BusinessDaily (September 5, 2013)

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Volume III, No. 289

Market Indicators

As of 5:59 pm sept. 4, 2013 (Wednesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P44.42

5,968.33 points

5 cents

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115.58 points

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Briefly Investment Code DAVAO City -- The Tagum City government is drafting a new investment incentives code.

Allan L. Rellon, mayor of the Davao del Nor te capital, which is about an hour from here by bus, said that the Tagum City government is pushing for new perks in the proposed code.

“We need a new policy that will entice investors to consider our city,” Mr. Rellon said.

He added that the local government is still finalizing a package of incentives that will be offered to new investors and noted noting that these would include property tax holidays.

Water treatment Z AMBOANGA Cit y - The Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) on Wednesday announced its plan of establishing new water treatment facilities in the city’s two districts.

The plan which was announced during a regular session of the city council was described by some councilors as too ambitious, as its cost is almost double than the assets of the firm.

No less than ZCWD General Manager Leonardo Rey Vasquez, stood in the front line, to explain to the councilors about an urgent need to pursue said project, in anticipation of increasing number of water concessionaires starting year 2014.

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INTERIM MINDANAO ELECTRICITY MARKET

Higher rates seen as spot market operates T

By IRENE DAYO, Reporter

HE Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM), which will begin operation next month, may cost Mindanao consumers higher power rates.

STELLAR GROWTH. The Philippine’s stellar economic performance has pushed its ranking in world competitiveness six notches higher.

GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

This after the Philippine Electricity Market Corp (PEMC), which will operate the electricity spot market based in Cagayan de Oro City, filed a petition before t he E nerg y Reg u lator y Commission (ERC) to charge IMEM participants a rate of P0.0021 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

The amount is based on the P20.9 million budgetary requirement for the IMEM and the projected energy volume of 10,116 gigawatthours that will be coursed through the latter.

In its petition, PEMC also asked the regulatory commission to allow it to recover P34.3 million in fees collected from Wholesale Electricit y Spot Market participants in Luzon and the Visayas and used to set up the IMEM. To shield consumers from a possible spike in power rates, PEMC proposed the recovery to be imposed only on IMEM participants with at least five megawatts demand for three years. This will redound to about P18,000 rates/PAGE 11

PHL improves six notches Abolish pork barrel, higher in world ranking says Misor lawmaker THE Philippines’ ranking in the World Economic For u m (W EF) Globa l Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 has improved by six notches from rank 65 out of 144 economies worldw ide i n 2012 to

59th this year out of 148 economies.

This is disclosed by WEF through the Makati Business Club (MBC) which called a press conference Wednesday morning for the announcement of the latest

Global Competitiveness Report.

T h e Globa l Competitiveness Report is an annual report measuring the competitiveness of an economy t hroug h 146 improves/PAGE 11

REPRESENTATIVE Juliette Uy of the second district of Misamis Oriental yesterday declared her stand on the controversial “pork barrel” and pushed for a better system of delivering government services to all areas in the country.

“We support the people’s clamor to abolish the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or the pork barrel system that has been abused by certain legislators facility in Mt. Apo. In a resolution, councilor and private individuals. The Ruby Padilla-Sison stressed said abuse spans years of it i s h ig h ly-i ron ic t hat throwing good money for t he c it y is host to t wo bad that has severely tainted geothermal power plants the legislature and deprived dispatch/PAGE 11 our people of the much need

City dad seeks load dispatch from geothermal plants due to NorthCot

By MALU CADELINA-MANAR, MindaNews

KIDAPAWAN City -- With long daily brownouts since August, a city councilor here has urged President Benigno Aquino III to order the National Power Corp.

(Napocor) and the Lopezled Energy Development Corp. (EDC) to prov ide North Cotabato 25 percent of the load dispatch from t h e g e o t h e r m a l p owe r

UY

services to alleviate their plight,” Uy said.

The neophyte legislator was also open to the option to subtract the PDAF allocation abolish/PAGE 11

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It’s grand slam for PPA-Surigao Government, MNLF strengthen SURIGAO City -- For the third time in a row, the port community led by Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Port Management Office-Surigao snatched the top prize in this year’s Float Parade Competition during the city’s 43rd Charter Day celebration on August 31.

PPA’s entry was a crowddrawer where people pose for picture-taking as they were amazed of it’s design and rendition of the “Bayanihan Spi r it ” a s depic ted by ‘representatives’ of national and local agencies behind the backdrop of City Hall’s replica.

For its feat, PPA-Surigao’s entry bagged the top prize followed by DepEd Surigao City Division and SMWD for the second and third prizes, respectively.

Representatives of the port community included Port Manager Isidro Bustaslac, Jr., PPSupt Foilan Caturla, Teresita Maquiling, Engr. Carmelito Abitona, Engr. Allan Yap, Eng r. Ju n Baya ng , L eo Ebuña, Isidric Labastida, Noli Nusog and the engineering outsourced personnel of PPA, Director Emmanuel Carpio of MARINA, Commander Zenmond Duque of Phil.

Coast Guard, Lieutenant C om m a nd er P r i m it i vo Novo of Phil. Navy, Collector Oswaldo Geli of Bureau of Customs and Henry Garcia of Provincial Customs Brokerage Services Incorporated.

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partnership for development ZAMBOANGA City -- The Autonomous Reg ion i n Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) have agreed to create a steering committee that will oversee the implementation of PAMANA or Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Peacef u l a nd Resi l ient Communities) program.

In a forum organized here by the ARMM regional government last Sunday, around 50 senior MNLF le aders d i s c u s s e d w it h ARMM and OPAPP officials how to advance development progra ms in t he MNLF communities.

The collaboration is in

line with the agreement reached by the government and the MNLF during their meeting last July 2011 in Solo City, Indonesia to develop a “workable partnership at appropriate levels” to pursue ARMM reforms which the ARMM regional government has taken on.

For this, the regional government engaged the MNLF through the signing of t he Memora ndum of Agreement (MOA) on Joint

Partnership for Development.

