BusinessDaily (August 6, 2013)

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Volume III, No. 271

Market Indicators As of 6:00 pm AUG. 5, 2013 (Monday)

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Briefly CCTV Ordinance THE implementation of the law requiring high-risk establishments to install closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) in the premises will strictly be implemented in Cagayan de Oro City.

Following July 26 bomb blast, the City Council committee on police, fire and public safety chaired by Councilor Ramon G. Tabor during its meeting last August 1 adopted a resolution requesting City Police Director PS/Supt. Graciano Mijares to immediately conduct inspections in establishments and submit a report of those not complying with Ordinance No. 11075-2008.

The ordinance requires the installation of CCTVs or video sur veillance systems in the premises of private establishments and public places.

It provides the specifications of the cameras to be installed.

Banks, depar tment stores, shopping malls, secondar y schools, colleges and universities, gasoline stations, pawnshops, lending institutions, convenience stores and all similar establishments that are open for more than 12 hours a day are covered under the ordinance.

Entrepreneurship MARAWI City -- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authorit y ( TESDA) here is conducting a six-day training to capacitate existing technicalvocational (tecvoc) trainers on entrepreneurship development.

Trainers from 23 technical institutions in the province par ticipated in the training which started July 28 and will culminate tomorrow, August 2, said TESDA Provincial Director Tarhata Mapandi.

She said the training aims to strengthen the capacity of technical institutions in the delivery of entrepreneurshiprelated competencies and in providing training for their clients, especially the youth.

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August 6, 2013

Asean integration main focus in 22nd Minbizcon

By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews

IS Mindanao ready for the ASEAN business integration in 2015?

R

icardo Juliano, MinBizCon 2013 conference chair told MindaNews the business sector will present on August 8 at the opening of the 22nd Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon) an eightpoint Mindanao business policy agenda for President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and his Cabinet secretaries to attend to, in preparation for the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

WORKING TOGETHER. A mother and her children in Barangay Nasapian, Carmen, North Cotabato pick shelled corn cobs to collect the remaining grains for poultry feeds as well as to earn money. Nasapian is one of the 39 barangays in North Cotabato that voted Yes to inclusion in the ARMM in the 2001 plebiscite and is among the areas proposed to be part of the Bangsamoro. mindanews photo by ruby thursday

CDO River Basin is 17th water-quality management area

T he 22nd Mi nda nao Business Conference (MinBizCon) will be held on August 8 to 10 at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier, with the President delivering the keynote address on August 8.

Fourteen Cabinet secretaries are expected to discuss issues with Mindanao’s business executives.

The eight-point agenda

More hydro power plants in M’danao gets DOE approval

By IRENE DOMINGO Reporter

By BONG D. FABE, Associate Editor

NORTHERN Mindanao’s own Cagayan de Oro River Basin is now the 17th waterquality management area (WQMA) in the Philippines This after the Environment department (DENR) included it in list, along with other Mindanao river basins such as the Davao River System in Davao City; Tumaga River, Zamboanga City; Taguibo

River, Butuan City; Silway River, General Santos City; and the Sarangani Bay in Sarangani province.

“The inclusion of the Cagayan de Oro River and its tributaries on the WQMA list mirrors the government’s high degree of commitment to push sound environmental policies as a pre-requisite to inclusive and sustainable

is based on the five regional consultations the MinBizCon 2013 organizers conducted a few months ago, John Gaisano, conference director of the host city of Davao, told MindaNews on July 29.

The issues raised i n t he busi ness agenda a re Agricu lture, Power, Tourism, Transport and logistics, Skills development, Asean/PAGE 11

g row t h ,” E nv i r on m e nt Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje said in a statement.

A lso included in t he WQMA are the rivers of basin/PAGE 11

THE Department of Energy (DOE) has approved the application by the First Gen Corp. to pursue severa l hyd ropower projects i n Mindanao.

The DOE signed t he conversion of First Gen’s projects in Bukidnon and Agusan del Norte from the pre-development stage to the development and commercial stage. hydro/PAGE 11

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PHL to hit record growth this year — DTI THE Philippine economy this year will grow at its fastest pace since gaining independence, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said yesterday.

“The Philippines is doing very well. We are on the verge of having the fastest GDP g row t h rate since

1947,” Domingo said, citing strong investor interest in the country.

A measure of economic

performance, GDP refers to gross domestic product, which is the amount of final goods and services produced in the country.

“This growth is sustainable and broad-based,” Domingo said, adding that sectors such as construction and manufacturing--which used to lag behind agriculture and services--are driving GDP expansion.

The Philippines’ GDP rose 7.8 percent in the first quarter, the fastest in Asia.

Domingo declined to give a forecast, only echoing t he Nat iona l Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) earlier pronouncement that the grow t h during t he f irst quarter could be sustained.

“We have a very good shot. Inbound missions are coming in nonstop,” he said, referring to foreign investors.

Phi lippine Economic Zone Aut horit y (PEZA) Director-General Lilia B. De Lima said the agency is

now receiving 16 inbound investment missions a month.

“We are now on the radar DTI/PAGE 11

Rampant smuggling continues to wreak havoc on local industries THE unabated smuggling of various products is hurting local industries as it poses ser iou s compet it ion to locally produced items and discouraging the entry of foreign investors.

Philippine Batteries Inc. (PBI), which manufactures Motolite batteries, for one, said smuggling has adversely affected its ability to meet its average monthly output.

“On t he average, we produc e ha l f-a-m i l l ion units a month. But in the first half of the year, our monthly output averaged on l y 470 , 0 0 0 ,” R a mon

Agustines, PBI president, said.

Agustines said an estimated 10 percent of the country’s total motorvehicle battery consumption, at 500,000 annually, comes from smuggled sources.

Thailand is becoming a major source of such batteries smuggled into the Philippines, according to Agustines, who said most of these carry the 3K brand.

“3K Battery is a flagship brand from t he leading Tha i bat ter y supplier— Universal Energy Storage,” the company’s web site said.

There are also batteries for passenger cars, motorcycles and trucks smuggled from South Korea and Indonesia.

“This has been going on for the past one or two decades. From time to time, there is a tapering off as some arrests are made or smuggling operations are checked. But we don’t win every time,” Agustines said.

He also dispelled the notion that batteries are smu g g le d f rom C h i na ; the world’s second-largest economy, he said, is even suffering from a shortage havoc/PAGE 11

PA: 4 in 10 pinoys believe economy remain unchanged DESPITE several Philippines’ credit rating upgrade and economic growth, a majority of Filipinos believe that the economy remains unchanged while one out of ten Filipinos believes that it has worsened compa red to la st yea r, according to a new survey.

According to the data released by the Pulse Asia, Inc., 4 out of 10 Filipinos, or 43% believes that the economy is no different than the year 2012, while 29% of the respondents said that the economy had worsen compare to the last year.

The independent study was conducted nationwide from June 20 to July 4 with a margin of error of +/-3 percent and a confidence level of 95 percent. The survey is based on face to face interviews with a sample size of 1,200 representatives who are adults 18 years old and above.

The number of Filipinos who believes that the economy remains unchanged is almost the same percentage from a March survey with 42%.

Among the respondents from the National Capital Region (NCR), half of it, or 50%, answered that the economy is the same, compromising unchanged/PAGE 11

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plantation in Kalimantan, Indonesia, in line with efforts to boost export sales.

Aside from this, the company is exploring opportunities with its Chinese business partner Beidahuang Seed Group for the expansion of its production areas.

AgriNurture has acquired a 1,000-hectare banana plantation in Mindanao which would add 40,000 metric tons of Cavendish banana to its annual production. An investment of P1 billion was made for the acquisition of the plantation.

The firm is also engaged in the commercial distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables through subsidiaris First Class Agriculture (FCA), Fresh and Green (FG), and Lucky Fruit and Vegetables (LF).

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Higher expenses trim AgriNurture’s income LISTED fruit and vegetable producer AgriNurture Inc.’s net income fell in the first half of the year due to higher expenses.

In its quar terly repor t posted on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), AgriNurture reported a 62.35 percent drop in net income during the first half to P34.97 million from P92.89 million in the same period last year.

AgriNurture said increased expenses clipped the 21.38 percent growth in revenues to P1.76 billion from P1.45 billion.

Operating expenses rose 29.8 percent to P137.73 million as a result of the firm’s global expansion as well as increase in domestic retail channels.

AgriNurture is expanding its banana

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AboitizPower suffers huge losses in revenue amid foreign currency fallout and lower power rates.

Pfizer beats forecast as AboitizPower net income drugmaker plans split drops on forex losses, PF I Z E R I n c . r e p o r t e d second-quarter earnings slightly ahead of forecasts on Tuesday as the United States’ largest drugmaker lines up a business split that could lead to the spin-off of its generics division.

The company, which has been hit by falling sales of its now off-patent cholesterol fighter Lipitor, reaffirmed its financial outlook for the

year.

For the second quarter, adjusted income fel l 10 percent to $4.00 billion, or 56 cents a share, from $4.45 billion, or 59 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 7 percent to $12.97 billion.

