BusinessWeek Mindanao (April 28, 2015)

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

Volume V, No. 153

Market Indicators

As of 6:23 pm apr. 27, 2015 (monday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P44.27

7,958.07 points

3 cents

X

X Briefly 10.82 points

El Niño toll DAVAO City -- Rice and corn farmers in the Davao Region have so far incurred an estimated P60 million in losses due to the El Niño phenomenon with more than 2,000 hectares affected, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported.

In Region 11, 494 hectares of rice land are classified as damaged while 933.81 hectares are destroyed, affecting 1,800 rice farmers with lost production estimated at 3,674.75 metric tons (MT) worth about P51 million.

Areas considered damaged are those where part of the harvest can still be recovered, according to Maria Febe T. Orbe, DA-11 assistant regional director for operations.

However, Ms. Orbe said the affected agricultural areas and lost production are expected to rise as the dry spell continues.

www.businessweekmindanao.com

Connectivity to propel sub-reg’l development 11th BIMP-EAGA Leaders Summit:

K

EDAH, Malaysia -- Leaders from BIMP-EAGA are pushing for projects that will enhance connectivity among member countries in a bid to strengthen trade and increase investments within the ASEAN sub-regional group.

In the 11th BIMP-EAGA Leaders Summit to be held today (April 28) here at the L angkawi International Convention Centre, leaders from the member countries will discuss priority infrastructure projects aimed to improve roads within EAGA, as well as the current expansion of sea ports and airports that will help sustain socioeconomic development in the sub-regional economic bloc.

“While other BIMP-EAGA countries are connected

through land transport, the Philippines is working on the establishment of air and sea linkages to be fully accessible to our EAGA neighbors,” said Luwalhati Antonino, chair of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and Philippine Signing Minister for BIMP-EAGA. BIMP-EAGA stands for Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area.

The initiative was launched in 1994 as a key strategy propel/PAGE 11

Deposit-taking BUTUAN City – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) warns the public against transacting with unscrupulous individuals or entities who engage in unauthorized deposittaking activities.

BSP in its advisory advised and reminded the public that only banks are allowed to accept deposits from the public.

Bank deposits are insured by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) up to P500,000 per depositor per bank.

Non-stock savings and loan associations (NSSLAs) are also allowed to accept deposits but only from their eligible members and they are not authorized to accept deposits from nonmembers.

P15.00

Tuesday | April 28, 2015

STREET ART. A graffiti artist adds details to his works in an abandoned wall along Ponciano Reyes Street in Davao City.

WELCOME TO DAVAO. A soldier inspects a passenger bus from Cagayan de Oro City at the Task Force Davao checkpoint in Calinan, Davao City. mindanews photo by erwin mascarinas

Mall Expo showcases homemade products of 4Ps beneficiaries DAVAO City -- Showcasing the products of program beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the DSWD Livelihood Unit participated in the recent Mi nd an a o Tr a d e E x p o Foundation, Inc. (MTEFI) Bazaar held at Abreeza Mall, this city.

“Opportunities like this

mindanews photo by toto lozano

POWER OUTLOOK

Of pseudo cooperatives and power aggregation (Third of a series)

By CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO

DAVAO City -- In this country, power distribution is dominated by cooperatives.

In Mindanao, there are only three big power distribution companies while the rest of the island is being served by cooperatives.

Under Section 37 of Republic 6038, these electric cooperatives must be nonprofit “for the mutual benefit of its members and patrons.”

This mechanism is specified so that their members, who happen to be their main consumers, will not be in a disadvantaged position in relation to setting up rates and implementing services.

Under that section, a cooperative is not allowed to “give, pay or receive any rebate or bonus, directly or indirectly, or mislead its members in any manner as to rates charged for its services, and shall furnish service on an area of coverage basis.”

link our program participants to a broader market where they can aggressively promote and sell their homemade and handmade products,” said DSWD 11 Regional Director Priscilla N. Razon. ”We aim to highlight the products of our Pantawid Pamilya and Sustainable Livelihood program participants, promote

our indigenous products, address the demand for native products, as well as generate employment in the community since most of these products are labor intensive,” Razon added.

The bazaar is one of the varied citywide events supp or ting the monthlong Visit Davao Fun Sale expo/PAGE 11

More graft cases readied vs Oca THE Cagayan de Oro City Council here is filing graft cases against incumbent City Mayor Oscar Moreno for the alleged purchase of lots without the approval of the local august body.

City Councilor Prexy Elipe, chair of the city council committee on finance, ways and means, on Monday did not disclose the amount involved although he hinted that Moreno had purchased

a lot for a school site worth millions of pesos without the knowledge of the City Council.

He said that Moreno reportedly transferred the “Deed of Sale” immediately to the School Division to make it appear that the local School Division purchased the lot.

“We are now collating evidences about this graft/PAGE 11

The same law grants the National Electrification Administration (NEA) the authority to oversee these cooperatives in terms of borrowing money or disposing of their properties, based on its Section 18. outlook/PAGE 11

Editorial and advertising email : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com • Cell Number : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

2

Economy

Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

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

cacao stakeholders to Oro City Council congratulates Caraga get updates on cacao industry 124 successful city scholars THE City Council committee on education on Monday has congratulated the 124 city scholars who successfully c ompl e t e d t h e c ol l e ge education.

City Councilor Adrian Barba, chair of the committee on education, said that the 124 city scholars were part of the 143 city scholars who

passed the city government’s scholarship program four years ago.

Barba also made special commendation to the city scholars who garnered honors and special awards from their schools during the commencement exercises this year. Among them are: Christmar Bolatano, BSED -

Summa Cum Laude at Liceo De Cagayan University, Karen Grace Barton, Danna Mae Salo, Jessah Mae Otida, and Kimberly Galupo, all Cum Laude of Liceo De Cagayan University, Jamaica Maraguinot, Cum Laude of Xavier University.

Barba also congratulated Gr a z i el l a G amayo and

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

Rochelle Novie Cabrido, all graduated cum laude at the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) here.

B ar b a s ai d t hat t he city’s scholarship program, implemented four years ago, is part of the city government’s social commitment of sending scholars/PAGE 10

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur -- The Department o f Tr a d e a n d In d u s t r y (DTI) Agusan del Sur provincial office convened on Mond ay t he C ar ag a cacao stakeholders in order to get updates on cacao industry and at the same time discuss issues and concerns that affect the industry and possible solutions that would address the problems.

According to DTI Cacao National Industry Cluster Coordinator Edwin Banquerigo from DTI Davao City Office, they have b e en pushing and encouraging cacao farming because cacao industry is a commodity itself that carries many things that could make changes in the lives of farmers who will engage in cacao farming.

“Why c a c a o ? I w ant you to know that cacao industry triggers inclusive growth. It is believed to alleviate poverty and a good rehabilitation program. Cacao today has a stable market so fear of losing from cacao business is not seen. Instead, cacao has high export demand and has strong domestic market support.

Unlike other crops, cacao production is year round and the industr y enjoys the presence of support f rom t h e g ov e r n m e nt ,” Banquerigo said.

