BusinessWeek Mindanao (Jan 28-29, 2013 Issue)

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FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P40.66

6,167.64 points

X X Briefly 3 cents

50.37 points

Coco seedlings

MAMBAJAO, Camiguin -- Farmer recipients here are now growing hybrid coconut seedlings or kabuwig nuts in a 13-hectare land area.

Kabuwig is a mix of embr yo cultured coconuts and makapuno palm, which produces 20 percent makapuno yield.

This project is initiated by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in partnership with the local government units in its bid to increase farm productivity and contribute to the economic activity in the province.

To date, close to 2,000 kabuwig seedlings are now being planted.

Monday-Tuesday

January 28-29, 2013

P15.00

By ALLAN LEGASPI, Reporter

T

HE Energy and Regulator y Commission (ERC) has approved the supply contracts b e t we e n Ab oit i z Power Corp. and a number of electric cooperatives in Mindanao.

No rice shortage

THE National Food Authority (NFA) here dispelled fears that there is shortage of rice mainly due to the effects of tropical storm “Pablo” and several weather disturbances that hit some parts of Bukidnon, assuring the public that there is enough supply of rice in the province.

Victoria Real-Duray, NFA manager, said there is no rice shortage especially for its immediate relief distribution operations because as of today, more than 25,000 bags of rice and 38,000 bags of palay (unhusked rice) are available in NFA warehouses.

“There are also commercial and household stocks of about 129,742 bags,” she said. Based on the data released by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Bukidnon has a monthly rice consumption of more than 90,000 bags.

every Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays

Aboitiz’ power contracts with utilities approved

Issue No. 156, Volume III •

Market Indicators

Cagayan de Oro City

Now

Heavy rains triggered flooding in the Davao region last week.

Public hearing on the proposed tax for power firms

By CHRIS DIAZ, Staff Member

A PUBLIC hearing on imposing tax on the lease of electric posts, poles, and towers would be heard at the city council session hall this Monday afternoon.

City Councilor Prexy Elipe, chair of the city’s com-

mittee on energy, said the city council approved in 2005 an ordinance imposing taxes on electric companies including all public utility companies whether corporation or cooperative engaged in the distribution and sale of electricity.

The city government deferred implementation of the ordinance following a motion filed by the Cagayan de Oro Power and Electric Company (Cepalco) with the court on the legality of the measure, Elipe said.

Cepalco is a private firm and is a major power distributor in Cagayan de Oro’s firms/PAGE 4

MindaNews

Under the supply agreements, Aboitiz’ subsidiary Therma Marine Inc. will supply electricity produced by its two power barges moored in Agusan del Norte and Compostela Valley to the following electric utilities: - South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative Inc, - South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative Inc, - Cotabato Electric Cooperative Inc, - Agusan Del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc, utilities/PAGE 4

Banana growers eye retrenchment of workers

By BONG D. FABE, Correspondent

THE association of banana growers and exporters in Mindanao said there is a big possibility its 31 membercompanies will retrench workers to stay afloat after suffering an export slowdown of 7.25 percent in 2012 due to several natural and manmade calamities.

Stephen Antig, executive director of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Ex-

porters Association, Inc., said PBGEA members “have been hurting for long” and could no longer afford to pay their workers especially since production areas and packing plants have decreased as an effect of weather disturbances.

What hurt the banana industry last year was a series of natural and manmade catastrophes such as typhoons and other weather disturbances, spread of diseases including Fusarium Wilt (Panama Disease) and the appreciation of the peso against the US dollar.

“It is a real fact. Banana growers have been hurting for long. The continuous appreciation of the peso has growers/PAGE 4

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Cyber hacking diverts money to hacker’s account

By ELAINE O. RATUNIL, Contributor

THE Department of Trade and Industry Region 10 is warning entrepreneurs of the ongoing and increasing cases of cyber hacking especially on the import and export transactions of Filipino importers and Chinese suppliers.

Linda O. Boniao, off icerin-charge of Department of Trade and Industry Region 10 said that these cases of cyber hacking usually divert Filipino importers’ payments to the hacker’s bank account.

Fur t her, she sa id, t he Embassy’s economic team in Beijing has already met with the officials of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) Criminal Investigation Department (ICD) particu-

larly their cyber crime investigation officers to discuss on these reported cases. So far, there have been six cases reported to the Philippine Embassy in China by Filipino victims, Boniao revealed.

According to the report, there are three variations of these instances. One involves a Filipino importer and a Chinese supplier with the former’s final transaction payment diverted to the hacker’s account in China.

The second involves a Filipino importer and a Chinese supplier, with the former’s payment diverted to the hacker’s account outside China. And the third t y pe involves a Filipino importer and a nonChinese supplier, with the former’s payment ending up in the hacker’s bank account in China.

Through investigation, Chinese officials have been able to trace the perpetrators to Africans, specifically,

Nigerians, said Boniao.

Chinese findings are further confirmed by the National Bureau of Investigation here, she added. In a similar set-up between Filipino importer and Chinese supplier, they were able to trace the deceptive email directing the Filipino importer to deposit the payment in the hacker’s account, to Nigeria.

Boniao explained that MPS authorities can easily freeze bank accounts in

China, if they are subject to criminal complaint. However, this is not easy in other countries as it will require court order. She added that Chinese officials cannot assist if hacker’s bank account is outside China for lack of jurisdiction.

In the end, Boniao said that the most effective means of preventing cyber hacking menace is for entrepreneurs to be vigilant about the occurrence of such crime.

By RECTHIE T. PACULBA Contributor

akong nag-pasalamat sa atong igsoon nga mga magpapatigayon sa dakbayan. Sa ilang pag-abag ug pagtabang kanato, dali nga nakabarog ang atong dakbayan gikan sa milabay’ng trahedya. Indikasyon kini nga padayon ang ang pag-ila sa Cagayan de Oro isip…“A City in Bloom, in Blossoms and in Boom,” (Once again, I am thankful to city’s merchants and traders. With their help, we were able to rise up from the past tragedy. This is only an

indication that Cagayan de Oro City has been continuously looked up as “A City in Bloom, in Blossoms and in Boom), said Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano.

The City Finance Department on the other hand said they are still accepting renewals of business permits through the Business OneStop Shop (BOSS), there is a corresponding penalty for those who were not able to make on the deadline last Monday.

CdeO collects P211M from business permit renewal CAGAYAN de Oro City has collected around P211 Million from its business permit renewal which ended on Monday, January 21.

Acting City Treasurer Marilyn P. Legaspi said there is a significant 45% or P64.8M increase of the said collection compared to the 2012 first quarter collection which only amounted to P146M. “Sa makausa pa, subli

DTI sets public hearing on RA 4566

By LORRY V. GABULE Contributor

0917-7154399 088-856-8562/63

AMENITIES : ZORBIT * ATV * TREE TOP ADVENTURE BUGGY * BUNGEE * PICNIC GROUNDS PLAYGROUND * CAFE * LUGE * MINI GOLF ROOM ACCOMODATIONS

ILIGAN City -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued notice of public consultations/hearings on the

proposed amendments to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on Republic Act (R.A.) 4566, particularly on the 60%-40% Filipino-Foreign Equity requirement.