Analysts, on average, were ex pect ing secondquarter income of 55 cents a sha re, on re venue of $13.01 billion, according

to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Pfizer, whose CEO Ian Read has been reviewing the group’s structure after divesting its nutrition and animal health businesses, said on Monday it planned to separate its commercial operations into two units for branded products and a third for generics.

Read said Pfizer’s new pfizer/PAGE 10

lower electricity prices

THE Aboitiz Group’s power business saw its first-half profit drop by at least a fifth from a year ago amid foreign currency losses and the drop in the price of electricity.

In a financial report, Aboitiz Power Corp said it closed June with a net income of P9.5 billion, or 22 percent down from the

P12.2 billion in the same six-month period last year.

The company re-valued its dollar-denominated loans, resulting in a non-recurring

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loss of P1.3 billion, up from P945 million a year ago.

Prepayment of debt also cost the company a nonrecurring expense of P93 million.

Removing these one-off items, AboitizPower closed the first semester with a core income/PAGE 11

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Court orders mining firm to vacate area

By Roel Catoto

SURIGAO CITY—The Regional Trial Court in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur has ordered the Shenzhou Mining Group Corporation (SMGC) to vacate the mining area at the boundaries of Carrascal, Surigao del Sur and Claver in Surigao del Norte.

The order, dated July 15, was issued Judge Rufo Naragas of the Regional Trial Court Branch 41 in Cantilan.

The Claver Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC), the company that filed the petition for preliminary mandatory injunction and/ or temporary restraining order alleged that SMGC continued with the extraction of ore for shipment abroad despite the suspension issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on July 18, 2012.

CMDC is the owner of the mining claim over 433 hectares covered by a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA).

Santos C. Barote, president of CMDC said their firm had a memorandum of agreement with SMGC wherein they ceded to the former the exploration, utilization of nickel, chromite, and other mineral resources found inside the mining area, subject to payment of royalty.

CMDC accused the SMGC of alleged non-payment of royalty within the specified period and of allegedly blatantly violating environmental law It then sought to terminate the operating agreement with SMGC. CMDC alleged that SMGC continued its extraction of ore and shipped it abroad.

But SMGC corporate secretary Jacqueline Mel De Leon, told the court that their company has not conducted any mining operation.

“The corporation is conducting rehabilitation; that there’s no truth to the allegation of petitioner that the company conducted clandestine operation,” she said. mining/PAGE 10

Multiplier effect of mining noted THERE is more to mining than just tax revenues and export earnings, says Bernardo Villegas, founder and director of the Center for Research and Communication and member of the University of Asia and Pacific.

CRC ’s st udy of a l l major industria l sectors shows t hat the mining industr y makes a significant contribution, not just to the Philippine economy but also to the “common good,” Villegas said during a recent Chamber of Mines of the Philippines forum.

“The common good is not just the taxes paid by mining firms but employment generation, nurturing of small and medium scale industries through the multiplier effect, the stimulation of consumption in the communities where various establishments, whatever they are, are located,” said Villegas, a business economist who has been following the mining industry since the 1970s.

Villegas likened the mining industry to the business process outsourcing industry that has inter-industry linkages with all types of public utilities, and even consumer goods industries that sell consumer goods to the households.

He said a P2.60 additional input is created in the economy every time the final demand by the mining industry increases by P1.

Citing the year 2011 as an example, which saw a good year for the mining industry because of high metal prices, Villegas said metal exports reached P115.2 billion with a multiplier effect of P299.52 billion. That translates into 3.3 percent of the Philippines’ GDP. The total household income multiplier of the mining industry, meanwhile, was calculated at 0.32 amounting to a P36.9-billion contribution to the economy. (MST)

DOE proposes 11 ‘green’ housing tech firms accredited increase in biofuel blend D A VA O C I T Y — T h e De pa r t ment of E nerg y conducted its first leg of consultations on National Biodiesel program, proposing to increase the blend of biodiesel from two percent to five percent consumption.

Zenaida Monzada, officer-in-charge of the Oil Industry Management Board of the DOE said their agency wants to gather reasonable basis on the way to push the Bio-fuels Law, particularly DOE/PAGE 10

VICE President Jejomar Binay, also the housing czar, accredited 11 proponents of green and innovative technology after they passed the Accreditation of Indigenous Technologies for Housing (Aitech) evaluation.

The newly accredited technologies are Onduline Roofing, Acasys Eco Homes System, Alufix and Mammut Formworks, Eco-Key Fireproof Panel Board, Plastered Precast Panels, JC Wall Slab System, Smart Masonry Building System, Precast Prestressed “C-Joist”, Weida Polystor (Water Storage Tank), Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Roofing and Panelflex Building System.

Their accreditation qualif ies them for developmental housing loans with the government’s financing institutions, including Pag-IBIG Fund’s end-user financing that is extended to homebuyers.

The technologies may also be used in

government housing projects subject to bidding processes.

So far, 31 accredited technologies have valid accreditation. Six of these technologies are being used in the National Housing Authority’s (NHA) low-rise building projects. “ T he cont i nued accred it at ion of Filipino developers shows there is no lack of indigenous technology that we can use in constructing sturdy homes with lower cost of materials,” Binay said.

The housing czar has been urging the use of environment-friendly and cost-effective technologies for urban development.

“To those who shall answer this call, you can be assured that we will support developers who provide or use such solutions; and we will continue to educate communities on how these innovations are critical if we firms/PAGE 10

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

UN expat settles in PH to promote green energy

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PETER Peter Noel Pembleton, a British national who had worked for the United Nations for over three decades, is now using his expertise to promote carbon finance and green energy in the Philippines.

Married to a Filipino woman, Pembleton, 64, settled in the Philippines in 2009 and established a carbon trading consulting firm that helps companies take advantage of a global treaty designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

His initial experience after settling in the Philippines is a period of adjustment. Pembleton says working in the country is not easy and he has to learn to practice patience in times of delays.

However, he says the Philippines has a competitive edge over its Southeast Asian neighbors. “While there are many things that could be improved upon in the business/working environment, I have also learnt that the Philippines has a comparative advantage in the ASEAN region in terms of its educated, Englishspeaking workforce,” he says.

Pembleton admires the adventurous spirit that drives many Filipinos to take on several jobs here and abroad to stretch their income, even to the extent of becoming absentee parents in order to support their families back home.

“Not least, I have learnt the importance of the warmth and support given by the [extremely] extended families that have largely ceased to be the fabric of Anglo-Saxon societies,” he says.

Pembleton says he was surprised during his first visit to the Philippines to find that he had more than 200 relatives on his wife’s side of the family. All of them were introduced to him within 24 hours of visiting her hometown.

He admires the many natural attractions of the Philippines. While he is not a frequent traveler, Pembleton says he has enjoyed visiting Banaue and its rice terraces and the Chocolate Hills in Bohol. He marveled at the sight of the Philippine tarsiers.

Pembleton also had the chance to see the pure beauty of Boracay many years ago, and says the resort island has now been transformed into a party place.

“Boracay was my first beach impression many years ago, but sadly it has lost the innocence of a place to get away from it all since then, unless you are a teen and love to party!” he says.

Pembleton says the Philippines’ rich and abundant natural resources make the country a haven for renewable energy projects.

Congress passed the Renewable Energy Law in 2008, giving more incentives to producers of renewable energy.

The law aims to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuels and address climate change.

While the local law provides its own incentives, renewable energy developers can also get incentives from trading certified emission reduction credits, which are issued to project participants in Clean Development Mechanism in line with Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol.

“Obtaining carbon finance is the trigger that gives the developer an edge that makes a marginally non-viable project viable by removing one or more barriers to its development,” says Pembleton, the chief executive of Carbonergy Business Consultancy Services, a renewable energy and carbon consulting firm based in Manila.

He is also a board member of renewable energy firm PhilCarbon Inc. Pembleton, who is also the president and co-founder of the Climate Business Network, says Philippine renewable energy companies should take the opportunity promote/PAGE 11

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LGUs urged to strictly comply with RA 9003 Climate change stokes violent reaction — study STAND by for more violence!

As planetary temperatures rise, so does the likelihood of murder, rape and domestic violence, as well as civil war, ethnic bloodshed and invasion, the collapse of government and even the collapse of civilisation.

Three US scientists have reported that they analysed 60 studies by 190 scholars published in 26 journals of 45 different conflicts around the world, and spanning thousands of years of human history, and came to one grim, clear conclusion.

With every significant shift in temperature there was an increased risk of social or societal violence, they report in the journal Science.

The studies they analysed were drawn from climatology, archaeology, economics, political science and psychology: once they had examined the data and used a common statistical framework to look at the pattern of outcomes, they found increased temperature or extended drought as significant factors.

They found spikes of violence as the thermometer soared in India and in Australia; increased assaults in the US and in Tanzania; ethnic violence in Europe and South Asia, land invasions in Brazil, and civil conflict throughout the tropics. Temperatures even played a role in the collapse of the Chinese empire and of Mayan civilisation.

