BusinessWeek Mindanao (December 13, 2013)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

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Volume IV, No. 33

Market Indicators

As of 5:58 pm Dec. 12, 2013 (Thursday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P44.08

5,789.60 points

4 cents

X

X Briefly 99.14 points

Food safety DAVAO City – The Region-11 office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI11) reminded the residents here regarding the practice of some food processors using unregistered and noncompliant industrial grade food coloring dyes.

The DTI-11 said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) learned from the tested 34 samples of food products collected by its inspectors in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in Region-7 for non-permissible colorants (NPC), wherein the samples were collected from ambulant vendors, public markets, groceries, and supermarkets.

Out of the 34 products collected, three were found to contain NPC Rhodamine B, while five needed further tests to confirm the presence of NPC Sudan.

Rachel S. Remitio, DTIDavao Region Consumer Welfare and Trade Regulation Division (CWTRD) chief, said that these coloring dyes should not flood the market.

New Chamber officers AT least 17 new officers for the year 2014 have been sworn in to steer the prime business organization here – the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc., (Oro Chamber) – during its 4th Quarter General Membership Meeting and Christmas Gathering at a hotel here recently.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president Annie Ty administered the oath to the new officers of the Oro Chamber led by president Efren Uy. He vowed to lead the Oro Chamber as the ultimate voice in business in Northern Mindanao.

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CDO to benefit from FLI’s credit upgrade

By NELSON V. CONSTANTINO Editor-in-Chief

Belgium’s firm to build 4 solar plants in M’nao

C

AGAYAN de Oro’s booming real estate industry is expected to be among the local economies poised to gain further with Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI)’s recent investment upgrade from a credible rating firm.

In a press statement, Filinvest said its “PRS Aaa” credit rating from Philippine Ratings Services (PhilRatings) could further boost its P7billion bond float.

The company said Phi lR at ings issue d t he highest credit rating to its proposed P5 billion fixed-rate retail bond offering, with an oversubscription option of P2 billion.

The credit rating further affirms Filinvest’s stability as a company.

Filinvest, owned by the Gotianun family, has been into real estate for more than benefit/PAGE 11

CHRISTMAS IN BUTUAN. Children and adults alike enjoy the Christmas display in the middle of the Guingona Park in Butuan City. mindanews photo by erwin mascarinas

7.5% GDP growth still possible: Economist DESPITE the massive destruction in agriculture, businesses and lives in Central Philippines due to super typhoon Yolanda, economist and Center for Research and Communication Director Bernardo ‘Bernie’ Villegas has forecasted that a 7.5 percent growth on gross

domestic product (GDP) would still be possible next year.

Villegas, during t he Batangas City Investment Forum Wednesday, said the ‘good things’ such as donations and supp or t from foreign countries will reverse the negative impact

Cagayan de Oro Water District Gen Manager Rachel Beja formally receives the Deed of Donation for P52-million equipment and fixtures from Japan International Cooperation Agency Phil Chief Rep Takahiro Sasaki during the Turnover Ceremony of the JICA Rehabilitation Project for COWD held at a local hotel 12 Dec 2013. Witnessing the formal turnover are (L-R): Kag. Roger Abaday; Ryutaro Aoki, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan; Local Water Utilities Administration Administrator Engr Ed Santos and COWD Board of Directors Chairman Ruben Vegafria. photo by mike baños , npm

of typhoon Yolanda.

He said rehabilitation projects and OFW remittances would increase after the typhoon and push economic activities in the Eastern Visayas, which in effect would impact on the GDP growth.

Growth/PAGE 11

A BELGIAN renewable energy developer is all set to put up large-scale solar farms in the Philippines.

Dennis C. Ibarra, Enfinity Philippines Technolog y Services Inc president, told reporters that the company will put up 10- to 20-megawatt solar power facilities starting in Mindanao.

“Next year, three to four should go into construction [but] we might go faster.

We’ve been working on the permits and certifications,” he said.

Enfinity Philippines is a subsidiary of Belgium-based global solar power developer Enfinity Corp. The company earlier bagged 18 out of the 34 service contracts that the Department of Energy issued for solar power projects.

To put up the solar farms, the company is looking to invest over $600 million.

Ibarra said the company Solar/PAGE 11

Alsons seeks ERC’s nod on Dasureco supply deal

A UNIT of listed Alsons Consolidated Resources, Inc. and a power distributor in Davao del Sur have sought regulatory approval for their three-year electricity supply deal.

