BusinessWeek Mindanao (April 2, 2018)

BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O CREDIBLE

Volume VIII, No. 130

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Confusing coins AN administration lawmaker on Wednesday called on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to immediately recall all of its newly released coins because of “serious design flaws” that cause a lot of confusion among the public.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Rep. Jericho Nograles said the new coins failed to meet the basic design principles for coinage, which require that the denominations are easy to distinguish not just visually, but also through touch or tactile differences.

“How many times have you reached into your pocket while inside a cramped jeepney and ended up paying the driver more than you should because you gave him the new fivepeso coins instead of one-peso coins? Probably more than once already,” he said.

Pakaradjaan 2018 COTABATO City -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) launched on Monday its Pakaradjaan 2018, a year-long celebration signifying the solidiarity of its two-city, five-province component.

“Pakaradjaan” is a Tausug and Yakan term for merrymaking or special event. It is expected to wrap up in November this year in time for the region’s celebration of its 29th founding anniversary.

The ARMM comprises the cities of Marawi and Lamitan; and the provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Basilan and Lanao del Sur. In Maguindanao, the Pakaradjaan 2018 was offically launched in Buluan, the capital town of the province.

IN-DEPTH

P15.00

Cagayan de Oro Lapasan Highway, Cagayan de Oro City

Biz chamber eyes Davao as Muslim-friendly city D www.businessweekmindanao.com

As of 6:00 pm March 27, 2018 (tuesday)

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YOUR Mindanao-wide BUSINESS paper Monday|April 2, 2018

By Antonio L. Colina IV MindaNews

AVAO City -- Davao City will become a pilot area for Muslim-friendly destinations in the country, Marilou W. Ampuan, trustee of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII), said.

Ampuan told a press briefing on Monday the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will roll out the program in collaboration with the Department of Tourism once the National Halal Standard Scheme is launched during the Halal Week from May 1 to 6 at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao.

As a Muslim-friendly destination, the city can compete in the global halal market valued at $3 trillion and will be recognized as a new destination for visitors from Islamic SECURITY CHECKUP: A security guard checks the luggages of passengers who are going home in countries, she said. time for the Lenten break. photo by gerry lee gorit chamber/PAGE 11

Water supply remains precarious : COWD

By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

THE Cagayan de Oro City Water District has cautioned that the city’s water supply remains precarious despite measures being taken to

address the problem.

“Our pres ent supply from all sources is just enough to meet demand,” said Engr. Bienvenido V.

Batar, Jr., COWD Acting General Manager. “If any of our wells go down for repairs, it would immediately result to disruptions in water service.” water/PAGE 11

COWD to assist Ombud in prosecuting ex-officials before Sandiganbayan

By MARK FRANCISCO, Staff Writer

THE management of the C agayan de Oro Water District (COWD) is willing to cooperate with authporities in prosecuting former officials of the city’s

lone water distributor.

This, after the Office of the Ombudsman released a resolution Tuesday indicting seven COWD ex-officials for graft.

“We respect the action t a ken by t he Of f ice of the Ombudsman and will p r ov i d e t h e n e c e s s a r y assistance if so required,” COWD spokesperson Ladele Sagrado. assist/PAGE 11

STILL HOMELESS. Ten months after they were displaced by the siege in Marawi City, this boy and his family have remained at the evacuation center in Barangay Maria Cristina in Iligan City. Photo taken on 27 March 2018. mindanews photo by h . marcos c . mordeno

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MECO official invites PH to join biggest food show in Taiwan

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AVAO City -- The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) wants Philippine entrepreneurs to join the biggest international food show in Taiwan in June.

Lawyer Arthur Abriera, Jr., MECO assistant corporate secretary and executive officer, said the annual event has grown from a 3 in 1 concept to 5 in 1 show as it will also feature an exhibition on food processing, food packaging equipment and machineries, a Halal food

show, and biotechnology.

Even if they decide to participate only as visitors, Abriera said Pinoy entrepreneurs are still encouraged to visit the show to see the advanced technologies that will help them improve production.

“With an improved production, they will be able to export more. In the show they will also see what products are being sold in the market,” he said.

In previous shows, he said among the Philippine

products that became popular were coco sugar, coco flour, pastries, candies, dried mangoes and other dried fruits.

He said the Malagos chocolate made a very good impression during the show. “I think they made a good sale but I don’t know the figure,” he added.

According to FOOD TAIPEI webpage, the food show is hosted by Taiwan suppliers of specialty products and offer a full spectrum of food for global buyers who are

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scouting unique foods and ingredients. Taiwan is known as the epicenter of gourmet foods, fine dining, fresh produce and skilled chefs.

The 28th Taipei International Food Show will be held from June 27 to 30, 2018 in Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 and TWTC

Hall 1.

The show is set to take place with Foodtech and Pharmatech Taipei, Taipei Pack, Taiwan HORECA and Halal Taiwan. (PNA)

FAO, Belgium help restore food security, agri livelihoods in affected communities in ARMM MARAWI City -Communities in Marawi City and outlying municipalities in the Provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao have started on the road to recovery following the destruction left by the Marawi crisis that lasted from May to October 2017.

The conflict has taken a heavy toll on rural livelihoods and industries, as well as the food supply and agribusiness value chain on which smallholders depend for their daily subsistence.

While humanitarian relief continues, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, with support from the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium, has been delivering assistance to help returning and displaced farmers to reestablish their livelihoods and food security.

With a USD500 000 (Php25 million) contribution from the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium through the FAOSFERA (Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities), FAO is distributing rice, corn and vegetable seeds, fertilizer, farming tools and broiler chicken production packages to 4949 farming families in Marawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.

Families in evacuation centers and those staying with their relatives and host communities, including agrarian reform beneficiaries, are among those who received essential agricultural inputs to help augment their short-term food and income requirements.

Belgium Ambassador to the Philippines, Michel Goffin, together with FAO Representative in

the Philippines, José Luis Fernandez, met with government, nongovernment organizations and communities in Marawi and Iligan cities during a visit on 19-20 March.

“The Government of Belgium and its people hope that our contribution will help ensure that those affected by the Marawi crisis are able to recover as quickly as possible,” Ambassador Goffin said.

FAO has been closely working with the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), Department of Agriculture and Fisheries– Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAF/ ARMM), Department of Agriculture (DA), Mindanao Development Authority (Minda), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Provincial Governments of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao, restore/PAGE 11

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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BOI okays P7-B manufacturing projects

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HE Board of Investments (BOI) has registered three projects in manufacturing sector amounting to P6.95 billion, the agency said Thursday.

The largest of the three pledges is the P3.99-billion expansion of San Miguel Yamamura Corp. (SMYAC) of its glass container production facility in Imus, Cavite.

With the expansion plan, SMYAC will have an additional capacity of 92,517 metric tons per year of glass container for beverages, particularly beer and spirits products.

The plant’s current capacity is at 145,701 MT annually.

The BOI said SMYAC has embarked on this project to cater to the

growing local and foreign demand for glass containers.

About 60 percent of its produced glass containers were for domestic market.

The expansion also aims to serve the demands from markets of Australia and New Zealand.

BOI said part of SMYAC’s projects would be bringing in new technologies and latest equipment in manufcaturing glass container.

The company targets to open the new facility online by March 2019 with additional employment of 138 personnel.

Moreover, the investment promotion agency has given go-signal for the P2.86-billion suspension type polyvinyl

chloride (PVC) resin production of Philippine Resin Industries, Inc. (PRII) in Mariveles, Bataan.

The project targets to hike its annually production capacity to 220,000 MT of resins from the current 100,000 MT. PRII’s expansion will also focus on producing K65 resin grades used for pipe manufacturing, which account for 60 percent of the market demand.

The new facility is expected to be operational

by January 2019.

Also, the BOI registered the P100million expansion project of Metalcast Corp. in its facility in Carmona, Cavite.