Ruel B. Paclipan, provincial director, DTI Iligan City/Lanao del Norte Provincial Office, said they are calling the attention of all concerned to follow the scheduled dates and venue, to wit: Date Time Venue 2 3 J a n u a r y 2 01 3 8:30a.m. Philippine Trade Training Center Bldg.

Sen. Gil Puyat Ave.,cor.

Roxas Blvd., Pasay City 0 5 Fe br u a r y 2 013 8:30a.m. Royal Mandaya Hotel J. Palma Gil St., Davao City 0 7 Fe br u a r y 2 013 8:30a.m. Parklane International Hotel Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City The Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) was formed by v ir tue of R A 4566 passed by Congress in 1965.

R .A. 4566 as amended

by P.D. No.1746 provides that no contractor (including sub- contractor and specialty contractor) shall engage in the business of contracting without first having secured a PCAB license to conduct business.

The Contractors License Law (R.A. 4566) aims to promote for the benefit of the public and private sectors and for the national interest, the orderly growth of the contracting sector and the upgrading of construction capability.

Hyundai seen to improve profitability in second half HYUNDAI Motor Co. is expected to fare worse in the first half of the year due to the South Korean currency’s steep rise to the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, analysts said Friday.

Still, South Korea’s top automaker is likely to see its profits improve in the year’s second half with the release of new models and firm demand, they said.

On Thursday, Hyundai Motor said its 2012 earnings reached a record high on robust sales in overseas markets. Net profit reached 9.06 trillion won last year, soaring 11.7 percent on-year.

But its fourth-quarter net profit dropped to 1.89 trillion won from the 2 trillion won a year earlier as the stronger won hurt sales.

“An increase in the average selling prices is not enough for Hyundai Motor to fully cover losses made from the won’s ascent,” said

Jung Tae-oh, an analyst at Daeshin Securities Co. “Its operating profit will fall 16.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013.”

The outlook came as the won’s recent surge against the U.S. dollar sparked worries over exports. A stronger won usually makes South Korean goods more expensive overseas.

“The new working shift system in Hyundai’s manufacturing facilities will also weigh down on its performances,” Jung added. Daeshin Securities adjusted the target stock price from 294,000 won (US$ 274.6) to 270,000 won.

The management and labor union of the automaker agreed last year to reduce working hours by removing the night shift and introducing a two-shift day time working system that will start in March.

Hanwha Investment &

Securities Co. analyst Kim Yeon-chan echoed this view, slashing the target stock price on Hyundai Motor to 265,000 won, down 15.3 percent from 313,000 won, citing the prolonged currency volatility.

Meanwhile, local analysts said the automaker can rebound in the second half.

“Shares of Hyundai Motor are predicted to turn around in the second half on the stock market following the release of new models,” said Yoon Pil-joong, an analyst at Samsung Securities Co. Researchers at KDB Daewoo Securities Co. added Hyundai Motor will adapt to the volatile foreign exchange market as well as to the new shift production system in the July-December period, and the company’s corporate profitability should improve.

(PNA)

WASHINGTON — Honda is recalling about 748,000 Pilot and Odyssey vehicles in the United States because of a potential flaw in the driver’s side airbag, the Japanese automaker said Friday.

Honda said the airbags may have been made without

some of the rivets that secure its plastic cover.

“If the rivets are missing, the airbag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash,” the company said.

No crashes or injuries have been reported related to the

problem, it said.

The recall affects Pilot sport-utility vehicles made for the 2009-2013 model years and 2011-2013 Odyssey minivans.

The vehicles will be inspected and the driver’s side airbag will be replaced if necessary, the company said.

Honda recalls vehicles over airbag flaw

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Smartphone sales Mariwasa partners with Siam Cement exploded in 2012 WASHINGTON - Globa l smartphone sales soared in 2012, taking a huge slice of a mobile phone market that was otherwise f lat, survey data showed Friday.

A report by the research firm IDC showed a 44 percent jump in smartphone sales for the year, with 712 million units sold. That accounted for 45.5 percent of all mobile phone shipments.

The rest of the mobile phone market was lackluster, suggesting customers were trading in their older handsets for smartphones. The global market for all mobile phones grew just 1.2 percent to 1.7 billion units, IDC said.

IDC said Samsung extended its dominance of the market in both smartphones and overall mobile phones.

The South Korean giant captured 29 percent of the smartphone market, to Apple’s 21.8 percent, and 23 percent of the overall market, ahead of Nokia’s 17.9 percent.

But a big surge came from Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE, which broke into the top ranks of smartphone vendors thanks to growth in emerging markets, IDC said.

Huawei grabbed 4.9 percent of the smartphone market, making it the third largest, and ZTE was in fifth place with 4.3 percent share, just behind Japan’s Sony at 4.5 percent.

“The fact that Huawei and ZTE now find themselves among the top five smartphone vendors marks a significant shift for the global market,” said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.

“Both companies have grown volumes by focusing on the mass market, but in recent quarters they have turned their attention toward higher-end devices. In addition, both companies have pushed the envelope in terms of industrial design with larger displays and smaller form factors, as well as innovative applications and

Growers... from page 1

been making our situation more difficult. We have no other recourse but to resort to cost-cutting measures and minimize operation costs including payments for salaries and wages and the accompanying compulsory contributions, benefits and incentives intended for the workers,” Antig said He also said that “total export volume in 2012 was down by more than seven percent compared to 2011 figure.”

In December alone, the banana industry in Mindanao suffered losses peg at P7 billion when Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) lashed the

Firms... from page 1

urban and suburban areas.

Elipe said the legal battle reaches with the Supreme Court which recently uphold the legality of the ordinance imposing taxes on electric posts and poles erected by Cepalco and other stake-

MARIWASA, the country’s leading ceramic tile maker, officially joins Siam Cement Group (SCG), a Thailandbased multinational with business units in cement, building materials, paper, chemicals, distribution and investment.

“We are very happy with this progress. SCG is known for its dedication to excellence in every industry it is engaged with. Mariwasa had humble beginnings but now we are the biggest producer of quality ceramic tiles in the country. SCG’s stanch support to Mariwasa has made it what it is today”, said Jakkrit Suwansilp, VP-Sales & Marketing of Mariwasa Siam Ceramics, Inc. Despite stiff competition in the ceramic tile market due to the influx of imported tiles, Mariwasa still emerged as the market leader in the ceramic tile industry and has maintained its majority market share among local tile makers.

Capitalizing on its uncompromising quality and introducing innovative products, the company enjoys the no.

1 spot as the most preferred local brand of ceramic tiles by end-users. As Mariwasa officially joins SCG, it’s now part of the world’s largest ceramic tile manufacturer.

