BusinessWeek Mindanao (April 26, 2015)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO “we grow minds” 2013 ppi’S Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Volume V, No. 151

Market Indicators As of 6:10 pm apr. 24, 2015 (friday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P44.24

7,947.25 points

6 cents

X X Briefly 55.20 points

Alsons eyes Agus-Pulangi ALSONS Consolidated Resources, Inc. (ACR) has expressed interest in the planned privatization of the Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plant complex, the asset that supplies about half of Mindanao’s power requirements.

The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) said last year the power asset will soon be put on the auction block.

“We will participate in whatever plans PSALM has for the Agus-Pulangi plant,” Joseph C. Nocos, ACR vice-president for business development, said in a briefing on Thursday.

The asset can serve as a significant part of ACR’s power generation portfolio, which is currently dominated by conventional sources of energy.

West PH Sea Confab THE second leg of the nationwide Information Drive on the West Philippine Sea issue will be held on April 29, 2015 at VIP Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.

A collaboration project of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the campaign aims to disseminate information on the issues relating to West Philippine Sea particularly why the Philippine government seeks arbitration from an international tribunal, our entitlement on the disputed territory and other historical, economic and legal concerns.

Foreign Affairs Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Charles C. Jose will grace the event to discuss the core issues, the overarching principles that guide Philippine response to the issues, and the steps that are being undertaken by the Philippine Government to address the disputes.

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Sunday | April 26, 2015

Power firm empowers lumad communities M

By BONG D. FABE, Editor-at-Large

ANOLO FORTICH, Bukidnon — Providing sustainable “cleanergy” from indigenous sources maybe its main business but empowering indigenous peoples (IPs) communities to help them determine a better future for the tribe and enable them to be better guardians of the environment are its true calling.

BAGSAKAN. A fish trader inspects the quality of yellow fin tuna brought to Bangkerohan’s “bagsakan” in Davao City. The wholesale price of yellow fin tuna is 90 pesos per kilo. mindanews photo by toto lozano

Globe Telecom opens PH’s 80th Premium Dealer at Gaisano City

By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

GLOBE Telecom officially opened its 80th premium dealership in the country at the 2nd floor of Gaisano City Mall in Cagayan de Oro City on Thursday, April 23.

Cutting the ribbon for

the second premium dealer in Cagayan de Oro was John G. Velasco, Globe Telecom senior director for partner sales and development, and Ms. Eileen E. San Juan, Director of CGEN2

PREMIUM DEALER. The newest Globe Premium Dealer store which opened Thursday at the 2nd floor of Gaisano City Mall in Cagayan de Oro City.

Technology, Inc., its third party investor and partner under the firm’s Premium Dealer Program.

“We are partnering with local business people like Eileen here,” Velasco said.

“Through them we will be able to tap into the networks, the connections and relationships of the provinces.”

Under its Premium Dealer Program, Globe Telecoms teams up with third-party investors who are accredited to operate a full-service Globe concept store. Globe offers its PDs very competitive benefits and comprehensive support, such as site sourcing and evaluation; training and development planning; business and marketing plans; and operations support and assistance.

The Gaisano City Mall PD is the second Globe PD store in Cagayan de Oro and globe/PAGE 11

H e d c o r, I n c . , t h e wholly-owned subsidiary of Ab oit i z Powe r t hat specializes in generating rene wable energ y f rom run-of-river hydropower systems, has installed what President and COO Rene B. Ronquillo called the 3Ps as its daily operating byword: principles that act as its guidepost in doing business — People, Planet and Profit. “ The profit comes afterwards. But first, we

have to take care of the people and the planet,” Ronquillo told this paper.

Hedcor held here on Earth Day (April 22) the groundbreaking ceremony for its P12.5-billion two c a s c a d i ng r u n - of - r i ve r hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 68.8 megawatts (MW) that will generate a total of 360 gigawatt hour (GWh) of electricity every year. These plants will be online in 2016. lumad/PAGE 11

EMPOWERMENT. Datu Honorio Sumohoy (L), chieftain of the Bukidnon tribe and main claimant to the 15,000 hectares ancestral domain in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, and Hedcor, Inc. President and COO Rene Ronquilo (2L) smile as they shake hands during the groundbreaking ceremony for the two run-of-river hydropower plants the power firm will construct in the municipality. photo by bong d . fabe

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City dad seeks support for Sinulom Falls as tourist spot

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HE Chairman of t he C agay an de Oro City Council committee on t ou r i s m , on Mon d ay called for support for the development of t he Si nu l om Fa l ls i n Barangay Tignapoloan as one of the city’s tourist destinations.

In her special report during the regular session presided over

by Vice Mayor Caesar Ian E. Acenas, Councilor Candy Darimbang said she personally visited the site twice upon t he i nv it at i on of t he barangay chairman of Tignapoloan.

S h e s a i d , t h e c it y c an b e prou d of t h e Sinulom Falls, w hich is breathtaking and panoramic.

She said it is

comparable to the Pasonanca Falls in Zamboanga, and other landmark tourist destinations in the country.

She, however, observed that the temporary access road leading to the site is not fully developed, it was steep and rough and difficult to traverse.

According to D ar imb ang , w it h t he

Marie P. Estabaya

First Solo Art Exhibition (For a Cause)

RHYTHM of NATURE May 1, 2015 At the Clubhouse Morning Mist Village Pueblo de Oro, Cagayan de Oro City

discovery of the potential tourist destination, the local government should extend full support to the development of the area.

She cited that tourism is a major player and catalyst in the country’s progress.

RESOLUTIONS In l i n e w i t h t h i s , t he counci lor f i le d a proposed resolution declaring Sinulom

Falls at Sitio Sinulom, Barangay Tignapoloan as a protected area and a s e c on d re s o lut i on , requesting the City Council to appropriate funds for the construction of the access road leading to the falls to make it accessible to tourists.

TOURISM BOARD Vice Mayor Acenas refer re d t hes e to t he City Tourism Board for appropriate action. He suggested that the board considers tapping the Tourism Infrastructure

and E nte r pr is e Z one Authority (TIEZA) for the development of the area.

C o u n c i l o r Ad r i a n Barba said the ownership of the land and other concerns should also be looked into.

For his part, Councilor Te o d u l f o L a o s a i d Sinulom Falls can be a source of pride to the city. If the area belongs to Cagayan de Oro, it can be developed as a tourist destination, he cited. (CdeOSP)

Zambo Integrated Bus Terminal to start operations in May ZAMBOANGA City (PNA) – City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr. announced Friday that the P175.8 million Integrated Bus Terminal (IBT) will be operational by the end of May this year.

Orendain made the announcement after leading an inspection Wednesday on the IBT to determine the required manpower for the full operation of the terminal.

The terminal is located in Barangay Divisoria, 6.40 kilometers east of City Hall.

Orendain said at least 70 people are needed to run the IBT, which would operate on a 24/7 basis.

The facility is equipped with an x-ray scanner and

closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras. It can accommodate more than 600 passengers and has 17 buses’ loading spaces.

