BusinessDaily (July 24, 2013)

INSIDE LOOK

VP Binay: Emulate Mabini’s Discipline

PHL set to host first ASEAN printing meet

Aboitiz Power keen on bidding for power barges

WaterPark seen to boost eco-dev approach

DOST launches Project MOSES

BusinessDaily Corporate World

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Volume III, No. 262

Market Indicators

As of 6:14 pm july 23, 2013 (Tuesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P43.23

6,743.21 points

1 cents

X

115.85 points

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Briefly ‘Financial crisis’ MISAMIS Orient al Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano has declared that Misamis Oriental was in “financial crisis.”

Emano made the formal d e c l ar at i o n t hr o u g h a n Executive Order GVYBE 2013002 informing the public and all financial institutions having business with the provincial government that the province was in “financial crisis.”

Based on the repor t submitted by the provincial treasurer’s office, Misamis Oriental collected only P492 million (including the Internal Revenue Allotment) from January 2013 to June 30, 2013 as against the province expense of P516 million during the same period, Emano said.

‘Inspiring’ Sona CAGAYAN de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd district) said the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President Benigno Aquino III at the House of Representatives on Monday was very inspiring.

Ro d r i g u ez s ai d t hat the Filipino people were proud of the President’s accomplishments knowing that the country’s economic fundamentals were moving upward.

He said that with the economy growing at 7.6 percent, the Philippine is regaining its ground as the new “economic tiger” in Southeast Asia.

Rodriguez , President of the Center for Democratic Philippines, said that as a legislator he was happy of the Aquino’s SONA.

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July 24, 2013

steag, agus maintenance repair:

Power plants repair to cause brownouts again W

By IRENE DOMINGO, Reporter

ITH the impending maintenance works on some of Mindanao’s major power sources set to begin in August, the whole island is again facing darker days ahead.

T he D e p a r t me nt of Energ y on Monday said some of the island’s major power plants have already

scheduled shutdowns in their units which would result to another round of energy shortfall.

“Magkaka-brownout ulit but we’d rather have the maintenance now than do it in the summer months,” Energ y Secretar y Carlos Jer icho L . Pet i l la sa id , referring to the time of the year when the output of Mindanao’s hydroelectric plants are at their lowest.

Scheduled for routine Repair/PAGE 11

DARKNESS. Mindanao will be facing massive brownouts again with the impending maintenance works on some of the island’s major power plants. file photo by mindanews

Del Monte belies sale to Japan’s Suntory DEL Monte Pacif ic Ltd has belied reports that the company is in talks with Japan’s Suntory Beverages & Food Ltd. for a possible takeover.

“Neit her Del Monte Pacif ic Ltd nor its controlling shareholders, Nut r i A si a Pa c i f ic Ltd , nor its shareholders sale/PAGE 11 CAGAYAN DE ORO’S CHANGING LANDSCAPE. New hotels and skyways along Lim Ket Kai Drive are changing the landscape of Cagayan de Oro in this photo taken on Friday, July 19. mindanews photo by froilan gallardo

Minergy’s coal plant seen to lower power rates

By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

Del Monte’s cannery plant in Bugo, Cagayan de Oro. Reports said a Japanese firm is taking over the company.

ONCE the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (Cepalco) starts drawing power from its affiliated coa l-f i red power pla nt in Ba lingasag, Misa mis Oriental, rates in its franchise area are expected to decrease.

Cepalco recently asked

t he Energ y Reg u lator y C om m i s s ion (E RC) to approve its power supply agreement with affiliate Minergy Energy Systems, Inc. and for the construction and operation of a 138-kv line to connect the proposed Minergy power plant to its

distribution system.

“This will substantially lower power rates within [Cepalco’s] franchise area when it starts operations by 2017,” company officials said.

D u r i n g M o n d a y ’s energy committee hearing minergy/PAGE 11

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Economy

‘Butuan to become another Cebu’

BUTUAN CITY— The head of the Chamber of Commerce here expressed optimism that “Butuan can potentially be another Cebu in the next 10 years.”

Butuan Business Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (BCCFI) President Joseph Omar O. Andaya said said that as the center of commerce, trade and tourism in Caraga Region, this city “has a big potential to become another Cebu City in 2023.”

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“Butuan City has a very big potential to become another Cebu City in the next 10 years, not only because of its people, its natural resources, and the fact that it is the regional center of the whole Caraga Region,” he said.

Andaya said that all the projects in the pipeline that were discussed during the recent business forum — renewable energy, responsible mining development in the Surigao provinces, eco-tourism, and other tourism projects — will all contribute to making such possibility as reality.

“If the city government and its people will do their very best, we may make it in five, 10 or 15 years,” said Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante Jr. “The city can well make it through unity and cooperation of both the local government and its constituents,” he said, adding: “We can even be there within a shorter time.”

But to be able to make Butuan into another Cebu, Amante said it entails openness, vision, and transparency of the city leadership and the support of the people. butuan/PAGE 10

P2-M community enterprise lessen coastal residents’ dependence on sea M AM BA JAO, Cam i g ui n — A P2 million worth community enterprise is now operating in Guinsiliban town to help increase the income of coastal residents, and lessen dependency on fishing.

The coco sugar production is operated by the Guinsiliban Coconut Sap/ Toddy Sugar Producer Association, with some 18 members coming from identified fisherfolk, and women’s association who are directly working on the project. (MB)

Misamis SMEs get shared facilities THE Department of Trade and Industr y (DTI) has provided support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Misamis Oriental through the provision of shared facilities.

As part of DTI’s Shared Ser vices Facilities (SSF) progra m, t he agenc y provided P1.6-million worth of equipment to support SMEs involved in bamboo furniture making, abaca and banana chips production and processing for coconut products.

According to Delia Ayano, DTI provincial director, P40

million has been allocated for Northern Mindanao, which is expected “to answer SME’s needs for additional machinery and equipment to expand their business.”

For this year, the DTI allotted P700 million for the SSF project for “buying machinery and equipment for common use of beneficiaries, not only to improve the quality but also the volume of their production.”

The types of industries eligible to avail SSFs include: raw materials suppliers; processed tropical fruits; SME/PAGE 10

36% investment growth in 1H INVESTMENTS inflow in the first half of the year jumped 36.5 percent to P285.59 billion as more foreign investors’ believe in the Aquino administration and that the country’s economic growth is sustainable, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said.

Of the P285.59 billion investments inflow in the January-June period this year, the bulk of P201.9 billion came from the Board of Investments while the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) contributed P83.69 billion.

Both agencies expect these investments to generate 70,936 jobs once these project go into full commercial operation. The PEZA have higher jobs generation of 51,872 given the fact that its projects are mostly labor

intensive manufacturing ventures geared for the exports market.

Investments registered with the BOI, however, are geared for the domestic market.

The bulk of the BOI-registered investments are in the energy sector that would help build the country’s capability to supply the much needed power requirements of domestic enterprises.

The BOI and PEZA are the government’s two biggest investment generators. Other invest ment promot ion agencies t hat contribute to the investments generation of the country are Clark Freeport and Subic Freeport, which locators are also exportoriented.

PEZA project registration has a high growth/PAGE 10

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Lufthansa Technik Philippines is MacroAsia’s joint venture with Lufthansa AG of Germany.

project is big we are open to partner with Maynilad.

We are also open to foreign investors. Hopefully, we will have a good news next year,”

A Brown power unit borrows P6 billion PALM CONCEPCION Power Corp. (PCPC), a unit of A Brown Co., Inc., has secured a P6-billion loan from two banks to partially fund construction of its 135-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Iloilo, the listed parent said in a disclosure on Monday.

A Brown said PCPC “has signed separate term loan facility agreements totaling P6 billion with Asia United Bank Corp. and China Banking Corp.”

The firm identified BDO Capital & Investment Corp. as the lead arranger and sole bookrunner for the loan facilities.

“Proceeds of the term loan facilities will be used by PCPC to partially finance the engineering, procurement, construction and financing costs of the Iloilo power project…” the disclosure read. borrows/PAGE 11

he added.

Maynilad Water Services Inc, which operates the west zone concession of state-run Metropolitan Waterworks a nd Sewerage System (MWSS) earlier said it was interested in acquiring the water distribution operations of local government units outside Metro Manila.

M A PD C i s s e e k i n g acc red it at ion f rom t he Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) for the conversion of the company’s five-hectare facility in the Mactan Cebu International Airport into an economic zone, similar to the Lufthansa Technik Philippines hangar at t he Ni noy Aqu i no International Airport.

Last year, MacroAsia macroasia/PAGE 11

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MacroAsia, Korean group looking at water business A UNIT of MacroAsia Corp is in talks with a Korean group for a water supply project.

Joseph Chua, MacroAsia president, last week said MacroA sia Proper t ies Development Corp (MAPDC) is eyeing as many as eight such projects across the country.

“We are talking with Korean partner for this water supply project. All over the Philippines, we have seven or eight areas, particularly in Luzon and Mindanao,” he said, without naming the Korean group.