SCG and Mariwasa share a common goal in sustainable development practices. As a result of SCG’s investment, Mariwasa operates a production facility in ISO-Certified plant located in Sto. Tomas, Batangas where renewable energy sources are being utilized.

The technology uses rice husk to replace existing fossil fuel through gasification and combustion process. The waste ash coming from these gasification and combustion

process is re-processed to produce a higher value raw material for ceramic body powder production.

This yields a significant reduction in carbon footprint and waste materials to protect human health and environment.

Furthermore, SCG’s commitment to innovation has inspired Mariwasa to develop highly innovative ceramic tile products offering benefits to end-users.

“Innovation is the name of the game to stay in this business. In the past, all you can see were the same tile collection launched year after year but Mariwasa changed that trend. We continuously offer

innovative products which serve the unmet needs of our customers. Among them are the scratch-free tiles, these come out with durable glaze and resistant to household scratches. We also have the safety tiles, anti-slip tiles that help in reducing the risk of accidents and falls. These products are available in the market at no additional cost”, continued Mr. Suwansilp.

“Our commitment to high quality and innovation separates us from the competition.

We set the trends in this industry, we develop innovations, we create demand for new products and we value our customers” added Mr. Suwansilp.

SCG & Mariwasa are set to showcase their worldclass and globally competitive home solutions products from flooring to roofing at 18th WorldBEX to be held at World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City on March 13-17, 2013.

Mariwasa is available in all leading home depots and tile shops nationwide. For inquiries, please call 7176900.

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc invested more money into its shipping arm for the acquisition of a tanker.

In a disclosure to t he Philippine Stock Exchange, Phoenix said it will inject P242 million into Chelsea Shipping Corp for a brand new 14,000-metric ton tanker vessel. This vessel “shall strategically support and serve the importation logistics requirements of the corporation,”

the listed oil retailer said.

The Davao-based company acquired Chelsea in July last year to secure its logistics chain. Chelsea has a f leet of 10 vessels, two of which serve the regional trade route from Taiwan to the Philippines.

The company owns the largest Philippine-registered oi l ta n ker “M/T Chelsea Thelma” with a 9,366 gross registered tonnage.

The shipping firm’s cus-

tomers include Phoenix, Cebu Pacif ic, PT T Phi lippines Corp, National Power Corp, Total Bulk Corp, Batangas Bay Carriers Inc and Marine Fuels Philippines Inc. Chelsea also serves the bunkering requirements of US Navy vessels calling at Subic Bay, and transports coconut oil for companies in Cebu.

Phoenix’s additional investment comes as the com-

pany announced a cash dividend of P0.10 per share and a 30 percent stock dividend, which will be taken from its unappropriated retained earnings last year.

“Stock dividends shall be subject to the approval of the corporation’s stockholders during the scheduled annual meeting. Record and payment dates for both dividend declaration shall be announced at a later date,” Phoenix said.

southern Mindanao.

Pablo destroyed at least 14,186 hectares of banana plantations mostly located in Compostela Valley province, which is about a fifth of all standing bananas in Mindanao. 9,020 hectares of these were owned by small growers while the other 5,166 hectares were owned by corporate farms.

PBGEA said most of the plantations were for Cavendish bananas.

Antig said it will take at least nine months to rehabilitate the 14,000 hectares of banana plantations.

“Considering the size of the area that will have to undergo soil analysis and treatment, it will take some time before banana bunches

can be harvested again. We are talking of more than 14,000 hectares of which not all may be fit for banana production anymore,” he added.

He, however, said that the retrenchment will only be temporary.

In 2012, the banana export industry directly and indirectly provided jobs to more than 300,000 people with an estimated annual payout of P38 billion for salaries and wages.

Earlier, PBGEA estimated that potential revenue losses of the banana planters in terms of lost harvests for this year due to “Pablo” alone is P8 billion The southern Philippine island of Mindanao is host to 80,000 hectares of banana

plantations, making the crop one of the country’s top fruit export, second only to pineapple. Third largest is Philippine mango.

The country’s export of bananas defied global trade slowdown last year, keeping the Philippines total exports on the growth path despite the decline of the country’s manufactured exports, the PhilExport said.

Industry leaders doubted if the industry could recover fast enough to sustain double-digit growth this year.

The PBGEA, meanwhile, praised the government for its assistance to the banana industry.

Reports said that the Agriculture department in southern Mindanao (Region

XI) will start releasing the P33 million rehabilitation fund to banana growers this week. This is broken down to P5,750 per hectare for clearing operations, farm equipment and four bags of fertilizers.

The Agrarian Reform department also assured agrarian reform beneficiaries of production loan assistance through cooperatives.

Also, the Labor and Employment department, in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), is allocating P6.5 million for emergency employ-

ment and livelihood aid for affected banana workers and students in Compostela and Davao Oriental through the Sagip Manggagawa and Sagip Mag-aaral projects.

The Land Bank of the Philippines, on the other hand, has opened a window that will finance the rehabilitation of banana farms to a maximum of P430,000 per hectare at six percent interest rate fixed for ten years. A supervised credit, the borrower will be granted a two-year moratorium on the payment of principal and interest.

Utilities...

holders here.

Pursuant to the proposed ordinance, pole owners engaged in the business of renting their posts, poles and/or towers shall secure a separate business permit as provided for under Article (P), Section 62(a) of Ordinance No.8847-2003, other wise k nown as the

Cagayan de Oro City Revenue Code of 2003.

The committee has invited the city treasurer, city administrator, city engineer, City Legal, CEPALCO, Licensing Officer of Business and Licensing Division, representatives of MORESCO, Parasat Cable, Jade Cable, Misortel and Bayantel.

Regional directors of the National Telecommunication Office and Telecommunication Commission and presidents of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce are also invited to participate in discussions on the proposed ordinance, Elipe said.

has yet to approve the power rates that the company will charge the cooperatives, pending their submission of a refund scheme.

The refund scheme will account for the difference between the rates the ERC ordered and the provisional rates the regulator imposed before giving its final nod to the contracts.

Therma Marine owns Power B a r ge s 117 a nd 118, each of which has a 100-megawatt capacity.

experiences.”

Research firm Strategy Ana ly tics said its sur vey showed global smartphone shipments grew 43 percent to 700 million units in 2012, with Samsung capturing more than 30 percent of the market.

The report showed smartphones accounted for close to half of the 1.6 billion mobiles sold in 2012. With all phones combined, the market grew just two percent, according to the report.

The report showed Apple holding 19.4 percent of the global smartphone market, trailing Samsung at 30.4 percent.

“Samsung and Apple together accounted for half of all smartphones shipped worldwide in 2012,” said Linda Sui at Strategy Analytics.

“Large marketing budgets, extensive distribution channels and attractive product portfolios have enabled Samsung and Apple to tighten their grip on the smartphone industry.”

Strategy Analytics data showed Nokia retained its position as the third largest smartphone vendor for 2012 but that its market share fell sharply from 16 percent to five percent.

