry V. Gabule Contributor

The host region, Mindanao, emerged as overall champion in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) 1s t L i n e m a n ’s S k i l l s Competition held at the Linema n’s Academy in Maria Cristina, Iligan City on April 23 to 25, 2013.

Four teams composed of 14 linemen coming from several districts in North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas , and Mindanao competed during the three-day event.

After such intensive and exhilarating competitions, t h e M i n d a n a o R e g i on garnered a total of six gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.

South Luzon came in second, followed closely by North Luzon and the Visayas.

Mark Emmanuel Villaspin, a lineman from North Luzon, was crowned ‘Rodeo King’ for garnering the highest score in the individual and group events.

The linemen were showcased in their full duty gear during the 10 events that they competed, particularly: Steel Pole Erection; Wood Pole Climbing; Rope Splicing;

Pole Dressing; Conductor Riding; Knot Tying; Pole Undressing; Hurt Man Pole Top Resource; Bandaging, Splints, and Transfer; and Emergenc y Restorat ion System (ERS) Installation.

The event was designed to display the unique skills and talents of linemen that are rarely seen by the public.

Atty Cynthia P. Alabanza, NGCP Spokesperson a nd Head of Cor porate

Communications, clarified that more than showcasing the competence and expertise of linemen, the competition is an opportunity to honor u n su ng hero e s . NG C P linemen are the frontliners of our operations. This would give everyone a better appreciation of the risks they take on a day-to-day basis and under all types of weather conditions.

Their commitment and

passion to ensuring the safety and reliability of the grid makes them the heart and soul of NGCP, added Alabanza.

NGCP’s regular training activities aim to enhance the quality of transmission s er v ic e s to en su re t he reliabi lit y of electricit y delivered to grid-connected customers like generators, d ist r ibutors , a nd la rge industries, said Alabanza.

DOST-10 gets another ISO 9001:2008 continued certification The Department of Science and Technolog y Region 10 (DOST-10) has again received recommendation for ISO 9 0 01:20 08 (for qua lit y ma nagement system) certification from Certification International Philippines, Inc. (CIPI).

This came after the office hurdled another round of surveillance audit last May 9-10 where the CIPI Auditor found zero non-conformities.

The audit focused on the provision of science and technology services, science promotion, science and technology information dissemination and science and technology scholarships and covered systems and processes on procurement, customer satisfaction feedback, internal audit, corrective/prevention action, and management review.

CIPI lead auditor Joselito Soler congratulated DOST Region 10 for its continued commitment to maximize the use of the QMS in its operations. And in response to Soler’s evaluation, DOST10 Regional Director Alfonso

A la mba n ex pressed his appreciation of the audit proc e s s a nd noted t he valuable insights for the continual improvement of the QMS and effectiveness of DOST-10”s operations which redounds to better services.

It was in March 30, 2009 when DOST-10 got its first ISO certification.

It was the first regional government line agency in Region 10 to be given an ISO certification and t he f irst agenc y i n t he region to be awarded two international standards—the ISO 9001:2008 and the PNS ISO-IEC: 17025:2005 for its Regional Standards and Testing Laboratories (RSTL).

A s a n ISO - cer t i f ied organization, DOST Region 10 is required to maintain its Quality Management System as part of its commitment to continually upgrade its competencies to serve not only the people in Region 10 but also those from other regions who wish to access its services.

DOST ’s move to get

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an ISO certification is in line with Executive Order 605 issued on 23 February 2007 “Institutionalizing the Structure, Mechanism and Standards to Implement the Government Quality Management Program.”

CIPI is duly accredited by the Philippine Accreditation Board (PAB) and the United K ingdom Accred itat ion System (UKAS). It is one of the best ISO 9001:2008 standards certifiers, both in the Philippines and abroad.

Recognizing the power of radio, the AgriPinoy Corn Program of the Department of Agriculture-Caraga will conduct the University on the Air (UOA) on White Corn Production.

The radio course will be carried out through the expertise of the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Div ision (Rafid) with support of its “farmcasters” from the local government units (LGU).

L a s t Apr i l 16 -18 , a series of mass briefing and enrollment was conducted in the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and in Butuan City.

A rou nd 50 0 fa rmerstudents were of f icia l ly enrolled in the program in the whole region.

The UOA on White Corn Production will be aired one hour per week from June to August 2013.

Enrolled farmers will just need to tune in to the radio program and learn the lesson based on the course module

to be discussed on air.

The program will be anchored by the respective “farmcasters” with support of t he LGU-based corn coordinators.

Outsta nding farmerstudents will be selected based on their class performance and examinations. They will be recognized during the mass graduation tentatively set this September.

During the enrollment, Rafid OIC Rebecca Atega said that radio is the cheapest means of communication and is a powerful tool in disseminating t he right technolog y by reaching target audiences even in the remotest place.

Caraga AgriPinoy Corn Prog ra m Coord inator Abel Wagas also expressed optimism that the UOA on White Corn Production could help improve farming practices.

W hite corn is being advoc ated for hu ma n consumption as identified under t he Food Staples Sufficiency Program.

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The Regional Election Board of Canvassers formally proclaimed Mujiv Hataman and Rashid Lucman as elected governor and vice governor, respectively, at 10:00 o’clock, May 17, 2013, at the Regional Legislative Assembly. Hataman garnered a total of 444,227 votes while Lucman got 472,417 against their opponents who each garnered some 200,000 votes from the different provinces under the ARMM. Regional secretaries, directors, friends and family members of the winning candidates attended the proclamation. The winning duo expressed their thanks and gratitude to voters who entrusted their votes and trusted them.

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The truth hurts

T

hink a minute…Henri Latour was the greatest A Minute detective in France during

By Jhan Tiafau Hurst the 19th century.

He was a mastermind at finding evidence and clues, then fitting it all together to find the criminal and bring him to justice.

But mysteriously, this living legend’s career suddenly ended.

Detective Henri Latour was called to the scene of a horrible, violent crime.