“We have not finalized anything. [But] we are open for par t nerships. If t he

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Aboitiz Power keen on bidding for power barges ABOITIZ Power Corp is keen on acquiring dropped this condition for the four power barges (PBs) government has the latest round of bidding.

“We are selling the Iloilolined up on the auction block.

Aboit i zPower sen ior vice president Luis Miguel O. Aboitiz said that the company may bid for the barges, among other power plants that the government would privatize.

“Anything Psalm will privatize we look into that.

We have a whole department just looking into those,” he said.

T he Power Sec tor A s s e t s a n d L i a bi l it i e s Management Corp (Psalm)

had recommenced the sale of the four barges, after earlier auctions failed because only one party -- the joint venture of Ayala Corp and Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp -- submitted a bid.

Ps a l m h a s s e t a s a condition for the sale the deployment of the barges to Mindanao, which is suffering from a power crisis.

Psalm president Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said the government has

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based PBs 101-103 as one package and Davao-based PB 104 as another package.

Transfer to Mindanao will no longer be a requirement for PBs 101-103, but the winning bidder for PB 104 will be required to operate the barge in Mindanao for at least five years,” Ledesma said.

O w ned by st ate-r u n Nat iona l Power C or p (Napocor), PBs 101, 102, 103 and 104 are 32-megawatt barge-mounted bunker-fired aboitiz/PAGE 11

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A seanWatch 4 PHL is ready for integration – DTI CREDIBLE

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By Kristyn Nika M. Lazo

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has opposed certain groups’ uncertainties over the 2015 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration, saying that the country is prepared to be at par with the other 10 nations in the community.

Tr a de a nd I ndu s t r y Secretary Gregory Domingo s a id i n opt i m i sm t h at businesses should not be worried at the coming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

by December 2015 where member-nat ions of t he ASEAN, along with six other partners—Japan, Australia, India, China, New Zealand and South Korea—can freely trade and gain more access each markets.

“Businesses should not be anxious because we’ve basically seen the bulk of changes last 2010, when over 99 percent of tariff lines within the ASEAN were reduced to zero,” Domingo said.

“The ASEAN Economic Community [will not really cause] a big bang in the sense that, when we reach that date in 2015, massive changes will happen. The biggest change has already happened in 2010.

AEC 2015 will mostly affect service areas and investment

rules, but even then, we don’t expect radical changes,” he added.

Like the European Union, ASEAN member-nations would join together as a si ng le ma rket w it h t he AEC. The integration will allow zero tariff and lesser documents and clearances to enter each other’s markets.

Access to such markets brought anxiety to businesses and other groups, which pointed out that the country is still unprepared with t he concern of massive importation to the country t hat w ill discourage entrepreneurs in the country.

But Domingo assured that the AEC will bring the country positive results.

“There will be more of evolutionary, rather than revolut iona r y, cha nges.

The anxieties are slightly exaggerated…But there have been adequate preparations [o n t h e i nt e g r a t i o n],” Dti/PAGE 10

…but maybe held back by Mnao’s lack of infra, budget DAVAO CITY—The long years of neglect that Mindanao suffered would have its painful and telling blow when the country is forced to open its entire economy to the scheduled single market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2015.

“Everybody now acknowledges that Mindanao is not the country’s backdoor anymore. It is the front door to the country’s integration into the ASEAN Economic Community,” said Romeo Montenegro, chief of the public affairs and international investment unit of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

MinDA is t he government’s socioeconomic planning unit for Mindanao and the designated official government representative agency in the ASEAN’s subregional grouping called BIMP-EAGA. Montenegro said infrastructure was still the biggest issue of this southern Philippine island, which remained largely agricultural and whose agribusiness potential was long stymied by the prohibitive shipping cost by a highly monopolized shipping industry. held/PAGE 10

PHL set to host first ASEAN printing meet THE Philippine Printing Technical Foundation is hosting the First ASEAN Printing Conference 2013 on Au g u st 2 0 to 24 at t he Banquet Ha ll of the Philippine International Convention Center.

T his was a nnou nced b y l aw y e r D o m i n a d o r Bu hain, PPFT president and conference convener.

The ASEAN Printing Conference, in keeping with the mandate of PPFT, is aimed at enhancing t he Philippine printing industry

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t h rou g h s e m i n a r s a nd ot her notewor t hy for m of upgrading as wel l as to develop alliances with the neighboring countries t h rou g h t he for mat ion of ASEAN Printing Association, Buhain said.

Another important goal of the international printing conference is to align the country’s printing with the best process and practices of ASEAN countries.

Buhain, who is serving as lead organizer, said speakers and resource persons from

Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and other ASEAN countries would deliver lectures on regional and global strategic and business development of the printing industry, and other emerging and relevant concerns.

Major sponsors of the f i v e - d ay Fi r s t A S E A N Printing Conference 2013, which coincides w it h Printech 2013, are Ferrostaal, Hicor, Heidelberg, Ideal Ma rket i ng , C opyla nd ia and Canon, among others.

(MST)

Multi-country trips urged thru experiential tourism THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is promoting six experiential and creative travel themes to encourage multi-country trips across Southeast Asia.

The themes include: “The Tastes of Southeast Asia”, “ASEAN, a Tropical Paradise”, “World Class Cities”, “Experience Diverse Traditions”, “Sport and Relaxation”, and “Diverse Contemporary Creativity.”

This is part of the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Strategy 2012-2015.

An initial list of 20 tour operators offering the themes in multi-country itineraries are now on the new look ASEAN travel website, www.aseantourism. travel , the official website of ASEAN Tourism. More trips are being added.

Website enhancements are underway.

“Our new focus is on experiential and creative tourism that respects environment and culture,” said Mr. Aung Zaw Win, Director General, trips/PAGE 10

Workshop on smoke-free laws held DAVAO CITY—A total of 60 participants from eight Southeast Asian countries joined in the regional workshop on smoke-free laws organized by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance at the SMX convention center here recently.

Dr. Domilyn Villareiz, chief of the anti-smoking task force of Davao City said the workshop was anchored on the theme: “Strengthening Enforcement towards building model smoke-free cities in the ASEAN.” She said the gathering was aimed at raising awareness on the harm of second-hand smoke and to empower and recognize individuals, groups, institutions, civil society partners, local government and other stakeholders to continue to ban smoking in public and advocate for smoke-free environments.

Villareiz said she also hoped that the gathering has helped build political constituencies that can lobby for stronger smoke-free laws and regulations consistent with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its guidelines.

“Mobilizing support for 100 percent smoke-free indoor environments is of critical importance to render visibility to

millions of people who are supportive of comprehensive bans on smoking,” she said.

Villareiz stressed that political decisions will be easier to make if it is clear that there is overwhelming public support for smoke-free environments.

She also noted that many countries nowadays believe that second-hand tobacco smoke kills and causes serious illnesses.

“One hundred percent smoke-free environments fully protect workers and the public from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. Everyone has the right to breathe clean air, free from tobacco smoke,” Villareiz said.

Health ministers and environment directors from Ca mbodia, Vietna m, Indonesia Laos, Ma laysia, Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines reported the best practices in the promotion of smoke-free environments, particularly in worship and public places.

A World Health Organization study in 2011 cited Davao City as a leading example of a city in the Philippines that has effectively implemented s smoke-free legislation and has significantly reduced the extent that its residents and those visiting the city are workshop/PAGE 10

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‘Use S&T to address environmental issues’

By Catherine Teves

MANILA—Senator Loren Legarda, a well-known environment advocate, yesterday assured support for Philippine science and technology (S&T), believing this field is essential in promoting progress nationwide amid onslaught of climate change.

DOST launches Project MOSES BUTUAN CITY—The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has launched Project Mobile Operational System for Emergency (MOSES) to complement the operation of Project NOAH or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazard.

DOST-Caraga Regional Director Dominga Mallonga said that MOSES will be pilot tested during the National Science and Technology Week (July 22-29).

MOSES uses mobile tablet computers designed by DOST for hazard monitoring and evacuation assistance.

One thousand units of Moses tablets are ready for distribution to identified pilot areas for testing.

The tablet computers will be used for fast transmission of disaster alerts or warnings. The device will provide localities with key information when a calamity strikes.

Mallonga said the MOSES tablet has eight inches screen with dual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) and equipped with radio utilities.

The tablet, which cost of P20,000, gathers data like temperature, moisture, and other vital information directly accessible from Doppler radar, water level sensors, and water gauges.

“Project MOSES tablet is purposely designed to help local DRRMC in making decisions concerning the impending disaster, whether to declare suspension of works or classes in schools or to take evacuation actions in their areas of concern,” Mallonga said. (from PIA)

GenSan eyes flood control measures GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The city government is set to commission an extensive study on the city’s waterways and drainage channels in a bid to resolve the perennial flooding in several villages in the area.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the local government is presently negotiating with some urban planners for the implementation of the study, which will mainly focus on the development of a comprehensive drainage system for the city.