ABI Research said in a separate report that 653 million smartphones were shipped during the year, more than 40 percent of the 1.6 billion handsets.

That survey showed Samsung with 31 percent of total smartphone shipments to 21 percent for Apple. But ABI said Apple appears to be facing tougher competition.

“It is clear that the iPhone’s hyper growth has ended, and ABI Research believes that Apple’s market share will peak in 2013 at 22 percent,” said analyst Michael Morgan.

“Unless Apple is willing to trade iPhone margins for low cost iPhone shipments, Apple’s handset market share will become dependent on customer loyalty.”

Phoenix invests P242-M to buy tanker for shipping subsidiary

from page 1

- Agusan Del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc, - Zamboanga Del Sur II Electric Cooperative Inc, - Surigao Del Sur I Electric Cooperative Inc, - Surigao del Sur II Electric Cooperative Inc, - Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative Inc, and - Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative Inc. But the regulatory board

Nanuri International School caps MTAP Math Challenge 2013

N

By RIZA ARES

ANURI International School (NIS) students once again took center stage in the Elimination Round of the annual InterSchool Math Challenge held January 17, 2013 at the South City Central School, Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City.

Nanuri fielded fifth graders Albert Park, Justin Russ Lumagsao, and Faith Calo, together with high school students Carlos Roy Perez, Shin Jaeho (Rony) and Shanelle Silmaro (freshmen), Kim Seyoung (Sally), Jeong Sung Hyun (Ben) and Park Yuno (juniors), and seniors Jung Sangmin (James), Jang Seong Mun (Moon) Nam Kimoon (Robin) who took second place in the competition.

Grade six pupils Manny Bagarinao, Coleen Jessica Andres and Cho Jung Hyun (Jason), also placed fourth overall.

The annual MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge sponsored by

Metrobank and participated in by both public and private elementary and secondary schools in the division of Cagayan de Oro, is one of the most awaited events of the year for the Math-inclined teachers and students.

According to NIS contestants, the competition provided them great challenge to excel more in the field of mathematics.

The students said they were excited and nervous when they saw the many other smartlooking Math Contestants, the students, the group of coaches, teachers and parents who were feeling very anxious and excited as well.

The parents were likewise elated over their kids’ performances and thanked the school administration for providing their children with opportunities to explore and prove their worth in high-level competition outside the school.

NIS school Director Pastor

Choi Young Yun and Principal Dr. Juliet E. Fancubit have expressed their congratulations to the students for their satisfactory performance.

The school administration also thanked the student’s math coaches Ms. Jeanette Luzano for the high school, and Ms. Velbeth Rivero, the elementary coach, for providing rigid trainings to their respected students.

Nanur i Inter nat iona l School has continuously upgrading its academic standard in order to maintain its status as the first and only officially accredited member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS).

NIS looks forward to more improvements and higher achievements in the academic field as well as in other equally important areas like the physical, social, emotional, psychological and most especially the spiritual aspects of the learners.

Misor plant cited for superior environmental performance VILLANUEVA, Misamis Oriental – Senator Loren Legarda cited recently energy firm STEAG State Power Inc. (SPI) for having been conferred with the prestigious DENR Official Seal of Approval.

In her letter to SPI President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bodo Goerlich, Senator Legarda, who is also Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, commends SPI’s continuing effort to inte-

grate green polices into the company’s business plans and operations.

In November last year, SPI joined the ranks of 18 other companies in the country, and among the five in Mindanao, to quality under Track 1 of DENR’s Philippine Environment Partnership Program (PEPP).

PEPP-Track 1 industries are large companies that go beyond compliance and driven by competitiveness, image and supply chain

requirements to improve performance.

The award is conferred to companies with no cases and complaints filed with the Pollution Adjudication Board for the last three years prior to the date of awarding; are in full compliance of all applicable environmental laws and proven to show cleaner production processes and superior environmental performance by a 3rd party auditor. cited/PAGE 8

TOPS marks 1st year in CdO with discount promo

By RIZA ARES

TOPS Cagayan de Oro marked its first year anniversary with a weeklong extra bonanza last January 16-18 offering huge discounts to their array of selected clothing for children, men and ladies wear.

Ms. Ann Yu, TOPS Cagayan de Oro branch manager, said the promo offer was one way of giving gratitude to their valued clients.

TOPS, which derived

its name from the acronym of its former company brand The Off-Price Store, opened its outlet in Cagayan de Oro last year at the Island Café, South Bank Plaza, along A. Velez Street. It is the only upscale apparel outlet store in the country today, selling branded overruns at warehouse prices, which include men’s and ladies’ tops and bottoms, bags, footwear, leather items, accessories, kidswear, caps, and others.

The store also prides itself with unparalleled customer

service and a wide selection of branded merchandise.

“We have complete fine lines of clothing, shoes and apparels, like Ralph Lauren, RL shoes, happy feet, Melissas shoes and sandals, including my personal favourite Frolic where you can pack it easily inside your bag,” Ms. Yu said.

Despite being recognized as among the most sought-after upscale offmarks/PAGE 8

Cebu Pacific flights rise in 2012 BUDGET CARRIER Cebu Pacific saw double-digit growth in passenger volume last year, the firm said in a statement on Friday.

But the volume still fell short of the company’s projection.

The Gokongwei-led airline registered 13.26 million passenger traffic last year, 11.15% up from 11.93 million in 2011.

The f ig ure, however, is less than the company’s 14-million target for 2012, a shortfall Cebu Pacific Chief Executive Officer Lance Y. Gokongwei attributed last week to “dampened demand in the fourth quarter.”

“Cebu Pacific attributes this increase to strategic

expansion in its domestic and international operations in 2012. It launched direct flights from Manila to Hanoi, Siem Reap and Xiamen, as well as from Cebu to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur last year,” the company said in the statement. “The airline also pioneered direct flights from Iloilo to Hong Kong and Singapore.”

Route expansion, as well as seat sales and strengthened promotions, led to notable passenger growth in the following international markets: Malaysia (21%), Taiwan (22%), China (29%), Vietnam (30%) and Brunei (32%), it added.

The company has programmed a $300-million

in capex for this year from “approximately $200 million” last year, which will be spent for fleet expansion.

This year, the company will be taking the delivery of nine aircraft, seven of which will be companyowned Airbus A320s while the two others will be leased Airbus A330-300s, which will be used for its long-haul flights to Dubai starting Oct. 7, Mr. Gokongwei said last Monday. Its first Airbus A320 arrived that day. The airline now has a 42 aircraft-fleet composed of 10 Airbus 319, 24 Airbus A320, and eight ATR 72-500.

The fleet expansion this year forms part of a refleetflights/PAGE 8

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THINK a minute…

Can you imagine an engineer building a tall skyscraper without a plan?

Someone said: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Success is no accident! It doesn’t just magically happen. You have to plan for it to happen. As one guy put it: “You must plan for a great future. After all, you have to spend the rest of your life there.” We must have some kind of plan of what we want and how we’ll get it.