The other amenities of the IBT are breastfeeding room, restrooms, offices for line agencies, gift shops and eateries.

Orendain said they will also require the bus firms to establish their own ticket counters.

He said that a terminal fee of P15 for adults and P10 for children, students, and senior citizens will be collected.

Meanwhile, he said the frontage of the IBT will be leased for the establishment of a onestorey shopping mall.

(PNA)

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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Century Properties brings arbitration vs Okada group CENTURY PROPERTIES Group, Inc. (CPGI) has initiated an arbitration proceeding in Hong Kong against the group of Kazuo Okada over their failed partnership to build luxury residences and open retail space at the Japanese pachinko magnate’s casino resort project in Entertainment City.

“CPGI would like to i n f or m t h e Hon or a b l e Exchange that it has filed a Notice of Arbitration dated April 17, 2015 before the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center pursuant to the Dispute Resolution clause in the Investment Agreement executed between CPGI and Okada,” t he property firm of Jose E.B. Antonio, former special envoy to China, told the stock exchange on Wednesday.

Shares in the company were unchanged at P0.92 each.

In its disclosure, Century Properties also said it was notified by its legal counsel yesterday that the Okada group’s bid to terminate their partnership has gained traction at the Court of Appeals.

The appellate court, in an order dated March 27, granted Mr. Okada’s petition for review, setting aside a Makati trial court ruling that favored Century Properties,

the developer said in the disclosure.

“CPGI’s counsels are now studying the legal options the company will take anent to this order,” the listed firm said.

The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 66, in an order dated July 25, 2014, prohibited companies associated with Mr. Okada from dealing with any other party for the development of a joint commercial and residential project in Parañaque City.

Likewise, the Makati court ruling stopped the Okada group from giving effect to century/PAGE 11

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Lazada taps Globe’s GCASH as online payment option

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LOBE Telecom Inc has partnered with an online retailer partly owned by rival Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).

In a statement, Ayalaled Globe said Lazada is tapping the telco’s mobile wallet service GCASH as a mode of payment using an open mWallet platform.

Globe president Ernest Cu and Lazada founder Maximilian Bittner signed the memorandum of agreement in Seoul, South Korea yesterday.

Lazada is owned by Rocket Internet, which in turn is 6.1-percent owned by PLDT. “We are excited about this partnership with Lazada because of its customer traffic and the innovation it has done with online shopping. It is a great opportunity for us to leverage on this collaboration by bringing GCASH at the forefront of eCommerce.

By increasing transactions through mWallet, we will once again expand the online ecosystem of Globe and provide our customers

with a full digital lifestyle experience,” Cu said.

With mWallet, Globe customers no longer need credit cards or bank accounts to transact online, as their mobile phones become virtual wallets, allowing them to shop at the speed of a text message.

Lazada has become one of the top B2C eCommerce market platforms in Southeast As i a , w it h a pre s e n c e in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Lazada has signed up more than 15,000 merchants, and has drawn 1.4 million active customers. Valued at $1.2 billion with $700 million of investment funding, Lazada has an online footprint of four million daily visits and a Facebook following of at least 12 million in Southeast Asia.

Globe grew its mobile data revenues by 23 percent to P14.3 billion in 2014 from P11.6 billion the previous year. It has 46 million subscribers.

Ayala Land’s P7-B bonds 2X oversubscribed REAL estate giant Ayala Land Inc. has wrapped up its P7 billion retail bond offering which was two times oversubscribed.

ALI treasurer Augusto Bengzon said “the offer period commenced last F r i d a y, Ap r i l 1 7 a n d will end today April 23.

T he u nd e r w r ite rs have advised that interest from institutional investor was exceptionally strong.”

The P7 billion proceeds from the bond offer will be used to partially fund ALI’s capital expenditures amounting to P100 billion,

said ALI president Bernard Vincent Dy in an earlier interview.

“A s a l w a y s w e a r e looking at properties for our landbank. About 20-35 percent of our capex is to replenish our landbank.

Right now we are in 45 growth centers in the country. Our target is to increase this to 78 growth centers,” said Dy. ALI chief finance officer Jaime Ysmael said the P7 billion bonds represent t he b a l ance of t he P 15 billion b onds approved for issuance by the firm’s

s h are h ol d e rs l a s t ye ar.

It had already issued P8 billion worth of bonds in late 2014.

Y s m a e l s ai d complimenting the retail bond offer will be a P1P2 billion Homestar ter bond issuance and bilateral loans at t he subsidiar y level.

Dy said the firm intends to l au n ch P 1 0 0 bi l l i on to P120 billion worth of residential projects this y e a r, f r o m a b o u t P 8 5 billion launched in 2014.

He n o t e d t h at t h e y sold P108 billion worth

of residential units last year, higher than what was launched as it included inventor ies bui lt up in previous years. Dy said they are making sure that t h e y w i l l h av e e n ou g h i nve nt or i e s a s d e m an d is seen to continue to be strong.

Me anw h i l e, D y s ai d they are also launching office projects with a total of 300,000 square meters of leasable space this year, about the same as last year, since the business process outsourcing sector is also projected to continue

g row i n g by a rou n d 2 0 percent.

D y s aid t hes e of f ice buildings will rise in t h e A l a b a n g To w n Center, Bonifacio Global C it y, Un ive rs it y of t he Philippines Town Center and in Cebu. About 106,000 square meters are seen to be completed this year.

ALI will also be opening s e ve n m a l l s i n Nuv a l i, Ortigas, Tagaytay, Legaspi, Bonifacio Global City, UP and in Circuits, Makati with a total of 147,000 square meters of leasable space.

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Made For Pleasure

hink a minute…Sex was God’s idea. God created sex in marriage for pleasure.

The problem is that we have misused and twisted God’s plan for sex. We ruin this beautiful gift from God by using sex wrongly. So we actually hurt ourselves with wrong kinds of sex that were never intended for us. Sex is like our other appetites.

Just like our appetite for food is to keep our body strong and healthy, sex has 2 main purposes: for PLEASURE and PROCREATION or having children. So we must use our sex drive in the right way for it to work best for us.

The only way sex can be fully enjoyed is in marriage. It’s not lust and desire for anybody we want, so we can just use them to make us feel good for the moment. God designed us so that sex we have with anyone who is not our wife or husband is not pleasure that will keep satisfying us for a lifetime, because it’s not a permanent, secure relationship. What’s more, sex with others you do not know well is extremely dangerous because of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Remember, you’re not only having sex with that one person, but you’re having sex with every other person they have ever had sex with!

God intended sex to continually get better in marriage because you love and know each other better

THINK

A Minute

Jhan Tiafau Hurst through the years. So even though your children are grown up, that does not mean sex has finished serving its purpose.

God’s plan for sex is much more than that. Remember, sexual closeness in marriage is for both the husband’s and wife’s pleasure. That’s the kind of love God created for us to express and enjoy. Passionate love that satisfies your wife or husband and not just you.

