BusinessWeek Mindanao (June 9-10, 2023)

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Emergency loans

ACTIVE members and pensioners from nine power crisis-affected Occidental Mindoro towns and those affected by flash floods and landslides in Agusan Del Sur can now avail of emergency loan from Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso on Thursday said a total of 17,010 active members and 1,563 old-age and disability pensioners working or residing in the municipalities of San Jose, Magsaysay, Calintaan, Rizal, Sablayan, Santa Cruz, Mamburao, Paluan and Abra de Ilog, as well as in Prosperidad may apply for the emergency loan until June 21.

“Having the financial means to provide for basic needs amidst a natural disaster is important," he said, saying that the state pension fund is readying over P437.5 million for this purpose.

Maharlika fund

THE bill seeking to establish the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) is now awaiting the signature of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. This comes after the House of Representatives formally adopted the Senate's version of the MIF bill during the plenary session on Wednesday night.

Earlier in the day, House committee on banks and financial intermediaries chair Irwin Tieng said the House contingent to the bicameral conference committee agreed to accept the provisions under Senate Bill 2020.

$176M fishery fund

THE World Bank on Wednesday approved a $176 million fisheries and coastal resiliency project.

In a statement, the World Bank said the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency Project (FISHCORE) seeks to improve fisheries management, enhance the value of fisheries production, and elevate incomes in selected coastal communities.

The project is expected to benefit more than 1.5 million fisherfolk, small-to-medium businesses, and residents in coastal communities.

Data key to integrated water security framework

By Mike Baños

Awater security advisor of the USAID Safe Water Project in the Philippines has advised water stakeholders in Northern Mindanao that updating key water related data is crucial to the successful formulation of an integrated, inclusive water security framework. USAID Safe Water Advisor Dr. Rachel M. Beja, stressed this key point in her presentation “Provincial Integrated Water Security Plan Formulation Rudiments” rendered during the Northern Mindanao Integrated Water Security Summit held May

Agusan mine workers to get P40 daily pay hike

By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN

ROSARIO, Agusan del Sur

(MindaNews / 08 June) –

Workers of a gold mining company here will receive a P40 across-the-board daily wage hike starting next month, after the management and the labor union sealed their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on Wednesday.

The Philsaga Mining Corp.

Postwar veterans, AFP retirees can now become stockholders of Veterans Bank

(PMC), which employs at 2,050 regular workers, will pay minimum wage earners P390 daily effective July.

Currently, the minimum daily wage rate in the Caraga region is P350.

In the presence of regional officials from the Department of Labor and Employment and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) as witnesses, lawyer Raul AGUSAN/PAGE 7

THE Philippine Veterans Bank, in its new Charter, after the passage of Republic Act 11597, or the Philippine Veterans Bank Act, of December 2021, has allowed other veterans (Postwar veterans and AFP retirees)

to become its stockholders.

Veterans Bank which is now known as a private bank was then owned exclusively by over 385,000 World War II veterans and their compulsory heirs.

Ownership of Veterans

Bank has been extended to post-war II veterans, AFP Retirees and their families. in its effort to raise more capital.

The new shareholders includes Korean and Vietnam

DAVAO City — Former Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Alcantara Dominguez has joined the 60-year-old Alsons Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev) as its new director who will oversee the business strategy and operations of the premier property developer and real estate pioneer in Davao City. Alsons Dev is the real estate

The management and labor union of Philsaga Mining Corp. seal their Collective Bargaining Agreement in the presence of government representatives on Wednesday, 07 June 2023. MindaNews photo by CHRIS

Building smart cities through 5G technologies, PPPs

TAIPEI, Taiwan – The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has highlighted the need for smart cities to leverage 5G technologies to improve public services, health, safety and sustainability due to its

effect on the public’s mobility.

From improving city management through e-governance, boosting business opportunities using artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud, as well as helping create safer public spaces

through smart cameras and police cars, smart cities are now a reality for many firstworld countries and a model to emulate for developing nations.

However, harnessing such

Dr Rachel M Beja, Water Securtity Advisor, USAID Safe Water

Over 1,200 delegates joins the 6th Organic Asia Congress in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte

By Ercel Maandig Kauswagan, Lanao del

Norte-

Started on June 5 with some side events, the 6th Organic Asia Congress kicked off here Wednesday bringing together participants from 31 countries , marking the first time that so many countries and areas have gathered in the town.

There are over 1,200 delegates, of which 253 are from other countries.

In his message, the host Mayor Rommel Arnado expressed his overwhelming gratitude for the participants' interest in his hometown and the progress achieved through the "From Arms to Farms" program. He highlighted the program's aim to achieve food security and eliminate hunger through peace-building efforts. Former rebel commanders now play a vital role in maintaining

peace and prosperity in his town, contributing to the town's success.

The congress serves as a platform to showcase the achievements and impact of organic agriculture in Kauswagan and beyond.

Mayor Arnado stressed the importance of breaking down misconceptions about organic products and promoting their health benefits. By unifying their efforts, the municipality aims to play a bigger role in the global stage of organic agriculture.

Senator Mark Villar commended Mayor Arnado's leadership and the municipality's progress in organic agriculture. He highlighted the significance of the From Arms to Farms program, which empowers former combatants and

members of armed groups to engage in organic farming, fostering peace and conflict resolution.

The congress also featured distinguished speakers presenting their research and experiences on topics such as innovation, social inclusiveness, and organic rice production. Participants were encouraged to make the most of the numerous sessions and discussions planned throughout the event.

National Organic Agriculture Program Director Bernadette San Juan expressed optimism about the congress's success and urged attendees to maximize their time to learn about organic agriculture. She emphasized the importance of organic farming in ensuring the welfare of the public, the environment, and farmers'

livelihoods.

Secretary Maria Belen Sunga Acosta of the Mindanao Development Authority highlighted the favorable conditions in Mindanao for organic farming and its potential to contribute to the region's economic growth. She stressed the link between organic agriculture, food security, and peacebuilding, emphasizing the need for collaboration and understanding among stakeholders.

Zamzamin Ampatuan, Undersecretary of the National Organic Agriculture Board, expressed his appreciation to Mayor Arnado and commended the municipality's dedication to organic agriculture. He emphasized the crucial role of local leaders in advancing the advocacy for organic agriculture and achieving food security.

The 6th Organic Asia Congress promises to be a fruitful platform for exchanging knowledge, strategies, and experiences in organic agriculture. Participants from various sectors, including government agencies, private institutions, and organizations, aim to drive transformative

change and build a sustainable future for all.

The book launch of From Arms to Farms coffee table book was held showcasing the inspiring story of the municipality's organic transformation and its significant impact on peacebuilding and sustainable development. The book serves as a testament to Kauswagan's remarkable journey from a town plagued by conflict and poverty to a thriving model of organic agriculture and social harmony. It chronicles the challenges faced by the community and the transformative initiatives undertaken to promote organic farming as a means to achieve lasting peace. It showcased through over 300 photographs of the municipality's remarkable metamorphosis into a secure, food-sufficient, and sustainable community.