An old couple had been robbed and brutally murdered.

The police had already arrested a suspect. But shortly after studying the crime scene and evidence, Latour’s instincts convinced him that the police had arrested the wrong man.

He promised the police and the family that he would find the missing pieces of the puzzle and the murderer.

So began what many have called the most brilliant tracking of a criminal in the history of France.

Henri Latour carefully gathered all the different pieces of evidence, one piece at a time, until he finally found his man and criminal.

The newspapers praised Latour’s brilliant detective work and spread the news of his fame all over France.

Then suddenly, after solving that case, Latour retired and moved away.

In fact, he lived alone for the remaining 25 years of his life.

You see, it was only after he died that the true identity of the last criminal Latour tracked down was made known to the public.

In his last case, Latour had refused to back down from hurst/PAGE 10

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Election Realities

ou are probably fed up with posts about the recent elections. Unfortunately, the effects of May 13 will affect the country for the next generation and beyond in terms of infrastructure, laws, policies and projects. It is this batch of elected leaders which will make or break our salary structure, registration processes, documentary requirements, even traffic rules. Despite the existing laws and the repeated howling of election watchdogs, the following realities can be gleaned from our midterm polls: 1. Buying and selling votes are traditional customs legitimized by poverty. The widespread vote trading further shows us two things: one, that politicians have a lot of money and, two, that voters need money. Who gives the politicians the funds for the voters? Some say the money comes from jueteng. Some trace the money from public funds. In Aga Muhlach’s instance, he said the money came from the conditional cash transfer program (still public funds). It could also have come from the re-alignment of the budget previously allotted for election lawyers. With the automation in place, there is almost no need for politicians to engage lawyers and paralegals to watch over the now automated counting and canvassing.

After the May 13 elections comes the payment of tuition fees, and a long stretch of uncertainty for many who live

D

S

day to day on a gross monthly o the public wage of P8,000. Less taxes. Less may know social security deductions.

By Atty. Sara Jane A. Suguitan L e s s o t h e r g o v e r n m e nt contributions before you can start to spend on food, rent and transportation. To be given P500 by each candidate is an easy way to survive. For that day or two.

2. Television networks win big time in elections. ABS-CBN posted increased advertising revenues for January-March 2013 in the amount of P4.4 billion due in large part to political ads. GMA’s advertising revenues likewise increased, hitting the amount of P2.950 billion. One can only speculate that the campaign expenditures was financed by big businesses, and allowed by the Supreme Court ruling that removed airtime limits.

3. Town hall meeting or meeting de avance is an endangered specie. A meeting de avance is not the same as a political rally or a campaign sortie. In a town hall meeting, Suguitan/PAGE 10

Jaded democracy

emocracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT But what does it mean to choose wisely? Should adverse criticism be characteristic of our government leaders; is it suffice to say the Filipinos have not chosen wisely?

A democracy is the will of the majority and as of late have chosen dynasties, anti-Catholic Church teachings, succumbed to vote buying and worst of all; agreed via recall to the popular candidates who have spent hundreds of millions to acquire the national positions they have been declared into.

The following by Alex P. Vidal/ House-of-Representatives: “We always maintain that it is not healthy for democracy if the government’s executive and legislative branches are always in honeymoon stage.

More danger lurks if they end up as lovers. Rubber stamp legislatures have been used to circumvent the law and tolerate excesses and abuses committed by heads of executive branch.

Presidents, governors, mayors, village chiefs (barangay kapitanes) already wield awesome power. If the legislative branch is under their beck and call, democracy will agonize; check and balance will go down in skid row.”

The issues are characteristic of our present leadership considering the popularity of the President.

The legislative and the local governments are now allied

SUPER

with the Liberal Party that is synonymous of the presidency.

B randing Are we now doomed with By Harry Tambuatco the absolute of powers that are now in place strengthened by the recent elections?

The answer is YES? Further according to Vidal; “It’s not healthy for democracy if some newly elected senators will proclaim to high heavens that they owe their victory to President Noynoy Aquino, who feverishly campaigned for the ruling Liberal Party bets before the May 13 midterm elections.

City, provincial and municipal councilors who attribute their victory heavily on the backing of their standard bearers for governor and mayor are also guilty of waltzing with the executive branch at the expense of the principle of inter-independence”.

ENLIGHTENMENT or do we mean EDUCATION? Education is always the key to save the people from poverty and oppression.

But do we have a sustaining education for the mass base in this country?

No less the comelec that is mandated to educate are tambuatco/PAGE 10

Retirement and inflation

Copy Editor

Crystaline pino

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

D

o you plan to retire someday? Whether it is by choice or by force, whenever that retirement comes, most people say they plan to. But have you started with strategies to get there as planned? Most say they haven’t thought about it.

Some people have this big dream in life – to be able to retire earliest and at the youngest possible age.

As Jim Rohn says, if you’d like to do what you want to in life as long as you can, then you’d better be doing the things that you have to as quick as you can!

Accumulate enough money by then so you need not worry that much about money again.

For the detractors, money is of course not the most important thing in this world.

But as Zig Ziglar would say, our need for it is as close to oxygen!

Among the most important factors to consider when projecting realistic future retirement figures is the increasing cost of living due to inflation.

For the past 30 years, Philippine inflation rate averaged 6% per annum.

Granting you are now age 45 and desires to “retire” at age 60, you have 15 years to go.

At 6% projected annual inflation, if you look forward to living a lifestyle based on a current monthly cost of living of PhP50,000 (PhP600,000 annually), then expect to spend approximately PhP120,000 each month (PhP1,440,000 annually) by the time you retire!

Then we ask: How long do you expect to last?

Based on your personal life goals as well as your family medical history, would you probably last until age 75?

Having this projected scenario, by the time you retire at age 60, what assets do you think should you have accumulated by then to support your 15 years of retirement?

How much should its worth be?

Acc u rate mat hemat ic a l computations can simulate these Financial D octor projections.

Based on the law of averages,

By Adonis Agcopra a f r iend once sha red t h is perception.

