BusinessWeek Mindanao (August 30-31, 2021)

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Volume XII, No. 34 AS OF 6:00 PM AUGUST 28, 2021 (FRIDAY)

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Briefly Picop revival THE MINDANAO Development Authority (MinDA) said it is planning to revive steel and pulp and paper mills in Mindanao.

MinDA Chairman Emmanuel F. Piñol said he will hold a virtual conference with officials of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur on Tuesday to find ways to restore to operations the paper mill of the Paper Industries Corp. of the Philippines (PICOP) there.

Mr. Piñol said the city government, led by Mayor Florencio C. Garay, will present options to rehabilitate the pulp and paper processing facility, which closed in 2006.

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Industry investments in noncombustible alternatives to cigarettes provide upside to new and existing players as well as public health, according to a fund manager that focuses on long-term, high-quality investments in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.

“I think there's a lot of upside

from industry investment in harm reduction, if we can move the discourse beyond that ‘Big Tobacco’ mental model and refocus the conversation on a more op en-minded conversation and look at what consumers want,” U.K.-based Ash Park founder Jonathan Fell said.

Technology has led to the development of smoke-free nicotine alternatives such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs) and Swedish snus. These devices are considered part of tobacco harm reduction, a strategy that aims to mitigate the impact of smoking on public health.

An example of HTP is Philip Morris International’s IQOS. The heated tobacco device use a patented HeatControl™ Technology that precisely heats, without burning, tobacco-filled sticks wrapped in paper called HEETS™ to release a waterbased aerosol. Unlike cigarettes, HEALTH/PAGE 11

DUs asked to submit development plans Image from IQOS.com

By MYRNA V. VELASCO Contributor

T

Safety fixes THE Philippines is on track to increase its pineapple and mango exports to the United States after resolving pest and other food-safety issues, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

At a virtual meeting earlier this month, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service “mutually agreed on and threshed out” outstanding issues which will have the effect of increasing the number of ports that can receive Philippine products.

“Expanding the export market of Philippine pineapples and mangoes in the US and other countries will not only enhance our national economy, but more importantly, provide increased income to thousands of farmers and their families in pineappleand mango-producing provinces nationwide,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said.

VACCINATION. Residents belonging to the A4 category fill out forms prior to their vaccination in Malaybalay City.

Health authorities have noted a rise in COVID-19 infections, including a Delta variant case, in the area. mindanews photo by h . marcos c . mordeno

Virus infection rate lowers in CDO: OCTA

By FROILAN GALLARDO, MindaNews

THE COVID-19 infection rate in the city has decreased from 1.38 percent to 1.15 percent in the past seven days, the OCTA Research said in its August 25 monitoring report.

The report was welcome news for residents who have reeled from a surge in

COVID-19 cases and deaths starting in July this year.

“If the trends continue, Cagayan de Oro should see the start to see a decrease in new COVID-19 cases in one or two weeks,” the independent research group said.

Data showed that from

HE Department of Energ y (D OE) is mand ating a l l distribution utilities (DUs) to submit their updated Distribution Development Plan (DDP) that shall factor in supply-demand as well as load growth projections in their network; and for them to flesh out also the coverage of their power supply agreements.

In an advisory issued

by Energy Undersecretary Emmanuel P. Juaneza, it was stipulated that the updated DDP shall cover the periods from 2021 to 2030; and that submission to the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) of the department shall be this August for the private DUs as well as those who are SUBMIT/PAGE 9

August 18-24, the city had an average of 182 new COVID-19 cases.

OCTA said this pushed the average daily attack rate to a high level, causing the hospital bed and ICU occupancy to remain at critical status.

The OCTA report was well received by Mayor Oscar LOWERS/PAGE 11

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Local

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DSWD opens PH first shelter cum learning center in Bukidnon

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HE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 10 (Northern Mindanao) has opened the country's first facility that serves as a temporary shelter and a learning space for lessprivileged families.

In an interview Friday, Oliver Inodeo, DSWD-10 spokesperson, said the newly opened "Bahay Silungan"

located in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, is the first and only temporary home and learning center in the country that caters to the needs of street children and street families where they will receive social services from the agency towards their recovery and reintegration into the society.

"Inside the training center, they will be given life skills as part of the reintegration process

to (mainstream society). They will be referred to the other agencies for the education of children and possible employment after earning an education," he said.

The facility, he added, was constructed in 2019 and completed in 2021, including the purchase of furniture and other fixtures.

The Bahay Silungan, which can accommodate more than

five families and 60 street children, has family rooms, dormitories, kitchen, counseling area, clinic, activity area, and other recreational amenities.

DSWD-10 Director MariFlor A. Dollaga said the establishment of residential care remains the primary responsibility of the agency in addressing child abandonment, neglect, and abuse.

Dollaga said the Bahay

Silungan would be a place of safety for care, and serve as a transit center during emergency situations for families and street dwellers in need of special protection.

DSWD Undersecretary Luzviminda Ilagan, representing Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista, led the inauguration ceremony of the Bahay Silungan that was also attended by several officials. (PNA)

Scholarship fair launched in BARMM THE Bangsamoro Scholars Association (BSA) launched the first BARMM Scholarship Fair in collaboration with the Office of Member of Parliament (MP) Diamila

Disimban-Ramos and in partnership with the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) and Office of MP Abdullah Hashim to help applicants of

various scholarship programs provided by the regional and national governments, as well as other scholarship-granting institutions.

In a news release

BALINGASAG, MISAMIS ORIENTAL National Highway Balingasag, Barangay 4, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental Mobile Number/s: 0933-823-3161, 0933-823-3304 Tel. Number: 333-5161 CAGAYAN DE ORO P&J Lim Building, Tiano Kalambagohan St., Barangay 14, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel No. (08822) 727-829 / 231-6629 Telefax No. (088) 856-1947 Mobile No. 0933-823-3303 / 0943-708-7065 CAGAYAN DE ORO WAREHOUSE Warehouse 7, Bonbon Road, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Mobile No. 0917-825-4149 / 0943-708-7065 CARMEN, CAGAYAN DE ORO Vamenta Blvd., fronting CEPALCO, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 233-2011 Mobile No. 0933-823-3159 CORRALES, CDO Corrales Ave., Barangay 29, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 231-2055

on Friday, the office of Ramos said with the theme “Bridging Scholarship Opportunities and the Bangsamoro Youth”, the BARMM Scholarship Fair was simultaneously

DIVISORIA, CDO A. Velez St., Barangay 9, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 856-1947 Mobile No. 0917-841-4000 / 0933-823-3164 GINGOOG CITY G/F Wyne Militante Bldg., Lugod St., Barangay 22, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 861-0104 Mobile No. 0933-823-3168 LAPASAN, CDO National Highway (FICCO Bldg.), Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 231-6739 Mobile No. 0933-823-3160 PUERTO, CDO Purok 6, Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 859-0574 Mobile No. 0943-708-7537 CAMIGUIN B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Telefax No. (088) 387-0491 Mobile No. 0943-708-7539

conducted at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City and at the Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao in the MSUMain Campus in Marawi City on August 21.

