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Market Indicators

As of 5:58 pm AUG. 28, 2013 (Wednesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P44.75

5,605.83 points

25 cents

X

311.16 points

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Briefly Farmers festival TAGUM City -- Tagum City opened this morning the firstever UGMAD Festival which brings together farmers of various crops in the city.

Ta g u m C i t y M a y o r Allan Rellon explained the festival as the city’s way of observing Farmers Month, g i v i n g re c o g n i t i o n to a l l farmers whatever they may be producing, without giving any preference to any crop.

An acronym which means Uma Gamito n M ag - uuma Dayegon (Let’s Use the Farm; Praise the Farmers), UGMAD Festival has integrated the Durian Festival which was previously celebrated in Tagum City.

E-reading program TO develop reading performance through the power of technology, the District of Sugbongcogon in Misamis Oriental (MisOr) launched r e c e n t l y t h e I n fo r m at i o n Communication Technology ICT e-Reading program at Alicomohan Elementary School in the town of Sugbongcogon.

Eight barang ays from Binuangan and nine barangays from Sugbongcogon including Binuangan Central School and Sugbongcogon Central School received external memor y and daylight projector as ICT gadgets that would benefit 2,797 pupils in the district.

Mildred Lagbas-Mondigo, vice-mayor of Sugbongcogon and Marcelo Z. Abao, vicemayor of Binuangan turned over these gadgets to the schools of their respective towns.

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Cagayan de Oro City

Why no anti-pork rally in Bukidnon?

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August 29, 2013

By WALTER I. BALANE, MindaNews

MALAYBALAY City -- In the run-up to the August 26 nationwide anti-pork barrel protest dubbed Million People March, Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. issued a memorandum encouraging officials and employees of the various local government units to join and support the nationwide protests.

But w hen P re sid ent Benigno Simeon Aquino III agreed to abolish the c o nt r o v e r s i a l P r i o r i t y Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) on Friday,

Zubiri aborted the local rally.

On August 26, while Filipinos around the country, including Overseas Filipino Workers in some offshore sites, made noise against the pork barrel, the supposed venues for the event in the province, the Freedom Park and the Capitol Grounds, were empty except for athletes practicing for sports fests.

Malaybalay Bishop Jose Cabantan told MindaNews Aquino’s statement Friday seemed to lean on reforming rally/PAGE 11

FLUVIAL PROCESSION. A boat decorated with colorful religious icons take a turn under the Carmen Bridge during the Fluvial Parade in St. Augustine, Cagayan de Oro’s patron saint, yesterday. photo by rolando sudaria

Peace pact to spur growth in M’danao

7 firms out to upgrade Agus facility

By IRENE DOMINGO Reporter

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HE British government has expressed confidence that the p e a c e a g r e e m e nt between the Philippine government a nd t he Moro Isla mic L i b e r at i on Fr ont (M I L F) wou ld be a big step towards lasting peace and spur economic development in Mindanao. peace/PAGE 11

By IRENE DAYO, Reporter

PEACE PACT. A soldier in civilian clothes unloads ammunition for a 60mm mortar from a military truck somewhere in Lanao del Norte. The peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is expected to end the war and bring forth economic development. mindanews file photo

AT least seven companies have expressed interest to bid it out for the planned upgrade of two units of the Agus VI hydroelectric power plant that has been scheduled next month by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.

(PSALM).

In a statement on upgrade/PAGE 11

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Economy

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opens FMIC: 2Q growth at 8.5% ZamboEcoZone new opportunities THE Philippine economic output in the second-quarter is expected to exceed again the government’s full-year target on strong election spending and growth momentum during the first three months of 2013, the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group said.

Roberto Juanchito Dispo, First Met ro Invest ment Cor porat ion (FMIC) President, said t hat t he country’s economic growth, as measured by its gross domestic product (GDP), may have expanded by 8.0

percent to 8.5 percent in April to June this year.

“We pre d ic t s e c ond quar ter GDP grow t h to easily exceed 8.0 percent as the economy benefited from strong consumption growth/PAGE 9

7 groups keen on Agus power upgrade project

SEVEN investor groups will bid for a project that seeks to increase the power generating capacity of Units 1 and 2 of the Agus 6 hydroelectric power plant, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp. said.

Alstom Philippines, China International Water and Electric Corp., HydroChina ZhongNan-HEC-BSPJV, Kaltimex Energy Philippines Inc., PHP Philippine Hydro Project Inc., Vicente T. Lao Construction, and Zhejiang Fuchunjiang Hydropower Equipment Co. Ltd. have purchased the required bidding documents and are currently conducting their due diligence on the project.

“We are happy with the turnout, and we hope everyone power/PAGE 9

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (ZamboEcoZone) drafted a new scheme to attract local and foreign locators or investors in order to generate employment opportunities for the people in Region 9.

A c c o r d i n g to ZamboEcoZone Chairman and Administrator C h r i s t o p h e r L aw r e n c e “Chris” Arnuco, the move also aims to improved or strengthen the management system of the ZamboEcoZone in order to create a greater local, regional and international trading system development.

Arnuco said he will also fill up the 14 vacant positions at the ZamboEcoZone within the year in an ef fort to

improve the services they are rendering to the locators and investors.

He said that among the vacant positions include bookkeeper, records officer, stenographer, budget officer, draftsman, communications equipment operator, attorney, information officer, services officer, information systems analyst, planning officer, research analyst, cashier, and credit officer.

Arnuco said the Za mboEcoZone was established in this city in 1996 to be developed into a decentralized, self-reliant, and self-sustaining agroi ndust r ia l, com mercia l, f i n a n c i a l , i n v e s t m e nt , t ou r i s m c e nt e r, a nd a Fre e p or t w it h su it a ble retirement and residential areas, at the same time to serve as a hub for economic activities, and a springboard for the promotion of trade, investment, and tourism in the city, and in the region, thus bringing about socioeconomic development.

The v ision of t he ZamboEcoZone, he said, is to boost commerce and industry in this city to propel progress and development, encourage trade and investment, and eventually support investors to diversify the economy. opens/PAGE 9

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AgriBusiness

Growing mushroom to combat rural poverty, arrest malnutrition (Conclusion)

By BONG D. FABE

STUDIES showed that rural poverty is one of the contributing factors to logging activities in the hinterlands. Although the Philippines is an agricultural country, agriculture by its very nature is a “gamble”—there is no certainty of a win.

But i n g row i ng mu s h ro om , t he impact towards poverty, malnutrition and environment is enough impetus for government to give its full support to it.

Nutrional value: “Since the production of agricultural crops is uncertain and the job market is almost nil except for government employment, the family income is subject to severe fluctuations. Hence, family members have to forego even the basic three square meals a day and bear constant hunger,” said economist Amparo Pamela H. Fabe.

But growing mushroom can fight this.

It will also help arrest malnutrition or nutrition-deficiency in rural and urban households since mushroom have high nutritional value such as niacin, riboflavin, folate, phosphorus, iron, panthothenic acid, zinc, potassium, copper, magnesium, vitamin B6, selenium, thiamine.

The protein in mushroom is a much as those found in meat. But mushrooms are much cheaper and easy to prepare than meat.

There are also claims that mushroom extract has been found to reduce the size of some cancer tumors and slow down the production of some cancer cells. Other studies showed that mushroom is linked to reducing the risk of breast and prostate cancer.

Crop damage has no major impact to nat’l target — Alcala

TWO typhoons and heavy monsoon rains left P2.6 bi l l ion i n a g r ic u lt u r a l damage and ravaged more than 126,705 hectares of farmland in Luzon, t he Department of Agriculture (DA) has reported.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that ag r icu lt u re losses were repor ted in si x reg ions fo l l ow i n g h e av y r a i n s spawned by Typhoon Labuyo damage/PAGE 9

DOLE Gives Support to USWAG Coop. (L-R) DoLE-Caraga Reg’l. Director Ofelia N. Domingo, USWAG President Edilberto Nobleza Bayot, DoLE Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz, Butuan City Vice Mayor Angie Calo and Mr. Sanches. contributed photo

Aside from its cancer-fighting nutrients, mushroom is also a great diet food for those wanting to lose some weight since mushrooms are low in calories, carbohydrates, fat and sodium but are very high in water content (80 to 90% water) and fiber.

