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CAGAYANLifestyle TIMES Weekly DE ORO
Volume 8 | No. 53 | Cagayan de Oro City | August 16-22, 2021
Manny Valdehuesa as a young man
Manny was the founder of the Gising Barangay Movement
The Life and Journeys of Mr. Kurakuted
Manuel E. Valdehuesa, Jr., 81
T
HE local hero who championed barangay governance reform as the key to solving the Philippines socio-economic woes, passed away on August 8, 2021 at the ripe old age of 81. Manuel “Manny” E. Valdehuesa, Jr. caught the nation’s imagination on May 2, 2010 in ABS-CBN/
Senate Election Poster
ANC “Harapan”, with Ted Failon: (2:46 of 3:56) when the host was interviewing the candidates of the
Katipiran Party. Known as “Mr. Barangay”, Manny explained how the people were getting "kurakuted" in their very own neighborhoods, particularly in Metro Manila, which has a high concentration of highlycapitalized barangays. This term which has become embedded in the nation’s lexicon also landed him in the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Valdehuesa said barangays are actually corporate entities that receive funding from public coffers. In Metro Manila alone, there are dozens of barangays that by law, receive public funds ranging the tens of millions. For example, Payatas and San Lorenzo receive upwards of P30 million annually. “Huge amounts for small communities, by any measure,” he noted. Manuel “Manny” E. Valdehuesa, Jr., was a native of Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. He completed his bachelor’s degree in sociology
Manny and GBM stalwarts Jun Chee Kee & the late Henry Abrillo meet Mambuaya Elementary School teachers and students during a GBM outreach in 2010. (RMB)
and English at Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, was a fellow in development planning and leadership in Israel, and studied political science and an MBA at Ateneo de Manila University. He was also a professional scholar at Columbia University School of International Affairs in New York, and earned graduate certificates in economics at the Henry George School
of Social Science. Manny was a social justice advocate and political activist, serving many roles in public service, including director for Asia and the Pacific at UNESCO (1983 1985), director at the Development Academy of the Philippines (1975 - 1987), manager at the Philippine Center New York (1989 - 1998), and member of the Philippines
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Permanent Mission to the UN (1987 - 1992). For those who knew him professionally, many can attest to his kindness, infectious energy, and passion for his beliefs. For those who knew him personally, his warmth, bright smile, and challenge to think independently, were most memorable. As one friend put it, “when you were around him, MANNY/PAGE 7
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CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly DE ORO
August 16-22, 2021
#TheFutureIsCreative
Filipino Artists bat for recognition of Creative Economy By MIKE BAÑOS
FILIPINO artists from all over the country are banding together to ask government to recognize the Creative Economy as a legitimate sector. “Panahon na kilalanin ang kontribusyon sa bayan ng artistang Pilipino. Panahon nang kilalanin bilang isang legit na sector ang Creative Economy,” said Rep. Christopher “Toff ” de Venecia, a former child actor, writer, director and Congressman for
the 4th district of Pangasinan, Deputy Majority Leader and Chairman of the Special Committee of Creative Industry and Performing Arts. “These measures are urgently needed. The pandemic has greatly disrupted the creative economy. The production of movies has slowed considerably, only to resume under very costly arrangements in order to be compliant with IATF rules,” he
Joe Bacus indie film Markado The Moon Devourer was screened in Japan
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DANTE SUDARIA Publisher MIKE BAÑOS Editor-in-Chief SUSAN P. DENNIS GEAN T. CESAR RANDY FAMACION MAI MAI SISON KLAUS DORING ANNIE GORRA RAGO WENDY RAMOS-GARCIA Contributing Editors CLIFFORD SANTILLAN Layout Artist PINKY DOMINGO Marketing KHRISTHA RIVA FELICILDA Advertising ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI Legal Counsel
stressed. De Venecia is the lead convener of the Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Bloc of the 18th Congress, with 6 Deputy Speakers and 12 Committee Chairmen as members. This Bloc seeks to introduce and support legislations that protect, promote, and bolster arts, culture, and creative industries. “Napakalawak nito. Kasama dito ang artista, pintor, manunulat, mananayaw, singer, rapper, event organizer, arkitekto, advertiser, comic book artist, chef, fashion designer, communication designer, furniture designer, pati na rin mga content creators, at e-Sports athletes and gamers,” De Venecia noted. “Mahalaga na maging malinaw at markahan ang espasyo nila sa ekonomiya. Eto ang unang hakbang para mabigyan ng sapat na suporta ng gobyerno ang Creative Economy. This is why we need to urgently pass the Philippine Creative Industries Development Bill,” he urged. Rep. Stella Quimbo, representative of the Second District of