In his video message, Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim welcomed everyone to the first-ever BARMM Scholarship Fair.

"To establish a more progressive BARMM, we need more professionals, we need more progressive minds, we need young people to help us in rebuilding our home. With MP Diamila DisimbanRamos and her team and the Bangsamoro Scholars Association leading this event, I am optimistic

that everyone will get the proper orientation of what the Government of the Day offers in hopes of uplifting education in our region, a clear understanding of what we envision for our students, and an appreciation of education as, a tool of changing the norm," Ebrahim said.

Ramos has also discussed the Scholarship Fair with MBHTE Minister Mohagher Iqbal who expressed his support for the BSA and the event, saying that the best investment is in "the education of our youth."

"We hope you will be agents of meaningful change in the region and proponents of moral governance," Iqbal said in his message during the fair delivered by Mobarak Pandi, head of the MBHTE Information and Communication Division.

"Through education, we hope to produce proficient, resourceful, and dependable professionals who exemplify moral values and the willingness to protect the general welfare of the people.

Thank you again for your trust and support.

Let us continue working together towards providing quality, inclusive, and relevant education to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao so that no Bangsamoro learner will be left behind," he added.

"Malaking tulong po (The BSA is a big help) not just in my office, the Information and Communication Division, (but) also in the Ministry for helping us deliver the right information and accurate data to our Bangsamoro scholars.

So maraming, maraming salamat po (Thank you very much)," Pandi said.

In his message of support to the BARMM Scholarship Fair, MP Abdullah Hashim, who co-sponsored the event, stressed the importance of SCHOLARSHIP/PAGE 9

CorporateWorld 3 Tech advances Manufacturing can pave PH path drive demand for semiconductor products to high-income country status Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

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THE speed and scale of advancement in digital technologies are driving demand for semiconductor products, an opportunity which Philippine manufacturers can tap into.

During the general membership meeting of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI) Thursday, Gaas Labs cofounder and president John Ocampo said current global trends include artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and 5G. Ocampo said total demand for semiconductor products is expected to increase by 25 percent in 2025 driven by growth in automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace and defense, video surveillance, and healthcare.

He said massive growth in IoT is also seen to exceed the global population by three times in the next two years.

He added that with the expansion in digital technologies particularly cloud computing, it will

require bigger data storage.

“Not only this will demand for memory, but also servers, CPU, and connectivity within the data center, as well as data center to data center,” Ocampo said.

Around 100 zettabytes of data stored in the cloud is expected by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.

The growth of 5G, which is expected to contribute USD13 trillion to the global economy by 2035, will also drive demand for semiconductor products.

SEIPI chairman Glenn Everett said the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has accelerated digital technologies that would impact the demand for electronics and semiconductor goods.

Everett cited top technologies that are seen to be part of the future, such as online learning and digital workplace with the current distance education and work-fromhome set up; telehealth as some health services are now being done through video conferencing, DEMAND/PAGE 9

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HE ability of the Philippines to move up to high-income country status hinges on the long-term development of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.

In his keynote speech during the Department of Trade and IndustryBoard of Investments' Manufacturing Summit held on Aug. 26, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua emphasized the importance of the manufacturing sector in the Philippines.

“If we are to grow

and sustain our upper middle-income country status and eventually move up to high-income country status in the next two decades, we have to focus on agriculture and manufacturing. A strong, productive agriculture sector will provide a very good foundation for a competitive manufacturing sector,” he said.

Chua said that in countries that experience successful structural transformation, agricultural workers are typically absorbed by the manufacturing sector.

This paves the way for a capital-intensive and hightechnology manufacturing sector, then eventually

a high-skilled services sector.

However, in the Philippines, the share of agriculture and manufacturing to the gross domestic product has been stagnant. Moreover, agricultural workers typically migrate to informal services.

“What we need to do, moving forward, is to make sure that manufacturing, aided by agriculture, actually helps pave our growth path towards our 2040 vision of becoming a high-income country. That is why this administration has put strong importance on achieving our 10-point socioeconomic agenda.

This will support the growth of manufacturing,” Chua said.

For instance, the government’s prudent macroeconomic policy has resulted in the highest ever credit rating of the country.

“This does not only mean lower borrowing costs for the government.

This also translates to lower borrowing costs for households and businesses. By keeping interest rates low, we are able to help finance a lot of investments, including those of manufacturing,” the NEDA chief said.

Meanwhile, the Ease of Doing Business law INCOME/PAGE 9

CHINESE investments in economic zones of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reached P24.09 billion, an official said on Friday.

“We aim to invite more investors to the country and replicate the multiplier effects our enterprises created by locating and even creating more ecozones in the country,”

PEZA director general Charito Plaza said in a statement.

The P24.09 billion worth of investments came from 172 Chinese locators employing 10,518 workers.

PEZA added these Chinese companies also exported more than USD196 million.

Plaza also encouraged Chinese investors to

partner with Filipino businesses to register their projects inside PEZA ecozones.

“Filipino-Chinese businessmen are among the country’s big landowners enticed by PEZA to become economic zone developers and local business partners of foreign investors,” Plaza said.

Data from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) showed that during the pandemic alone, investment pledges from China reached P10.8 billion.

These projects were registered with DTI’s investment promotion agencies PEZA and the Board of Investments.

(PNA)

Chinese investments in PEZA ecozones hit P24-B

4

Opinion

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In expressing opinion, it is always done in prose. This time for a change, let me do it in poetry as the outpourings of words do not just come from the mind but direct from the heart. This gives more credence to that adage in the Little Prince that “it is only through the heart that one can see clearly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

That supreme force in the Universe called love beacons all of us in the cooperative movement to exemplify the spirit of oneness irrespective of color, creed or class as we are all in fact, the sons and daughters of Mindanao.

It now behooves upon us to shed-off our apathy, unlike that frog that was boiled-up to death because it cannot detect temperature changes.

You know that experiment in Biology 101? It runs something like this.

You take a frog and put

Member: Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

Field of gold Think a minute… This is the true story of an Australian man named Jack Smythe.

During the mid-1800’s Jack worked as a carpenter until he heard about the Gold Rush in the state of Victoria, southeastern Australia. Soon Jack left the tools of his trade and set out to find his own field of gold.

He worked long and hard, searching in streams and digging holes in hillsides, yet he found nothing. Finally, he was so tired and discouraged that he gave up. But Jack was too proud and embarrassed to go home with nothing, so he picked the most remote place he could find to settle down and simply live off the land.

Yambuk, Victoria was a little abandoned town built over an old empty gold mine.