The operation started only this January

employing additional 75 personnel.

Metalcast caters its products to automotive and motorcycle assemblers registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

At least 60 percent of its production are being exported to Thailand and Japan.

“The influx of these expansion projects is expected to sustain the growth momentum of manufacturing from last year as the sector posted robust growth in terms of investments to meet not only the strong domestic demand but also to fuel the export growth of the sector,” Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said. (PNA)

Davao consortium files bid as 3rd telco player DAVAO-born Tier1 consortium yesterday filed its bid for the third telco player slot as it has commenced building its new network starting in the rural area specifically in Mindanao with a promise to offer rates of as much as 20 percent lower than the current duopoly.

In a statement, the consortium said installation of the first tower is expected to be completed by end of first quarter this month.

The consortium, composed of Tier1, Nokia, Parallel Wireless, Millawave Broadband, and Onyx Connect, said they filed yesterday their bid before the Department of Information,

Communications and Technology (DICT). This makes the Tier1 the first proponent to submit their offer to become the third telco player in the country.

Among the criteria set by the government is for the third telco player to start in rural areas; congressional franchise; must deploy a new network before end of first quarter 2018; and have a combined net worth of $200 million.

The company said they complied with these rules set by the President last year and the DICT saying,“When the president speaks we need to pay attention.”

The consortium’s first tower was deployed on

March 26, 2018, located in Sultan Kudarat. Tier1, which is 70 percent Philippine-owned consortium, holds both regional and national franchises.

In doing so, they claimed to have “complied with the instructions of the President as set forth in his speech November 2017 and in the rules as set forth by the Department of Information, Communications and Technology.”

Tier1 Chairman Jonathon B. Stevens said they heeded the President’s pronouncement on the timelines, which were set last year.

“The timelines were set last year and it was

clear that there would be no extension, so we maximized our efforts to file in time,” said Stevens.

Aside from the timelines, Stevens noted that President Duterte also said in a speech last year that the Philippines has about 50,000 towers less than Vietnam, “So, we took this as an instruction to correct this deficiency and our consortium partner NOKIA has committed to 50,000 Small Cell / Data Towers over the next 5-7 years.”

Of the committed 50,000 towers, over 100 towers have been pre-booked with Tier1 for installation by government agencies, consortium/PAGE 11

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Monday|April 2, 2018

Challenge to the PNP, PDEA: disclose proof now Kakampi mo ang batas

Businessweek Mindanao Corporation Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO

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Batas Mauricio LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said… `to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd’…” (2 Samuel 22:27, the Holy Bible).

-ooo C HA L L E N G E T O T H E P N P, P D E A : DISCLOSE PROOF NOW VS. HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS: Is there any truth to the accusations about the supposed alliance between drug syndicates and human rights groups which have been openly assailing the President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs? And is it true that the intention of those opposing the President’s campaign is simply to bring down the Duterte government?

These are serious and grave accusations, to say the least, and should not have

jhan tiafau hurst Think a minute…Imagine that people around you were dying from a terrible disease only because they were not tested and treated with medicine early enough.

Wouldn’t you want to be tested right away so you could get help before it was too late? Yet there is a serious disease that is worse than cancer or AIDS. And you can know today whether or not you have this deadly disease. Just take this quick test that could save your life.

Number one: Is there someone with whom you’re very angry? A person who deeply hurt and wronged you? It could be someone in your family. A friend.

Someone you work with.

Maybe it happened a long time ago, but you’re still angr y and bitter toward them.

Number two: Do you blame someone else for your problems? Your parents?

Your husband or wife? You think it is other people’s fault why you’re not happy and successful. Maybe you even blame God for not helping you like you think He should.

Number three: Do you find yourself getting angry at someone today because that person reminds you of someone else who wronged and hurt you in the past?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’re suffering from the deadly disease of unforgiveness.

Your only cure is to forgive that person who wronged and hurt you. You need to do it today—before this disease turns into hate and bitterness that destroys you inside. Doctors tell us that anger and unforgiveness can cause high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, headaches, arthritis, and many other diseases. Unforgiveness will also destroy your marriage, family, and all of your other relationships.

But worst of all, if you will not forgive that other person, then God cannot forgive you. Jesus Christ warns us that if our heart is closed to disease/PAGE 11

assertions of supposed witnesses, the high tribunal has already ruled, time and again, that those assertions must be credible in themselves, consistent in their vital and relevant details, and would not indicate any iota of falsity or perjury.

As a consequence, it behooves upon anyone making grave and injurious accusations, such as what the PNP and the PDEA had done against human rights groups, to immediately provide the requisite proof or details of the alliances with drug syndicates--that is, places, dates, and times of any meeting or meetings, what were talked about, how much money changed hands, if any---so no one could e accused of merely fabricating their allegations.

-ooo “HUWAG HUMATOL,” SABI NI JESUS SA BIBLIYA: The way I see it, the officers and operatives of the PNP and PDEA are all Christians. That being the case, I am sure they are aware, whether generally or specifically, of one important command of Jesus to those who claim to believe in Him, which is found in Matthew 7 of the Bible about making judgments against another person.

This is what Jesus directed his believers to

do: “…`Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “ `Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye’…” Because people from the PNP and PDEA are intelligent enough, they know there is a penalty, down to their descendants to the fourth degree, for those who disregard this command.

-ooo FOR QUESTIONS, REACTIONS: If anyone would like to ask me any question about what the burning issues of the day mean, or what we have discussed here, or to consult on any problem, whatever it maybe, please call 0917 984 24 68, or email me at batasmauricio@yahoo. com, or post your concerns at www.facebook.com/ attybatas. Promise, I will answer right away. Thank God in the Name of Jesus, Amen!

Doubt Christ no more

Test for heart disease think a minute

been lightly bandied about by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority and by the Philippine National Police, if they didn’t have sufficient proof to back them up. These did not only destroy reputations of human rights advocates, who are mostly lawyers, but even put their very lives at risk.

Because of this, I am proposing a challenge: the PNP and PDEA should now publicly disclose whatever proof they might have about the claimed alliances between drug syndicates human rights groups. If they cannot come up with these proofs at this point, it would do well for the interest of truth for these accusations to cease, particularly those being aired in media.

-ooo I N R P, M E R E ACCUSATION IS NOT PROOF: Under Philippine law and jurisprudence, mere accusation is not considered as evidence.

According to countless decisions of the Supreme Court, any accusation or a l l e g at i on of t h e commission of an offense must have to be backed up by sufficient proof, independent of the mere say-so of the complainant or of his witnesses.

And if criminal accusations are founded only on mere salivary

hints and traces

roy cimagala IN the run-up toward the culminating act of his redemptive mission here on earth, Christ finally was quite open about who he really was. That is, that he was the Christ, the expected Redeemer, the son of God who became man for our sake.

And yet in spite of all the miracles and the wonderful teachings he gave them, many of the people continued to be doubtful and even suspicious of him. On several occasions, they even tried to harm and eliminate him.

Of course, in the end they got their way. They managed to put Christ to death in the most ignominious way to die, i.e., to be crucified.

It is a phenomenon that continues to take place today, in spite of the most convincing of the miracles of Christ—his own resurrection that later led to his ascension into heaven that was witnessed by a good number of people.

That many of us continue to doubt and even to be suspicious of him can be seen in the fact that we continue to take him for granted, to put him aside from our daily affairs as if he is irrelevant or just a drag to our activities, and even to openly reject and to be hostile to him.

We need to correct this predicament immediately and strongly, otherwise we would be fully cut off from the very source and keeper of our humanity.

There are many ways to resolve this problem.

We obviously cannot cover all of them, but we can at least mention a few.

One way is to disabuse ourselves from banking our belief in Christ mainly on some tremendous miracles and extraordinary events.

That would be like testing or doubting God always. We should believe in Christ, with or without miracles.

Christ himself complained about this.