PAMANA, which is the government’s program and framework for peace and development in conf lictaffected and vulnerable areas in the country, targets to spur economic developments in the MNLF communities.

Under the program, senior leaders of the MNLF will identify the type of socioeconomic i nter vent ions needed in t he MNLF MNLF/PAGE 9

Efforts to save Mount Mayapay lauded BU T UA N C it y - - T he environmental protection efforts for the protection and preservation of Mount Mayapay under the Samahang Magdalo and Philippine Information Agency (PIA13) c o nt i nu e d r aw i n g accolade, the latest of which came from Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Caraga regional director Faisar Mambuay. save/PAGE 9

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Tigerair to buy more aircraft next year for regional flights

Atlas to ramp up copper production in 2H ATLAS Consolidated Mining and Development Corp plans to increase production to bring down overall costs in the second half of the year.

Adrian Ramos, At las executive vice president, today told reporters that t he c omp a ny w i l l “ do much better” in the July

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

to December period with output getting a boost from the expansion of the copper concent rate capacit y of wholly-owned unit Carmen Copper Corp.

“We’re trying to bring in the expansion plant online as quickly as we can. We Atlas/PAGE 9

TIGERAIR Philippines on Tuesday said it plans to acquire more aircraft next year in preparation for flights to Japan, South Korea and China.

Olive Ramos, president a nd ch ief e xe c ut ive of Tigerair Philippines, told reporters that the airline will acquire two to three Airbus A320 aircraft.

“We are preparing for Japan, Korea and China,” Ramos said on the sidelines of the launch of its ManilaPhuket flights, the airline’s four t h internationa l destination.

Ramos said Tigerair will ask the Civil Aeronautics tiger/PAGE 9

Berjaya extends tender offer for London dealer

THE Philippine unit of Malaysia’s Berjaya Group has extended by another two weeks its offer to acquire a London-based luxury auto dealer.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Berjaya Phi lippines Inc said the deadline for the acquisition of the remaining shares of HR Owen Plc was moved to September 16.

This is t he second extension after Berjaya earlier pushed back the original deadline from August 20 to

September 2.

To d a t e , B e r j a y a Ph i l ippi nes has va l id acceptances for 90,195 shares, representing approximately 0.38 percent of the issued share capital of HR Owen and 0.54 percent of the offer shares.

The tender offer follows Berjaya Philippines’ acquisition of a 29.81 percent stake in HR Owen in June for 8.33 million pounds or P540.36 million. The Philippine listed firm already owns 30.19 percent of the

luxury car distributor.

A month later, Berjaya Philippines made a tender offer for the minority shares of HR Owen for 130 pence in cash for every share, a premium of 19.9 percent to the last three month average closing share price to July 16 of 108.42 pence.

HR Owen had rejected the Berjaya offer because it “materially undervalued” t he bu si ne s s , a d v i si ng shareholders to ignore the bid.

Berjaya/PAGE 9

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Motoring

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Alfred Ty, TMPC vice chairman, said the new model will be converted to completely built units (CBUs) in its Sta. Rosa, Laguna plant from the semi-assembled completely k nock down (CKD) kits.

This means that Toyota will be adding another model for local production, following its decision to manufacture the Vios compact sedan here.

TMPC invested P1 billion to set up and operate the new Vios production line.

Also this year, TMPC affiliate Toyota Auto Parts Inc. (TA PI) opened its P5-bi l lion tra nsmission manufacturing facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

The output of the plant will be supplied to Toyota’s global production for its International Innovative

Multipurpose Vehicle (IMV) line that includes the Innova, Fortuner and Hi-Lux. “Next year, [we will be investing] P2 billion easily.

We will be launching some new exciting odels towards the middle of 2008,” Ty said.

Ty refused to give more details on the new model that the company will start producing locally next year.

He sa id t here a re advantages in doing the assembly of some models in the country instead of just merely importing.

These advantages include

savings on tariff payments and shipment costs, he said.

However, the government, he added, should put in place policies that would encourage auto firms to produce more models here.

The conversion of CKD into CBUs also benefit the country in terms of fresh employments, dollar inflows and more business for the local parts manufacturers.

Santos Guerrero, senior vice president of TMP, said the company is looking at increasing its CKD volume to 25,000 units in 2008 from about 15,000 units this year.

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After Vios, Toyota plans to roll out new car model TOYOTA Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC) will be investing at least P2 billion next year, with a big chunk of the amount going to the assembly of a new model that the company will introduce soon in the domestic market.

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Get a peek at the Mirage G4 MITSU BISHI MOTOR S Philippines Corp. (MMPC) last Monday began offering sneak peeks of the Mirage G4, soon to be the latest addition to the automaker’s passenger car lineup.

A special preview night was staged in Metro Manila on Monday, while those outside the metropolis can catch the all-new subcompact sedan on Sept. 6 at Freeway

Motors i n C aba nat u a n and Baliuag, Motorplaza in Calasiao, Car World in San Fernando, Evolander in Taytay, Armcar Automotive in Sta. Rosa, Jabez Motors in Cavite and SFM Corp. in Lipa.

On Sept. 13, meanwhile, the Mirage G4 can be seen at Avescor Motors in Iloilo and Bacolod, Fast Autoworld mirage/PAGE 9

last year.

T h e To y o t a G r o u p includes Toyota Autoparts Philippines, Inc. (TAP), 95 percent of whose output is exported to several countries including Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sout h Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Pakistan, and Venezuela. It also provides parts to TMPC. Gutierrez also said that the company expects exports toyota/PAGE 9

HONDA CARS Philippines, Inc. is reiterating its adherence to safety by extending its Tires and Batteries Promo.

Ta k e a d v a n t a g e o f original, brand new tires at your nearest Honda dealer at lowest prices ever. If you purchase at least two, get a free gallon of Honda’s SemiSynthetic Engine Oil (valued at P1,500).

P u rcha se fou r t i re s , meanwhile, and get a gallon Honda/PAGE 9

Toyota exports dip 2% Honda gears to $480M in H1 you up THE Toyota Group’s exports dipped slightly in the first half of 2013 as the company stopped the production of old Vios and Corolla models to make way for new ones.