Banquerigo said although Philippines is a l on g t h e e q u at or l i n e and cacao grows best in t h i s p a r t of t h e e a r t h , the country has very low

record of production.

Countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia and other c o u nt r i e s a l s o l o c at e d along the equator line have been recorded as big cacao production countries.

“But we are targeting to hit 100,000 metric tons by 2020, and Caraga Region’s share will be 2,000 metric tons,” Bangueros said.

In his message, Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza said he is very glad that the meeting of the cacao st a kehol d e rs i n C ar ag a was held in Agusan del Sur because of the potentials present in the province.

Gov. Plaza only hopes that the program will not be like other national programs that are already “in the box” and almost no room for adjustment if needed.

“I s ai d t h i s b e c au s e ever y place has its own s u it abi l it y an d k i n d of people and climate. But what attract my attention most is the mentality of the people who only rely and look upon the government for their living and not examining themselves what they can do for the gove r n m e nt t h at c ou l d and would benefit their f e l l ow F i l i p i n o s . B ut I believe the interest and attitude of these people will change if we exercise timing in everything we do with ever y program, if we could make t hem re a l i z e t h e i mp or t an c e of the program in their lives that can catch their deepest interest and that everything we should do wi l l b e done fait hf u l ly, sincerely and fairly,” Gov. Plaza said.

Encouraged by Valentine Turtur, chairman of Cacao Industr y Council and Chris Lindo, cacao nursery owner from Cabadbaran, t h e c a c a o g row e r s a n d stakeholders of Agusan del Sur is contemplating of organizing themselves in order to strengthen and expand the cacao industry in Agusan del Sur. (DMS/ PIA-Agusan del Sur)

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

Villar group to build up to 40 AllHome stores THE VILLAR group said it wants to build up to 40 AllHome stores, its fullservice home furnishing shop, in the next three years in preparation for a planned stock market listing.

All Value Holdings Corp.

Chairman Manuel B. Villar, Jr. said AllHome may debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange once it has a network of 30-40 stores, which may likely be hit in the next three years.

The planned listing will not include his other retail businesses, Mr. Villar told reporters last Thursday.

He previously said he was considering listing All Value Holdings, which also owns the Villar group’s convenience store and department store operations.

The pace at which the company will open AllHome stores will be six to seven stores annually over the next five years, Mr. Villar said.

Asked if AllHome is ready

to list by that time, Mr. Villar said: “Five years is a long time.”

Since launching its first store in 2013, AllHome now has eight stores -- the latest of which is the biggest in its portfolio with a size of 9,500 square meters located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

While AllHome complements Mr. Villar’s housing business through Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc., the retail business is also benefitting from the robust growth of the residential sector. “ T he g row t h of t he furniture and home furnishings retail segment is a direct effect of the construction boom in the residential condominium property subsector,” Claro dG. Cordero Jr., head of research and valuation at property consultancy firm Jones Lang LaSalle, said in villar/PAGE 10

CorporateWorld

BusinessWeek MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

3

Cebu Pacific set to launch Hawaii service by year-end

CEBU Pacific (CEB) is preparing to launch services to Hawaii by the end of 2015 and is also interested in launching Melbourne if it is able to secure additional traffic rights for Australia, regional think tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) said.

In a report, CAPA said Honolulu and Melbourne would be CEB’s sixth and seventh long-haul destination, along with four in the Middle East and Sydney.

The airline has been keen to launch services to Honolulu since the US FAA upgraded the Philippines to a category 1 safety rating in April, 2014. cebupac/PAGE 10

Alsons Group eyes initial investments of P2B for renewable energy venture ALSONS Power Group, the holding firm for Alsons Consolidated Resources, Inc.’s power assets, eyes initial investments of more than P2 billion for its renewable energy venture, which involves putting up its first hydropower plant in

Mindanao this year.

To date, Alsons Power Group has service contracts that allow it to build a combined RE capacity of 94 megawatts (MW) that should be spread out across four different sites.

“We have a pipeline

of hydro projects that we are currently working on and it shows that we are on the right track as far as the renewable energy initiative of the company.

This is something that we will be rolling out. Alsons is committed to building its

renewable energy portfolio,” Alsons Power Group Vice Pre si d e nt for Busi ne ss Development Joseph Nocos said in an interview with reporters.

For its first RE venture, Alsons Power is currently on alsons/PAGE 10

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

Opinion

Best in Business and Economic Reporting

4

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

Businessweek Mindanao Corporation Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, Ph.D. Vice President for Finance

ALLAN mario MEDIANTE

Vice President for Corporate Affairs

Joe felicilda

Vice President for Administration

joe palabao

Vice President for Marketing

NELSON CONSTANTINO Editor-in-Chief

Alejandrae Uy

Cheng ordoñez

Section Editor

Associate Editor

SHIELA gosanes

CLIFFORD SANTILLAN

Advertising

ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI Cell No: 09352379999

Juni Law Office Cruz Taal St., CDO Legal Counsel

Layout Artist

Cris diaz mike baños Uriel quilinguing Editorial Consultants

MARKETING staff manila office: Unit 310 Valero Plaza, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City; lani vallido-Marketing Manager

The BusinessWeek Mindanao is published by BusinessWeek Mindanao Corporation every Monday to Friday with office address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa, Cagayan de Oro City.

It is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Company Registration No. CS201531633 with BIR Certificate of Registration No. 2RC0000831068, TIN No. 463826-272-000 – VAT. Reg., and with Business Permit No. 201512879. Tel. Nos.: (088)8578447, 74-5380, 0923-432-0687, 0917-7121424 Website: www.businessweekmindanao.com E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com

Member: Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

T

Plan in Hand

hink a m i n u t e …

Can you imagine an engineer building a tall skyscraper without a plan?

Someone said: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Success is no accident!

It doesn’t just magically happen. You have to plan for it to happen. As one guy put it: “You must plan for a great future. After all, you have to spend the rest of your life there.”

We must have some kind of plan of what we want and how we’ ll get it.

You see, if you shoot for nothing you’ll hit it every time! A wise person said: “If you’ve accomplished everything you’ve planned in life, then you’ve probably not planned e n ou g h . You’re ge tt i ng too old when all your dreams are reruns.” The ver y successful head of the Chr ysler Automobile Corporation, Lee Iacocca, used to ask his workers: “ W h at d o y o u w a nt t o do? What do you want to be? What do you want to have? Where do you want to go? How do you plan to get there? Write it down.

Now go do it. It doesn’t get any simpler or better than that.”

So why not start living your life on purpose?

First dream it, then do it. The y say that 1 hour of planning will save you

THINK

A Minute

Jhan Tiafau Hurst 3 hours of wasted time and work. With a plan, your work is working for you! Your plan will ke e p you i n c ont ro l of your life, moving ahead toward your goal of s u c c e s s an d h appi n e s s .

But after you plan your work, you have to work your plan. Dis cipline is what brings your dreams i nto re a l l i fe. A d re am w it h no d i s c ipl i ne w i l l just remain a dream, and a plan without work will be a plan that won’t work.