Of all the resources at our disposal, the most important three seems to be time, energy and money.

The usual story goes this way. In our younger years, we have so much time and energy, yet we don’t have that much money.

In our mid-life years, we still have energy and (if we are industrious enough) our personal assets begin to accumulate, but it seems like we have so little time to do all the things we would like to do.

In our later years, we have time (and hopefully, we still have money), yet our energy is already on its way down.

From this observation, one last very important question goes: When retirement comes and your energy has waned, do you expect to be able to support yourself with your own money, or would you like to go through the struggle of being dependent to someone else?

These are questions worth seriously pondering. Start creating a plan to support the future and senior you. Your future is in your hands. Do it now!

---- (Dr. Adonis Agcopra, MBA, CIS, RFC® is with the IARFC and is portfolio director of AFIC Meridian Consultants. URL: www. aficfinancialconsultants.com. Email: aficfinancialconsultants@ outlook.com - Ed)

THE

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Ground Breaking Turkish-Islamic Cultural Center

7

TURKISH CULTURAL CENTER TO RISE IN CDO

30

distinguished guests from Turkey were in Cagayan de Oro last May 11, 2013 to attend the groundbreakingceremony for the construction of the proposed TurkishCultural C enter on Yacapin Street.

The 3,850 square meter building is planned to house a Peace Center, Islamic Art and Heritage Museum and Exhibition Areas, a Masjeed or Prayer area, a dormitory for students and a multipurpose hall.

Among the guests was Honorable Selim Sezgin, therepresentative of the Office of Religious Affairs of Turkey, which is one of the State institutions sponsoring the project.

He quoted the Quránic verse‘’O Mandkind, Surely We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another (and so build mutuality and cooperative relationships).

Surely, the noblest of you in God’s sight is the one best in piety, righteousness and reverence to God..’’

(Qurán 49;13) to explain the rationale behind the project. ‘’It is our responsibility to spread peace and goodwill amongmankind and we envision this Center

to pave multi-cultural understanding and unity” says Rizal Derindag, cofounder of the TurkishFilipino Friendship Association which is the initiating organizer and owner of the project.

Also present in the

ceremony was the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Commissioner for Mindanao Hon. Salem Demuna, who relayed the good wishes of the NCMF Secretary and the Office of the President of the Republic of the

Philippines and calling the ground -breaking a ‘’historic day for the Philippines and Turkey.’’

The Care Solidarity and Friendship Association (based in Istanbul, Turkey) which has been instrumental in thebring-

ing in of scholarship help for poor Filipino students and the annual Ramadhan and Qurban/ meat- distribution project , along with individual volunteers from the Risale-i Nur Movement in Turkey are co-sponsors of the said

Turkish Cultural Center.

Construction work, a joint venture by Bentley Development Inc. and Mondebest International Inc. is hoped to begin within 2 months after securing all necessar y permits.

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AgriBusiness

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor : Bong D. Fabe

UN: Eating insects can help fight obesity ROME—The thought of eating beetles, caterpillars and ants may give you the creeps, but the authors of a UN report published on Monday said the health benefits of consuming nutritious insects could help fight obesity.

More than 1,900 species of insects are eaten around the world, mainly in Africa and Asia, but people in the West generally turn their noses up at the likes of grasshoppers, termites and other crunchy fare.

The authors of the study by the Forestry Department, part of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said many insects contained the same amount of protein and minerals as meat and more healthy fats doctors recommend in balanced diets.

“In the West we have a cultural bias, and think that because insects come from developing countries, they cannot be good,” said scientist Arnold van Huis from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, one of the authors of the report.

Eva Muller of the FAO said restaurants in Europe were starting to offer insect-based dishes, presenting them to diners as exotic delicacies.

Danish restaurant Noma, for example, crowned the world’s best for three years running in one poll, is renowned for ingredients including ants and fermented grasshoppers.

As well as helping in the costly battle against obesity, which the World Health Organization estimates has nearly doubled since 1980 and affects around 500 million people, the report said insect farming was likely to be less insects/PAGE 11

COCO-LEVY FUND DISTRIBUTION. Farmers stage a demonstration outside Malacanang in Manila demanding the release of so-called coco-levy funds. Photo courtesy of demotix.com

Farmers insist on quick cash distribution of coco-levy fund

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

THE Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the claimants movement Coconut Levy Funds Ibalik sa Amin (CLAIM) reiterated on Sunday the call for the immediate cash distribution of the coconut levy fund to the legitimate owners.

Wilfredo Marbella, deputy secretary general of KMP and spokesman of CLAIM, said cash distribution of the

coco-levy funds “in the form of social benefits, including medical and hospitalization benefits, maternity benefits

and educational assistance i nclud i ng schola rsh ips, among others, are more important to small coconut farmers than dole-outs or even road projects,” which he said are highly vulnerable to corruption.

Marbella said their group suppor ts t he enactment of House Bill 3443 or the proposed Coconut Lev y Fu nd s Ad m i n i s t r at ion

Coconut oil exports slump in April after 1Q increase

R12: Leading coffee producer in PHL COTABATO CITY – Which region in the Philippines is the top coffee producer?

Central Mindanao is the leading coffee producer in the country, according to the AgriPinoy High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).

H VC DP R e g i on a l Coordinator Danilo Centillas

of Region-XII - which is composed of the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Saranggani and the cities of Koronadal, Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong and Gen. Santos - said the region produced 27,869 metric tons of coffee last year.

He said coffee farmers

in the region, especially in Sultan Kudarat, had brisk harvest making it the number one agriculture commodity in the region.

It also made Region 12, also known as Soccksargen, as the leading coffee producer in the country.

Centillas attributed the coffee/PAGE 10

Tuna movements show need for conservation SATELLITE tags attached to adult yellow f in tuna show its movements cover a vast expanse of the Coral Triangle and the need to preserve this valuable patch of Earth.

T h e c o m m e rc i a l l yvaluable yellow fin tuna move around Coral Triangle waters , a k now n t u na

nursery and migratory path, producing about 30 percent of the total global tuna catch.