Accord ing to Toyota Motor Philippines Corp.

(TMPC) vice president for corporate affairs Rommel Gutierrez in an email Tuesday, the Toyota Group’s shipments as of end-June reached $480 million, compared to $490 million in the same period

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“Abolish political dynasties” ...Born Again Christians

What language do you speak?

T

THINK

hink a minute…A woman was telling her husband A Minute that she wanted him to tell her By Jhan Tiafau Hurst more often that he loved her.

Her surprised husband said: “Tell you what? Woman, when I married you 17 years ago I told you ‘I love you’. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know!”

They say that there are 5 languages of love.

A nd t he reason ma ny marriages are not happy is that husbands and wives speak different languages to express and show their love.

The problem is we simply haven’t learned each other’s love language.

For example, have you ever wished your wife or husband would do something special that would mean a lot to you, but instead they did something else that they like, so you felt hurt and disappointed?

You see, it could be that neither you nor your mate has learned each other’s love language.

Since we each are different, whatever makes you really happy may not be the same for your wife or husband.

Here are the 5 main love languages people use to show love.

First, is serving and doing things for your spouse—like cooking a meal, cleaning house, helping with the kids, or cutting the grass.

Second, is physical touching and closeness.

Being affectionate and expressing love physically.

The third language of love is giving gifts, like surprising your wife or husband with presents, not just on their birthday or anniversary.

The fourth language of love is talking.

Actually telling your wife or husband how much you love and appreciate them.

Saying things that make them feel good about themselves and secure in your love for her or him.

Getting to really know how your wife or husband is understanding and feeling what they’re going through by talking and listening each day. hurst/PAGE 10

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The Business Daily is published by BusinessDaily Printing and Publishing with office address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa St., Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Region 10 with Certificate No. 00875701, and with Business Permit No. 2013-17311, TIN No. 946396-807 – Non VAT. Tel. Nos.: (088)8578447, 74-5380, 0923-432-0687, 0917-7121424

ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, Ph.D.

L

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Your rulers have gone against the Lord, they have become friends of thieves; everyone of them is looking for profit and going after rewards…”

(Isaiah 1:23, the Holy Bible).

-ooo “PITY THE FILIPINO”: To all of those who are involved in the P10 billion pork barrel scam, listen to a plea made by Fr. Francis Lucas, the executive secretary of the Commission on Media of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) last Tuesday, 03 September 2013: “Please have pity on the Filipino”. Lucas made the plea over radio station DZXL, 558 khz., during an interview over the scam.

Fr. Lucas maybe correct, those who stole the money must have pity on the Filipino, most of whom continue to live in abject poverty because of the diversion of billions of government funds intended for their benefit, but then, really, the scalawags and the scammers must have pity on themselves first and foremost, because they are bound to answer for each and every centavo that they plundered sooner or later.

If these thieves will manage to escape retribution and their just penalties here on earth, they are sure to be punished when they shall have left this world. It cannot be denied that humanity will have to go somewhere else after leaving this life, and whether they believe in God or not, mankind will have to account for whatever they have

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Editor-in-Chief

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Executive Editor Online editor

Regional Editor

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

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Website: www.businessweekmindanao.com E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Member: Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber)

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done. The laws of God will akampi make sure of that, or, at least, Mo A ng Batas the laws of cosmic karma will

By Atty. Batas Mauricio catch up with them.

-ooo ABOLISH POLITICAL DYNASTIES, BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS URGE: Here is another portion of the open letter of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Counsel of Eva ngel ic a l Chu rches relative to the pork barrel sc a m: “A N A PPE A L TO LEAD US IN DISMANTLING PATRONAGE POLITICS. We appeal to our President to lead in the abolition of an unjust system of patronage politics. We strongly say, `Enough with a few families controlling not just the politics but the very soul of towns, cities, provinces and to some degree our country!’

“Thus, we encourage our President to lead our nation by exploring all legal and legislative processes towards this political transformation; to lead us to stop the use of pork barrel funds to finance and sustain this patronage political system and the political dynasties that perpetuates corruption. batas/PAGE 10

Look before you pawn

n times of emergency or distress like what the country experienced during last week’s torrential rains, people need money easy and fast to spend for food, shelter, and other basic necessities.

For Filipinos, one of the places we usually go to for quick cash is the pawnshop.

Pawning, or using a valuable possession as collateral in exchange of monetary loan, has been a long-standing practice all over the world, including the Philippines. In fact, we have nearly 17,000 pawnshop branches scattered in the archipelago today.

It is still a popular choice first, because of its accessibility.

You’ll find one in urban areas and even in the countryside, where banks are still wanting.

Second, pawnshops have fewer requirements and shorter processing than other financial institutions. Bank loans may take days or hours at least, while a pawnshop transaction can be done in a few minutes.

Third, many of our countrymen still cannot afford to open and maintain a bank savings account. Hence, what they do when they have extra cash is buy items that they can pawn in the future.

Pawnshops indeed have remained useful to us, but these can also be used to take advantage of people and violate the law. So, before you rush to a pawnshop with your valuable, it is best you read the remainder of this article first.

Since the country’s money flows through pawnshops, it is the responsibility of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the nation’s sole monetary authority, to supervise

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NELSON CONSTANTINO

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SPEAKING

and regulate it.

In reaction to various O ut complaints on unsound or

By Ignacio Bunye abusive practices of certain pawnshops, the BSP continues to assess and fine-tune its guidelines for pawnshops. The keyword here is is “Look.”

For those who will pawn, look for the Acknowledgement of Registration or Authority to Operate sign when you enter a pawnshop. That way, you’ll know if it is permitted to engage in business.

After all, the BSP does not just allow anyone to put up a pawnshop, they must meet certain “fit and proper” standards, similar to what BSP require from bank applicants, to ensure that they have no bad record and are able to practice good governance.