The Gold Rush was finished both for Jack and this tiny town he now called home.

Yambuk had no trees or wood, so the final shame of Jack Smythe's failure was that he, a skilled carpenter, had to build his last house out of mud.

Tragically, Jack Smythe never knew that the land on

THINK A MINUTE

it in a pot of cold water. Put the pot on a stove and turn it on to start boiling. As the water in the pot gradually heats up, you tell the frog to jump, to save itself, but the frog, if it can talk, will just say, “what is it that you are talking about, nothing is wrong, am ok.” So, it will just sit there until it is boiled up to death.

In the past, we were just like that frog in many ways. We lost our forest and mega-diversity, we acted as if nothing was wrong. We lost our seas and rivers and all of our ecological integrity, we just didn’t mind. As poverty worsens and oppressive systems and structures are turning-on the heat, we seem not to care to democratize wealth and power.

Today, we cannot afford to lose even that most essential value in life, peace and unity, otherwise, we will lost everything. We now take

heed of the many sufferings visited upon our people and we now declare that enough is enough, even through this simple poem: Let A Thousand Coops Bloom & A Million Hearts Content for Peace Oh Mindanao, where ecological wealth abounds!

S o rich in fisheries, agriculture, forests and mines, Where beauties do not end at the shorelines, But in the Mindanawons’ courageous hearts and minds.

There, in the land of the brave and the free, Amidst nature bounties lies hunger and poverty; Why a few with so much to enjoy?

Yet the many with too little or nothing at all!

Each shapes the Mindanao we hold dear, Behooving upon us to

SPEAKING OUT

IGNACIO BUNYE In ancient Roman times, they supposedly had slaves whispering 'Memento mori' (Remember you are mortal!) into the ears of successful emperors or generals during victory parades. According to legend, the purpose was to keep the honoree sufficiently grounded in order to avoid becoming a victim of hubris.

In modern times, the reverse example was Bundini Brown, the sidekick of Mu h a m m a d A l i , w h o kept shouting (not just whispering) to Ali: “You are the greatest. … (You can) float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Over time, Ali

did believe he was not just the greatest, but the Greatest of All Time (GOAT). Many sports historians and writers happen to agree.

But Bundini Brown had one grievous mistake. Brown failed to also remind Ali: ‘Memento mori’ (Remember you are mortal!). And so Ali kept on fighting. At 38 years and after a long lay-off, Ali tried to recapture the world heavyweight crown for an unprecedented fourth time.

On October 2, 1980, 16 years after Ali shook the world by beating an ‘unbeatable’ Sonny Liston, 6 years after knocking out the indestructible George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle”, and 5 years after stopping his nemesis Joe Frazier in “Thrilla in Manila”, Ali sat in his stool.

His former sparring mate, Larry Holmes, gave Ali such a terrible beating over ten rounds, that Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee asked the referee to stop the fight. Larry Holmes later cried in his

dressing room for having beaten up Ali, his spar mate, his idol, who taught him so much about boxing.

Ali was luckier than the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis. Louis had ruled the heavyweight division for 25 years. Attempting to make a comeback (at age 37) against the rising Rocky Marciano (28), Louis was knocked out cold outside the ropes.

Paging our Champ For Life Manny Pacquiao. To the millions of Filipinos and your fans all over the world, you are truly great. Your brilliant career may never be equaled for years to come. But now It is time to stop listening to the Bundini Browns around you.

Memento mori (Remember you are mortal!).

Muntinlupa City Covid-19 Vaccination Program (MunCoVac) 3 8 . 7 p e r c e nt f u l l y vaccinated. 64.4 percent given first dose. Further, MunCoVac also launched the “Bakuna sa Gabi” program or the extended hours of

The great 'resignation'

JHAN TIAFAU HURST Are you, my dear readers, quit my job several times. Australia and New Zealand. which he staked his last claim was rich, fertile farmland.

This was only discovered years later after Jack was gone. When his neighbor took over Jack's land, he decided to tear down Jack’s mud house so he could plant crops there. As the mud bricks crumbled into dust, the neighbor noticed a shiny substance in it. They were specks of gold! The clay that Jack had dug out of the old mine shaft was actually part of a huge gold deposit.

Suddenly the empty little town of Yambuk came alive again. In fact, for years it became one of the most prosperous gold-mining areas in Victoria. But it was GOLD/PAGE 11

KIM'S DREAM

ORLAN R. RAVANERA shed-off apathy and fear.

Now listen to the cries of the multitude, Hear what they agonize in their solitude:

“Oh, give me food, be it burnt or stale,

It kills the fire in my stomach, In exchange, take whatever you like,

I could surrender my freedom or life for food,

With little food, I can POEM/PAGE 11

Memento mori (Remember you are mortal!)

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Let A Thousand Cooperatives Bloom: A Poem for Mindanao

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currently dissatisfied with your job? Did you feel overwhelmed or not challenged enough? Play with the idea of throwing everything away and quitting?

Unless you’re walking into a glossy, new, upgraded role, leaving a job to head in a different direction can be hard, upsetting and even leave people feeling like a failure. Faced with the prospect of quitting, Denver, Colorado-based organisational psychologist Melissa Doman, MA, says, “typically speaking, people still self-criticise. For many people, their job is heavily tied to their identity and their self-efficacy”.

When I blink back after almost 50 years of work, I've

Yes, quitting – particularly without a job to go to – can be emotionally challenging and carry stigma - as writer Joanna York got it to the point. Most of my colleagues thought that I was rushing into a bad decision. I was already anxious about having quit and their remarks put more doubt in my head.

Still, despite these factors, indications are that many people want to leave their jobs. In fact, 41% of all workers are thinking about handing in their notice, according to a recent global survey by Microsoft. In the US, a record number of workers quit their jobs in April 2021, and similar waves are anticipated in nations including the UK, Ireland,

There’s even a name for it: the Great Resignation.

Joanna York describes it like this: There are multiple reasons for this trend, from people re-evaluating what they want from their careers during the pandemic, to the stress of juggling home and work life, or even discontent with employers. Whatever the motivator, many who choose to leave their current roles will find the process emotionally challenging.

‘Quitting’ often comes with negative connotations, both from the people around us and from ourselves, even if we have good cause.

But the upheaval caused by the pandemic – and the sheer number of potential quitters – could help us remove the

vaccination operations for A4 category individuals. The Bakuna sa Gabi program was launched at the New Cup ang He a lt h C e nte r starting August 16 from 7:00 AM – up to 10:00 PM for economic front-liners. The public is advised that the schedule for the program is only by appointment and residents are encouraged to first register online.

Inspite of the efforts, the Muntinlupa City Health Office (CHO) recorded a significant rise in the average number of daily confirmed cases for the last two weeks, while the local Ospital ng Muntinlupa reached its full bed capacity for COVID-19 and non-COVID cases.