If you’re married and don’t enjoy close, intimate love in your relationship, then you’re missing one of the greatest gifts God has given to us human beings. So why not ask Jesus to forgive you for your wrongs in your life and marriage. Then ask Him to start changing you into a new person who learns to love your mate the way God wants you to. It’s only then that your marriage can start becoming the happy, satisfying one you want for the rest of your life.

Just Think a Minute…

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Beijing limits shoppers in Hong Kong

I

n the past, I enjoyed several times shopping trips to Hongkong. In the future, millions of Chinese will have to refrain from their daily shopping trips to Hongkong. That’s also a way of boosting consumption on the mainland.

In some German drugstores, it is now normal that customers are only allowed to buy a limited number of milk powder packets a day because of hoarding behavior. Even at German airports, it is not unusual to see empty milk powder shelves in drugstores - thanks to the Chinese, who stock up in transit.

But imagine that you were suddenly only allowed to go shopping in the city once a week. That’s what it’s like for people in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Wow, tr y to imagine such restrictions in the Philippines!

The shopping paradise of Honkong is only 30 kilometers (20 miles) away.

However, last Monday the gover nment in B eijing announced that in the future Shenzhen’s inhabitants would only be permitted to go to Hongkong once a week.

Until now, mainland Chinese had been allowed to visit the island city daily, even as individual tourists.

According to estimates, this will reduce the number of visitors in Hong Kong by nearly 5 million people per year.

On their shopping trips, people don’t just buy clothes, watches and jewelry, but also daily necessities such as milk powder, cosmetics and me d ic at ion . Many

Mainland Chinese distrust the quality of products at home. And Hong Kong enjoys the image of having many Western products and quality products to sell. Last year more than 47 million tourists visited the city; in 2013 there were just over 40 million.

Thanks God, the new rules are not directed at tourists, but instead at crossborder trade. Statistics show that overnight tourists are more interested in luxury and leisure than in drugstore shopping. The main target of this new rule is the smugglers who travel daily to Hong Kong to buy cheap goods and sell them for more money on the mainland.

For a long time now, locals in Hong Kong have not been amused by their continental neighbors’ shopping excesses.

The Hong Kong government

H ave M y Say

Klaus Doring

is now planning to build shopping centers on the outskirts to relieve the center.

China’s crisis can’t be all that bad if Beijing can afford to limit consumption in Hong Kong to relieve the people there. However, the government’s concern is probably not for Hong Kong, but rather stimulating consumption on the mainland.

CA Justice Bueser sued for bias

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IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… maintain justice in the courts…” (Amos 5:15, the Holy Bible).

-ooo CA JUSTICE BUESER SUED FOR BIAS: In the ongoing court battle over the ownership of the Harbour C e nt r e Po r t Te r m i n a l Inc., a long-standing rule prohibiting the filing of criminal complaints against judges and justices before any office other than the Supreme Court is being put to the test, just like what is happening now to the similarly long-standing rule on condonation of past administrative offenses when an elected official gets re-elected in a subsequent election.

One of the parties in the Harbour Centre Port Terminal, Inc. case, One Source Port Support Services, through its lawyer-president Cyrus Paul Valenzuela, sued before the Ombudsman

Court of Appeals Justice Danton Bueser, a former elected congressman from Laguna, a province south of Metro Manila, for alleged bias in issuing orders and resolutions which always favored the opponent of One Source Port Support Services.

I remember that, in the past, when a criminal complaint against any judge or justice is lodged with the Ombudsman or any other government agency, the case will always be forwarded to the Office of the Court Administrator for its investigation. Is One Source aware of this rule, when it sued Justice Bueser before the Ombudsman?

-ooo PAY ATTENTION TO PEOPLE WHO INVOKE GOD AND HIS WORD: Here is something I learned whenever the Name of God, or His Word, is invoked.

Everyone must take that invocation seriously, and act

on the basis of the truth that God will not allow His Name or His Word to be invoked in vain. God will always honor His Name or His Word, and will punish those who will not similarly honor His Name or His Word.

I am saying this because I am aware of someone who turned to invoking the Name and the Word of God in his battles to defend his honor and of himself out of desperation, considering that his opponent is rich, mighty, influential, and very powerful because of the favors, financial or otherwise, that it had been freely giving to everyone who did its bidding.

This person’s opponent had already caused damage to him, yet the opponent continued feeling so aggrieved by the person’s helping the opponent’s opponents. Since no one appeared willing to help the person in his fight against the wealthy opponent,

K akampi

Mo A ng Batas

Atty. Batas Mauricio that person turned to God, and became profuse in his invocation of His Name and His Word.

-ooo GOD HONORS THOSE WHO INVOKE HIS NAME AND WORD: The opponent and the people working for him ignored the invocation of God and of His Name, confident that their wealth and position will always prevail. Yet, God has a way of honoring those who call batas/PAGE 11

Popular piety should bear fruit

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f course, for popular piety to bear fruit, it has to be properly founded and oriented. It just cannot be an emotional or psychological affair, a matter of merely following social fads and trends, something that is showy on the outside but quite empty inside. It has to be rooted on genuine relationship of love with God and everybody else.

Otherwise, it would just be a sham, perhaps making a lot of noise but having no effect.

Once again, I was very impressed with the immense turn-out of people during the Easter Triduum services. Wherever I went, I saw practically a deluge of people from all walks of life. There were organized groups of families, parochial associations and barangays

trooping to the churches, as well as individuals.

There were those who look pious enough and those who look like they just happened to drift into the churches. There were those who look rich, educated and sophisticated, and also those who look like with modest means only, perhaps deficient in schooling and quite simple.

Many of them sat in some mode of meditation and contemplation. Others were doing group rosaries and ways of the cross. During t h e Ma s s e s a n d ot h e r liturgical services, everyone participated as best as he could. Of course, all these would not be complete wit hout b abies cr ying, children running around, and some dogs climbing to

the sanctuary.

This is real-life popular piety in our country. We indeed have good reason to be truly thankful, and also hopeful that things would go on improving. But we also have to acknowledge the concrete things that need to be fixed, improved, polished, and made fruitful.

What cannot be denied is that while the churches may be full and vibrant during Masses and other liturgical services in the Easter Triduum, we can still see outside many people who for one reason or another are not in the churches.

Some have valid reasons.

They may be sick or too old or they could not leave their work or the house. I saw “habal-habal” drivers who were happy to see me

HINTS

and

Traces

Fr. Roy Cimagala pass by. They were not in the church. I surmised they had to earn for what they and their families had to eat that day.

But many others look like they need to be helped to realize the importance of these liturgical services.

There could be ignorance and cimagala/PAGE 11

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British military disaster specialist holds trng in Manila

By Michaela del Callar

MANILA -– A group of British military disaster specialists is currently in the country to provide training and expertise to the Philippine government on how to deal with natural disasters.

The British Embassy in Manila, in a statement on Wednesday, said 40 members of the unit would work alongside the Philippine officials and disaster relief organizations as part of an annual training exercise it conducted in different parts of the world.