This rule is stipulated in Resolution No. 648 of the BSP Monetary Board (MB) in 2009, which replaced the Pawnshop Regulation Act of 1973. It also states that pawnshops must maintain a minimum level of capital or net worth that is in relation to their loan portfolio. This is to avoid “fly-by-night” operators that do not have enough resources to pay for the expenses and liabilities of their establishments.

Second, look at the maturity date on your pawn ticket. bunye/PAGE 10

Simple vs. complicated

n the heat and frenzy of our modern life, where rapidity seems to be the main rule, disregarding the concern of whether we are in the right course or not, we need to pause if only to be able to distinguish between what is to be simple and what is to be complicated.

The line has been blurred and all but deleted, and many of us do not care anymore whether simplicity still holds some value to us or whether being complicated holds no danger at all to us.

We need to resurface the original and undeniable value of simplicity, highlighting why it should be pursued, developed and defended, especially these days when many complicating elements practically glut our existence in all levels.

Simplicity, which is not equivalent at all to being a simpleton or being naïve, is an indispensable quality in our life for it conforms us to what is proper to our nature and condition, makes us see things very objectively and extensively, and enables us to go through the gyrations of life without losing our focus on our proper and ultimate end.

It’s a result of a vital union of God, our Creator and Father, who is in fact absolutely simple in essence and power even if he has to contend with the potentially infinite twists and turns that our freedom can take.

It’s a simplicity that is not rigid at all, but is all flexible, and ever adjusting and anticipating while respecting the way things in general are. In other words, it’s a simplicity

that can take on anything, very dynamic and versatile, and Traces and would even know how

By Fr. Roy Cimagala to derive good from evil.

It’s very much compatible with prudence, patience and hope, and goes all the way to live out the demands of charity, since it can prefer to suffer for any duration of time if only to gain the eternal goal of life everlasting with God who is our ultimate end.

The opposite of simplicity is to be complicated, which happens whenever we detach ourselves from God and prefer to be guided by our own estimation of things-be it through common sense, our sciences and arts, our social, economic or political consensus.

In that condition, we are actually making our own world, our own reality, our own set of truths and untruths that actually have no real basis. It’s self-interest that is served rather than the common good. Complicated situations are incapable of serving the good of all.

Yes, for a time, we may enjoy certain perks and advantages, but these will never last long, and in time, the fantasy will just collapse. The perks and advantages, cimagala/PAGE 9

HINTS

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PNP-10 Regional Director P C/Supt. Catalino B. Rodriguez, Jr., underscored during the 19th Crime Prevention Week Celebration held on Monday, September 2 at Camp Alagar, Cagayan de Oro City that while law enforcement agencies conduct pro-active measures to suppress and control lawless activities, crime prevention is always everybody’s concern. (P/Supt. Ronnie Francis Cariaga, RPIO)

Call for 6th RAFI Triennial Awards is on The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI) is now accepting nominations for the 6th RAFI Triennial Awards to honor men, women, and organizations, who, through their efforts and self less commitment, bring about change in the lives of the less privileged in various groups and communities in the Philippines.

T he R a mon Ab oit i z Aw a r d f o r E x e m p l a r y Individual is open to every Filipino, natural born or naturalized citizen, at least 30 years old, and of good moral character whose dedication

to their profession has made significant contributions to the advancement of the wellbeing of fellow Filipinos.

The Eduardo Aboitiz Awa rd for Outsta nd ing Institution, meanwhile, is open to all institutions or organizations. They may be government organizations, non-government organizations, civic organizations, or people’s organizations, which have been established for at least three years, with functional programs and work with other groups in bringing about comprehensive and

responsible development.

The nominees should exhibit unending commitment and dedication to uplift the socio-economic condition of the poor and the marginalized sectors.

Nominees for each category will undergo an extensive screen i ng process. T he selection process starts when individuals and institutions are nominated for the RAFI Triennial Awards.

A sea rch com m it tee composed of representatives from the media, academe, business groups, and people’s RAFI/PAGE 10

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CINE EUROPA returns to CdeO

F

or the past six years, Rodelsa Hall has been the home of the premiere European Film Festival in Cagayan de Oro and this year, the four-day cinema fest is set to return this coming October 10-13.

Get ready for another season of 21 quality films from 18 member countries of the European Union as they showcase their unique brand of cinematic storytelling in the 16th edition of Cine Europa.

This cultural affair is spearheaded by the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines in partnership with the EU Cultural Institutes, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Rodelsa Hall of Liceo de Cagayan University.

For the Cagayan de Oro leg of the nationwide film fest, Germany’s entry “Almanya – Willkommen

in Deutschland” opens the four day event. As reviewed by ukgermanconnection. org, “the film is a new thought-provoking yet highly entertaining German comedy portraying three generations of Turkish immigrants and their lives in Germany. This small production, which was released in early spring 2011, has become a surprise box-office hit.” Furthermore, the website cited, “The film makes it clear that the issue of a split cultural identity is most problematic for third generation immigrants.

They are aware of their Turkish roots and are accustomed to Turkish family traditions at home but these young people are also growing up with German friends and immersed in the German culture and its traditions.

Hence, their most challenging task is finding a balance between these different

cultures as well as discovering their own personal identity.”

The German feature film will be shown on October 10, 7PM at the Rodelsa Hall.

All films in the festival are free to the public. This year’s participating countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and United Kingdom.

Cine Europa 16 will also happen in other key cities in the Philippines such as Mandaluyong, Baguio, Cebu and culminates in Davao City.

To get to know more about Cine Europa 16 in Cagayan de Oro and the film schedule, log on to www.facebook.com/ rodelsahall or www.liceo.edu.ph or you may call (088) 8584093 to 95 local 109.

Kagay-anons support ‘Million People March’ Story by Althea Maye Ragpala Photos by VICTORIA NICDAO Contributors

institutions, youth groups and students.

“Kini nga panaguban is really to express our discontent over the government especially on the issue of the pork barrel scam,” said Ms. Victoria Mellisa Pulido, a program officer of the Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana (KKP) of Xavier University.

“Gathered here are coming from different sectors ...so that we can have a united stand

Artist Nic Aca portrays “pork” in support of the “Million People March” against Pork Barrel or PDAF.

against the PDAF,” she added.