Mushrooms are also great sources of heart-healthy copper. One small serving of mushrooms, studies showed, contains more than 20% of the copper a human body daily needs.

“Growing mushrooms is very easy but it needs patience and love,” Edilberto Nobleza Bayot told the Business Daily. “Mushrooms are very nutritious foods. Aside from that, they are not resource straining to produce.

Mushroom’s biodegradable bi-products can be used as organic fertilizer. Mushroomgrowing provides a source of income and

employment opportunities.” Bayot is the founder, president and chairman of the Uswag Mushroom Producers Cooperative in Butuan City.

There has been a staggering increase in the number of undernourished Filipinos over the past two years, according to “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012.”

The report, a global assessment of nutrition levels, revealed that a total of 16 million Filipinos were considered undernourished from 2010 to present, even as the number of chronically undernourished people dropped in all other southeast Asian countries. It said that there are more underfed people in the Philippines today than there were two decades ago, despite a growing economy.

In contrast, other countries in the region mushroom/PAGE 9

Agriculture, key to economic growth DESPITE t he Philippines’ strong economic expansion in 2012 and in the first quarter of the year, inclusive and sustained growth will remain elusive if agricultural development is neglected, a study by researchers at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) concluded.

In a PIDS policy note titled “Urgent: A road map for agro-industrial development in the Philippines,” authors Roehlano Briones and Ivory Myka Galang argued that agricultural development is key for the Philippines to attain inclusive growth.

“The Philippines is at the cusp of a high and hopefully prolonged growth phase. However, the ability of this growth to deliver sustained creation of jobs and reduction of poverty has been questioned,” the PIDS document said.

“The accelerating pace of economic growth in the Philippines will not translate into inclusive, sustainable growth if agricultural development is neglected,” the note added.

The report said that agricultural development involves accelerating productivity growth in major commodities, and will require structural transformation in agriculture, from traditional to high-value crops, as well as product upgrading.

“Such transformation entails increasing linkages between farm production, agricultural services (extension, logistics, transport), industrial inputs (fertilizers, chemicals, machineries), and agro processing,” the study said.

“In short, agricultural transformation must encompass the entire agro-industrial complex,” it added.

The PIDS note said that in 2010, the share of agriculture in the gross domestic product was only 12 percent, but it had an employment share of 33 percent.

“This implies that labor productivity in agriculture is much lower than the average of the non-agricultural key/PAGE 9

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

Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security (1st of 2 Parts) “GO back to the province and plant kamote [sweet potato],” was what teachers usually told students who fared poorly in school or were better off going back to the provinces to literally plant kamote.

W h i l e t h a t s t a t e m e nt h a s a condescending tone up to now, it may soon become a call for more of the youth to take up farming because the country’s farmers are aging. And planting kamote, among others, is now being encouraged by the government to relieve pressure on domestic rice supplies.

Based on a study conducted by the Central Mindanao University (CMU), the average age of the Filipino farmer today is 55 years old.

Dante Delima, an assistant secretary at the Department of Agriculture who is in charge of the agency’s Rice Program, pegged the average age of the Filipino farmer at 59.

The high average age of the country’s farming population shows that much of the youth have shunned tilling the soil as a profession or business undertaking.

Dr. Eduardo Bagtang, the president of the Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC), said that much of the youth today shun farming because of its perceived hardships, and many farming families are part of the country’s poor sector.

“The reason ng iba, parents nila ay farmers. So why do they have to go back to the farming? Nakita nila sa farming ay mataas yung inputs, and they sell produce at low prices. [The reason is their parents are farmers. So why do they have to go back to the farming?

They witnessed that in farming the cost of inputs is high, and they sell their produce at low prices],” he said.

Based on the latest poverty incidence report from the National Statistical Coordination Board, poverty incidence is highest among fishermen and farmers at 41.4 percent and 36.7 percent in 2009.

In 2009, the poverty incidence was pegged at 26.5 percent.

The waning interest of the youth in taking up farming as a vocation has resulted in the drop of enrollees in agricultural courses, which are offered primarily in state universities and colleges.

“That discourages their [farmers’] sons and daughters to take agriculture [courses],” Bagtang said.

“In general and across the Philippines, yes. This is apparent in the decreasing enrol l ment i n most col leges a nd universities that offer degree programs in agriculture. One probable reason is the availability of two-year courses that allow students to get employed with less farmers/PAGE 10

Disease-free PHL to boost shrimp exports TWO shrimp varieties — whiteleg shrimp and giant tiger prawn — are expected to play a major role in boosting the Philippines’ marine product export after an emerging disease caused large losses among shrimp farmers in neighboring countries, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said.

Alcala said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is grooming the shrimp industry to export Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and Giant Tiger Prawn (Paneus Monodon).

“We made an integration and gave an assignment to BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) Director Asis Perez that in the next two to three weeks, a road map for shrimp exports must be ready so that in the next six months the country will be already shipping out shrimps,” he said.

“This is our time to be export-oriented after a disease called Early Mortality

Syndrome (EMS) has caused a decline in production and exports in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Indonesia,” he added.

EMS is cha racterized by massive mortalities during the first 30 days. Infected samples show slow growth, corkscrew swimming and pale coloration. Studies on the nature of the disease have already been conducted in the countries affected.

The disease has killed cultivated shrimps in several Southeast Asian countries, where one million people depend on this type of aquaculture for their living, according to a report on the website of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.

“There is a high demand for Vannamei and Monodon shrimps in the United States and also in Japan,” Alcala said.

The shrimp epidemics in Southeast Asia shrimp/PAGE 9

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Environment

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CSOs join call for preservation, protection of Mount Mayapay BUTUAN CITY—Civil society organizations (CSOs) in the city have joined the call for the preservation and protection of Mount Mayapay, the city’s natural landmark.

“Building a decent place to live in is useless once our natural environment where our home, communities and hope are under threat by disaster and destruction,” said Nora P. Rama, president of the Butuan Habitat for Humanity.

Rama, who is also public information officer of the Silliman University Alumni Association, Inc. (SUAAI), said that Habitat for Humanity has pledged “to protect and conserve our natural resources” such as Mt. Mayapay, the city’s landmark, as part of its mission in building a community.

She said that aside from collaborating and partnering with different stakeholders from cities and communities to implement shelter program in their respective areas to achieve Habitat’s vision, the organization also encourage their volunteers and other partners to help the cause for the environment.

“We even required our volunteers to plant trees before they leave us after certain period of engagement as part of their environmental souvenir with the Habitat,” she said.

Law yer Rene Burdeos, president of SUAAIButuan Chapter, revealed that SUAAI Butuan has been a partner of the city government in the national greening program (NGP) by planting and adopting dwarf yellow golden coconut trees along Tiniwisan road.

“The Sillimanians who are also working in both government and private agencies have been actively taking part in restoring the natural beauty of the city especially in the restoration and protection of the Mount Mayapay,” Burdeos said. (PIA)

Tree planting activities like this one [with public school teachers in Caraga region] will become a normal activity in Cagayan de Oro City once the Environment department and city LGU implement RA 10452. photo by bong d . fabe

DENR-10, CDO LGU step up massive reforestation THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Northern Mindanao (DENR10) and the local government unit (LGU) of Cagayan de Oro City are moving forward with the implementation of a new law seeking to reforest some 3,000 hectares throughout the city in a bid to prevent a repeat of the devastation inflicted by typhoon Sendong in 2011.

President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act (RA) 10452 mandating the DENR to plant trees in 3,000 hectares of public land in Cagayan de Oro to protect its people and its environment from floods and landslides.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje said validation team has been formed and identified the areas to be covered by the massive reforestation program in the city.