Marikina, notes the huge potential of the creative sector. “Per the DTI, the entirety of creative industries provides 4.8 million jobs or 11.3 percent of total employment in 2019. In terms of exports, the Philippines generated about USD 6.8 billion worth of creative goods or 6.0% of total exports. DTI Secretary Lopez also stated that the creative industries make up 7.12 percent of the GDP in 2017.” However, at present no agency exists to provide a comprehensive and unified plan to develop the Philippine Creative Industries as a whole, despite common pain points such as human resource development, labor and social protection, preservation and conservation of creative output, technological development, cultural assets management and policy issues involving infrastructure, industry, competition, investments and regulatory instruments. “We want our voice to be heard kay walay program ang government for us creatives. Especially during these times, we are left behind because we're not considered essential. But we are a great contributor to our economy,” rues Cagayan de Oro
based designer Chris Gomez. “For instance, during the current pandemic vaccination drive, the creative sector is not included. Maayo pa ang mga PU drivers ug drivers sa sikad, naa sila sa lista sa mga sector. Kami, wala gyud,” he lamented. Thus, the proposed measure seeks to establish the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council which shall formulate this economic sector’s development plan, coordinate its efforts with
Chris Gomez at work in his atelier
Ravenstagg, a Cagayan de Oro indie artist studio which paints miniatures has placed Cagayan de Oro in the Miniatures World Map. government agencies and other stakeholders, and other economic strategies while upholding intellectual property rights and providing support and incentives to achieve rapid growth in targeted sectors. This substitute bill to House Bills numbered 4692, 6476 and 5101 defines Creative Industries as those “involving persons, whether natural or juridical, that produce cultural, artistic, and innovative goods, products, and services, whether such goods, products and services originate in individual creativity, skill, or talent, and that have a potential for wealth and through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.”
This includes every person involved in creation, production and manufacturing, performance and broadcasting, communication and exhibition, and distribution and sale of works and other content. “Dugay na gi-apil ang creative sector sa DTI. But here, we lack focus. Mao to na born ang certificate program for design competency to equip aspiring designers, and to sustain there must be program for them to practice,” Gomez said of a two-phase program in design competency he headed in tandem with the Misamis Oriental DTI provincial office and Capitol University under the Business Incubation and Support Center in 2018 and
The Metro CAGAYAN de ORO TIMES newspaper is published weekly at Tanleh Bldg., Abellanosa Street, Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 10 with Certificate No. 01801884, and with Business Registration Plane No. 17211 with Business License Certificate 2014-00691. TIN No. 311-982-549-000 Tele/Fax #: (088) 856-3344 Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CagayandeOroTIMES email us at thecagayandeorotimes@gmail.com Member: Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber)
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Rep Toff de Venecia with the cast of Dani Girl (photo courtesy of The Sandbox Collective)
2019. “We wanted to have a more focused program for creatives with our partners to sustain their livelihood and professionalize their practice. And the only way to achieve this is to work together not only focusing on the SMEs products (food or non-food) but include our creatives in the journey. The Creative Domains defined under the bill include Audio and Audiovisual Media; Digital Interactive Media (New Media); Creative Service; Design; Cultural Sites; Books, Publishing, and Printed Media; Performing Arts; Traditional Cultural Expressions; Visual Arts; and Emerging Industries. Groups and organizations accredited under the bill will enjoy the benefits of Private Sector Consultation; Creative Voucher Program to access government services, and access to R&D Support programs from DOST. Another related bill is the Freelance Workers Protection Act, which seeks to provide social protection to these workers, more just terms of employment and compensation, and an enumeration of the unlawful practices in freelancing. “That's why, we fight to professionalize our work. On our being freelance,” Gomez stressed. “We want our sector to be part of that sustainable economy and lets suppport each other. Wala nila nakita nga tanan creatives also has big contribution to our economy. This the future of creative enterprise,” he noted.
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Memories of the Old Hometown
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A Tasty Heritage
By GWENDOLYN RAMOS-GARCIA
M Mantacao half shortbread, half fondant and sprinkled with cinnamon, its crumbliness is the result of a unique and exceptional know-how.