S o today, why not ask the One Who designed the plan for your success to take full charge of your l i fe . Je s u s a l s o h a s t h e power you need to make that plan star t working for you. Wit h His pl an in hand, you’ ll go all the way to the life He wants you and your family to enjoy.

Just Think a Minute…

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

Duterte on the Presidency

‘IF IT IS GOD’S WILL, I WILL HUMBLY OBEY’

P

residential prospect Rody Duterte, mayor of Davao City for 24 years now, last night assured the Filipino people that if it is God’s will that he becomes President of the Philippines he will “humbly obey.”

Sp e a king b efore t he congregation of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ which gathered in Davao City April 25 to celebrate the 64th birthday of its leader, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, Duterte said he believed that the Presidency is a mission from God. “I have never coveted the Presidency even up to this day but people are saying that I should run for President.

That is not for me to decide.

It is something which comes from God,” he said.

Pastor Quiboloy, who

had been a friend of Mayor Duterte since the day he put up a small chapel near the Davao City Airport to start his religious congregation King of Jesus Christ which now has over 6 million members worldwide, exhorted Duterte during his address to the thousands who celebrated his birthday to “listen to the voices of the people.”

“You cannot turn your back on the people. You have to remember that the voice of the people is the voice of God,” Quiboloy told Mayor Duterte.

Duterte, who last year flatly rejected the idea of even considering the Presidency, is ranked 3rd in recent surveys which asked people who they preferred to become the next President of the Philippines.

His 3rd place ranking came as a big surprise to political observers especially so because Duterte has continuously denied any intention to run for President.

While he has been moving around the country over the last few months, Duterte said he is only advocating a shift from the Unitary Presidential form of government to a Federal Parliamentary which would lead to the creation of at least 12 highly autonomous Federal States all over the country.

Duterte has maintained that the Federal System would result in the establishment of a Bangsamoro Federal State, considered both an excellent option and an alternative to the beleaguered Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which is

expected to be spurned by Congress and the Senate.

He has also continued on his advocacy against drugs and criminality which he said are the major social problems in Philippine society today.

The 70-year-old Davao City Mayor is credited for transforming the former “Killing Fields” in the Philippines where Communist assassins terrorised the community w i t h a l m o s t u n a b at e d killings, to being one of the Safest Cities in the World to Live In. He is also widely admired for having kept a clean image even as cases of massive corruption in government have led to the downfall of big name politicians in the country.

PNoy to blame for Veloso’s death?

L

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground…” (Amos 5:7, the Holy Bible).

-ooo PNOY TO BLAME FOR VELOSO’S DEATH? If we are to follow the tendency of President Aquino to blame his political opponents for problems being encountered by his soon-to-be ended government, then I am sure the Binay family and all Filipinos who have overseas Filipino workers (OFWs0 for relatives should also be blaming Aquino for the impending death of Filipina maid Mary Joy Veloso in Indonesia.

Why? Well, according to Sen. Nancy Binay just days before Veloso’s case hugged the headlines, President Aquino literally stopped the use of some P100 million in government money which had been allotted as a legal

defense fund to help OFWs defend themselves from legal cases brought against them while working abroad.

Binay said Aquino vetoed or rejected a part of the 2015 annual budget which gave the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) authority, as in past annual budgets, to spend the legal defense fund for OFWs which was increased, through Binay’s efforst, to P100 million from P30 million in 2015.

-ooo PNOY VETOED USE OF P100 M FOR OFWs DIRECT USE: Instead of the money being used freely by the DFA for OFWs as was the usual practice before Aquino became President, the Department of Budget and Management would now have to clear first the release of even just a single centavo to help OFWs in trouble.

Sen. Binay said this posed problems since data from the DFA showed that, as

of June 2014 alone, there are around 6,000 OFWs who are languishing in jail abroad, awaiting or are being subjected to trial for crimes being attributed to them.

Some 800 are facing drugrelated cases, 79 are accused of crimes whose penalty is death, while 3,047 were victims of human trafficking cases.

And yet, Aquino is now making a big publicity for his supposed plea for clemency for Veloso when he meets Indonesian President Joko Widodo at an international conference abroad? Not only is this supposed plea an insult to Veloso, but is proof beyond reasonable doubt that the Aquino government, while basking in the millions of dollars remitted by OFWs, has no care nor concern for them.

-ooo WHY DID AQUINO CHANGE THE RULES RE: USE OF P100 M FOR OFWs?

K akampi

Mo A ng Batas

Atty. Batas Mauricio Indeed, I cannot understand why Aquino had to change rules with respect to the use of the P100 million legal defense fund for OFWs, from its free use by the DFA to help OFWs with criminal cases abroad, to its stymied use now under the stringent requirements of budget releases by the DBM. Was Aquino and his click maneuvering to keep the P100 million legal defense fund intact, not to help our OFWs who are definitely Batas/PAGE 10

When in a state of helplessness

W

e should always expect the possibility for us to fall into some state of helplessness, not only of the transitory type but also of the permanent one. That’s just being realistic. And upon that possibility, let’s make the necessary preparation, building up the appropriate attitude, skills, and practices to tackle it.

There’s always hope even in our worst scenario. And that’s because God never leaves us, but continues to love and care for us, in spite of all. He gives us everything we need to handle this situation.

We should be quick to realize this truth of our faith, and act accordingly.

Let’s avoid aggravating the situation by avoiding falling into discouragement and depression, a fertile ground

for the devil to tempt us into worse conditions. The devil obviously wants us to be alienated as much as possible from God. Rather, like the prodigal son, let’s return to God asking for mercy which he readily gives.

God, of course, does not spare us from falling into some serious, and sometimes insoluble predicaments.

That’s because he will always respect the limitations of our nature that can sometimes lead us to some trouble, and more so, our own freedom, no matter how much we misuse and abuse it and lead us to sin, the worst evil.

And even if personally we have not sinned or do not seem to deserve a particular burden, we all suffer just the same as an effect of all the sins of men, ours and those

of others. We should not be surprised by this and waste time complaining about it.

In fact, it can happen that those who suffer the most are the saintly ones who are especially chosen by God to bear the consequences of the sins of all men. Those who are more Christ-like will certainly share more in the redemptive suffering of Christ. In a sense, suffering is a blessing, a privilege.

St. Paul was an example of this reality. Of course, he suffered not only to atone for his past sins that were very serious, but also for those of others. Once he described his suffering: “Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea.”

(2 Cor 11,25)

HINTS

and

Traces

Fr. Roy Cimagala In another instance, he talked about the sting of the flesh that he suffered to check on his possibility to fall into pride and vanity. “Lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. (2 Cor 12,7) cimagala/PAGE 11

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

BusinessWeek MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

5

BusinessWeek 10 MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

6

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

FFeature eature

Maguindanao bags Tugtog ng Aliwan top prize

DAVAO City – The Sagayan Festival contingent from Maguindanao bagged the first prize of the Tugtog ng Aliwan Festival Music Competition in Pasay City on Thursday evening.