Muntinlupa CHO Chief Dr. Juancho Bunyi reported that the average daily confirmed cases for the last two weeks is now at 118 cases per day. This is a 151% increase from 47 cases per day in the previous twoweek period (July 20-Aug 2) MORTAL/PAGE 11

HAVE MY SAY

KLAUS DORING stigma around resignation, and reframe it as a more positive choice. The negative feelings the brain can cycle through after quitting can be significant, with shame, guilt, fear and a sense of failure all common reactions.

Also important is asking for advice from the right people at the right time. When RESIGNATION/PAGE 11

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5

Banking&Finance

Bank clients urged to utilize alternative banking channels

S

EVRRAL banks have urged their clients to utilize the financial institutions’ online platforms during the National Heroes’ Day holiday on Monday as all

their branches nationwide will be closed.

In an advisory issued on Friday, Security Bank Corporation (Security Bank) said their clients may call the bank’s hotline

NOTICE TO PUBLIC This is to inform the public that MMML Recruitment Services, Inc. has now moved to its new location from 3rd Fl., Goodwill Bldg., #3 Rizal St., Gaston Park, CDO to H&J Palad Bldg., Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City (beside Bombo Radyo).

For more information you may call or text Sir Toto 09163090079.

number at (02) 8887-91-88 for any inquiries.

They may also visit Security Bank’s Facebook account or email at customercontact@ securitybank.com. ph or customercare@ securitybank.com.ph.

In its Facebook page, BDO Unibank advised its clients to use online channels for their

transactions.

“For your convenience and added safety, we encourage you to use our digital channels,” it said.

Bank of the Philippine Island (BPI), through its Facebook page, said all the branches of BPI, BPI Family Savings Bank, and BanKo around the country will also be closed on Monday.

“You can continue using BPI online, BPI mobile app, ATMs (automated teller machines), and cash accept machines (CAMs) for your everyday banking needs,” it added.

The Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank) also urged clients to use their alternative service

channels during the holiday next week.

“You can still use the Metrobank mobile app or Metrobank online for your banking needs. Always observe social distancing and make sure you follow proper protection when you withdraw and deposit money at any Metrobank ATMs and CAMs,” it said.

(PNA)

PH debt still manageable: DOF chief DEPARTMENT of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has attributed the government’s manageable debt service to prudent fiscal management despite the increase in financing requirements due to the pandemic.

“Primarily, our program is very manageable because it is very conservative.

We only fund what is required,” he told members of the House Committee on Appropriations during the hearing for the proposed 2022 national budget, which was attended virtually by some stakeholders on Thursday.

Government borrowing was set at around P3.07 trillion this year, while it is proposed

to be around P2.47 trillion for next year.

Dominguez said while financing requirements increased because of the virus-induced pandemic, the government is “fortunate enough” to easily access funds at low cost because the economy kept its investment-grade credit rating.

“It has not been downgraded and that allows us to access (the) credit market at a relatively low interest rate,” he said.

To date, Moody’s Investors Service’s rating on the country is Baa2, a notch above minimum investment grade rating with a stable outlook, while it is ‘BBB’ with a negative outlook for Fitch Ratings and ‘BBB+’ with a stable outlook for S&P

Global.

In his speech, Dominguez said the interest rate on borrowings by the government to date is 100 basis points lower than in the previous administration at 4.2 percent annually.

The government borrowed around P2.7 trillion in gross financing in 2020, and bulk or about 70 percent of this was sourced onshore.

The increased borrowings brought the share of the budget gap to gross domestic product (GDP) to 7.6 percent last year, nearly doubled from the previous year.

“Nevertheless, this level is still sustainable considering that we had to rapidly enlarge our health care capacity and

procure sufficient doses of vaccines for our people,” Dominguez said.

He said governments around the world registered higher borrowings since last year because of the pandemic but what sets the Philippines apart “is that we entered 2020 with a historic low debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.6 percent.”

“This means that we could better absorb additional borrowings than other countries whose debt ratios were already at 60 percent before the pandemic,” he said, referring to the international threshold of debt-to-GDP. The country’s debt-toGDP rose to 60.4 percent as of end-June 2021, but credit raters still consider DEBT/PAGE 9

6 Pag-IBIG posts P16.11B net income in H1 2021; up 14% Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

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Pag-IBIG Fund posted earnings of P16.11 billion in the first half of 2021 amid the challenges posed by the continuing health crisis, a 14% increase compared to the same period last year, its top officials reported on (Wednesday, 25 August).

From January to June, Pag-IBIG Fund’s gross income reached P27.14 billion while its net income amounted to P16.11 billion.

Compared to the same period last year, gross income grew 13% and net income increased 14%, driven mainly by earnings from its housing and shortterm loans (cash loans), and trading gains.

“We are happy to report that Pag-IBIG Fund remains strong amid the pandemic.

The double-digit increase in our income figures proves

that we remain as one of the best performing government corporations in the country today. This places us in a strong position to continue providing social services to more Filipino workers, in line with President Duterte’s directives as we continue to recover from the challenges caused by the pandemic,” said Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario, Chairman of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and of the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees.

He added that as of July, Pag-IBIG Fund has so far released P52.22 billion to finance the acquisition of 51,206 homes for its members. During the same period, the agency released P25.42 billion in cash loans, helping over 1.18 million

members answer their immediate financial needs as the health crisis continues.

Savings from its members also reached P37.46 billion as of July, strongly driven by the agency’s popular MP2 Savings where members have collectively saved P15.83 billion.

Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy P. Moti, meanwhile, emphasized that the agency’s gains shall redound to the benefit of its members.

He noted that under its charter, Pag-IBIG Fund is mandated to return at least 70% of its annual net income to its members in the form of dividends which are credited to their savings.

“The true owners of Pag-IBIG Fund are the Filipino workers. That is

why it is our responsibility, as the administrators of the Fund, to manage their contributions prudently and excellently. Last 2020, we gave back 92.15% of our net income to members in the form of dividends, even though our Charter mandates only a 70% minimum. With our strong fiscal standing, our members can rest assured that our programs shall remain available to help them recover from the pandemic and that each hard-earned peso they save with us remains secure and continues to grow,” Moti said.

Earlier this month, the agency received its 9th consecutive unmodified opinion from the Commission on Audit (COA) for its financial

statements for year 2020.

This is the highest rating that state auditors give to a government agency or corporation, to mean that the financial statements of an agency are presented, in all material respects, in accordance with applicable financial reporting frameworks.

Public to benefit from ATM installation in 7-Eleven stores THE government’s bid to ensure the availability of financial services to more Filipinos got a boost from the installation of automated teller machines (ATMs) in over 500 7-Eleven stores in Metro Manila and Cavite.

Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC), the exclusive licensor of 7-Eleven in the country, announced its partnership with Japan’s Seven Bank Ltd. (Seven bank) subsidiary, Pito AxM Platform, Inc. (PAPI), in providing the banking public the lowest interbank transaction fee for cash withdrawals.

“We want to offer our customers the most convenient service, which is why we also want them to save on transaction fees they would have otherwise spent when withdrawing at another ATM,” Philippine Seven

Corporation president and chief executive officer Jose Victor Paterno said in a statement.

Paterno declined to give figures on the average customer traffic in their stores in Metro Manila and Cavite but said “all stores with ATMs are expected to draw more customers”.

“Customer traffic is expected to increase by 1015 percent,” he said.

To date, some 7-Eleven stores nationwide have e-money/online payment machines.

Paterno said ATMs “are envisioned to co-exist with our current e-money payment methods”.

“The ATMs are expected to provide convenience for our customers who prefer cash as their primary means of payments,” he said.

Installation of ATMs in 7-Eleven stores in Metro BENEFIT/PAGE 11

Digital etiquette during pandemic GRETCHEN L. VIÑAN GUSA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GUSA, CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

BECAUSE we are already using gadgets to express ourselves publicly, there must be some sort of digital etiquette to police ourselves.

For instance, we must be sensitive to the fact that our posts can be seen in public including those who have less in life. Thus, posting about luxury items is highly discouraged in this economic crisis brought about by the pandemic.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a ne w phras e st ar te d appearing in my inbox with sudden regularity.

The usual chorus of “Hope you’re well!” was replaced, as if overnight, by a more somber, knowing variation: “Hope you’re well in these difficult times.”

Oh, how things have changed.

The pandemic has caused the way we communicate to evolve, and our relationship with technology is being pushed into new territory.

Much of our professional and personal lives will continue to be lived almost entirely online for the

foreseeable future. Digital etiquette rules remain more important now than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic has graphically illustrated the importance of digital networks and service platforms. Imagine the shelter-in-place reality we would have experienced at the beginning of the 21st century, only two decades ago: a slow internet and (because of that) nothing like Zoom or Netflix.

Digital networks that deliver the internet to our homes, and the services that ride on those networks have leapt from an ancillary “nice to have” to something that is critical to economic activity and our daily lives. It is time to consider whether these companies are too important to be left to make the rules governing their behavior themselves.

The connectivity and s er vices built by information capitalists have become too important to be left any longer without public participation in determining the rules they follow.

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7

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FILVAX. FDC Misamis Power Corporation (FDC Misamis) employees get their first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine during its vaccination rollout at its power plant facility in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.

Filinvest rolls out its employee vaccination program in Northern Mindanao and CARAGA

G

otianunled Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) kicks off its free employee vaccination program in Northern Mindanao and CARAGA on August 24, 26, and 27 at the power plant site of subsidiary FDC Misamis Power Corporation (FDC Misamis) in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.

The Filinvest Vaccination Program (FilVax) aims to fully vaccinate around 15,000 employees within the Filinvest group all over the country, including drivers, messengers, utility workers, and security guards.

"FilVax is the Filinvest conglomerate's effort to support the National Government's vaccination program as we continue working towards a COVID-free Philippines. Keeping our employees, thirdparty providers, and clients safe is a top priority in ensuring that our communities, workspaces, and business interfaces are safe and healthy for all. Our goal is to have 100% of employees receive their second dose on/or before the 4th Quarter of 2021," said Francis Gotianun,

Director of Filinvest Land, Inc. The FDC Misamis vaccination hub seeks to inoculate more than 600 workers and partners, catering to power plant personnel and those from One Oasis CDO, EastWest Bank, and TROO from the provinces of Bukidnon, Surigao del Norte, and Agusan del Norte.

Through the help of the Rural Health Unit of the Municipality of Villanueva supported by its local chief executive, 50% of the target vaccinees got their first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of the vaccination rollout.

"We are incredibly grateful for the LGU Villanueva for generously lending us time and resources for the vaccination rollout of our employees. We assure the LGU of Villanueva that we will continue to show our support and assistance in their development efforts, to the best of our ability, as we continue to navigate the effects of the pandemic together," said Juan Eugenio L. Roxas, President and CEO of FDC Misamis.

The rollout is part of the 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine procured by the

Officials of FDC Misamis and the Rural Health Unit of the Municipality of Villanueva come together for the power firm's employee vaccination program.

Filinvest Group for the whole conglomerate.

The Mindanao leg followed the successful launch of the Luzon leg last August 4, in its first mega vaccination center in Festival Mall Filinvest City, Muntinlupa.

The FilVax program is one of several efforts under the broader #FILFreeFILSafe campaign, a comprehensive set of initiatives to promote health and safety among its employees and stakeholders.

The stringent implementation of

protocols, along with many innovations in various processes, has allowed Filinvest's businesses to operate efficiently under the new normal, especially its power plant facility, which continuously meets the demands of customers by providing unimpeded access to electricity.

During the program's launch, Roxas took the chance to express his gratitude to the men and women of FDC Misamis.

"My sincere appreciation to the employees who

volunteered to stay at work to keep our facility running despite the risks; and now, are doing their part to keep their workplace, families, this community safe.

Good job to everyone who made this vaccination rollout possible. I am proud to say that FDC Misamis is the first power plant site in Mindanao that has successfully implemented offsite vaccination and the second among Filinvest subsidiaries after Filinvest Alabang," said Roxas.

FDC Misamis, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Filinvest's utilities and infrastructure arm, FDC Utilities, Inc. (FDCUI), runs a 3x135-MW circulating f luidized bed coal thermal plant in Villanueva.

The facility has been delivering steady and cost-effective power since it began commercial operations in 2016. Throughout the epidemic, the firm is critical to maintaining the stability of the Mindanao grid.

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Scholarship... from page 2

scholarships.

"Scholarships are meant to create equal opportunity for higher education. With the help of scholarships, we can ensure that the Bangsamoro youth, regardless of their socio-economic background, ethnicity, or religion, has access to go o d qu a lit y education. Through my experience as a beneficiary of a scholarship myself, I understand its significance and the impact it can have in the lives of those who may otherwise have no means to pursue a college diploma," Hashim said.

Member of Parliament and MOST Minister Aida Silongan also graced the event via her video message, sharing about the Ministry of Science and Technology's Bangsamoro Assistance for Science Education or BASE Scholarship Program, a cash assistance program offering PHP8,000 monthly allowance to qualified incoming firstyear college students taking science and technolog y academic programs, subject to the ministry's requirements.

"You need to focus on your goal. Do not look in any direction but ahead.

Successful people are not gifted. They work hard then succeed on purpose. Just continue growing. You must develop and improve your skills. Learn and acquire more knowledge and ideas day by day," Silongan said in her inspirational message during the Scholarship Fair.