Misused pork barrel fund amounts to an estimated 10 billion according the Commission on Audit (COA). This has sparked the entire nation to make a move against the endemic corruption in our political system.

In Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro responded to the call of protests as one of the nine participating cities.

The program proper started around 2:30PM. Hoots of support for the

A protester of anti-pork barrel rally at Gaston Park, August 26.

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abolishment of the pork barrel exploded from the crowd and filled the entire place.

Many raised their placards as an expression of their sentiments towards the government.

Some Kagay-anons let out their dissatisfaction towards the government officials with words, “To my government: I pay my taxes on time. Explain what you have done with it!”

The program ran for roughly three hours. The program gavepeople a venue to stand up and

express their deepest concerns about the grafttainted pork barrel fund.

Artistic groups from the city expressed to abolish the pork barrel system through a mural painting depicting a pig, and an impoverished Filipino inside a barrel.

Other members of the artistic groups sang originally composed songs and wore anti-pork barrel shirts.

The program ended with an interfaith prayer headed by different

religious leaders and representatives.

“Mahalaga itong pagtitipon na ginagawa natin paramalaman nang Presidente, mga senador, mga mambabatas nahindi tayo tutulogtulog,” expressed a member of a religious group.

This social mediafuelled movement indeed awakened the Filipinos and has yielded people who stance for proper disbursement of funds and honest governance.

A JULY -

e W s s e n N i A s u D B N I M Some of Cagayan de Oro's group and organizations went to rally of anti-pork barrel at Gaston Park, August 26, 2013 on National Heroes Day.

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Kagay-anons united together with the rest of the nation for the “Million People March”, an anti-pork barrel rally at Gaston Park, August 26, National Heroes Day. Various groups and organizations around the city flocked at 2 PM to express their dismay and anger to the politicians who abused public funds. Outcries came from different religious groups, NGOs, non-government organizations, academic

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

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MNLF... from page 2

communities, while line agencies of t he A R M M will implement the projects with OPAPP acting as the oversight body.

The said joint steering com mit tee w i l l i nclude representatives from MNLF, A R M M , OPA PP, l o c a l government units, and civil society organizations.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman explained to MNLF leaders that this initiative is “tailor-fit” for the MNLF communities, and it is the role of the MNLF to lead the identification of the projects and its beneficiaries.

“We will make sure that this collaboration of the regiona l government of ARMM, OPAPP, and MNLF will bring positive impact to the MNLF communities,” he said, adding, “This has to be a convergence effort.”

Hataman suggested that MNLF leaders should create a steering committee among themselves to help them in the planning process and the identification of the projects.

“This is to empower the senior leaders of the MNLF. All of the projects will pass through the constituted MNLF senior leaders’ forum,” he said.

For his par t, OPAPP Undersecretary Jose Lorena, who was inv ited to t he event along with OPAPP Assistant Secretary Howard Cafugauan who introduced t he gener a l conte x t of PAMANA, said that the senior leaders of the MNLF serves as the consultative body for the purposes of pursuing partnership both in the implementation of the programs and projects of PAMANA. Caf ugauan presented the details of the PAMANA program implementation to the body.

“We are really happy for this golden opportunity to be w it h you a s t h is will strengthen not only the partnership of all our brothers, but the partnership of the MNLF, ARMM, and the national government through OPAPP,” he told the MNLF senior leaders during the forum.

“We are committed to bring further the relationship to bridge the gap, if there is any, between MNLF and with the other elements of the Bangsamoro people,” he said.

In response, Muslimin G. Sema, chair of the MNLF’s Central Committee, in a speech read by Abdul “Kong” Sahrin, secretary general of the MNLF central committee, said: “It is encouraging that the Philippine government is inclined in maintaining a mechanism of dialogue as we have agreed upon in the Bandung Meeting i n 2012 a s a mea ns to preserve a partnership status pursuant to the Solo City understanding.”

“We are looking forward to whatever they bring forth for us in this occasion with

the optimism that, whatever it is, it’s towards the full implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement,” he added. (PNA)

Save... from page 2

Ma mbuay sa id t he environmental efforts of t hese g roups shou ld be emulated. “ We , i n t he a genc y are fully aware that the environmental consequence of Mount Mayapay, the city’s natural heritage, if not being conserve will result to drastic ef fects to our Agraria n Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) -- to our farmers. We also would like to do our part,” he said.

Mambuay then vowed to col laborate in t he conser vation ef for t and committed to facilitate and spread the sound information to the Agrarian Reform Communities surrounding the city’s natural landmark.

“We will do this not just for us but also to our future generations. Hoping that someday, as example will help pave way to attain the universal goal of saving Mt. Mayapay,” Mambuay said.

Atlas... from page 4

should be pulling in better grades on the average as well,” Ramos said, adding that the additional unit will come on stream in the fourth quarter of the year.

“Productivity is everything, that’s what we control. Copper price, we don’t control. The only thing we can do is to be productive as we can,” Ramos said.

T he e x p a n s ion w i l l support Carmen Copper in generating a total milling capacit y of 60,0 0 0 tons per day by next year. The c omp a ny op e r at e s t h e 1,675-hectare Toledo copper mine in Cebu.

In July, Carmen Copper reached a pea k mi l ling capacity of 50,000 tons per day, compared to the average 42,000.

“We just tried to [produce] as much copper or metal as we can. We don’t think whether pricing is lower or higher. We will just maximize whatever output we can because that’s the only way we can put costs down. Bringing costs down is the name of the game to be efficient in any price scenario,” Ramos said.

Atlas’ net income dropped 52 percent to P750 million i n t he f irst ha l f of t he year from P1.55 billion in the same period last year due to unrealized foreign exchange losses on its dollardenominated debt. Without the extraordinary loss, net income would have hit P1.35 billion.

Lower realized metal prices dragged core income by 11 percent to P1.17 billion in the January to June period from P1.31 billion in the same period last year.