Jalea Mango Jam
Ice cream used to be made in a garapinera
Y MOTHER used to say that one way of sizing up a person is by knowing about the kind of food he/she enjoys since food is part and parcel of living well. It wasn't until I left home that I realized that we have so many culinary delights, some of them peculiar only to Kagay-anons - like the muchtouted bihod (fish roe) coming from that special fish known as pigok (indigenous to Cagayan and Tagoloan rivers). There's the binaki (made from milk and corn meal) that most people in the Philippines don't even have an inkling of. Then there's the fresh milk puto from the Soriano kitchen, the yemas, brazo de mercedes, sans rival and boat tarts that only Tita Gely Dayrit can make. There's also the Elloso's banana candies and the late Tita Flor Coconut candies Jaldon's special coconut candies (not macaroons). From my mother's kitchen, I learned to make keseo (white cheese from fresh carabao’s milk), budin (bread pudding), jalea (pure mango jam) and fresh milk ice-cream churned from a handcranked ice cream maker or garapinera. Who can forget the late Tita Luz Macaranas' special ensaimadas, fresh lumpia and masa podrida (a kind of pastry/cookie made from flour with ube jalea filling ), the Castanos' empanadas, Lola Iling Fernandez's pastillas de leche (also made from fresh carabao's milk) and the manticao (or mantecao, small elongated cakes which come in two flavors: cinnamon and butter) and crema de fruta recipes of the Neri sisters (Tita Perla and Tita Flor). Almost every family had tsokolate at breakfast and dinnertime made from their own backyard cacao trees. What about the kayam? (a kind of Pastillas de leche (angsarap.net) fruit, shaped like a shell which is eaten boiled) I remember that my mother had a "suki" who would deliver cooked or boiled kayam to the house. I haven't seen kayam for a long, long time now. And who can ever forget the ginamos made from hipon or little fish that come only once a year, usually the first day of February. I wonder if other places in the country have as many delicacies such as the ones that Cagayan de Oro can boast of (except for Pampanga and Bacolod, of course). (Excerpts from an article by Gwendolyn Ramos Garcia from her book "Memories of the Old Hometown")
Binaki from Bukidnon The keseo (or queseo) is the savory pride of the town of Compostela, Cebu province.
Kayam Nut
Fried Bihod
Sikwate and puto maya from Nanol’s Cafe inside Cogon Market. Photo by Natasha Alli
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CAGAYANTIMES Feature DE ORO
August 16-22, 2021 Page 4
A German Expat in the Philippines
WITH BEETHOVEN UNDER PALMS
By Klaus Döring
Chapter XXVIII:
Christmas and Teaching
Y
ES, Christmas is celebrated differently in the Philippines than in Germany. We had gotten used to it over the years. Our family adopted some of our German traditions too - as much as possible. As in many other Christian countries, Christmas is the most special time of the year in Germany. Though the most important ingredients of Christmas across the world are the same – festive cheer, family time, and delicious food – each country has its own special way of celebrating this magical festival. There are some Christmas traditions and rituals that are quintessentially German. St Nicholas Day is a favorite holiday with German children. On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their boots and leave them outside the door before going to sleep. Next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy, and small gifts from St Nicholas. He also makes an appearance in shopping malls and children’s clubs. Though Santa Claus has also become popular in Germany,
St Nicholas is much more important than his American counterpart. The Advent calendar is an important countdown to Christmas for German children. Every day for four weeks preceding Christmas, a window in the advent calendar is opened to reveal a poem, parts of a story, candy or a small gift. Advent calendars flood shops across Germany during this season, while many parents prefer to make their own. The tradition of Advent wreaths was started by German Lutherans in the 16th century, and today the wreath is still an icon of Christmas in Germany. The wreath consists of four candles in a bed of pine cones, berries, dried flowers and Christmas ornaments. Different families have different traditions when it comes to Adventskranz. Some will bring it out during the first week of December and burn one candle every Sunday in the lead up to Christmas. Others will display the advent wreath on the last Sunday before Christmas and
have the entire family sit around it, munching on Christmas delicacies, singing Christmas songs and watching Christmas movies. Granted, the magic of Christmas markets has spread to many other countries and continents, but the origins of Christmas markets can be traced back to the German-speaking part of Europe in the Middle Ages. A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year. The next time your heart warms at the sight of twinkling lights adorning the adorable Christmas market in your part of the world, remember that you have the Germans to thank for it. Of course, Christmas Markets with mugs of steaming hot Glühwein, and the Feuerzangenbowle, which is an immensely potent German Christmas beverage that is as much a feast for the taste buds as for the eyes. Rum with a high alcohol level is added generously to mulled wine, and the concoction is set in flames. Memories that faded over time in the Philippines. Freezing temperatures and lots of snow on the way to the
Christmas Mass - only possible in Germany. One day I got a call from the University of Southeastern Philippines, Institute of Languages and Cultural Arts. in Davao City. There had been a large number of inquiries regarding German Language Classes. “Well, I have never been a teacher before”, I replied Dr. Patricia Elbanbuena, the then Director of the institute. “But you are a journalist, and I think your German is perfect to be a German language teacher”, she tried to allay my fears. I taught German at USEP for almost 12 years. (To be continued) ‘Klaus Doring was born in Spenge, a little village near Bielefeld in North Rhine-Westphalia, former West Germany. A publishing house manager and journalist by profession, i.e. managing editor for law magazines in Berlin, New York and Amsterdam, radio and TV host.’