The authors specifically looked to see if there could be a link between climate and conflict, within three very different categories. These included personal violence, such as rape, assault, murder and domestic violence; intergroup violence and political instability; and institutional breakdowns such as abrupt changes in government or even the collapse of a civilisation.

They found a connection in all three types of conflict.

Climate shapes societies: Conflict, they conclude, responded most consistently to temperature: of 21 studies of modern societies, all 21 showed a positive relationship between higher temperatures and raised levels of violence.

A separate research paper in Science warns that global average temperatures could increase by 2°C between 2046 and 2065, and by 4°C between 2081 and 2100.

Because a study of contemporary and historic conflict required the researchers to identify common factors in very different cultures in very different latitudes, they also had to settle on some way to make sense of the significance of temperature shifts in very different climates. They chose a statistical yardstick called a standard deviation: the difference from the normal, or average.

One standard deviation, says Marshall Burke, a co-author, of the University of California at Berkeley, would be the equivalent to a warming of a country in Africa of 0.4°C for an entire year; or the warming of a US county by 3°C for a given month. These, he says, are moderate changes, but they have a significant impact on those who have to live with such changes.

“We found that a one standard deviation shift stokes/PAGE 10

Stressing that local government units’ (LGUs) failure to strictly comply with environmental laws endangers lives and livelihood, Senator Loren Legarda yesterday reiterated her call for the strict compliance with Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. “Open and controlled dumpsites should have long been closed as mandated

by R A 9 0 03. We mu s t implement the law at full speed, especially now that we are facing threats of extreme weather events that can trigger environmental disasters such as the Payatas tragedy and the Irisan trash slide in Baguio,” she said.

Legarda said she will push in the Senate for the enactment of a policy on “environmental audit to see the rate of compliance with our environmental laws, including the Solid Waste Management Act, and examine together with our lead implementing agencies what impedes t he strict

enforcement of these laws.”

Joining calls by Greenpeace and EcoWaste Coalition for the cleanup of Manila Bay, Legarda stressed the need for a concrete report on the cleanup plan for the restoration and preservation of the Manila Bay to reclaim

its stunning beauty and proclaim its significance as one of the images of the state’s capital.

Greenpeace and EcoWaste Coalition have repeatedly called on the 13 government agencies surrounding the Manila Bay to help clean

up the bay as ordered by t he Supreme Cour t f ive years ago. They also urged the immediate closure of the dumpsite at Pier 18 in Manila. “ The Ma ni la Bay is one of Me t ro Ma n i la’s crowning glories, boasting the best view of the sunset as it features prominently in both local and international tourism campaigns. And yet it continues to be neglected— the view of the otherwise beautiful sunset is marred

by Styrofoam containers, plastic bags or discarded appliances, and the stench is unbearable at times. It is time that we take a stand against this pollution and degradation,” she said. (BDF)

Caraga shifts from reactive to proactive LCEs push for Climate BUTUAN CITY—Regional Disaster Risk DRR is a shared responsibility, there Change-resilient Davao Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) Caraga Chairperson Liza Mazo emphasized that the paradigm shift of being proactive from a reactive stance on DRR M assures us that together, we can achieve our vision for a safer, adaptive and disaster-resilient communities towards sustainable development.

She made theremark during the regional awarding of Gawad Kalasag 2013 winners held on Wednesday at the LJ Mega Convention Hall, this city.

Ma z o sa id t he ga rga nt ua n responsibility of managing and reducing the risk of disasters is not the sole responsibility of government.

“It entails the cooperation of every stakeholder from the individuals, to the communities and the grass roots, the private organizations and enterprises, and in all ranks of public office and concerned international organizations,” she said.

Mazo also said that as the theme of this year’s observance of National D i s a s ter C on s c iou sne s s Mont h states “Ligtas na Bayan, Maunlad na Pamayanan,” we should not forget to live according to the “Bayanihan (oneness, brotherhood)” spirit.

“Everyone is encouraged to provide the best possible service that we can give for the sake of the safety and wellbeing of the nation. Let us allow the lessons of the past disasters to hone us and subsequently perfect the craft of disaster risk reduction,” she said.

Mazo added that as we recognize that

is a need for us to deliver responsible, proactive and transparent actions on the ground. We are to serve as enduring inspiration for others to follow, in our respective offices and communities.

Following the “whole of society approach,” Mazo together with the council members expect to see more proactive contributions from everyone.

(PIA)

TAGUM CITY—With Mindanao’s vulnerability now to harsher weather disturbances and calamities, the local chief executives (LCEs), national agencies and stakeholders in the Davao region vowed to build the resilience of the people to climate change and disasters.

The public officials affirmed to LCE/PAGE 10

KKK urges gov’t to go slow on CME

ENVIRONMENTAL group Kaibigan ng Kaunlaran at Kalikasan (KKK) urged the government, specifically the National Biofuels Board (NBB), to go slow on proposals to increase the level of Coco Methyl Ester (CME) in diesel from current 2% until extensive independent technical studies are conducted.

Otherwise, it said, government may be misdirected in mandating the planned increase which will directly affect millions of vehicles and motorists as well as industrial facilities.

In a statement, the group said that since the passage of the Biofuels Law of 2006 (RA 9367) 6 years ago, the NBB has not done any comprehensive and scientific study on the effects of CME in vehicles and industrial engines such as for power plants despite reports of quality and technical issues.

“We are the only country in the world that uses CME in diesel and yet government did not conduct independent studies when they mandated the initial 2% blend. Despite reports of residue and microbial contamination in CME, there are now moves to increase the CME blend to 5%,” KKK Executive Director Dr. Ed G. Alabastro said.

“As a pioneer in using CME, isn’t it our responsibility to conduct more comprehensive and scientific tests not just for our own use but something we can share with the rest of the world?”

Alabastro said that he has encountered reports of residues and bacterial growth in diesel with a 2% CME blend. These residues reportedly cause fuel line clogging in storage tanks and in service stations. Also, these could clog fuel lines and result in poor vehicle performance or worse, damage diesel engines.

CME is an intermediate product derived from food grade coconut oil. It is kkk/PAGE 10

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Wishing life away THINK

hink a minute…Do you wish you were somewhere A Minute else right now? At the beach?

By Jhan Tiafau Hurst Away on a nice holiday? At Disneyland?

Many of us spend a lot of our time wishing we were somewhere else.

When we’re at work we wish we were home relaxing.

We wish we had a different job and career or a different boss. We wish we were rich.

But we can wish our life away.

The simple fact is we’re not somewhere else, we’re right here!

Meantime, life is passing us by while we spend our time making retirement plans.

Then, even if we finally get something we wished for, we still keep wishing for something more because it’s become our state of mind—always wishing for something else.

So we don’t even enjoy the things we already do have.

So don’t wait until you’re not too busy before you get close to your kids.

Enjoy them now.

They’ll never be this age again.

Don’t wait until you buy or build that new house or until you make more money.

And don’t wait until you retire, because then you might be too tired!

You see, each day is made to have its own special experiences and memories of fun, love, and lessons to learn.

So grab and squeeze every bit of life you can out of today, because this day will never come back again!

A very successful woman said, “Do your best this moment, so you can be prepared and in the best place for your next moment and opportunity.”

That’s why Jesus promises all His followers that if we are faithful and productive with our small responsibilities now, then He will bless us with bigger opportunities later.

But first, we must decide to start living for Jesus hurst/PAGE 7

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Smugglers as campaign contributors

L

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6, the Holy Bible).

-ooo TR A NSPA R ENCY IN SMUGGLING CASES: If Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon and the Aquino government are really serious in their campaign against smuggling, they should tell the people the status of each and every smuggling case that the Bureau of Customs had filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) or before any other office or agency, both under Biazon’s term and under the term of his predecessors.

Bia z on a nd t he Aqu i no gover n ment mu s t b e transparent, and undertake an accounting of those cases, and disclose their status. And, they must explain what has been happening to those cases---whether the DOJ already started the required preliminary investigation against them, whether smuggling cases had already been filed in court or not at all yet, or why there has been no movement in those cases at all.

And then, if those cases involve corporations or companies, Biazon must also disclose and publicize the names of their owners and officers. Perhaps, Biazon can also disclose the “padrinos” interceding for and in behalf of these corporations or companies, and for and in behalf of their owners and officers as well, even if they happen to be powerful politicians, rich businessmen, or relatives of those in power.

-ooo KNOWN SMUGGLERS MUST BE DENIED IMPORT PERMITS: More, Biazon and the Aquino government

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must no longer allow known akampi smugglers and their dummies, Mo A ng Batas and even those who have

By Atty. Batas Mauricio been merely charged with smuggling before the DOJ and the courts, to continue i mpor t i ng a ny t h i ng i nto the country. The idea is to remove from them the very ba sis of t hei r smug g l i ng activities, which is the license and permit to import goods and materials.

O f cou rse , ma ny w i l l say that this would violate the Constitutiona l right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, but then, the Bureau of Customs certainly is in a position to know who are guilty or not of smuggling, and in billions and billions of pesos yet. I am sure Biazon and his officers know who the smugglers are, and who are their patrons abetting their smuggling activities.