“We will study all our existing channels and eventually create a blueprint for a complete drainage system,” he said.

The mayor said the study will cover barangays and communities traversed by various waterways that have experienced severe flooding during the rainy season.

He said the move also forms part of the ongoing review of the city’s disaster risk reduction and management plan.

“We’re revisiting all these plans and strategies so we can come up with more proactive solutions to the problem,” flood/PAGE 10

Legarda said that the country must tap its S&T com mu n it y to bet ter generate solut ions t hat will help address various environmental concerns, including climate change adaptation and mitigation (CCAM) as well as disaster risk reduction.

“I have no doubt our scientists will be able to find bold and sustainable solutions,” she said Tuesday during the opening program

in Metro Manila for this year’s National S&T Week which the Department of Science and Technolog y (DOST) is spearheading.

She raised urgency for such solutions, noting economic g row t h mu s t t r a n s l ate into nationwide gains like jobs, food on the table and development of disasterresilient communities.

“Prog ra ms based on science, resea rch a nd innovation can change lives,”

she said.

Legarda cited averting disasters, promoting environmental sustainability and combating poverty as among means to achieve such goal.

She expressed openness in further crafting legislative proposals needed for better protecting the environment as well as for promoting CCAM and DRR. For t he 2013 NST W, issues/PAGE 10

MisOcc’s Mt. Malindang set to be declared heritage park OROQUIETA CITY—The towering Mount Malindang Range Natural Park (MMRNP), considered the highest peak in Misamis Occidental, is scheduled to be proclaimed as an ASEAN Heritage Park on August 4, Gov. Herminia Ramiro announced here recently.

The former congresswoman who authored the establishment of the MMRNP (through Republic Act 9304) quoted ASEAN Center for Bio-Diversity (ACBD) Executive Director Rodrigo U. Fuentes as declaring the new heritage park will be the third of its kind in Mindanao after Mount Katinglad in Bukidnon and Mount Apo in Davao.

Ot her w ise k now n as t he “Mou nt Malindang Range Natural Park Act,” RA 9304 stressed the significance of the area’s “unique biological resources and aesthetic and ecological importance.”

Ramiro said t he law “ensures t he protection and preservation of MMRNP, its surrounding communities populated by indigenous peoples called Subanens, their culture and ways of life even as it further assures “the protection and conservation of biodiversity, sustainable and participatory development, advance, and protect the interests of its legitimate inhabitants and honor customary laws.”

Ramiro said it considers the species of plants and animals declared as protected under the Philippine rules and regulations issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) listed as protected against trade, hunting and harvest.

The MMRNP Protected Area covers parcels of lands located in the cities of Oroquieta, Ozamiz and Tangub, as well as in the towns of Concepcion, Sapang Dalaga, Calambla, Lopez Jaena, Aloran, Panaon, Jimenez, Sinacaban,Tudela, Clarin, Bonifacio and Don Victoriano.

Subanen girls performed an indigenous dance during the KINABAYO Festival in Dapitan City. photo by mark navales

Ramiro said zoning of the protected area gives primary consideration to the traditional zones used and recognized by indigenous peoples or lumads who have continuously lived as communities on bounded and defined areas and since time immemorial, have succeeded in preserving, maintaining and sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits.

As a protected area, the hunting, destroying, trapping and disturbing or possessing any wild plants or animals or products derived from anywhere within the park even as cutting, gathering, collecting or removing timber or forested products entry to the protected area or processing outside the area any wild plants and animals or products are also prohibited. park/PAGE 10

Sen. Loren Lagarda

PAGASA to use SM malls as weather forecast stations

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will soon have a silent partner in some of the SM malls nationwide.

SM Investments Corp.

(SMIC), the holding company of SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI), is taking another step forward in promoting disaster risk reduction among private establishments by helping monitor the country’s weather conditions through a device called Automated Weather Stations (AWS).

The project was started

by We at her Ph i l ippi ne Foundation Inc. (WPFI), a private organization that provides weather forecast over the Internet. The group aims to deliver critical and accurate weather forecasts to the Filipino community to help improve nationwide disaster preparedness and timely response to variable weather conditions. This involves installing 1,000 AWS units throughout the country this year.

Under the agreement between WPFI and SMIC, SMPHI will host 49 of these dev ices i n selec ted SM shopping malls nationwide.

Furthermore, SMIC donated P25 million to fund the pagasa/PAGE 11

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Power shortage

T

THINK

hink a minute …Have you ever thought to yourself: A Minute “I know what I should have By Jhan Tiafau Hurst done, but I didn’t do it!”

How many times have you felt that way?

It’s a struggle we all fight— every day!

The constant battle between what we know we should do and what we actually do.

Between our conscience and how we really live.

Why can’t we simply do what we know we should?

It’s even what we really want to do in our heart.

Our problem?

We have a power shortage in our lives—a shortage of will power.

We’re like this couple whom I know.

The husband and wife both are marriage counselors, but they’ve now divorced each other!

They’ve counseled hundreds of other married couples, yet they themselves cannot work out their own marriage problems.

They know all there is to know about a good marriage relationship, but they can’t do it themselves and follow their own advice.

We all know that honesty is the right, best policy.

Yet, corruption and dishonesty is everywhere!

People know that loving and giving to others is the happiest, best way to live.

Yet we still are proud, competitive, jealous, and even hurt the people we want to love.

Wives and husbands know that cheating on each other, or their addiction to alcohol is destroying their family.

Yet they keep doing it!

So is this just the way we humans are?

Will we ever have the will power to do what we know we should? hurst/PAGE 7

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Executive Editor

Ruel Pelone Online editor

cris panganiban Regional Editor

Cris diaz mike baños butch enerio Sub-Editors JOE DEL PUERTO FELICILDA URIEL C. QUILINGUING Editorial Consultants

DOLLY PELONE Comptroller

ALLAN MEDIANTE Managing Editor Shaun yap uy Section Editor

Remee Monique Espiritu Staff Writer

CLIFFORD SANTILLAN RONALD B. MASTAIL

Harmony in our relationships

T

he most difficult thing to maintain in this world, is our relationships.

It is close to impossible to live with another person in perfect harmony, understanding and peace. No matter how precious or important or beloved this person is, at some point, conflict will inevitably rear its ugly head.

This is due to the principle of separate realities. We all interpret things differently. We look at the world through unique, individual eyes. Our reality is made up of the memories, experiences and beliefs that we have collected through our journey in life. It is separate, different and distinctly our own.

The principle of separate realities is not a heavy philosophical concept. It is practical and full of common sense. We already know that we all think differently, yet we ignore this fact and forget to apply it in our lives. When we deeply understand that we will always have different thoughts and opinions, and we put this understanding into practice, we will enjoy harmony in all our relationships.

Our family ties and interaction with other people will flourish, like a hardy Talisay tree planted by the river bank.

We will not only strengthen our bonding, but we will also acquire serenity. We stop dissipating our time and energy in the futile attempt to wrestle people into our way of thinking. Everytime we dig in & defend our ideas, believing them to be the right ones, we add to the chaos, pain & sadness of the world.

When I hammer away at my husband or children, trying to convince them of the correctness of my viewpoint, it’s like prying loose the septic tank cover. I feel the filthy

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slime of suffering starting to he usiness ooze.

O f H appiness I now tightly embrace the

By Girlie Gualberto-Suan principle of separate realities, like a dangling mountaineer hanging on to his rope for dear life.

As an added reinforcement, I a lso ent husia st ic a l ly espouse the practice of loving detachment. We do not have the power to control people, so we have to give them space to grow at their own pace.

That is the principle of loving detachment. We can only guide them, pray for them and love them. But we cannot control them and arrange their lives for them. There is a point where we have to detach, lovingly.

Many families break up, and nations go to war, and people commit murder, because they don’t understand and accept the concept of separate realities.

By respecting people’s separate realities, we surmount a lot of problems that estrange us from our loved ones.

Instead of trying to change them, we acknowledge their right to their own personal opinions. We no longer argue over differences. We are just grateful to share their love, and rejoice in their presence. A heavy load is lifted, and this sets us free to be happy. suan/PAGE 7

T

B

4th SONA & Charter change

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will…”

(Romans 12:2, the Holy Bible).

-ooo FOURTH PNOY SONA & CHARTER CHANGE: Indeed, the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) is a dead give-away that there is going to be a push for an amendment or revision of the 1987 Constitution, to do away with the presidential form of government and for the installation of a parliamentary system where the prime minister is the chief executive, during the last three years of President Aquino.

I am convinced that the questions raised by the President in his SONA about what will happen when his term ends in 2016---“what will happen in 2016? What will happen when you step down? Will that be the end of good, honest governance? Will we have reached the end of the straight path?”---were all aimed at instigating interest in having his term extended.