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Photo from the ceremonial signing with SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino and the Commissioners (PICC)
Real Estate Investment Trust offerings can help spark PH economic recovery By MIKE BAÑOS
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is confident the growing roster of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) offerings will propel the growth of the Philippines’ property sector beyond the pandemic--and serve as a catalyst for the country’s quick and strong economic recovery. Dominguez said the REIT has proven to be the ideal tool for raising the billions of pesos required to power property development in the country while at the same time opening attractive and dependable investment opportunities for the average Filipino. “Credit must go to Secretary of Finance Carlos G. Dominguez for his foresight in pushing forward with the revisions to the old rules that enabled the REIT market to get started,” said Guillermo D. Luchangco, Chairman and CEO of the ICCP Group of
A-typical-REIT-structure
Companies, including Science Park of the Philippines, Inc., Manila Exposition Complex, Inc. and Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation, as well as Chairman of Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines (ICCP). “I agree with Secretary Dominguez that REITs will help to propel the growth of the Philippine property sector and will thus give a further boost to the country’s economy,” Luchangco noted. “ What is equally important is that it allows the small or retail Filipino investor to now participate in the booming property industry which has already been prospering for a number of years. Dominguez has been a prime mover for the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9856 (the REIT) Law since he assumed the finance portfolio in 2016. When the REIT Law was
passed in 2009, no company found its terms attractive, owing to what property players have listed as obstacles for the REIT to flourish in this country--friction costs, minimum public ownership requirements, and taxes. “However, the amended IRR has removed the main obstacles and thus encouraged developers to undertake IPOs of REITs in the Philippines. Another feature of the amended IRR is that it ensures that all shareholders proceeds from REIT offerings will be retained within the domestic economy and used to drive the country’s growth.” The REIT law, with its amended IRR, now allows both small and large investors to own real estate assets, presenting an alternative and secure investment instrument for middle-income families and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “In the past, only the
Risk Factors to consider in investing in REITs bigger companies that could mount property projects could enjoy this success, while the small investor had no way of investing in it via the stock exchange,” Luchangco said. “With the introduction of the new rules and regulations for the implementation of the REIT law, the large property developers are encouraged to take advantage of the incentives offered to them to list their assets on the Philippine Stock Exchange, thereby giving the small investors the opportunity to buy shares and participate in the profits being generated by the industry,” he added. Meantime, Italian architect Romolo Valentino Nati, Chairman and CEO of the Filipino-Italian joint venture Italpinas Development Corporation, is similarly optimistic. “I think that REIT will have a dramatic positive impact on the real estate industry in the Philippines,” Nati said. “This was a long awaited “news” to see an enhancement of the real estate industry. This will also align the Philippine real estate with the “best practices” in other countries like Singapore, for example.” Established in 2009 by Nati and Filipino Lawyer Jose D. Leviste III, IDC is a design driven developer of sustainable properties focused