In a joint petition dated Nov. 18, Alsons Energy Development Corp.

(AEDC) and Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DASURECO) asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to issue an order provisionally approving their agreement, and subsequently a decision to make the approval permanent.

Under the power supply agreement (PSA) entered into by the two parties, AEDC will install, operate and maintain

a 15-megawatt (MW) diesel-fired power plant in Barangay Cogon in Digos City.

“The term of supply and purchase under the PSA shall be for three years from the commencement of commercial operations,” the petition read.

According to the petition, DASURECO’s power requirement averages 42 MW but its current total supply is only 27.92 MW. “Thus, there is a considerable average shortage of an estimated 14.1 MW,” the petition read, adding that the gap is expected to widen due to the steadily increasing power demand of DASURECO’s customers.

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ASEAN businesses see integration as opportunity, not threat: survey JA K A RTA - - B u s i n e s s communities in the 10 member countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hold that the upcoming regional economic integration would

not disrupt their business, saying it would even give them opportunity rather than threat.

It was learned from the results of a recent survey asean/PAGE 9

Economy

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Enfinity to invest US$ 100M for 4 solar farms in PHL MANILA -- B elgiumbased renewable energy (RE) developer Enfinity is investing at least US$ 100 million in the Philippines for 2014 alone for the construction of solar farms expected to produce about

50 megawatts capacity.

Dennis Ibbarra, president of Enfinity’s local subsidiary, Enfinity Philippines Renewable Resources Inc., said two solar farms are initially eyed in Mindanao and another two will be in

Luzon, one of which will be at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

“Next year, three to four should go into construction.

We might go faster. We’ve been working on the permits and certifications,” he said.

Ibarra explained that their focus remains on construction of solar farms in Mindanao “because of the five to six hours curtailment (of power and) not to mention that rates have gone up a bit.” invest/PAGE 9

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CorporateWorld

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Isuzu-PH to assemble D-Max pick-ups here ALL-truck assembler Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) will assemble its pick-up truck D-Max model starting this month instead of importing the model as completely built up (CBU) units from Thailand to keep its factory going, continue to employ its workforce and in anticipation of a growing demand for pick-up trucks.

I P C E x e c u t i v e Vi c e President Takashi Tomita told reporters at the press launch of the all-new Isuzu D-Max the company has decided to assemble the model here despite higher cost just to “to keep the factory going”.

“We will bear the higher cost of producing it here,” Tomita said. IPC employs 500 total employees including 200 line workers for its one shift operation.

He, however, said that

while 100 percent of its raw materials to be used for the assembly of D-Max will be imported, the Japanese truck assembler has a localization program wherein D-Max will have between 20-25 percent local content by October next year.

IPC is also looking at D-Max sales of 4,000 units in 2014 from the 2,500 unit sales level projection for this year.

D-Max is selling an average of 300 units a month and is ranked third among pick-up models in the country.

Aside from providing jobs, Tomita said the company has to keep its factory in anticipation of a strong local demand.

“This market is rich with a population of 100 million and per capita income of isuzu/PAGE 10

SMDC sets P18-B capex for new condo projects in 2014 THE residential arm of Henr y Sy-led SM Prime Holdings Inc is spending P15-18 billion next year to roll out new projects, expand existing ones and beef up its land bank.

SM Prime chief financial officer Jeffrey Lim told reporters last night that SM Development Corp (SMDC) is l au nch i ng fou r ne w condominium projects in Metro Manila and expanding one or two in 2014.

The six projects will add around 11,000 units to SMDC’s inventory to serve the robust demand in the Philippine capital. SMDC is bringing “around 10,000 units” to the market this

year, Lim said.

“The SMDC developments we have are all in Metro Manila and in prime locations. We are seeing continuous demand for projects we have been doing that’s why we are positive and launching new projects,” he said.

For instance, SMDC has sold P2.3 billion worth of units at Shore Residences since its launch in October, he said.

The 2014 capital e x p e n d it u re b u d g e t i s slightly higher than its capital spending this year, Lim said, without giving figures.

SMDC’s consolidated net income reached P3.27 billion

in the first nine months of the year, unchanged from the same period last year, on lower revenues from real estate sales because of the timing of new project and expansion launches this year as well as a high base effect.

SM Prime is now the holding firm for the malls, residential, commercial, hotels and conventions, and leisure businesses of the Sy family. The full integration of the property units will be completed in the next six months, Lim had said last month.

SM Prime is coming out with a five-year plan that will encompass the expansion of its five business segments.