You see, if you shoot for nothing you’ll hit it every time! A wise person said: “If you’ve accomplished everything you’ve planned in

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Understanding the basics of stem cell therapy (Last part)

Health in Focus

life, then you’ve probably not planned enough. You’re getting too old when all your dreams are reruns.”

The very successful head of the Chrysler Automobile Corporation, Lee Iacocca, used to ask his workers: “What do you want to do?

What do you want to be?

What do you want to have?

Where do you want to go?

How do you plan to get there?

Write it down. Now go do it.

It doesn’t get any simpler or better than that.”

So why not start living your life on purpose? First dream it, then do it. They say that 1 hour of planning will save you 3 hours of wasted

time and work.

With a plan, your work is working for you! Your plan will keep you in control of your life, moving ahead toward your goal of success and happiness.

But after you plan your work, you have to work your plan. Discipline is what brings your dreams into real life. A dream with no discipline will just remain a dream, and a plan without work will be a plan that won’t work.

So today, why not ask the One Who designed the plan for your success to take full charge of your life. Jesus also has the power you need to

Think a minute

JHAN TIAFAU HURST

make that plan start working for you. With His plan in hand, you’ll go all the way to the life He wants you and your family to enjoy.

Just think a minute…

A tradition of excellence

executive Editor

JOE DEL PUERTO FELICILDA Uriel C. Quilinguing Editorial Consultants

LAST week, I did an introduction on the use of and how stem cells can be beneficial in the treatment of illnesses, and how, this breakthrough in Medical science should be handled with caution as well.

It is good to bear in mind that, one treatment modality may be good for one patient, and may not be so for another patient.

It is not uncommon for patients to feel well after a given treatment: one’s mind set and positive outlook and optimism can do wonders in one’s response to a given treatment.

It may also be that at that time when the patient claimed to have felt better, that the natural fluctuations of the disease itself may be in occurrence.

Thus, the caution on the use of testimonials as a means of promoting something as a tool to advertise.

Stem cell therapy , just like other discoveries in medicine and science , takes years to become perfected , for it to become ready for actual use in human beings.

Research and studies and clinical trials don’t produce results overnight.

As a general rule, the process involved is long and tedious, and requires animal models before it is administered to humans.

The sad fact is, there are instances, when even before the completion of the pre-clinical and clinical trials, that there are very enterprising individuals that they would start to use

Plan in Hand

LAST year had been a great year for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. And here’s significant proof: BSP Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. has been chosen as the Central Banker of the Year 2013 for Asia-Pacific by an international publication.

The Banker, a monthly publication owned by the Financial Times Group of London, held the Central Banker of the Year Awards to celebrate bank officials who “successfully steered their countries through the economic turbulence of 2012.”

Tetangco joined the ranks of Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney (Central Banker of the Year 2013 for the Americas), Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Governor Fahad Al-Mubarak (For the Middle East), Banco Nacional de Angola Governor Jose Massano (For Africa),

and Gov. Erdem Basci from Turkey (For Europe).

Basci was also chosen as Central Bank Governor of the Year 2013.

Our very own Tetangco has indeed continued the BSP leadership’s legacy of excellence set by the previous Bangko Sentral governors: Gabriel C. Singson, 1996 and 1997 Central Bank Governor of the Year (Asiamoney); and Rafael B. Buenaventura, 2001 Central Bank Governor of the Year in Asian Region (The Banker).

In 2002 and 2003, Buenaventura was recognized as one of the world’s best governors with Grade “A” rating (Global Finance).

Tetangco, for his part, was also one of Global Finance’s best Central Bank governors in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2012.

Tetangco was likewise recognized as the 2012 Emerg-

ing Markets Central Bank Governor of the Year for Asia.

According to The Banker, the Philippines’ economy has performed strongly in the past year. Its growth in the third quarter of 2012 was the second highest in Asia after China, the London-based publication added.

“Ratings upgrades in the past year have put the Philippines just one notch away from investment grade—the level of Indonesia—which the country now has its sights on,” The Banker pointed out.

It added: “The sound monetary policy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and its governor, Amando Tetangco, has contributed to these improvements that have recently pushed the Philippines into the spotlight.”

To these praises, Tetangco replied, “We are proud to

Speaking out

IGNACIO BUNYE

have contributed to the macroeconomic stability that our country now enjoys.”

The article also noted how 2012 was the fourth consecutive year the BSP has kept inf lation under target—as inflation in November 2012 was only 2.8 percent (well within the BSP’s target of 3 to 5 percent).

“Such a benign inflation BUNYE/PAGE 8

Living stones DR. MARY JEAN LORECHE and market the therapy way ahead of a completed test.

It is thus, to one’s advantage, that before trying out on something new, to get the correct information from your doctors and possibly get a second or a third opinion.

Just because stem cells come from your own body doesn’t mean that they are safe. There will always be risks that go along with any procedure.

Complications, that may be immediate or long term is something to consider. It is best to weigh risks and benefits.

Remember that you stand to lose more by trying an unproven medication or treatment.

What is beautiful though in stem cell therapy is that, it promises to be one powerful tool with a potential to cure many ailments.

To try something new is adventure. But when it comes to health, anything that’s new should be used with utmost care.

I HAPPENED to be nearby when the dedication of the newly renovated cathedral of San Pablo City in Laguna took place recently. I immediately went there without being formally invited due to a number of personal reasons.

I learned that the architect who designed the renovation was a close friend of mine who is really a first-class architect. He has designed many beautiful churches and chapels, and I wanted to see another marvel of his.

Then, both the outgoing and incoming rectors of the cathedral were also friends of mine. They were seminarians in the seminary in Spain which was my first pastoral assignment after my ordination. A good number of the priests in that diocese are also alumni of the same seminary in Spain. So, I wanted to see them again after so many years.

As if t hese were not enough, I discovered to my pleasant surprise that the main celebrant of the Mass was Cebu’s archbishopemeritus, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal. So I felt very much at

home even if this was only my second time to be in that city.

Since the affair was about the dedication of a cathedral, the cardinal preached in his homily about what a church is. As expected, he made reference to some passages in the first letter of St. Peter that talked about the church being made by living stones, that is, us, people.

The relevant quotation is the following: “Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God

by Jesus Christ.” (2,4) This letter of St. Peter also talks about Jesus as the corner stone that has been rejected but which in fact is the one that gives unity and cohesion to this building, the church that is made of living stones, that is, us.

Up to now, I feel that people have to be reminded about this fundamental element in the definition of the church. While the church is, of course, a special place, a special building since it is a house of worship-we even refer to it as the house of

God-it is much more than an edifice.

The church is a communion of people with God and among themselves. It is much more than just a social and material community of people gathered together.

That is already a lot, but not yet enough.

A community which is an external phenomenon has to be animated inside by a living communion of life and love rooted on the love of God, shown and given to us in full through Christ and transmitted to us through the Church that was founded by Christ on Peter.

