Supplement 7 Issue 87

EDGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

DAVAO

Davao de Norte tops Region in 2013 income SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

W

HEN it comes to annual income, Davao de Norte remains the topnotcher with P1,048,961,802 in 2013. This was learned from the Bureau of Local Government Finance in Region 11.

GOV. RODOLfO DEL ROSARIO

Davao de Norte, under Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, earned a total of P4.6 billion during the 5-year period from 2009 to 2013. This included a total of P3.9 billion in internal revenue allotment (IRA).

Except for a slight decrease in 2012,

brought about by the decrease in national collections, Davao del Norte’s annual income has an increasing trend.

Davao del Sur is however not far behind in so far as the 2013 annual income is concerned as it

notched a total of P1,029,812,221.38.

However, in net taxable assessed value, Davao del Norte’s P6.5 billion is behind Davao del Sur’s P8.5 billion.

This is explained by the fact several industrial companies have lately invested in Davao de

Sur, notably the town of Sta. Cruz.

However, Davao del Norte is expected to catch up once it huge industrial establishment such as the multi-billion peso international container terminals in Panabo City and in Hijo-Madaum in Tagum City become fully operational.

Davao de Norte has been famous for the export Cavendish banana plantations.

Due to the operation of the international cargo terminals in Panabo owned by the Davao International Cargo Terminal and the Madaum complex owned by international terminal operator Enrique Razon. Many shipping and cargo companies have relocated to Davao de Norte leaving or downsizing their operation in Davao City, which has become congested due to the failure of the national government to act on the problem.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

DAVAO SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Gov. Corazon N. Malanyaon (in red dress) with other goverment officials led by Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Lu Antonino.

DAVAO ORIENTAL STARTS MOVING ON TO PROGRESS

Hamiguitan is now only Heritage site in Mindanao

By ALBERTo DALiLAN

D

AVAO ORIENTAL is ripe for investments, starting with tourism.

Mindanao Development Authority chair Luwalhati R. Antonino made such a call for investors to consider the tourist spots in Davao Oriental for their investments as she marveled at recent strides of the province in fields other than tourism.

Antonino said investors must consider the province for their businesses because its potentials for growth is huge.

She made special mention of the inclusion of Mt. Hamiguitan Range and Wildlife Sanctuary in the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization last month as a great opportunity of the government and the private sector to put good money into ventures that could cash in on the elevated stature of the province as tourism and investment destination.

The province is also ready to assist investors in anyway it can, said Gov.

Corazon N. Malanyaon, who has led the province into campaigning for the inclusion of the mountain range into the prestigious list.

The governor, however, said that the inscription of the mountain range in the prestigious list will also prompt her administration to institute policies that will lead to protecting the many national treasures within Hamiguitan, including the amazing pygmy forest also known as bonsai mountain.

Protective moves Among the recent moves of the province to protect Hamiguitan even before it was included in the World Heritage List was its petition with the Asian Heritage Site for the expansion of the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary in the mountain range within the jurisdiction of the municipalities of Governor Generoso, San Isidro and portion of Mati City.

The proposed expansion, however, encompass also eight mining tenements, two of which

are approved while the six others are exploration permit applications (EXPA). The following are the mining tenements affected by the proposed expansion: a.) TQGT Mineral Resources Dev’t. Corp.

– 2 EXPA applications (affected a portion of their application) b.) Pacific Mabuhay Mining Corp. – 1 EXPA application c.) Austral Asia Link Mining Corporation – 1 approved MPSA

d.) Sinophil Mining and Trading Corp. – 1 approved MPSA e.) Loyalty Mining Corporation – 1 APSA application f.) Sands Mining Corporation – 1 EXPA application

g.) Oceancrest Mining Corp. – 1 EXPA application The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Regional Office had reportedly informed the companies affected about the issue in order for them to make

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the proper action before the appropriate body or agency.

Closed to tourists Mount Hamiguitan, theonly heritage site in Mindanao, however, would remain closed to adventure, amusement trekking and other tourism-related activities until local governments and other organizations comply with the minimum requisite on environmental protection, waste management and management on carrying capacity, according to a news account.

Hamiguitan would be open to scientific researches as the government would still evaluate the environmental health of the 16,000 hectare mountain range.

Tourism potentials “The protected area program will become the priority of the eco-tourism development plan,” Boncato was quoted as saying as he pointed out that this mechanism will allow for the development of community-based sustainable development that will ensure that the next generations will still appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the region’s treasures, particularly the mountain range which is the first for Mindanao to get included in the world list.

The uniqueness of the province in terms of tourism potentials is that it is the first to get a congressional action that has paved for the development of its tourism industry.

Last year, President

Benigno S. C. Aquino III signed into law Republic Act 10560, the law that specifically mandates the Tourism department to incorporate the tourism plan of the province into its National Tourism Development Plan.Boncato said it is the only province singled out by a law for tourism development.