on emerging cities in the Philippines that’s committed to sustainable developments in harmony with the environment to bring value to investors, end-users, and the community through elegant architectural solutions and a trademark contemporary Italian aesthetic. As with the previous REIT offerings, Dominguez said the latest to be listed by Filinvest Land Incorporated in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) amid the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the confidence of investors in the economy’s solid recovery from the impact of the global contagion. “I wish Filinvest the best and thank its board, officers, and staff for their confidence in the strength of our economy. This REIT offering will be among the catalysts for our quick and strong economic recovery,” said Dominguez during the listing ceremony for the Filinvest REIT Corporation (FILREIT) at the PSE. Dominguez noted that FILREIT’s portfolio of “Grade A” office and commercial properties located in strategic areas and catering primarily to the business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology (IT) sectors will “surely provide attractive dividend yields for investors.” Filinvest has also acquired
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a well-earned reputation for sustainable and green buildings, which should inspire other developers and set the standard for eco-friendly designs that will help achieve the country’s climate ambition of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, said Dominguez, who is chairperson-designate of the Climate Change Commission (CCC). “With this REIT offering, I encourage Filinvest to further expand its portfolio of sustainable property developments, especially outside the Metro Manila area,” Dominguez said. Nati shares the finance secretary’s optimism that green architecture will benefit from the amended REIT, believing the real estate industry will spontaneously gravitate towards sustainable developments, and real estate green products will soon become the norm. “So if REIT will revitalize real estate, green products will also benefit from it. As we say, the high tide lifts all the boats,” Nati stressed. Besides its Primavera Residences and Primavera City seven-tower mixed-use green building projects in Pueblo de Oro Business Park, Uptown Cagayan de Oro City, IDC has also branched out to Sto. Tomas, Batangas with its Miramonti Green Residences.
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Vatican approves Xavier Ateneo ‘Campus of the Future’ August 16-22, 2021
X
avier UniversityAteneo de Cagayan’s “Campus of the Future” is a go. On August 20, 2021, Xavier Ateneo and Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI) and Xavier University (XU) - Ateneo de Cagayan inked a Memorandum of Agreement to develop the new XU Masterson Campus in Upper Balulang, Cagayan de Oro dubbed as “Campus of the Future” and University Township. Fr Mars P. Tan SJ, Xavier Ateneo President, signed the memorandum of agreement with Jose R. Soberano III, CLI Chairman and CEO, with Engr. Lennie K. Ong, Xavier Ateneo Treasurer, and Jose Franco B. Soberano, CLI Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as witnesses. Provisions in the agreement prepared by Xavier University and endorsed by Jesuit leaderships in the Philippines and in Rome were approved by the Vatican after a thorough two-year review process, including the Campus Master Plan developed by the XU Board of Trustees over the previous five years. “I am pleased to share with the entire Xavier Ateneo community that the biggest project to be undertaken by the university, the construction of the “Campus of the Future,” has finally received the seal of approval from the Vatican,” Fr. Tan announced in a memo posted 20 August 2021 at the XU website. “After a series of stakeholder consultations, dialogues, and weighing of the pros and cons, Father Provincial of the Jesuits endorsed the plan to the Superior General of the Jesuits in Rome, who after careful review and discernment with his counselors, endorsed the plan to the Vatican for its approval. The long wait for final decision only showed the amount of time devoted by the Church authorities to review and study the project.” A series of consultations with the various stakeholders were conducted in 2019, with XU’s employees, students, alumni, parents, CDO officials, clergy, and other members of the CDO community, providing a venue for dialogues and conversations on the proposed campus and identifying the challenges and risks as well as generating possible solutions.