Megaworld targets to double sales to P8B MEGAWORLD Corporation expects to have doubled its sales of its Ready-ForOccupancy (RFO) units to P8 billion this year, putting it on track to hit its P15 billion target in three years.

I n a n i n t e r v i e w, Megaworld Prime Properties Investment Group (PPG) vice president for sales and marketing Donna V. Racho said they will double the P4 billion sales registered in their first year of operations.

“There is a huge demand for RFOs. There is an untapped market. Megaworld created this for distinct buyers,” she said. The firm normally allots five percent of the units of all projects to be sold as RFOs. “I think in terms of total inventory for 2014, we can say we keep the five percent pre-selected units. We want to magnify that in terms of the portfolio we are selling across the board, per project

that we offer. These are preselected across all projects of Megaworld,” she said.

To spur sales, Racho said they have payment terms as low as a 10 percent down payment, zero interest, and the balance is payable after two years through the bank.

Next year, Racho said “we will have new creative executions and new concepts.

Our ultimate goal is to help Filipino people to have their unit soon because they thought it’s very expensive to own a unit,” she said. “ To sustain that, we capitalize on the ready bank loan takeout because this one is ready for occupancy,” she said adding that, “for us to maintain it, we have always the personalized after- sales service, such as the interior design services we have in house.”

Racho said “Megaworld PPG is the first in the real estate industry that evolved

into a more effective division offering wide range of aftersales services to RFO buyers such as Leasing and Resale Management, Tur nover and Maintenance, and Free Interior Design to RFO buyers. It is basically a ‘onestop-shop’ for RFO buyers.”

In the newly-formed Leasing and Resale Management Ser vices of Megaworld PPG, the after-sales team reinforces Megaworld’s vision to provide unparalleled services to its clients from the time that they bought the unit even after the turnover.

The group offers complimentary services to assist clients if they want to re-sell or lease out their condominium units.

“Unit owners of any Megaworld property who want to sell or lease out their units will be assisted in scouting potential buyers megaworld/PAGE 10

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BDO Unibank optimistic of gaining P20.4B this year BDO Unibank expects to meet this year’s profit target, citing robust lending and deposits growth.

“We think we will meet it,” BDO president Nestor Tan said, referring to the Henry Sy-owned lender’s P20.4 billion profit target this year.

Growth in loans and deposits supported its net income in the first nine months of the year, with lending contributing to a 16 percent hike in net interest income to P31 billion.

The countr y’s largest lender grew its earnings by 73 percent to P18.2 billion in the January to September period from P10.5 billion in the same period last year.

“At t he mome nt we have the opportunity to expand organically,” Tan told reporters during the SM group’s Christmas party for members of the press last night.

BDO recently signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Citibank Savings Inc. The acquisition forms part of efforts to strengthen its domestic business franchise to respond to new opportunities and prepare for the entry of foreign competition under Asean economic integration come 2015.

Tan didn’t indicate how much the acquisition of Citibank’s Philippine thrift unit cost, but said the deal would be closed as soon as it secures the requisite approvals from regulators.

BDO has one of the largest distribution networks, with more than 790 operating branches and over 2,100 ATMs nationwide. It also has a branch in Hong Kong as well as 13 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

For next year, BDO would put up 40 to 50 branches nationwide, particularly in under-banked areas, Tan said.

“We want to expand a lot faster but the last few years we were held back with the moratorium on branch licenses so hopefully, we’ll be

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able to open more starting next year,” he said.

Up u nt i l l a s t y e a r, t he B ang ko S ent ra l ng Pilipinas (BSP) had barred the establishment of more branches in areas with huge concentration of banks, in a bid to encourage existing players to merge.

BPI Globe BanKO aims to reach 1M customers by 2014 MOBILE phone-based BPI Globe BanKO aims to increase its customers next year on the back of its partnerships with various organizations working to improve Filipinos’ access to financial services, a senior official said.

“We plan to more than double the customer base...

We’ll be happy to reach a million by end of 2014,”

Roberto I. Nazal, BanKO vice-president for community banking, said.

Mr. Nazal added that he was “quite confident” about meeting the target, especially as the bank’s partnerships with various organizations allow it to extend its reach next year.

BanKO, a microfinancefo c u s e d s av i ng s b an k , c u r re nt l y h a s 4 5 0 , 0 0 0

customers and more than 2 , 0 0 0 p ar t n e r out l e t s , including pawnshops, Internet cafes, grocery stores and reloading stations.