The fact is that, everybody already knows what will happen in 2016. When a new president is elected, that will be the end of “tuwid na daan”, for the new president

Crystaline pino ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

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will have his own slogan and akampi his own directions on how Mo A ng Batas to effectively govern. That

By Atty. Batas Mauricio President Aquino took time out to ask his questions shows he is putting up some kind of a trial balloon to see how the people as a whole will respond to the idea of having him extend his term beyond 2016.

-ooo P N OY C A N S E RV E BEYOND 2016: I am sure that if a survey is to be conducted now to ask our countrymen whether they are in favor of allowing President Aquino to continue being president even after 2016, the resounding answer will be a “yes, President Aquino must be allowed an extension of his term beyond 2016”.

Last June 08, 2013, I wrote in this column that: “If I were one of the advisers of President Aquino, I will make a strong push for an amendment of the 1987 Constitution at this point that he continues to be very popular among batas/PAGE 7

Big and beyond

HILE we need to be properly engaged with our daily routine of work, usually the ordinary little duties attached to our profession and the other conditions of our life, we should remember that we have to aim also at the real big thing which is our holiness that requires going beyond the prosaic of the here and now.

We need to make this reminder because many of us are falling into complacency and confusion, lost in the flow of daily events and unable to connect to the ultimate goal we all are meant to reach.

In fact, many now think we just have to live from moment to moment, from day to day, denying any importance to any concern for the future and much less to eternity. Eternal life holds no meaning to many of us. There’s nothing after death. Everything is transitory. Nothing remains forever.

The inquisitiveness of that rich young man who asked Christ, “What good must I do to have eternal life?” is all but gone in the mind and heart of modern man. We seem contented and thrilled only with what we have at hand—the new technologies, fashions, etc.—that appear to capture our dreams and fantasies.

This time-and-earth-bound mentality is actually dramatized abundantly in the gospel. There’s that parable, for example, of a man who in trying to insure his temporal security decided to build larger barns to store his possessions, and said to himself: “Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years. Take your rest, eat, drink and make merry.”

(Lk 12,19) The lesson Christ wanted to impart from this parable is the following: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his

justice, and all these things (the earthly, temporal and and Traces material things we need) shall

By Fr. Roy Cimagala be added unto you.” (12,31) Christ wants us to make “bags which do not grow old, a treasure in heaven that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth corrupts.” (12,33) We have to get out of this time-and-earth-bound outlook, and enter into an exciting adventure that God offers us in his providence, in his abiding governance of his whole creation, in his continuing intervention in our life.

It’s an adventure that cruises through time and space but also transcends them to bring us to eternal life and joy.

We just cannot make our life the way we want it to be.

We have to live it with God. In fact, only with God would we be able to live our life to the full. Without him, we would be out on a limb, prone to all sorts of danger and harm, inside and outside us.

What this means is that we need to fall in love to be able to connect the material with the spiritual, the temporal with the eternal, the human with the divine. But we have to love with the love of God who is the author, essence, means and end of love. We have to be forewarned of the many fake forms of love we tend to get tricked into. cimagala/PAGE 7

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Solutions to the Rotating Blackouts in Mindanao

By David A. Tauli

The solutions to the short-term problem of rotating blackouts in Mindanao are slowly being put in place.

These could eliminate the Mindanao blackouts one year from now. But there are two different solutions being carried out: a bad one (expensive, fossil-fuel based) being pursued by government agencies in the energy sector and a good one (less expensive, with renewable-energy power plants) from the grassroots.

The Short-Term problem is the artificial, governmentmade, recurrent, rotating blackouts that aff lict municipalities and cities whose distribution utilities (electric cooperatives and investor-owned DU’s) have failed in their responsibility of providing adequate and reliable electric service.

The government-pursued solution to eliminating blackouts is to get the electric cooperatives to lease modular diesel-fueled generating sets for three or four years to make up for their lack of contracted power (caused by the abdication by the NPC-PSALM of the responsibility of supplying bulk power to the EC’s).

This is going to cost the EC’s from 14 to 20 pesos per kilowatt-hour, depending on their utilization of the leased modular gensets.

The rational solution to the short-term lack of energy is for the electric cooperatives to carry out competitive procurement of their Emergency Supply of Energy for the next three or four years (until leastcost energy from hydro plants will be available). The competitive procurement should be open to all types of power plants, and not only to fossil-fueled power plants. This will enable acquisition by the EC’s of Emergency Supply of Energy from hybrid solar power plants (a mix of solar PV power plants and diesel- or LPG-fueled gensets) that will cost less than ten pesos per kWh. Are the EC’s carrying out competitive procurement of their emergency supply of energy? I know of only one EC that is doing so. Most are going the way of the modular gensets, using money borrowed from the National Electrification Administration. Why? Primarily because the EC’s prefer not to carry out competitive procurement of their power supply, and they just negotiate directly with their favored supplier of modular gensets. But also because the DOE is promoting the expensive solution. Not the renewable energy solution. brownouts/PAGE 10

Hurst... from page 6

You see, this is why Jesus Christ came: to connect us to the power of God, so we can finally have all the will power we need to live up to our potential and live the way we know we should.

Jesus came to forgive us so that we could have a right relationship with our Maker.

Knowledge isn’t your problem; you know what you should do.

It’s power that you need!

And Jesus has all the power you’ll ever need for whatever you face.

His empty grave shouts it loud and clear!

He’s got all the power, even over death!

And His power is yours— if you’ll ask Him to forgive you and take complete control of every area of your life.

Just Think a Minute…

Suan...

from page 6 You may argue that there are some things that are really bad, and they need to be confronted. Like we are appalled why this intelligent guy chooses to live life as a lazy bum. Or we are dismayed why this attractive girl picks a loser

for her lifetime partner.

A r m e d w i t h understanding and acceptance, we treat these things as unfortunate weeds scattered in the glorious landscape of life. We do the best we can, with what we have and what we know.

Looking through the eyes of love, we see the innocence and lack of malice in their behaviour.

We w i l l n e v e r b e justif ied to pull t he trigger on the loaded gun of judgment. Rather, we are called upon to reach out with compassion and forgiveness to those who are misguided and mistaken, because “t hey k now not what they do.”

No matter what success and honors we achieve, if there is no harmony in our relationships, t hey taste like ashes in our mouth.

As we pract ice t he concept of separate realities, the clear waters of peace will gush out from the cool spring of harmony.

It is ours to drink, to enjoy and to be refreshed.

If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about?

What is there to fear? ~ Confucius

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Vice President Jejomar C. Binay Tuesday urged Filipinos to emulate the discipline practiced by Apolinario Mabini, the “Sublime Paralytic,” in overcoming obstacles.

“Nawa’y t u la ra n natin a ng disiplina at pag pupunyaging ipinamalas niya upang pagtagumpayan ang mga balakid na humadlang sa kanya, maging pisikal ma n ito o sa a nt a s ispirituwal o panlipunan,” Binay said during the commemoration of the hero’s 149th birth anniversar y at t he Mabi n i Sh r i ne at t he Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Binay further advocated for the revival of age-old Filipino values that contribute to our identity as a people.

“Sikapin nating bu hay i n a ng d iwa ng pagkamakabayan, ng pagmamahal sa kapuwa, ng paggalang sa matatanda at sa mga tradisyon at karanasang nagpapaliwanag sa kung sino tayo.

“Sikapin nating ibalik a ng at i ng k a ra nga la n s a a t i n g m g a b u h ay sa pa ma magita n ng pagsunod sa mga batas na natural at gawa ng tao,” he said.

The Vice President recalled that the lawyers’ group Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity, and Nationa lism, Inc. (MABINI) was so named

because like its namesake, it sought to help the poor and oppressed through law and justice.

MABINI was formed during martial law and i ncluded Bi nay i n its roster of members, along with known nationalists Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tanada, Joker Arroyo and Rene Saguisag.

Bi nay s a id Mabi n i b el ie ve d a nd worke d for i nst it ut i ng laws t hat would change t he at t itudes of t he people towa rd t he new gover n ment a nd nat iona lism despite his belief that Filipinos could not yet handle their newfound freedom.

“Ipinalagay niya na matututu ha n ni la ng pahalagahan ang kanilang kalayaan sa pamamagitan ng mga instrumento ng pamahalaan kagaya ng mga bata s, na siya ng m a g k i k i nt a l n g m g a ba gong ha la ga ha n s a kanila,” he said.

He added that a lt houg h Mabi n i a nd other protagonists of the First Republic had failed in attaining freedom, it is still important to live by and seek to improve the democratic system that Filipino heroes have put in place.

Binay also stressed the

Batas...

which is a change in our people’s mindset.

The Aquino government must therefore strive not only to slay the mindset of corruption and moral decay that is so pervasive across all economic levels at this point, but to likewise deliberately pla nt in its place a renewed and deeper faith in God, whatever our people call Him to be. The objective is to change the minds of our countrymen and make them refuse to conform to the dark and evil patterns of the world, to listen to and obey God instead.

We must all understand t hat true success a nd progress can only come w h e n t h e p e o pl e h ave already sincerely subjected t hemselves to God--listening to His Word and obeying His commands.