With a specific focus on Manila, members of

Britain’s 77 Brigade will share experiences with various departments, local authorities and humanitarian agencies, in an integrated approach based on the scenario of a major earthquake.

Membership of the 77 Brigade include regular and reservist members from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, who provide expertise ranging from civil engineering and policing to strategic communications.

Their mission during the two-week deployment, the embassy said, was to look at examples of the existing

P h i l ip pi n e e a r t h q u a k e contingency response plans and offer suggestions to enhance the country’s ability to respond to an earthquake in an urban setting.

“The effects of Typhoon Yolanda were a real eye opener, not just for the Phi lippine gover nment but for many others across the world, including our government,” British Ambassador Asif Ahmad said, referring to the monster storm, internationally known as Haiyan, that killed more than 7,000 people in Central Philippines in 2013.

“We are very much aware of the importance of proper

planning in mitigating the worst effects of natural disasters. Thousands of lives can be saved by effective preparation and coordination in advance of and in the aftermath of disasters,” he said.

Exercise commander, Lt. Colonel Jem Blades said the training was “an excellent opportunity” for the British Armed Forces to work closely with a broad spectrum of experts from the Philippine government.

“What we learn here in Manila will also enable us to work more effectively with others in different parts of the world,” Blades said. (PNA)

DENR conducts DENR official calls on Negrenses 2015 Earth Day to protect remaining forest cover Youth Camp B A C O L O D C I T Y - - a r e a s i n t h e p r o v i n c e Natural Park, which have QUEZON CITY —In line with the celebration of Earth Day, some 136 public high school students from Metro Manila, Cavite and Bulacan provinces joined the Earth Day Youth Camp 2015 organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

According to Ms. Maria Magnolia Danganan, Yo u t h D e s k , St r at e g i c Communications & Initiatives Services-DENR, who assisted in the coordination and preparation of the camp Secretary Ramon Paje came up with the idea of holding the youth camp to help further promote environmental protection and conservation among the youth.

Held April 21 to 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center (NAPWC) in Quezon City, Danganan said the camp also provided DENR with the opportunity to interact with the youth to f ur t her improve its nationwide environmental protection and conservation campaign.

Participants from Fort Bonifacion High School in Makati, Ramon Joshua B omb ais, S ophia Anne Maichal Panes, Alain Geronimo, and Nico Ponce all said that they learned and enjoyed the camp.

Bombais said he learned more about the protection and preservation of wildlife habitat. “Even in Metro Manila, there animal habitats that must be protected like trees with birds nests,” Bombais said.

Panes said she learned the proper way of planting trees. “The DENR taught the proper way of planting trees and how to take care after you have planted them,” Panes said.

Geronimo said he would take extra effort to maintain his school as an DENR/PAGE 11

Provincial Environment and Natu r a l R e s ou rc e s O f f i c e r A n d r e s Un t a l called on Negrenses to help protect the remaining forest cover in Negros Occidental, saying its degradation is alarming.

He made the call as the Department of Environment and Natu r a l R e s ou rc e s and multi-sectoral group here obser ved the 45th International Earth Day Wednesday.

Only 19,000 hectares of Negros Occidental’s forest cover can be considered virgin forest.

Untal said that protected

lose 290 hectares a year, with forest and habitat degradation annual rate of at least 2,400 hectares due to unregulated extraction of forest resources and fuel wood collection, illegal cutting of trees, illegal hu nt i ng , and i nte ns ive conversion for agriculture use and settlements.

He said the community and the local government units should help protect the forest and the wildlife from poaching and other illegal activities as these can threaten the existence of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park and the Northern Negros

been declared protected areas.

T h e t wo p ar k s h o s t a number of threatened and endangered species that are endemic to the area, including the Negros bleeding-heart dove, Visayan warty pig, Visayan spotted deer, and red lauan.

Untal said the DENR has partnered with United States Agency for International Development through its program, Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for St ronger E conomy and Ecosystem Resilience, to curb forest and habitat degradation.(PNA)

IGACOS deputizes fish wardens ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL - City Mayor Aniano P. Antalan administered the oath-taking of twenty (20) deputized fish wardens from Philippines National Police (PNP) Samal and Samal Task Group under the command of 1003rd Brigade Philippine Army.

The oath-taking was done after the two-day exclusive live-in training-workshop on fish warden deputization last April 13, 2015 at City Mayor’s Conference Room, City Hall, Penaplata, Samal District.

In addition to the existing deputized fish wardens, the local government augmented twenty (20) more fish wardens (five (5) personnel selected from PNP-Samal and fifteen (15) from Samal Task Group) giving them the capacity and authority to enforce fishery laws and arrest violators base on RA 8550. The RA 8550 is an Act providing for the development, management and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic resources , integrating all laws pertinent thereto, and for other purposes.

The law also stipulates the authority provided to the local government unit the

authority to enforce all fishery laws, rules and regulations as well as the valid fishery ordinances enacted by the City Council.

The City Fisheries Office headed by Engr. Ana Lea A. Zapanta, City Agriculturist in coordination with BFAR XI provided the newly deputized fish warden were trained and equipped with technical skills in handling tactical tasks in apprehending marine violators.

The selected deputized personnel from PNP-Samal and Samal Task Group were assigned to strategic barangays identified as main fishing areas such as the Barangay San Remegio, Cogon and Talicud Island of Kaputian District; Barangays Balet and Pichon of Babak District and other coastal Barangays wherein a detachment will also be established for them to speedily response to cases of marine violators.

“Illegal fishing awareness and prevention campaign were also given to fishing barangays and coastal barangays. We also asked and encouraged b arangay of f ici a ls and constituents to help the fish

wardens to monitor, detect and report any illegal fishing or any unfamiliar sea vessels seen in their jurisdiction through texting or any means of communication for the immediate apprehension of the violators”, Mr. Timothy P. Dollano, City Fisheries Division, Acquaculturist said.

On the same occasion, the new City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Management Council (CFARMC) Officials also took oath of office.

Strengthening the Council could hopefully help support the effective and efficient enforcement of fisher y laws and marine resources protection and preservation.

The City consistently implements programs and projects for the development, management and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic resources. Yet with limited resources, involvement of barangays and neighboring municipalities and cities is imperative in curtailing illegal fishing and marine abuses to attain a comprehensive management, conservation and protection of aquatic resources around the gulf.

(Samal Info.)(PIA)

5

PRINT MEDIA TRAINING MODULES Print Media 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Column Writing Editorial Writing Editorial Cartooning Feature Writing Fact-sheet Writing Feature Writing First Aid During Media Coverage and Other Emergency Situations 8. Headline Writing 9. Investigative Reporting 10. Keeping Media Practitioner’s Family Safe

11. Layouting 12. Low-cost Media 13. News/Press Conference Organizing and Facilitation 14. News Paper Editing 15. News Writing for Print 16. Photography 17. Print News Release Preparation 18. Securing the Newsroom 19. Specialized Writing : Sports, Business, etc.