M r. Na z a l s a i d hu man it ar i an age nc i e s and governments are also tapping BanKO now in light of typhoon Yolanda, which hit the country last month, as they seek its help with transferring cash to

devastated areas in central Philippines.

“We’re doing a lot of outof-the-box projects... [The market] is robust right now.

Even this crisis is turning out to be an opportunity for BanKO...” he said.

BanKO recently partnered with Mercy Corps to pilot cash transfers in the Visayas, allowing the typhoon bpi/PAGE 10

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Wrong Advice to the Provincial Government on the Coal Issue

By David A. Tauli President, Mindanao Coalition of Power Consumers

The question of what the people of Mindanao will choose for their supply of electricity will be answered from 2017 onward, when adequate capacity from either coal or hydro will be available in Mindanao. Since the price of bulk power from hydro resources will be less than four pesos per kilowatt-hour, and more than five pesos per kWh from coal, there is no question as to the economic choice of the Mindanao power consumers.

But even if the market prices for hydro were higher than for coal, people in Mindanao should choose hydro because coal would be much more expensive than hydro when the environmental and social costs of the alternatives are added to the market prices.

This is the advice that a respectable environmental expert would give to his or her clients concerning the Mindanao power situation.

Instead, the provincial government officials have been given lies and halftruths by the “expert” on environmental matters, whom the provincial officials are relying upon to give them proper advice on the issue of coal power plants in Misamis

Oriental. C onsequently, Gov. Bambi Emano, Vicegovernor Joey Pelaez and the provincial board were misled into endorsing the two coal power plants that have been proposed for construction in Misamis Oriental: the 405 megawatts coal plant of the FDC Utilities, Inc. (FDCU) of the Filinvest Group, to be located in Villanueva, and the 110-MW coal plant of the Mindanao Energy Systems, Inc. (MINERGY), proposed for Balingasag.

Refutation of What the ‘Environmental Expert’ Said Here are some of the lies and half-truths declared in the news article by the environmental expert of the provincial government. First is his attempt to foist false choices upon the people of Misamis Oriental. He says that their only alternatives for continuing to have light in their homes are coal, nuclear, or candles.

Considering only economic feasibility, however, nuclear power plants are at the bottom of the list of alternatives available as sources of electric power for the people of Mindanao.

It is even more expensive than electricity from gridtauli/PAGE 10

The national government’s project “Enabling the Cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and Provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental to Cope with Climate Change.” is one worthy endeavour if taken to heart.

Created under the Office of the President, the Climate Change Commission spearheads the activity which aimed at describing the results of the flood modeling of Mandulog and Iligan River Systems, which will cover a presentation on map interpretation, an d it s s c op e an d limitations.

The project focuses possible uses of said m ap s d u r i n g t h e development planning, decision making and legislative processes by the city governments.

Iligan City Mayor C el s o G . Re g en c i a deserves the accolade for urging the department heads and senior staff officers from planning and development, zoning, engineering, disaster risk reduction and management, assessor, social welfare and development, environment and natural resources, livelihood/ e c on om i c , bu d g e t , agricu lture, he alth and education, public safety, water district,

SPECIAL FEATURE byLorry V. Gabule

and public information offices.

The C limate C hange C ommission must be given all the support.

Representatives of legislative committees on land use and zoning, public safety, disaster risk reduction, as well as the President of the League of Barangays should be sincere and efficient in their respective tasks.

It can be recalled that the onslaught of Tropical Storm Washi (locally named Sendong) in the northern part of the island caused unexpected devastation.

Typhoon Washi was the most destructive tropical storm in 2011 causing more than a thousand casualties, with over 6,000 people injured and about 200 people missing in various regions in the country.

Northern Mindanao (Region 10) suffered the most with an estimated cost of Php1.85 billion in damages to properties.

A year later, Mindanao was hit by another major typhoon, Bopha (locally named Pablo), claiming more than a thousand l i v e s a n d d i s p l a c i ng close to a million people.

Ty ph o on B oph a , t h e strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines in 2012, caused widespread destruction

estimated at PhP40 billion, with Davao Region (Region 11) incurring the most damage.

The international community has come to the aid of Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, the two cities in Mindanao which were hit by flooding in December last 2011, to enable the cities to cope with the disastrous consequences of natural calamities as a result of climate change.

T h e Un i t e d Na t i o n s Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian government (AusAid) have partnered with the Philippine government and are extending financial assistance.