Unless this communion takes place, the vitality and unity of any community that we can see would be at best only apparent. It cannot last long. It cannot pass the test of time, not to mention, the many challenges that it is bound to encounter in life.

There is a lot of theology involved here, something that we have to deepen ourselves in and master, because in the first place it is unavoidable. To relish the fullness of things, to reach the ultimate consequences of what we see,

Hints and traces

FR. ROY CIMAGALA

touch and feel and of what we understand, we need to enter into theology where we allow faith to play its crucial role in our effort to understand things.

Theology, with its essential element of faith, allows us to penetrate into the spiritual and supernatural realities that are impenetrable to our senses and even to our reason alone.

And given the complexities of our times, we cannot afford to be ignorant of theology anymore. We need to go serious with it, purifying it from the usual superstitions and other errors that also distort it. In this, we just cimagala/PAGE 8

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Enough supply of fish, vegetables assured THE Department of Agriculture on Thursday assured the public of a stable supply of fish and vegetables amid fears of the effects of the cold weather on these products.

DA Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup also said they continue to monitor the supply of fish and vegetables, adding there is no reason for prices to go up at this time. “’Binabantayan namin ngayon ang posibleng frost damage [sa mga gulay], pero wala pa masyadong report na nagasasabing maaapektuhan

ang supply,” Salacup said.

“Walang dahilan para manamantala ang nagbebenta ng gulay dahil ang supply ay sapat na sapat,” he added.

He also said the DA’s regional office is prepared to help address possible frost damage using power sprayers.

Prices of some fish and

Improvement of milkfish production pushed A 116.2-million government program to develop technologies to improve the production of milkfish is now under way, an official of the state research and development (R&D) agency said last Tuesday.

The program, undertaken by the Science and Technology department’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), also involves training farmers in the use of technologies to be developed.

PCAARRD Inland Aquatic Resources Division Director Dalisay G. Fernandez said via e-mail that the three-year program, which started in June 2011, has a 116.2-million

allocation.

Ms. Fernandez said the program has three segments, namely: • enhancement of milkfish brood stock management and hatchery practices, which has been allotted 30.4 million; • improvement of the process of growing milkfish to its marketable size, 46.1 million; and • milkfish genetics, 39.7 million.

“The program is expected to generate technologies that will increase productivity and profitability of milkfish production systems,” Ms. Fernandez wrote.

She enumerated some of the technologies expected to be developed under the

program as: • improved techniques for brood stock management; • diagnostic kit to determine quality of fry (milkfish that are 30 days old from hatching); • automated fry counter; and • improved cage designs and protocols for sustainable farming.

“With the interventions, the R&D program is expected to increase milkfish production to 695,770 metric tons (MT) by 2016 or an increase of 285,000 MT over the projected production without the interventions,” Ms. Fernandez said.

She added that, from 2010 to 2016, the program also aims

to: • more than double annual fry production to 5.3 billion from 2 billion; • triple yield of milkfish mariculture to 9 kilograms per cubic meter (kg/cu.m.) from 3 kg/cu.m.; and • grow yield in fishponds by 67% to 2 MT per hectare (/ha) annually from 1.2 MT/ ha.

“The project will initially benefit the following milkfish hatcheries: Hautea Hatchery in Iloilo, Oversea Hatchery in Cebu, Alturias Hatchery in Bohol and a hatchery in Zambales,” Ms. Fernandez said in her e-mail.

This program is one of Department of Science and Technology-PCAARRD’s

Bunye...

“we are serious about keeping prices low and stable.”

The Banker also mentioned how the Philippines has been recognized for placing importance on both the stability of the banking system and consumer protection.

Tetangco said of this in the article: “Our banking system has remained sound. It is growing. It is liquid. It continues to intermediate funds to productive use, and its overall balance sheet remains

healthy.”

The BSP governor also added that in addition to their work along the traditional pillars of central banking, they have reenergized the Bangko Sentral’s advocacy on financial inclusion, financial education, and consumer protection. *** Note: My book Central Banking for Every Juan and Maria is available at Fully Booked, Bonifacio Global City. Please call

8587000 or 8587004 to reserve your copy.

from page 6

environment has allowed us to implement monetary policy supportive of economic growth, which was 6.5 percent for the first three quarters of 2012,” Tetangco said.

The BSP, according to The Banker, is presently considering lowering its inflation target range in 2015 to 2–4 percent. This new target range, explained Tetangco, should signal to the market that

Cited... from page 5

“May this award inspire other companies to take the path of green and sustainable development” Sen. Legarda said.

Using state of the art electric generation and pollution prevention technologies, the power plant continues to meet global standards on efficiency and reliability and has achieved 100% compliance with applicable local and international environmental protection regulations. Through the years, SPI enjoys the reputation of being one of the highly efficient and reliable power producers in the country.

Since start of its operations in November 2006, the power plant has so far delivered more than 8 billion kWh of electricity to the Mindanao grid representing about 20% of the island’s total power supply.

SPI is a special purpose company that owns and operates a 210 MW (net) power plant at the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. The company is majority owned by Steag GmbH which is Germany’s 5th

largest electricity producer and market leader in biomass power plants. Steag’s Filipino partners at SPI include clean energy leader Aboitiz Power Corporation (AP), and La Filipina Uygongco Corporation.

Marks... from page 5

price retailers in the country, TOPS has shunned establishing outlets in malls, but rather, in areas not readily identified as retail store spaces. This breaks the current trend, the monotony and the professional manner in which merchandising and marketing are handled.

First established in August 2007 by its mother company The Off-Price Corp., TOPS has already 25 branches nationwide and with the vision of setting up one branch every quarter.

Citing the company’s vision, Ms. Yu said: “At TOPS, our customers are the most important part of our business and we pride ourselves on creating a standard for customer service marked by friendliness, caring, a sense of urgency and great execution.”

Cimagala... from page 6

have to help one another.

I considered it as some stroke of providence that I finished that day of the dedication of the San Pablo Cathedral with a viewing of the movie, For greater glory, which is about the religious persecution in Mexico in the 1920s.

It’s a terrible story that simply

vegetable items in Metro Manila had gone up earlier this week, with vendors indicating this was due to the cold weather.

Salacup also said that even if frost damage were to affect the supply of vegetables from the Cordillera, these can also be sourced from provinces such as Quezon and Laguna.

As for fish, Salacup said that while fishermen in some areas may have difficulty catching fish due to the water

becoming cold, there is still enough supply from aquaculture, particularly tilapia and bangus.

He said they are considering holding a “Tilapia Festival” “Ang nahuhuli sa laot tumutumal dahil sa kalamigan pero ang nako-culture natin, tilapia at bangus, available ‘yan,” he said.

He added PAGASA had pointed out the peak of the cold weather may end in February.

Milkfish have been identified as one of 34 commodities that can help reduce poverty and achieve food security.