Paje reiter ate d t hat

Zambo City mayor favors banning plastic bags, styrofoam containers ZAMBOANGA CITY—Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has announced her full support to the passage of the proposed ordinance that seeks to ban the use of plastic bags and styrofoam food containers in all establishments in this city.

The proposed ordinance, authored by Councilor Juan Climaco Elago II, has passed the first reading during the City Council’s regular session last week and has been referred to the Committee on Ordinances and Resolutions for study and public hearing.

Salazar said she supports Elago’s proposed ordinance banning the use of plastic bags and styrofoam materials since these contain ingredients that are bad for the health and environment.

Salazar said the use of such materials also contributes to pollution problem and clog the waterways when improperly disposed.

Plastics and styrofoams, when disposed at sea, also destroys the marine resources.

She said it is now time for the public to shift to the use of paper bags and other environmentfriendly materials.

Business and food establishments would be given a grace period of six months to comply once the proposed ordinance is approved and takes effect.

The penalties for violation thereof are as follows: first offense, P3,000 fine; second offense, P4,000; third offense, P5,000; and, cancelation of business permit for the fourth and repeated offenses. (PNA)

Plastic bags litter rural Philippine beaches, contributing to the degradation of the environment.

Cotabato eyes total ban of plastic bags COTABATO CITY—A councillor has revived an ordinance banning the commercial use of plastic bags in the city.

The Environmental Care proposed ordinance is authored by Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president and Sangguniang Panlungsod Councilor Ayresc Sayadi.

Sayadi said that plastic garbage is the main cause of the city’s drainage problem.

Sayadi said that plastics thrown into creeks and canals practically block major drainage systems in the city which triggers floods in low-lying areas during the rainy season. ban/PAGE 10

the law complements the Aquino administration’s forest policies—the National Greening Program (NGP) and the total log ban—aimed at fighting the adverse effects of climate change.

The program, he said, will also include former concession areas covered by timber license agreement earlier issued by the government.

Agustilo Obsioma, DENR10 technical director for Forestry, said the ground mapping and validation of these areas, using the global positioning system (GPS)

technology, would take at least two weeks.

The DENR-10 and City Loca l Environment and Natural Office (CLENRO) recently finished the draft of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 10452, including draft work, financials and organizational set-up for calendar year 2013, with a cost estimate of P37 million.

Cagayan de Oro City’s forestland area covers 20,702 hectares or about 48 percent of the city’s total land area of 42,246 hectares. (PIA)

PEMO urges military deployment to curb illegal mining in Tampakan GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Environment personnel in South Cotabato province are pushing for the immediate installation of permanent Army outposts or detachments in several upland villages in Tampakan town due to the worsening illegal “banlas” or sluice mining activities in the area.

Lourdes Jumilla, senior environment specialist of the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO), said Wednesday their latest assessment showed that illegal mining activities in Tampakan have intensified anew and the extent of the sluice mining area has widened in the last several months.

She said the illegal mining area now covers vast areas of Sitio Campo Kilot in Barangay Pula Bato and parts of the neighboring Barangay Tablu.

Jumilla, who headed the PEMO team that inspected the area late last week, said they found a number of bunkhouses and illegal mining equipment, specifically big water hoses stretching about a kilometer long, installed within the area.

“The (banlas) operations already destroyed a significant area of the mountains there and triggered some landslides that affected some roads in Barangays Tablu and Pula Bato in the past several weeks,” she said in a radio interview.

Banlas mining, which is considered a highly-destructive mining method, involves the pouring of large amounts of water using high-pressure water jets on a mountain’s surface to extract the rocks containing the gold ore, and then pan them with mercury.

The use of the illegal mining method, which was first uncovered in a mining village in T’boli town, has increased in the last several years in several small-scale mining areas in Tampakan.

Jumilla said the illegal mining activities have caused PEMO/PAGE 10

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THINK

Good eyesight, key to good children’s education

Survival skill

hink a minute…It’s truly amazing how the Jewish A Minute people have survived after By Jhan Tiafau Hurst thousands of years of being slaves, persecuted, and even attempted genocide when Hitler’s Nazi’s murdered 6 million Jews!

T h a t ’s w hy i n 193 4 , Germany was the wrong place to be a Jew. W hen Hit ler’s teenage gangs took over his village the little Jewish boy, Heinz, was just 11 years old.

Heinz’s parents taught their children how important it was to learn self-control.

With the Nazi gangs terrorizing their village on the streets daily, Heinz’s parents knew that just one moment of losing control of their anger against their Nazi rulers could mean the death of their family.

So Heinz learned to stay out of their way, sometimes crossing the street or taking a different road home.

But one day, young Heinz was finally cornered by one of Hitler’s bullies.

For the first time, Heinz was forced to talk to a Nazi youth.

But by staying calm and carefully choosing his words, Heinz surprised even himself when he talked his way out of trouble and convinced this bully not to hurt him but to let him go.

That day, Heinz discovered his survival skill of talking and reasoning with others.

It was a major turning point that changed his life—and later changed the world.

After a few years, Heinz’s family escaped from Germany and moved to America.

But Heinz never forgot how to talk with people and help bring peace between enemies.

You see, that 11-year-old boy who had negotiated his first peace settlement with a Nazi bully, later became one of the greatest ambassadors of peace in the world.

You’ve probably heard of him…not as Heinz…but by his American name: Henry Kissinger, the former U. S. Secretary of State.

Think a Minute…

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IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “Train the child in the way that he should go and he will never depart from it when he goes old…” (Proverbs 22:6, the Holy Bible).

-ooo GOOD EYESIGHT, KEY TO CHILDREN’S CAPACITY TO LEARN: Classifying the intelligence levels, or, maybe, the capacity to learn, of millions and millions of very young Filipino school children across the country has taken a very important, if greatly interesting, twist, as the National Capital Region of the Department of Education is finding out.

With the help of well-meaning friends from here and abroad, particularly from a group of socio-civic spirited citizens composed of medical doctors and professionals which goes by the name of Physicians for Peace Philippines, Metro Manila education officials are realizing that, having a good eyesight, or, conversely, having problems with their eyes, play a vital role in the child’s interest and ability to absorb and understand what is being taught to him and his school mates.

Now, it is no longer a simple matter of the school children being taught how to read and write, or even add or subtract.

With the help of Physicians for Peace under the leadership of its executive director, Lyne Abanilla of the Manila Bulletin, it has become a matter of determining, first and foremost, the eye condition of the children through free refraction,

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General Manager Editor-in-Chief

BONG FABE

ALLAN MEDIANTE

Ruel Pelone

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K

and then giving them free akampi eyeglasses to correct their Mo A ng Batas sight defect or impairment,

By Atty. Batas Mauricio through a program called “Save the Sight of a Child”.

-ooo QC SCHOOL CHOSEN FOR “SAVE THE SIGHT OF A CHILD”: This kind of a vision correction program among the young was officially launched in Metro Manila schools last August 27, 2013, after two postponements caused by the onslaught of Typhoon Maring and the monsoon rains the week before. The school chosen to be the pilot testing ground for the program is the Kamuning Elementary School in Scout Torillo, Quezon City.

Eye defects, it turned out, disabled many students from seeing clearly, thereby removing or greatly diminishing their capacity to read and fully appreciate what their teachers were teaching them. Once they were given corrective eyeglasses, however, their capacity to understand their lessons vastly improved, making them eager pupils from batas/PAGE 10

BSP: The power of communication

he month-long anniversary celebration of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ended on a high note last week with yet another recognition for BSP Governor and Monetary Board Chairman Amando M. Tetangco Jr. Tetangco, last year’s “Central Banker of the Year for Asia” according to The Banker and Emerging Markets, was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Association of Business Communicators – Philippines at the 2013 CEO Excel Awards last July 26.

The CEO Excel Awards recognizes top-level executives who have led their organizations towards achieving their objectives in business, environment, or social development, through the skillful use of communication strategies and tools.