“Unless you people see signs and wonders you will not believe,” he said to a court official whose daughter was dying. (Jn 4,48) We need to keep our faith alive and burning.

We should never allow it to cool down. That’s why we should strive to develop a vibrant life of piety that is supported by a concrete plan for which we should not be sparing in our efforts and sacrifices.

It cannot be denied that a plan to support our life of faith and piety will always involve a lot of effort and sacrifice.

Things should come to the point when we somehow can see Christ in all the situations of our life, and discern his will for us at any moment.

In other words, that we practically make ourselves contemplative souls even the midst of the world.

This is not falling into fantasies. This is, in fact, making ourselves most realistic, because in spite of our limitations, we cannot deny that Christ is in everything and is actually intervening in our life always. This is because being God, Christ is the very foundation of all reality. He is everywhere.

Let us hope that we can have a vivid awareness of the presence of Christ all throughout the day, 24/7, and that we can be drawn always to correspond to his loving and merciful will. We should feel as much as possible God’s continuous love for us, and we should try to repay that love with our love.

Let’s never set him aside.

The ideal to aim at is that we get fully conscious of being with Christ all the time, and that it is he who is actually guiding us and showing us the way of how to proceed in any endeavor.

That is why we need to set aside some time for some meditative prayer so as to discern more clearly God’s will and ways.

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Monday|April 2, 2018

OF Bank to ‘leapfrog’ to digital economy FINANCE Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the launching of a bank catering to the needs of overseas-based Filipinos is the ideal vehicle for the Philippines to “leapfrog” to the digital economy.

Dominguez said advancing significantly in the digital economy could be done in the Philippines because it has not yet fully embraced computer technologies, unlike in other countries that have already invested heavily in software and hardware that are now fast becoming obsolete.

The Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB), which was launched last January, could be the starting point for the country’s jump into the data-based economy, the finance chief believes.

Instead of setting up physical branches overseas, Dominguez said OFB would just rely on digital technology applications to serve as many overseasbased Filipinos as possible.

Ten million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could be the initial beneficiaries of the technological leapfrog by OFB that would radically transform the way Filipinos buy, receive and sell and distribute goods

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Banking&Finance

and services.

Dominguez said this was one of the main points that stood out when a Philippine delegation led by him took part in the three-day New Economy workshop organized by the Alibaba Business School of technology entrepreneur Jack Ma in Hangzhou, China.

The workshop, the first overseas government training program hosted

by Alibaba, was organized following Ma’s invitation last year for Dominguez and other Philippine officials to learn more about his company’s digital infrastructure for e-commerce.

“Among the takeaways we had as a group there was that the Philippines has the opportunity of leapfrogging a lot of (digital) applications because we are not too much computerized yet, unlike other countries that have hard investments in hardware which is fast becoming obsolete but they still hang on to them because they invested so much money in them,” Dominguez said.

The finance chief said that to leapfrog to the digital economy, the economy/PAGE 11

Dominguez welcomes filing of second tax reform bill F INANCE Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III welcomed the filing in the House of Representatives of the second tax reform measure that aims to institute enhancements in the country’s corporate tax system.

In a statement, Dominguez also expressed his hope that the legislature can begin hearing the measure as soon as the Congress resumes its regular session in May following its

traditional Lenten break.

Dominguez said the swift approval of House Bill (HB) No. 7458, which provides for graduated cuts in the corporate income tax (CIT) rate and the modernization of investment incentives, would level the playing field for business.

The bill will also make corporate income taxation transparent, more accountable and more equitable for both large and small corporations, the finance chief said.

“With the timely filing of the measure in the House, we are optimistic that this proposal, along with the remaining tax reform packages, would be approved by the Congress within the year,” Dominguez said.

Corporate tax reform comprises Package 2 of the Duterte administration’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP).

The DOF is targeting to introduce this year the rest of the CTRP packages that mainly cover property and

capital income taxation.

HB 7458 was filed last March 20 and is expected to be referred to the appropriate committee that will deliberate on the measure when the Congress resumes session on May 14.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said the bill provides for a one-percentage point reduction in the current 30 percent CIT every year for domestic corporations, resident Bill/PAGE 11

BPI SRO plan ‘credit positive’ MOODY’S INVESTORS Service said the P50billion stock rights offering (SRO) to be conducted by the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is credit positive as this will bolster the lender’s capital buffers.

“Based on our estimates, the rights issuance would add about 380 basis points to the bank’s common equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 11.8% as of December 2017,” Moody’s said in its

credit outlook published March 22.

This improvement, the debt watcher said, would bring BPI’s CET1 ratio well above the capital of other Philippine banks, as well as the 10% minimum requirement of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Moody’s said the rights issue will support BPI’s credit growth while strengthening its capital buffers against risks, adding that the capital raising activity will be

efficient to support credit growth of about 20% over the next three years ending 2020.

“Thereafter, the bank’s CET1 ratio will decline to 12%-13% as the growth of risk-weighted assets outpaces the growth of retained earnings,” the credit rater said, adding that this may leave the bank in need of new capital because its internal capital generation capacity lags its credit growth.

On March 16, BPI

said in a disclosure that it obtained approval of the Philippine Stock Exchange to conduct an SRO that would raise up to P50 billion, which will fund the lender’s business expansion.

The pricing for the issue will be announced today, while the offering will be conducted from April 26 to 25.

Last year, BPI booked a net income of P22.42 billion, up by 1.7% from the same period in 2016.

6

Environment

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Cimatu cites need to ‘invest in nature’ amid Boracay crisis

E

nvironment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu on Thursday underscored the need to invest in nature to provide cost-effective solutions to the country’s most pressing water challenges in the wake of environmental issues facing the world-famous Boracay Island.

“Let us spend to grow more trees to make our forests lusher, and our watersheds more productive. Let us exert more effort to clean up our rivers, lakes, beaches and seas, and to safeguard our aquifers, and to keep them clean,” Cimatu said in his address read by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) OIC-Undersecretary for Manila Bay Concerns and Related Water Concerns Atty. Maria Paz G. Luna during the national celebration of World Water Day, highlighted by the awarding of water champions held Thursday at Novotel Hotel in Cubao, Quezon City.

WWD is observed

annually on March 22 to raise awareness about the importance of water and sustainable development.

This year’s theme, “Nature for Water” emphasizes the potential for nature-based solutions (NbS) to address mounting water-related problems facing the planet.

The annual awards recognize individuals, institutions and programs that made strides in achieving water and environment sustainability in the Philippines. It is the highlight of the local celebration of World Water Day, which is observed yearly on March 22 to raise awareness about the importance of water and sustainable development.

Cimatu described the event as “very timely” as he spearheads government efforts to rehabilitate the pollution-challenged Boracay.

“Had the good practices of today’s awardees been replicated in Boracay, that world-famous tourist destination would not have been a cesspool,” Cimatu said.

According to Cimatu,

the government’s willingness to address the Boracay crisis is an acknowledgment that “nature-based solutions have the potential to solve many water challenges.

Nature can heal itself if abuses are mitigated before they become irreversible.”

“This is evident in the rehabilitation of Boracay, where we are restoring wetlands and addressing wastewater issues through an improved sewerage system for the whole island,” Cimatu pointed out.

Cimatu said the government will not waver in its efforts to protect and

conserve the country’s water resources through continued implementation of vital environmental programs, including the National Greening Program (NGP), the government’s flagship reforestation program.

“This massive replanting will go far beyond creating new forests as carbon sinks to mitigate climate change; it will also create livelihood and reduce poverty, provide habitats for biodiversity, recharge watersheds, protect topsoil from erosion, and boost food security,” Cimatu said.

He added: “Solid waste

management, which has a direct impact to water, is also our top priority.”

At the same time, Cimatu said it is high time the Philippines invest in the so-called green infrastructure, an approach which protects and restores natural ecosystems that provide security to nearby communities.

“Countries highly vulnerable to natural disasters, like the Philippines, need to invest more in green infrastructure,” Cimatu said.