Industry Strategic Science and Technology Plans. These plans serve as general road maps for 34 inland aquatic, marine, livestock, crop and forestry resources that were chosen to help reduce poverty and achieve food security. showed malice played out in the political life of that country, and the not-so-right effort to defend religious freedom that resorted also to forms of violence.

My analysis is that these things happen when faith is excluded in public life and forced to survive in some clandestine manners that are also prone to irregularities.

We have to be living stones that build up a true Church which is supposed to be the mystical body of Christ himself!

Flights...

from page 5 ing program that will run from 2013 to 2021. In that period, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 19 Airbus A320s, 20 Airbus A321neos and four Airbus A330s, a previous statement showed.

Cebu Pacific, which started operations in 1996, flies to 32 domestic destinations and 21 international routes.

Listed Cebu Air, Inc., which operates Cebu Pacific, grew its net income by 2.25% to P2.27 billion as of September 2012 from P2.22 billion the previous year.

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Sense of community begins to develop in Pablo-devastated village

By BONG D. FABE, Correspondent

BAGANGA, Davao Oriental—It has often been said that tragedy, disasters and unfortunate events often bring out the best and worst in humans; they also unite or divide a people.

And Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) was no exception: it galvanized the world, especially local organizations, to positive action to help the survivors cope with the devastation as well as assist their communities get back on its feet.

In the eco-tourism resourcerich barangay (village) of Ban-ao, the farthest barangay of this town which borders the municipality of Cateel and Baganga, a sense of community is starting to develop in each survivor—a feeling of unity, commonality and oneness with each other.

A sense of hope for a brighter future is pervading the little village of Ban-ao.

And “visitors” can’t help but notice the unity of the people here.

“I often wonder what the overall feeling in this village before Pablo was.

But now, the feeling of unity and oneness is so palpable in everyone that I can’t just feel or sense it but also see it in the people, in the way they help each other cope with the disaster,” Ed Cox, expert disaster response and humanitarian volunteer of the Rotary Club’s Disaster Aid International (DAI) said in a casual conversation with this reporter on board one of the vehicles of the Balay Mindanaw Group of NGOs (BMG) on the way to Ban-ao from Cateel.

Cox, who admitted his frustration at people who

don’t understand his “job”, said that there were times that he felt so frustrated at and disappointed with the response from government and so-called expert disaster response and humanitarian organizations that he wanted to give up.

“But then, I see the survivors and then hope springs back to life. Yes, you can see sadness in their eyes. But you can also see there the fire of hope burning. And it is our job, our work, our responsibility to make sure that this fire of hope in them is not extinguished. It is our job to convert this hope into positive action for them to be able to help themselves.

That’s the meaning of assistance,” he said.

And this hope is what’s driving the survivors in Banao forward into rebuilding a devastated community and rebuilding lives, even if it means literally picking the pieces and putting them

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CLEARING. Typ hoon Pablo survivors and BMG/DAI volunteers help in clearing the debris from the unsused portion of the barangay area just before the destroyed Ban-ao Elementary School in Baganga, Davao Oriental to make it ready for the Tent Community. photo by bong d. fabe

back together.

“Tear y-eyed, Punong Barangay Mera Ching said that despite the unfavourable fate they had in the past year,

there is always a reason to celebrate a new life, a new beginning. And this should not be missed especially by the little children,” Rochelle

“Bibing” Mordeno, executive director of Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (BMFI) said in BMG’s DR and humanitarian interventions update report to donors, partners and the general public.

Ching, at 42, is ably leading Ban-ao’s slow but sure recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Because of Ching’s leadership, purok (sitio) leaders of Ban-ao are also taking very active roles in the “new Ban-ao,” consisting of several Tent Communities.

“This also helped unload pablo/PAGE 11

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Solon urges CHED to allocate funds for MUST CAGAYAN de Oro City––A Congressman in Cagayan de Oro City urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to release the P50 million annual appropriation for the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) here.

Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez, 2nd District, Cagayan De Oro City, said that Republic Act 9519 has converted erstwhile Mindanao Polytechnic State College in Cagayan de Oro City into a state university known as MUST. He said that an appropriation of P50 million, in addition to the regular fund of the state university under the general appropriation act, has been approved for MUST operations for a period of five years after R.A. 9519 were approved in Jan. 7, 2009.

The fund was needed for MUST, one of the country’s 14 state universities that had

attained Level 1V, the highest a state university or college could attain, where future scientists and inventors are trained to possibly propel the country’s economic development and growth.

MUST be a leading university with two academic programs recognized as a Center of Development (COD) in the field of mathematics and Electrical Engineering and seven other Level 111 accredited programs, Rodriguez added.

He said that CHED has not made any recommendation with the general appropriation act to allocate the P50 million fund for MUST for the year 2011, 2012, and 2013 in which case the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was unable to release funds.

According to Rodriguez, the unavailability of the funds hindered MUST five-

CDP Orientation CAGAYAN de Oro City second district Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez, President of the Centrist Democratic Party, speaks during the basic orientation seminar for young professionals and professors in Northern Mindanao held at Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST).

At left photo are CDP Chairman Lito Monico Lorenzana and Dr. Peter Koepingger as speakers.

at providing the country’s scientific and technological knowledge and skills.

Rodriguez said that the Regional Development Coun-

cil of Region 10 has reiterated its request for the release of the P50 million fund as scheduled for the construction and upgrading of the

facilities and technologies of the university to perform its role in the development of resources for global competitiveness. CD

Travel ler” recent ly i ncluded t he Phi lippines in its list of “Top Tourist Destinations to Watch in 2013.”

Last week, the Philippines received the “Most Romantic Destination” award from another English daily in China, the “Shanghai Morning Post.”

The award was also based on a consumer survey.

“The DOT should now step up its efforts to promote the Philippines as a tourist spot. At the same magazine “Conde Nast time, government should

implement the necessary reforms to develop the tourism industry,” said the young lawmaker.

He said the government should immediately upgrade major airports in the country and improve other tourism infrastructure to boost tourist arrivals.

T he senator ia l ca ndidate from the United Nationa list A l lia nce (UNA) said the government shou ld foc u s on developing the country’s tourism industry given its potential to create more

jobs and provide business opportunities to local entrepreneurs.

Ejercito Estrada said that while the country has many wonderful tourist spots that could lure in travelers, the Philippines is still being edged out by other Southeast Asian countries in terms of attracting tourists. Malaysia, for instance, was visited by 24.7 million tourists in 2011 while only 3.91 million tourists visited the Philippines that same year.

key stakeholders, not just mere aid recipients, said BMG chief Charlito “Kaloy” Manlupig.

With the assistance of BMG, Ban-ao is beginning to resurrect. There is now a semblance of normalcy in the community.