BSP’s beloved “Gov. Say” was chosen as this year’s Top Awardee for taking the lead in creating and communicating monetary policies that have strengthened confidence in our economy and have led us to our first-ever investment grade rating.

In his acceptance speech, Tetangco emphasized the important role of communication in the BSP’s job of promoting monetary, financial, and price stability. He said a two-way communication between the BSP and its various constituents is essential not only in formulating and implementing policies but also in pursuing common goals or advocacies.

This award from IABC Philippines actually came at very opportune time as communication and collaboration

ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, Ph.D. NELSON CONSTANTINO

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SPEAKING

with stakeholders were the focal points of BSP’s very own O ut recognition program.

By Ignacio Bunye Last July 16, the BSP held its 10th Stakeholders Awards Ceremony and Appreciation Lunch, where it gave away 71 awards to institutions that have contributed and supported its statistical undertakings, information requirements, and advocacy programs.

These are banks, corporations, government institutions, and organizations that consistently and efficiently responded to the studies and activities that the BSP conducts. Among these studies were the quarterly Consumer Expectations Survey and Business Expectations Survey among thousands of households and companies.

Tetangco revealed that results of these informationintensive studies are factored in when the Monetary Board sets policy rates and inflation targets.

Communication is also key in the implementation of BSP’s guidelines and policies for the banking community.

Examiners are strategically designated among the thousands of banks and non-bank financial institutions under Bunye/PAGE 10

We all need to communicate

hat’s part of our nature. As individuals and persons, we are all meant to communicate to be able to attain communion among ourselves, with the world, and most especially with God, our Creator.

Our individuality by definition refers us to a genus and a species, that is, our humanity, to which we belong and to which we need to knowingly and willingly keep on maintaining and building up. Our humanity is a dynamic affair, not static.

In short, our being individuals means we belong to a certain grouping since in spite of our unique existence we all share the same human nature. We would not be individuals if we are not placed in the context of a certain group, known as the species “homo sapiens.”

In other words, we may be individuals, but we are not meant to be alone. “No man is an island,” as they say.

We are meant to enter into a web of relations. And so we need to make the necessary adjustments in our attitudes and understanding of ourselves, and acquire the relevant skills.

We need to be more aware of this distinction about ourselves, since even in our supposedly advanced age of the sciences and knowledge, we still are ignorant, confused and often wrong about the relation between our individuality and our being members of a species, and the consequent responsibilities arising from that relation.

Besides, aside from being individuals that need to be related to the species, we are persons that also need to

be related to the source and engine of our personhood. and Traces A nd t hat ca n on ly be a By Fr. Roy Cimagala Creator who, like us, must be spiritual in the sense of being able to know and love.

These powers of knowing and loving precisely enable us to enter into relations.

In fact, being Creator, he must be the fullness of knowing and loving. In fact, he knows and loves us first, before we get to know and love him. We simply are sharers of that dynamism, and in the objective reality of things, we actually cannot be separated from that dynamism.

God as our Creator will always be with us, and we somehow are always with him, even if we are not aware of this reality and may even go against this reality.

To actuate and keep this relation between ourselves and the rest of the species of men, and between ourselves and God and the world in general, we need to communicate.

Communicating can take many forms. It may be verbal, and that’s just one form. There are many other forms we can communicate with God, others and the world. In our mind and heart, in our feelings and passions, in our memory cimagala/PAGE 10

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Toyota Motor Philippines to conduct special assistance to flood-affected customers Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) announced that it will conductspecial service assistance for f lood-affected customers from the recent rains brought about by typhoon Maring. The company believes that it is their duty to be of service to their valued customers especially in trying times like these. In that spirit, TMP is offering *special discounts for repairs of flooded Toyota vehicles. *Discounts for Parts & Labor - 40% discount on engine ECU - 20% discount on selected flood-affected parts - 20% discount on labor Beyond this extended assistance, TMP hopes to go that extra mile to put safety at the forefront for its customers.

With that, TMP imparts simple “do’s and don’t’s” if your Toyota has been submerged in the recent floods.

1.

One must first disconnect the battery terminals

as soon as possible to avoid any electrical malfunction. Do not turn the ignition switch ON, and most importantly, do not attempt to start the engine.

2.

If one suspects that water is present inside the cylinders, do remove the spark plugs or glow plugs.

Furthermore, if one infers that there is water contamination in the automatic or manual transmission, or in the differential, be sure to tow the vehicle with the drive wheels off the ground.

3. Thereafter, do not reconnect the battery terminals or start the engine. Drain any water left and wash the vehicle’s exterior, if possible. Lastly, ventilate and dry the vehicle by opening the doors.

4. After everything has been performed, have your vehicle brought to the nearest Toyota dealer for diagnosis/ repair/cleaning. TMP recommends of not attempting to

personally repair or diagnose the vehicle to ensure utmost safety. Finally, check one’s vehicle insurance policy for insurance coverage.

In a statement, TMP President Michinobu Sugata exclaimed, “We at Toyota sincerely wish that all our customers are safe and well despite the strong typhoon experienced last week brought about by Typhoon Maring.

After the recent calamity, we decided to stage this special service assistance to flood-affected customers as we feel this simple act will help our customers move forward from this trying time.”

For more information and updates, call Toyota’s Customer Assistance Center at (02) 819 2912 or visit the official TMP Facebook Page at ToyotaMotorPhilippines.

Customers may also visit TMP’s website at http://www. toyota.com.ph.

Mindanao banana exporters suffer P1-B losses from Pablo LOSSES to banana exporters due to Typhoon Pablo have exceeded R1 bi l l ion as growers have been forced to stop shipments to some areas, the Mindanao Banana Fa rmers a nd E x por ters A s s o c i a t i o n (M B F E A) reported.

Bing Delos Reyes of MBFEA said in a statement released by USAID-GEM (Growth With Equity in Mindanao) t hat banana growers in this once thriving agricultural province of Compostela Valley are still struggling to get back on their feet months after Typhoon Pablo that swept about 40 percent of their production areas and plantations.

Exporters are having difficulty meeting delivery

com m it ments to pr i me markets and have delayed banana shipments to the U.S. for almost half a year, the statement said.

Banana is the country’s second largest agricultural expor t industr y and C o m p o s t e l a Va l l e y i s responsible for about 14 percent of total production. In the last quarterly assessment released by the Bureau of Ag r ic u lt u ra l St at ist ic s , banana production, which had steadily risen in recent yea rs, posted declining figures owing significantly to the 16 percent drop in Davao Region’s output following Typhoon Pablo.

U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development

Mission Director Gloria D. Steele sa id , “Closer coordination among industry leaders, government a nd donor agencies, is important to accelerate the rehabilitation of banana production areas and restore livelihoods in the area.”

“Helpi ng fa r mers i n Compostela Valley regain t rac t ion a nd prepa r i ng the local industry for the potential effects of climate change will directly impact the country’s overall export competitiveness,” Steele added.

To t his end, USAID, in partnership with the provincial and municipal governments of Compostela Valley and the Department o f A g r i c u l t u r e ( DA) ,

organized a province-wide banana industry forum to harmonize rehabilitation efforts, showcase alternative crops, and promote climate change-adaptive farming systems and technologies.

The activity is part of the U.S. Government’s P201 mi l l ion (US$5 mi l l ion) Ty phoon Pablo disaster recover y assistance, implemented by USAID in partnership with the Mindanao Development Authority.

The U.S. Government’s ongoing disaster recovery assistance also includes the establishment of technodemo farms in the hardest hit municipalities in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.