T h e m o v e m e nt s o f four mig ht y sw immers named Amihan, Badjao, Hagibis and Buhawi are being followed via a species tracking map deployed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Philippines and

the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

T he m ap s how s i n color-coded coordinates how fa r t he f ish have swam since being tagged off the western seaboard of Mindoro Occidental.

(Follow the movements of Amihan, Badjao, Hagibisc tuna/PAGE 10

and Management Act filed

by Party-list Rep. Rafael Maria no of A na kpaw is, which seeks to establish a council composed of coconut farmers themselves to manage the funds.

KMP and CLAIM object to the Aquino administration’s plan to include P120 billion of the coconut-levy funds in the 2014 budget. fund/PAGE 10

PHL eyes more agri exports to Singapore

MANILA—The Philippines is poised to ship more farm pro du c e t o Si n g ap ore , according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

On t he sidel i ne s of t he Inter nat iona l Food Exhibition 2013, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said PHL/PAGE 11

M A N I L A— C oconut oi l (CNO) exports slumped last month after major markets stocked up on the commodity in the first quarter, the United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP) said yesterday.

UCAP executive director Yvonne Agustin said CNO shipments fell to 55,800 metric tons (MT) last month from 65,051 last year. Despite April’s decline, the year-todate shipments of 375,777 MT were nearly 60 percent higher than the 235,071 in 2012.

“This may be one of the Slump/PAGE 11

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Tambuatco... from page 6

remiss of this duty restricting their enlightenment mandate on how to use the “pcos” and the violations under the law (of which they are f irst to violate) rather than to teach and educate the majority on the ills of dynasties and the singular and absolute authority of one over the three branches of government.

“Baron De Montesquieu, a central figure during the Age of Enlightenment, had warned that when the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws to execute them in a tyrannical manner.”

“The advocate of the theory of separation of powers had warned further that “there would be an end of everything were the same man or the same body, whether of the nobles or of the people, to exercise those three powers, that of enacting the laws, that of executing the public resolutions, and that of judging the crimes or differences of individuals.”

This article should awaken the “illlustrados” of the country be it for businessmen, bankers, entrepreneurs, the educated and civil society but is it possible they too are part of the band wagon that takes from the people rather than to gives back to the people.

The Church has lost its charm and influence amongst its flock other than to participate in Sunday masses.

The past elections have proven there is no longer a Catholic vote nor is there a Church following based on the doctrines the faith is anchored on.

The danger here is what we call a sustaining model to maintain a sufficient market where the very market is bled to a point we lose it all together.

A social responsibility is to maintain to sustain the pillars of a free market economy to draw talent from, a workforce and the market for consumerism.

Our democracy is jaded!

Hurst... from page 6

t he t r ut h, e ven when h is investigation revea led and proved that the murderer was none other than Latour’s own son.

Sometimes the truth can be very painful.

But sooner or later we each have to face it: we’ve done some things wrong in our life.

And until we admit this fact to our Maker, we’ll never be free from our guilt.

It’s then we realize that the price we pay of hurting our pride is nothing compared to losing our relationship with our Maker.

And the only thing we have to do is ask Jesus Christ for His forgiveness and new life.

Then with Him in charge, we can start changing and living

His way, which is the only way we’ll ever have peace of mind and be free.

Just Think a Minute!

Suguitan... from page 6

candidates are placed side by side with their fellow candidates vying for the same position.

They introduce themselves, present their platforms, debate between themselves and answer questions openly from t he registered voters of the area.

There are almost no longer such opportunities now.

4. Elections are bot h a familiarit y and popu larit y contest. May 13 was not an issue-driven elections. It was not defined by the RH issue, the dynasty issue or even religious issues. There may even be no such thing as a Catholic vote or even an Iglesia ni Cristo vote that can drastically decide who will be elected. It is really about name recall and popularity.

Enrile was a familiar name that fell out of favor because of numerous smear campaigns.

Muhlach is a familiar name that perhaps wasn’t popular among the voters in Cam Sur. So is Anabelle Rama’s. Being a showbiz personality or a scion of a political dynasty is a must and a plus.

5. Mismanaged elections result in inconvenience. It must be an underlying theme of our government services to make sure that all who avail of them must fall in lines of at least one kilometer long for as long as at least one hour. Polling precincts were jampacked from morning until evening on May 13. This was already a problem in 2010. Comelec also foresaw the stalling of PCOS machines, yet, Comelec did not prepare for it. It could have relocated the polling precincts to basketball c ou r t s , g y m n a s iu m s a nd conference rooms. It could have removed the bottleneck caused by limiting only 10 people to fill the ballot in a classroom at a time (hell, let hundreds of people fill their own ballots at their own time in any classroom and let them line up to the PCOS machine).

It could have trained the public school teachers who stood as Election Inspections months ahead of time and ran election drills left and right to make sure they are prepared. Some teachers got to see the machines only on the week before May 13, during the “final” testing and sealing, meaning final to the Comelec but a first to the teachers. (It must be noted however, that international election observers were given first class treatment complete with look, feel and touch of the PCOS machines and a one-onone with the Comelec Chair.)

Comelec could have solved 2010 problems creatively, but no! Comelec has decided not to recognize that they conducted elections in a grand ly inconvenient manner for all of us concerned, including their personnel.

6. A peaceful election is one with only 51 people dead. That’s 3 down from 2010 elections’ dead count of 54. That’s what

the Comelec implied when Cha i r ma n Br i l la ntes gave himself a pat on the back and declared that the election under his chairmanship was the “best” and the most “peaceful”. I for one would personally prefer to hear Chairman Brillantes acknowledge all concerns and commit to work on those areas for improvement. Will it not be music to our ears if he says, “We will now allow the source code review and examine the g litches. We w i l l work on training election inspectors every year so that they will be more prepared in the next elections. We will push for the updating of election laws and rules to adopt to the changing times. Lastly, we will work towards a 2016 elections with a goal of zero lives lost and zero victims of election-related violence.” But, NO! What we keep hearing is “I will resign!” and “I will sue the critics!”