A partnership between the Ramos family and SM group of Henry Sy, Atlas has completed a restructuring

program that wiped out its accumulated deficit of P12.7 billion. Last year, it declared its first cash dividend to shareholders amounting to P1 billion.

Tiger... from page 4

Board (CAB) for at least 8,000 seat entitlements to and from Japan. “ We a re lo ok i n g at Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Okinawa and Tokyo, “ she said.

The Philippine air panel is set to hold air talks with Japan on September 1113. Phi lippine Airlines, which controls 43 percent of total seat capacity in the Philippine-Japan route, flies to Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo. Cebu Pacific has less than three percent, flying thrice a week to Osaka.

Ramos said Tigerair is on track to meet its P5 billion revenue target this year.

Tigerair flies to Phuket twice a week, every Tuesdays and Saturdays. Its return f light to Manila is every Wednesdays and Sundays.

“We want you to have that unforgettable experience w it h you r fa mi lies a nd friends. This is why Tigerair is relentless in bringing you low cost fare that makes travelling easy and exciting for everyone” Ramos said.

Last July 18, Tigerair launched its three times a week Kalibo-Singapore route.

Tigerair has a f leet of two A319s and three A320s, serving four international routes and one domestic route out of Clark, and seven domestic routes out of Manila.

T he a i rl i ne f l ie s to Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Clark, Laoag, Bacolod, Ka l ibo, Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban, and Puerto Princesa.

Last year, the airline carried 284,959 international a n d 317, 8 9 7 d o m e s t i c passengers.

Berjaya... from page 4

HR Owen is a luxury car retailer of brands such as Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BM W, Bugat t i, Ferra ri, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Mini, Pagani and Rolls Royce in London.

Ber jaya’s i nvest ment in HR Owen marks the former’s second foray into car dealership. The company is the exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles in the Philippines.

Berjaya Philippines is engaged in gaming/lottery management (Philippine Gaming Management Corp), hotels (Berjaya Hotel), and food and beverage (Papa John’s Pizza).

Mirage... from page 5

in Mandaue and Cagayan de Oro, Karasia in Bajada, Mi nda nao Integ reted i n G ener a l Sa ntos a nd M a x i motor s i n P uer to P r i nc e s a . A n out r i g ht P40,000 markdown will be available for those who make pre-orders.

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from page 5

to rebound in the second half of the year “due to full model change of these two models (Vios and Corolla).”

T he Toyot a Group’s shipments are projected to reach $1 billion for the whole year, up from $963 million in 2012 and $802 million in 2011.

Honda... from page 5

of Honda’s Fully Synthetic Engine Oil (valued at P2,400).

The oil can be claimed during your next preventive maintenance visit at the dea lership where you purchased the tires. If your battery is due for replacement, meanwhile, now is the perfect time to purchase one at your Honda dealership.

A purchase of one battery entitles you to a free gallon of Honda’s Mineral Engine Oil. This promo is valid until the end of the month.

Cimagala... from page 6

the convenience and comfort that complicated situations give us are notoriously selfish in character, enjoyed at the expense of the necessary good of others.

If this predicament persists without being corrected, then we wou ld be continua l ly undermining the peace and harmony in society and in the world, in general. We would be generating distrust among ourselves, and chaos and collapse in the world would just be a matter of time.

We ne e d to b e more attentive to our duty to pursue, develop and defend simplicity.

We will always know when we start to be and to get complicated, and we should try our best to avoid or fight that predicament right at the first instance when it makes its appearance.

We should be sincere with God, with ourselves and with others, because that is how we can build and keep simplicity and avoid complications. For this, we have to be ready to suffer, because in our present condition, we cannot help but encounter great difficulties and trials just to be simple, to be faithful to the truth, and to be with God. We have a lready been warned about this, and we actua lly have been given the means to ably face these difficulties, challenges and trials: the doctrine of our faith, the sacraments, the development of virtues, etc.

Our sincerity, which is at the heart of our need for simplicity, should be based on our firm belief that we are children of God, who in his ever powerful, wise and merciful providence, is always there for us. We should not be afraid of whatever difficulty or trial we may meet in our pursuit for simplicity.

Simplicity is actually the demanding responsibility of facing reality realistically, and leads us to eternity. The complications we make, on the contrary, are expressions of our tendency to escape reality and make our own fantasy that is good only for a while.

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

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Hurst... from page 6

And the fifth language of love is spending time alone together without the kids.

This could be ta k ing walks, going out on a date for a meal, or whatever the two of you enjoy doing together.

And if you don’t know, then find something!

Be willing to compromise once in a while and do what your wife or husband enjoys for a change.

If husbands and wives would learn each other’s love lang uage and star t loving each other the way the other person wants to be loved, we’d have much closer, happier marriages and families.

But because we’re human and mostly self-centered lovers, we need Jesus Christ to forgive us and start changing our hearts.

It’s only then we can learn how to love our mate well, and enjoy a happy, satisfying life together.

Just Think a Minute…

Batas... from page 6

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“To lead us in eliminating and preventing collusion between members of the Executive and the Legislative, which destroys the checkand-balance relationship between these two branches of the government. And, to lead us to be vigilant as our nation prepares for the 2016 general elections---to be vigilant against electoral sabotage and vote-buying that perpetuates patronage politics.

-ooo PASS FOI BILL NOW: “AN APPEAL TO LEAD I N T H E PA S SI NG OF THE FR EEDOM OF I N FOR M AT ION BI L L .

Finally, we appeal to our dear President to lead in passing t he Freedom of Information Bill and to certify to the necessity of its immediate enactment.

As you have stated, dear Mr. President, “We will strengthen the process of consultation and feedback.

We will strive to uphold the constitutional right of citizens to information on matters of public concern.”

“We are convinced that this bill is crucial in our fight against corruption because the Freedom of Information Act would help end the culture of government secrecy and corruption and will start a culture of transparency and righteousness. The Freedom of Information Act will prevent the government from hiding crucial information from the public.