The records of the Bureau and of the Department of Finance as well are enough proof to pinpoint smugglers, and, if the government is sincere in its attempt to stop smuggling altogether, it can simply stop issuing permits and licenses for these smugglers to import even just a centavo worth of any good or product. That should stop smuggling once and for all. batas/PAGE 7

K

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 Awa rdee for ta k ing t he lead in creat ing a nd 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

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goals or advocacies.

This award from IABC O ut Philippines actually By Ignacio Bunye c a me at ver y oppor t u ne t i me a s c om mu n ic at ion a nd col laborat ion w it h stakeholders were the focal points of BSP’s ver y own recognition program.

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

T he s e a re b a n k s , c or p or at ion s , gove r n me nt institutions, and organizations that consistently and ef f icient ly 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 informationbunye/PAGE 7

The folly of relativism

WONDER if people in general are aware of the folly of relativism. They may not even be aware of relativism itself, the menace we have been warned about quite strongly since the pontificate of John Paul II and now of Benedict XVI. In spite of its dominant presence in the world today, I believe people are still ignorant of it and therefore clueless as to what to do about it. They seem unable to point what’s wrong. The anomaly has become so widespread it seems it has become normal.

Its effects are actually all over. Abortion is now legalized in many rich and supposedly developed countries. Divorce is, of course, already a non-issue in many places. Contraception is also a given.

Marriage is now deformed and defaced in many ways as more and more people and societies are approving same-sex unions and are even open to have national leaders, let alone leaders of less stature, whose marital status is clearly irregular.

There is now a growing sector of people who believe they should just be left alone on practically whatever they like to do, including infidelity, pornography, gossips, slanders, etc., as long as they don’t cause public trouble.

All these are manifestations of a relativistic culture engulfing the world today. It’s a mindset and attitude that is based on the belief that everything is relative, nothing is absolute.

Ever y thing is relative to one’s preferences or at worst the consensus of the people. Relativism makes

HINTS

us in the great variety of our situations and predicaments and Traces as the ultimate arbiter of

By Fr. Roy Cimagala what’s good and bad, what right and wrong. It’s not God anymore.

Or, another way of looking at it is that we make ourselves our own God. What’s right and wrong simply depend on us. They can be a negotiable affair, a matter of consensus.

There can be no intrinsic good or evil applicable to everyone in all places at all times.

This is a ver y terrible predica ment because in the DNA of relativism is the inherent weakness that unavoidably would lead us to subjectivism, disunity, fragmentation, conf licts. Everyone would be left to his own preferences, often a result of feelings and other conditionings. Differences and conf licts become inevitable.

And to resolve or soften the impact of these unavoidable consequences, there can be no other recourse than to violence and even anarchy, or to a drift toward totalitarianism.

It’s ironic to note that relativism is often invoked as the soul of democracy. It gives the illusion that with cimagala/PAGE 7

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Obstructionism of Renewable Energy Projects by the Department of Energy

By David A. Tauli

For the MUST Institute of Power Sector Economics (IPSEc) The issuance by the DOE of the Circular on FIT Guidelines for RE Projects, in June 2013 (see: http:// www.doe.gov.ph/news-events/news/press-releases/2034doe-issues-circular-on-fit-guidelines-for-re-projects), demonstrates again that the Philippine Department of Energy of the PNOY Government continues to obstruct the implementation of renewable energy power plant projects by the private sector.

The DOE statement that betrays their obstructionism of renewable energy projects is the following: “It is only upon confirmation of the successful commissioning of the project that the Certificate of Endorsement (COE) for FIT Eligibility to ERC shall be issued by the DOE on a first-come-first-served basis.”

In the development of RE projects by the private sector, the Certificate of Endorsement (COE) for Fit Eligibility is needed in order to obtain bank loans for the construction of proposed RE projects. Since the DOE will issue the COE only upon commissioning of a project, however, it cannot be made available to the investors for the purpose of obtaining bank loans.

Consequently, investors cannot obtain the funds needed to start construction of the project and, of course, they will never reach the point of commissioning the project, which the DOE requires in order to issue the COE. The COE for FIT Eligibility is the equivalent of a Power Purchase Agreement for power plant projects that are implemented outside the FIT framework. A power plant project become eligible for bank loans only if the project has a contract with a commercially viable distribution utility company or a large consumer of electric power to purchase the generation of the proposed power plant.

For RE projects intending to obtain revenues from the FIT rather than from distribution utility companies or large power consumers, the COE for FIT Eligibility would be required in applying for bank loans.

The irrationality of the DOE can be summarized thus: An investor needs the COE in order to obtain funds for the construction of a project; the DOE will issue the COE only after the project is constructed.

A rational DOE would grant the COE for FIT Eligibility when the commercial feasibility of the RE project is proven after a qualified feasibility study has been accomplished for the project.

But would the present DOE administration that has been consistently obstructing the implementation of renewable energy projects behave rationally? I don’t think so.

Hurst... from page 6

His successful, right way every day of our life.

So why not ask Jesus to forgive you for living your own way and always wishing you had more?

Jesus will take charge of your life and help you to f u l ly enjoy what you already have, as well as all the more that He wants to give you.

Just Think a Minute…

Batas... from page 6

-ooo S M U G G L E R S AS C A M PA IGN CONTRIBUTORS: Unfor tunately, however, we all know that the Bureau of Customs and the Aquino gover n ment w i l l not--or cannot---do all these.

Whether we care to admit it or not, most if not all of the k nown smugglers in this country are the biggest c a mpa i g n c ont r ibutor s of many politicians, and even t he most powerf u l “padrinos” of people who get appointed to sensitive

positions in government.

Allowing smugglers to continue with their criminal acts is but a way to repay t hem w it h t he favors--f inancia l or other wise--that have been given to politicians and to those in power. Surely, under the present system of patronage politics in the Philippines, t here appea rs to be no solution to t he curse of smuggling hereabouts.

Un less, of cou rse, i f our people would learn to humble themselves before God, seek Him t hrough His Bible, and obey His commands all over again.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God, through the Bible, assures each one of us: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and cast away the curses from their land.”

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

Water System at Camp Alagar Cong. Rufus Rodriguez turns over a water system project at Camp Alagar that cost P500 thousand pesos last July 2. In photo are PS/supt. Lendel Disquitado joining Cong. Rodriguez in the ribbon cutting ceremony. Witnessing the event are City Councillors Enrico Salcedo, Teodulfo Lao, Cong. Maxie Rodriguez of Abante Midnanao, police officers and DPWH employees. At right photo, Cong. Rodriguez promised to add more funding to the PNP to be used for its water system inside the camp.

VG Joey Pelaez with Children International Philippines Inc. led a series of books turn-over to public schools in Medina, Misamis Oriental Misa mis Orienta l- Vice Governor Joey G. Pelaez in partnership with Children International Philippines Inc. led a series of books turnover to Maanas Elementary and Medina Central Schools, both public schools, in the Municipality of Medina in the 1st District of Misamis Oriental on July 19th and 25th , 2013. The said books turn-over were witnessed and attended gladly of the two public schools’ officials and pupils who experienced the said programs for the very first time.

These books turn-over in the province initiated vigorously by a Provincial Vice Governor, as a tangible result of the built connections and linkages to a nonprofit organization particularly the Children International Pelaez/PAGE 11

Bunye... from page 6

i ntensive stud ies a re factored in when t he Monetary Board sets policy rates and inf lation targets.

Communication is also key in the implementation of BSP’s g uidelines a nd policies for the bank ing com mu n it y. E x a m i ners are strategically designated a mong t he t housa nds of ba n k s a nd non-ba n k f inancia l institutions under BSP’s jurisdiction to ensure compliance. The BSP also immediately posts its issuances, publications, and other announcements on its website w w w.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,”

Vice Governor Joey G. Pelaez of Misamis Oriental, at the center, along with teachers and pupils presented some of the donated books after the books turn-over in one of the recepient public schools in Medina, Misamis Oriental. Along with VG Pelaez, also present during the said program was former 1st District of Misamis Oriental Board Member Jeremy G. Pelaez.

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 and 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 ou r economy is a tea m 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 s t 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.

Cimagala... from page 6

it, people are respected for what they are. It’s a very tempting idea but detached from the fact that we are not our own being, but rather creatures of a Creator, God. A nd so a democrac y that upholds this rotten spirit and does away with

a transcendent God will be a democracy that will not be guided by an absolute law that comes from God. It will be a democracy that will surely contradict itself and plunge sooner or later to totalitarianism to keep itself above water.

That’s because that democracy will not anymore work for the common good, but rather for the good only of its stronger part, or the majority, and not all, of its people. But as an aside, we can still say that of all forms of government, democracy is still the best because “it ensures the participation of citizens in political options and guarantees them the possibility both of electing and controlling their rulers,” John Paul II said.

As to why relativism is attractive to many people, we can posit the idea that it appea rs respec t f u l of t he v iews a nd opi nions of people. The problem is that many people have lost the sense of the absolute, have hard ly any serious life of religion, and that’s why everything seems to be matter of opinion only.