Beachfront Gil Dureza, head of the Board of Investments in South-Southcentral Mindanao, said that the province’s beachfront, which has a length of about 300 kilometers, has started drawing interest from investors.

In Mati City, the capital of the province, several big companies have already landbanked, while others have even coordinated with banks for possible financing of their resort, one bank executive said.

Agribusiness But the biggest excitement is not only in the tourism industry, but in the agribusiness also, even when its agricultural sector was battered when typhoon Pablo landed in Baganga on December 4, 2012.

At the opening of One Network Bank’s 100th branch in Mati City’s downtown area on July 10, Malanyaon said the provincial government has been finalizing the proposal for the establishment of a 4,000-hectare oil palm plantation which a company that she did not name has been pursuing.

The governor said that

VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

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the realization of the plan will help the province recover from the impact of the typhoon which destroyed about six million coconut trees, its primary industry.

“But we will not forget the coconut industry,” she said, adding that aside from the two products, the provincial government is also pushing for developments in rubber, coffee and cacao. oNB and MVP This prompted Alex V. Buenaventura, president of One Network Bank, to announce that the bank is again considering its plan to put up another branch in the province, particularly in Baganga.

The bank’s plan in Baganga was shelved, even if it was able to buy a property for the project in November 2012, after the typhoon struck the province a month later.

“We are excited with this development,” he said, adding that before the typhoon the bank exerted so much effort to look for a suitable location for a branch.

Another big investor that was attracted to the province was Manuel V. Pangilinan, the business executive credited for making Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. become a dominant industry player in Asia.

Pangilinan, immediately after typhoon Pablo, announced he and several partners will develop oil palm plantations in the province to help it get back to its feet. However, the governor did not confirm whether the company she was referring to was that of Pangilinan.

Indeed, Davao Oriental is starting to move forward to progress. (with Antonio M. Ajero)

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

DAVAO

Davao del Sur wealthiest among 4 Davao provinces SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

By ANToNio M. AJERo and ALBERTo DALiLAN

B

iG TiCKET industrial projects push the wealth of a province in terms of taxable real property value.

GOV. CLAUDE P. BAUTISTA

This is the reason Davao del Sur headed by Governor Claude P. Bautista is the richest province in the Davao Region.

Records of the Bureau of Local Government Finance in Region 11 indicates that as of end of 2013, Davao del Sur has a whopping net taxable assessed value of P8,547,184, 250, the highest among the four provinces. (The other three provinces in Region 11 are Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley). Davao del Sur is followed

by Davao del Norte with P6,520,520,680; ComVal with P5.7 billion and Davao Oriental, P3.03 billion.

THE SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. was not only attracted to invest in Davao del Sur because of the prospects of Mindanao, but mainly because of the potential for growth of the province.

The company’s president, Alan T. Ortiz, confirmed that it was logical for the company to put up its project in the province because its retired top person, Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr. owns a property in the province, and also because of its growth prospects.

“We (the company) are certain that it (province) will grow especially with our investments,” said Ortiz, whose company is set to add 300 megawatts of its 600-megawatt power project to the Mindanao grid by the first

quarter of 2016.

Among the exciting things in the province, he said, is that there are plans for the development of two big industrial parks, although he did not specify.

The industrial parks, which will become economic zones, are expected to draw big investments in heavy industry, one top provincial official said, although the same official did not want to elaborate because he was not authorized to make any statement on the issue.

It was also logical for the conglomerate to invest power in the province because it is the host of its first ever big investment, the San Miguel Brewery in Darong, Sta. Cruz, the town immediately south of Davao City.

That brewery attracted other businesses to follow its lead as the town has hosted big investments, making it the most industrialized part of the Davao Region, aside of course from Davao City.

Among the early locators in the province, coconut product producer Franklin Baker, has also been into expansion mode as it has invested about P1 billion for its projects. Of late, the company announced it already bought another company in the town for its expansion.

The company has also been looking for other sources of raw materials after the

region suffered the onslaught of typhoon Pablo in December 2012, said Lee Suelto, its marketing officer.

In Digos City, big investors in retails have either started their projects or bought properties for their projects, said Mayor Joseph Penas, adding that some companies have even rented city buildings for their projects.

“We hope all these projects will materialize because these will mean economic growth and more employment for our people,” said Penas whose administration has persuaded investors to first consider local residents for employment because they consider other people for the jobs that they will create.

Another big investment area is Kapatagan, a village within the boundary of Digos City and Sta. Cruz which is considered the tourism capital of the province because of its cold weather as it is in the foot of Mt. Apo. Penas said several industry investors have been trooping to Kapatagan to either buy properties or immediately start their businesses. “These investors know they can grow their money when they invest in Kapatagan,” he said.

Ortiz said with all these investments unfolding, his company is expected to grow its investments in fast pace. To him, investing in the province is a winning proposition.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014

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