The first is a lie; the second has no leg to stand on. A note to the Comelec media team: Choose a spokesperson who is not pikon in order to shield the Chairman from throwing rather embarrassing tantrums before reporters.

Fund... from page 8

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, in a memorandum to agency heads, indicated that the use of the coco-levy funds starting in 2014 is to promote “inclusive growth” and to make people feel the benefits of the country’s economic growth.

The proposed “integrated coconut industry and poverty reduction road map” is now with President Aquino.

“Abad ’s plan to use the coconut-levy funds will surely face small coconut farmers’ resistance nationwide. This socalled road map is the very same anti-coconut farmer program prepared by Joel Rocamora and the National Anti-Poverty Commission,” Marbella said.

Marbella said the Aquino administration’s plan to use t he coconut-lev y f u nd for programs like the controversial Conditional Cash Transfer Prog ra m or t he Pa ntaw id Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms is unacceptable.

“A q u i n o , A b a d a n d Rocamora did not contribute even a single centavo to the coco-levy funds. They do not have the right to use our money,” Marbella said.

The DBM memo also states that, “Dire povert y occurs among coconut farmers even while there is a huge growth potential from the coconut industry, with around $935 million in annual export receipts and 5.2-percent value added contribution in agriculture.”

Abad noted that based on official data, around 28 percent of coconut farmers have no access to a national highway, 21 percent are 5 kilometers or more away from a national highway, and 13 percent are more than 2 km but less than 5 km from a national highway.

“This indicates that the

Aquino administration will again use our money for ‘farmto-pocket’ roads despite the Supreme Court’s crystal clear ruling that the coco-levy funds must be used only for the benefit of small coconut farmers,” Marbella said.

“The multibillion coconutlevy funds will be Abad and Aquino’s offering to incoming members of the 16th Congress,” he added.

Ma rbel la s a id pover t y persists in coconut-producing regions mainly because of high land rent, the imposition ofresicada, low prices of copra, and other semi-feudal forms of exploitation, and not due to the lack of access roads.

“Farm-to-pocket roads will not solve the lingering poverty and hunger suffered by small coconut farmers. We don’t want so-called road projects that only benefit corrupt local officials. We want our money back,” Marbella added.

Part of the coconut-levy fund has been recovered by the government.

The P56.5 billion from the 27 percent from San Miguel Corp. is deposited in escrow by the PCGG at the Bureau of Treasury. The P13.5- billion dividend earning is with the United Coconut Planters Bank deposited as a special drawing account and earning 3.5 percent to 3.6- percent interest. (BM)

Tuna... from page 8

Buhawi at: http://wwfgap.org/ tracker/tuna/manila/.)

“The data we have gathered so far reveal that tuna movements cover an impressive amount of nautical miles a day, travelling back and forth in a general north-south direction from where they were caught and released,” said Dr. Jose Ingles, Tuna Strategy Leader of the WWF Coral Triangle Program.

“While still preliminary, the results signify that to properly manage this yellowfin tuna stock, we need to consider si mi la r or compli menta r y conservation measures along t he geographic area of its movements.”

The tuna tagging project in Philippine waters aims to gather more data on the movements of yellowfin tuna.

“Through this activity, we hope to identify key spawning, feeding and nursery grounds of this much sought-after species and make a case for governments to protect these sites,” Ingle said.

The tuna industry is an economic driver in the Coral Triangle — which covers the seas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste – and feeds millions of people and provides jobs and livelihood to thousands of fishers and their families who directly depend on ocean resources.

The Coral Triangle – the nursery of the seas – is the world’s center of marine life, encompassing around 6 million square kilometers of ocean. It is home to 76 percent of the world’s known coral species;

and 37 percent of the world’s coral reef f ish species and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays and sharks as well as six of the world’s seven known species of marine turtles.

The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nurser y grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin growing tourism.

Increasing global demand for tuna, however, has driven the over extraction and illegal fishing of the species, causing an alarming decline in tuna stocks. Yellowfin tuna are now classified as fully overexploited.

“By tagging tuna, we hope to gather critical information that can help protect the species in specific sites during its most vulnerable life stages,” Ingles explained. “Data collected will help inform management plans for a more sustainable tuna industry in this part of the world.”

A total of 16 pop-up satellite tags will be deployed on large adult yellowfin tunas (weighing more t ha n 70 k i log r a ms) throughout the duration of the tagging activity.

Pop-up satellite tags, which are attached at the back of the tunas, collect vital data such as temperature, depth and light intensity, and are programed to automatically detach from the fish after three to six months when it f loats to the surface and sends out information via satellite transmission and into a server. (WWF)

Coffee... from page 8

high cof fee product ion in the region to the assistance extended by the Department of Agriculture (DA) like the dispersal of high variety planting materials and seedlings. ”This is like hitting two birds with one stone since having plenty of coffee trees in the forests help cushion the impact of climate change,” Centillas said.

Reg ion 12 wa s second nationwide in the production of pineapple with 800,055 metric tons produced last year and rubber production of 169,745 metric tons.

Coming in third at the national level production was high variety and banana for export with 1,155,348 metric tons produced last 2012.

Centillas said the region has fertile soil and typhoonfree thus making it ideal for agriculture. (PNA)

Slump... from page 8

lows for this year but that doesn’t mean that there will be no recovery. There have been large shipments from January to March so they may have already satisfied their stock requirements,” Agustin said.

T he Ph i l ippi nes is t he world’s biggest source of CNO. Even with last month’s drop, exports are likely to recover in the succeeding months as markets in Europe and the US, which account for a combined

80 percent of the Philippines CNO shipments, resume buying, Agustin said. (Interaksyon)

Insects... from page 8

le ss la nd-dependent t ha n t r ad it iona l l ive s to c k a nd produce fewer greenhouse gases.