“The Freedom of Information Act will be a highly effective tool in exposing corruption and allowing us to campaign to prevent abuses of power. The Freedom of Information Act will also facilitate informed participation by the public in government decisionmaking, and more efficient a c c e s s t o g o v e r n m e nt services. We pray to God

that the heart and mind of our dear President will be so open to listen to the People—whom he voluntarily addressed as his ‘boss’. ..”

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

Bunye... from page 6

You have 90 days after your loan matures to redeem your article. Pawnshops must notify you within that period before putting the pawned item for auction.

This is why it’s important for you to indicate on the pawn ticket how you want to be notified (whether by mail or SMS) and your complete and correct contact details.

On t he ot her ha nd , p aw n s hop ow ner s a nd employees must also look and very closely, at the identity of their client to follow the “Know Your Pawner” policy.

This ru le requires paw nshops to ascer tain that the pawner is the true owner of the article/s being pawned, and that the article is, without a doubt, not stolen.

This is to prevent thieves from exchanging their loot for money through pawnshops, or money launderers from channeling funds through these establishments.

This is why pawnshops now require their customers to provide more information and documents like a valid ID with photo, source of income, TIN, SSS, specimen signature, and even names of beneficiaries in insurance contracts.

Last May, the BSP also issued Memorandum No. M-2 013 - 02 0 to rem i nd pawnshops to strictly adhere with the “Know Your Pawner” rule. It says that if found guilty of deliberately violating the rules and regulations, a ny paw nshop - a long with its owners, partners, directors, managers, and employees - shall be subject to sanctions and penalties as provided under the Pawnshop Regulation Act, the AntiMoney Laundering Act of 2001, and the New Central Bank Act. S o whet her you a re a pawner or part of the pawnshop, you better look at the law. Why? The BSP is also on the lookout for offenders.

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

You may e-mail us at totingbunye2000@gmail.com.

Past articles may be viewed at http://speakingout.ph

T he R A FI Tr ien n ia l Awards was launched in Dec. 6, 1996 during the 39th anniversary of the foundation to commemorate t he philanthropic, humanitarian, and holistic ideals of RAFI founders Don Ramon Aboitiz and his son Don Eduardo Aboitiz.

The award is conferred every three years. Winners of each award category will be given a trophy, cash prize of not less than P400,000, and the opportunity to travel in the Visayas and Mindanao to share their expertise and experience to various groups.

Nominations are also accepted from government agencies, non-government orga n i z at ions , people’s organizations, civil society, academe, and the business sector. Self-nomination is discouraged.

Nomination forms should be subm it ted to: R A FI Triennial Awards Secretariat, 35 Lopez Jaena Street, Cebu City, 6000.

On line nominat ion forms can also be accessed t hrough R AFI’s website at www.rafi.org.ph/event/ nomination-form. Or you can text nominee’s full name, contact details, and name of the person nominating to 0933-5144005 (Sun), 09497643525 (Smart), and 09275768055 (Globe).

Deadline of nominations is on December 15, 2013.

For more information about the RAFI Triennial Awards you may contact (032) 4187234 loc. 109 and look for Cathy Margate or e-mail catherine.margate@rafi.org. ph, or visit www.rafi.org.ph/ triennialawards or www. facebook.com/rafi.org.ph, or follow @rafiorgph on Twitter. (Hanna R. Aranas, RAFI/JCV/PIA) Region X wins 1st runner up in the National Search for 2013 Idols ng TESDA CAGAYAN DE ORO, Sept. 4 (PIA) -- The region X nominee to the 2013 Search for Idols ng TESDA was declared first runner up in the national level for the wage-employed category.

Chinet O. Mocorro of Mindanao State University-

Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), nominated in by the Technical Education and Sk ills Development Authority (TESDA) Lanao del Norte Provincial Office, was honored during the national awarding ceremonies held at TESDA Central Office in Metro Manila.

She received two trophies, certificate and P15,000 cash prize.

The “Idols ng TESDA Aw a rd ” i s one of t h e institutional awards given

by TE SDA a n nu a l ly to recognize skilled workers who have become successful individua ls through tech-voc. These are t he workers who are regarded as TESDA SPECIALISTA and have contributed to the development of their communities in a tech-voc way.

Mocorro was able to work her way to various levels of education despite financial difficulties.

A f t e r c omple t i n g a D iplom a i n E le c t r i c a l Engineering Technology, she worked as a machine operator while studying Bachelor of Science i n Electrical Engineering. As an instructor, she was given a scholarship in Taiwan and completed Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at the Taipei University in 2012.

Her thesis on ‘Indoor Energy Harvesting Using Photovoltaic Cell for Battery Recharging’ was copyrighted by the Taiwan Government.

At present, Mocorro acts as the OIC of the Department of Electrical Engineering Technology (ELET) at MSUIIT. She continues to inspire her students and the general public with her humility and positive attitude towards work.

The “Idols ng TESDA Award” also helps increase the level of public awareness and appreciation for techvoc education as well as uplifts the self-confidence and morale of the TechnicalVocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates.

(Honey Analou E. Dona/ TESDA-10/PIA-10)

RAFI... from page 7

or g a n i z at ion s or nongovernment organizations, leads the short listing of nominees and selection of finalists, before the RAFI Board of Trustees selects the awardees.

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Rates... from page 1

per month for each IMEM participant qualified as such.

The IMEM is a trading pl at for m w he re p owe r generators, i nclud i ng establishments t hat can produce electricit y, can sell their output to electric cooperatives and distribution utilities.

The market was established by the Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure the immediate dispatch of power supply as needed in Mindanao, parts of which has been hit by persistent power outages because of insufficient generation from plants connected to the grid.

IMEM is supposed to start on September 26 but was moved to a later schedule.

The DOE earlier estimated t he IM EM wou ld ma ke available 360 megawatts of power generating capacity from power plants with spare generating capacity, and commercial and industrial e s t a bl i sh ment s a ble to produce electricity.

Improves... from page 1

indicators grouped into 12 pillars. The report also determines the economic prosperity of a country.

Further, the Philippines has scored 4.3 in this year’s Globa l Competitiveness Index from 2012’s 4.2 and 2011’s 4.1.