The win carried with it a cash prize of P100,000.

Minda Sagayan-1102The Kalivungan Festival contingent Midsayap, North Cotabato bagged the Best in Costume award in the same competition.

The Festival Music Competition is the new category of the annual Aliwan Festival Competition, which gathers grand winners of street dancing competitions from different festivals in the country.

In its Facebook page Aliwan Fiesta, the Sagayan Festival contingent outplayed 16 other contingents.

The Tribu Sakuting, Sakuting Festival of Dolores, Abra got the second place followed by Tribu Katbalaugan Manaragat Festival from Catbalogan Samar.

The most awaited category is the street dancing competition on April 25, which dangles a P1-million grand prize for the champion.

Last year, the Lumad Basakanon of Cebu Sinulog Festival was crowned the champion followed by Meguyaya Festival of Upi Maguindanao and Tnalak festival represented by Sto. Niño, South Cotabato.

(MindaNews)

CEB rolls out all-in fares Slashes fares to Hong Kong, Singapore, Middle East, Australia

The Philippines’ leading carrier, Cebu Pacific Air (PSE:CEB) now posts all-inclusive fares on its booking channels. Aside from the base fare, the amount reflected includes web admin fees, Manila airport terminal fees and country-specific taxes.

To highlight this development, CEB holds a seat sale to Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait and Sydney until April 27, 2015 or until seats last. This is for travel from May 15 to August 31, 2015.

Travelers can book P1,288 seats from Clark to Hong Kong, and P1,588 seats from Manila or Iloilo to Hong Kong. P2,188 seats are also up for grabs from Kalibo (Boracay) to Hong Kong.Those traveling from Iloilo and Cebu to Singapore can also take advantage of P2,188 seats.

CEB recently ramped up select Hong Kong and Singapore services from Manila, with additional seat capacity (from 180-seater Airbus A320 to 436-seater A330 aircraft).

Meanwhile, long-haul routes are also on sale for the same travel period, except for Doha which will begin operations on June 4. CEB offers P5,488 seats from Manila to Kuwait, Doha, Riyadh and Dubai, as well as P5,888 seats from Manila to Sydney.

“Cebu Pacific’s new all-in structure will make the total fare more transparent, and the booking process easier for our guests. We look forward to stimulating traffic to our destinations, with our trademark low fares and extensive network,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

Country-specific taxes do not include the Philippine Travel Tax, as this depends on the passenger’s classification. It may be manually added at ticket offices or at the airport. Optional travel products such as baggage allowance, CEB Air Wi-Fi, meals, merchandise and seat selection are available for a fee.

For bookings, passengers can visit www.cebupacificair.com or reservation hotlines (02)7020-888 or (032)230-8888. They may also download the Cebu Pacific official mobile app on the App Store and Play Store.

The latest seat sales can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter (@ CebuPacificAir) and Facebook pages.

CEB’s 55-strong fleet is comprised of 10 Airbus A319, 31 Airbus A320, 6 Airbus A330 and 8 ATR 72-500 aircraft. It is one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2015 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 7 more brand-new Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft.

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

MindaNews Photo

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

9

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

Feature

Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

7

Chan is new United Way prexy

by MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

R

egion 10 Tourism Director Catalino “Butch” Chan III was inducted the new president of the United Way Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental & Gingoog City, Inc. last April 24 at the Pilgrim Christian College Executive Hall.

Inducted into office by Atty. Carlo Limjoco were the following: Ismael J. Cabegin (Vice President for Operations); Pio D. Baconga (Vice President for Fund Campaigns); Rene K. Burdeos (Vice President for External Affairs); Guadalupe J. Chu (Secretary); Elena M. Borcillo (Assistant Secretary); Leonara C. Ejercito (Treasurer); Dorothy Jean B. Pabayo (Assistant Treasurer); Edna R. Garmendia (Auditor) and Virgilio C. Jose, Cherry Mae L. Limbaco, Meneleo R. Navarro, Jose Mari G. Pelaez; Myrna A. Sescon and Justina T. Uy as members of the board. Jose C.Chan has also been elected board member but did not attend the induction.

Standing in for Regional Health Director Aristides

C. Tan, Atty. Limjoco cited how United Way’s efforts bring “the nurtured miracle of gradually putting in the forefront of public consciousness the greatest idea that the smallest help extended, and the most humble care given, can pave the way towards bringing back and securing the dignity of life which has been deprived to many of our brothers and sisters.”

“It has thus become our fervent wish and resolve, coming from a government agency tasked to bring to our citizenry the basic necessity of an equitable and accessible quality health care and services, to continually support and participate in this great effort of All United Way,” Atty. Limjoco said.

“So long as resources allow it, we step forward and take

Mrs Paquita Adaza is recognized as a major benefactor of United Way CdO-Misor-Gingoog Inc

Newly Inducted Board of Directors 2015 pose for posterity

United Way Induction of Officers

United Way Awardees pose for posterity with the newly inducted 2015 Board of Directors

the necessary steps to take active involvement in your Medical Assistance Program, Livelihood and Calamity Assistance Programs, and all other noble undertakings deserving of full support.”

The induction was preceded by the induction of new board members Myrna A. Sescon, Dr. Virgilio C. Jose and Misamis Oriental Vice Governor Jose Mari G. Pelaez by VP-External Affairs Atty. Rene K. Burdeos.

The second part of the program featured the raffle draw for solicitors who assisted in the organization’s fund raising activities and awarding of plaques to partners of United Way by Past President Dorothy Jean B. Pabayo with the assistance of the directors.

Cited in particular was

Mrs. Paquita Adaza’s donation of P20,000 for the next 12 months for its flagship Medical Assistance Program which has assisted 7,606 indigent patients since the program started May 31, 2013.

United Way originally started in the US and Canada as the Community Chest, the same name by which the local organization was known when it started.

The Community Chests in the United States and Canada were fund-raising organizations that collected money from local businesses and workers and distributed it to community projects.

The first Community Chest, "Community Fund," was founded in 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio by the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy. The number

of Community Chest organizations increased from 39 to 353 between 1919 and 1929, and surpassed 1,000 by 1948. By 1963, and after several name changes, the term "United Way" was adopted in 1963 in the United States, In 1948, Walter C. Laidlaw merged the Community Chest and other Detroit charities to form the United Foundation. By 1974, there were enough United Way organizations internationally to demand the kind of support provided by the national organization, United Way of America and United Way International was born, In May 2009, United Way of America and United Way International were integrated as one global entity, United Way Worldwide.