As the congress continues, discussions include the vital role of women in strengthening organizations and ensuring food security during the pandemic, promoting organic agriculture through development processes and policy incentives, local food consumption

initiatives, sustainable farm ecosystems, organic farming as a platform for dialogue, rural enterprise development, rural revitalization programs, food security through organic home gardens, agrotourism, organic school meals, organic farming experiences, achieving a sustainable and organic island, the Slowfood Movement, organic pesticide use, successful insecticidefree rice production, nanotechnology innovations in organic farming, economic and social initiatives for small-scale farmers, empowering saffron farmers through certification, pest and weed management in rice cultivation, innovations in organic tea production, and climate-resilient organic paddy seed development.

The Organic Asia Congress serves as a testament to the growing importance of organic agriculture in promoting food security, peace-building, and sustainable development, and it provides an opportunity for participants to learn from one another and strengthen networks within the organic agriculture community.

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF DECEASED PERSON

BWM: JUN 2 & 9, 2023

days after the initial publication would have been made.

(SGD) ERIC O. MABELIN Municipal Civil Registrar

Notice is hereby given that on sometime on March 2, 2018 at Mandaue City, Cebu, RAYMUNDO M. COTIANGCO, died intestate leaving a three (3) parcels of land more particularly bounded and described, to wit: PARCEL 1 A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot 6, Block 6, Psd-10-037341, being a portion of Pcs-10-000251), situated in the Barrio of Lumbia, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) SQUARE METERS, more or less and embraced in TCT No. T-160488. PARCEL 2 A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot 25, Block 6, Psd-10-037341, being a portion of Pcs-10-000251), situated in the Barrio of Lumbia, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) SQUARE METERS, more or less and embraced in TCT No. T-151261. PARCEL 3 A PARCEL OF LAND, 1/3 portion of the Lot 1, Psd-158724, situatedatSurigaodelNorte,containing an area of SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE (65,235) SQUARE METERS, more or less and embraced in TCT NO. T-(931)5 are the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF DECEASED PERSON. That at the time of the above-named decedent, he left no known debt, whatsoever and this instrument does not involve personal property a none was left by the above-named decedent at the time of his death; This INSTRUMENT, made and entered into by and among: LETICIA I. COTIANGCO, of legal age, widow, Filipino and a resident of Block 6, Lot 6 Montaña Vista, Gran Europa, Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City, hereinreferred to as the HEIR; LERA FAY COTIANGCO - DE LA RAMA, of legal age, married, Filipino and a resident of Unit 1214 One Oasis, Filinvest Camaman-an Road, Brgy, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, herein-referred to as the HEIR; That the HEIRS herein being his surviving wife and daughter are the only forced heirs of the said decedent; That it is to the best interest of the said HEIRS and of the estate of the above-named decedent, that the herein-above described three (3) parcel of lands thereon, be adjudicated unto divided and partitioned by and among the said HEIRS; the HEIRS herein, do hereby adjudicate unto, divide and partition by and among themselves, as by these presents have ADJUDICATED unto, DIVIDED and PARTITIONED by and among themselves the hereinabove described three (3) parcels of land in pro indiviso equal share each of them; Under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. ROWELL B. VALLEDOR. As per doc no. 417; Page no. 84; Book no. 13; Series of 2019.

PH manufacturing growth accelerates in April

MANILA – Factory output both in volume and value grew at a faster pace in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has said.

Results of the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI) released Thursday showed that the Value of Production Index

(VaPi) went up by 10.7 percent in April from 6.0 percent in March.

It was also higher than the 5.0 percent in April last year.

"The faster annual growth of the VaPI in April 2023 was mainly contributed by the higher annual upturn in the manufacture of food products

industry division at 19.7 percent in April 2023 from 10.0 percent in the previous month," the PSA said.

Other contributors to the higher VaPI growth during the month were the faster annual increases in the manufacture of transport equipment at 35.8 percent from 23.1 percent

World Bank lifts PH economic growth projection to 6%

MANILA – The World Bank on Wednesday revised upward its Philippine economic growth projection to 6 percent this year from 5.6 percent as strong domestic demand is expected to drive growth.

"Despite weak global conditions, we expect strong domestic demand to grow to 6 percent in 2023 and move to its growth potential over the medium term," World Bank senior economist Ralph Van Doorn said in a briefing for the Philippines Economic Update (PEU) report.

The World Bank's latest

forecast falls within the government's 6 to 7 percent economic growth target for the year.

For 2024 and 2025, World Bank expects the Philippine economy to grow by 5.9 percent.

The report said the strong domestic demand this year is underpinned by consumer spending, drawing strength from the continuing jobs recovery and the steady flow of remittances.

Other drivers of growth include fixed capital investment as a result of upbeat domestic

activity and improved business confidence.

The services sector is also expected to support growth while the recovery of international tourism will boost the expansion of transportation services, accommodation, and food services.

Aside from these, the amendments to the Public Service Act, Foreign Investment Act, and Retail Trade Liberalization law are expected to encourage private investment and strengthen growth in the country over

BANK/PAGE 7

in the previous month, and manufacture of other nonmetallic mineral products which went up by 19.1 percent from 7.7 percent in 2022.

The Volume of Production Index (VoPi), on the other hand, also went up by 8.2 percent, faster than the 3.4 percent expansion in March.

It was also a turnaround from the -1.3 percent seen in April last year.

The PSA said the faster annual growth of VoPI in April 2023 was mainly brought

about by the higher annual rates of manufacture of food products which grew by 14.7 percent from 4.3 percent in March.

The expansion in the manufacture of transport equipment and manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products also contributed to the faster VoPi growth during the month.

The PSA said the average capacity utilization for manufacturing section in April 2023 was reported at

72.4 percent from 73.2 percent in the previous month.

"All industry divisions reported capacity utilization rates of more than 50 percent during the month. The top three industry divisions in terms of reported capacity utilization rate were manufacture of machinery and equipment except electrical (82.7 percent), manufacture of transport equipment (82.5 percent), and manufacture of rubber and plastic products (76.6 percent)," it said. (PNA)

BSP rates post mixed results

MANILA – The rates of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) term deposit facility (TDF) registered mixed directions on Wednesday but demand remained strong, data from the central bank showed.

The average rate of the seven-day facility slipped to 6.5823 percent from 6.5863 percent during the auction last May 31.

On the other hand, the average rate of the 14-day TDF rose to 6.5927 percent

from 6.5852 percent in last week’s auction.

The BSP maintained the offer volume for both tenors at PHP120 billion for the shorter tenor and PHP100 billion for the two-week facility.