There are a lso those, more intellectually gifted and convinced about relativism, who claim that if God exists then he is a God who is constantly evolving because a God who is not dynamic cannot be God. The f law with this reasoning is that they equate the perpetual dynamism of God with the process of evolution. But God, if he has to be God, cannot anymore evolve even if he is also in constant dynamism.

That thought contradicts the very essence of God. T h is is , of cou rse, a mystery to us, due to the limitation of our reasoning. But we cannot deny that if God is God, then he is both stably perfect and dynamically acting.

His action does not imply change in him.

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PVB Chairman de Ocampo Welcomes World-Class Board Members

Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) Chairman Roberto F. de Ocampo introduced four new members of the bank’s Board of Directors to help in pursuing bank-wide strategic directives that would put the bank into a more relevant position in the local banking industry.

Named to the bank’s Board w e r e G u i l l e r m o P a r a y n o, former Commissioner of the

Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs; Judith Lopez, Chairman of Isla Lipana & Co. (Philippine member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers), and concurrently President of the Financial Executives Association of the Philippines or FINEX; Professor Nieves Confesor, Dean of the Asian Institute of Management and former Labor Secretary; and

veteran banker Alfonso “Boy” Cruz, formerly with the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

When asked about the involvement of these notable personalities, Chairman de Ocampo said, “I cannot overemphasize the fact that with names like these and with the names of other Board members

that are still with us who are also in their own right outstanding members of the community, you have a leadership of the Bank that is second to none.”

Earlier last month, de Ocampo was elected chairman of the PVB Board of Directors, and said that his term marks a f re sh ne w b e g i n n i ng for t he b an k , w it h t he ai m of revitalizing the medium-sized

commerci a l b an k to b e an a c t ive maj or pl aye r i n t he banking industry in both local and regional markets.

“I’d say we have established a Board that is going to signal to the community that this bank intends to be a major player in banking,” de Ocampo added.

PVB is owned by more than 300,000 Filipino World War II veterans and their heirs.

Meet the faces worth your second look Cesca Litton, Patti Grandidge, Aly Borromeo and Ivan Henares all share one thing in common. They may not be today’s largerthan-life superstars, but their confidence, wit, and sense of perseverance in everything they do are worth everybody’s attention and second glance.

Like Cesca, Patti, Aly, and Ivan, leading device manufacturer Huawei has unveiled its newest top quality smartphones that deserve a second look. Slim and f lawless, crystal-clear and long-lasting, the Huawei Ascend P6 a nd Huawei Ascend Mate are the latest ha nd set s f rom Hu awei packed with exciting features and superb functionality for a differentiated smartphone experience.

T he Hu awei Ascend P6 is the world’s thinnest smartphone at 6.88mm, and is designed with precision and flawless beauty to perfectly fit one’s hand. Effortlessly turn snapshots into flawless

portraits with its amazing 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Huawei Ascend Mate combines best-in-class features across the board including a giant crystalclear 6.1" HD screen and an unparalleled 48-hour battery life via its massive 4050mAh battery.

The Huawei Ascend P6 is available at Globe Best-Ever MySuperPlan for as low as P999 monthly at Plan 499 with P500 monthly cashout for a 24-month contract period or at Plan 999 with P200 monthly cashout also for a 24-month contract period. The Huawei Ascend Mate is free at Plan 999 and is also available at Plan 499 with a P200 monthly cashout over a 24-month contract period.

Meet the Globe Huawei Ascend ambassadors One of the countr y’s favorite TV hosts juggling entertainment, lifestyle, and sports news, Cesca Litton is a superwoman who has always considered animals

and children her top priority.

So when she devoted herself to help in this cause, she went all the way to South Africa to lend a hand. Cesca is not just a pretty face, she’s an enigma on her own. That’s why people really take a second look at her beauty, grace, and allure.

Cesca says, “I’ve always believed in travelling my way: learning the culture and bringing to life my advocacy.

I always believe that it’s the small things that count, and the best pasalubong are photos, because what better way to keep a memory of your travel than with a captured moment. The Huawei Ascend P6 is perfect for me since I can take quick pro-snapshots with its 5MP front-facing camera and share on Instagram via my Globe unlimited surfing plan.”

Don’t be fooled by her sweet façade, as host-model Patti Grandidge is one tough cookie. Not only is she a certified fashion maven, she

The Globe Huawei Ascend Ambassadors (from left) entertainment and sports host Cesca Litton, football athlete Aly Borromeo, travel blogger Ivan Henares, and model-entrepreneur Patti Grandidge.

San Ignacio Fundacion de Salud, Inc. celebrates its anniversary July 31 with the ribbon cutting for its new pharmacy at the corner of Don A. Velez and M.H. del Pilar Streets by its patients, Mike Banos, freelance journalist and writer and Ceres Fe Lim Evora. Looking on is San Ignacio President Dr. Leo Navarro and staff. (contributed photo) is also an entrepreneur. She specializes in baking, and is known for her sinfully Sweet Pat ti Ca kes. Her passion for the delish is evident on her food blog http://pattispalette.blogspot. com. You have to look twice because this femme fatale is one of Manila’s multi-faceted personas.

“I’ve a lways been passionate about food and fashion, and it has been my habit to share this passion to everyone. With my fast-paced lifestyle, I need a device that can keep up with me. Thanks to the Ascend P6, I get the thinnest Android phone out there, a device that doesn’t weigh me down. I can also wear this stylish phone with my favorite skinny jeans without a phone embossed on my leg as I strut down the runway and through my meetings. And with my Best-Ever MySuperPlan, I get to stay in touch with my contacts worry-free,” shares Patti.

Aly Borromeo is known to be an aggressive player on the field as captain of the Philippine Azkals. Add that to his intimidating

and strong physique, it's hard not to be intimidated by him. However, behind his fierce aura lies a sweet, shy and mellow guy who enjoys staying home and watching movies and sports clips during his free time.

With his busy lifestyle, it's very hard for him to enjoy life’s simplest pleasures such as these.

“Because of my hectic schedu le, I a lways miss out on my favorite movies and live sports broadcasts.

That’s why I need a device that fills in this gap. With the Huawei Ascend Mate, I get a 6.1” screen, the biggest smartphone display screen today. This device lets me catch my favorite shows and sports clips via video st rea ming whi le on t he go, thanks to my Globe unlimited surfing plan. The big screen is perfect for a big guy like me,” showcases Aly. An Outstanding Young Men Awardee for Heritage Conservation, Ivan Henares is considered as one of the cou nt r y’s top a nd most inf luential travel bloggers, visiting over 79 provinces

in the Philippines. On the sideline, Ivan is a writer and magazine editor, a TV host and lecturer at the UP Asian Institute of Tourism.

Traveling is his passion, and he shares this passion to the world through his blog “Ivan About Town.”

Ivan explains, “When it c ome s to ga d ge t s , I put battery life first and foremost, because I need a device that lasts longer while I travel around the cou nt r y a nd t he world.

W hen you’re travelling, you don’t get the luxury of having a socket beside you all the time to charge your device. Huawei Ascend Mate comes in handy with this need. With the device’s long-lasting battery, I can take pictures and play music while I’m discovering places around the world. I get to upload my travel photos instantly without worrying about my battery, thanks to my Globe consumable surfing plan.”

So the next time you come across Cesca, Patti, Aly or Ivan, make sure you give them the second look they rightfully deserve.

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Stokes... from page 5

towards hotter conditions causes the likelihood of personal violence to rise 4% and intergroup conflict to rise 14%”, he said. “Our results shed new light on how the future climate will shape human societies.”

And Edward Miguel, also of Berkeley, said: “We often think of modern society as largely independent of the environment, due to technological advances, but our findings challenge that notion.”

Quite how climate links with conflict may differ in each case: in the poorer rural countries, drought and extreme heat affect harvests and therefore food prices in the city markets; in the developed world, crowded cities and hot nights mean more opportunities for sudden flashes of violence between d i f ferent com mu n it ies.

Circumstances vary, but the connection with temperature remains in all the cases under review.

The study was led by Solomon Hsia ng at t he University of Princeton, who said: “We need to understand why climate changes cause conf lict so we can help societies adapt to these events and avoid the violence. At the same time, we should carefully consider whether our actions today are making our children’s world a more dangerous one.”

The researchers spell it out carefully in their paper: “Given the large potential changes in precipitation and temperature regimes projected in the coming decades, our findings have important implications for the social impact of anthropogenic climate change in both high income and low income countries.”

Noa h Dif fenbaugh of Stanford University in California and Chris Field of the Carnegie Institution in Washington report that they used a mix of climate models to forecast warming this century.

If the emission of greenhouse gases continues according to its present trajectory, they warn in Science, the planet could be 4°C warmer by 2100.

All latitudes would be affected, but the highest temperature rises would be over land, and in the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. This would represent cha nge at a n unprecedented rate: 10 times faster than at any time in the past 65 million years.