The highlight of the S cholarship Fair is the virtual and health protocolcompliant assistance to scholarship applicants.

Hotlines, online support, and assistance desks have been set up in the venues manned by volunteers of the BSA, most of whom are scholars who want to give back to the community and help the Bangsamoro government in providing the right information and guidance on scholarships.

The same is also being arranged by the BSA in the Special Geographic Area, consisting of 63 barangays (villages) in North Cotabato, and the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

The assistance to scholarship applicants will run until September.

In Marawi City, Executive Director, Dr. Acram A. Latiph, of the Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao, who was himself a recipient of scholarship programs, delivered his inspirational message as the guest speaker for the BARMM Scholarship Fair held in the city.

The BARMM Scholarship Fair featured MBHTE's Access to Higher and Modern E du c at i on S c h o l a r s h ip Program (AHME-SP) and t he MOST's BASE Scholarship Program, as well as international scholarship opportunities presented by the executive director of the Moro International Student

Association, Datu Abdul Shattar Zailon.

"A total of more than 20 universities in Turkey have admitted scholars from the Bangsamoro region. The government of Turkey is offering a lot of scholarships for the Bangsamoro people... to help us build our nation again," Zailon said. "Like what I have said to my brother Sayeed, the Moro International Students Association is fully committed to supporting the Bangsamoro Scholars Association."

Ramos praised the BSA for the display of volunteerism by its members, stressing also that by helping others, “we are actually helping ourselves.”

"We get to develop our empathy and concern for the community. We get to develop our communication skills, our social skills, and our leadership skills. We get to develop ourselves as responsible members of our society. And we create a positive impact, and in return, people will readily support us and give us the respect and recognition we deserve," she said.

She further reiterated he r c ont i nu e d supp or t for t h e B S A , w h i ch i s "doing a great service in the Bangsamoro" and is "helping the Bangsamoro government in reaching out to our constituents and in providing them the services they so deserve."

The BSA's main purpose is to serve and help provide access to opportunities and guidance to the Bangsamoro Youth who will become the future leaders, public ser vants, entrepreneurs, and human resources that will work towards the development of the Bangsamoro region and communities. (PR)

Demand... from page 3

e-mail, telephone, or smartphone apps; contactless conveniences; AI-generated content; mixed reality, or the merging of real and virtual worlds; and electronic design automation (EDA) tools.

Market for digital workplace is expected to reach USD9 billion in 2026, with annual growth rate of 11.45 percent; online learning valuing at USD370 billion in 2026, growing annually by 8.56 percent; and telehealth, reaching to USD475.5 billion by 2026 with a growth of 26.5 percent yearly.

Contactless convenience is expected to have a market value of USD5.42 trillion by 2027, growing by 20.6 percent annually; and AI-generated content or machine learning innovation is forecasted to grow by 38.6 percent every year with market size amounting to USD152 billion in 2028.

Market value of mixed reality, with 83.3 percent annual growth rate, will reach USD225.7 billion in 2026; while that of EDA tools, increasing by 8.7 percent every year, will hit USD14.5 billion in 2026. (PNA)

Income... from page 3

simplified transactions by reducing the maximum processing days of permits, licenses, or other documents that businesses require from the government.

This enables micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to easily participate in the formal sector.

Chua also highlighted the role of the amendments to the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and the Foreign Investments Act in improving the country’s competitiveness and attracting more investments.

He added infrastructure spending is crucial in building and developing the country's manufacturing sector, as it relies heavily on the movement of people and goods.

Chua said the government will continue to invest in infrastructure because it is an important indicator that will pave the way for the economy's robust growth in the future.

“All of these are important elements to support the growth of our manufacturing and agriculture sector and bring us out of the Covid-19 crisis sooner,” he added. (PR)

Submit... from page 1

operating power distribution systems in economic zones.

For the electric cooperatives (ECs), their updated DDPs shall first be furnished to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) by Aug 15; which in turn will submit it to the DOE

by Aug 31 this year.

In the updated DDP, the energy department has instructed the DUs to include their “historical performance and forecasts of demand and energy requirement” within the stretch of the 10-year planning period.

The power utilities had been further instructed to provide details on their power supply procurement plans – including the portion of their targeted supply portfolio that are not yet covered by power supply deals.

Further, the DUs have been required to list down all the facilities they will be installing or constructing; and they must also provide details on the capacities of these assets to withstand extreme weather conditions, as well as their reliability capabilities when it comes to load network operations.

And given the prevailing Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) policy in the restructured power sector, the DUs will likewise need to demarcate their contestable customers or those who can already choose and can contract with their preferred power suppliers; vis-à-vis those who are still ‘captive’ or have remained in the service domain of the franchised DUs or electric cooperatives.

The other items required by the DOE in the development plans of the power utilities are those on: provision of service in unviable areas;

installation of renewable energy and other emerging technologies in their service areas; deployment of energy efficiency technologies and other energy conservation measures that they have been introducing to their customers.

The DOE opined that the updating of the DDPs will be a “critical input in the overall economic and energy development planning at the national and local levels.”

From the distribution plans submitted by the power utilities, the energy department will have to craft the Power Development Plan (PDP) that will integrate all the plans and outlooks of the various segments of the power industry – including those from the power generation and t r ans m iss i on sub segments.

The PDP, in turn, will be consolidated subsequently into the final Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) which factors in all the blueprints of investments, expansions as well as supply-demand outlooks of all sectors – including thos e in the upstream and downstream oil sector; as well as the ongoing and emerging innovations across industries.

The PEP is submitted a n nu a l l y t o t h e Jo i nt Congressional Energ y Commission (JCEC), or the legislative oversight body for the energy sector, as anchored on the prescription of the Electric Power Industr y Reform Act.

Debt... from page 5

this manageable.

D ominguez s aid t he bulk of the government’s fiscal resources is used for productive spending instead of debt servicing thus, the additional loans are “beneficial to economic development rather than a

9 burden to growth.”

He also told lawmakers that the rise in government borrowings in recent years was due to higher investments in human capital and infrastructure..

“Now, deficit spending, provided that your return is better than the cost of your money, is a wise thing to do,” he added. (PNA)

10

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Republic of the Philippines Regional Trial Court of Misamis Oriental 10th Judicial Region Branch 38 Cagayan de Oro City IN RE: PETITION FOR SPEC. PROC. NO. GUARDIANSHIP OVER THE R-CDO-21-01918-SP PERSON AND THE PROPERTY OF THE INCOMPETENT PERSON THERESITA BLANCO MONIZ, LETECIA ACERO GENERALAO, Petitioner.

---------------------------------------/ ORDER In today’s initial hearing, the court notes the absence of any opposition. While petitioner manifested that they received an opposition from a certain Atty. Pacana, the same is still not on record.

It also appears that proof of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements is not yet complete.