Then and only then can other governmenta l prog ra ms and efforts become useful in uplifting our poor and making this nation exalted in the eyes of God once more.

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

from page 6

the Filipino people... The time is quite ripe for Charter Change, especially to open up land and other business ownership, to enable more foreign capital to come in.

“Of course, his critics will say that this Charter Cha nge may be u sed by t he President’s a l lies to extend his term beyond t he s i x-ye a r p e r io d t o which he was origina lly elected to, but then, what’s w rong w it h g iv i ng hi m additional time to complete his `daang matuwid ’ (or good governance and anticor r upt ion) i n it iat ive s , and solidify the gains the economy has so far attained under his administration?”

-ooo A MORE BENEFICIAL CHANGE: I can only agree w it h t he President t hat change is indeed starting to happen in the Philippines, and it could only be a change for the better for everyone, even if many sectors are say ing t hat not hing has changed for the poor and the marginalized. But then, to be truly beneficial and fruitful and longer-lasting, change must be accompanied by something more relevant,

Vice President Jejomar Binay

need for voluntarism by the public, saying that M a bi n i had b el ie ve d that the permanence of t he State rel ied upon the people’s belief and willingness to work for the government’s success.

“Lubos din ang kaniyang paniwala s a k r it i k a l n a p a p e l ng bolu nta r ismo at pa na na l ig s a sistema ng pamahalaan upang tu luya ng ma ma lag i at ma g t a g u mpay a ng Estado.

“Aniya, magkakaroon ng pagnanais na makilahok ang taumbayan kapag napaniwala sila sa pangangailangan at pagkamakatuwiran ng ipinatutupad na batas, bukod pa sa paniniwalang a ng pa ma ha la a n a ng d a a n sa pag k a m it ng magandang buhay,” the Vice President added.

The Vice President

also lauded the news that government had allocated more than P3 billion for the education sector.

“Ito ay maga nda ng palatandaan ng pagsulong hindi lamang ng ating pamahalaan, kundi ng kamalayan natin bilang i s a ng l ipu n a ng a l a m ang ka ha laga han ng edukasyon,” he said.

He a l s o reiter ate d M a b i n i ’s b e l i e f t h a t education is the key to national progress.

“Sa pagkamulat natin sa isang diwang makabayan sa pa ma magita n ng sapat at de-kalidad na e du k a s y on , uu s b on g a n g b o lu nt a r i s m o n g mahalaga sa pagkamit natin ng lubos na kalayaan.

“At sa pagsusumikap natin, matitiyak nating hindi mauuwi sa wala ang sakripisyo ng ating mga bayani,” he said.

Cimagala...

the point of leaving behind every thing that we have (relictis omnibus). Following Christ would always involve a continuing process of selfdenial. It’s a denial that would leave us increasingly empty of ourselves to fill ourselves more and more with Christ.

This is the love of God that would enable us to properly immerse ourselves in our earthly condition and to transcend it as well to bring us to our ultimate destination. This is the love that makes the little things of our day big and acquire an eternal value.

God does not want us to get out of this world. He put us here, in the first place. But he wants us to live our life here properly, that is, with love that usually is manifested by offering everything to God and serving others.

from page 6

With this love of God, we can link the small ordinary events of our life to the big and beyond of our earthly life. And this love of God is none other than obeying G o d ’s c om m a nd ment s .

Chr ist hi msel f sa id so: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (Jn 14,15) T h is i nd ic at ion wa s precisely reinforced in that episode of the rich young man. Christ told him that to enter into eternal life, he has to follow the commandments.

And when the young man said he was doing all the commandments, then Christ told him to sell all he had and to come, follow Christ.

We cannot exaggerate this need to follow Christ as closely as possible even to

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Water Park seen to boost eco-dev approach

by Jorie C. Valcorza, Contributor

MAMBAJAO, Camiguin,-- The establishment of the P1.4-million Taguines Lagoon Aqua-Sports and Recreational Facility here is seen as an alternative approach in the protection and preservation of coastal resources in the province.

The local government unit (LGU) through its Mahinog Business Development Office (MBDO) targets to lessen local folks reliance on fishing by providing tourism livelihood services to partner fisher folks association.

Apart from the existing three-lane zip line crossing the lagoon, operating separately in area, this new facility likewise offers low-impact water-based recreational activities like kayaking, guided pedal and paddle boating activities, as well as, refreshment services.

It likewise banned the usage of motorboats in order not to disturb the aquatic life and biological diversity in the area.

The MBDO cited that this new tourism enterprise is an offshoot of the successes gained from the development of the Mantigue Island as an ecotourism destination, and together with the

municipality’s Queobe Ecopark in Barangay Benoni, it completed Mahinog’s ‘eco-tourism triangle.’

The Taguines Lagoon Aqua-Sports and Recreational Facility was conceptualized by the LGU with the assistance of the Camiguin Coastal Resource Management Project (CCRMP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) office.

CCRMP is funded by the New Zealand Agency for International Developmen (NZAID) to institutionalize an integrated coastal resource management program.

It is now on its second phase of implementation in the province and aims to further strengthen local governance and capability in coastal resource management, and the promotion of conservation-based economic development that is compatible with coastal

resource management efforts.

CCRMP funded eighty three percent (83%) of the lagoon eco-tourism enterprise, while the remaining balance was also shouldered by the Mahinog LGU and DENR. To date, the MBDO is continuously assessing the enterprise operational system and procedures through documentation of feedback from tourist and implementers, tests run, and simulation of packaged water activities for improvement.

It likewise place careful consideration on possible environmental risks and Photos courtesy of Camiguin Coastal Resource Management Project ( CCRMP) mitigation strategies to include waste generation, activity area carrying c a p a c i t y, e m e r g e n c y response, and influx of tourist activities that may affect the life cycle of existing organisms by conducting vulnerability assessment.

Meanwhile, the Benoni fisherfolks Association (BFA) will get 20 percent share from the expected aqua-sports service. Latest baseline information of the beneficiaries bares a monthly income level of P3, 400.

Public schools benefit from ABS-CBN and NGCP donation

Governor Vi supports the fight against micronutrient deficiency

The public service arm of media giant ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN Foundation, and the country’s sole transmission service provider, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), partnered in a goodwill project that would enhance the teaching and learning methods of six public schools from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The t wo inst itut ions donated educational sets of a 32-inch LCD TV, a DVD, and 31 episodes of Educational TV materials with corresponding episode guide and teacher’s instruction manual.

T he sets a re ex pec ted to aug ment classroom learning by providing visual and interactive tools that the students will appreciate.

Receiving the donations are Ambuklao and Ampucao Elementary Schools in Benguet, Sapinit Elementary School in Antipolo City, Bagolibas Elementary School in Western Samar, and Kanyonan and Panantalan Elementary Schools in Bukidnon. Said schools were chosen because they are part of the communities that host NGCP’s on-going transmission line expansion projects.

During the turn-over ceremony at Ambuklao Elementary School last July 9, NGCP highlighted the importance of the project. “The students did not have

She may be occupying the seat of power in the whole province of Batangas, but in her heart Governor Vilma Santos-Recto is simply a mother taking care of the health of her family and of the community.

The love and concern she shows to her constituents through her “health-first” policy has earned her the respect and trust of her people.

“As a mom, it is my priority to take care of the health needs of my family, and this extends to my larger family of Batangueños,” she admits.

“I have always believed that even if you raise the quality of education, give jobs or l i ve l i ho o d s , or prov id e infrastructure, it would all be useless if the people suffer from poor health.”

Santos-Recto channels this outlook through her HEARTS Foundation, which stands for Health, Education and Environment, Agriculture, Roads, Tourism and Security. Putting much emphasis on health, she is rightfully concerned about the condition called Micronutrient D e f i c i e nc y a n d h ow i t affects millions of Filipino schoolchildren.

This is the reason why, for several years now, she has been supporting health advocacies that fight malnutrition. Her c a mpa ig ns cont i nuously educate and encourage both parents a nd k ids on t he importance of eating healthy foods and drinking milk.

“Parents should know the right food choices at ito ang dapat na binibigay nila sa mga anak nila,” she says. “Lalo na

access to these kinds of equipment and materials because these public schools cannot afford to buy such items. It is a good thing that ABS-CBN Foundation allowed us this opportunity to partner with them to be able to give back to our host communities.”

The collaboration between ABS-CBN Foundation and NGCP started when the system operator donating used batteries for the foundation’s Bantay Baterya Project in 2012. In exchange for the batteries, NGCP received educational TV sets which it decided to distribute to less fortunate public schools within its host communities. The distribution is targeted to be completed within the month of July.

NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid.

It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets. As a corporation with a public service orientation, NGCP partners with relevant institutions to support the communities hosting its transmission facilities, which it considers as a true partner in nation-building.

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ngayong panahon na naman ng pasukan, being healthy is very important because otherwise, maaaring maging masakitin ang mga bata, o kaya matamlay, laging nag-aabsent.”