“The rapid global warming that occurred some 55 million years ago was as large as these warming projections, but that event occurred over many thousands of years, not a mere century”, said Dr Diffenbaugh.

(Eco-Business)

LCE... from page 5

prevent and mitigate the i mpac t s of ha z a rd a nd related disasters affecting the communities through climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR).

The functionaries signed the Declaration of Commitment as the most significant output of the twoday Davao Regional Summit on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) for LCEs at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan, Tagum City.

Some strategies outlined in the document include mainstreaming of CCA and DRR in all local development planning processes; prov iding leadership in decision-ma k i ng a nd implementation of critical sectora l CCA a nd DR R measures; and, facilitating sharing of practical learning

experiences and indigenous knowledge on CCA and DRR, among others.

The officials also pushed for the establishment of the Mindanao Climate Change Center, which is a knowledge management center that would promote disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and anticipatory CCA. They further declared the convening of the upcoming LGU Summit Conference on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Proofing on October 24, 2013 in Davao City, with the theme “ADAPTAYO:NOW NA!” While she lauded the functionaries for making their commitment known, Minda nao Aut horit y Chair Secretary Luwalhati Antonino stressed the need for stronger political among the local chief executives in the region in building the capacities of the communities to prevent another Typhoon Pablo.

“I hope that you will forever have a bu rni ng passion to carry on your commitments,” she said i n her key note add ress at the culmination of the conference. (PIA)

KKK... from page 5

It is a mono-alkyl ester obtained by reacting fatty oi l (c o c onut oi l) w it h alcohol. CME also has strong absorption characteristics which makes it easier for water to mix with pure diesel fuel.

“These problems will be amplified with the planned increase of CME in diesel,” Alabastro added.

Aside from the technical issues, KKK also cautioned that CME is more inefficient since its heating value is lower than diesel. Increasing the blend haphazardly will penalize motorists with lower fuel efficiency.

“Amid high oil prices, why are they forcing a higher CME blend when it means that motorists now have to pay more to travel less,” Alabastro said. (MB)

Mining... from page 4

She added t hat t heir corporation is mindful of the suspension order, adding the shipment is actually part rehabilitation program as per directive from the MGB dated March 25, 2013.

She said the MGB directive stated that the corporation is allowed to ship out stockpiles consisting of 200,000 weight metric tons and removed from the area with export permits for the purpose,” she said.

In a three-page order, the court said SMGC violated the environmental laws, rules and regulation.

“Defenda nt’s defense that the shipment of ore is part of the rehabilitation program as per directive of MGB dated March 25, 2013 is not tenable. While the MGB directive allowed defendant to ship out 200,000 weight metric tons(WMT)

of ore stockpile, there is no showing that is part of the alleged rehabilitation program. There is no proof of a rehabilitation program, as defendant’s witness failed to state the same in her judicial affidavit. But then, even granting for the sake of argument that the shipping out of 200,000 WMT of ore is part of the rehabilitation program, the defendant is not allowed to extract ore in the guise of rehabilitation, as what is allowed by the directive is only to ship ore from the stockpile,” the court said.

The court also ordered “stock holders, of f icers, employees or representative (of SMGC) to cease and desist from operation and likewise for the issuance of a writ of preliminary mandatory injunction directing the defendant and any of its stock holders of f icers, employees or representative to vacate from the mining area in order not to further commit illegal activities which would endanger the MPSA of the plaintiff.”

The court also ordered SMGC to post a bond in the amount of one million pesos to answer for whatever damages it may incur.

During the course of t he m i n i n g op e r at ion, MGB found SMGC violated provisions of the MPSA a nd a l le ge d ly v iol at e d environmental laws which caused extensive siltation in the coastal area in Claver, Surigao del Norte.

MGB found that SMGC failed to adequately address the siltation incidents in the area.and that it that it aggravated the siltation through the construction of a settling pond in the sea.

(MindaNews)

DOE... from page 4

on the use of biodiesel.

She said that the Blend 5 of the biodiesel (B-5) is excluded in the Bio-fuels Law, though this policy encourages the use of more biofuel to substitute the petroleum-based fuel.

“From the DOE perspective, it is aimed at reducing dependence on imported oil, while using locally-produced substitute,” Monzada said.

She said the use of biofuel lessens the outflow of foreign exchange.

Monzada also said the use of Bio-fuel also supports the advocacy for clean air given that its by-product is Oxygen and not Carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming.

She said the demand for biodiesel also aims to improve the plight of coconut farmers.

“The DOE is now looking into how to use more the biofuels,” Monzada said.

She also explained that the use of five percent Biodiesel in the mixture of diesel fuel is encouraged, because of its proven compatibility with diesel-fuel engines.

Monzada said based on the Worldwide Fuel Charter,

five percent of biodiesel blend is compatible with diesel-fed engines.

She said car engine no longer needs modification even with the use of five percent biodiesel blend.

Monzada said the current Bio-fuels Law only mandates the use of up to two percent of biodiesel.

“It means B-5 can be used on conventional vehicles and it is advantageous to the country because of the many coconut plantations in the country which guarantee supply of biodiesel,” she said.

Mon z a d a u r ge d t he Nationa l Economic and Development Aut horit y to come up with its own national study on the impact on increasing the price of the biodiesel to various sectors.

(PIA)

Firms... from page 4

wish to secure a sustainable future,” Binay said during a convention of the United Architects of the Philippines in April.

Aitech is a committee t a sked to eva lu ate a nd accredit various innovative technologies/systems for housing. It also acts as a r e v i e w a n d a p pr ov i n g body for applications for accreditation of innovative technologies appropriate for housing.

A ite c h i s c omp os e d of representat ives f rom the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the key shelter agencies—the University of the Philippines-Bureau of Research and Standards, C on s t r uc t ion I ndu s t r y Authority of the Philippines, Ph i l ippi ne C ou nci l for I n d u s t r y, E n e r g y a n d E m e r g i n g Te c h n o l o g y Research and Development of t h e D e p a r t m e nt of Science and Technolog y, Department of Public Works and Highways- Bureau of Research and Standards, and Bureau of Product Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The NH A pla ns to construct a building inside t he NHA Compound showcasing and promoting indigenous materials and green technologies accredited

by Aitech.

It has approved the allocation of P24 m i l l ion for t he construction of the Aitech Center. The center is expected to be completed by 2014.

(BM)

Pfizer... from page 3

model would help revitalize its innovation-based core d r ugs business, whi le en ha nci ng t he va lue of

consumer and off-patent established brands, and ma x i m i zi ng t he u se of capital.

Pfizer’s generics business, which represents 17 percent of total sales, has far lower prof it ma rg i ns t ha n its patent-protected drugs.

M a ny a n a ly s t s h ave urged Pfizer to spin off its generics business so it can focus on its core branded pharmaceuticals, although such a move is unlikely before 2016.

Within the core drugs div ision, revenues from cancer medicines increased by 28 percent in the second qua r ter, helped by new products like Inly ta and Xalkori.

Read also said he expected business in emerging markets to accelerate in the second half of the year, led by China.

“From a total company view, we are tracking to our expectations for the full year and continue to capitalize on the investments we are making to better position Pfizer for long-term success,” he added.

Pfizer reiterated that it expected full-year earnings of $2.10 to $2.20 per share.

LIPITOR AND PREVNAR HITS The 7 percent fa ll in quarterly revenue ref lected an operational decline of 4 percent and an unfavorable impact from foreign exchange of 3 percent.

O p e r a t i o n a l l y, t h e biggest hit came from losses of exclusivity on Lipitor, while shifts in government purchasing patterns for bulk orders of Pfizer’s Prevnar pneumococcal vaccine also took their toll.

The U.S. drugmaker’s determination to reshape its business is part of a wider trend by pharmaceutical companies around the world to divest slower-growing and maturing operations.

Abbott Laboratories’s decision to split of f its i n n o v a t i v e d r u g s i nt o AbbVie, in particular, has fueled a wider rethink across the industry as to whether other companies or groups of investors may be better owners for certain assets.

I n E u r o p e , GlaxoSmithKline is also selling off certain non-core brands, and in April it took a similar tack to Pfizer by opting to bundle many of its established drugs into a new unit.

Pf izer last November sold its nutrition business to Nestle SA for $11.85 billion in cash and in February spun off its animal health business into a new company called Zoetis. — Reuters

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Pelaez... from page 7

Philippines Inc., is a first of its kind in the history of the province. The said bold and historic move of Vice Governor Pelaez to further improve the quality of education in the province, through supplementing the educational materials provided by the public schools, is a testament of his personal dedication and an unending commitment to put premium emphasis and advance his cause for education in the province.

As a little history, Vice Gov. Pelaez served for 17 years in the Department of Education (DepEd), the latest of which was being the Executive Director of the said department, apart from his other socio-civic organizations. In his service in department, VG Pelaez was actively leading in all the capability-building, environmental and entrepreneurial advocacies and activities, development of organizational structures in all national public schools, and leadership programs for the youth from its formulation to its very implementation.