It would also provide business and export opportunities for poor people in developing countries, especially women, who are often responsible for collecting insects in rura l communities.

Va n Huis said barriers t o e nj oy i n g d i s h e s s u c h as bee larvae yoghurt were psychological - in a blind test carried out by his team, nine out of 10 people preferred meatballs made from roughly half meat and half mealworms to those made from meat. (Reuters)

PHL... from page 8

Lam-Chan Lee Tiang, senior specialist of Singapore’s AgriFood & Veterinary Authority (AVA), has expressed interest in importing more agriculture products from the Philippines.

“We have the manpower and land area to produce quality food products. In fact, we have recorded surplus on certain items,” Alcala said.

A lc a la sa id he a l ready ordered t he Ag r ibu si ne s s a nd Ma rket ing Assista nce Service, the Bureau of Plant Industry and the High Value Crops Development Program to undertake an inventory of products that can be shipped to Singapore.

“We a re ju st check i ng supply to ensure that it can be sustained. Aside from fresh fruits and vegetables they also want processed food. We also have to get the packaging right,” Alcala said.

He said Singaporeans are keen on importing fresh fruits such as yellow dragon fruit and durian.

Lim Xiu Qing Joyce, executive ma nager of overseas food supply at AVA, said vegetable imports from the Philippines account for seven percent of Singapore’s total purchases of the products abroad. Philippine fruits comprise only one percent of Singapore’s total imports.

Philippine Embassy commercial counselor Glenn Peña ra nda sa id Si ngapore imports $100 million worth of products from the Philippines.

(Interaksyon)

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Power... from page 1

N at i o nal Power C or p orat i o n Mindanao who was tasked to manage the Mindanao power grid as systems operations manager.

Donggay, who is also a trustee of Oro Chamber who heads its advocacy unit, said there is no need for new plants to solve the power crisis in Mindanao.

“When we let all power plants connected to the grid operate all the time, and use the hydropower plants of Lake Lanao and Pulangi River as peaking hour plants during night time, we will be able to save water during daytime off-peak hours which we can then unload during evening peak hours to generate greater volume of cheaper energy which would eliminate the need for rotating brownouts or power curtailment,” he said.

Donggay, who earned his Master in Economics degree from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UAP), admitted that in order to totally eliminate the power crisis, every Mindanawon have to sacrifice a little, which would also forever arrest an annual economic loss of P63 billion for the island.

“Let’s assume a grid cost of P4 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for hydro and geothermal plants and P8.48 per kWh for diesel plants, this will only entail a P1.34 per kWh increment over the present rate of P4, a very small price to pay to totally eliminate the rotating brownouts now being suffered by major urban cities in Mindanao,” he stressed.

Of the major cities in Mindanao, only Cagayan de Oro and Davao are spared from the rotating brownouts, which go as long as 12 hours a day in General Santos City and others.

“In other words, we have to reverse the present practice of only dispatching TMI’s PB 117 and 118 during peak hours while the hydro plants operate 24/7. That’s what this Hybrid Economic Dispatch is all about,” he told the Business Mirror.

To make this work, TMI should deal with just one customer, the NPC or PSALM, instead of many customers. “The NPC/PSALM can then buy power from PB 117 and 118 and sell it at cost,” he added.

However, Roderico R. Bioco, chairman and president of the Bukidnon Kaamulan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that there is a need for President Aquino to issue an executive order to be able to implement this scheme.

“There are legality issues involve here since the power barges are already privatized. Thus, there is a need for an enabling law through an executive order from the President for us to be able to implement this and forever say ‘goodbye’ to the power crisis,” he said.

Outlook... from page 1

The Mindanao Coalition of Power Consumers (MCPC) will present the “People’s Renewable Energy Power Development Plan for Mindanao” as an affordable and sustainable alternative to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Mindanao Energy Plan during the Mindanao Congress of the Advocates for Renewable Energy and Rural Electrification and Development (MinCARED 2013) scheduled on May 27-28, 2013 in Cagayan de Oro City.

During a press conference held 18 May 2013 at a local restaurant to promote MinCARED 2013,

Engr. David A. Tauli, one of the congress speakers presented the alternative development plan which features Renewable Energy, Local Government ownership and Official Development Assistance (ODA) financing.

The people’s Renewable Energy Power Development Program envisions the implementation by LGUs and other government entities in Mindanao of 2,500 MW of mostly run-of-river hydro power plants, and 800 MW of pumped hydro storage power plants, for the period 2016 to 2025.

The projects will be done by the LGUs in partnership with private hydropower corporations, who will undertake the construction, operation and maintenance of the hydro plants. As project owners, the LGUs would simply receive the earnings from the hydro plants.

Current fiscal incentives accessible to LGUs provide for a preferential bias to RE technologies and projects which are environmentally sound.

“Since LGUs can undertake their own energy projects under the Local Government Code, they have access to very cheap development grants and loans which make it very much cheaper for them to develop indigenous energy supplies,” Mr. Tauli noted. “Since LGUs are not profitoriented, they can afford to pass on these savings to the consumers.”

Compared to the large-scale corporate, bank-funded and privately owned coal-fired power plants now under construction all over the islands, Mr. Tauli said LGUs can undertake RE projects at a fraction of the cost of the private sector and can afford to pass on the savings to consumers.

“I am not ideologically opposed to coal power plants. I am just saying that in considering solutions to the Mindanao power problem, all options should be taken into account, and not only coal,” he added.

“The delivered cost of electricity from these coal plants under construction will be at least P7.00 per kilowatt hours (kWh) by 20152016 when they come into operation.

From 2016 onwards, power supply from hydroelectric power plants will be available that will cost at most P4.00 per kWh. Those built under the FIT scheme will cost much less at P0.004 (four centavos) per kWh from all 280 MW of hydro plants that will be built under the RE Law of 2008.”

