Mindanao Daily NEWS BUSINESS . ECONOMY . CORPORATE . BANKING Your Mindanao-wide Business Newspaper
Volume III, No. 086
Editor : Cheng Ordoñez
Wednesday
REAL EXPO TARP SPONSOR
See story3, on2014 Page 12 September
M’nao business gab opens, zooms in on ASEAN market
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ENERAL SANTOS CITY -– With barely a year left before the ASEAN Economic Integration, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chairperson Luwalhati Antonino underscores the importance of connectivity in Mindanao’s entry into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Speaking before more than 1,200 key business
players from Mindanao during the opening of the 23rd Mindanao Business Conference at the KCC Convention Center, here in this city, Antonino said that connectivity plays a key role in Mindanao’s bid to escalate its contribution to the national economy, and its participation to AEC. “The goal is to create a connected and globally competitive Mindanao, en-
abling to position itself as a single, integrated economy that is able to leverage and participate in the ASEAN, and the global economic community,” said Antonino. She added the Mindanao Development Corridors, an initiative of MinDA aims to bolster infrastructure and improve transport and logistics support to tourism, industry, and agriculture sector. See asean, page B7
City Council to review CDO Revenue Code
CAGAYAN de Oro City - The City Council will review the city’s existing Revenue Code here to be able to cope with the economic demands of the time, a city official said on Monday. Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas said that the members of the local legislative body will put on the agenda the exact date for the joint meeting during the regular session Monday. He said that City Councilors Prexy Elipe, chair of the committee on finance, ways and means and Edna Dahino, of
the committee on trade, commerce, and cooperatives, would review the city’s 2003 revenue code for possible amendments. Elipe said that the title of the revenue code would remain while its provisions would be subjected to discussions, observations, and recommendations by various stakeholders. Last week, both Elipe and Dahino agreed to hold a series of public hearings with representatives of the business sector, professionals, and concerned See code, page B7
Personnel of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) test the cocowater pasteurizer it helped design and assemble with the Metals Industry Research and Development Center of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The machine allows a germ-free extraction, pasteurization and chilling of coconut water. PhilMech says the unit - which carries a price tag of more or less P500,000 - is compact enough to be easily deployed in far-flung areas, giving farmers the opportunity to earn additional income of at least P2 per nut. (PNA photo courtesy of DA)
Mechanization gives rise to innovative technologies By Cielito M. Reganit
Low-cost and innovative machinery and technologies designed to make farming more efficient and productive are now available to Filipino farmers through the Department of Agriculture’s farm mechanization program. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the partnership of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has paved the way for the introduction to farmers of useful technologies that
would increase efficiency, reduce postharvest losses and lowers cost of production in the long run Alcala said that among these are the compact corn mill, coco water pasteurizerchiller and harvesters and planters that could be simply attached to tractors. The compact corn mill can process up to 250 kilos per hour while the coco water pasteurizer-chiller can aseptically extract and chill coco water. “Sa Kabisayaan at Mindanao, sobrang ganda ng pagtanggap nila dito,” Alcala said of the farmers’ response to new corn postharvest technology, which costs
around P300,000 based on PhilMech computations. He said the DA’s National Corn Program has been distributing several units of this equipment to farmer groups in key production areas nationwide in support of their ongoing expansion. As to the coco water pasteurizer-chiller, Alcala said the technology presents an opportunity for coconut farmers to earn more, as they can now profit from a by-product that is usually being thrown away. The equipment has a price tag of more or less P500,000. Meanwhile, Rex BingSee rise, page B7
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