In his message to the eager pupils of above-mentioned public elementary schools, he encouraged both the pupils and their teachers to read and use all the donated books wisely and diligently. Vice Gov. Pelaez also emphasized his deep desire to bring a similar program of books turn-over, through the same mechanism, not only in the municipality of Medina but to the entire province of Misamis Oriental as well.

He also mentioned his deep gratefulness to the Children International Philippines Inc. for its unselfish and a ver y accommodating act of accepting the request of the Office of the Vice Governor to be its main partner in the implementation of the organization’s educational program in the country.

As a non-profit organization partner, Children International Philippines Inc. works to eradicate poverty through diverse programs that provide children access to medical and dental care, educational support, life skills and leadership trainings that empower them to create lasting and positive changes in their communities.

Its core programs focuses on education, health, nutrition, youth development, child abuse prevention, infrastructure building, d i s a s te r pre p are d n e s s a n d risk reduction. We require the commitment of all stakeholders concerned – our beneficiaries, the community and the partners from various sectors of the society that support these worthy causes.

Promote... from page 4

their projects to claim CERs “because they can generate an additional stream of income to support the development and implementation of their projects.”

This concept is known as carbon finance.

He says while there is a general awareness in the Philippines of the Kyoto Protocol, the CDM and the carbon market, the benefits of carbon trading are understated.

“Philippine RE developers could have been benefiting from carbon finance income from operational projects instead of fruitlessly waiting several years for an FiT [feed-intariff] that they may not be able to avail of given the new ruling on first-come-first-served. And the projects of many developers are still at the pre-development stage,” he says.

Pembleton says for renewable energy developers to enjoy the benefits of trading their CERs, these credits have to be generated before they can be placed in the carbon market.

“The initial CDM process, doing each project on its own merits [such as as stand-alone CDM submissions] was costly

for developers who had several projects, extremely time consuming [taking up to two years to get registered] and complex and demanding in terms of providing evidence on assumptions required to justify claims in the submissions,” he says.

He says despite these hurdles, the Philippines has had 68 standalone projects registered as of July 2013.

Pe m b l e to n s ays h e g ot interested in carbon trading around 1998 while working for United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Austria.

He was a part of a team of specialists from different fields that were assigned the task of assisting developing countries, initially in Africa, to prepare themselves for the CDM. Pembleton graduated with honors at the University of Essex in England, where he obtained a degree in Comparative Studies.

He obtained his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Librarianship and Information Science from the University of Warsaw in Poland.

He speaks four languages, including English, German, French and Spanish. After retiring from the UN, Pembleton decided to settle in the Philippines with his wife and put up Carbonergy.

Carbonergy today has developed a programmatic platform for developers of six renewable energy technologies, including wind, run-of-river hydropower, solar, geothermal, wave and tidal energy. This platform is known as the RE2Grid program of activities or PoA. PoA is a platform that will be available to enable Philippine developers of those types of projects to claim carbon credits until July 2040.

“It will be much quicker and cheaper for developers to have their projects registered which means they will have quicker access to carbon credits. In addition, Carbonergy is not tied to a buyer of the credits which means that we can assist developers that join the PoA to get best price for their credits by marketing them in different carbon market segments,” Pembleton says.

H e s ays C a r b o n e r g y i s backed by a team of international experts with long affiliation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and extensive experience in energy and environment.

Among the local firms, Philcarbon Inc. has already tapped Carbonergy to trade the carbon credits of its 33.4-megawatt Bulalacao wind project in Oriental Mindoro province.

Pembleton cites the need for the government to further promote carbon trading in the Philippines by making information more easily accessible. “It is often difficult to track the detailed information required to justify claiming carbon credits as often it is not available in one readily-available location requiring a great loss of time putting data together,” he says.

More importantly, he says, there are new market-based mechanisms for ‘mitigation’ action such as reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere under discussion at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that the government should look into.

“Philippine administrative bodies should adopt ‘appropriate’ in-country ‘actions’ that will allow the benefits to accrue here earlier rather than later. Having said that, there are a few development assistance projects underway now that are providing support,” Pembleton says. (MST)

Income... from page 3

net income of P10.9 billion, still down six percent from the P10.2 billion in 2012.

Its power generation business, which accounted for 83 percent

of income, fell 11 percent to P9.4 billion this year from P10.5 billion last year.

This stemmed from an 11 percent drop in the average price of power produced, which includes output covered by bilateral contracts and that sold to the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM).

The drop in prices more than offset the five percent increase in net generation to 5,360 gigawatthours (GWh) this year from 5,096 last year. AboitizPower said the higher output stemmed from increased demand brought about by the warmer weather in the summer months.

“Our first semester performance is within our expectations,” Erramon I. Aboitiz, president of AboitizPower.

“We are seeing good growth in power demand, which will dovetail well with our expansion strategy.

Together with our partners, we have plans of investing an estimated P190 billion over the next five years to meet this growing demand,” he said.

“Our efforts to shift the bulk of our contracts from energybased contracts to capacity-based contracts have been successful.

This will make our income and cash flow more stable and predictable moving forward,” Aboitiz said.

A boitizPower ’s power distribution group registered a 29 percent increase in its income contribution, from P682 million last year to P879 million this year.

Electricity sales stood at 1,041 GWh, increasing by four percent from 999 GWh a year ago. The increase was brought about by a nine percent increase in sales to residential customers and a six percent hike in sales to commercial clients.

DTI... from page 2

screen of Europe,” she said.

Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo said the Board of Investments (BOI) in the first half of the year received 363 companies and organizations looking to invest in the country, adding that 16 percent of the inbound missions so far came from Europe.

The business delegations so far this year were already at least t wo -thirds seen for the entire 2012, Manalo said, adding that potential investors are most keen on aerospace, automotive, construction, energy, information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) and manufacturing.

To ride on the growing investor interest, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) would lead more outbound missions during the second half, Manalo said.

After Asia and the Middle East, the DTI would also organize a big business mission to the US in the first quarter of next year.

Roadshows would also be held in the UK and France in September besides participation in various trade fairs in Germany, Manalo said.

For PEZA, De Lima said visits to Nordic and Scandinavian countries as well as the US and a number of Asian countries have been scheduled in the second half.

De Lima noted that at least a third of the P2.389-trillion worth of investment pledges that the agency registered since it was created 18 years ago were pledged by investors during the first three years of the Aquino administration.

“This shows the enthusiasm of investors,” she said. (Interaksyon. com)

Havoc... from page 2

of the product.

As demand for vehicles increase in China, they are even scrambling for supply of batteries, he added.

Agustines said smuggling has also cut Motolite’s 80-percent market share. He estimated that smuggling eats about 7 percent

of the company’s market share.

Nonetheless, Agustines said smuggling is just one of the reasons for PBI’s low year-to-date output.

“That’s just one of the reasons, albeit a major one.”

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), the main privatesector crusader against smuggling, said the proliferation of ukayukay, or shops that sell imported used clothes, is hurting the local garments sector.

FPI Chairman Jesus L. Arranza said it is illegal in the Philippines to sell imported used clothes.

“But these shops continue to thrive. The local garments sector is already complaining about this because it poses a serious threat to their business,” said Arranza.

The continuous entr y of smuggled items into the country, he said, is also discouraging foreign investors from setting up shop in the Philippines. Analysts have said that more foreign direct investments are needed to revive the country’s manufacturing sector and create more jobs.

The FPI has put forward 26 recommendations to minimize, if not eradicate, smuggling in the Philippines.

Among the group’s proposals are for the Bureau of Customs to immediately invoke or avail itself of the government’s right of compulsory acquisition; making public all reference values for goods entering the country; provision of real-time access to inward foreign manifest by the private sector; and periodic audit of Customs-bonded warehouses with assistance from the private sector.

Because of unabated smuggling, FPI and Malacañang estimated that the government is losing some P200 billion in tax revenues.

Arranza said that revamps in the Customs bureau alone would not stop smuggling. It’s in the system, and it must be overhauled completely to solve the problem, he said. (BM)

Unchanged... from page 2

the highest percentage among other locations.

On the other hand, the number of Filipinos who believes that the economy had worsened rose to 29%, the highest since November 2012. Among them, 37% belongs to Class E, while 28% belong to Class D comprises the 28%.

The last time that the number of Filipinos believes that the economy had worsened was on September 2012 with 29 percent.

Meanwhile, from 33 percent last March, Filipinos who believe that the economy is doing better dipped 5 percent lower to 28 percent, the lowest since November 2012.

This was partly the result of the decline of Filipinos who believes that the economy is better under the Class E and Class D, with 20 and 30 percent, from 28 to 35, respectively.

Of the people who said that the national economy has deteriorated in the past year, 56 percent said that they strongly feel the effects of the deterioration of the economy in their lives.

About 38 percent responded that they ‘feel somewhat’ the deterioration, while only 6 percent ‘do not feel’ it.

Among the percentage of people who answered they believe that the economy is better, 41 percent ‘strongly feel’ the better economy, with 49 percent said they ‘feel somewhat’ and 10% of the respondents said they ‘do not feel’ it. (MB)

Asean... from page 1

Small and Medium Enterprises, Information and Communications Technology, and Mining.