Santos-Recto explains that kids who always seem to lack energy, easily get tired or have a hard time concentrating on their schoolwork are likely candidates for Micronutrient Deficiency. Lacking essential nutrients like Iron, Zinc, and Vitamin C in their diets, these children often grow up to be underweight or stunted, conditions from which roughly half of Filipino kids suffer.

“Ayon nga sa survey ng Food and Nutrition Research Institute ng Department of Science and Technology, four out of five schoolchildren suffer from lack of iron,” she says. “Seven out of ten public school students naman ang may kakulangan ng Vitamin C, samantalang one out of five ang kulang sa Zinc.”

The governor is happy that, through her collaboration with Nestlé Philippines and t he Food a nd Nut r it ion Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), she is able to communicate to a wider audience the importance of eating nutritious food and drinking milk. BEAR BR A N D Powdered M i l k Drink is fortified with Tibay Resistensya nutrients Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C to help children in their proper growth and development during their formative years.

“Ako at ang mga kapatid ko ay pinalaki sa gatas kaya

yun din ang ginawa ko sa aking mga anak,” says SantosRecto. “Alam naman natin lahat na talagang masustansya a ng gat a s la lo na k u ng fortified ito. “Isa ito sa mga napatunayang paraan para malabanan ang Micronutrient Deficiency – bigyan sila ng wastong nutrisyon kasama ang pag-inom ng gatas na may dagdag Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C gaya ng BEAR BR AND Powdered Milk Drink,” she adds. “Gusto ko ma-absorb ng parents ang importance nitong solusyong para sa pagpapalaki, pagpapalusog at pagaaral ng kanilang mga ana k. Ang Micronutrient Deficiency, kaya nating labanan!”

As a respected actress and public official, and as a health advocate, SantosRecto’s commitment as well as credibility comes from being a mother herself to her family, to her community and, ultimately, to the whole country.

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tuesday - July 23, 2013

DTI... from page 4

Domingo said.

He added t hat t he DTI also provides “Doing Business in Free Trade Areas” seminar to orient people on how to “take advantage of free trade agreements,” as well as the small and medium enterprises (SME) roving academy and shared services facilities (SSFs) that expands SMEs capacity and competitiveness both in local and international markets.

(MT)

Held... from page 4

Infrastructure was being worked out in the last few years, though, with upgrading and improvements of the seaports and airports.

Montenegro said the ports of the cities of Davao, General Sa ntos a nd Za mboa nga needed special attention due to their strategic location in the transport network in the ASEAN. But overall, he said “almost all sectors and industries in Mindanao are not prepared for the integration.”

Aside from the prohibitive shipping costs that prevent Minda nao vegetables, f r u it s a nd ot her c rops from contributing to the steady supply in the national capital and other domestic markets, the production sec tor a lso compla i ned of the lack of good farm roads and lack of processing facilities as concerns that the government had not paid adequate attention to for several decades.

Business owners, mostly small and medium e nt e r pr i s e s , h ave a l s o identified restrictive and strict banking credit regulations and requirements, and the long permitting and licensing process and high cost of doing business on the part

of local governments as the other problems of starting business.

The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry earlier disclosed that its members, which are almost a l l sma l l a nd me d iu m businesses, were forced to borrow from the loan sharks due to restrictive loan requirements set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The only consolation for DCCCII, however, was the similar problem faced by smaller cities and provincial capita ls in ot her Asia n countries that would place many small businesses in the region on the same dilemma.

But Montenegro said M i nda nao has a bet ter advantage compared to the other areas in the Philippines in the area of economic integration.

“O u r lon g ye a r s i n the BIMP-EAGA [Brunei Da r usa l la m, Indonesia, Malaysia, the PhilippinesEast Asean Growth Area] has prov ided us w it h a strong footing in economic integration.”

The BIMP-EAGA was created in March 1994 and ha s re ache d cons ensu s in even critical areas like c u s tom s , i m m i g r at ion, quarantine and security and made vast progress in intra-EAGA trading with the opening of air linkages like the Davao-Manado in Indonesia route, and the Zamboanga-Sindakan in Malaysia.

Monteneg ro s a id he was optimistic the national government would be more cooperative now in providing the needed support, mainly inf rast r uctu re f u nd ing, for Mindanao over “this a c k now le d ge m e nt t h at Mindanao is the major island connection with ASEAN in the coming 2015 free trade.”

While he admitted that Congress may still be hard

to persuade, “we are already getting adequate budget preference from the national government agencies in the development of agriculture a nd agribusiness a nd on the development and upgrading of the ports and road networks.” (BM)

Trips... from page 4

Minist r y of Hotels a nd Tourism Myanmar, who is also Chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Product D e ve l opm e nt Wor k i n g Group.

“A n aut hent ic t ravel experience involves meaningful engagement with the heritage, arts and special character of our ASEAN destinations,” he said in a press report posted on the ASEAN website.

Mr. Aung Zaw Win urged tour operators in ASEAN countries to develop more mu lt i-cou nt r y packages highlighting experiential and creative tourism, which he pointed out was a rising trend among consumers who want ‘authentic’ travel. “ To d a y ’s t r a v e l l e r s a re more soph ist ic ated and interested in unique experiences with immersion in local ways of life,” he said.

“Our role is to therefore s upp or t mu lt i- c ou nt r y experiential travel within ASEAN member states.”

To inspire travellers, ASEAN has compiled a series of features about themes such as beach, nature and wildlife; cruise tour and rail; culture and heritage; education and volunteering; food and nightlife; fun and leisure; health and spa; outdoor and water sports; and pilgrimage tourism. All are available on www.aseantourism.travel Tour operators who would like to submit multi-country experiential programs for possible inclusion on the A SE A N t r ave l we b s it e should email their offerings t o at mc w g@ g m a i l .c om (ASEAN) (PIA)

Workshop...

from page 4 are exposed to second-hand smoke.

The study attributed the success of the campaign to the political leadership, good coordination and in particular, the development of an extensive network of committed smoke-free advocates, large-sca le information dissemination and the willingness to enforce a smoke-free policy.

“Consequently, for most pa r t , t he smok i ng ba n resulted in major changes in the behavior of smokers in the city as they have learned to become responsible citizens, leading to the point that it is hard to see anyone smoking in public places,” the WHO Smoke Free City Case Study noted. (PIA)

Butuan... from page 2

E a rl ier, t he E a s ter n Petroleum Corp’s subsidiary, Caraga Renewable Energy Cor p. (Ca R E), revea led

that it plans to build a 20 megawatt biogas power plant and industrial tree plantation in t he municipa lities of Sibagat in Agusan del Sur and Buenavista in Agusan del Norte.

Engr. Valentin E. Velasco, CaRe managing director, said the firm chose places not far from Butuan for accessibility and marketing purposes as the city has the potential to be the next Cebu in 10 years.

He also cited Caraga as the fastest growing economy among t he countr y’s 17 regions with an accelerated rate of 9.6 percent in 2011 from 7.4 percent in 2010.

Aside from the region’s land resources and climate conducive to energy farming, Velasco said the two Agusan provinces and Butuan City have enac ted econom ic policies which are businessfriendly. (from PIA)

SME... from page 2

processed fish or marine products; leveraging industries supply chain; support industries and other agri-based industries.

“The SSF is open only to cooperatives, foundations and groups that are considered SMEs and not to particular individuals,” Ayano said.

(MT)

Growth...

from page 2 success rate of over 90 percent while the BOI has over 80 percent.

Domingo, who recently met with a group of foreign investors in Singapore cited the continued strong interest the Philippines is getting globally.

“Obviously, there is a continuing strong global interest in the Philippines.

You can see it from the registered investments. You don’t see it yet in the official foreign direct investments numbers but this thing is happening, it’s going on,” Domingo told reporters.

According to Domingo, the strong interest in the cou nt r y is ref lec ted i n the GDP numbers, in the manufacturing sector which grew 9.7 percent and the strong construction sector.

“We can see that in the strength of the economy.

This growth is sustainable because it is broad based,” Domingo said.

“Definitely, investments are going on and exports continue to increase despite weakness in the electronics sector because growth is broad based from agriculture, manufacturing or industry,” he said.

Even the services sector’s growth is also broad based with no sign of slowing down even if the base is already huge, he said. (MB)

Issues... from page 5

DOST adapted as theme ‘Science, Technology and Innovation: The Road to a Smarter Philippines.’

D O S T c onduc t s t he annual expo to help showcase

Filipino experts’ latest S&T innovations, interventions and inventions.

Climate change is among concerns highlighted in this year’s NSTW. “ T he e x p o i s a b out certainty of S&T in our lives,” DOST Sec. Mario Montejo.

Montejo praised Filipino S&T experts for “pushing boundaries and exploring frontiers” on how to come up with better products and services for the country.