One of the firms which own one of the coal plants under construction confirmed it has signed power supply contracts with various electric cooperatives, private utilities and commercial/industrial customers at the rate of P5-5.50/kWh. The DOE website states: “It is the government’s policy to facilitate the energy sector’s transition to a sustainable system, with RE as an increasingly prominent, viable and competitive fuel option. The shift from fossil fuel sources to renewable forms of energy is a key strategy in ensuring the success of this transition.”

Mr. Tauli said this alternative development paradigm for RE has already been successfully pioneered by the DOE and the Ifugao Provincial Government with the 200 kilowatt (KW) Ifugao-Ambangal Mini Hydro power plant which was commissioned last January 25, 2010 with the assistance of the e8 and one of its members, the Tokyo Electric Power Company.

The e8 is composed of 10 ten

leading electricity companies from the global electricity sector which aims to promotes sustainable energy development through electricity sector projects and human capacity building in developing nations.

The project lies in the municipality of Kiangan, Ifugao province, some nine hour’s drive from Metro Manila.

Kiangan hosts the Nagakadan rice terraces, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but outside of the World Heritage Site area that aims to preserve.

The $1 million USD projects expected to generate 1,450 megawatt hours (MWh) annually, or 18 percent of Ifugao’s total electricity demand.

The power supply agreement between PGI and the Ifugao Electric Cooperative (IFELCO) was approved

by Energy Regulatory Commission on July 2012 with a rate of P3.62/ kWh. This is expected to generate annual gross revenues of P5.2-million (M) annually, of which P1.476 will be allocated to the Rice Terraces Conservation Fund.

The project is entirely funded by e8 and the financial model is based on a financial contribution of $1,000,000 USD by the e8. The Memorandum of Agreement between the Philippine Department Of Energy, the Ifugao Provincial Government and the e8 stipulates the project facilities will be handed over by a deed of donation upon commissioning, first to the DOE for a transition period and then to the Provincial Government of Ifugao who will ultimately have the full ownership of the assets, once the conditions for the transfer defined in the terms of the agreement have been met.

Orders... from page 1

to ever yo ne, t he voter s, t he electorate, the people who chose their “leaders” when they exercise their right of suffrage last May 13.

The eight-point governance agenda was earlier endorsed by the church-based alliance of private and public groups called Manag-silingan Ta, which also urged “for an urgent change in the city government to a participatory, people-community development-driven, transparent governance.”

“We can achieve change in our city under an atmosphere of developmental vision, professionalism and competence, transparency and integrity—which we can bond together under a brand of servant-leadership with our people at heart,” the group said.

Mayor-elect Moreno — who heard mass with his family — was obser ved to have looked and listened intently to Ledesma the entire sermon.

But when Ledesma started itemizing each of the eight point governance agenda, Moreno started covering his face and looked down at his feet — a visible sign that he has realized the enormity of the task of “changing” Cagayan de Oro for the better or even for the best.

Kagay-anons, who were dreaming for change but were frustrated in 2010, gave their all-out support to Moreno, whose “Hapsay nga Pang-gobyerno” campaign slogan summarized all their dreams and wishes for Northern Mindanao’s premier city.

Hapsay nga pang-gobyerno or good governance can only be achieved when those elected adhere to the three principles of solidarity, participation and political charity, Ledesma said.

Rustan’s... from page 1

on quality and affordability, like Singapore’s Dairy Farm.

Dairy Farm, represented by it regional CEO Alex Tay, is the biggest customer of China in Asia for fruits like oranges, apples, pears and grapes.

Dairy Farm offers high quality fresh foods and consumer and durable goods in its supermarkets, hypermarkets, health and beauty stores, and convenience stores.

With Dairy Farm as its partner, Rustan’s Supermarket is given the “opportunity of bring[ing these fruits] here at prices that are very low,” Tantoco said.

“It’s what Rustan’s is — we make quality affordable to everyone not just to the elite. We make aspirations affordable and accessible,” he stressed, as he cited as example that a true French wine is sold for just P190 a bottle. “[Our items are] affordable and competitively-priced…[since] value for money is very important and we will deliver on that,” he added.

The Tantoco family’s partnership with Dairy Farm is expected to accelerate the expansion of Rustan’s Supercenters and heat up competition in the multi-billion peso industry.

But what makes Rustan’s Supermarket Cagayan de Oro unique is the presence of Yum Yum Tree, which serves healthy and delicious traditional, classic Filipino and international recipes. Yum Tum Tree is, according to Tantoco, “a very old Rustan’s….which we only revived for Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.” There is also the Gourmet-To-Go, which is doing very well in Manila despite being only a year old in the gourmet food business.

These two —Yum Yum Tree and Gourmet-To-Go—are another examples of Rustan’s mantra of adding value to life as these serve healthy and delicious food.

Upping the ante for Rustan’s Supermarket Cagayan de Oro is its Fresh Produce (Vegetable) section.

“What makes us different from other retailers is that we run the fresh department. This is what we’re best at. And one of the things we are best at is we source directly, locally because we want to support the local farmers,” Tantoco proudly said.

“We have local suppliers. Our fresh produce — fish, vegetables and meat — are fresh. Aside from bringing in imported products, we also work with local suppliers and distributors,” added Rustan’s Supermarket Vice President Frances Yu. Yu s a i d t h a t R u s t a n ’s is one company that is ver y “environmentally-conscious,” which is why is puts premium on organicallyand naturally-grown products.

Environmentalists believe that organic agriculture is one of the ways of helping protect and giving back to the natural environment, and Rustan’s is proud to proclaim that “we will always be one with the people of Cagayan de Oro in terms of protecting the environment.”

“We’re really serious. We want to be fresh,” Tantoco said, as he invited local organic farmers to supply the supermarket with fresh agricultural products for its customers.

Health is wealth goes the saying. And Rustan’s Supermarket, with its wide array of affordable, competitively-priced healthy and delicious selections, is advocating

for everyone to value life and live healthy because life is too delicious to just throw away.

Or in the words of Tantoco, “you don’t have to sacrifice delicious to get good health.”

Consumer... from page 2

are able to make money on a pyramid scheme are the scammers at the top of the pyramid.