Juliano, also PCCI vic e president for Mindanao, said the conference will help Mindanao prepare for a bigger market and opportunities that will arise as a

result of the integration of ASEAN economies.

According to the ASEAN website, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) that will integrate the economies of the 10-member states will “transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labor, and freer flow of capital.”

The member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. Juliano explained that “in simple terms, the ASEAN will become one big single market and production base.”

The integration also seeks to make the ASEAN “a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development and a region fully integrated into the global economy.”

The AEC areas of cooperation include human resources d eve l o p m e n t a n d c a p a c i t y building; recognition of professional qualifications; closer consultation on macroeconomic and financial policies; trade financing measures; enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity; d e ve l o p m e n t o f e l e c t r o n i c transactions through e-ASEAN; integrating industries across the region to promote regional sourcing; and enhancing private sector involvement for the building of the AEC. “ The ASEAN economic integration is an opportunity to be a lot better and for Mindanao particularly, it is an opportunity to shine,” Juliano said.

He recalled that in olden times, Mindanao “was the front door of the country” in terms of trading because of the island’s proximity with neighboring Muslim-dominated countries, particularly citing the Royal Sultanates in mainland Mindanao back then as effective political and economic power houses.

The Philippines is a member of the nearly two-decade BIMPEAGA (East ASEAN Growth Area) comprising Brunei, East Indonesia, East Malaysia and the Philippines’ Mindanao and Palawan.

For the looming integration of ASEAN economies, Juliano said Mindanao has competitive edge due to its still vast fertile lands, tourism spots and geographically closer locations to some countries in the ASEAN region like the predominantly Muslim Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

It is also a good opportunity for Mindanao’s food manufacturing sector to capture a bigger market by focusing on halal production, he said.

He noted that with an ASEAN population of 600 million, half of that Muslims, “our manufacturers should consider the halal industry, which also includes non-food products, as a considerable moneymaking mill.”

Both Juliano and Gaisano cited the need for a lot of hard work for Mindanao to fully take advantage of the vast opportunities that the ASEAN economic integration offers, such as better farm-tomarket roads, stabilizing the island’s power situation, easier access to financing for micro, small and medium enterprises, skills improvement of workers, and improving other infrastructure necessary to attract investments to the island.

Basin... from page 1

Cagayan, Iponan, Umalag, Bigaan, Agusan and Cugman, all in Cagayan de Oro City, as well as the coastal area of Macalajar Bay, including its adjacent land and tributaries.

Cagayan de Oro River Basin’s inclusion in the growing list brings to 11 WQMAs chosen under the Aquino administration. It also brings to 17 the total WQMAs in the country since the enactment of

11

Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act in 2004.

“This is consistent with our objectives recognizing that waterquality management issues are inherently related and cannot be detached from concerns on water sources, ecological protection, water supply, public health of quality of life,” Paje said.

He said in the statement that there is a need to make the 202,400-hectare river basin as “a sustaining resource for the people of the city and municipalities of Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.”

The DENR said that the Cagayan de Oro River Basin and its adjacent rivers have a perimeter of at least 219 kilometers, cordoning the geopolitical jurisdictions of Cagayan de Oro City and the Misamis Oriental municipalities of Opol and Tagoloan and the Bukidnon towns of Talakag, Baungon, Libona and Manolo Fortich.

The Cagayan de Oro River, a Class A river, is famous for whitewater rafting, kayaking and river trekking.

T h e c i t y g over n m e nt i n partnership with the Department of Tourism recently made the Cagayan de Oro River whitewater rafting as Northern Mindanao’s banner tourism activity.

The DENR said the designation of WQMA is one of the strategies identified to effectively enforce RA 9275 and improve the water quality of water bodies through focused interventions or actions that are designed to address specific waterquality issues of the areas.

Other WQMAs in the Philippines include the San Juan River System, which traverses the cities of Quezon, Manila and San Juan in Metro Manila; ImusYlang Ylang-Rio Grande River System in Cavite; Lake Buhi Watershed in the Bicol Region; Sinocalan-Dagupan River System in Pangasinan; Balili River, Benguet; Pinacanauan de Tuguegarao River, Cagayan province; Calapan River System, Oriental Mindoro; Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando river system and areas within the Laguna Lake Development Authority’s in Southern Tagalog; the Tigum-Aganan watershed and the Iloilo-Batiano river system in Iloilo province.

Hyrdro... from page 1

First Gen, through subsidiary First Gen Mindanao Hydro Power Corp, is putting up five minihydropower plants in the two provinces.

These are the 8-megawatt Tu m a l a o n g , 8 - m e g a w a t t Bubunawan and 20-megawatt Tagoloan hydro plants in Bukidnon; and the 14-megawatt Cabadbaran and 30-megawatt Puyo hydro plants in Agusan del Norte.

The DOE requires renewable energy developers to put up their projects first before they can apply for 20-year feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates. The FIT is the rate that a renewable energy project developer can charge consumers.

According to the government schedule, only 250 megawatts of power from mini-hydro projects can avail of the FIT rate of P5.90 per kilowatt-hour.

Francis Giles B. Puno, First Gen president and chief operating officer, earlier said the company will invest over $240 million for the construction of hydropower plants.

He said the company aims to start construction in the latter part of 2013 and complete the projects in the next three to four years.

CAGAYAN DE ORO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947 CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491 CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City

DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631 LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739 CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

CDO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947

DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631

CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491

LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739

CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City

CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd.,Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

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DOLE 10 walks, children smile CDRC now accepting

entries to 2013 ABKD poster making contest

by Monadette N. Balanay, Contributor

Tagoloan , M i s a m i s O r i e n t a l - - -T h e L o c a l Government Unit (LGU) of Tagoloan, in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment -10 Eastern Misamis Oriental (DOLEE MO) Prov i nc ia l Field Office distributed schools supplies and rain gears to 100 identified indigent children coming from the different ba ra ngays in Tagoloa n, Misamis Oriental.

Held at the Tagoloan Covered Court, the DOLEE MO P r ov i nc i a l Fi e ld Office Head, Mr. Rogelio B. Doydora, with Municipal Mayor, Paulino Y. Emano and the Sangguniang Bayan Members of the LGU led the distribution. Also witnessing t he event are its Public Employment Service Office, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), and Philippine National Police.

The 100 recipients who are in their Kindergarten,

E le me nt a r y, a nd H i g h School and belong to the 4Ps (Pantawid Pampamilyong Pilipino Program of the D S W D) r e c i p i e n t s a s identified by the MSWDO, we re t he b e ne f ic i a r ie s of the “Lakaw ta Para sa Bata, Tibuok Amihanang Mindanao” activity during the Labor Day Celebration last 1 May 2013.

“Lakaw ta Para sa Bata,” is a region- wide walk-for-acause where the community joined the mass hike along prescribed routes. Sponsors donated at least Php 20.00 per participant. The funds raised are used to purchase school supplies and uniforms to identified working children in each prov ince in the region.

Likewise, the activity introduces and launches the Angel Tree Project of DOLE in the municipality and in support to the Child Labor Free Municipality Program.

Project Angel Tree gather

Mayor Paulino Y. Emano, Mr. Rogelio B. Doydora & SB Members lead the distribution of school supplies to 100 beneficiaries

and grant the wishes of child laborers through the building up of a network of patrons and supporters to the national efforts against child labor.

The project endeavors to get to the heart of the wishes of child laborers, adding that the project is a vehicle for child laborers through

which they can articulate their wishes for assistance.

Interested benefactors may contact the DOLE-EMO Provincial Field Office at the Corner Motoomull & Dugenio Sts., Gingoog City with telefax number (8842) 7051 or at the Satellite Office at Villa Manga, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

The Citizens’ Disaster Response Center (CDRC) is once again staging its annual poster-making contest entitled “APOY, BAGYO, KALAMIDAD: DIBUHONG PAMBATA or ABKD 2013”.

Since 1996, ABKD has served as a venue for children to show their creativity and artistic talents, as well as express their views and concerns on disaster-related issues.

This year, CDRC is once again inviting children 7 to 12 years old to participate in the contest.

ABKD is divided into two categories. Category A is open to children ages 7 to 9, where they are expected to express their ideas on disaster preparedness on any of the following subjects: typhoons or f loods, volcanic eruption or lahar, earthquake, fire, landslide or trash slide, and damage to the environment brought about by mining, logging and other development projects.

Category B is for children ages 10 to 12. Artworks under this category should focus on any of the following subjects: drought, red tide or fish

kill, infestation, outbreak of diseases or epidemic, armed conf lict, and climate change.

Artworks (in any medium) should be drawn on a ¼ illustration board, and must bear a title and a caption, and submitted together with the contestant’s name, age, address, telephone number, school’s name, grade level, and other important information.

Entries must be submitted to CDRC not later than September 16, 2013.

For other information, please check ABKD posters and flyers in schools and/or any of the DepEd Regional and Division offices, or call 929-9820 / 22.

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