BusinessWeek MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

8

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

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

tuesday|April 28, 2015

Now ongoing, 70th Baguio Liberation Rites with Prof. Rico Jose as guest speaker — at Veteran’s Park, Harrison Road, Baguio City. (Courtesy of Mr. MIKE VILLA REAL, VP Corp Communications - Veterans Bank)

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

Community

BusinessWeek MINDANAO Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

9

VICE GOVERNOR JOEY PELAEZ CONVENES BSU-ESCs STUDENT-LEADERS- Vice Governor Joey G. Pelaez gathered student-leaders of all Bukidnon State University- External Studies Centers(BSU-ESCs) in Misamis Oriental to discuss concerns pertaining to the students and youth of Misamis Oriental. The core issue discussed in the meeting is the threatened closure of all BSU-ESCs. The event was attended by Ms. Mercidita Villamayor, BSU-ESC Coordinator and Mr. Neil Ryan Baquiler of Bukidnon State University. Vice Governor Pelaez remains firm in his move to prevent the closure of all BSU-ESCs as this deprives the poor and less-privileged access to tertiary education and will displace more than 6,000 students in Misamis Oriental. He maintains that even after 30 years since the operation of all BSU-ESCs started, affordable and accessible public tertiary education have yet to be established. It must be remembered that Vice Governor Joey Pelaez successfully prevented the impending closure of all BSU-ESCs last year. Its continued operation produced hundreds of graduates for the year 2015.

Ferrer: Stop discrimination against Muslims, women WASHINGTON, D.C. – Philippine government peace panel chair Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer called for an end to discrimination against Muslims and women in the Philippines in a speech accepting this year’s Hillary Clinton Award for Advancing Women in Peace and Security at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In her gratitude speech for receiving the award, CoronelFerrer said that the Philippine peace process is “informed by the very goals of this award: to protect women against all forms of violence and advance the role of women in attaining peace and security in and outside of their homes.”

She shared that she “speaks especially of the women in the Bangsamoro, who have endured the burden of strife, and who must now secure their places in the public sphere as equal partners in peace and development. “ The award, personally handed by Clinton and G eorgetown University president John De Gioia in a luncheon ceremony on Wednesday, honored Coronel-Ferrer, the Philippine government’s chief negotiator in talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The award highlighted her “indefatigable work to bring about peace in the Philippines and for [her] historic role as the first female chief negotiator to sign a comprehensive peace agreement,” said Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, and former US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues.

Coronel-Ferrer negotiated and signed on behalf of the Philippine government the

Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed with the MILF on March 27, 2014.

Coronel-Ferrer shared the challenges faced by the Bangsamoro peace process af ter t he Mamas ap ano incident lastJanuary 25, which she said included an increase in discrimination against Muslims and women in the Philippines.

“The public discourse slid into bigotry against the Moros, the MILF as well as Muslims in general.

Centuries of distrust and hatred resurfaced,” CoronelFerrer said.

“As I speak right now, the ceasefire remains in place. But the vision of lasting peace is being shut out by the narrow horizons of certain political elites, and by a public fed with misinformation and driven by prejudices bordering on

Islamophobia,” CoronelFerrer said.

“And misog yny too,” she added, noting that the tragedy in Mamasapano saw increased discrimination not only against Muslims but also against women.

“If former secretar y Hillary Rodham Clinton had been called a ‘funny lady’ in the course of her drive to find peaceful solutions and creative compromises in one area of conflict, I in turn had been called a “dumb bitch,” a traitor and a weak negotiator who bartered away the country to the Muslims/ Moros,” Coronel-Ferrer recounted.

C oronel - Fe r re r s aid she does not want her grandchildren “to inherit a country divided by prejudice, dishonored by sexism, and stunted by the narrow vision of members of its political

class.”

No turning back on peace “Ms Clinton wrote in her book, Hard Choices: “It is the unfortunate reality that women in public life still face an unfair double standard… an outrageous sexism, which shouldn’t be tolerated in any country,”” Coronel-Ferrer said.

“I know only too well how true this is,” she added. “Yet we have gone this far in our peace process. There should be no turning back.”

Implementing the signed CAB Coronel-Ferrer underscored the importance of continuing t he implement at ion of the signed CAB, part of which is the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which aims to establish the Bangsamoro region to replace the Autonomous Region in

Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“This Agreement will enable MILF combatants and other disenfranchised s eg ments of t he Moro population to participate in meaningful autonomous governance,” Ferrer explained.

“It prov ides a ro ad map for a new set of more democratic, representative and accountable political institutions. It taps diverse modes for delivering socioeconomic programs to decommissioned combatants, the internally displaced and communities long affected by the conflict,” she added.

Ferrer also explained that the CAB, the product of 17 years of negotiations, seeks to “carry out transitional justice,” and “thread together the tattered fabric of social life and heal the wounds of centuries of conflict.”

“The CAB acknowledges

a different narrative of our national being, one that would bridge our majority-minority divide toward a shared future where fellow-Filipinos live in peace under one flag in an undivided territory,” she added.

“We hope it will reconcile families, political groups, tribes and communities alienated from each other by prejudice, vendetta and injustice,” Ferrer said.

Coronel-Ferrer is sharing this year’s award with Ambassador Staffan de Mistura, who was appointed in July 2014 by UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon as Special Envoy to the Syria Crisis. De Mistura, a long-time Italian-Swedish diplomat who once served the Italian government, had also served as special envoy to Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq.(OPAPP)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

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

Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

10 For Your Leisure DAILY CROSSWORD tuesday|April 28, 2015

Scholars... the poor and deser ving students to school.

“We believe that providing the poor and deser ving students a chance to continue their studies would give the students an opportunity to prove, once and for all, that poverty is not a hindrance to success,” Barba said. (PNA)

of CEB’s wide-body fleet, which is now low for LCC standards, and drive a 30% surge in total ASKs for 2015.

CEB is achieving its capacity growth despite expanding its fleet by just t hre e aircraf t in 2015, including a single additional A330 as the carrier has shelved plans for adding two more A330s for a total of eight.

Villar...

Alsons...

from page 2

from page 3

Across 1) Old counters 6) Lock catches 11) “How exciting!”

14) Boston airport 15) Old Roman port 16) Employ 17) Summary statement 19) Can component 20) Glassmaker’s need 21) Witty remark 22) “___the ramparts...”

23) Quantity 26) Chinese dish 28) Kind of food or music 29) Bank offering, for short 32) Penetrate slowly 33) Food crumbs 34) Broadcasts 36) Splash haphazardly 39) Discouraging words 40) Poker dealer’s question 42) Tax prep. expert 43) “Come in!”

45) Pressure unit 46) “Sure, why not?”

47) Old Testament book 49) Fly catcher 50) Neural network

51) Out of key 54) Ridges on ranges 56) ___chi (martial art) 57) Knight’s title 58) Tightly tucked in 59) “I” problem 60) Like some rights 65) Amscrayed on foot 66) Resign one’s position 67) Kind of personality 68) “___ show time!”

69) Demagnetize, as a tape 70) School jottings ___ Down 1) “Rumble in the Jungle” champ 2) “___ voyage!”