Earlier, DOST identified its semiconductor industry testing facility Advanced Materials Testing Laboratory, alternative transport mode Automated Guideway Transit system and agricultura l productivity booster Certified Seed Production program a s a mong tech nolog ie s highlighted during the expo.

DOST is also showcasing during the expo its Project Nationwide Operationa l Assessment of Hazards.

The agency launched Project NOAH in 2012 to conduct disaster science research and development so the country can boost its DRR and disaster mitigation efforts.

A mong DR R-relate d innovations DOST developed is the Mobile Operational Sy s t e m for E me r ge nc y Ser vices. MOSES allows commu nit ies to receive real-time weather and flood information from relevant agencies. (PNA)

Flood... from page 5

problem,” Rivera said in a radio interview.

The Mines and G e oscience s Bu re au i n Region XII (MGB-12) earlier identified barangays Baluan, Buayan, Bula, Calumpang, Siguel, Lagao and Sinawal as high-risk to flooding.

The seven villages were among the 340 communities in Region 12 that were found to be highly v u lnerable a nd w i l l l i kely become “u n i n habitable” du r i ng floods.

MGB said most of these areas are part of a flood plain and are vulnerable to heavy f looding after just two to three hours of rains fur to the lack of substantial storm drainage.

Other areas in the city that are considered as floodprone are barangays City Heights, Apopong, Labangal, D a d i a n g a s No r t h a n d Dadiangas West.

Over the weekend, around 290 families were affected

by severe floods that swept portions of Purok Kindat and Purok Bulaong Extension in Barangay Labangal and Purok Silway Fatima in Barangay Dadiangas West.

The floods were caused by hours of torrential rains spawned by the prevailing Intertropical Convergence Zone.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said a total of 34 families have evacuated as a result of the floods, which mainly affected communities near the banks of the Silway River.

Si lw ay R iver, w h ich f lows to Sarangani Bay, is the main outlet of several river-tributaries from the upland areas in nearby South Cotabato province.

R ivera ack nowledged that the local government could not pursue substantial “engineering interventions” at the moment due to their huge budgetary requirements and with the review of the city’s disaster management plan still ongoing.

But he said they are looking at addressing t he f lood evacuations by establishing permanent relocation sites for the affected residents.

“Our priority is to clear t hese f lood-prone areas a long t he ba n k s of t he Silway River of residents and relocate them,” he added.

(MindaNews)

Park... from page 5

Ra miro said minera l exploration or extraction, drilling or prospecting for minerals and constructing or maintaining any kind of road, structure, fence or enclosure within the MMRNP without permit from the DENR is illegal. (BM)

Brownouts... from page 7

Members of the electric c o op er at ive s c a n f ig ht against implementation of this expensive solution by rejecting the power supply agreements entered into by the EC’s for the lease of the modular gensets.

The modular gensets are being acquired by the EC’s in violation of the law that requires them to carry out a competitive process in the acquisition of their power supply.

If the illegal PSA’s are rejec ted , t he EC ’s w i l l be forced to c a r r y out competitive acquisition of emergency supply of energy.

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wednesday - July 24, 2013

Repair... from page 1

ma i ntena nce work s a re one of Steag State Power Inc’s t wo 105-megawat t generating units, as well as the 158-megawatt Agus 4 plant, which is part of t he st ate- ow ne d Ag u sPulangi hydroelectric power complex.

Pa r t s of t he re g ion have suffered from hourslong outages as a result of i nsu f f icient power generating capacity. The onset of rains, however, has helped improve Mindanao’s electricity supply in the past months.

But Pet i l la sa id t h is situation to persist until 2015 when new power plants come on stream.

“By 2015 to 2016, they will already have oversupply,” he said.

In a statement, Petilla said that in order to mitigate the impact of Mindanao’s deficient power supply to consumers, electric utilities in the region would have to secure a diesel-fed generator s e t s wh ich a re a l re ady available with the issuance of Executive Order No. 137

by President Benigno Aquino III. Mindanao Development Authority in a statement said the government’s modular generator sets prog ra m should mitigate the problem of insufficient electricity.

EO 137 prov ides t he allocation of P4.5 billion of the government’s share in the Malampaya natural gas field royalties for the purchase of diesel-fed gensets.

Sale...

from page 1

or re pre s ent at ive s , a re in discussions with Suntory, its shareholders or representat ives w it h respect to any transaction,” Del Monte Pacific told the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Bloomberg earlier r e p o r t e d t h a t S u nt or y Beverage aims to acquire Del Monte Pacific as it spends $5 billion on merger and acquisition deals to help double sales by 2020.

Suntor y Beverage manufactures Boss coffee and Orangina soda.

E a r l i e r, D e l M o n t e Pacific listed 1.30 billion shares on the PSE by way of introduction. It listed its shares in the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited in 1999.

Del Monte Pacific exports fresh pineapples to Korea, Japan, China and the Middle East under the S&W brand.

It s c a n ner y pla nt i s located in Cagayan de Oro Cit y and vast pineapple plantation in the province of Bukidnon.

Del Monte Pacific grew its net profit by 17 percent to US$32.1 million last year from US$27.4 million in 2011 due to higher sales, favorable margins and lower equity share in losses of FieldFresh, a joint venture firm in India.

Minergy...

website states it has 119,936 customers, of which 103,074 from page 1 a re re sid ent i a l, 16 , 39 6

by Cagayan de Oro City commercial, 270 industrial, Council chaired by Councilor 151 bulk power and 181 Teodulfo Lao, Jr., Cepalco streetlights.

Senior Vice-President Jaime Rafael Pag uio said t hat in compliance with ERC from page 3 regulations, Cepalco has incurred a loss of P181.5 asked three suppliers to million, a reversal from the submit tenders for baseload net income of P306.6 million power supply provision. in 2011. Revenues last year “Supplier A quoted P3.63 amounted to P1.60 billion, per kilowatt hour (kWh), up by 17 percent from P1.36 Supplier B P3.77 and Minergy billion in 2011. submitted the lowest at P3.56/ kWH,” Paguio said./ M i n d a n a o E n e r g y from page 3 Systems, Inc. [Minerg y) BOOSTING VISAYAS is the f irst independent POWER power producer [IPP] in The 135-MW power plant, the region which sells power A Brown added, is expected directly to Cepalco and other to be operational by middistributors since 1992. Its 2016. diesel power plants were The power plant, which expanded to 43MW last year. costs about P12.5 billion, Minergy also operates will be built in Barangay t he 8MW Cabu lig mini Nipa in the municipality of hydroelectric plant t hat Concepcion. supplies back-up power for P C P C l a s t m o n t h its clients. issued a notice to proceed As an “embedded” power with the construction of plant, Mr. Paguio said the projec t to t he projec t ’s Minergy coal plant would engineering, procurement supply its entire 110-MW and construction contractor, output to Cepa lco t hus NLSC. ensuring reliable supply NLSC is a consortium for the latter’s franchise consisting of First Northeast area which covers Cagayan Electric Power Engineering d e O r o C it y, a n d t h e Corp. of China Energy Group, municipalities of Tagoloan, Liaoning Electric Power Jasaan, and Balingasag in Survey & Design Institute Misamis Oriental. It would and Shenyang Electric Power approximately consist 50 Design Institute Company percent of t he ut i l it y ’s Ltd. baseload power needs.

Last March, PCPC signed The power plant will a supply agreement with have two units of 55-MW PT. Pevensey Indonesia, a coa l f ired boi lers using company based in Jakarta, the circularized fluidized- for coal requirements of its b e d combu st ion (FBC) 135-MW power plant. which are more effective PCPC is a 70-30 joint than earlier technologies venture between A Brown’s for coal fired power plants, Palm Thermal Consolidated emit less greenhouse gases Holdings Corp. and Jin than oil-fired power plants Navitas Resource, Inc. and require less external A Brown, which serves emissions capture units. as public holding firm of the C h iqu it a C . C a pi l i , Brown Group of Companies, executive vice president & is primarily engaged in controller, said the tender the business of real estate assures Cepalco consumers of development. the cheapest and most reliable Through its subsidiaries, power supply over which A Brown has also ventured it will be able to exercise into oil palm nursery and control as an “embedded s e e d l i ngs d i s t r ibut ion, power supply” and avoid palm oil milling, operation additiona l tra nsmission of hotels and real estate costs to the benefit of all brokerage. consumers.

Its net income fell 66.74% During the City Council to P4.722 million in the first hearing Paguio, said it needs quarter from P14.196 million to contract additional power in the same three months to address Cepalco’s power last year. demand forecast by 2017 In the same comparative and uncertainty whether periods, revenues dropped its power supply contract 18.24% to P142.838 million with the National Power from P174.701 million, while Corp/PSALM that expires cost and expenses also fell by on March 25, 2015 can still 10.95% to P136.061 million be renewed at its present from P152.799 million. level.

At pre s ent , C epa lco sources up to 90 percent of from page 3 its baseload power from NPC/ diesel generating power stations PSALM, with the balance that consist of four identical sourced from Minergy, FG Hitachi-Sulzer diesel generator Bukidnon Power Corp.’s units rated at 8 megawatts each.