The Project Climate Twin Phoenix aims to assess the disaster vulnerabilities of the affected areas of Regions 10 and 11 in Mindanao to geological, meteorological and meteorologicallyinduced hazards due to climate change. The results will provide the basis for priority mitigation actions like community- based and managed early warning systems, and integrated contingency planning and mobilization.

A stakeholders’ consultation on the flood modelling maps was held at the Iligan City Waterworks System Office on December 12, 2013.

Kudos to the organizers of the project.

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AMFIE 2013 picks Text2Teach as exemplary ICT innovation for education

I

nnovative learning system Text2Teach was featured as one of the exemplary ICT innovations for education in the recent Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum on ICT in Education (AMFIE) 2013 organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

“Less than 10 projects, representing the best practices in the region, were selected to participate in the AMFIE Gallery Walk, withText2Teach included among the selected projects. We are proud of Text2Teach and also of Globe for being the only telecommunications organization present in the forum and recognized for its involvement in the Text2Teach project,” said Fernando Esguerra, OIC, Globe Corporate Social Responsibility.

During the AM-

The Text2Teach presentation booth at the AMFIE 2013 Gallery Walk. Representing Text2Teach are Ayala Foundation Inc. Senior Program Manager Dino Abellanosa and Globe Telecom Senior Specialist for Corporate Social Responsibility Miguel Bermundo.

FIE 2013 held in Wuzhou Guest House in Shenzhen, China and attended by a total of 27 UN member states, key players from the region were invited to showcase successfully implemented ICT in Education innovations through a Gallery

Walk, a discussion platform where booths and presentation boards are setup at the Forum.

The move was in line with AMFIE’s objective to raise awareness and initiate focused reflection on key issues and concerns on ICT for education as well as future

activities on the application of ICT to achieve education for all.

AMFIE is an annual platform for policylevel knowledge exchange and dialogue.

The Forum showcases a number of promising ICT innovations and experiences in devel-

oping, adapting and/ or monitoring ICT in Education policies and practices in countries at different development levels.

Text2Teach is a mobile learning package which uses a smartphone and a specialized SIM card to download

comprehensive educational videos of Math, Science, English, and Values Education subjects for 5th and 6th grade students. It utilizes Globe Telecom’s mobile network to allow teeachers even in remote areas to access educational materials to supplement their lessons. So far, Text2Teach has been deployed to 816 Philippine public elementary schools, and has served 309,672 students and trained 2,617 teachers across 14 provinces, 15 cities, and 26 municipalities.

The project is being implemented by theText2Teach alliance composed of Nokia, Globe, Pearson Foundation, Ayala Foundation, Toshiba and Department of Education.

Text2Teach is one of the projects under the iAccess pillar of Globe CSR which advocates quality education and social services for all.

DOT9 Conducts the 1st Regional Tourism Summit

D

epartment of Tourism – IX (DOT9) conducted the 1st Regional Tourism Summi t last 10 December 2013 at Garden Orchid Hotel, Zamboanga City. The event convened 127 local executives, officials from different government agencies and private sector tourism stakeholders who discussed regional tourism development.

Zamboanga City Councilor Vincent Paul Elago, the Chairman of the Committee on Tourism, welcomed the participants to Zamboanga City. DOT Assistant Secretary, Arturo P. Boncato, Jr., gave a message to the tourism industry of region 9. DOT9 Regional Director, Mary June G. Bugante, imparted the opening remarks and rationale of the tourism summit, as well as a presentation on the Regional Tourism Industry Updates.

Moreover, Ms. Ma. Elenita Pajarillo, Tourism Operations Officer II of DOT, discussed the Tourism Trends and National Tourism Policy – National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP).

Mr. Carlos Libosada, Director of the Division on Tourism Research and Extension Services of the University of the Philippines, discussed the Thematic Areas for Tourism Development. Furthermore, Ms. Eileen San Juan, Vice President for

Mindanao of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, tackled the Tourism Stakeholders’ Engagements - Private Sector Participation: Cagayan de Oro Experience.

Ms. Dianne Jean Cruz, Communications Director of the Universidad de Zamboanga, talked about Strengthening Collaborations for Regional Tourism Development. Lastly, Mr. Pedro Rufo Soliven, President of the Zamboanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Incorporated, gave the closing remarks. The Jambangan Dance Troupe of the Western Mindanao State University also entertained the guests throughout the whole-day activity.

The tourism industry in the Philippines today is experiencing a dynamic growth in its volume of arrivals increasing annually.

Considering its potential to generate employment and alleviate poverty, there is a need to collaborate DOT’s efforts with other tourism related offices in positioning and promoting the region as a must experience and more fun destination.