3) Karim of the Khans, for one 4) Soup buys 5) Store cremains 6) Vast multitude 7) ___ Wednesday 8) Florists cut them 9) Aviators 10) Most crude, humorwise 11) Certain expenses

12) Basket twig 13) John the steel-drivin’ man 18) One-named Venetian master 23) All together 24) Definitely no Einstein 25) Sparsely populated posts 27) Fam. member 30) Hilariously funny thing 31) It points the way 35) Tender to the touch 37) Sudden outpouring 38) “First lady of the theater” Helen 40) Burr role 41) Refined and polished 44) Australian runner 46) Pasta sauce herd 48) Type of fishing boat 51) Where embryos develop 52) Annoy persistently 53) Kind of queen 55) Bad type of sentence 58) Locate 61) Sue Grafton’s “___ for Lawless” 62) Dracula, at times 63) Fabrication 64) Triage sites, briefly

daily sudoku

a mobile phone message.

“As more condo units are completed, the demand for home furnishings similarly increases -- as majority of the condominium units that are being turned over as bare (only the essentials such as kitchen tops and toilet/bath effects) require furnishings,” Mr. Cordero said.

For the rest of the year, AllHome is opening four more stores in Imus, Las Piñas City, Antipolo City, and Bataan, bringing its total network to 12 by yearend. It is expanding its existing stores in the city of San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan province and San Fernando City in Pampanga.

By next year, AllHome will put up stores in key urban centers outside Luzon such as Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and Davao.

“I think there are still many locations in the Philippines that can accommodate us,” Mr. Villar said.

CebuPac... from page 3

“ H a w a i i ’s F i l i p i n o community will be the main target market for the planned Honolulu service,” CAPA said.

Manila-Honolulu is only currently served non-stop by Philippine Airlines (PAL) with five times weekly A330300 frequencies.

CEB is also planning to start using its A330-300 widebody fleet to operate flights to Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo.

Cebu Pacific uses the A330 on one of its daily Singapore flights and plans to add a second wide-body f r e q u e n c y o n Ma n i l a Singapore, which is already its largest international route.

The new A330 flights will increase the utilization rate

from page 3 the preparation stage for the development of the Suguil hydroelectric power project in Maasim, Saranggani.

“We’re getting ready to proceed with our Suigil hydro project. The feasibility study came with very encouraging results. It looks like it will be feasible to build 15 to 16 megawatts of capacity,” Nocos said.

“For the first one, we are looking at an investment cost of $40 to $50 million but this could still change because we are still optimizing the cost,” he added.

Nocos said the company is targeting to start the construction of the facility by the last quarter of this year which could take about 36 to 40 months to build.

As for the off-taker, he said that since the host f ranchis e area is S outh Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Socoteco 2), the company may just offer the power output from the plant to the cooperative.

Asked if the company plans to expand into other RE projects like solar, Nocos said the company’s RE focus is set on hydro for now.

“It is the most affordable and b e t we e n s ol ar and hydro, it is a less challenging development, in terms of determining the long-term sustainability. The resource is there,” he explained, adding that the company is open to partnerships for its future RE developments.

Overall, the company i s p l an n i ng t o bu i l d a combined amount of 164-MW of hydro power projects in Mindanao over the next few years.

It h a s p e n d i ng s e r v i c e contract applications to the Department of Energy involving additional 70MW of capacity.

“We do all these things of course to create value for ACR. We hope that the renewable energy initiative will be received well by investors. I believe that it’s t he way to go. O ur e x p a n s i on m ov e s h av e always been guided by what we believe is what needed by the market. We address the baseload requirements by building or expanding baseload generation,” Nocos said.

Likewise, Alsons Pow e r i s i nt e re s t e d t o participate in the longdelayed privatization of Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plants in Mindanao once it pushes through.

Both based in Mindanao, Agus hydropower plant in Lanao del Sur has seven units that generate a total of 700 megawatts (MW), while the Pulangi hydropower plant in Bukidnon generates 255 MW. The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management C o r p o r at i o n ( P S A L M ) c u r re nt l y op e r at e s t h e plants, which according to an earlier estimate, could cost as much as $1 billion.

Batas... from page 4

“heroes” who are saving the country from capsizing economically with their dollars, but for some other purposes? And what could these other purposes be that Aquino and his gang were thinking in relation to this legal defense fund?

Now that Filipinos are being executed in foreign soils mostly for crimes for which they were simply framed or were made fall guys, where they were unable to defend themselves because the money intended for their defense was subjected by their very President to administrative goobledygook thereby making it impossible to be used for them, where can we seek succor?

-ooo REACTIONS? Please call me at +63 917 984 24 68, +63 918 574 0193, +63 922 833 43 96, or Skype (batasmauricio), Viber (+63 918 574 0193) and Line (+63 917 984 24 68).

Email: batasmauricio@yahoo. com, melaniolazomauriciojr@ o u t l o o k . c o m , mmauriciojr111@gmail.com.

-30-

April 27, 2015 solutions: Crossword

Sudoku

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

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

Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press Awards 2013

tuesday|April 28, 2015

Propel... from page 1

to accelerate social and e conomic de velopment of less developed areas in participating countries.

Anton i no, w ho is a participant in the summit added that establishing air and sea links within the sub-region is among the key strategies to fur her integrate the economy of Mindanao and Palawan within the larger economy of the ASEAN. The BIMP-EAGA Leaders Summit is an annual meeting of heads of states of the four EAGA countries with the aim of assessing the developments and accomplishments of the sub-region. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III heads the Philippine delegation composed of cabinet secretaries and key officials from government line agencies.

One of the connectivity projects to be discussed during the meeting is the Davao/ General Santos – Bitung RoRo operation, which is expected to commence within the year. The leaders will also review the recent launch of the Brookes Point – Kudat sea route that strategically provides a faster and cheaper channel of trading goods from Palawan to Sabah, and vice versa.

“Maritime transport is crucial to BIMP-EAGA, thus the Philippines will continue to push for the Davao/GenSan – Bitung shipping service and the Brookes’ Point – Kudat,” said Usec. Prudencio Reyes of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) one of the Philippine senior officials who is participating in the summit.

He added that transport an d c on n e c t i v it y h o l d crucial roles in achieving the goals of the other three EAGA pillars, which are agribusiness, tourism, and the environment.

An additional pillar, the socio-cultural and education will be formalized during the summit, which is seen to enhance multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder programs that promote education, social exchange, sports, and cultural exchanges within the sub-region.

“Connectivity brings food, people, and investments around the sub-region, and will stir further socioeconomic developments within EAGA,” said Reyes.

In a recent statement, Reyes said DTI has committed to help pursue initiatives and projects aimed to spur trading and economic activities in the sub-region, while citing the steady increase of gross domestic product growth, tourism, trade and investment a m o n g E AG A- m e m b e r countries.

Total trade within BIMPE AG A re a c h e d P 7 . 3 1 9 trillion, contributing to the sub-region’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.7 percent.

T h e B I M P- E AG A statistical information brief compiled by the BIMP-EAGA

Facilitation Center showed that other factors contributing to the region’s GDP growth include the increase of its foreign direct investments which grew by 23 percent from P360 billion in 2012 to P444.8 billion in 2013.