BROADCAST MEDIA TRAINING MODULES

1. Audiocraft 2. Audio News Release Production 3. Broadcast Editorial Writing 4. Broadcast Media and the Church Broadcast News Scriptwriting \ Broadcast News Simulation 5. Communication Theory 6. Community Radio Program Production 7. Conducting Energizers/Ice Breakers 8. Coverage of Civil Disorders, Natural and Human-induced Catastrophic Situations, Wars and Conflicts, Abuse and Exploitation 9. Data Gathering 10. Dealing with Death Threats and Surveillance 11. Disc Jockeying (Disk Jokering) 12. Effective Listening and Questioning 13. Feature Writing and Production 14. First Aid During Media Coverage and Other Emergency Situations 15. Headline Writing 16. Interviewing Children 17. Investigative Reporting 18. Keeping Media Practitioner’s Family Safe 19. Lantern Lecture Techniques 20. Microphone Handling 21. Newscasting

22. Non-linear Audio-Video Editing 23. News/Press Conference Organizing and Facilitation 24. Overcoming Ambush Interview 25. Overcoming Stage Fright 26. Program Hosting/Anchoring 27. Public Journalism 28. Radio, As Community Development Tool 29. Radio Programming 30. Radio and TV Guesting and Interview 31. Securing the Newsroom 32. Specialized Writing : Sports, Business, etc.

33. Telephone Interview and Reporting 34. Television, As Community Development Tool 35. Video Camera Handling 36. Video News Release Production 37. Voice Development Others 1. Structured Learning Exercises 2. Trainers Training on Training Facilitation 3. What To Do When Abducted, Arrested, or Stopped at Checkpoints or Roadblocks 4. Zero Waste Management

GENDER AND HEALTH TRAINING MODULE

1. Adolescent and Youth Health 2. Gender and Reproductive Health 3. Gender Sensitivity for Couples, Women and Men 4. Gender Sensitivity in Media 5. Gender Sensitivity Training for Lupon 6. Gender in Waste Management 7. Violence Against Women and Children

INFORMATION, EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION (IEC) and ADVOCACY MODULES 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

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16.

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Brainstorming and Project Presentation Building a Constituency for Support Communicating with the Adolescents, Handicaps Community Organizing and Planning Community Public Address System (ComPAS) Conducting an Advocacy Campaign Designating Spokespersons Data Gathering Defending Against and Addressing the Opposition Development Communication Educating Colleagues Establishing Goals, Objectives and Activities Expanding Your Base of Support Enhancing Your Public Education Efforts Establishing Hotlines Framing Issues and Shaping Your Message Going Public/External Relations

18. Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Communication 19. Knowing Your Community 20. Letter to the Editor Writing 21. Making Contacts 22. Media Relations 23. Networking and Coalition Building 24. Objective Setting and Action Planning 25. Organizational Communication 26. Overcoming Burnout 27. Overcoming Stage Fright 28. Program/Project Audience Analysis 29. Project Proposal Writing and Presentation 30. Public Address System Operation 31. Public Speaking 32. Reaching the General Public 33. Reaching Policy Makers, Lobbying, Legislative Approaches 34. Strategic Planning 35. Verbal and Non-verbal Communication 36. Vision, Mission and Goals Setting 37. Writing Mission Statements

VALUES AND RELATED TRAINING MODULES

1. Aggressiveness and Assertiveness 2. Coping With (Post-traumatic) Stress and Depression 3. Dealing with Conflict 4. Developing Positive Personal Values 5. Discovering Interpersonal Life 6. Emotional Quotient 7. Etiquette and Grooming 8. Good Passenger Handling 9. Human Relations and Personhood 10. Intelligence Quotient 11. Leadership 12. Overcoming Difficult People 13. Prayer Writing and Delivery 14. Public Relations 15. Sermon Writing and Delivery 16. Supervisor, as Formater 17. SWOT Analysis 18. Team-building 19. Values Clarification

For training facilitation, please contact +639997990008, +639262553215, or +639355588706

BusinessWeek MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

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sunday|April 26, 2015

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

BusinessWeek MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

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7

BusinessWeek MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

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Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

sunday|April 26, 2015

Feature

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy

Fortinet FortiSandbox zeroes in on net threats exploited vector for attacks within an enterprise has consistently been through an organizational emails.”

Said John Maddison, Vice sophisticated cyber threats.

President, Marketing Products Protection from Advanced at Fortinet. “Our updated Threats FortiSandbox 2.0 and In today’s cybersecurity overhauled Advanced Threat landscape, what you can’t Protection Framework were detect can hurt you; with engineered to shine a light on highly targeted and tailored the dark places, like emails attacks increasingly bypassing and attached documents, where traditional security defenses many other security solutions disguised as innocuous files just can’t see. This provides constantly exchanged in an Fortinet customers with the organization’s day-to-day peace of mind that they are workflow. protected from the most Combatting these nefarious threats out there.” advanced threats, Fortinet’s At the same time, FortiSandbox enhances its procurement and legal independently rated and departments are assured of NSS Labs Recommended license compliance based on 99% breach detection rating Genuine Microsoft Windows with new features that scan and Office licenses that more file types including ship with every appliance.

Microsoft Office, PDFs, FortiSandbox with FortiGate Internet Explorer, web URLs, or FortiMail reports the who, shared file repositories and can when, and where on malicious even unzip and scan archived and suspicious files and makes files so IT departments have it easy to block or quarantine confidence that they are any incursion, taking advanced protected from malicious code threat protection a step further no matter where it tries to hide. than just threat detection.

“The number one most Flexible Deployment

Further Strengthens FortiGate and FortiMail with New Integrated Capabilities as part of Fortinet’s broader Advanced Threat Protection Framework Pasig City – Fortinet a global leader in high-performance cyber security – today announced the launch of FortiSandbox 2.0, delivering enhanced features to their toprated FortiSandbox Advanced Threat Detection Appliances and FortiSandbox Cloud solutions with the power to discover and isolate more advanced threats from more places than ever before.

Integrated with FortiGate, FortiSandbox Cloud offers the ability to quarantine compromised users and end points with one-click, delivering additional mitigation against zero-day and advanced threats. When used together with FortiMail, previously unknown email threats are proactively and automatically blocked.

FortiSandbox 2.0 combined with Fortinet’s Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Framework ensures a new level of protection from

FortiSandbox advanced threat protection is available as physical, virtual and new add-on cloud solutions so customers have the flexibility to select a deployment mix that fits their needs, while seamlessly integrating with existing FortiGate and FortiMail infrastructure to deliver an advanced integrated security solution without the complexity and cost.

A Constantly Evolving Framework of Protection Part of Fortinet’s newly enhanced Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Framework, FortiSandbox seamlessly integrates with Fortinet’s FortiGate firewall appliances and FortiMail email security platforms, all backed by the industry-leading FortiGuard threat research lab; delivering continuous and automatic updates with immediate protection against the latest threats whenever they arise.

The combination of Fortinet’s Prevent, Detect and Mitigate approach to advanced threats enables organizations to stop known threats before they infect the infrastructure,

discover new threats and then learns to continually evolve and deliver enhanced threat prevention.