The higher ranking in the Global Competitiveness Report is contributed by the improvement of ten out of 12 pillars identified in the report.

These include Institution w h ic h r a n k e d 9 4 t h i n 2012 to rank 79 this year; Infrastructure from rank 98 to rank 96; Health and Primary Education also from rank 98 to rank 96; Higher Education and Training from rank 64 to rank 57; Goods Market Ef f icienc y from rank 86 to 82; Labor Market Efficiency from rank 103 to rank 100; Financial Market Development from rank 58 to rank 48; Technological Readiness from rank 79 to rank 77; Market Size from rank 35 to rank 33; and Innovation from rank 94 to rank 59.

Howe ver, t he pi l l a r of Macroeconomic Environment went down to rank 40 from last year’s rank 36.

On t he ot her ha nd , t he pi l l a r of Bu si ne s s Sophistication remained at rank 49 over the year.

Despite the improvement in competitiveness of the Philippines in the world ranking, MBC President Ramon del Rosario said the country has ranked below average a mong ASE A N members.

Singapore remained as 2nd most competitive economy in the world; Malaysia at 24th from last year’s rank 25; Br u nei Da r ussa la m at 26th from 2012’s rank 28; Thailand at 37th from previous year’s rank 38; and

Indonesia, which is the fastest growing economy, ranking at 38th from last year’s rank 50.

T h i s i s fol lowe d by Philippines in the 6th rank within ASEAN; Vietnam at rank 70 from rank 75; Laos, which joined the Global Competitiveness Repor t only this year, ranked 81; Cambodia ranked 88th from rank 85; and Myanmar, also a neophyte in the Global Competitiveness Report, ranked 139th.

Mea nwhi le, Nationa l Competitiveness Council Co-Chairman Guillermo Luz said the improvement of the Philippines in the Globa l Competitiveness ranking report indicated positive economic trend of the country. ”The roller coaster ride is over for the Philippines,” Luz said, noting that the country started at 20 percent bottom in 1994 up to 40 percent high in 2013.

He said the improved ranking may continue for the next years if the country will be persistent in achieving positive growth in all 12 pillars.

The top ten competitive economies in the latest WEF Globa l Competitiveness Report are: Switzerland, Singapore, Finland, which remained their position in ranks one to three; Germany at rank 4 from last year’s rank 6; United States at rank 5 from rank 7; while Sweden, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Japan and United Kingdom were stable at ranks 6 to 10, respectively. (PNA)

Dispatch... from page 1

with a combined capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) yet residents suffer six to eight hours of daily brownouts.

North Cotabato has close to 100,000 power consumers.

The state-owned Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) previously operates the geothermal plants until the Arroyo administration sold it to the Lopez Group in 2008.

Sison said the brownouts have already resulted to hefty losses by small businesses, low productivity of public and private offices, and bleak prospects for commercial and industrial companies that are totally dependent on the supply of electricity.

The Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco) is North Cotabato’s distribution utility.

Sison said there were ef for ts to claim t he emergency load dispatch from the geothermal plants after the brownouts reared its ugly head but power executives and government offices “have kept passing the bucks with no one owning responsibility.”

“It is very ironic that the power generated from the Mount Apo geothermal plants passes by the roofs of our people and is transmitted to Cagayan, Iligan, Butuan, Davao, General Santos City and other places in Mindanao

through the Mindanao grid, yet the city of Kidapawan is now suffering a heav y brow nout d ay-to-d ay compared to other cities,” she said.

B efore it s i nc e pt ion in 1989, the geotherma l project was vehement ly opposed by local civil society organizations, church-based groups, environmentalists, indigenous peoples and other organizations.

Sison, former chair of Gabriela-North Cotabato, had joined t he peoples’ movement in opposing the project from late 1980s until the early 1990s.

“We had long predicted that the PNOC will never d e l i ve r it s prom i s e of no -m ore - br ow nout for Kidapawan City and the service areas of Cotelco; that it can never sustain the multi-million royalty share it promised to give; and that it will never sustain the livelihood for the indigenous peoples… a l l t hese a re happening now,” said Sison.

She cited t hat under Republic Act 7638 or the Department of Energy Act (DOE) of 1992, the host city is entitled to 25 percent of the emergency load dispatch from the energy source.

Sison also said that a memorandum of agreement signed between the provincial government and the PNOC in the early 1990s stipulates that a separate line should be dedicated to Kidapawan City to ensure steady supply of elec t r ic it y f rom t he geothermal plants.

She sa id copies of her resolution would be submitted to the Office of the President, DOE, House of Representatives, Napocor, National Grid Corp. of the Philippines and the EDC for their immediate action on North Cotabato’s demand for the load dispatch and a separate and embedded line for Cotelco.

Abolish... from page 1

from t he proposed 2014 budget a nd “re-a l locate t h is to r u ra l a rea s t hat have serious back logs in i n f r a s t r u c t u re , he a lt h , education and other social services in the depressed provinces of Mindanao and the rest of the country.”

“Many of our constituents continually need hea lt h, educat ion, scholarship and livelihood assistance. Of course, in reallocating these and other funds available, stringent and transparent guidelines for implementation should be issued by the executive t hat sha l l a lso be t he agencies who shall execute these projects. In effect, it is my opinion that line item budgeting (a detailed l ist i ng) of each projec t i n e ver y a genc y shou ld indeed be done. This is the transparent and effective w ay of a d d r e s s i n g t h e needs of the country and its people while promoting accou nt abi l it y ; a sha r p contrast to the previous practice ca lled t he pork barrel,” said Uy, who is serving his first term as representative of Misamis Oriental’s second district.

She a lso said t hat Members of Cong ress “indeed have a primordial task of making laws over getting projects for their r e s p e c t i ve d i s t r i c t s or sectors.” “ T h is is why I favor t he abolit ion a nd t he replacement of the pork ba r rel system w it h l i ne item budgeting. We should also study the feasibility of direct releases to t he loc a l gover n ment u n it s and barangays that are at the forefront of day-to-day governance and are also under the strictest coverage of t he C om m i s sion on Audit (COA),” Uy said.

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