Fr William Masterson SJ
“The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, having attentively examined the documents submitted, grants the request in conformity with the petition,” the Letter of Approval from the Vatican said. “This is good news for those who truly value education and formation of our young people and I am excited and happy because this will fulfill Xavier Ateneo’s dream to give the best Jesuit education possible in the region and in Mindanao,” Fr Tan noted. “First-class education needs first-class building and campus design.” “We envision an academically stronger university in this new campus – one that will facilitate learning in the new normal and at the same time produce men and women for others that can make relevant contributions to Mindanao,” added Fr. Tan, also known as an environmentalist of note. After the necessary permits are secured, development of the campus is scheduled to begin
in 2Q 2022, with the Masterson Campus scheduled to open in 2024. Prior to that, the current campus will still continue operating in downtown CDO. Meantime, CLI also targets to complete Phase 1 of its Manresa Town development over the same period. The Masterson Campus In a disclosure posted with the Philippine Stock Exchange dated 20 August 2021, publicly listed Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) said the 21-hectare XU Masterson Campus, is envisioned to catalyze development in Northern Mindanao with a Sustainable and New Normalready Campus Masterplan – characterized by an abundance of space, green areas, wide roads, dedicated bike lanes, campus-wide wireless connectivity, and healthy and adaptable learning facilities for virtual and physical classes. “Masterson Campus” will be dedicated in honor of the great Jesuit visionary Fr William Masterson SJ who foresaw the potential of
Manresa in the 1960s. This new campus is fit for the new normal as it provides innovative and smart components for synchronous and asynchronous learning, pioneering research, artistic expression, and wholeperson formation. The masterplan of the XU Masterson Campus will blend seamlessly with the adjacent Manresa Town to be developed by Cebu Landmasters, a 14.3-hectare mixed-use university town with generous open spaces providing XU students convenient and safe residential options, easy access to commercial establishments and future-ready offices. This University Town concept creates strong synergies which will benefit both XU and the surrounding uptown CDO community. The 25-hectare forest reserve and animal sanctuaries will be retained in the uptown property. XU’s Centennial Celebration The College of Agriculture facilities (e.g. demonstration farms, workshops, and field
laboratories, among others) currently located in Manresa are planned to eventually be transferred to XU’s El Gaucho property in Upper Bugo-Upper Puerto. After considering several national real-estate players, the Board selected property developer Cebu Landmasters Inc (CLI) as its partner in developing the proposal for the new campus project. CLI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jose Soberano III said the listed company is honored to be part of this game-changing project for both XU and Cagayan de Oro. “Both CLI and XU share the same goal – this new campus and university town is truly for the betterment of the people of Cagayan de Oro City,” Soberano said. “This development will serve as a key catalyst for both the education and economy in the entire region.” The Masterson Campus is situated close to XU’s 12-hectare Basic Education Complex in Pueblo de Oro,
allowing the integration of campuses for greater efficiency and modernization. By School Year (SY) 2022-2023, the consolidated XUGS will be fully integrated into the XU Basic Education Complex in the Pueblo Campus, along with the Preschool, Junior High, and Senior High School (Academic Track and ALGCIT). XU officially moved its XUGS Macasandig campus to the Pueblo Campus last May 28, 2021. This would make access by all XUGS pupils easier to the Xavier Ateneo Sports Centre with its track oval, seven-lane swimming pool, and various game courts, as well as the Masterson Campus along Fr. William Masterson Avenue. This proposed masterplan is in line with the Jesuit university’s strategic plan to be the top university in Mindanao and among the best in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, particularly as Xavier Ateneo moves forward to celebrating its centennial in 2033.
Signing the agreement are (L-R): Engr. Lennie K. Ong (Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan Treasurer), Fr. Mars P. Tan, SJ (Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan President), Jose R. Soberano III (Cebu Landmasters Chairman & CEO), and Jose Franco B. Soberano (Cebu Landmasters Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer).
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Manny... from page 1
he had a way of making you feel connected to something bigger.” Active in the Philippine reform movement since the 1960s, he was secretarygeneral of the Christian Social Movement until its dispersal in martial law under the Marcos Dictatorship. The movement resurfaced after the first EDSA Revolution as the National Union of Christian Democrats (NUCD) - the party which merged with Lakas Tao Party to enable Fidel V. Ramos to run for the presidency. He was a political campaign organizer in the heyday of the late Vice President Emmanuel “Maning” N. Pelaez and Senators Raul Manglapus and Manuel Manahan. Through it all, he was also a book publisher and taught social science and history at Ateneo de Manila University. A memorable role was serving on the peace panel for Mindanao and the Cordilleras (Feb - Sep 1987) under the Cory Aquino Administration, meeting Nur Misuari and MNLF representatives to broker peace and development in what later would become the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. While traveling widely as part of his career, Manny’s interest in politics led him to observe at close range the American presidential system as well as the European and Israeli parliamentary models. Later years saw him in further roles after