“Integrating green with grey or traditional infrastructure creates cost-

effective, climate resilient communities,” he added.

After the awarding ceremony, Luna, on behalf of Cimatu, together with other government officials and representatives from the private sector, signed a commitment document in support of the United Nations resolution on the International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028.

This decade for action aims to further improve cooperation, partnership and capacity development in response to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

DENR seeks relocation of informal settlers in El Nido coasts

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is pushing for the relocation of informal settler families who have built houses along the coasts of El Nido, which is one of the many protected areas in Palawan, as well a world famous tourism destination.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said that the local government has now issued a final notice to vacate to 24 families who have built houses along Corong Corong Beach in El Nido.

“We are working closely with the local government to ensure that the relocation site for these informal settler families is prepared as soon as possible,” Cimatu said.

The houses of the informal settlers are built on stilts and sit directly above waters of Corong Corong Bay. Local DENR officials say that the houses do not have toilets and they dispose of their wastes directly into the sea.

“You can smell the stench in that area. These activities have a significant effect to the water quality in the immediate area around the houses. Aside from the fact that they do not have toilets, they are also encroaching on the easement zone, so we hope to move them to a new location soon,” Cimatu said.

“We have learned that some of the families have other homes around El Nido where they can go to. However, for some reason, they chose to live in these informal settlements in the sea. For these

families, moving should not be much of a problem,” he added.

In the meantime, Cimatu urged the families to be more responsible for the garbage they spew. “Holy week is almost upon us. They should reflect on the environmental consequences of their actions. They should be more conscientious about the waste they produce,” the secretary said.

“Firstly, they should not throw waste directly into the sea. They should segregate and dispose of their waste responsibly. Do the right thing,” he added.

It is not only informal settlers that are encroaching on the threemeter easement or salvage zone in the coasts of El Nido. Earlier this month, DENR MIMAROPA issued notices to vacate to 32 businesses, including resorts and restaurants, which were found to have structures falling inside the easement zone. The establishments have been given one month to remove structures inside the salvage zone.

Aside from encroachment in easement zones and timberlands, El Nido is also facing concerns about degrading water quality and inadequate sewerage facilities.

These are the three key issues that Task Force El Nido, composed of the DENR, the Environmental Management Bureau, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, and the El Nido local government, is aiming to solve.

Formed last month, the task force is now inspecting over 200 relocation/PAGE 10

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7

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Gina eyes DOST’s CEST program to help alleviate poverty “We can get our country out of poverty and I need the help of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST),” so said Regina Pas “Gina” Lopez, famous environmentalist and philanthropist during the National Science and Technology Week celebration in 2015.

She was looking at DOST’s program called CEST, or the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology, as the “help” she needs to aid the country in getting out of poverty.

CEST is a program of the DOST which aims to alleviate poverty through S&T interventions in health and nutrition, water and sanitation, basic education and literacy, livelihood and enterprise development, and disaster risk reduction and management.

Breaking new ground through ‘The Quest’ Known for being a pioneer in corporate

social responsibility, Lopez has taken her advocacy to the next level.

Her foundation called “ILOVE” or Investments in Loving Organizations for Village Economies launched “Quest for LOVE,” a nationwide search for loving organizations seeking to transform marginalized communities into agroforestry, fisheries, or ecotourism sites.

Recently, ILOVE reached out to several government agencies to give a hand. Because of its CEST program, the DOST naturally became one of the ILOVE’s partners.

Other partner government agencies include Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Tourism, Department of National Defense, Department of Public Works and Highways, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority,

SSS seeks public assistance to track down delinquent security agency owner The Social Security System (SSS) has asked the public for any information on the whereabouts of Noel J. Hulip, owner and manager of Sky Man Security Agency (SMSA), who was convicted for not remitting the SSS contributions of his employees.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said that SMSA's last known address was at R. 201 Augusto Bldg., 478 Rizal Ave., Caloocan City. The Regional Trial Court of Quezon City Branch 98 issued a warrant of arrest against Hulip after he did not attend the court hearing on March 26, 2017.

“We are asking for the assistance of Hulip's former employees and the public to inform us of his whereabouts. We will be coordinating closely with the Philippine National Police to ensure that Hulip will be arrested,” said Dooc.

In its decision, the court sentenced Hulip to a jail term of six years and one day, and ordered him to payP20,000 in fine and P75,713.79 in unremitted contributions from February 2013 to July 2014 plus the total amount of penalties

computed at three percent per month as of February 28, 2015 until fully paid.

“Non-remittance of monthly contributions is a punishable act under the law. Beginning on the first day of work of their employees, employers should already report them to SSS and pay their monthly contributions,” said Dooc.

Based on SSS' investigation, Hulip did not pay the contributions of more than 10 of his employees. A billing letter was issued to Hulip but he failed to comply, which led to the issuance of a demand letter as a final warning from the pension fund. In both letters, Hulip was given 15 days to respond and comply with his obligations to SSS. “Hulip was given several chances to settle his delinquencies but he still chose to evade his responsibilities with SSS. His act is against the law and it deprives his employees of their benefits,” said Dooc.

Dooc also assured SMSA's former employees that SSS is doing everything it can to locate and arrest Hulip, to make him pay what 's due to them.

the Social Economy Action Research Foundation, Bayan Academy for Social Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development, and the private sector. The ILOVE-government partnership was able to raise P5 million.

Because of its noble intent, ILOVE caught the heart of DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña.

“I would like to express my admiration to the Quest for LOVE. This is very relevant, timely, and innovative. We have a program that matches ILOVE very well and we call it CEST,” said the Secretary during the launch.

To date, the CEST program has already benefited many grassroot communities around the country. One example is Barangay Apang in Alilem, Ilocos Sur which was dubbed as the “poorest of the poor” in most surveys. Farmers

and fisherfolks are now able to find alternative income by selling fruits and vegetables in nearby markets and stores to be able to buy other goods for their families.

Unlike the usual reality TV competitions that showcase talents such as singing and dancing, the Quest for LOVE wants to put the spotlight to loving organizations that are passionate and goaldriven.

“The stand of ILOVE is to bring genuine economic growth through area development,” Lopez said.

“Why do we just give awards to those who sing well? Why don’t we give awards to communities that have the guts and creativity to help themselves get out of poverty?” she added.

The competition will feature the journey of the transforming poor communities into social and economic enterprises in a reality TV show that Lopez will produce.

Area development The “Lola Sayong Eco Surf Camp” is one of the continuous projects of the ILOVE foundation and can be found in Gubat, Sorsogon. It was initiated by a kind old lady who decided to transform her property into a beachfront paradise where local street kids were provided food, and shelter and jobs by giving surfing lessons to tourists.

“They have a really beautiful surf but the people there were really poor. So when I went there, I got money from Energy Development Corporation (EDC) and this is how we use it: we put surf boards, boat refurbishing, beach tents, multi-purpose hall, toilet and shower facilities, and glass bottom floating cottages. It is area development,” Lopez said.

From being a poor community, Gubat has grown to be a role model for area development.

According to her, they

invested P1.5 million for area development in Gubat. After a year, their gross revenue already increased to P5.9 million.

“Because of the investment of P1.5 million, agriculture and fisheries came up. The cost of transportation was affected because a lot of people are going there.

Also, other ecotourism sites sprang up in nearby towns like Sorsogon City, Bulusan, and Matnog,” she added.

The project also provided new services as the town now has massage therapists and tourist guides as well as emerging developments in other micro enterprises such as T-shirt printing, souvenirs, handicrafts, and food production.

The quest for the change agent “One thing that I want to say from my experience is that: the key is the change agent. You can have a lot of money, poverty/PAGE 10

Enhancing emergency response preparedness: The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) of Villanueva, Misamis Oriental, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), the Bureau of Fire Protection and energy-firm STEAG State Power Inc. (SPI) join forces together in bolstering the disaster-response preparedness of community-based local emergency front-line responders. About 70 community-based first-responders attended a one-day firefighting and rescue training and simulation exercises. Steag’s support is part of the company’s continuing commitment to help enhance local disaster preparedness and response capabilities.