Breaking The Kill Chain Say a malicious email is sent to someone in the network that protected by Fortinet ATP framework featuring FortiGate firewalls, FortiMail email security and FortiSandbox.

FortiGate reroutes file elements within the email to FortiSandbox for analysis, while FortiMail automatically holds the offending mail until it can be confirmed clear of malicious intent. If that email is found to contain nefarious elements, FortiMail will block the email and FortiSandbox uploads the data from its analysis to FortiGuard, which then triggers an automatic update to the entire Fortinet security ecosystem across the globe.

That is just one example.

Fortinet’s integrated approach to Zero-day and advanced threat protection delivers seamless security designed to break the kill chain in a way that individual standalone solutions never could.

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

LifeStyle tyLe

9

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Smart’s Award-winning Viewstream app brings sports to the masses

FILIPINOS no longer have to miss a dunk, a dribble, or a knockout punch with the launch of Viewstream, the mobile live streaming and video-ondemand (VOD) service of the undisputed leader in mobile, Smart Communications (Smart), bringing exciting sports action closer to the masses.

The service was recently recognized with an Anvil Award in the Mobile Apps Category for bringing mobile live streaming of the Gilas Pilipinas matches during the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea to millions of Smart, Sun Cellular, and Talk ‘N Text users nationwide.

Organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, the Anvil Awards is considered the Oscars of Philippine public relations.

“With Viewstream, there is no more reason to miss highly anticipated sporting events, the way users had enjoyed live and uninterrupted coverage of the FIBA World Cup last year,” said Mellissa Limcaoco, Innovation and Product Development Group Head at Smart.

“Since launching Viewstream, we’ve found that sporting events are best-suited for the mobile live stream format. When you don’t have access to a pay-perview screening, you’d have to watch through delayed telecast and sit through many commercial

breaks. Meanwhile, the results are already out on social media.

Our subscribers simply don’t want to miss out on the action,” she added.

One with the nation A relatively new technology in the country, mobile live streaming via Viewstream has allowed users to cheer for the Philippine team as they watched and supported the Gilas Pilipinas team in their championship bid for the FIBA Basketball World Cup last year.

Limcaoco said Viewstream has enabled Filipinos to tune in and be one with the nation in catching important sporting events that shouldn’t be missed, such as the Gilas Pilipinas FIBA bid, especially if they don’t have easy access to cable television or a live satellite broadcast.

“This is why we are once again proud to be the exclusive mobile live stream provider of yet another important sporting event, the Pacquiao-Mayweather ‘Fight of the Century’, which Filipinos can watch on their mobile phones wherever they may be in the country via Viewstream,” Limcaoco added.

Front-seat access Filipinos can witness history unfold before their very eyes when they subscribe to the Pacquiao-Mayweather live stream package via Viewstream for a limited-time price of only P499 until April 26, the most affordable pay-per-view offer for the highly anticipated fight to

The Smart-Viewstream team receiving their Silver Anvil Award during the 50th Anvil Awards organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines.

(Supplied Photo) date. After April 26 and until May 2, users can subscribe to the live stream package for P999. Smart, Sun Cellular, and Talk ‘N Text subscribers can pay to view the live stream using their prepaid loads or charge the fee to their postpaid accounts.

To make sure users are ready before the fight, they only have to download the Viewstream app on their Android phone or tablet and register using your Smart, Sun, or TNT number. Once done, they can subscribe to the Pacquiao-Mayweather livestream package and get a LIVE and ad-

free stream of the world’s most anticipated boxing fight on May 3 via the Front Seat channel in the Viewstream app.

Sports aficionados can rest assured that they can get their regular fix of games and matches, as Front Seat on Viewstream will be bringing more livestream and video-on-demand content of the biggest sporting events in the near future.

Standard data charges may apply when using Viewstream on a mobile Internet connection to view the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. In areas without a nearby

WiFi connection, ViewStream can be enjoyed on a 3G or 4G-LTE connection, as the app is optimized for individual mobile viewing powered by the latest in content delivery technology.

Because you’re on the country’s biggest and strongest network, the app will load the games with minimal buffer, giving you a seamless, enjoyable live streaming experience.

To know more about Viewstream and how you can subscribe to the Pacquiao-Mayweather livestream package, simply visit smart.com.ph/ viewstream.

now accepts Sodexo Premium Passes as payment for airline tickets

Promo fares from as low as P599, base fare only, are now up for grabs at www.airasia.com

(from left) AirAsia Philippines head of Finance, Mr. Franz Lopez, AirAsia Philippines head of Commercial, Mr. Gerard Penaflor, Sodexo Benefits and Rewards CEO, Mr. Jerome Lemouchoux and Sodexo Affiliation Director, Mr. Gerardo Austria, at the signing ceremony held recently in Pasay City, Philippines. (Supplied Photo)

AirAsia Philippines, the Filipino Low Cost Carrier that flies hand in hand with AirAsia, voted the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for six consecutive years, has signed a partnership agreement with Sodexo, the world’s largest Quality of Life services company and the leading provider of preferred gift certificates in the Philippines.

The partnership between two global brands allows travelers to enjoy the convenience of paying for their AirAsia seats and products using Sodexo Premium Passes.

AirAsia Philippines’ Head of Commercial, Gerard Peñaflor said, “We are excited to be part of this joint pioneering effort that provides additional convenience for our guests. Sodexo Premium Pass holders now have easy access to AirAsia’s promotional fares and awesome destinations spanning across all Asean countries and beyond with over 90 destinations.”

AirAsia is the first airline to join Sodexo’s list of over 8,000 accredited partner establishments.

Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Chief Executive Officer, Jerome

Lemouchoux said, “Our aim is to provide our consumers the best gifting experience in the country by making sure that they can use our Gift Certificates at top preferred merchants. As traveling is also a preferred activity of our consumers, we are delighted to partner with AirAsia as they become part of our extensive merchant network.”

To celebrate the partnership, AirAsia if offering promotional fares from as low as P599 base fare only for flights to/ from Manila, Kalibo (Boracay), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Tagbilaran (Bohol), Tacloban, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro City including flights to/ from international destinations of Incheon, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Macau. Booking period for the special promo starts today until 26 April 2015 for travel period from 22 April to 30 September 2015.

Sodexo Premium Passes are now accepted at AirAsia Travel and Service Centers (ATSC) located in SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa and at NAIA Terminal 4 in Metro Manila.

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10 For Your Leisure DAILY CROSSWORD sunday|April 26, 2015

Across 1) Dull 5) “___ boom bah!”

8) Symbol of authority 13) Glorified gofer 14) A lot of lot 15) Overthrow 16) Brand, in a way 17) Fall preceder 18) Fertile soil 19) Chuckle elicitor, sometimes 22) Kind of poetic foot 23) Part of BYOB 24) Beloved of Aphrodite 27) Taxing time, briefly 29) Mend by stitching 33) Shoestrings 34) Dispatch boat 36) The zodiac’s only carnivore 37) Party ice-breaker 40) Newspaper div.