August 16-22, 2021
returning to his country in 1998, including as Deputy Presidential Adviser for Philippine Constitutional Reform (2004) and Vice Chairman of the Local Government Academy (2002 - 2004). He also briefly managed a farm and cattle ranch near ancestral lands in Bukidnon. In 2004 Manny received the UNICEF-PPI Award for Most Outstanding Column on Children and published a book on the critical factors that shape our politics, “Trapo Governance and the Cha Conspiracy: More Power to Those in Power, None for the People.” Gising Barangay Movement In 2005, founded and went on to become the president and national convenor of the Gising Barangay Movement, which advocated for empowering people at the grassroots level. Rather than policing the country's economy as an aggregate whole, Manny advocated that citizens (middle and upper class) should participate in their barangays' governing processes in order to ensure transparency, accountability and responsibility and to guide their public servants in managing and implementing projects according to the community's will which would vault the country in no time into a "Tiger Economy". "Empowering the country's 42,000 barangays could be done without amending the Constitution since it is already having all the tools it needs to be harnessed as a tool for development under the Local Government Code of 1991,”
he stressed. “The barangay is a corporation that has the capacity to launch its own projects because it has land, labor and capital,” he added. Among the advocacies he was pushing is the measurement of a barangay's productivity using a "Gross Barangay Product". "Many of our barangays have latent economies which could very easily be leveraged by 50 or even 100 percent," he noted. "Multiply that figure by the country's 42,000 barangays and you can see the potential for explosive growth this country is capable of but which has lain dormant due to the central management of our resources," he added. But these "corporate entities" have been mismanaged, a situation driven largely by the apathy of professionals and other educated individuals in barangays who could easily wake up to do something about the situation. While barangay funds are supposed to be used for operations and maintenance such as cleaning, beautification and sanitation, these can also be utilized as investment capital for local development (as opposed to a simple allowance for spending on whimsical projects). But since otherwise skilled and educated residents are unaware, inattentive, or apathetic the money is frittered away or spent without transparency or accountability. “Without the actual participation of barangay's professional residents in its
governing processes, no one can stop the kurakot. Their absence is what occasions the kurakot.” Through various platforms through the GBM, he urged residents to be more attentive and involved in their community, and help in managing its funds, facilities, and equipment, including maintaining a record of assets and liabilities. This, he urged, would start the process of empowering this basic political and economic unit of the country and turn it into a firm foundation of our democracy. Since the biggest earners are in Metro Manila, starting the reform there will cascade the initiative and the excess capital outwards to the provinces. “To turn one’s barangay into an efficient corporate entity and government unit and a productive, selfreliant economy would start a groundswell of reform from the bottom up,” he advocated. “If you don’t want your funds and other assets frittered away, don’t be kurakuted! Government is everybody’s - if you’re not involved, you can’t expect good governance!” A Nation of Zombies In 2009, he published “A Nation of Zombies: Powerless Grassroots, Clueless Elites and the Cycle of Corruption in the Philippines,” which former Senator Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. said was “a must-read for those in power, those who wish to be
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Dont be Kurakuted
in political power, and those who wish to initiate a sea of change for a better society and country.” In 2010, Manny ran as a candidate for the Philippines Senate under the Ang Kapatiran Party ticket. He was invited to join the Party precisely because of his advocacy to focus on the barangay which has the potential for double digit growth that could jump start Metro Manila's urban barangays where the gap between the haves and have-nots is very glaring and growing, due to the traditional politics which until today dominates barangay governance. Although he did not win, the effort fed him many valuable insights reflected in his many subsequent
writings. He spent his final years in retirement in Makati, Metro Manila continuing to pen writings (found in Mindanews, Mindanao Gold Star Daily and the Philippine Daily Inquirer). Choosing a quiet, private life, he was cared for by closest friends and family. After enduring recurring bouts of pneumonia which saw him in and out of hospitals, he succumbed to respiratory failure on 8 August 2021. He is survived by those who loved him dearly, including two sons, Ariston “Aris” and Basilio “Igon”. The Valdehuesa Family sends our heartfelt thanks for the messages of comfort coming from all corners of the globe.