Pyramid scammers usually invite their members for a free seminar.

At the seminar, you will be enticed to become an investor by paying a certain amount of money which will allow you to earn by recruiting two or more other investors and the pyramid goes on.

To disguise the scam as a legitimate networking scheme, scammers offer in their recruitment package some beauty, herbal or other products (usually overpriced, of poor quality and difficult to sell) for selling. The money received by the members comes primarily from recruitment and not from the direct selling of their products.

However, Pyramid scams are not that easy to spot. Thus, before joining any of their seminars, ask them if their company is a member of the Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (DSAP) and verify it at the DSAP website (http://www. dsap.ph/directory.html).

If the company is not a DSAP member, this should be a red flag and you should conduct further research about the company you are dealing with. If possible, secure copies of their Articles of Incorporation, General Information Sheet (GIS) and the like for verification with the SEC. These documents will aid government agencies to know the responsible directors/officers behind the corporation and proper service of summons in case of complaints.

You can also visit the official website of the Securities and Exchange Commission (sec.gov. ph) to check if a company is inside SEC’s public advisories or “babala” against scammers.

Nation...

11

from page 4

(a “pretty stable job” that pays her P12,000 monthly, she says).

But since her children were skipping classes at Epifanio High School, Maricel had to make the tough choice: she quit the salon. Then being a home-service manicurist had been her thing, making her “handle my own time.”

“I don’t care anymore if I don’t earn much, and if I have to struggle for money,” Velasco said, in a low-toned voice. “I want (my children) to get better jobs than what I am doing.”

Not make them a par t of the fifth of the country’s labor force who is underemployed (like Velasco), and the some seven percent who are unemployed.

More so, becoming poor: recent poverty figures from the 2012 round of the triennial Family Income and Expenditures Survey showed that the 2012 poverty levels remained unchanged with 2006 levels.

T h e c ur re nt t ac k of t h e g over nment is what Ald aba refers to as “inclusive growth,” hoping that this generates more quality jobs —especially through manufacturing. Yet recently, on Labor Day, President Aquino thumbed down appeals by labor groups for a wage hike and for tax breaks for minimum wage earners (in 2012, the Department of Labor and Employment has been implementing a two-tiered wage increase scheme across the regions).

So the daily ray of hope in Velasc o’s walking of the underemployment tightrope?

She sets aside either a P20 or a P50 bill everyday. “Basta may maitabi (For as I long as I save),” she says, after finishing her client that Sunday —and heading off to the next.

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Blend 45 takes pride in values of Pinoys in new campaign Maalaga showcases the caring nature of Filipinos in the latest heartwarming commercial of Blend 45.

Innately helpful and caring, Filipinos have been known to go out of their way to assist those in need, friends and strangers alike. The Pinoys’ pleasant nature and easy smile can make anyone feel at ease, while their compassion and nurturing spirit can lift spirits even in the most distressing of times.

Blend 45 celebrates these exemplary Filipino traits, and more, with its new “Gising Pinoy!” campaign. Directed

by Henry Frejas, the latest series of TV commercials seeks to bring out the good and the admirable in the Filipino.

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helping hand and proves that acts of help do not go unappreciated. The sweetness and soft hearts of Pinoys take center stage in Malambing (Blend 45 Pula), while Maalaga (all variants) highlights their caring nature.

Just like these time-honored Filipino values, Blend 45 also shows off the best homegrown Filipino f lavors in its new 3-in-1 coffee blends. Blend 45 Puti captures the richness and creaminess of carabao’s milk, while the delicate sweetness of brown sugar is showcased in Blend 45 Pula. Those with a fondness for the strong and bold taste of kapeng barako can find satisfaction in Blend 45 Barako.

Watch out for the latest Blend 45 commercials and wake up to the goodness of Filipino coffee f lavors, only P4 per sachet in all leading supermarkets and groceries nationwide.

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Sun Cellular expands good choices for users with Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Mobile phone operator Sun Cellular continues to provide more Good Choices to its users as it introduces the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra, the thinnest smartphone in the market to date, now exclusively available in the Philippines through Sun Postpaid.

Free at Sun Plan 999, this cool handset comes with unlimited mobile Internet, unlimited Sun text messages and 4 hours worth of Sun-to-Sun voice call.

The ultra slim Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra, only 6.45 mm, is feature-packed with a stunning 4.7’’ HD AMOLED display, Android Jelly Bean, an 8MP camera with 1080p video capture capacity, a 1.2 GHz dual core processor, 1 GB RAM and a 16 GB internal storage.

The Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra, with its whistle bait form factor, is considered the Super Model of the Alcatel One Touch series. The other model is the Alcatel One Touch Idol featured in the movie Iron Man 3, another exclusive offering of Sun Cellular—free with Sun Plan 600 subscription.

“Alcatel hits the mark with their One Touch series smartphones designed to be sexy on the outside and smart on the inside. These mobile beauties are truly fantastic eye candies that any smartphone user—male or female—will be proud to pull out of their bag,” Ricky G. Peña, Sun Cellular Senior Vice President for Postpaid, Broadband and New Business said. “For our Sun subscribers looking to update their smartphone gadgets or mobile users who want to make the Good Choice, the Alcatel One

Touch Idol Ultra on Sun Plan 999 is perfect for everyone who value style forward design, great phone technology and affordability.”

The Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra comes in classic Black and in five new bright, bold colors: Red, Flash Yellow, Turquoise, Green, Fresh Rose and Black.

A special anti-grease oleophobic coating provides added protection to the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra’s exterior finish.

And with a 1.2 GHz processor, this ultra slim model even outclasses the competition, in terms of speed.

Avail of the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra today, exclusive at Sun Shops nationwide. Also available for free is the Alcatel One Touch Idol on Sun Plan 600.

For more information on the Alcatel One Touch Idol smartphone series and other exclusive offers from Sun Postpaid, visit www. suncellular.com.ph Facebook page www.facebook.com/suncellularph.

Follow @suncelldeals on Twitter.

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