These farms will showcase

short-term cash crops such as cor n a nd vegetables t hat c a n help i ncrea se food sufficiency, augment incomes and strengthen the climate resilience of affected communities. Other climate change adaptive technologies such as protective cropping, integrated pest management a nd ver m i- c omp os t i ng will a lso be featured as alternatives to minimizing the effects of unfavorable

weat her conditions and reducing over-all production costs among farmers Major banana exporters op er at i ng i n t he a re a , including Dole, SumiFru, D i z on Fa r m s a n d t h e Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association (MBFEA), presented their plantation rehabilitation plans and discussed related concerns with farmers and contract growers. (MB)

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“Are You a Writer? 390 students benefit from Project …Am I a Writer?” Angel Tree in Malaybalay City

by Janey Montebon Duterte

by Reyna L. Tagailo, Contributor

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epartment of Labor and Employment (DOLE) - Bukidnon Provincial Field Office, Malaybalay City facilitates the Project Angel Tree Program together with the Bukidnon Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (BTIPC) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Malaybalay City last 26 July 2013 at the barangays of Managok, Linabo, and San Jose, benefiting some 390 students also identified as child laborers at those areas.

riter is such a curious word, and writers are an even more curious bunch. Who gets to decide that a person is a writer? Is it because he is earning a living from stringing words together and having it published? Or is it because he was born with a compulsion to write that he will do so regardless of payment, opportunity or readership?

I have been writing for as long as I could remember.

The first time that it was recognized though was when I was still a gangly, introverted 10-year old fifth grader. I joined an essay-writing contest for the first time, and the topic was about the importance of the English language. I no longer remember what I wrote, since two decades have passed since then.

What I do remember was the intense feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment at winning a gold medal at something I truly enjoyed.

I have never really stopped writing since then. I was never out of journals, and I write everyday – random thoughts written on strips of paper, hasty scribbles on little notebooks, and even 1,000+ words of lengthy soliloquy in yellow pad paper to hash out my innermost feelings and various ruminations.

High school and college came and went, and winning Best Writer awards in school had me taking for granted if I am indeed a writer. I continued writing in blogs and in every available chance and platform I get, and never really dwelt on that thought anymore. Not until after ten years of working in a corporate setting. Feeling lost one day, I decided to ask myself: am I a writer?

In my quest for self-actualization, I came across several articles about being a real writer. As it turns out, there are so many writers out there who aren’t quite sure and ask themselves the same thing. Then I came across this quote from Steven Pressfield and it was the first step in solving the puzzle: “If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), “Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?” chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.”

There was also a brilliant article at http://www. successful-blog.com which stated it quite simply: A writer is a paradox of ego and self-doubt.

The interesting thing about all the write ups I read on being a writer is, they all have a single thing in common — none of the articles say that to be a writer you have to make a living out of it.

So I was dead wrong all this time. I had always thought that to be a real writer you have to be earning from it.

Today I received my first payment for a writing contract, and I was about to celebrate and say that after all these years, I am a real writer at last. Then I realized that that is not the case. I have been a writer all this time, and not just a person who writes, because there is a major distinction between the two.

I realized that the writer is someone who is compelled to write, not because he is being paid to do so, but because he needs to. A writer is someone who will write no matter what because it is ingrained in his personality, and it is a large part of what and who he is.

A writer is someone who writes not merely for other’s sake, but first and foremost, for his very own sake. A writer is someone who writes because his soul nudges him to do the very thing that he longs to.

Then I read a comment in one of the articles that said: magical things happen when you stake a claim. As I continue on this journey of earning from writing, I am staking my claim this time. I am a writer.

And I will be writing no matter what, for as long as my brains are still working and my hands could still function.

I will be writing because I owe it to God to do so, since He made me this way.

For t he Prov i nce of Bukidnon last May 1, 2013 du r i ng t he L a b or D ay celebration, the walk-for-acause, themed “Lakaw ta Para sa Bata”, collected P92,174.47 proceeds which prov ided for the school supplies of the students.

School suppl ies l i ke notebooks, pads of paper, crayons, scissors, ball pens and other sports supplies, such as chess boa rd, basketball, volleyball, and badminton were distributed to ten (10) schools of the said barangays.

The following are the corresponding schools and beneficiaries; 86 students from Managok Elementary School and Managok Nat ion a l H i g h S c ho o l Annex, a total of 95 students from Linabo Elementary School, Lalawan Elementary School, and 209 students from Lalawan National High School Annex , and San Jose

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The priority processes include: A lien Employ ment Per m it ; Reg ist r at ion of Job Cont rac tors and Sub-Contractors; Issuance of Authority to Recruit Outside Re g i s tere d Bu si ne s s Add ress; Clea ra nce to conduct Job Fa i r ; Appl ic at ion of Working Child Permit; Registration of Union; Registration of Workers’ Association; Reg ist rat ion of CBA; Cer tif ication from DOL E t hat compa ny

has no pend i ng case/ has pending case; Application for PRPA License; Accreditation for OSH Practitioners; Accred itat ion of C oPa r t ner; Appl ic at ion for Livelihood P r o j e c t A s s i s t a n c eY ,- A L S p e c i a l P r o g rJ Ua m for t he E mploy ment of St udents; L abor Standards Inspection, Labor Standards Case Disposition; Deat h a nd Maternit y B enef it C la i m s ; a nd some ad m i n ist r at ive supp or t s er v ic e s .

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DOLE-10 Regiona l D i r e c t o r, A l a n M .

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He further notes that “ To g e t h e r w i t h m y Qua lit y Ma nagement Systems Team, we are heading to better and more qua lit y ser vices

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(from left) Mr. Alan Ronolo(PESO Manager-LGU Malaybalay), Mr. Alot Rara (Linabo ES Principal) ,Mr. Joel Olino, Mr. Jennifer Astillo, Engr. Lemuel Ferrer and Ms. Rose Lagare (BTIPC BODs), Ms. Elvie Robosa (Vice-Mayor Staff, LGU-Malaybalay) and Ms. Reyna L. Tagailo( DOLE Staff) during the school supplies distribution.

by Mildred E. Dablio, Contributor

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Sweet smiles from student beneficiaries at San Jose Elementary School

DOLE-10 goes ISO

Cagayan de Oro City -Depar t ment of Labor and Employment (DOL E), Reg iona l O f f ic e No. 10 a nd with the directive o f i t s S e c r e t a r y, Rosalinda DimapilisBaldoz is currently on t he jou r ne y towa rd s ISO 9001:2008 c er t i f ic at ion du r i ng it s 8 0 t h Fou nd at ion “We write because something inside says we must and we can no longer ignore that voice.”

Anniversar y on 8 ~ Sheila Bender De c ember 2 013.

ISO 9 0 01:2 0 0 8 “If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.” ~Lord Byron fo c u s e s on ef fe c t ive qu a l it y ma na gement systems on its processes i n meet i ng AU GU ST JUL Y -

Elementary and National Hig h School, Mabu hay Elementar y School, and Pa ma nuca n Elementar y School.

BT I P C C h a i r p er s on and DOLE-10 Bukidnon Provincial Head, Mr. Raul L. Valmores, stresses, “Project Angel Tree thru BTIPC really aims to help child laborers to go to school by providing them school supplies. We cannot know, maybe in the future, these students will become future leaders and successful businessmen.”

M r.

Alot Rara, Lanibo Elementary School Principal,confirmed,” I am very grateful that our school was chosen as a beneficiary, I’m sure this schools supplies would be a great help to all of them. As the students knew about this, they were all excited for their new things. This gives them inspiration at school. I am very thankful for this.”

Tanleh Bldg., Abellanosa St., Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines Contact nos.: (088)856-3344, (08822)72-33-44 email: businessweekmindanao@gmail.com website: www.businessweekmindanao.com

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Growth... from page 2

spending fuelled by election expenditure and government infrastructure outlay,” Dispo said in a statement.

“Grow t h may ease slightly in the second half, nevertheless full-year growth will surpass government’s full-year target of 6.0 percent to 7.0 percent,” he added.

The Philippine economy expanded 7.8 percent in the first quarter, becoming South East Asia’s fastest growing economy a nd ecl ipsi ng China’s 7.7 percent GDP growth.

T he cou nt r y ’s f i rstquar ter grow t h was boosted mainly by strong performance of the services sector, robust construction spending and the resurgence of manufacturing.

On the demand side, consumer spending and gover n ment spend i ng provided support to the economy, g row i ng at a healthy pace of 5.1 percent and 13.2 percent year-onyear, respectively.