The first occupants of the Tent Community here already have Food Always in the Home (FAITH) vegetable gardens, as well as pots of flowers. To complement this, the 67th Infantry “Agila” Battalion led by Lt. Col. Krishnamurti Mortela, who is also chief of the Incident Command Post (ICP) in Baganga, has established a nursery and gardens of kangkong and camote near the destroyed Ban-ao Elementary School. The Department of Agriculture has also provided the barangay with sacks of rice ready for planting. As of first week of January, resident of the Tent Community residents have already started planting rice.

To further enhance the spirit of normalcy and facilitate the smooth management of the Tent Community, the residents created 13 basic committees based on the international clustering approach, such as relief distribution; supply management; community kitchen; medic/health and womenand-children friendly spaces; security/protection and/or safety; psycho-social; water and sanitation, hygiene; grievance; data/record management; and livelihood. Overseeing all these

vegetable seeds for their vegetable gardens, ready-to-plant coconut trees for their coconut farms, and fishing boats and gears for the fishermen.

KPMFI and the survivors also identified daily, weekly, monthly, bi-annual and annual sources of income for the residents. (Bong D. Fabe)

year strategic plan in its pursuit for excellence in the fourfold functions of instruction, research, extension, and production aimed

JV asks gov’t to capitalize on citations for PHL as top tourist spot SAN Juan Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada urged t he Department of Tourism (DOT) to take advantage of the citations given to the Philippines as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

Ejercito Estrada made the statement af ter the Philippines was given the Best Tourism Destination award by China’s English dai ly, “Orienta l Morning Post.” The citation was based on a consumer survey conducted by the

newspaper.

Pablo... from page 10

the burden on the part of the punong barangay [as] all of the seven purok leaders are actively involved especially on major decision-making and planning related to the tent community and the barangay in general,” Mordeno said.

These leaders are: Nelson Calig-onan (Purok Magtinabangay A); Darwin Calig-onan (Purok Magtinabangay B); Uldarico Limocon (Purok Masipag A); Edgar Ponce (Purok Masipag B); Salvador Escamillan (Purok Mahayahay A); Mark Anthony Mandawe (Purok Mahayahay B); and Anselmo Rodriguez (Purok Mahayahay C).

“These leaders are with us every time we do distribution of goods and even in the clearing of debris for the tent houses. Hence, the quick and more orderly facilitation of activities involving a crowd of people,” she added.

If Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) broke the leadership and will of some political leaders in areas it devastated, in the little village of Ban-ao, Pablo gave Ching and her leaders the chance to shine through and prove their leadership skills and political will.

While there are hundreds, even thousands, of volunteers who have come and gone to help Ban-ao rise from the clutches of death, and even thousands

Also, American travel

more from the international, national and local communities who gave resources through the disaster response program of the BMG — like the people behind The Johanniter International (JOIN) Assistance of Germany, Rotary Club’s DAI and ShelterBox, Ayala Foundation, Ortigas Corporation, Nyima Foundation, Team Energy and others who would rather remain anonymous — credit really rests with the survivors themselves for never losing hope in the midst of the devastation.

From the very beginning, the survivors know that they are stakeholders in the difficult task of community rebuilding.

“I am very happy that Balay Mindanaw is here to help us rebuild. But since Balay Mindanaw and its volunteers are just ‘visitors’ here, we cannot expect them to stay for long. So it is really us, survivors, Banaowons, who have to rebuild our barangay,” said survivor Florgardo Mandawe, 55, summarizing the sentiments of other survivors.

The survivors, through Ching and purok leaders, are consulted by BMG and DAI before implementing any activity here. This is very important as this gives the survivors a “sense of ownership” for every accomplishment towards “community renewal.”

This will also further boost the hope in them as this approach consider them as the

committees is James Mandawe, who was designated as overall team leader.

While there are already patches of vegetable gardens, daily food sustenance is still a challenge for the survivors as livelihood is still hard to get.

Which is why BMG regularly (every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday) provides all 520 families in Ban-ao with food packs, non-food items, hygiene kits, etc. prepared by the BMFI team based in Cagayan de Oro City or at the O’Carmelites Parish Relief Operations Center, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. For the community’s water needs, the ICRC has provided a water bladder. DAI is also providing 2 water filter capable of filtering 10,000 liters of water a day for 10 years.

The “Engineering Brigade” of BMG’s social enterprise development arm, the Katilingbanong Pamahandi sa Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (KPMFI), augmented by skilled laborers from among the survivors conscripted through the cash-for-work program, built a communal facilities including kitchen, bathing area and toilet for men/boys and women/girls.

KPMFI also conducted Quick Skills Inventory and other related assessments of the survivors which resulted to the identification by the survivors themselves of their community’s needs such as

Last year, we honored Mindanao’s homegrown businesses...

This year, let the Investors from outside the island who helped propel Mindanao’s economy for decades be recognized...thus,

present

RATIONALE OF THE PROJECT - This is the 2nd Mindanao Business Leaders Awards, in a different category from the first one. The 1st Mindanao Business Leaders Awards was undertaken last year to give due recognition to the achievements of various Mindanao business leaders and entrepreneurs in various categories of homegrown corporate and individual business leadership achievements.

- This year’s search is aimed at giving honor and recognition of excellent business leaders in the investors’s category.

- BusinessWeek Mindanao as a forerunner of information on economic leadership and entrepreneurial achievements of non-Mindanaoan corporations and businessmen, deems it a part of its social responsibility to trumpet the achievements of these pillars of Mindanao’s economy, for others to emulate and thus propel an awareness for the business potential that Mindanao offers in every economic and business investment plan, whether small or great.

-We are helping Mindanao achieve sustainable development of its economy through these humble efforts.

MISSION & VISION OF THE AWARDS - The holding of BWM Awards annually serves as catalyst to the ongoing efforts of business leaders and entrepreneurs who seek greater heights and strive for success in the noble mission of propelling Mindanao and its people towards full economic growth and sustainable development.

For INQUIRIES CONTACT:

(088)856-3344, (08822)74-53-80 | 09274795196 (Allan Mediante) businessweekmindanao@gmail.com

Mechanics of the Search: Duration of the Search Awards Night

: :

January 15, 2013 to May 15, 2013 June 1, 2013

Entry Requirements: 1. Individual and Company/Establishment nominations shall be accompanied with Nomination Forms available on-line at the Sponsors Website, offices of sponsors, or in the printed page of Businessweek Mindanao and Mindanao Daily issues or may be mailed, if requested, by the Awards Secretariat 2. Nominees or candidates in various categories shall be nominated by BusinessWeek Mindanao and Mindanao Daily Bureaus; individuals, organization or groups not employed by or connected to any of the nominated person or firm .

3. Nominations shall be accompanied by the ff documents which can be mailed, or emailed to the awards secretariat - MINDANAO BUSINESS LEADERS AWARDS 2013 Secretariat, Tanleh Bldg., Abellanosa St., Cagayan de Oro City,not later than May 15, 2013.

4. Brief Resume and History of the Nominee (Individual or Firm) - Photos (at least 3) ; Nomination Form ; Documentary evidence such as certificates, awards or citations

MEDIA PARTNERS :