BusinessWeek MINDANAO CREDIBLE

RELIABLE

Editor: GILBERT Y. CHAO

mOTORING IN-DEPTH

Monday|April 2, 2018

8

Suzuki vehicles among the most fuel efficient according to DOE test

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eld a couple of months ago, the Department of Energy’s fuel economy run took on a 216-kilometer route on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and Tarlac-PangasinanLa Union Expressway (TPLEX), the run is part of the Philippine Energy Standards and Labeling Program (PESLP), which has now expanded its coverage to light duty motor vehicles. This also strengthens the DOE’s energy efficiency and conservation e-power mo program.

Of the vehicles entered by Suzuki, three were able to achieve outstanding results: Alto 800cc MT (24.81-km/L); Swift 1.2 MT (23.27-km/ L); Vitara 1.6 AT (20.57km/L) Among the 52 official vehicles and 3 guest entries fielded by local car manufacturers and distributors, two dieselpowered vehicles, the Ssangyong Rodius and the Mini Countryman, obtained fuel efficiency ratings (FER) above 30km/L. Powered by Petron Turbo Diesel Euro 4, 50% of the diesel vehicles achieved outstanding FERs over 20-km/L. The best performers in the diesel category include: Ssangyong Rodius 2.0 AT (33.12-km/L); Mini Countryman 2.0 AT (30.64-km/L); Volkswagen Golf GTS 2.0 AT (27.91-km/L); Hyundai Accent 1.6 AT

(27.80-km/L); Peugeot 3008 2.0 AT (25.39-km/ L); Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 AT (24.75-km/L); Honda CR-V 1.6 AT (23,96km/L); Mahindra Supro 1.0 MT (22.52-km/L); Ssangyong Tivoli XLV 1.6 AT (22.35-km/L); Toyota Innova 2.8 AT (21.60-km/L); Volvo V90 Cross Country D4 2.0 AT (21.40-km/L); Volvo S90 D4 2.0 AT (21.13km/L); and Mitsubishi Montero Sports 2.5 MT (20.43-km/L) The gasoline-fed vehicles running on Petron XCS Euro 4 also obtained excellent FERs, with the Kia Picanto 1.3 AT topping the list at 29.23-km/L. Other topnotchers include: the Toyota Vios 1.5 AT (25.88-km/L); Toyota Wigo 1.0 AT (25.19km/L); Honda City 1.5 AT (23.91-km/L); Mazda 2 1.5 AT (22.82-km/L); Honda BR-V 1.5 AT (22.22-km/L); Mazda CX5 2.0 AT (20.22-km/ L); and the Peugeot 2008 1.2 AT (20.19-km/L).

The official entries were driven by a two-man driver/codriver team with an independent media observer to ensure that DOE guidelines were followed. The participating car companies included Asianbrands Motors Corporation (Mahindra), Automobile Central Enterprise Inc. (Volkswagen), Bayan Automotive Industries Corporation (BAIC), Berjaya Auto Philippines

(Mazda), British United Automobiles Inc., Columbian Autocar Corporation (Kia), Eurobrands Distributor Inc. (Peugeot), Ford Group Philippines, Honda Cars Philippines Inc., Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., Isuzu Philippines Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation, Motor Image Pilipinas Inc. (Subaru), Nissan Philippines Inc., Ssangyong Berjaya Motor Philippines, Suzuki Philippines Inc., The Covenant Car Company Inc. (Chevrolet), Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation, United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (Foton), and Volvo Philippines.

BMW Philippines also fielded two guest vehicles which showed excellent results. The BMW 318D had a FER of 26.94 km/L and the BMW X1 reached 23.88 kilometer per liter. Both vehicles were powered by Petron

Turbo Diesel Euro 4.

Petron, meanwhile, renewed its commitment of support for the government’s energy conservation efforts.

According to Petron General Manager Lubin Nepomuceno, “Through our strong partnership with DOE, particularly in the DOE Fuel Eco Run, Petron hopes to provide Filipino motorists with realistic and comparable fuel efficiency ratings that can help them make informed decisions not only for their vehicle purchases, but also in their long-term operating and maintenance expenses.”

Petron leads the industry not only in market share but also in fuel innovation. All its fuels are specially

formulated with the TriAction Advantage which delivers: (1) better engine protection for longer engine life; (2) extraordinary mileage for longer drives; and (3) better power. In mid-2017, its f lagship Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6 was certified as the best gasoline in the country.

Petron has the largest distribution network in the country, with over 2,200 Petron service stations nationwide.

Petron invested US $2-billion to upgrade its Bataan Refinery and ensure the reliable production of more environment-friendly and premium fuels.

It also operates a fuel additives blending plant in Subic Bay, in partnership with the leading global fuel

specialties company Innospec. With these capabilities, Petron is able to produce worldclass fuel variants that meet the unique needs of Filipino motorists.

Petron Corporation is the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines and is a leading player in the Malaysian market. It has a combined refining capacity of 268,000 barrels-per-day and produces a full range of world-class fuels and petrochemicals. It has over 2,900 service stations where it retails world-class gasoline and diesel. Petron is dedicated and passionate about its vision to be the leading provider of total customer solutions in the energy sector and its derivative businesses.

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Erring STL operators will be terminated as PCSO strengthens IRR

P

hilippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Alexander Balutan on Monday said the Board has been revising to strengthen the Small Town Lottery’s (STL) Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) in line with the President’s all-out war against illegal gambling and further improve the agency’s revenue collections.

Balutan said there will be a temporary slowing down of revenues from the STL because some Authorized Agent Corporations (AACs) will be sanctioned and/or terminated for violations of the IRR. “The revenue collections would be definitely affected by these changes as the PCSO Board has reviewed and revised the IRR to suit up

with the prevailing situation,” Balutan said.

The PCSO earned almost P4 billion from its January-February STL collections from the current 85 STL corporations.

Balutan said some delinquent AACs will be terminated for repeated violations

of the STL-IRR especially various cases of underremittance of the Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipt (PMRR).

He refused to give the name of AACs that will be terminated.

“I do not want to pre-empt the

collegial decision of the Board. What I can say for now is it is about time to revise the STL-IRR although it has been running only for more than a year. We’ve to strengthen the IRR to become effective in eradicating jueteng, masiao, swertres,

peryahan ng bayan, and all forms of illegal numbers game,” Balutan said.

He explained though that the board will immediately open applications and to hasten the bidding process to replace the terminated AACs. He also warned of the possible resurgence of illegal numbers game in areas where there will be temporary closure of STL operations.

Balutan said he is confident that sales will immediately pick up soon after new AACs will be on board with the new IRR. “We are plugging the loopholes of the current IRR to strengthen our revenue collection.

Some AACs are under declaring their PMMR and there seems to be

flaws in the reporting system,” he said.

He admitted though that the board is now thinking of ways and means on how the PCSO could collect form these AACs that have a shortfall in their PMRR. “If we immediately terminate their authority to play STL their company might just fold up and we can no longer collect from them. We must think of ways and means on how we could collect, after all, the money they owe is a debt to the government that needs to be collected,” he said.

He said that of the 85 AACs actively playing STL, majority is still “in good standing”. In 2017, the PCSO had approved 92 AACs, some were terminated in that year but these were immediately replaced.

10

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Non-contractualization seen to undermine MSMEs’ competitiveness The business community expressed fears that the “very strict” provisions of the substitute Lower House bill on security of tenure will have the greatest impact on Filipino micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs), curtailing their growth and competitiveness in the ASEAN economic community.

George T. Barcelon, chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said their group firmly believes that work contractualization should not be prohibited.