“Historically, the local economy has been off to a strong start in the first quarter of election years and has picked up momentum in the second quarter,” Cristina Ulang, First Metro Research head noted.

“Our proprietary model shows that election and government infrastructure spending pea ked in t he second quarter as seen in the last three elections, firing up Philippine consumption, which is about three quarters of the domestic economy,” she added.

The up to above 8 percent GDP forecast in the second quarter is higher than the range that the recent issue of The Market Call, First Metro and University of Asia & the Pacific’s research publication, of between 7.5 percent and 8.0 percent. (MB)

Power... from page 2

submits a bid. Ot her interested parties may still join this procurement project even until bidding day, as long as they purchase the bidding documents and submit the documentary requirements,” PSALM President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said in a statement.

In a supplemental bid bulletin, PSALM through its Bids and Awards Committee announced that the deadline for the submission of bids has been extended to September 30.

The project intends to increase the power output of Units 1 and 2 of the Agus 6 power plant from 25 megawatts (MW) to 34.5 MW each. It also aims to extend their economic life to another 30 years.

Specifically, the project will include the investigation, design, engineering, manufacturing, installation, testing and commissioning of the new hydropower turbines and blades of the two Agus

6 power units, as well as replacement of electrical equipment, materials and devices necessary for the safe and reliable operation of the power facilities. Upon award, the project is expected to be completed within 900 calendar days.

The 200-MW Agus 6 power plant is a run-ofriver hydro plant located downstream of the famed Ma r ia Cr ist i na fa l ls i n Fuentes, Iligan City. The plant consists of Units 1 and 2 with rated capacities of 25 MW each, and Units 3, 4 and 5 at 50 MW each. (BM)

Opens... from page 2

He said the new system will simply encourage the private sector to grasp the opportunities, which will increase the capabilities for growth, and develop linkages.

He poi nted out t hat the move will also foster economic and technica l cooperation in the areas of development regarding hu ma n, i n f ra st r uc t u re, Science and Technolog y, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and environmental protection and management.

He s a id t hat it w i l l e vent u a l ly nu r t u re t he appreciat ion of va rious cultures to help enhance the business partnerships among local and foreign businessmen. (MB)

Mushroom...

from page 4 saw the number of chronically hungry people plummet: Vietnam by 75.1 per cent, Thailand, by 79.8%, Indonesia by 43.8%, Laos by 9.2% and Cambodia by 37.8%.

“These hunger statistics and the high joblessness n u m b e r s [2 . 8 m i l l i o n unemployed and 8.5 million u nderemployed] g ive a gloomier picture than the upbeat first semester GDP growth of 6.1 per cent. At the very least, they support the view that the first half economic growth was shallow and hollow,” one national daily said in its editorial.

Environment-friendly: Bayot said that aside from the economic and nutritional benefits, mushroom-growing also help the environment.

One of t he pla nt i ng materials use by mushroom growers as substrate for mushroom is rice straw and saw dust, which is just thrown away or burned.

“Claveria and Agusan del Sur have so much bedding materials for mushroom growing. In fact, they are so abundant that people here just ignore them. Only mushroom growers know they can benefit from these wastes,” Chang said.

He said that aside from rice straw and saw dust, banana leaves can also be used. Bayot added t hat cotton wastes, jute sacks, corn stalks, water hyacinth, bagasse and abaca waste materials can also be used to grow mushrooms.

“Mushroom-growing is a

bit laborious since you have to gather all these materials.

But in doing so, you also help clean the environment,” said Professor Hyun You Chang of the Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries (KNCAF), project team leader of the Mushroom Cultivation project.

As t he Ph i l ippi nes faces the onslaught of the impacts of climate changeexacerbated natural disasters, Chang and Bayot are one with others in saying that there is a need to make households disaster- and climate changeresilient.

And one of t he ways for wa rded by Cha ng to make Filipinos resilient is to grow mushroom as it will (a) help clean the environment, (b) provide much-needed nutrients; and (c) improve Filipinos’ economic status.

Professor Chang said that Mindanao has so much potential for mushroomgrowing especially since at least 2,000 of the more than 3,000 edible varieties of mushroom are found in the island. Added to this is the fact materials needed for mushroom cultivation such as coconut husks, banana leaves and trunks and rice straw are abundant in Mindanao.

“It makes good sense for Mindanao to cultivate mushrooms,” he added.

A mushroom g rower in Butuan said that aside from what the professor said, Mindanao is also the “gateway” to the East Asian Growth Area (EAGA) growth corridor which includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP).

This grower said that M i nd a n ao’s mu s h ro om production at present is not enough to supply the annual demand of at least 16 million kilos of mushroom. This, if Mindanao’s 16 million people consume mushroom at a rate of one kilo a year.

“Filipinos must get serious in growing mushroom. You must develop a ‘mushroom consciousness’,” Chang said.

(Bong D. Fabe)

Damage... from page 4

and storm Maring, affecting the southwest monsoon.

The good news, Alcala said, is that the damage “has no major impact in relation to our annual national target.

In fact, there will be no areas lost, but only delays in production since we have already released emergency planting requirement to affected farmers.”

Undersecretary Dante Delima, who is also the Nat iona l R ice Prog ra m coordinator, said the corn sector suffered the biggest da mage at P2.1 bi l lion, followed by rice at P484.4 million and banana at P130.7 million.

Ot her commodit ies affected were high value crops, fisheries and livestock posting damage of P7 million, P1.7 million and P4.6 million, respectively.

Delima said the total damage from typhoons in

the third quarter of 2013 exceeded the P2.02 billion recorded a year ago.

But he said that farmers— particularly those planting r ice i n Reg ion 3 —were covered by insura nce under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) and they can easily replace damaged crops. (TMT)

Key...

from page 4

sectors,” the report said.

T he PIDS study sa id that boosting agricultural output is an effective way to increase the productivity of agricu ltura l workers.

It noted that the country did enjoy a period of rapid agricultural growth in the 1960s and 1970s, but it was not sustained.

T he g row t h of t he ag ricu lture sector since the 1980s averaged only 2.05 per cent, which was lower than the average of developing Asia with 3.4 percent and even lower than the average of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa which was 2.5 percent, the paper said.

“Ac c e l e r a t i n g agricultural growth entails both raising productivity i n f a r m i n g t r a d it ion a l products, as well as shifting resources toward high-value products,” the report said.

“High-value crops such as fruits and vegetables are much more profitable than traditional crops such as rice and corn. On a per hectare basis, labor cost is a lso greater, suggesting a greater potential for employment creat ion for h ig h-va lue crops,” it added.

The PIDS study said that the shift toward high-value products is also known as agricultural diversification, a process which involves the movement out of subsistence food-crop production to a diversified market-oriented production system.

“Diversification requires rapid technological cha nge, i mproved r u ra l infrastructure, and changes in food demand patterns, i.e., increasing demand for more expensive foods such as meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables,” the research note said.

“Philippine agriculture, howe ver, de v iates f rom this st ylized pattern. In developing Asian countries, t he share of cerea ls has decreased from 40 percent to 24 percent, whereas its share for the Philippines has increased from 22 to 23 percent,” it added.

T he polic y note sa id that farmers who would like to shift to high-value products must be assured of a market.

The report said that such markets will materialize with the closer integration of agriculture and related manufacturing and services.

“To reiterate: agricultural development in t he Philippine context involves a transition from farming to agribusiness; the latter denotes agriculture-related

activities that put farmers, processors, distributors, and consumers within a system that aims to produce, handle, process, transport, ma rke t , a nd d i s t r ibute agricultural products,” the study said.

Howe ve r, t o re a l i z e the full potentia l of the a g r i bu s i n e s s s e c t or i n the Philippine economy, the PIDS report said that several constraints must be addressed.

These constraints include insufficient provision of public goods, inadequate suppor t for farmers, coordinat ion fa i lures, a weak regulatory system, and defective property rights regime.