Domestic investments in the sub-region also showed tremendous increase from P50.16 billion in 2009 to P202.84 billion in 2012, providing optimistic growth prospects for the sub-region in the coming years. Investments in 2013 grew by 6.6 percent from the previous year and amounted to P216.48 billion.

EAGA leaders are also keen on re-establishing the air linkages in the sub-region specifically the Davao-Manado, ZamboangaS an d a k an , an d P u e r t o Princesa-Kota Kinabalu routes, as sea connectivity is being pursued.

All transport and connec tivity initiatives developed within EAGA are supportive to the Masterplan on ASEAN Connectivity, given that the sub-region is viewed as a platform for the integration of its memberc ou nt r i e s i nto ASE A N E c onom i c C om mu n it y.

(MinDA/PIA-Caraga)

Expo... from page 1

campaign of the Department of Tourism and Davao City Government.

The bazaar captured the taste and style of local customers, institutional buyers, tourists and visitors by offering distinctly Davao products.

At this early, DSWD beneficiaries are already preparing for the annual Kadayawan Festival in August and numerous Christmas bazaars which will kick off in November.

The DSWD livelihood unit continuously provides its participants capability enhancement sessions such as product development, entrepreneurial seminars, and sk i l ls t rainings in coordination with private and public partners.

For 2015, the livelihood unit targets 22,190 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries for entrepreneurial engagement and employment with a PHP200 million budget.

(PNA)

Outlook... from page 1

But mismanagement is also prevalent in electric cooperatives, just like in other forms of cooperatives.

Some have found it hard to pay their debts to power generators and the grid operator, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

Because it failed to manage its cash flow, a cooperative in Luzon has even tapped a private company to run its operations. In Mindanao, many cooperatives have failed to pay their debts because 1) they mismanaged their operations; 2) they

failed to collect from their member-consumers.

But are these operating as cooperatives? Hardly. This is mainly because they involve their members only during elections, which by the way are only done annually during general membership meetings. Consumers do not even know about their membership in these cooperatives.

Involving the members i n t he op e r at i ons of a cooperative is important because they can ensure that it functions bas ed on its mandate. However, most of t he time, only members of the board of directors are involved in its operations and this is very dangerous because there are no safeguards to make sure that it will not go wayward.

Power aggregation Recently, the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives formed the Power Supply Aggregation Group Corp. as its arm in securing power contracts from power generators.

The idea is that with a big aggregator, it can armtwist the power generator to sell power at a much lower price, putting the latter at its mercy. One must remember that in this country, power is a heavily regulated commodity.

Of course, the idea is good if this will bring power rates down. But will it really bring rates down?

For on e , s e tt i ng up another entity is just adding another layer that needs another huge cash vault to run it. Being a corporation, its main goal is to earn profit, but how can it earn if it will sell power to its buyers, the cooperatives, at cheaper prices? Logically, adding another layer is adding more burden to consumers.

Another huge issue is that can the aggregator compel its rogue buyers to pay when they are its members? How will those that are in good financial standing feel when they are made to carry the burden of the others? Naturally, the existence of the aggregator will be threatened even before it could start.

In one of its rulings last year, the Energy Regulations Commission pointed out that cooperatives should directly deal with the ge n e r at ors i n s e c u r i ng p ower cont rac ts as t he ag g re g ator st i l l has no personality to negotiate in their behalf. The commission is aware that if the cooperatives falter in their obligations the generators cannot rely on the aggregator to shoulder the burden.

(MindaViews is t h e opi n i on s e c t i on of Mi nd a Ne w s . C ar mel ito Q. Francisco is managing editor of the Davao Citybased Mindanao Times, and correspondent of BusinessWeek Mindanao, a local daily business newspaper in Cagayan de Oro City)

Graft... from page 1

transaction in preparation for the filing of the graft case against Moreno,” Elipe said.

According to Elipe, the city mayor reportedly used the city’s Special Education Fund (SEF) in the purchase of the questionable lots and the construction of the school building.

“The city council wrote a letter to Moreno to inquire on the source of the fund in the acquisition of the lot.

However, the city mayor only replied that that the City Council has no business asking about the transaction,” Elipe said.

While there is a provision that the city executive can disburse the SEF without the approval of the City Council, the city executive cannot enter into a contract without the approval of the City Council, Elipe said.

He said that the process involving the purchase of lots by the city government requires an approval from the City Council, which the City Mayor clearly violated.

Elipe said that the City Mayor has given the City Council no option other than filing an appropriate graft charge with the graft court involving the acquisition of the lots without the consent of the City Council.

Moreno is facing about eight graft cases with the Ombudsman, all involving cash disbursement of public funds and spending government funds allegedly without the undergoing required documentation and process. (PNA)

Cimagala... from page 4

For sure, the saints are saints precisely because they have taken the same path of suffering that Christ took. Indeed, suffering can be a clear sign of God’s predilection for us, as it has been with Christ who suffered the death on the cross in obedience to his Father’s will.

So, if our predicaments and suffering lead us to a state of helplessness, whether they are physical, financial, or even moral due to our sin, we need to adopt the mind of Christ and the saints and the other characters in the gospel who did all they can to get close to Christ, asking for help. Christ certain listens and knows what to do. He knows how to convert evil into good, suffering into glory, death into life.

We have to have to faith.

We should avoid falling into self-pity, fear, shame, etc. In spite of our helplessness due to our sin, our being children of God never disappears.

God as a father will always do everything to bring us back to him.

We need to have the trust of little children to their parents to whom they can show anything, no matter how ugly or shameful. They know that their parents will always help them, even if

they, the little children, are totally at fault. There might be some pain involved, but help and relief will always be on the way, and fast, without wasting time.

All we have to do is to make an act of contrition, and if need be to go to confession, which is actually very much recommended especially if grave sins are involved. We should not unduly agonize ourselves over this matter, going through all sorts of heart-wrenching dramatics.

God is a father to us all.

We are all brothers and sisters.

We may have problems with one another and even with our own selves, but we will continue to be a family. In fact, the family of an ever loving and merciful Father! roycimagala@gmail.com.

11

Homecoming... from page 12

Apart from Miss Universe Philippines, Cagayan de Oro also takes pride on Ms. Catherine Almirante after being chosen as Ms. Global International second runnerup.

“Ang Cagayan de Oro ay hindi lang nakilala bilang ‘City of Golden Friendship’ but now also known as ‘City of Golden Crowns’, added Mr. Moreno.

Meanwhile, Sean is still ver y hopeful that either of the two Kagayanons Ms. Cagayan de Oro 2014 Beatrice Alvarez Pohl and Ms. Mitsume Aguilar will bag the title of Miss Philippines Earth 2015.