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 10th Judicial Region Branch 44 Initao, Misamis Oriental In the Matter of Petition for Cancellation Misc. Case No. Of Decree Registration No. 762788 of 2020-1654 Alubijid, Misamis Oriental Cadastral Case No. 29, LRC Cadastral Record No. 1599 For: Cancellation and Covering Lot No. 14248 Issuance of Judicial Decree Deborah C. Althuber, Elaine A. Duebendorfer, Cindy C. Albarado, Mary Joy M. Sprengers, and the Heirs Of the Late Julian Palasan, Represented by: LILIA PALASAN SALVAN,
COMELEC Certificate of Candidacy for Senator
Petitioners, -versusThe Administrator, Land Registration Authority (LRA) or its or his Duly Authorized Representative, Respondent, x----------------------------------------------------/ AMENDED ORDER Before this Court is a verified Petition for Cancellation of Decree of No. 762788 and issuance of a new decree over a parcel of land designated as Lot. No. 14248 with an area of Fifty Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Thirteen square meters, (57,913 sqm.), situated at Matangad, Gitagum, Misamis Oriental. Finding the same to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is set for INITIAL HEARING on September 2, 2021 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at this Court, sitting at the Hall of Justice, Initao, Misamis Oriental. Persons interested in this petition are required to answer and appear before this Court on the aforesaid date and make known their opposition thereto. The Applicant is hereby directed at his expense to cause the publication of the Notice of Initial Hearing in the Official Gazette and once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Misamis Oriental. Further, the applicant is hereby directed to furnish copy of the application and its annexes to the Solicitor General and the Administrator of Land Registration Authority. Lastly, let copies of this Order be furnished to the concerned office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of this Province.
Manny (leftmost) hung around with the HiFi Gang during the 50’s, a close-knit group of neighbors and relatives residing mostly along Del Mar St. Also in the picture is the late Fr Leo Pabayo (4th from left) and L-R: Tatoy Neri, Boy Velez, Ramon Lim, Jose Balaba, Berti Jongko, Felix Almerol, Fil Apolinario and Orlando V. Neri (photo courtesy of Amadeo V. Neri)
SO ORDERED. March 26, 2021, Initao, Misamis Oriental.
(SGD) ARTHUR L. ABUNDIENTE, J.D Acting Presiding Judge
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August 16-22, 2021
Page 8
Redesigning Spaces with Sustainable Green Solutions
A
HIGHLY interesting and instructive webinar about work spaces and sustainable green design solutions has been held on Friday August 13 2021. The event was presented by Bluprint with the partnership of Kone elevators Host Manolet wGarcia tried to understand from two renowned architects like Arch. Jojo Tolentino and Arch. Romolo Nati what impact covid-19 had on workspace architecture and design and how to be creative about sustainability focusing on green architecture design & building. Arch. Jojo Tolentino is the President of Aidea, a design and technology practice that creates transformative solutions for the building industry through partnerships, innovations and pioneering technologies while Arch. Romolo Nati is the Chairman and CEO of Italpinas Development Corporation, a PSE-listed real estate development company focused on the development of green mixed use buildings in secondary cities in the Philippines. According to Arch. Tolentino workspaces will have to take into consideration a changed postpandemic mindset in part of the
workforce whereas the feeling of safety, comfort and wellness will play a major role in any work environment in future. Tomorrows office puts the employee at the center of the experience. Architect Romolo Nati, a fierce sustainability advocate, first of all clarified what 'green' means in modern architecture and design. He said that “nowadays it is mainly used as a marketing tool” while the real meaning is all about sustainability. “Sustainable design is a design of a building with the minimal impact on the environment.” That is why Architect Nati uses specific software to analyse environmental data like the flow of the wind around the building and the exposure to the sun in order to apply it on the design of the building to harmonize the design with the development using natural features given by nature and the immediate environment. In Primavera Residences and Primavera City in CdO, two multi-awarded and EDGE-certified developments in Cagayan de Oro he applied these passive green design features to increase natural light and shading during peak hours as well as the natural ventilation by designing an
internal shaft that has a chimney effect once doors or windows are opened, letting the air flow through the units giving it plenty of natural ventilation. Also the other project of Italpinas Development Corporation, Miramonti Residences, located in Sto Tomas Batangas, rising right at the Sto Tomas exit of the South Luzon Expressway, features passive green design features and solar panels for the ultimate benefit of the residents and building performance in accordance with the sustainable mindset of the company. IDC™ is a design driven developer of sustainable properties focused on emerging cities in the Philippines. Established in 2009 by Arch. Romolo V. Nati, an Italian architect, and Atty. Jose D. Leviste, III, a Filipino lawyer. IDC™ is committed to environmental sustainability through elegant architectural solutions and trademark contemporary Italian aesthetic. Its focus is on hyperprospective emerging cities and other next-wave locations in the Philippines. With its unique design philosophy, IDC™ is committed to sustainable developments in harmony with the environment to bring value to investors, end-users, and the community.
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