O ver t he shor tterm, t he note suggests the development of a participatory competitiveness working group for the agro-industry. “ T he ma i n objec t ive of t he g roup w i l l be to lay the groundwork for a competitiveness strategy as embodied in a road map,” the note said. (APM)

Shrimp...

9

from page 4

have forced countries in the region to turn to imports to sat isf y t he domest ic market and the processing for export.

E a r l i e r, t h e B FA R a n nou nc e d t h at it h a s suspended the processing of application to import all live shrimps and susceptible crustaceans indefinitely due to EMS. T he bu reau has a lso included Singapore, My a n m a r, B r u n e i a n d Cambodia on the watch list.

“The Philippines remains EMS-free as of the moment and BFAR is exhausting all efforts to remain so,” Perez said.

Following the suspension, B FA R i n s t r u c t e d i t s Fish Hea lt h Of f icers, Quarantine Officers and the Law Enforcement Quick Response Team (LEQRT) to implement monitoring, control and sur veillance protocols at the ports of entry, airports and seaports in the country. (APM)

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Farmers... from page 4

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with less expense on college education and with work that are semi white-collared jobs,” Dr. Maria Luisa Soliven, president of CMU, said.

Bagtang said that in their case, the KASC offering free tuition for agriculture courses has not helped in increasing student enrollees for that degree.

Four to five years ago, K ASC ’s en rol l ment for agricu lture courses was around 400 to 500 students.

In the last school year, it was about 300. KASC has a student population of about 5,000.

“They [students] want jobs that are urban in nature, into IT [information technology], arts and science, those that can land them in any office work,” Bagtang said.

He added t hat when school officials interviewed students on their disinterest in taking agriculture courses, one of the answers given is the lack of employment opportunities in the farming sector.

B a g t a n g ’s v i e w i s somehow supported by the latest Labor Force Survey conducted by the National Stat ist ics Of f ice, which indicated that agriculture receives the lowest average daily basic wage and salary compared to non-agriculture sectors.

Consequences: While the government knows about the problems that can be caused by the a g i ng of t he cou nt r y ’s population of farmers, its impact has not yet been quantified in numbers.

But Sol iven of fers a view: “If there will be fewer young people who will be interested to pursue careers in agriculture and related disciplines, then this could definitely aggravate food insecurity in the Philippines.”

R e x B i n g a bi n g , t h e executive director of the Ph i l i p p i n e C e nt e r f o r Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), said that aging Filipino farmers quitting has led to problems in some areas in the country, which could lead to a food crisis.

“In many areas, we are already experiencing the effects of this scenario. In places in Central Luzon, farm owners are already having difficulty in finding farm workers during the time of planting and harvest,” he said.

“This can be a potential problem since farm owners might decide to convert their lands into industrial or commercial areas if they would not profit anymore f rom agricu lture a nd eventually compromise the sustainability of our food su f f icienc y,” Bi ngabi ng added. (To be concluded)

Ban...

from page 5

“We have plastic garbage everywhere. It has become an environmental obstacle,”

Sayadi added.

Meanwhile, the city’s General Ser vices Off ice expressed their full support to the proposal.

A statement from the office said once implemented, it would considerably reduce the “tons of garbage” collected daily.

The city generates some 70 tons of trash daily, a third of which comprise plastic wastes.

The City Council has set its first hearing on Sayadi’s proposition on September 3.

Last month, floodwater submerged 25 of the city’s 37 villages due to inclement weather prompting local officials to place the city under a state of calamity. (PIA)

PEMO... from page 5

the accumulation of loads of silt along the river-tributaries of the critical Topland and Marbel rivers.

She said the two rivers, which traces their headwaters to the uplands of Tampakan, traverses Barangays Pula Bato, Liber t y a nd Buto in Tampa kan as well as Magsaysay, Concepcion, Bo. 4 and Namnama in Koronadal City.

Aside from the accumulation of silt, which have been causing severe f looding in the lowland communities traversed by the two rivers, local environment personnel had found traces of mercury in several rivertributaries in the area.

Ju m i l la sa id t hey a lready recommended to Sout h Cotabato Gov. D a i s y Av a nc e -Fuente s , who heads the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board, the immediate installation of Army outposts and the deployment of more troops in the area to avert the illegal mining activities.

She admitted that they could not regularly monitor the illegal activities in the area due to t he lack of personnel.

A task force led by PEMO had conducted a number of random inspections in the “banlas” mining areas in the last two years and even made some arrests but the illegal activities still persisted.

“The situation in the area is now quite alarming a nd we rea l ly need t he permanent presence of our troops there to stop these illegal activities,” she added.

(PNA)

Batas... from page 6

then on.

Using this lesson, the Physicia ns-for-Peace Philippines has embarked in an effort to weed out eye defects among young school children. In various places in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, Abanilla had been bringing more eyeglasses, and an increasing number of eye doctor volunteers, to conduct the refraction and the examination of the eyes of the children.

-ooo BR IGHTER FUTUR E FOR CHILDR EN: These

efforts are actually a part of a program which Abanilla and her colleagues at the Physicians-for-Peace and Rotary International have called as the “Save the Sight for a Child ”, an objective of which is empower teachers of pupils who are in public elementary schools across the country to know whether their wards are suffering from eye defects or not.

This program is now f uriously, a lbeit slowly, being realized. The doctorvolunteers are now teaching teachers with the rudiments of eye refraction, and how to list down the needed corrective glasses of their own pupils. The records of the children found with defects are then forwarded to Abanilla, who would then approve the issuance of the glasses.

Indeed, the whole exercise is turning out to be much more than a mere giving away of free eyeglasses to the youth.

It was in fact a confirmation of a commitment from sociocivic and charitable leaders to provide children with a brighter future. For, every child whose eye defects have been corrected acquires the opportunity to learn better, and therefore capacitate himself or herself to reach beyond the poor and squalid surroundings he had been born to.

-ooo REACTIONS? Please call me at 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0922 833 43 96. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com, mmauriciojr111@gmail.com.

Bunye... from page 6

under BSP’s jurisdiction to ensure compliance. The BSP also immediately posts its issuances, publications, and other announcements on its website www.bsp.gov.ph for the benefit of the banks and also of the media and other concerned parties.

Finally, communication plays an important role in finding common grounds and collaborating in advocacy efforts.

Among BSP’s causes that have immensely benefitted from keeping an open line with our stakeholders are the microfinance program to reach the “unbanked,” the coin recirculation and clean banknotes program, the fight against counterfeit money and financial scams, and finally, its financial literacy program.

Truly, we can say that the excellent communication bet ween BSP a nd its stakeholders has helped a lot in attaining our strong economic growth. After all, as we have stated time and again, the task of growing our economy is a team effort.

Meanwhile, these awards

r e c e i v e d b y Te t a n g c o a nd B SP ’s out st a nd i ng sta keholder-respondents will serve as reminders of how communication and working hand in hand can bring us far and through any challenge or uncertainty.

Note: My book, Central Banking for Every Juan and Maria is now available in main branches of Fully Booked, Power Books, National Book Store, and University of the Philippines Press.

Cimagala... from page 6

and imagination, etc., we can already communicate.

But obviously, we should strive to communicate in the best way possible. That’s why, with respect to our relat ion w it h God, ou r usual and abiding way of communicating is by praying which can take also many forms and is done within a network of things-doctrine, sacraments, development of virtues, ascetical struggle, etc. This is how prayer thrives.

With respect to the others, the usual way is to talk, to enter into some conversation, and hopefully into some agreement, some consensus, especially when we have to deal with our unavoidable differences and conf licts of i nterest s , leg it i mate and otherwise. We should avoid being indifferent and unconcerned of the others.

This is where we have to learn the art of dialogue that should be pursued in the context of friendship.

This is very important to all of us, and everything should be done to foster t he development a nd inculturation of this skill.

We need to de velop compassion and understanding, the art of always thinking of the others, of knowing and anticipating their needs. In fact, we have to learn how to enter into their mind and heart, not as an act of nosiness, but rather of friendship, concern and the will to help.