41) Like Erik the Red 42) Advertising gimmick 43) Make a sweater 45) Informer, slangily 46) Deep-sixed 47) Backboard attachment

49) Set aside 50) Robin Williams and Richard Pryor, many say 58) Cremona artisan 59) It has its ups and downs 60) Use a wrecking ball 61) Hybrid cat 62) Appraiser 64) Ethiopian currency 65) Bummed 66) Concrete section ----Down 1) Big blowout 2) In ___ of (rather than) 3) Man in a garden 4) Female protagonists 5) Clean, as dishes 6) Camera diaphragm 7) Aug. follower 8) Not on deck 9) In the vicinity 10) Remnant 11) “Gee whillikers!”

12) Formerly, formerly 14) Itsy-bitsy bits 20) Cereal fruit

21) Buggy puller 24) Shakespearean “shucks” 25) Matt of Hollywood 26) Caesar’s peepers 27) “Halt!” at sea 28) Durable wood 30) Plants with healing properties 31) Fix a loose bundle 32) “There’s ___ in sight!”

34) City on the Yamuna River 35) Aquarium creatures 38) ___ Jean (Marilyn Monroe) 39) Shakes up 44) Moon of Neptune 46) Jose Carreras, for one 48) Cake topper 49) Atwitter (with “up”) 50) Garfield and Heathcliff 51) Bypass 52) O.Henry’s “The Gift of the ___” 53) Cleaning cabinet supplies 54) “The Disasters of War” painter 55) Go on the briny 56) University founder Cornell 57) Balkan native

Bill to regulate television transmission in the country Lawmakers have filed a measure regulating the television transmission and telecommunications signals in the country.

Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) said House Bill 5434 would regulate the use of utility poles, related support structures and rights of way for the transmission of TV or telecommunications signals.

Rodriguez said the bill seeks to promote the growth and expansion of the Philippine cable TV and telecommunications industries for the ultimate purpose of providing the consuming public with wider and more affordable access to an improved variety of services.

“Despite an impressive array of technologies and innovations, the cable television and telecommunications industries have been and continue to be handicapped by the unavailability of utility poles and the lack of pole

attachment regulations,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the cable television and telecommunications industries have been for several decades employing cables and related transmission equipment to reach the consuming public, necessitating utility poles, related support structures and rights of way to facilitate signal distribution.

“Unfortunately, these require significant financial investments that only a few can afford, such as pole owning power utilities, in turn passing on the costs to the consuming public,” Rodriguez said.

Rep. Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr. (Party-list, ABAMIN), co-author of the bill, said the cable T V operators and telecommunications c omp a n i e s h av e of t e n been constrained to pay arbitrary and exorbitant pole attachment fees to pole owners.

“This has ultimately led to unjust enrichment on the part

of the pole owner, curtailed service for the attaching entity and doubled payments by the consuming public,” Rodriguez said.

Under the proposed “Pole Attachments Act of 2015,” the pole attachment fee shall be equal to the sum of the additional expense and the pole premium. The pole premium shall be equal to 12% of the additional maintenance expense.

The number of utility poles for which attachment fees are payable shall be equal to the number of utility poles applied for pole attachment by the attaching entity minus the number of pole attachments validly denied by the pole owner.

The actual pole attachments shall be made, modified and removed at the cost and responsibility of the attaching entity whereas the maintenance and replacement of the utility poles, related support structures and rights of ways shall be at the cost and responsibility of the pole owner.

daily sudoku During the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) orientation in Laguindingan town in Misamis Oriental last April 17, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through Region 10 assistant director Albert Gutib (center) and Leila Labor, Western Misamis Oriental provincial field head (right), hands over P1 million to Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano for assistance to cacao farmers in the province meant specifically for the Cacao Production Program Livelihood Project of the municipalities of Opol and Alubijid under DOLE's Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program. It is a sharing between DOLE and the provincial government where 60 percent of the fund comes from the Capitol while the rest comes from the national agency.

April 24, 2015 solutions: Crossword

Sudoku

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Lumad... from page 1

Feasibility study for the project started in 2012 but it was only this year that Hedcor finally secured all the necessary permits to be able to actually began construction of the plants. But since 2012, the company had given support to the lumad communities in the project area, said Datu Honorio Sumohoy, chieftain of the Bukidnon tribe.

According to Sumohoy, Hedcor arrived in their village Gilang-Gilang armed with questions and not projects for implementations or project proposals. “The questions were all about the community and the tribe and how Hedcor will be able to help the tribe and the community.”

“Every time we do projects, we always see to it that we consult the communities involved. We just don’t come in and implement projects.

We asked the communities how we can help them. All the projects in the community are those that the community t h e m s e l v e s p r o p o s e d ,” Ronquillo said.

Among these projects are livelihood and education.

Sumohoy, the mandatory representative of the IPs to the Municipal Council of Manolo Fortich and main claimant of the 15,000 hectares ancestral domain that is being traversed by the Tagoloan River — whose power Hedcor will harness through its power plants — these two are needed to empower the tribe to be able determine their future as well as be better guardians of the environment.

“We are very grateful t o He d c or an d t o t h e AboitizPower for supporting us and for giving us hope that we can still improve our tribe and our lives. In fact, since 2012, Hedcor had given the tribe support on three separate occasions already. Imagine, this was before the actual project started. How much more when construction starts and during its operation?” he told this paper.

“Ever since the time Hedcor came to Manolo Fortich, there have been improvements in the tribal communities. The company is supp or t i ng s ome of our youths’ education as scholars and it has provided us livelihood trainings and other kinds of supports to empower us to become better and to improve our lives,” he added.

Aside from livelihood and education, Hedcor is also employing the lumad communities in the project area as guardian of the forest.

The company is providing them with seedlings of fruitbearing and forest trees for its reforestation and watershed management project in the area.

“Parte sa among gipirmahang kasabutan sa Hedcor mao ang reforestation project. Kini importante kaayo kay kita nasayod nga kung walay kahoy, wala usay

tubig. Ang among kasabutan mao nga ang Hedcor ang mogasto sa tanan ug kami sa tribu mao ang motanom ug modepensa sa mga kahoy nga among gitanum,” Sumohoy said.

The protection of the environment is part of Hedcor’s mandate to itself.

“Hedcor is driven to p ro t e c t , c o n s e r v e a n d preserve our environment.

We are geared towards ge n e r at i ng p owe r t h at leaves a lighter impact and does not compromise the Earth’s climate and its limited resources. Hedcor offers Cleanergy as a solution,” Boy Jabonillo, Hedcor vice pre s i d e nt for Bus i ne ss Development, told this paper in an earlier interview.

Aside from generating electricity, Hedcor is also generating employment for the locals, income for the local government units (LGUs) and better options for lumads.

Ronquillo said that the construction phase of its plants will create from 800 to 1,000 jobs for the local people of this municipality.

Aside from that, the company will also open up access roads that will give farmers more practical means of transporting their crops to the market. And when the plants are in operation already, farmers can tap water from the weir to irrigate their farms and watering livestock.