Both tenors were fully awarded after bids for the one-week facility reached PHP133.675 billion while it amounted to PHP116.092 billion for the two-week TDF.

In a statement issued Wednesday night, BSP Deputy

Governor Francisco Dakila Jr. said the range of yields accepted in this week’s TDF auction narrowed to 6.3750 to 6.6250 percent for the oneweek facility, and to 6.3000 to 6.6344 percent for the twoweek tenor.

“Moving forward, the BSP’s monetary operations will remain guided by its assessment of the latest liquidity conditions and market developments,” he said. (PNA)

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Awakening Process Now Begins

Of the country’s resources, be natural or financial, three questions must now be asked: Who profits? Who decides? Who controls?

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Following the Right Map

Think a minute . . . Have you ever been lost? If you travel to another country for the first time, getting lost can be frustrating and discouraging. Imagine you have just arrived in London, England and want to go to a certain place in that great city. A map of London would show you how to get there. But what if you had the wrong map? What if your map read London, but it was actually a map of Tokyo, Japan!

Imagine your total frustration and futility in trying to get where you want to go in London, when all the time you’re following the map of Tokyo! You could work on your driving skills and concentration. Try harder and drive faster. But that would only take you to the wrong place faster. You might even change your attitude and think more positively. But you would still be lost. Being polite and kind to other drivers and pedestrians along the way would not get you there either. None of these things you do can change the fact that you’re following the wrong map.

That’s the frustrating situation we all face in life. We keep looking for success,

Our country is oozing with ecological resources. Prior to the vanishment of the 17 million hectares of our dipterocarp forest, the Philippines was home to billions of flora and fauna that are endemically found only in our country. In fact, the number of flora and fauna found in a 5,000-hectare Mt. Kitanglad is far greater compared to those found in on billionhectare continent of North America. But the ecological wealth is not just found above the ground; beneath are 72 kinds of minerals only found in Mindanao alone. But the wealth does not stop at the shorelines. Our archipelago has been described as the “center of the center” of marine life on earth. Paradoxically, amidst the bounty lies so much poverty. Why? Because the Filipino people are so powerless to benefit from these resources.

We can categorically answer that in the Philippines, it is never the people but only a few elites, the ruling class, the landlords, the TNCs, the cartels, the conglomerates, the monopolies through the growth-at-allcost development strategy called extractive economy or corporate globalization. Poverty is rooted, not in the lack of resources but in the powerlessness of people to have access and control over their resources which are fast slipping through their fingers. That’s what development experts say. That’s what the people perceive now in the light of massive destruction of our ecological systems through massive extractions. In Cagayan de Oro alone, it is so shocking to know that its top quality gold are extracted by illegal Chinese miners carrying

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST

satisfaction, and love in all the wrong places—because we don’t have the right map. We keep going down dead-end roads that lead us nowhere. We waste much of our life getting lost and making painful mistakes that cost us much— because we do not know how to get where we want to go. But the saddest thing of all is that the right map has been right in front of us all the time. We simply refused to use it. In fact, the Maker of the right map also came as our personal guide to show us what we’re looking for.

Jesus said: “I am the way to true life. Follow me and I will lead you where you need and want to go. I know this land and territory called life.

only tourist visa through openpit mining using backhoes and heavy equipment that have tremendously destroyed our rivers and Macajalar bay though massive siltation, to the detriment of the coastal communities who are now living in hunger and extreme poverty.

Look at Mindanao, so rich yet so poor. While the island oozes with ecological resources, poverty is glaring in the life of the peasants who must till the land not their own. And if they do, they are victims to a mode of production and marketing system that they do not control. The farmers have been “robbed” of farming, using seeds and technologies which are not within their control but by big agri-business corporations.

Feel the pains of our indigenous people. They have lived sustainably in the forest ecosystem for thousands of years but now the 17 million hectares of dipterocarp forest are almost gone and so are their “pharmacies,” their “marketplace,” notwithstanding that the forests are our invisible water dams, soil protector, climate regulator, carbon sink and “homes” to billions of flora and fauna many of which are found only in the Philippines. Now what we have are ecological disasters for massacring the trees and all life forms (the megadiversity) that once dwelt in the forest.

After losing the forest, there is now a tremendous pressure on land as these are now heavily “commercialized” by new entrants TNCs converting the land into massive plantations, to the detriment of our “lumads” who all these years are rendered powerless. Indeed, “Agaw Lupa, Agaw Buhay” as our Indigenous Peoples who were once the masters of the land that they wonderfully made productive following

the culture of sustainability are now illegally deprived of their ancestral domains and if they resist, they are being erased from the face of the earth. In the last 7 years, some 101 IP leaders have been killed for standing-up to protect their land rights. In Butong, Quezon, more than 1,000 families belonging to the Manobo Pulangiyon Tribe are living in the last 6 years along the hi-way living under shattered tents and are just eating “Kamote” once a day, having been illegally ousted from their 1,111-hectare ancestral domain by a powerful corporation that has transformed their native land into massive plantation. But such is just a “tip-of-theiceberg,” as the outpourings of the IP narratives manifest the truism how oppressed they are and are treated as just “disposable wastes.”

In Canada, no less than Pope Francis begged for apology “for the evil done by the Christians against the Canadian Indigenous People for the assimilation of the IP culture.” In Mindanao, the socalled Christians have already tortured and killed hundreds of IP leaders to instill fear as the enrichment of the Christians means the dispossession of the IPs of their native lands, yet, no apology has been done and such cruelty continues without let-up. Are we really a Christian country? It seems Satan is winning! Let us stop the fallacies of religion in this country as religious groups seem to side with the oppressors.

The Philippine environment is a sad tale of ecological tragedy characterized by massive conspiracy perpetuated by interest groups with their cabal of vested interest who profits, who decides and who controls the resources.

Study the sad plight of the member-consumers of so-

called Electric Cooperatives which carry “cooperative” as a nomenclature but have never adhered to the time-honored and universally accepted cooperative principles. It is about time to rectify a social flaw, to empower the thirteen million member-consumerowners whose consolidated capital contributions have reached a gargantuan amount of some One trillion pesos but these capital shares are still to be recognized as such after all these years.

How about our ordinary consumers? How powerless they are as they are consuming what they are not producing! Yes, our country has become a dumping ground of finished products and cheap source of raw materials. It is a pity that everything sold in this country, from needle to tractor, passes at least five marketing layers so that a P0.35-medicine (Lipitor pill) bought in India is sold here at 85 a bag of ammonium sulfate bought in Ukraine at 50 is sold in Mindanao at 1,500.

How powerless our people have become, hardly benefitting from so called development, like sparrows picking on what have already passed the digestive system of “sacred cows!” Today, the people are serving notice to one and all that they have awakened. Enough is enough. They will not allow anymore poverty to reign in this

A LIFE WITHOUT CELL PHONE?