In view of the foregoing, set the continuation of the initial hearing to September 3, 2021 at 9:00 in the morning.

SO ORDERED

Done through video conference

Cagayan de Oro City, July 9, 2021.

(SGD) EMMANUEL P. PASAL Judge Republic of the Philippines Regional Trial Court of Misamis Oriental 10th Judicial Region Branch 38 Cagayan de Oro City

IN RE: PETITION FOR SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS NO. RGUARDIANSHIP OVER THE CDO-21-01918-SP PERSON AND THE PROPERTY OF THE INCOMPETENT PERSON FOR: THERESITA BLANCO MONIZ,

PETITION FOR GUARDIANSHIP LETECIA ACERO GENERALAO, Petitioner.

---------------------------------------/ ORDER

Before this court is a petition for guardianship.

Finding the petition sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby given due course.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that said petition be set for hearing on July 9, 2021 at 9:00 in the morning at the Session Hall of this Court, on which date, time and place, all persons who may have any opposition to the petition herein sought, may appear to show cause why said petition should not be granted.

Let this order be published once in a duly accredited newspaper of general circulation in Cagayan de Oro City and the Province of Misamis Oriental.

Likewise, let copies of this Order, be posted in the Bulletin Board of this Court, the Provincial Capitol of Misamis Oriental, and Municipal Hall of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

Further, let copy of this notice be furnished to the Office of the Solicitor General; DSWD of Balingasag; the incompetent, Theresita B. Moniz; and the persons living with her, viz; Emily J. Calgas, Kierstin May Curib Generalao, and Conarie Shane Curib Generalao.

SO ORDERED.

May 18, 2021 at Cagayan de Oro City.

(SGD) EMMANUEL P. PASAL Judge

Secretary Andanar: Peace and order at hand with creation of Bangsamoro Region

MANILA - The administration has attained various notable achievements in terms of ensuring peace and order in the country and part of this is the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said on Friday.

He cited this as one of the legacies of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in terms of attaining lasting peace in Mindanao.

“Ilang administrasyon yan na ipinaglaban pero ngayon lang sa panahon ni Presidente Duterte naging batas [Many administrations have pushed for it, but it was only now during the term of President Duterte that it became a law],” he said.

Through Republic Act 11054 or the 'Bangsamoro Organic Law, the Muslim community in Mindanao was given the autonomy to pursue its political, economic, social, and cultural development in its indicated jurisdiction.

The legislation culminates the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that spanned for 17 years since its talks started in 1997.

Apart from this, the administration’s anticriminality, and anti-illegal drugs campaigns have pushed back the number of crimes reported across the country. According to Secretary Andanar, the crime volume in the country during the administration of President Duterte dropped by at least 64 percent.

Along with this, more than P50 billion worth of illegal drugs have been seized; more than 700 drug dens have been dismantled; and more than 1.2 million drug dependents have voluntarily surrendered themselves to be rehabilitated, to date.

“Mas panatag na ang loob ng ating mga kababayan na maglakad pauwi dahil [sila] ay kumbinsido na hindi sila mabibiktima ng krimen.

Mayroon na pong law and order [Our countrymen are more at ease, that they can walk home knowing they

will not be victims of crime.

There is law and order],” he said as he went on to mention other initiatives which defanged modus operandi in airports, such as the tanim-bala extortion scheme and the so-called pastillas scheme.

The government has reported significant strides in terms of its anti-insurgency bid in conflict-affected areas in the countryside through the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Secretary Andanar cited that more than 18,000 rebels have surrendered to the authorities because of the whole-of-nation approach.

This approach has been successful in convincing communist rebels to give up the armed struggle as there are readily available programs and projects that will help them reintegrate into their communities.

There is also the AntiTerrorism Act of 2020, which was signed by President Duterte to give the country more teeth in curbing threats and acts of terrorism.

11

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Gold... from page 4

too late for Jack Smythe.

Tragically and ironically he had already died of starvation in a valley that could grow an abundance of food, and in a house that was worth its weight in gold!

You yourself may not have realized that the life you’ve always wanted is here right now for you to fully live and enjoy. Before it’s too late, won’t you ask Jesus to forgive you for your wrong way of living, and to take full charge of your heart, so you can start experiencing His life of true satisfaction, security, and success that is only found in Him? Just think a minute.

Mortal... from page 4

prior to the imposition of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila.

Bunyi also noted that the city’s attack rate and positivity rate are at an alarming level. As of August 15, the attack rate in the city is now at 30.24 per 1,000 population and the positivity rate is at 13.16%.

The total bed occupancy rate at Ospital ng Muntinlupa has also reached 115% with 237 patients in the hospital out of 206 bed capacity. While the bed capacity rate for COVID-19 cases has risen to 103% with 106 patients admitted out of the allotted 103 beds as of August 15.

Further, the city’s isolation facilities in Pacwood Site, Ospital ng Muntinlupa and barangays have 102 patients, of which 95 are COVID-19 positive patients and 7 are probable cases. The isolation facilities have a 175 bed capacity as of the same date.

With the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and high attack rate in certain communities, Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi, has imposed the Enhanced Localized C ommunity Quarantine in 5 areas of concern. The areas under hard lockdown include Purok 3, Molera Compound in EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF SALE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late CRISOLOGO R. REYES, that the deceased died of intestate, without will or testament, and without any outstanding debts in favor of any person or entity; that during her lifetime the deceased was the owner of a certain real property, and which parcel of land with Katibayan ng Orihinal na Titulo Blg. P-4113 situated at the Barangay Indahag, City Cagayan de Oro; Province of Misamis Oriental island of Mindanao, containing an area of SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FORTYNINE (65, 149) SQ.M., portion of parcel of land Lot 22182, cad 237, (lot 29, Csd-12558) situated at the Barangay Indahag, City Cagayan de Oro; Province of Misamis Oriental island of Mindanao, containing an area of THIRTY THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED TWENTY PESOS ONLY (30,620) SQ.M., and has been the subject of an EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF SALE, filed by the heirs of CRISOLOGO R. REYES, in favor of GEREDAH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, PER DOC #67; PAGE #14; BOOK #LXVII; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. BRAULIO LINEJAN RUGAY, JR. BWM: Aug. 16, 23 & 30, 2021

Barangay Sucat and Purok 7, Beatriz Compound, De Mesa L & B Street in Barangay Alabang from August 13 – 27, Block 8, Hills View and Mangga St., Lakeview Homes in Barangay Putatan from August 12 - 26 and Chico St., Laguerta in Barangay Tunasan from August 10 - 25.

Muntinlupa City has 16,548 confirmed cases with 14,596 recoveries, 1,547 active cases, 405 reported deaths, 37 suspect cases, and 2,107 probable cases as of August 15.

Note: You may wish to share the foregoing via Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In or Viber.