Through this tourism summit, it is expected that the tourism stakeholders in region 9 will work together with DOT9 for the progress and development of the tourism industry.

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Journey to the Visayas Shared by Danilo Olivares (Part 2 of 2)

Danny Olivares tells us about his two trips in recent days, one to Northern Cebu and another to isolated towns and islands of Northern Capiz to bring relief goods raised by his Ateneo HS class ‘58 and College class ‘62, Salt and Light Catholic Charismatic Community and Gawad Kalinga.

Danny’s narrative about his journey to these areas devastated by Yolanda constitutes gripping first-person account of how it was in places not covered by media.

Danny Olivares (behind banner at right, in blue shirt) with Capizenos who waited for hours for arrival of the relief goods.

Following is Danny Olivares’ second account on his group’s mission a few days later to Capiz: “As I was about to start on my story about the Thursday, Nov, 21 to Saturday, Nov. 23 humanitarian mission Part 2 to Capiz, I mistakenly switched the TV channel in my hotel room in Cagayan de Oro. It was TV Maria and Fr. Catalino Arevalo SJ of the Ateneo giving a talk on "Personal Devotion and the New Evangelization."

He said that the poor, in their own way, are so personally and specially devoted to the crucified Christ, the Santo Entierro and Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

The crucified Christ because they are suffering like Him, the Santo Entierro because death comes so often to the poor in the blink of an eye, and the Mother of Perpetual Help because they know they can always run to and depend on Mother Mary for help in their poverty.

“I immediately realized that, although Fr. Arevalo gave the talk after the Bohol earthquake, he could be referring to the poor in Capiz who bore the brunt of the 270 km/hour winds, rain, f loods and 20-foot storm surges of Yolanda. Despite the sufferings, loss of loved ones, homes and the little possessions and livelihood they had, and desperation over their future, we saw in their faces hope as they cling to their faith that God will help them, and appreciation and gratitude for answered prayers when they saw us with truckloads of relief goods.

“In the few houses that we entered, including those of the barangay chairmen (barangay halls were destroyed), we saw this personal devotion to the crucified Christ and Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

In the Capiz mission, on Friday, Nov. 22, two weeks after the super-typhoon, I chose to be with the teams that went to the hardest hit and least accessible areas of Capiz: “a. In the municipality of Mambusao, according to the office of the mayor, there were 2 deaths and 12 injured, 4,266 homes totally destroyed and 3,444 partially destroyed and P1.1Billion estimated damage to infrastructure.

Among these is their beautiful church which they said is even older than Bohol's Baclayon Church. After the typhoon, they immediately did a cleaning operation of the debris and wrote UNESCO and the NCCA for help in restoring their beautiful church. 340 relief bags and water were given to two barangays. “b. Municipality of Sigma, in the upland barangay of Magsacol (220 families). As soon as our five-vehicle convoy started the ascent over the worst road conditions I have ever seen, I thought to myself: what group would dare go up these Godforsaken places when there were more accessible places which also needed help.

True enough; the people said we were the first ever to bring aid to them. Tony Ortiz's 2x4 pick-up where I was riding and his Isuzu Elf truck loaded with bags were no match for the muddy rugged mountain road and had to be pushed twice by the people.

“We arrived past 2pm. The people had waited, lining up for more than two hours.

“After distributing 220 bags and 220 liters of water, we went further up over more rugged, muddy and rocky barrio roads which punished Ortiz’s pick-up further.

We arrived early evening at bgy. Matinabus (260 families) and we had to use cellphones for f lashlights as soldiers, policemen and volunteers unloaded the bags and water from the army truck and the Elf. Our Gawad Kalinga people immediately organized the bgy. folks into five lines and we distributed the goods again, using f lashlights to check the list of recipients against the people actually receiving the goods. I was the f lashlight boy because I brought a tiny f lashlight with me. The return trip was slower because it was pitch-dark already.

“Around 10 in the evening, the two GK leaders, my host Jessica Ortiz Uy and I had a late dinner of Roxas City's famous talaba, scallops, barbecue and

tulya soup just as the restaurant was about to close. “c. Day 2 Nov. 23 of the distribution, we arrived at the Pan-ay pier on board two army 6x6 trucks by 1pm. which meant we would have to skip lunch.

Our five teams split up immediately, three teams inland and two teams to the islands. Pan-ay had the highest number of deaths in Capiz-- 10 casualties. Farming and fishing were the main livelihood, but 15 carabaos died in the f loods and the people's harvested rice was washed away by rushing waters and the still-to-be-harvested palay was destroyed.