Barcelon spoke March 21 on the chamber’s sentiments

concerning substitute House Bill No. 6908, or “An Act Strengthening the Security of Tenure of Workers, Amending for the Purpose Presidential Decree No. 442, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the Labor Code of the Philippines.’”

The House of Representatives last January approved on third and final reading the proposed measure to end labor-only contracting and “endo” (endof-contract).

“Our sentiment is still very consistent. You cannot do away with contractualization. And we particularly mentioned

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES OFFICE OF THE NOTARY PUBLIC MARIO T. JUNI Attorney-at-Law Rm. 204-205, 2nd Flr. De Leon Square Bldg., Pabayo-Cruz Taal Sts., Cagayan de Oro City Telephone No. (088) 857-3599* Cell Phone No. 09352379999 MARIETA T. HERRERA, Mortgagee, - Versus – SAMUEL S. BOMBEO,SR., Mortgagor.

X~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~X NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION Upon verified application for sale under Act. No. 3135, as amended, filed by the mortgagee, MARIETA T. HERRERA, of #143, Tejero Subd., Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, against the mortgagor, SAMUEL S. BOMBEO, SR., of Block 11, Paris Ave., Capitol Homes, Diliman, Quezon City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness in the total amount of ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED PESOS (1,700,000.00) representing the principal amount and interest, excluding the 25% as attorney’s fees, cost and expenses of foreclosure and sale, and all other incidental expenses which are likewise secured by the said mortgage, the undersigned notary public will sale at PUBLIC AUCTION, to the highest bidder, FOR CASH and in Philippine Currency, on May 4, 2018 at 3:30 o clock in the afternoon or soon thereafter at the Entrance of the City Hall Building, El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental , the following described real property, together with all its improvement, to wit : KATIBAYAN NG ORIHINAL NA TITULO BLG. P-22666

A PARCEL OF LAND, Lot No. 41861, CAD. 237,(Lot 6822-C, CSD10-011272-D) situated at Barrio Molugan, Municipality of El Salvador, Province of Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao. Bounded on the West, along line 4-1 by Lot 6818; On the NE., along line 1-2 by Lot 41862, (Lot 6822-D, CSD-10-011272-D); On the SE., along line 2-3 by Road ; On the SW., along line 3-4 by Lot 41860, (Lot 22-B, CSD-10011272-D); All of CAD. 237, Cagayan Cadastre. Beginning at a point marked “1’’ on the plan being S. 01 deg.36’W., 560.50 m. from BLLM. No 17, CAD.237; thence: S.74 deg. 29’E., 122.96 m. to pt. 2; S.21 deg. 41’W., 37.65 m. to pt. 3; N.73 deg. 57’W., 113.57 m. to pt. 4; N. 07 deg. 08’E., 36.77 m. to pt. of beginning, containing an area of FOUR THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR (4,364) square meters, more or less.

The undersigned auctioning notary hereby gives futher notice that if on May 4, 2018 the minimum requirement of two(2) bidders/buyers will not participate in the auction sale pursuant to the Supreme Court EN BANC Resolution under Administrative Matter No. 99-10-05-0, the sale shall be postponed and re-scheduled on the next working day which is May 7, 2018 at the same time and place without republication.

This Notice of Sale will be posted for a period of twnty (20) days in three (3) of the most conspicuous public places where the subject property is located, specifically in the bulletin boards of: (1) Barangay Hall, (2) City Hall, and (3) Hall of Justice and in the Main Entrance of the City Hall of El Salvador City, where the sale shall takepalce, and likewise, a copy will be published in a newspaper in a newspaper of general circulation in Misamis Oriental, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at least fifteen (15) days before the date of the auction sale.

Prospective bidders or buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the property and the encumbrances, if there be any.

Cagayan de Oro City, March 14, 2018.

ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

Notary Public

Until December 31, 2018

PTR No.3686792A, 01-04—2018

IBP No. 1080130, 01-04-2018

Commission No. 2017-081 (01-12-17)

Attorney’s Roll No. 35240

MCLE Compliance No. VI-0000743 (09-29-16)

Cagayan de Oro City BWM: March 19, 26 & April 2, 2018

that the biggest impacted sector would be the MSMEs” because of the seasonal nature of their business.

Unlike the bigger establishments, MSMEs don’t have enough resources to cope with such challenges, he said. If MSMEs are required to hire all the workers, “ipit sila” when there’s a downside in business, he said.

“We are stressing that fact that non-contractualization would impact the MSMEs,” which comprise the majority of employers in the Philippines, he reiterated.

Ranulfo Payos, vice president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), agreed, pointing out that MSMEs cannot absorb all the workers. “It is the small, medium-sized enterprises that will be affected by these stringent laws.”

Barcelon called for prudence on the government’s side and underscored the importance of the administration working with both labor and private sector for the country to leapfrog to where more advanced ASEAN countries are.

He also emphasized the need for trust for the country to move ahead. “The other countries are progressing because they have this factor-the trust among the

three-government, private sector and labor-so we will continue pursuing that we have a change in attitude on trust.”

Earlier, Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), warned in a position paper that the group’s more than 4,000 member-exporters comprised mostly of MSMEs “are threatened to be wiped out should the current version of this bill passes.”

PHILEXPORT is requesting for the exemption of MSME-exporters. “We are thinking of the possibility of carving them out of this SB, just as the business process outsourcing and the construction sectors are exempted and governed by separate policies,” said OrtizLuis Jr. Among the key provisions of HB 6908 is prohibiting labor-only contracting and defining its existence when any of the following is present: the contractor does not have substantial capital or investment in the form of tools, equipment, machineries, work premises, among others; the contractor has no control over the workers’ methods and means of accomplishing their work; the contractor’s workers are performing activities which

are directly related to the principal business of the employer.

A new provision of the bill is to require all persons or entities doing business as job contractors to obtain a license from the Department of Labor and Employment.

It declares that violation of substantive or procedural due process is equivalent to illegal dismissal and broadens the entitlements of an illegally dismissed employee.

It simplifies and clarifies the classification of employees by mandating regular employment as the general rule; and prohibiting fixed-term employment except in cases of overseas Filipino workers, workers on probation, relievers, project employees, and seasonal employees.

It provides that the rights and benefits of relievers, project, and seasonal employees are at par with regular employees.

It also provides that a probationary employee who has rendered at least one month of service is entitled to a termination pay of 1/2 month’s salary.

The bill also provides for administrative penalties of a fine and possible closure of business for those engaging in prohibited end-ofcontract arrangements and labor-only contracting.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF LANAO DEL SUR 12TH Judicial Region Hall of Justice, Marawi City OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE JUDGE IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION OF THE MINDANAO DAILY NEWS PUBLISHING CORPORATION TO PUBLISH JUDICAL AND LEGAL NOTICES AND OTHER SIMILAR ANNOUNCEMENT,

SPL. Proc. No. ________

MINDANAO DAILY NEWS PUBLISHING CORPORATION, Applicant.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ORDER Before this Honorable Court is the application for accreditation of MINDANAO DAILY NEWS thru Mindanao Daily News Publishing Corporation, represented by its President Dante M. Sudaria, to publish judicial and legal notices and other similar announcement.

The application alleged among others that the applicant is duly registered with the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) under Certificate no. CS201531735, with the principal page of business at Abellanosa St., Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City. The publication of its first issue in JULY 17, 2012. It carries commercial display advertising.

It does not merely reproduce or reprint news pages of other newspaper or periodicals within the Mindanao Region but also publishes original news items coming from its several bureaus located throughout Northern Mindanao. It is fully qualified to publish legal and judicial notices as provided for under the provision of PD1079. That the publication rates to be charged on client are in accordance with the rates of Misamis Oriental as per Copurt Order dated April 17, 2007 in the case of IBP Misamis Oriental –vs- Misamis Oriental- Cagayan de Oro Association of Publishers.