Resignation... from page 4

I moved to the Philippines for good in 1999, I got the right people at the right time at my side. I tried to temper the fear and the uncertainty. The fact that I made the decision that's right for my life and my career was a privilege. And an opportunity. Or even many opportunities... . +++ Email: doringklaus@gmail. com or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter or visit my www.germanexpatinthephili ppines,blogspot.com or www. klausdoringsclassicalmusic. blogspot.com.

Benefit... from page 6

Manila and Cavite started in February this year and the target is to expand this to 1,000 stores by the end of this year.

“Wit h t he t hre at of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) still present, and the continuing implementation of community quarantines, the need for easy access to financial ser vices is paramount. Now, more Filipinos can withdraw cash at ATM machines in over 500 7-Eleven stores,” Paterno added. (PNA)

Poem... from page 4

start the day before sunrise.

I can shake out the knotted hair of the stormy sea.

Love, sadness, thought, I set at nothing.

I will give all for food.”

Empowerment of the poor & the oppressed the solution, Let us dismantle structures of social exclusion, To put the people in the mainstream of progress, Let us wage coop

revolution for social justice & peace.

SHALOM, let us embrace one another in the spirit of oneness, A million coop voices to illuminate darkness, For we are all waves of one sea and leaves of one tree, We now must unite, other wise we all fall in demise.

Health... from page 1

IQOS does not burn tobacco and therefore produces no smoke and no ash.

Last year, IQOS devices and HEETS were made available for adults 21 years old and above in the pilot area of Metro Manila. The online store IQOS.com recently expanded its coverage to include deliver y of the heated tobacco device and heat sticks to key areas in Minadanao including Davao City, General Santos City, Palomok, Cagayan de Oro City, Opol, El Salvador, Tagoloan and Villanueva in Misamis Oriental.

Prof. David Sweanor, advisory committee chair of the University of Ottawa C entre for Health L aw and Policy in Canada, said technology has shaped the tobacco industry, as more consumers are switching to innovative nicotine products that are considered less harmful than combustible cigarettes.

“We see a tremendous number of consumers are very willing to move to these products, if the products are available, they have decent infor mat ion. And t he global market for cigarettes is approaching a trillion US dollars a year with over a billion users,” said Prof.

Sweanor.

Prof. Sweanor has been actively involved in tobacco and health policy issues since the beginning of the 1980s and has worked globally, and with numerous groups, including the International Union Against Cancer, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization and played a key role in achieving many global precedents in tobacco policy. He now focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies.

He cited the need to study the tobacco industry as it undergoes a process of transformation. “I think we need to be studying the industry, we need to be

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looking at the new players, we need to understand this is a very dynamic situation.

And we need to try to shape that through intelligent regulation, through having an intelligent discourse to look at how did we transform other industries like what's going on with the automotive industry now, moving with the internal combustion engines?“ he said.

“You c a n s e e t h at the market is putting a much higher valuation on companies that are making that transition away from combustible products. And of course, the companies and their executives notice that too and it's reflected in the incentive plans of a couple of them,” said Fell.

Prof. Sweanor posed questions that should be looked into to understand the transformation, “What happened to move from unsanitary to sanitary food, from snake oil to science-based pharmaceutical products?

How did we transform all these other industries?

What are the lessons in that for us? And what can we do by understanding how this industry operates, but also understanding who's the industry? What's the difference between companies that are selling tobacco products and companies that are selling alternative pro du c t s ? What ' s t he difference between cigarettes and non-combustible tobacco products?“ he said.

He said, however, there remains a lot of misconception about alternative products.

“Much of mainstream tobacco control thought that vaping was a plot by Big Tobacco, these new evil geniuses, and it had to be attacked. And the best thing we could do, would be to attack these alternative products. You're not recognizing what they we re d oi ng w a s re a l ly protecting the cigarette market, which is where these companies made massively higher profit margins on a sustainable basis. So, it was a failure to grasp the reality of what's going on,” he said.

Ac c o r d i n g t o P r o f .

Sweanor, the easiest way to incentivize the companies to transform and do more, is to stop banning the alternatives. “There's tremendous potential in all of these markets, you know,

and anybody who thinks that new technology cannot be acceptable in low and middle income countries needs to understand what happened with smartphones. I mean, just take away the bans, give an incentive for people to move in this direction,” he said.

“So, the innovation is going to happen. It's a question of do we try to turn that to the advantage of public health? Do we have sensible regulatory regimes that help us reduce cigarette smoking more rapidly?“ Prof.

Sweanor said.

Ash Park manages the Ash Park Global Consumer Franchise funds. Prior to 2013, Fell was team head of the consumer equity research group at Deutsche Bank in London, where he covered the tobacco and beverages sectors, following earlier spells at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.

Lowers... from page 1

Moreno and local health officials who have been grappling with three-digit infections in the past two months.

At some point last July, Moreno said COVID-19 infections rose to as much as 300 daily cases in a single day that many patients with serious conditions had to wait for days to get rooms at JR Borja General Hospital, Northern Mindanao Medical

Center and private hospitals here.

The mayor added that local hotels and pension houses rented by the local government “were filled to the brim” with asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

“I hope the OCTA research is true because our city has suffered long enough,” he said when apprised of the OCTA briefer.

Moreno attributed their initial success to strict contact-tracing, immediate isolation of the COVID-19 cases, and vaccination against the Delta variant believed to be responsible for the surge here.

He said extracting and i s o l at i n g pr i m a r y a n d secondar y contacts has proved effective compared with implementing granular lockdowns.

“ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) does not stop the virus.

Extracting and isolating the patients stops the spread,” he said.

Dr. Ted Yu of the City Health Office said they have isolated at least 39 “high-risk” residents found to be positive for the Delta variant.

As of Wednesday, Cagayan de Oro has 31 recorded cases of the Delta variant, the most in Mindanao.

Yu said 271, 545 residents have been vaccinated, 186,857 of whom have received the first dose and 84,400 are fully jabbed.

Republic of the Philippines Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Province of Lanao del Sur MUNICIPALITY OF PUALAS OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC CCE-000____-2020-R.A 10172 Date: _____________

In compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-01, Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 series of 2012 (IRR OF R.A 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that JOHAIRAH TANOG POLAYAGAN has filed with this office, a petition for correction entries of her full name from “JOHAIRA POLAYAGAN TANOG” to “JOHAIRAH TANOG POLAYAGAN” and her SEX FROM “MALE” to “FEMALE” in her certificate of live birth at Municipality of Pualas, Lanao del Sur and whose parents ATONG SARIPADA POLAYAGAN and MANGOMINTA SARIPADA TANOG.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with the office not later than ___________, 2020.

BWM: Aug. 23 & 30, 2021

(SGD) ADALIN S. TANOG, J.D. Municipal Civil Registrar

12

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MON-TUE|AUGUST 30-31, 2021