(CDO Info)

VISIT OUR WEB PORTAL

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL 10TH Judicial Region BRANCH 18 Cagayan de Oro City IN RE: PETITION FOR CORRECTION SPEC. PROC. OF ENTRIES IN THE RESPECTIVE CASE NO. CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF R 2015-008 FRANCIS FERDINAND D. ESPINOSA AND FRANCIS JOSEPH D. ESPINOSA, FRANCIS FERDINAND D. ESPINOSA and FRANCIS JOSEPH D. ESPINOSA, Petitioners, - Versus – THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Respondent. x------------------------------------------------x ORDER This instant Petition filed by petitioners, Francis Ferdinand D. Espinosa and Francis Joseph D. Espinosa, seeks the correction of the entries in petitioners’ Certificate of Live Birth, to wit: Family Name : From “Dablo” to “Espinosa” Mother’s Name : From “ Rhona S. Dablo “ to

“Maria Zelda S. Dablo“ Date and Place of Marriage of Parents: From: No Marriage “

to “April 4, 1992“ Annotation on the From “Legitimated by Top right hand

subsequent marriage of Margin:

parent Mariano Francisco

M. Espinosa and Rhona S. Dablo on June 25, 1994 at Cagayan de Oro City “ to “ Legitimated by subsequent marriage of parents Francisco Mariano M. Espinosa and Maria Zelda S. Dablo on April 14, 1992 at Cagayan de Oro City Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, let the initial hearing of this case be set on May 26, 2015 at 2:00 in the afternoon before this Court. Let copy of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioners once a week for three (3) successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Cagayan de Oro City.

Respondent Local Civil Registrar of Cagayan de Oro and the National Statistics Office and any person having or claiming any interest on the entry whose correction is sought may within fifteen (15) days from notice of this ORDER or from the last date of publication thereof, file their opposition/comment and appear at the scheduled hearing.

Furnish copies of this Order, together with the Petition and its annexes, to the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Cagayan de Oro, the Office of the Solicitor General and the National Statistics, Manila.

SO ORDERED. April 20, 2015, Cagayan de Oro City.

(Sgd) Dennis Z. Alcantar Presiding Judge

BWM: April 28, May 5 & 12, 2015

BusinessWeek MINDANAO “WE GROW MINDS” 2013 PPI’S BEST IN BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC REPORTING

TUESDAY | APRIL 28, 2015

DISTRICT 3870 DISCON MAY 7-9, 2015 @ PRYCE PLAZA HOTEL

editor: SHAUN ALEJANDRAE YAP UY

PAGE 12

All Photos Supplied

Homecoming of Miss Universe Philippines Pia Wurtzbach scheduled on May 2 Activities for the homecoming of Kagayanon beauty queen, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the reigning Miss Universe Philippines 2015, are now set.

According to Sean Oliver P. Moreno, an active sports and youth advocate son of Mayor Oscar Moreno, said the warm welcome for Miss Pia Wurtzbach this coming May 2 will be unique and different from other homecomings because of its concept - ‘beauty meets sport.”

For giving prestige and pride to Cagayan de Oro, a motorcade around the city will be dedicated to Ms. Pia, said the mayor’s son.

Unlike other motorcades, the homecoming parade will be participated by bikers and runners of the city who will participate of the Rafthon competition (rafting-running-fellowship), according to Mr. Sean Moreno, race director.

Other activities on May 2 include a joint press conference, the unveiling of Rafthon, and a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Ms. Pia Wurtzbach.

Homecoming

Page 11

Introducing Noel B. Barrameda:

Raising the Gold Standard at Seda Centrio N

oel B. Barrameda’s recent appointment as Seda Centrio’s new Hotel Manager is what many would call an auspicious event.

Seda had just become the first hotel chainin Asia to undergoaccreditation for Certified Guest Service Professionals (CGSP) from the American Hotels and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and graduated its second batch of Seda Centrio hotel employees for the Guest Service Gold program recently.

Being named a Customer “Gold Service” Property is an affirmation that an establishment’s front-liners meet the highest international standard of service. It recognizes an establishment’s commitment to quality, service and hospitality.”

Coincidentally, Mr. Barrameda himself had already undergone the Guest Service Gold Certification Workshop, conducted by the same institute at Lagen Island, El Nido Resorts last July 2013.

Guest Service Gold underscores the most important values in guest service based on extensive industry research by the AHLEI, recognized

as the global leader in hospitality training and hotel management certifications, certifying and validating competencies with academia and industry experts.

“The objective is not just to satisfy, but to‘delight’ a guest. To do this, a staff member must constantly seek ways to surprise a guest. After all,what guests remember most about a hotel is not so much the furnishings but the stories of their memorable experiences during their stay,” says Seda Group General Manager Andrea Mastellone.

And his familiarity with Guest Service Gold isn’t all the new Seda Centrio hotel manager brings to the table.

For the past eight years, Mr. Barrameda has risen through the ranks to the highest post at El Nido Resorts, Palawan as itsGroup Resort Manager overseeing the operations of all its four properties.

Previous to that,he was Resident Manager, and earlier on, was Sales Manager of another international luxury resort managing travel trade partnerships in the Asia Pacific.

His knowledge in business operations was further honedthrough businesses he himself set up in the information technology, spa

and hospitality industries.

However, what sets Mr. Barrameda apart from other hospitality industry professionals is his unending drive to constantly improve himself, often at his own time and expense.

Although he first dabbled in architecture and information technology and is well-versed in graphics design and photography, he found his passion in the hospitality industry and enrolled in a Certificate Course in Hotel Operations at the New York University School of Continuing Professional Studies while working in an architectural firm. Later that year, he found the opportunity to put his newly-learned skills to use through a training stint at a prestigious resort.

“They offered me a job as sales supervisor, and even though it was not in operations, I thought it was a good way to get me started in the industry. I was then promoted to sales manager, enabling me to travel around Asia.After four fulfilling years, I felt it was time to expand my horizons and took the opportunity to work in El Nido as Resident Manager of Miniloc Island.”

This was the time he took his Guest Service Gold Certification. But again, the yearning to improve himself further led him to take a sabbatical to pursue the General Managers Program at the Cornell University of Hotel Administration in the US, followed by a Workshop on Accounting and Finance Statement Analysis from the New York University School of Continuing Professional Studies.

With his experience and training, what does the new Seda Centrio manager aspire to achieve in his new challenge?

Clients from his past affiliations have frequently referred to Mr. Barrameda as the ‘heart of the company’, an appellation he’d like guests to similarly attribute to all Seda Centrio staff, especially now, given their

CGSP accreditation and Guest Service Gold training.

“I emphasize to my team that we have to live up to our accreditation as a Certified Gold Service Property because this differentiates us from other hotels. We already have a good product but it has to be supported by friendly, reliable service to make us stand out,” he elaborates.

“I also want Kagayanons to feel comfortable in Seda. We have a warm and accommodating staff, a relaxed atmosphere, and facilities for both business and leisure. For visitors here on business, we assure them of professional and efficient service, practicing flexibility as much as we are able to, and providing assistance to ensure them a seamless experience.”

“For guests who come here to relax, I would like Seda Centrio to be their topof-mind choice of venue for a stay-cation, weekend family gathering, or celebrations for special occasions. I want Seda to be a place where they can enjoy a memorable gathering with their friends and families.”

It certainly sounds like guests to Seda Centrio have a lot to look forward to during their next visit.