Per provincial statistics, in the poor town of Pan-ay, 6,264 houses were totally destroyed and estimated damage to infrastructure was P 431.6 million, to agriculture P 141 million, and fisheries P 190 million.

“Soldiers and volunteers loaded the 600 bags and 600 one-liter bottles of water to a big pump boat and by 2pm, our two teams sailed to the island one and half hours away by banca.

We were like sunbathing in open waters, sitting on 3-inch narrow bamboo slats.

Upon our arrival several smaller boats met us and split the goods for two barangays--Bantigue and Butacal, both with 300 families each.

“Tony's daughter, GK's team leader Jessica, five GK volunteers and I formed the Butacal team. We walked over destroyed rice paddies to the barangay captain's home, as the boat people unloaded the sacks and boxes. People have been waiting for us since late morning!

We started distributing right away with the help of the captain’s wife and a few volunteer residents. The streamer ATENEO GRUPO ‘58 AND GAWAD KALINGA was strung over the relief goods for people to see (sorry Salt and Light, hindi ako ang nagpagawa nito).

“Residents by the shore reported how wave surges 20 feet high demolished their homes and their bancas and carried

the debris 2 kms. inland, where neck-deep waters f looded the fields.

Although the f loods receded shortly, their homes, crops and trees were destroyed by the waters and the strong winds.

Aside from the Channel 7 crew which visited the barangay and brought around a token ten sacks of goods and a Japanese medical team who promised to return the following day, we were the only ones who had come since the typhoon; they were specially thankful that we brought clean bottled water.

“The people did not leave until we left. They wanted to say goodbye to us and thank us as a group. They even picked a few surviving buko from the trees and gave us fresh buko juice.

The women were embracing us and we decided to have a group picture with the villagers, and they gladly obliged. Feeling movie stars kami!

“In the makeshift shelters that we passed going back to our pump boat, we saw two houses where an altar was placed in the center--- the Crucifix and the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help that they were able to save. Tagpi tagpi na nga na tarpaulin and roofing ng kubo nila, may altar pa! Such faith, such devotion! With the help of the people who care and the promise of God na "Walang Iwanan" (Gawad Kalinga's battle cry), hope springs eternal for these impoverished people.

“We set sail by 5:30pm. to a beautiful red sunset in the west sprinkled with a slight drizzle, the end of another God-blessed, Spirit-filled day---anticipating the dawn of a new day when the remaining stocks of undelivered relief goods would be distributed to other parts of Capiz. All told, Ateneo/Salt and Light Community and Gawad Kalinga distributed around 4,000 bags.

“It was already evening when we reached the Pan-ay pier. Jessica and I decided to treat the volunteers and soldiers who untiringly worked with us through the night for three days to a farewell combination lunch-dinner. Our generous and

gracious hosts, Jessica's parents and my classmate since grade school, Tony Ortiz and his wife Cora, a very religious couple, joined us.

“I take this opportunity to thank them. I was picked up at the airport by Tony at 6am., Thursday, I ate lunch and dinner with them on my first day and Cora fed me talaba, crabs, and scallops! Although their San Antonio Resort Hotel was probably 50% damaged by the typhoon, they allowed us to use one of the least damaged pavilions for repacking and storage for four days. The pickup and truck were at our disposal. And my three nights stay was free! Thank you Tony and Cora, God bless you even more.

“To end this narrative, one thing still haunts me and I ask for your prayers. As we were passing through the uninhabited mangroves on our way to the island last Saturday, we saw a laminated, worn-out graduation picture of a boy, maybe ten years old, hanging by a branch protruding over the waters. It was purposely hanged there, why I do not know. I can only speculate that the boy is missing or may have died and his body was found there. Please pray for this boy, whoever he is. On our return trip, I wanted to take a picture but it was already too dark I could not remember exactly where it was hanged “The need for food and water, rehabilitation of their homes and reviving their means of livelihood will take months/ years. The government and foreign aid in cash and in kind will come. But we must do our part. I hope Northern Cebu and Capiz will not be our last humanitarian activity. I am willing to go anywhere where our help is needed. Let us keep giving until it hurts.

“God bless Ateneo Grupo ‘58, Salt and Light for Christ Community and Gawad Kalinga.”