I remember the time, when one of my first Japanese friends kept on complaining, why I didn't operate a cellphone. Believe me, during that time, sometime in 2000 or 2001, I was even typing my articles on an old typewriter from Germany.

My Japanese friend then bought me a computer - and a cellphone! Some other friends congratulated me: "Welcome back to the world!"

Sometimes, I observed (business-)people operating with two or even more cellphones at the same time. I asked them: "How did you survive doing business before without these units?" Believe me or not. The answers have been mostly: I really don't know!

Doing business nowadays without a cellphone? Even a very private life? I can't imagine it anymore. Philippines' cellphone companies really provide us with the widest distribution and the broadest

coverage to very affordable charges. I really enjoy, for example, the unlimited call experience - just to mention one. Two handsets or even three. Ok lang, as long as it keeps my business running.

But then it happened! I thought I had lost my cellphone. I panic, losing all my important connections. This "thing" really has a special meaning for me. And here we are: not only for business. Just even for a short "Hi - kumusta ka?" I really felt lonely!

Journalist Chris StokelWalker explained it very well: for the average working person, there’s no greater feeling than powering down your computer and kissing goodbye to your avalanche of work emails for the day. If we’re lucky enough to disconnect from the job on evenings and weekends, we’re overjoyed to leave work emails and the stress that comes with it in the office.

But experts say we’re increasingly failing to do so,

instead bringing the burden home with us and fielding emails during our free time. Unsurprisingly, this routine has some serious consequences.

Now, it is a reflex, like checking my Facebook or Twitter timeline. Yes, it's indeed so - but never 24/7.

Working abnormal or long hours has long been linked with depression, anxiety and even coronary heart disease. Crucially, the importance of weekend recovery has also been correlated with weekly job performance and personal initiative. While further research revealed psychological detachment during off-work time, reduced emotional exhaustion caused by high job demands and helped people stay engaged.

So, if we know all this, it begs the question: why are we still letting work invade our precious weekends?

According to Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at Manchester Business School and

president of the CIPD, the recent trend even spills into the way we access our work communications and projects. Today, says Cooper, work emails are just a tap of a smartphone away. “You don’t carry your laptop around when you’re out to dinner, but you do carry your mobile phone,” he says. “The smartphone changed everything.”

If we don’t switch off from work we don’t recover from work. We should get the right to be disconnected. At night or during weekends.

USAID program aims to get 20K

SMEs into e-commerce in 5 years

CEBU CITY – United States Agency for International Development (USAID)sponsored Strengthening Private Enterprises for the Digital Economy (SPEED) targets 20,000 small and medium enterprise (SMEs) to be onboard electronic commerce within the fiveyear period of the program, SPEED chief of party Vicente Catudio Jr. said.

In a media briefing here Wednesday, Catudio said SPEED aims to launch three pilot sites for the program this year, one each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

SPEED’s pilot project in Visayas is in partnership with Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI). They target to relaunch the Cebu Chamber Marketplace next month. This project is an addition to Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal, Inc. (NVAT).

“We will provide capacity building, technical assistance to SMEs under the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and help them onboard to this e-commerce platform. Of course, there’ll be payments and the logistics. We also help them on the marketing side,” Catudio said.

USAID’s SPEED has helped in integrating Cebu Chamber Marketplace, e-payment platform Maya, and Cebubased logistics firm Airspeed. He added SPEED also aims to help the Cebu Chamber Marketplace in promoting and increasing the traffic of the online platform through leveraging resources of United States companies, such as Google and Meta.

“This initiative will surely help SMEs transition into mature e-commerce businesses,” CCCI president Charles Kenneth Co said. Co said that in this

era of rapid technological advancements, it is crucial for Cebu SMEs to innovate and adopt digital transformation for their businesses to thrive and remain competitive.

He said many of entrepreneurs in Cebu are encountering challenges to be online.

“In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, being digitally ready is crucial for businesses to thrive. It encompasses having the necessary infrastructure, skills, and knowledge to leverage technology effectively and harness its potential for growth,” he added.

Launched last January, the USAID is allocating USD18 million for SPEED to accelerate digitalization of Filipino SMEs and improve the integration of e-commerce platforms, e-payments, logistics, and merchants.

(PNA)

BPO firm cites need to reskill workforce amid AI

CEBU CITY – American customer experience (CX) solutions firm Concentrix has underscored the need for Filipino talents for reskilling and upskilling amid the rising application of artificial intelligence (AI) in business operations.

Concentrix Philippines

Delivery and Operations

senior vice president and country leader Amit Jagga said talents in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry should adapt with the advanced technologies

and innovation being rolled out by companies.

“AI and automation have been in existence for the last 15 to 20 years and together with machine learning, are constantly evolving,” Jagga told reporters Tuesday during a site visit at Concentrix Cebu Montage.

He said repetitive work in the industry will be automated, but these will be replaced by more complex transactions that would require the "human touch".

"So while automation

creates disruption to the existing work, the CX industry in total will still continue to grow with new industries and more complex work," he added.

Jagga said companies should invest in continuous training of their talents and help them to be future-ready.

"When you have so much skills, you do not risk the issue of people being left without a job in between because there will be sufficient opportunities," he said.

"The risk would be for

BPO/PAGE 7

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Regional Office No. X Northern Mindanao Trinidad Building, Corrales-Yacapin Street, Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 858-1658 * E-mail: dole10.imsd@gmail.com

AFFIDAVIT OF SELFADJUDICATION WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE

I, MODESTO JAY JUNSAY YESO, married to Raysa Lyn Jalandoni Yeso, both of legal age, both Filipino and residents of Pigcawayan, Cotabato, (North Cotabato), Philippines, after having been duly sworn in accordance with law do hereby depose and say: That I am the only child and hence, sole heir of the late MELCHORITA JUNSAY YESO who died on September 08, 2007 at Poblacion 3, Pigcawayan, Cotabato; At the time of her death, my mother, MELCHORITA JUNSAY YESO, left a property consisting of a parcel of land more particularly described as follows: Transfer

Certificate of Title No. T-109049 A parcel of land Lot 3229-H-6-B, Psd12-042481 being a portion of Lot 3229-H-6, Psd-12-008152 situated in the Barrio of Poblacion, Municipality of Pigcawayan, Province of Cotabato, Island of Mindanao. Containing an area of TWO HUNDRED NINETY TWO (292) SQUARE METERS, more or less. Registered in the name of Melchorita Junsay Yeso, of legal age, Filipino, widow and a resident of Poblacion 3, Pigcawayan, Cotabato. Covered Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-109049, issued by the Registry of Deeds, Province of Cotabato is the subject of AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE. That the decedent left no debts, nor any Last Will or Testament; That for and in consideration of FIFTEEN THOUSAND PESOS (P15,000.00) Philippine currency in hand paid by JUANITO BALANAQUE PETINGCO, of legal age, widower, Filipino and a resident of Juanitez St. Prk. Mahogany, Poblacion III, Pigcawayan, Cotabato, (North Cotabato), Philippines, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged by this presents does absolutely and unconditionally SELL, TRANSFER AND CONVEY, unto the said JUANITO BALANAQUE PETINGCO, his successors and assigns, absolutely and forever the abovedescribed parcel of land, free from all liens and encumbrances. That I hereby hold and save the said JUANITO BALANAQUE PETINGCO, free from harmless from all any and all claims and demand that might be made on the said JUANITO BALANAQUE PETINGCO, by third party for any reason connected with this sale whatsoever. Under the Notary Public of ATTY. RENIE JAY ABAD SORIANO as per Doc No. 392; Page No. 79; Book No. XLVI; Series of 2023.