Through taxes, royalties and shares from the hydropower plants, millions or even billions will go to the barangay, municipal and provincial LGUs that can be used for the empowerment of the constituents.

Globe... from page 1

the 18th in Mindanao. It’s Globe’s first ever Premium Dealership in the Visayas and Mindanao was also established in partnership with CGEN2 in September 2011 at another location, but has since moved to the ground floor of VIP Hotel.

“Cagayan de Oro is a market where Globe is

the leader and by having Premium Dealers together with company owned stores, we will be able to reach more people in the provinces,” Velasco noted.

Besides its PDs in VIP Hotel and Gaisano City Mall, Globe Telecom also operates company owned stores in the city’s other major malls like SM City and Ayala Centrio.

Last December, it also opened only its second GEN3 store in the entire Philippines at Limketkai Mall. “ This GEN3 Store is the first in the Visayas and Mindanao and shows Globe’s really here to reach out to its customers,” Velasco noted.

“We are taking a giant leap with the new retail concept of our 2 flagship stores. Our Generation 3 stores will bring to life our customers’ digital lifestyle and epitomize the aspirations of our customers,” said Globe Retail Transformation and Manage me nt He a d Jo e Caliro. “Our stores will be a wonderful place where customers can explore and discover exciting finds in the digital space.”

Globe’s only other GEN3 store in the country is found in SM North EDSA.

Century... from page 3

its unilateral termination of a 2013 agreement with Century Properties.

It also prohibited the Japanese casino mogul from committing any acts that will render the agreements unenforceable or ineffective.

The legal dispute began on March 31 last year, when Century Properties challenged the validity of the termination of an October 2013 deal for a casino-related project slated for construction at the government-owned Bagong Nayong Pilipino E nte r t ai n m e nt C it y i n Parañaque City.

Century Properties had signed a deal with Eagle I Landholdings, Inc. for the development of five hectares of land within the latter’s site called Manila Bay Resorts.

Eagle I is the Philippine

affiliate of Mr. Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp. and owns the 44-hectare property on which the Manila Bay Resorts would rise.

C entur y Properties also signed an investment agreement whereby the Filipino company would be issued with 432 million preferred shares or 36% of Eagle I’s capital stock. The deals came with exclusivity rights for Century Properties to build luxury and residential properties on the five-hectare land.

Century Properties said it had received from the Okada Group a notice of termination on March 26 last year, after privately held First Paramount Holdings 888 backed out of the deal, with the Japanese side contending that the agreement was premature, unfounded, and lacks legal and contractual basis.

The agreement would have given Century Properties and First Paramount Holdings 888 a combined 60% stake in Eagle 1, allowing the Okada group to address issues on foreign ownership of land.

Century Properties had claimed the pullout of First Paramount should not have rendered the deal ineffective because provisions under the investment agreement provide alternative measures to exhaust all reasonable means to close the deal.

The Okada group held negotiations before with local property firms Robinsons Land Corp. of the Gokongwei family and Empire East Land Holdings, Inc. of Philippine billionaire Andrew L. Tan, but talks fell through.

DENR... from page 5

“environment-friendly” by advocating recycling and maintaining a garden among his fellow students.

Ponce, who is the president of Youth for Environment in Schools Organization (YES-O) in Fort Bonifacio High School said he will share his learnings not with members of the faculty in his school and his fellow students,

but also in his community.

“It’s hard to save, but it’s not impossible,” he said.

The DENR made sure that the camp is an enjoyable and informative activity that include team-building exercis es, an e co-wa l k around NAPWC, the Earth Day concert as well as visits to Mines and Geosciences Bureau’s museum and Laguna Lake Development Authority’s headquarters.

DENR also provided l e c tu re s on r a i n f ore s t restoration, importance of Manila Bay, eco-friendly

Batas... from page 4

on Him and invoke His Word.

In a curious turn of events, one particular person who, out of the blue, suddenly decided to help the opponent of the person invoking God found himself being embroiled in nasty disputes that put in doubt his personal and official integrity and honesty. One accusation against him is that he favors those who pay him for his work.

The truth is that, other persons who were approached by the wealthy opponent refused to be enticed to help it. Yet, this one particular person who appeared to have succumbed to the enticement of the opponent is now himself accused of many wrongdoings, coming from other people who appeared to have been victimized by him, too.

-ooo PLEASE LISTEN: DZEC1062 kHz Manila, 1080 kHz Dagupan City, 711 kHz Naga City, 1260 kHz Lucena City, 1224 kHz Davao City, and www.eaglenews.ph Mondays to Fridays, 6 a.m.; DYKA 801 kHz Panay Island, Yes Radio 88.3 FM, Barobo City, Surigao del Sur, Yes Radio 93.9 FM, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m.; 92.7 Smile FM, San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur, Kiss 101.1 FM, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, Mondays to Fridays, 12 noon; 107.5 Win 107.5 FM, Roxas, Isabela, Saturday, 5:30 a.m., Sunday, 7 a.m.

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Cimagala... from page 4

confusion involved that, to a certain extent, are excusable. But we cannot discount the possibility of people compromising their faith and have become thoroughly secularized or paganised for one reason or another.

I worry especially about those young people, mostly working in

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schools, geohazards and the National Greening Program (NGP).

Camp participants were made to bring their respective beddings, toiletries and other personal items.

They were also asked to bring their own spoon and fork as well as reusable food containers to help minimize trash at the camp site.

The DENR provided meals for the campers while cement giant Holcim provided 20 tents that can accommodate three to four people each.

(PIA-NCR/RJB/SDL) the call centers. They are many, and I suspect their work conditions are such that tend to deaden their spiritual life and longings. Many of them work at night shifts, and I often see them drinking away in roadside cafes once they get out of the office in the early morning.

The contrast between the people in the churches and those outside is quite sharp and most intriguing.

What could be done to close the gap somehow? How could we address the issue of religious ignorance and confusion, and the more challenging issue of religious indifference, apathy if not hostility?

This is where those who already have a working and vibrant piety should reach out to those who have little or no piety at all. They should feel addressed by the same words Christ told his apostles: “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so do I send you.” (Jn 20,21) They need to sharpen their apostolic concern.

But wait. Even those who appear to have piety do need a lot of support to make their piety gain certain solidity and thus overflow into some apostolic action and become fruitful.

It cannot be denied that many only have a shallow kind of piety, often lacking in doctrinal formation, not to mention, still suffering from some spiritual and moral inconsistencies.

I suppose this is where the clergy should go to the frontline to directly care and form those who are open to receiving spiritual, moral and doctrinal formation. In this regard, let’s pray that the bishops and priests realize this duty more deeply and act on it. This should be given more priority over some administrative or bureaucratic tasks that often take their-our-time.

It is sometimes painful to see some clerics entangled with work that takes them away from their primary and more important duties. And the result often is that their own spiritual life suffers, and this predicament can be shown in the public sooner or later. roycimagala@gmail.com

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sunday|April 26, 2015