That’s the reason we often have to examine the way we think. What is the usual activity of our mind and our heart? Are they just hovering around ourselves, or are they trying to go out of themselves, to reach out to the others?

Since we cannot help but have differences and even conf licts, we should try our best that we pursue our dialogues with utmost respect for one another.

We need to stick to the essent ia ls t hat ac t ua l ly bind us together, and these essentials include humility, mercy, magnanimity, etc.

The most important thing is that we keep our dialogues going.

BusinessDaily

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Rally... from page 1

the PDAF only.

“The people should have pursued the rally instead,” he said, adding the Catholic Bi shops C on ferenc e of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) called for abolition.

Most government officials and employees asked for this story said they took the cue from Zubiri’s cancelation.

“It was cancelled because, anyway, President Aquino already agreed to scrap the pork barrel,” lawyer Oliver Owen Garcia said. Garcia recently won as president of the Philippine Councilors’ L eag ue (PCL-Bu k id non chapter).

Ronelo Alvarez, DILG provincial director, said they, too, got the message that Zubiri cancelled it.

Zubiri, in a radio message on Aug. 21, has called for the abolition of the pork barrel as it is being abused. He asked support for the rally set on Aug. 26. But Radyo Abante reported that he cancelled it on Friday after Aquino agreed to abolish PDAF. The cancellation drew mixed reactions.

“It’s pathetic. It shows how we disregard what’s happening in our country,” Roland R ivera, a school teacher, said via text message.

“It was purely political strategy (the cancellation) to manipulate the people,” a l le ge d E m ma Mol i na , cha ir person of Ba rog Bukidnon, a coalition of civil society organizations, nongovernment organizations, and people’s organizations pushing for good governance.

But Barog Bukidnon, a newly organized group, also did not initiate its own rally after Zubiri aborted his plan.

Mol i n a s a id e a r l i e r that although they were apprehensive of a nt iPDAF ra l lies orga nized by politicians, “they were willing to join and listen to the issues.”

Sources said aside from Zubiri, nobody dared to organize (and abort) an antipork rally.

Ma. Easterluna Canoy, of the Kitanglad Integrated NGOs, said: “Sadly Bukidnon still needs a leader who can galvanize people to action or non-action.”

Bienv inido “Bobo” Narciso, of Abag Kalambuan Inc., responded through text that the real problem in Bukidnon is that nongovernment organizations and civil society organizations are no longer sensitive to critical national issues.

He said NGOs in the province are focused on constructive engagement like the bottom up budgeting ( BU B) p r o c e s s o f t h e government so there is less time watching other issues.

He said not many are even observing in the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), which is also an important function as most NGOs are now engaged in projects.

Narciso’s group, a non-

government organization, is implementing a project since 2010 dubbed as Livelihood Enhancement and Assistance for Development of Tripeople in Kalilangan, a town in the boundary of Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur. Others said the PDAF should not be scrapped.

Bae Inatlawan Adelina Tarino, head claimant of the Bukidnon Daraghuyan tribe in Dalwangan in Malaybalay, said the pork barrel was a big help to the indigenous peoples. She added that not a ll non-government organizations may be like that of Napoles.

“There are those that truly serve the IP communities. We hope they will not abolish the pork barrel,” she said, adding there should be a way that it will not be prone to abuse.

Loreta Sol Dinlayan, a social science professor at Bukidnon State University, said ill mechanics should be abolished, not the PDAF. Dinlayan admitted that those who abused the PDAF should be made accountable for their actions.

Peace... from page 1

In a press briefing with reporters, Thomas Phipps, the British embassy’s second secretary for security, said they intend to “revisit” its travel advisory to Mindanao, particularly those under “orange” alert level as soon as the peace accord is signed.

Phipps said the embassy does not change its overall advisory “99 percent” of the time and only regularly updates it for additional information.

“One of the questions we’ve been considering, as we see progress in the peace process, is: Should we revisit our advice for Mindanao?

At some point, if the peace agreement is signed and if we are confident of a lasting peace agreement, what is the threshold for change?” he asked.

If there would be any change in its advisory for citizens regarding travel to Mindanao, the orangecolored area, which gets an “advice against all but essential travel,” will be the first area of change. “ F r a n k l y, D a v a o i s safe. We travel to Davao frequently,” he said. Davao City is orange-colored on the British embassy travel advisory map.

“The rest of the area that is red gets more consideration,” he added. Western Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago are red-colored on the map.

The peace negotiations bet ween t he Phi lippi ne government and the MILF have been going smoothly with the two of the four a nnexes a lready sig ned by bot h pa r t ies. T hose on transition and wealth sharing have been signed, while those on power sharing and normalization are still under discussion.

The peace agreement is hoped to bring peace and subsequent development in

the resource-rich island of Mindanao. The Moro fight for self-determination has been going on for the past 40 years or so. Earlier, the Philippine government also reached a peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front, with the creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as part of such agreement.

Cit i ng Brita i n’s ow n experience with the peace process in Nor t hern Island, Phipps said that “unfortunately…you see a spike in the violence as some groups want to undermine progress being made, and some carve out a role from themselves in the peace dividend.”

Phipps reiterated that the embassy would be careful in making any change in its overall advisory.

For 80 percent of the country, the British embassy encourages its citizens to visit, he said.

“Majority of that is map green. All of this area is fine for British citizens to travel to,” he added.

Stephen Lysaght, t he embassy’s charges d’ affaires, said the embassy’s consistent travel advisory regarding the Philippines has resulted in more British tourists and businessmen coming to the country for fun and work.

There are more British visitors to the Philippines than any other European citizens, like the French, Spanish, or Italian, said Lysaght.

Upgrade...

from page 1 Monday, PSALM said the interested groups include Alstom Philippines, Inc.; China Internationa l Water and Electric Corp.; Hyd roChi na Z hongNa n Engineering Corp.; Kaltimex Energy Philippines, Inc.; PH P Ph i l ippi ne Hyd ro Project, Inc.; Vicente T. Lao Construction; and Zhejiang Fuchunjiang Hydropower Equipment Co. Ltd. The seven par ties purchased bid documents a nd have beg un due diligence on the project, which involves the upgrade of Units 1 and 2 of the Agus VI hydroelectric power plant from 25 megawatts (MW) to 34.5 MW each. The project also aims to extend their economic life by another 30 years.

The Agus VI is a runof-river hydro plant located downstream from the famed

Ma ria Crist ina Fa l ls in Fuentes, Iligan City.

“We a re happy w it h the turnout and we hope everyone submits a bid.

Other interested parties may still join this procurement project even until bidding day, as long as they purchase t he bidd i ng docu ments and submit documentary requirements,” the statement quoted PSALM President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. as saying.

PSALM, in its invitation to bid published last month, required interested parties to pay a non-refundable fee of P100,000 for the bidding documents.

The company has approved a P2.598-billion budget for the contract.

In a pre-bid conference last July 30, interested firms were briefed on bidding pro c e du re s , a s wel l a s technical specification and requirements of the project.

The auction -- which will take place at PSALM’s office in Makati City -- has been scheduled on Sept. 30.

The project intends to increase the power output of the first and second units of the Agus VI power plant from 25 megawatts (MW) to 34.5 MW each, PSALM said.

“The project will include the investigation, design, engineering, manufacturing, installation, testing and commissioning of the new hydro power turbines and blades of t he t wo Ag us VI power units, as well as replacement of electrical equipment, materials and devices necessary for the safe and reliable operation of the power facilities,” the statement read.

PSALM said the project is expected to be completed within 900 calendar days up on aw a rd i n g of t he contract.

The 200-MW Agus VI run-of-river hydro plant is located in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. The plant consists of two units with combined capacity of 50 MW ; and three units with total capacity of 150 MW. The power plant is part of the Agus-Pulangui hydro power facility, which provides more than half of Mindanao’s electricity supply.

A check w it h t he Web site of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines showed that Mindanao yesterday had thin reserves of 36 MW.

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