BWM June 9, 16 & 23 , 2023

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT (AEP)

Notice is hereby given that the following employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for AEPs.

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE AMONG HEIRS with SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY

Notice is hereby given that the late FELIZA P. PADINIT, who died intestate in Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines; WHEREAS the children of FELIZA P. PADINIT namely: MANUEL P. PADINIT, VIRGELIO P. PADINIT, FERNANDO P. PADINIT, BENEDICTO P. PADINIT, CONSORCIA P. GARCIA, VALENTINA P. DE LOS SANTOS, TEOFISTO P. PADINIT, and RUDOLFO P. PADINIT, have executed an Extrajudicial Partition with Sale and Donation on October 18, 1994 at Cagayan de Oro City, registered in the notarial book of Atty. Waldo G. Rebulo as Doc No. 381, Page 77, Book No.

13, Series of 1994 a copy of which is hereto attached; WHEREAS heir RUDOLFO P. PADINIT died intestate without any surviving heirs; WHEREAS, MANUEL P. PADINIT (died on April 12, 2005), VIRGELIO P. PADINIT (died on November 24,2012), BENEDICTO P. PADINIT (died on November 21, 2015), CONSORCIA P. GARCIA (died on June 9, 2005), VALENTINA P. DE LOS SANTOS (died on November 17, 2001), TEOFISTO P. PADINIT (died on October 27, 2009), all died intestate in Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, leaving certain the following parcels of land, more particularly described as follows: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE No. T-57515 Lot No. 2965-C, (LRC) Psd-232737

A parcel of land known as Lot 2965-C of the subdivision plan (LRC) Psd232737, being a portion of Lot 2965, Cad-237, Cagayan cadastre, LRC-cad. Containing an area of ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED EIGHT (1, 908 sq ms) square meters, more or less.

Registered under the name of Feliza Padinit. Entry No. 154485 to 86: TCT No. T-62144 is issued covering a portion of LOT 2965-C-1 with an area of 200 sq. ms. for which TCT No. T-57515 is partly cancelled, leaving Lot 2965-C presently with an area of ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHT (1, 708 sq ms) square meters, more or less.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE No. T-166687 Lot No. 2965D-7, Psd-10-033024 A parcel of land known as Lot No. 2965-D-2, Psd-10033074, being a portion of Lot 2965D (LRC) Psd-232737, situated in Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao. Containing an area of ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED NINE (1, 709 sq ms) square meters, more or less. Registered under the name of Feliza Padinit, are the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE AMONG HEIRS with SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY. Made and entered into this 27 MAY 2023 in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines by and between: 1. HEIRS OF MANUEL

P. PADINIT (Deceased), herein represented by MA. ANGELIE A. PADINIT, of legal age, single, Filipino citizen, with residence at Providence St., Saint Francis Ville Taculing, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; 2. HEIRS OF VIRGELIO P. PADINIT (Deceased), herein represented by: a. ELSIE Y. PADINIT, of legal age, widow, Filipino citizen, with residence at Jupiter St., Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; b. EISEL MAE Y. PADINIT, of legal age, single, Filipino citizen, with residence at 112 Jupiter St. Hillside Subd., Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; C. MARIBETH Y. PADINIT, of legal age, single, Filipino citizen, with residence at 112 Jupiter St. Hillside Subd., Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City;

3. FERNANDO P. PADINIT, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; 4. HEIRS OF BENEDICTO P. PADINIT (Deceased), herein represented by:

a. JAIME G. PADINIT, of legal age, single, Filipino citizen, with residence at Biasong, Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; b. LOURDES P. DALANGIN, of legal age, widow, Filipino citizen, with residence at Biasong, Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; c. ALAN G. PADINIT, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at Biasong, Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; 5. HEIRS OF CONSORCIA P. GARCIA (Deceased), herein represented by:

a. NORBEL P. GARCIA, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at Ph 1, Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City;

b. MARK ANTHONY P. GARCIA, of legal age, single, Filipino citizen, with residence at Ph 1, Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City; 6. HEIRS OF VALENTINA

P. DE LOS SANTOS (Deceased), herein represented by: a. MARILOU S. OUANO, herein represented by her son: JEFFERSON S. OUANO, of legal

age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; b. NICHOLAS P. DE LOS SANTOS, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; 7. HEIRS OF TEOFISTO P. PADINIT (Deceased), herein represented by: a. ROBERTO J. PADINIT, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at Upper Tambo, Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; b. ROMEO J. PADINIT, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at 112 Jupiter St., Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; c. RUEL J. PADINIT, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City; Hereinafter referred to as Heirs; WHEREAS, the Heirs hereto acknowledges and confirms the different sales made by their Predecessors in interest as to their respective portions in both parcels of land as evidenced in the aforementioned Extrajudicial Settlement dated October 18, 1994; WHEREAS, there are no known debts or obligations due against the estates of said Decedents; and that in the event that any other property of the decedent should later be found which is not included hereinabove, the parties hereto further agree to distribute, divide, and adjudicate, as they do hereby distribute, divide and adjudicate the same in like manner and proportion as herein established and disposed; SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY We, the HEIRS OF MANUEL P. PADINIT, VIRGELIO P. PADINIT, BENEDICTO P. PADINIT, CONSORCIA P. GARCIA, VALENTINA P. DE LOS SANTOS, TEOFISTO P. PADINIT, respectively, and FERNANDO P. PADINIT, have made, constituted and appointed, and does by these presents make, constitute and appoint, our co-Heir, LOURDES P. DALANGIN, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen, with residence at Biasong, Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City, as our true and lawful attorneyin-fact for us and in our name, place and stead, to do and perform the following acts and things, namely: 1. To submit, process and follow-up with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) thru the Unified Project Management Office — Flood Control Management (UPMO-FCMC) regarding the transaction which affect our property, Lot No. 2965-C, (LRC) Psd-232737 and Lot No. 2965-D-2, Psd-10-033074; 2. To negotiate, and transact, for such price and under such terms and conditions, as our said attorney in fact may deem proper, the abovementioned parcels of land to the DPWH; 3. To sell, transfer and/or convey our rights and interests over the portions of abovementioned parcels of land both situated in Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City known as: Lot No. 2965C, (LRC) Psd-232737 and Lot No. 2965-D-2, Psd-10-033074 which are affected by the abovementioned project to the DPWH; 4.To process, submit, and follow up pertinent documents relative to any transactions concerning the abovementioned properties situated in the City of Cagayan de Oro, before the BIR office, City Assessor’s Office, Register of Deeds Cagayan de Oro City, DENR, DAR and other related Government Agencies; 5. To process, submit and follow up pertinent documents relative to the processing of or TIN and settlement of estate tax before BIR; 6. To make sign, execute and deliver Contracts, Memorandum of Agreement and other instruments in writing of whatever nature or kind with any authorized person from the DPWH or other government entities in relation to the abovementioned transaction upon the terms and conditions acceptable to our Attorneyin-Fact; 7. To receive and/or acknowledge payment of the consideration/just compensation for the affected portions in cash and/or in check and to encash the same as it may be;