To Substantiate the applicant for accreditation, applicant attached three (3) sample copies of the newspaper’s or periodical’s printed for legal and judicial notices following the requisites prescribed by section 4 of P.D. No.1079; copy of an issue of the newspaper containing commercial advertisements published in the last twelve (12) and rate of the advertisement; certified true copy of a contract or insertion order or invoice describing the size and rate of the advertisement; and certified true copy of the newspaper’s official receipt showing payment per contracted advertising rate.

WHEREFORE, premises considered, after having satisfactorily established that it has complied with the requirements of A.M. No. 01-0-07 SC, and considering that there is/are no other qualified applicants to be accredited, the application of the MINDANAO DAILY NEWS is hereby granted. Accordingly, the MINDANAO DAILY NEWS is hereby allowed to publish Judicial and Legal Notices and other similar announcements of this Court in accordance with the requirements of A.M. no. 01-0-07 SC for a period of FIVE (5) years from November 9, 2017 to November 9, 2022.

SO ORDERED. This 8th of November 2017, Iligan City (For Marawi City)

BWM: March 26, April 2 & 9, 2018

(SGD.) WENIDA B. M. PAPANDAYAN Executive Judge

Poverty... from page 7

scientists, or government assistance, but if you do not have a change agent, it is not going to work,” Lopez remarked.

She added, “The spirit of the Quest is to search for loving organizations that have the LOVE idea: a great, splendid idea on how to lift up village economies.”

The Quest is open to socia l enter pr ises, c o o p e r a t i v e s , p e o p l e ’s associations, foundations, NGOs, and other sociallyor iented orga ni z at ions.

They must have an ongoing intervention program for a specific community and/ or have completed at least two successful community development programs in the past.

Application period is from 8 March to 13 April, 2018.

Sixteen organizations w i l l b e pitche d i n t he initial screening and will be trimmed down to the Top eight deserving loving organizations t hat sha ll receive PhP 100,000 plus direct access to government support.

The Quest for LOVE will run for eight months and will be aired as a segment in Gina Lopez’s TV program “G-Diaries”. At the end of the period, the top three loving organizations will be awarded based on tangible enterprise and the social and environmental outcomes they achieved. The winners shall receive additional direct assistance from ILOVE and its private and government partners.

For the complete mechanics and details of the competition, visit www. questforlove.ph

Relocation... from page 6

establishments for compliance with environmental laws and is coordinating with other stakeholders to protect and ensure the sustainability of El Nido as an ecotourism destination.

El Nido is part of the El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area, a 90,321-hectare key biodiversity area protected under Presidential Proclamantion 32 signed by then president Joseph Estrada in 1998. It is famous for its pristine blue waters and white sand beaches, lush forests, towering limestone rock formations and caves, as well as the numerous islands surrounding the seas of El Nido.

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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Monday|April 2, 2018

Chamber...

Water...

She said they encourage the more than 20 establishments serving non-pork products to acquire accreditation from the six National Commission for Muslim Filipinos-recognized local halal certifiers in the country, to cater to visitors from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

She said they also hope that more investors will put up halal-certified accommodation establishments and venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.

Ampuan added there are only eight halal-certified establishments in the region but they are in the process of renewing additional 10 establishments, previously identified DOT-halal recipients in 2016.

Malaysia’s budget airline AirAsia launched on December 21 last year four times a week direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Davao City.

Q at ar A i r w ay s a l s o announced that it’s planning to make direct flights to the cities of Davao and Cebu and three other destinations in Southeast Asia between 2018 and 2019.

The six certifiers – National Commission for Muslim Filipinos, Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines, Halal Development Institute of the Philippines, Mindanao Halal Authority, Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Halal International Chambers of Commerce, and UAE-based PRIME – were given until 2019 to function as such.

“They need to undergo another accreditation process with DTI as the new halal standards scheme takes effect, as provided for in the RA 10817, also known as Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of 2016,” Ampuan said.

RA 10817 established the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board as the policy-making body that sets the overall direction of the halal industry.

Its mandate includes institutionalizing the i nv o l v e m e n t o f Mo r o organizations and nongovernment organizations through membership in consultative or advisory bodies, coordination of activities with government agencies concerned with Halal industry development, and participation in regular consultative mechanisms such as public hearings and roundtable discussions.

It formulates, advocates, coordinates, oversees and assesses the implementation of the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program, among other functions.

The board comprises the DTI secretar y as chairperson, NCMF secretary as vice chairperson, and the secretaries of Agriculture, Tourism, Health, Science and Technology, Foreign Affairs, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Mindanao Development Authority, and two Moro representatives to be appointed by the President.

In fact, Batar said it was this situation that led COWD to undertake their bulk water supply project in 2004.

However, due to legal issues arising from the bulk water supply contract with its first bulk water supplier Rio Verde Water Consortium Inc., (RVWCI), COWD was forced to look for other remedies and eventually dissolved its contract with RVWCI and inked a new joint venture with MetroPac Water Investments Inc. (MWIC) to form Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water, Inc. (COBI) as its new bulk water supplier.

COWD called a press conference 22 March 2018 to address issues arising from its recent joint venture contract with MWIC. In a slide presented during the press conference, Batar showed that COWD has 17 production wells in its East Service Area producing 114.456 million liters daily (MLD) and eight production wells in the West Service area producing 31.824 MLD plus 40 MLD bulk water from COBI for a total of 71.824 MLD. Total daily production for the two areas was pegged at 186.290 MLD. “The 186,290 cu.m. is COWD’s daily production capacity,” Batar noted. “We want to clarify that our present supply is just barely sufficient to meet the city’s daily demand. However, the real demand could be much greater since many areas suffer from low water pressure and cannot avail of the amount they really need on a daily basis.”

Althoug h C OBI was already supposed to be delivering 60,000 MLD to COWD since January, Batar said it was still delivering only 40 MLD due to ongoing repairs at the RVWCI water treatment plant caused by floodwaters spawned by Tropical Storm Vinta last December. At present, COBI is buying its bulk water from RVWCI. The bulk water supply purchased by COWD from COBI at present accounts for 56% of the total West Area daily production, and 21.47% of the total COWD daily production for the East and West service areas.

Batar admits the COWD’s Supply situation was complicated by problems with Rio Verde contract.

“As planned, bulk water deliveries as of this date should already have been 120MLD but only 40MLD is still being delivered. The 80 MLD difference should have been COWD’s buffer to improve our resiliency in meeting issues encountered in the supply/demand situation,” he explained.

Another problem c o mp l i c at i n g C O W D’s supply situation is its High Percentage of Non-Revenue Water (NRW).

“NRW is water produced

by COWD for which we have no income such as the water we use for testing, f lushing of valves, and

from page 1

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supplying fire hydrants,” said Eduardo Montalvan, COWD Chairman of the Board.

“The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) allows a maximum of 30% NRW per water district.

When I was appointed a member of the COWD Board, our NRW as 59%, one of the highest in the country.

That means of our total daily production of 186,290 cu.m. per day daily production, 59% of that or 109,911 cu.m. is wasted.”

While COWD’s present NRW is down to 50.36%, Montalvan said COWD has committed to LWUA to reduce it further to 20%.

Most of the NRW are believed caused by old and leaking pipes in the poblacion t hat e ven pre dates t he COWD’s creation in 1973.

“So we have to identify all the leaking pipes to replace them and ultimately, we have to replace all of the old pipes.

We loaned P425 million from DBP just for that. Loan took a long time to be approved due to the complicated process, so far only 50% has been released and the balance has not yet been released.”

Montalvan admits even that amount is still lacking if COWD is to replace all its old and leaking pipes.

“This is one of our most important projects we have to really focus on because even if we reduce NRW by 30%, that means 30% more income for us and we don’t even have to implement any further rate increases,” he added.

C OW D h a s c re at e d an NRW Dept. headed by Engr. Edgardo Tuvilla that is charged with focusing on and resolving our NRW issues.