Agusan River Hydro Electric Commissioned in 1981, Plant (1MW), and Cepalco’s PBs 101 and 102 are currently solar power plant (1MW). stationed at Bo. Obrero in The utility also has an Iloilo City. PBs 103 and 104, additional 24.6MW it can which began operating in tap from various customers 1985, are moored in Botongon, through its Interruptible Estancia, Iloilo, and at the Load Program (ILP).

Holcim Compound, Ilang, As of 2012, Cepalco’s Davao City, respectively.

11

MacroAsia...

Borrows...

Aboitiz...

PO2 Sergs De Constantine R. Maceren inspects the black Hyundai Accent at the compound of the Traffic and Management Group in Camp Evangelista, Cagayan de Oro City, inspects the black Hyundai Accent believed to have been carnapped from Bulacan. The car was taken from Balingoan, Misamis Oriental, where the driver figured in an accident along the national highway. The vehicles in the background are also recovered carnapped vehicles. photo by gerry l . gorit

MinDa pushes renewable energy investments DAVAO City -- The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is currently conducting an inventory of renewable energy investment prospects in the island to ensure these interests would level up to on the ground investments, MinDA public affairs director Romeo Montenegro said.

I n a n i nter v ie w, he said MinDA has recorded about 100 applications for renewable energy projects in Mindanao. All of these investments if pursued would cause power generation of about 700 megawatts, which would apparently help ease Mindanao power supply problem.

“We’re doing an inventory now because we want that t hese appl ic at ions w i l l graduate from indicative

to actual constructions,” Montenegro said.

MinDA is pushing for renewable energy to balance the coming in droves of coal fired power plant investments in the region to augment power supply.

T hou g h he d id not categorically say MinDA is against coal-fired power as source of energy, he pointed out the big help of renewable energy to help ease power woes in Mindanao.

Montenegro said that while brownouts are expected to occur next month due to scheduled maintenance works, more power are seen in the next two months after August when the Iligan power grid operates full swing. Aside from this, more generation sets will be coming from each generation set to generation about 15 megawatts.

MinDA is also banking on its Interruptible Load Progam (ILP) in which it asks Davao City’s malls and industries to run their standby generation sets and be compensated by with rates approved by the Energy Regulatory Board.

MinDA is projecting ILP to generate additional 5- to 100 megawatt power supply, Montenegro said. (PNA)

PAGASA...

from the destructive impact of natural calamities. Earlier, two SM malls in Marikina a nd Mu nt i n lupa where featured in the recently concluded UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction Global Platform for Disaster Reduction in Geneva, Switzerland. These malls served as examples of best practices in disaster risk reduction, readiness, and resilience for businesses.

Silerio said choosing the proper location for AWS, also known as “siting,” is an important factor in ensuring the accuracy of these weather instruments. “There are ma ny aspects t hat may cause biased readings, such as low-lying obstructions like trees,” she said. “Since the rooftops of our malls does not have such kinds of obstruction, these became

ideal to help achieve accurate measurements.”

An AWS is a device that measures wind velocity, wind direction, atmospheric pressure, humidity, amount of rainfall, temperature, and UV radiation. These environment factors will be used in forecasting weather, as well as assist in the study of weather and climate. The AWS gadgets will collect all measurement data, which w i l l in turn be sent to Meteomedia—a Canadian weather service provider.

Data collected will be used to analyze weather patterns and make predictions.

The data will be made available to the public via online at weather.com.ph, which is updated in realtime. News updates, both in text and video, can be also viewed for free. (MT)

from page 5

project.

“There had been a number of AWS projects by other groups in t he past, and we hope to augment their efforts by hosting more of these devices,” said Liza Silerio, program director of the SM Cares Environment Committee. “We hope that this project improves the cou nt r y ’s c apabi l it y i n weather monitoring and fore c a s t i n g , e s p e c i a l l y now that extreme weather conditions are seriously disrupting more lives and property.”

SM Sup er m a l l s , t he chain of shopping malls owned by SMPHI, has been actively pursuing mitigation and relief efforts to aid its immediate communities

Surviving a failure gives you more selfconfidence. Failures are great learning tools.. but they must be kept to a minimum.

– Jeffrey Immelt

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Feature

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wednesday - July 24, 2013

MyPhone organizes Gilas Pilipinas’ pre-FIBA Games Gilas Pilipinas is set to get into court action on their games against PBA Stars and Kazakhstan team, on July 24 MOA Arena and on July 26, Araneta Coliseum, respectively, only a few days before the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.

The pre-FIBA games are still a part of the efforts to gear up the Philippine men's basketball team for the competition. The results of Gilas' training in the recent months shall be put to test, as the team is up against the best of the best in PBA in Game 1, plus a competing team in FIBA Asia in Game 2.

The Gilas Pilipinas pre-FIBA games are under the campaign Laban ng Gilas, Laban ng Pilipinas: The Road to the 2013 FIBA Asia 2013 Championship, organized by the Philippine Basketball Association's (PBA) official mobile phone partner, MyPhone.

“Ang laban ng Gilas ay laban ng Pilipinas-- this is what MyPhone and PBA aim to convey in this campaign.

Being the pro-Pinoy mobile phone brand that we are, we extend our support to Filipino at h letes, pa r t icula rly, t he basketball league. We join PBA in the endeavor to suppor t from Filipinos for our national team,” shares Jaime Alcantara, MyPhone President.

The campaig n seeks to highlight Gilas' efforts as driven not towards team, but national pride.

“Our goal is to make Laban ng Gilas, Laban ng Pilipinas the battlecry as Gilas represents and plays for our country,” adds Alcantara.

Tickets are available at SM Tickets for the Gilas Pilipinas versus PBA Stars game and TicketNet for Gilas Pilipinas versus Kazakhstan game.

NGCP joins Air Force Group Reserve fun run F or t h e s e c o n d y e a r i n a r ow, t h e N a t i o n a l Gr id C or porat ion of t he Philippines (NGCP) extends its support to the Philippine A i r F o rc e a n d t h e 71s t Air Force Group Reser ve (AFGR)’s fun run.

Dubbed as t he “2nd PAFRun for Ser v ice”, t he Ju ly 7 event was focused o n c o n t i n u i n g A F G R ’s m is sion to ser ve ot hers .

Proceeds f rom t he event will be utilized to improve the group’s response during emergency operations. Last year’s donations were used to purchase rescue equipment, a feat which AFGR hopes to repeat this year.

NGCP Mindanao Security D i v i s i on He a d M a x i m o Tr i n id a d c on f i r me d t he transmission system o p e r a t o r ’s s u p p o r t . “ I n recognition and appreciation for their invaluable support to NGCP, particularly during the power restoration and rescue operations in the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong, AFGR can be assured of NGCP’s participation in their noble cause.”

AFGR is also a partner of NGCP in the implementation of anti-pilferage information drives in the region. The prog ra m is a cont i nuous

River rafting for-a-cause set on July 28

Young men steer a river boat along Davao river, site of the white water rafting for-a-cause set on July 28, 2013. mindanews file photo

Representatives of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) join Air Force Group Reserve’s (AFGR) 2nd fun run, titled “2nd PAFRun for Service”, in Cagayan de Oro City last 07 July 2013. effort to boost security of NGCP facilities nationwide by e nc ou r a g i n g g r e a t e r community participation.

The information campaign also includes an introduction to NGCP operations, t r a nsm is sion l i ne s a fet y remi nders, a nd Republ ic Act (R.A.) 7832, also known

as the Anti-Pilferage Act. NG C P i s a pr i v a t e l y owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits highvoltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines,

a Glimpse of the Lifestyle in the Metro

towers , subst at ions , a nd related assets.

As a corporation with a public service orientation, NGCP partners with relevant institutions to support the com mu n it ies host i ng it s transmission facilities, which it considers as a true partner in nation-building.

DAVAO CITY – A river rafting for a cause is slated in Davao River on July 28, 2013, at 11 a.m. by the Base Camp Davao Rafting Company here.

It is a fund-raising activity for the medication of freelance fitness instructor Cherry “Chai” Araneta, who has a kidney failure problem.

Araneta, formerly of Metro Lifestyle Gym, is the wife of triathlete Marjun Balaite. They are blessed with two young daughters.

“Share your blessings while having fun,” said Jack Berdos of Base Camp.

Instead of the regular rate of P1,500, Base Camp Davao will be offering a discount price of P1,000

only per participant including transportation, gears, equipment and documentation.

“Let’s get wet and wild,” said Berdos.

White water rafting is one of the most exciting outdoor activities now in Davao City. It’s the kind of adventure that is great to share with friends and lends itself well to making a weekend excursion out of it.

In the end, white water rafting always leaves its participants wanting for more and with stories enough to fill the often long ride home.

Base Camp Davao is located inside the Madrazo compound along Ponciano Reyes Street.

The

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