8. Finally, to sign, make, execute and deliver any and/or all documents, papers, writings that need be made and executed, signed and delivered to give effect to the authority herein granted; GIVING AND GRANTING unto said attorneysin-fact full power and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, and necessary to be done, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact should lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of these presents. Under Notary Public of ATTY. MADELLE P. MACALINO, as per Doc. No.

BusinessWeek MINDANAO FEATURE

CREDIBLE RELIABLE IN-DEPTH

Editor: GILBERT Y. CHAO

Pag-IBIG releases nearly P16B in cash loans in Jan-Apr 2023; Over 700K members aided

Pag-IBIG Fund released P15.82 billion in cash loans in the first four months of the year, an increase of 5% from the P15.10 billion released during the same period last year, agency officials announced Wednesday (07 June 2023).

The amount of MultiPurpose Loans disbursed by the agency helped 728,653 members with their financial needs.

“We at Pag-IBIG Fund exert all efforts in providing our members with assistance on their financial needs. We are

happy to note that through our Pag-IBIG Multi-Purpose Loan, we were able to aid more than 700 thousand Filipino workers gain added funds to tend to their needs.

All our efforts are in line with the call of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to provide the best service to

the Filipino people,” said Secretary Jose Rizalino L. Acuzar, who leads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees. Pag-IBIG Fund’s MultiPurpose Loan or MPL is

the agency’s affordable and easily accessible cash loan. Under the Pag-IBIG MPL, qualified members can borrow up to 80 percent of their total Pag-IBIG Regular Savings, which consists of their monthly contributions, their employer’s contributions, and accumulated dividends earned. The proceeds can be used to pay for tuition fees, medical expenses, minor home improvement, a family trip, or even serve as capital for small businesses. The loan is payable in 24 or 36 monthly installments, with the first payment deferred for two months. The PagIBIG MPL comes at a low interest rate of 10.5 percent per year. In the past years, the agency has returned more than 90 percent of its income to its members in the form of dividends.

Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene C. Acosta, meanwhile, noted that the agency now provides members with numerous ways to conveniently apply for a Pag-IBIG MPL through its

more than 200 branches, its online facility Virtual PagIBIG found in its website, and the Virtual Pag-IBIG mobile app.

“Each year, over 2.5 million members rely on the Pag-IBIG MPL for their immediate financial needs. More than being a reliable source for cash, our MPL is now more accessible to members. In addition to applying for a loan by submitting their applications through their employers or at a Pag-IBIG branch, our members may now also apply for a PagIBIG MPL wherever they are, online, with the Virtual Pag-IBIG. This makes the Pag-IBIG MPL more reliable and more accessible than ever," Acosta said.

In total, the Pag-IBIG Fund released P16.44 billion in short term loans benefitting 766,258 members in January to April. This includes the amount released under the Pag-IBIG MPL and the P.62 billion in Pag-IBIG Calamity Loans it released to aid 37,605 members.

Water...

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25-26, 2023 at the Seven Seas Waterpark & Resort in Opol, Misamis Oriental.

“A striking feature of the framework is that it is evidence based. The data would inform the root causes of problems. It is important to understand the root causes to be able to identify the right solutions and interventions, which can be a lot and therefore needs prioritization given limited investments and resources,” Ms. Beja noted.

To illustrate, Ms. Beja pointed out that while the water availability data for each province is already dated at 2015, the JICA study it uses as a benchmark is even more dated from 1998. Since then, forest cover, climate change and increasing population have changed water availability in the interim making the latest water availability data (2015) very much outdated. She also pointed out how the UN standard of 1,700 cu.m. of water annually per capita covers all uses of water, not merely domestic, which constitutes a mere fraction of consumptive water use.

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB ) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA ) identified nine urbanized areas in the country, facing water demand challenges in the next several years, three of which are in Mindanao (Davao, Cagayan de Oro City, and Zamboanga), (JICA 1998).

A 2015 study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) projects the Philippines will experience a “high” degree of water shortage by 2040. It ranked 57th among likely most water stressed country in 2040 out of 167 countries with a 3.01 high water stress level score, meaning, at least 40 percent to 80 percent of the country’s total water supply would have been already withdrawn, or gone, by 2040, with agriculture expected to bear the brunt of the water shortage. The study defines water stress as “the ratio between total water withdrawals and available renewable surface water at a subcatchment level. (Rappler/WRI, 2015)

USAID Safe Water Safe Water is the USD18million flagship project of USAID in the Philippines for water and sanitation sector development which aims to improve water security of water-stressed communities in the Philippines through increased access of underserved or unserved communities to safe water supply and sanitation services; and more sustainable water management of surface and groundwater resources to meet human, economic and ecosystem needs.

The project has three interrelated objectives: increased access to resilient water supply and sanitation services; improved water resource management; and strengthened water sector governance.

It aims to provides Philippine local government units, water service providers, and watershed councils in target provinces with the information, incentives, and partnerships they require to identify and address barriers to a water-secure future—yielding life-saving gains in access to water supply and sanitation services for unserved and underserved households in the Philippines’ most water-stressed communities.

It operates through offices in Manila and three focal sites: Puerto Princesa City and Palawan Province, Bacolod City and Negros Occidental Province, and General Santos City and Sarangani Province.

The water security framework of USAID Safe Water is a pioneering approach integrating service provision and water resource management which has been used as a platform for cascading the Philippine Water Supply & Sanitation Master Plan or PWSSMP (an operational plan of the UNSDG which is further adapted in NEDA’s Ambisyon

Natin 2040 and in the Phil Development Plan (PDP). Thus, the PWSSMP is focused on water supply and sanitation, and water resource management.

“When we did water security planning at the provincial level, we were able to demonstrate how the framework was able to create the synergy needed to optimize investments and avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, ”Ms. Beja shared. “By doing this, the LGUs contribute to the national goals (PDP, Ambisyon Natin 2040) and the global goal (UN SDG NO. 6).”