Assist... from page 1

Indicted were former COWD chair Raymundo Java, former directors Sandy Bass Sr., Sarah Borja, Francisco Mendez and Joel Baldelovar, former manager Gaspar Gonzales Jr. and former treasurer Bibiana Sarmiento.

They were charged along with former Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) he ad L orenzo Jamora in connection with entering into a contract with its then supplier Rio Verde Water Consortium, Inc. in 2004.

Also named as respondent is Rio Verde owner Jose Alvarez. He is now the governor of Palawan.

In a text message, Baldelovar said he would appeal for the Ombudsman to reconsider. Other respondents could not be contacted as of this time.

It was only as recent as last year that the contract has been voided after a lengthy process before the Commission on Audit (COA) only for COWD to be embroiled in another controversy involving the new supplier Metro Pacific Water Investments Corporation.

Throughout the 13-yearlong Rio Verde era, the contract has been questioned on separate occasions before the Office of the Ombudsman and COA.

While COA has long recommended for the contract’s nullification for undue disadvantage to the government, it was only this week that the Ombudsman decided on the matter.

In its resolution, the Ombudsman said the COWD officials erred in awarding the Rio Verde contract because they already favored the supplier before the bidding took place.

The Ombudsman noted that the bidding proceeded even though Rio Verde lacked the necessary requirements - income tax returns and audited financial statements.

“In so doing, not only did respondent board members contravene the procurement law and blatantly demonstrate impropriety and partiality, they also belie their averment that they did not receive the BAC (bids and awards c o m m i t t e e ) re s o l u t i o n disqualif ying the RVW consortium,” the Ombudsman said in its resolution.

The complainant in the case is a certain Michelle Fox, one of Alvarez’s constituents in Palawan.

With the Ombudsman’s resolution, the case is now elevated to the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

Restore... from page 2

and the City Government of Marawi in restoring agriculture-based livelihoods in Marawi and surrounding areas.

“We acknowledge that recovery and rehabilitation take some time, but the concerted efforts of government, nongovernment organizations, and communities are already making positive impacts to the people affected by the crisis. We must continue working together to sustain the gains we have achieved so far,” Fernandez said.

“FAO’s emergency and recovery response to the Marawi crisis focuses on rehabilitating the agriculture and fisheries sector, restoring the food supply chain in affected communities, and helping farmers reclaim their lost livelihoods so that they can begin rebuilding their lives.”

Working closely with various partners and st a kehol d e rs , FAO has also mapped out a shortto medium-term strategic response plan to restore the food supply and agribusiness value chain in Marawi and other affected municipalities and enable them to be better linked to regional markets.

(FAO)

Consortium... from page 3

financial institutions, rural s ch o ol s , h o s pit a l s an d private sector, and others, for installation by fourth quarter 2018. These towers will cover a population of over a million Filipinos.

At present, Steven said the consortium has 25 existing towers, covering greater Metro Manila with excess capacity and bandwidth on t hes e towers. Wit h

commitment from NOKIA to provide Vendor financing, Tier1 can retrofit these towers with NOKIA Small Cell technology to cover 10 million people in the next 6 months.

“This complies with the requirement of the third player to cover 15 percent of the population in the first twelve months,” Stevens said in the statement.

Ste ve ns a ls o st ate d, “In complying with the requirements set down by DICT OIC BGen Eliseo Rio Jr, an important issue raised was speed, so we conducted double tests to reveal speeds of our competitors as low as 2mbps, or 18Mbps and Tie1 consortium partner Millawave at 180 Mbps.”

To address the issue of cost, Tier said it has contracted government departments to provide high speed data at 15-20 percent lower than the rates of existing duopoly Smart and Globe.

“Our consortium has also entered into discussions with USA cable provider for dark fibre in order to build a landing station in Davao City and a State of the Art Data Storage Center and a new and independent National BroadBand Optic Fiber network in fact work on the new network will commence fourth quarter 2018 and will significantly lower the cost of fiber for data and B2B connectivity,” the statement added.

In addition, it said that Tier1 consortium member Onyx Connect, a Google Partner, which has two cellphone and device making factories in South Africa and one in China, will also begin manufacturing cellphones, tablets and laptops under the Tier1 marketing brand “Dot Mobile”by third quarter 2018, employing as many as 200 skilled workers in Davao Directly, and as many as 10,000 down line personnel agents to launch the Davao Based “Dot Mobile”Brand.

Tier1 will also lead a break through the digital divide with its Digital Brain, this device is an off line cached portable storage centerwhich will be installed in schools, and enable the students to download , view or research FOR FREE , WorldBook, Wikipedia , Khan Academy, Ted Talks and thousands of other documentaries, the “Digital Brain can also contain, the entire Philippine school curriculum and data streams at 65Mbps and can reach an area of 100 meters or more. The Digital Brain is on 24/7 and requires no connectivity other than a midnight 2 minute burst to transit teachers reports to Dep Ed in Manila.

Consortium CEO Simon Fjell said Tier1 will deploy the newest micro data V-Sat towers for remote locations and Islands and are cost effective to as little as 500 persons. The introduction of these micro towers will enable the inhabitants to watch movies, communicate, and be included in emergency transmissions issued by the government.

“We have devices that will extend the range of a cell phone for as much as 40 kms, and costs no more than a cell phone and can be shares by many users,” Fjell said.

This will help the education of children especially those located in remote areas.

“Education is the foundation of the Philippines future economy, Filipino children deserve the same digital diverse education as do the Japanese Korean and Chinese children, but the geography many times makes this impractical,” he said.

Disease... from page 4

give love and forgiveness to others, then it is also closed and cannot receive God’s gift of forgiveness. So for your own sake, won’t you ask Jesus to forgive and heal your heart today? Then, you can finally be free to forgive others and enjoy the healthy, happy new life Jesus wants to give you. Just Think a Minute…

Economy...

from page 5 first concern that should be addressed is to ease financial regulations that stymie the growth of electronic commerce in the country.

“We a s ke d ( B ang ko Sentral ng Pilipinas) Deputy Governor (Maria Almasara) Cyd Amador to better check all the regulations in the central bank, and everything that chokes this kind of business to take these out,” Dominguez said.

Bill...

from page 5

foreign corporations and nonresident foreign corporations starting next year.

Howe ver, Chua said the bill also stated that the reduction should not reach lower than 20 percent.

HB5478, once passed into law, will also modernize the present fiscal incentives regime, making it performance-based, targeted, time bound, and transparent.

Similar to the version proposed by the Department of Finance (D OF) and Department of Trade and Industry, the bill also aims to formulate a three-year Strategic Investments Priority Plan (SIPP) to ensure that only deserving industries are given incentives.

“HB 7458 also aims to either amend or repeal tax incentive provisions and processes contained in 114 special laws,” Chua said.

“The long list of incentives managed by investment promotion agencies have “caused confusion among investors availing themselves of these tax perks.”

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Monday|April 2, 2018

Uptown Cagayan De Oro’s picturesque landscapes Primavera City and Primavera Residences are strategically located right in the heart of Uptown Cagayan de Oro. With stunning views, the area has been a favorite among property buyers.

One experiences the convenience of city living while he enjoys serene and lush surroundings. The vicinity also houses some home-grown restaurants, shopping centres, leisure and entertainment places as well as educational establishments.

Aside from being the preferred location of these businesses, Uptown Cagayan de Oro is a flood-free location and has a well-developed community within easy reach. This is the reason why Italpinas Development

Corporation became the first real estate developer which built a multilevel residential building in the area.

The new project, Primavera City, boasts of several environment-friendly features like cross ventilation designed to reduce indoor heat, extended awnings for shading, and a natural ventilation system which allows fresh air to circulate. There are photovoltaic solar panels on its rooftop to reduce energy consumption.

Primavera City is a mixed-use development which shall offer leasable spaces as well as office spaces aside from the condominium units.

With its completion, it will add to the variety and vibrant feel in Uptown CDO community.