“While strategies and interventions are targeted at increasing access to water supply and sanitation and improving water resource management, impacts of agricultural activities to the overall state of the water resources are well considered in the assessment, “ she added.

Provincial Integrated & Inclusive Water Security Framework Plan

The framework postulates how the 3 pillars that support water security interrelate and interconnect with each other: i) service provision, ii) improved water resource management, and the governance sector which provides regulatory reforms and needed financing, since without funds, nothing will happen.

“Adoption at the provincial level is crucial to secure appropriation, since without a budget nothing happens. Further the plan must be cascaded to the cities and municipalities where investments should also come from."

When first starting doing plan strategies and interventions, Ms. Beja said it is important to note that water resource management connects with your service provision and needs the enabling environment of strengthened governance. She presented two lenses in talking about water security using this framework.

“There cannot be a water secure state if we are not able to meet universal access, in other words, everyone must have access to safe water supply and sanitation,” Ms. Beja emphasized. “The framework's context of water security is focused on water supply for domestic and sustainable management of water resources to meet other demand for water by other users like agriculture, industries and the environment. The strategies we have introduced in the plan are more on achieving universal access for each and every household.”

To further simplify the ten steps in PIWSP formulation and implementation process, Ms. Beja summarized them in five milestones.

“To gain support for your draft water security plan, do the water forum or summit where you can present concrete strategies and interventions detailing potential projects and investment needs to enable all stakeholders to be aware of what the priorities are and engender their support.”

Water Security Challenges – National & Regional

Current water security challenges facing the Philippine archipelago include burgeoning populations, unsustainable land uses, and deficient wastewater services. At the center of the challenges is water—a steady, dependable supply is increasingly elusive in many parts of the country as flows oscillate between too much or too little. Unfortunately, such adversities will only increase in the face of climate change, which is expected to further exacerbate ecological imbalances as climate variability becomes the new normal (DAI, 2019).

Specifically, Ms. Beja identified two key water security challenges that planners at the national and regional levels face.

One is the absence of sewerage and septage systems in Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs), which is long overdue. She noted how all domestic wastes are dumped into our bodies of water untreated, and because we don’t have septage management programs

and community wide treatment and desludging of septage, the discharge from septic tanks will eventually pollute and contaminate our water sources.

“While we are still better off in Region X compared to the national level of access to safe water, there are still a lot who don’t have access to safe water, and our sanitation is worse off with still open defecation.

Transboundary Water Resources

Another challenge to planners is the transboundary nature of water resources in Northern Mindanao.

“If your water resources transcend boundaries, the management of these already must already transcend political boundaries. If the forest cover upstream is denuded, the downstream areas will bear the brunt of the effects of the flooding. This is one key issue which needs to be addressed,” she stressed.

You can view Ms. Beja’s recorded presentation through this link: https://www. facebook.com/DOST10Ph/ videos/271812405263646 starting at 45:00:00 of the timeline mark

War veterans and their widows and descendants, as well as retirees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and their immediate family members.

The same law, also authorized the increase of capital of the Bank from P100 million to P10 billion.

The Bank already held talks with AFP retirees’ groups for this “expanded definition of veterans”,

Veterans Bank has already started developing and presenting a shareholder campaign entitled “Invest in Heroism, Invest in PVB” to invite retired military personnel to buy PVB shares at P110/share at a minimum lot of 100 shares.

About P4.4 billion is targeted by Veterans Bank for its capital increase, PVB said funds from this endeavor would be used to further strengthen PVB’s core businesses and to enable expansions.

Veterans Bank until today stands as a very reliable banking institution with total assets of PHP 66B with P29.9B in excess liquidity as of March 2023.

Last year ( 2022), Veterans Bank reported a net income of P268M.

To learn more about the PVB Stock Subscription Offering, watch Renato Claravall (President & Acting CEO of Philippine Veterans Bank) live on Pugad Bloggers (June 6, Tuesday | 7PM to 8PM) hosted by Ms. Ethel Pineda.

You can listen via radio at DZRJ 810 AM, and read via their official FB and YT Page at DZRJ 810 AM - Radyo Bandido

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Villanueva, PMC president, and Jaime Pizarro, president of Philsaga Employees Union (PSELU), signed the CBA that will be effective until July 2028.

PSELU is affiliated with the Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (PTGWO).

By next year, the the company will increase the daily rate to P45 and P50 in 2025.

Apart from the pay hike, the mine workers will also enjoy a daily hazard pay. For those working inside the mine tunnels, they will get a daily hazard pay of P45, P20 for workers in nonhazardous assignment and P25 to those doing hazardous assignment other than mine tunnel workers.

The hazard pay was added in the health and safety provisions of the newly-signed CBA.

Villanueva also announced during the CBA signing event at the company’s administration building here that effective July 1, all regular workers and those who will become regular workers from that date will get a P7,000 signing bonus.

He said the 50-kilo rice subsidy

every two months, or six sacks a year, will continue with the new CBA.

Villanueva added that birthday leaves will also be granted, provided that workers will have to undergo annual physical examination a month before their birthdays.

In his message, Villanueva noted that in the last 14 years, the company has sustained its industrial peace, meaning there had been no labor strike during the period.

“We aim to maintain social justice by giving social, economic and political opportunities to all the workers,” Villanueva said.

For his part, Pizarro assured the management that he will encourage union members to always do good and become productive “so that the company will always listen to their future demands.”

Present during the CBA signing were DOLE assistant regional director Raymond Fel Sajor, NCMB regional director Maria Theresa Francisco, lawyer Arnel Dolendo, PTGWO national president, and Darius Guerrero, PTGWO national secretary. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)

such technologies on a city-wide scale is a challenge that many governments cannot face on their own.

This was the topic of a panel discussion among experts from different countries and sectors at the 5G Smart City Summit 2023, held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Hall 2 on Wednesday.

Dr. Pairoj Likitthanasate, vice president of the National Telecom Public Company Ltd. in Thailand, said smart cities cannot be profitable by themselves and require funding from the government and assistance from the private sector.

He cited the example of Pattaya City, where the Thai government partnered with several private companies to support the city in handling the pandemic by implementing 5G technologies such as the smart pole.

These smart poles are equipped with WiFi, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, street lights, and light-emitting diodes (LED) screens.

Due to the enormous cost of such equipment, Fabiano Vergani, director of the National Telecommunications Agency of Brazil, said developing publicprivate partnerships (PPP) is an important step in developing and implementing smart cities.

“The governments at our level do not have resources to implement by themselves. So, it is of major importance to unite the public and private sectors,” Vergani said.

PPPs, he said, are a “great enhancement” for the public sector, with several PPP projects being developed in Brazil, especially on the installation of smart poles.

Vergani said PPPs are also important to reach rural areas, such as the Amazon rainforest, where satellite internet providers like Starlink could play a role.

"It will require an enormous resource to connect this region with 5G. It will need internet companies that use satellites. Starlink will be an important company to bring internet connection to this region," he added.

Vergani also underscored the important role of academia in bringing such projects to life.

“We need to develop applications and the participation of universities is of fundamental importance because it is important to research and analyze public databases. Because there are laws that protect user data,” he said.

Kyoung Jun Lee, a leading AI researcher from the Department of Business, Big Data Analytics, and Tech Business of Kyung Hee University in South Korea, said smart cities should be implemented in an open approach and allow competing private companies to share projects.

Many smart city projects

in Busan failed when some telecommunications companies (telcos) monopolized these projects, Lee said.

He said such partnerships are possible without sharing sensitive and protected information by shifting from data sharing to AI sharing.

"The government and telcos should seriously consider the use of AI and should change their mind from data sharing to AI sharing. We can create value and we can develop innovative services for smart cities," he added.

Paul Wang, vice president of Taiwan Mobile, said that once smart cities are built, the ecosystems used would be easier to replicate in other places.

The panel discussion was held during the 2023 World Telecom Smart City Conference with the theme, “Creating the visions of 5G Smart City.”

It was held during the Smart City Summit & Expo in Taipei, a four-day summit from March 28 to 31 that aims to promote the development of smart cities and related technologies. (PNA)

the medium term.

However, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand Ndiame Diop pointed out that persistent global and domestic risks could hinder recovery and poverty reduction.

“It is essential to sustain improvements in social protection to help families, especially the poor and vulnerable, cope with economic difficulties as the country navigates the global slowdown, budget constraints, high prices of basic commodities, and climaterelated risks,” he said.

Diop said ensuring efficient delivery of social protection programs will require speeding up current government reforms, including the adoption of the national identification (ID) system for social protection delivery, updating the targeting system for identifying poor and vulnerable families, innovations in digital payment systems and strengthening financing mechanisms and readiness for disaster response.

Global risks to the country’s economic outlook, meanwhile, include the possibility of rising global inflation, higher global interest rates, and an escalation of geopolitical tensions brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which could further cause a sharper-than-expected global slowdown that could hamper Philippine exports.

On the domestic front, World Bank said high inflation remains a risk to the economic outlook due to several factors including natural disasters affecting food supply, the threat of El Niño that could further constrain food production, logistics and supply chain challenges, and pressure from domestic demand.

It also expects headline inflation to settle at 5.7 percent this year, 3.6 percent in 2024, and 3 percent in 2025.

To address inflation, Doorn said reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, enhancing domestic supplies and bolstering agriculture with extension services, seeds, and fertilizers are needed.

“In the face of escalating prices, a comprehensive strategy is needed to guarantee sufficient food for everyone. This entails a more productive agriculture and food system that is resilient to climate risks, serves all consumers, and competes effectively on both local and global markets,” he said.

The World Bank also cited the need to sustain investments in climate change initiatives, particularly in the agriculture sector.

These include measures such as extending water-saving drip irrigation systems to rainfed areas, bolstering the resilience and productivity of agricultural lands, and enhancing water storage capacity for a consistent supply during prolonged dry periods.

Over the long-term, the World Bank calls for a transition towards cleaner energy to further the country's climate change mitigation

efforts. It said the shift towards clean energy would not only decrease dependence on imported fossil fuels but also enhance energy security through increased use of indigenous and renewable energy sources. (PNA)

resource-rich but poverty-stricken country. They will now give credence to the constitutional mandate that “sovereignty resides in the people and all government authorities emanate from them.” Only then can they be unfettered from the vicious cycle of poverty and craft their own destiny. Gising na po!

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know how to protect you from going where you do not want to go. Just trust me. I guarantee that if you follow my way, you’ll find the lasting, good life and security you have been looking for.” So won’t you ask Jesus to start leading you today? Isn’t it finally time to stop going down those dead-end roads—and start following the right map of life? You will even have Jesus Christ as your own personal guide every day. Just think a minute . . .

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people who will not reskill because the technologies will change, the world will change, and therefore there's constant reskilling needed to adapt and remain successful. "

Jagga said that despite adapting new technologies, Concentrix in the Philippines continues to expand its headcount.

Concentrix is the country's largest private employer with over 100,000 employees across the country. (PNA)

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its dedication to "Above and Beyond Service Innovation." With this expertise and dedication, ABSI strives to become one of the leading business services and outsourcing firms in the country, aiming to provide services not only to Philippinebased enterprises but also to international brands with local operations.

"We are proud of the significant growth ABSI has achieved in just a short period. Our commitment to Above and Beyond Service Innovation has been instrumental in our success, and we will continue to provide innovative solutions to our clients," said Asticom Group of Companies President and CEO Mharicar Castillo-Reyes.

ABSI has already proven its capabilities in supporting both the Globe Group and the Ayala Group by providing technology and solutions in the areas of Human Resources, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Customer Experience, and Corporate Services, among others. Focusing on payroll services alone, ABSI facilitated payroll management for more than 38,500 employees. This allows the two organizations to focus on their core business and support their rapid growth.

ABSI's vision is to become the number one shared services provider in the Philippines and Asia by 2029. With its commitment to innovative solutions, expertise and partnerships, ABSI will continue to drive its growth and success in the industry.

As it moves forward, ABSI aims to continue providing exceptional service to its clients, while supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 17, which emphasizes the importance of partnerships for the goal.

To learn more about ABSI and its services, visit www.absi. ph. For more information about Asticom, go to https://asticom. com.ph.

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ABSI sets sights on becoming shared services and outsourcing arm of Globe and Ayala groups

Asti Business Services Inc. (ABSI), a subsidiary of the Asticom Group of Companies, is setting its sights on becoming the tech-enabled shared services and outsourcing arm of the Globe and Ayala groups.

Since its establishment in 2021, ABSI has been rapidly growing its workforce, currently employing more than 1,500 professionals who cater to over 40 clients from different industries including telecommunications, IT, banking, finance, logistics and e-commerce, among others.

Proving its advanced expertise, ABSI acquired HCX Technology Partners within just a year of operations. The company now serves as the tech-enabling arm for ABSI and Asticom as a whole.

With the addition of HCX, ABSI strengthens the delivery of transformative solutions to Filipino businesses, empowering them to be leaders in their respective

industries.

As a tech-driven shared services firm, ABSI offers a comprehensive suite of services which includes HR management, remote collaboration tools, manpower planning, and customer relationship management systems. Furthermore, ABSI excels at business process automation, efficient document and contract management, as well as robust learning management platforms.

ABSI's success can be attributed to its Centers of Expertise in Customer Experience, Corporate Services, Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology, combined with

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ABSI sets sights on becoming shared services and outsourcing arm of Globe and Ayala groups