For comments/reactions, please email: polbits@yahoo.com

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friday - december 13, 2013

MACABALAN NHS BAGS 3RD PLACE IN THE 2ND CITYWIDE COWD SCI & MATH QUIZ NORMA B. DELIMA, Ph D

It may not be the school but the participant, but it makes a real difference when the bottom most school in terms of Division NAT rises above the rest to refute the record.

Mohammad Huss ein Bacaraman of Macabalan National High School, who championed in the Division of Cagayan de Oro City Science Quiz on September 30, 2013 participated and ranked third in the 2nd Citywide Cagayan de Oro City Water District Science and Mathematics Quiz Bee held at Liceo de Cagayan

University on November 28, 2013.

Of the registered public and private secondary school participants to the said competition, Bacaraman, coached by Dr. Norma B. Delima, ranked next to the female participant from St. Mary’s High School, who was next to the champion female participant from Corpus

ASEAN...

Based on these findings, the ASEAN-BAC has put forth some policy recommendations to ASEAN, such as ensuring the timely and effective implementation of measures towards an AEC in a bid to spur even more businesses to adopt the ASEAN strategy.

The bloc was also advised to pay more attention to harmonizing, simplifying and enhancing the transparency of rules and regulations in the areas of business registration, investment and customs procedures.

Formed in 1967, ASEAN groups Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. (PNA/Xinhua)

from page 2

carried out by ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) of 502 businessmen from companies of various size operating in the 10 ASEAN member countries.

More than half of the respondents considered ASEAN economic integration will pose a low or very low threat to their organizations, rating the threat level at an average of 2.49 on a scale of 1 (very low) to 5 (very high), according to the survey entitled “2013 ASEAN-BAC Survey on ASEAN Competitiveness” released on Monday.

The survey, carried out since 2010, was conducted by ASEANBAC in collaboration with fellow scholars from Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

The integration of economy within regional politics and economy bloc of ASEAN, called ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), would take effect by the end of 2015, allowing free flow of economic activities and resources within the region.

The survey showed that about 60 percent of the businesses in the region considered AEC would provide high or very high opportunities for their organizations, as reflected by an average ratio of 3.59 on a scale of 1 (very low) to 5 (very high).

In terms of investment, the business circle continued to view positively on the region’s competitiveness in attracting investment, with 94 percent of businesses having plan to invest or increase investment in an ASEAN country over the next three years.

Most of the business people eager to invest in ASEAN countries identified their plans as seeking access to a new or growing market in the region.

Other reasons behind their eagerness were abundant “supply” of customers and low cost of production facilities.

The survey also showed that nearly half of the businesses planned their investment in ASEAN countries over the next three years by considering the investment attractiveness of the ASEAN region as a whole rather than the attractiveness of individual countries. That figure was higher than the two-fifths in the previous 2011-2012 surveys.

“There are growing signs that more businesses are adopting an ‘ ASEAN strategy’ in their approach to expansion, marketing and branding in response to ASEAN’s move towards an AEC,” the survey said.

Invest...

from page 2 Ibarra said they will tap a partner to help in their local operations but declined to name the other firm.

Enfinity, a major global RE player, has about 18 of the 34 service contracts for RE projects in the country and Ibarra said they target to build all these power plants “in the next couple of years.”

Ibarra said they plan to put up solar farms with capacity of 10-20 megawatt each.

He also stressed that the solar farms will be put up even if the company will not be granted feed in tariff (FIT) on these.

Granting of FIT is stated under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to encourage power players to put up power plants.

Under the Department of Energy (DOE) rules, RE proponents who can finish their power plants and can provide the capacity within the government’s quota for each energy type ahead of the rest are qualified for FIT incentives.

The government has a 50MW quota for solar energy plants, 200 MW for wind, 250MW for biomass and 250MW for minihydro.

Ibarra said their power rates will be lower than that of the power barges of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM).

He said they have signed power supply agreements with several utility companies but declined to identify these as negotiations on the computation of rates remain with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

“They see the use of them (solar farms) because as you know the WESM and the power barges are much more expensive,” he added. (PNA)

Christi School who shall also participate soon in the national level competition in Manila.

First there were eighteen participants, later there were seven to compete for the semi-final round.

Among the public secondary participating schools, only Macabalan National High School and Cagayan de Oro National High School made it to the semi-final.

In that round, Macabalan NHS got the third rank, followed by Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS)

and L i c e o d e C ag ay an University. However, it did not qualify to the clincher round, where there were only two to compete.

Ne v e r t h e l e s s , b e i n g the first among the public secondary schools is really something the school should be proud of, especially that the school ranks last in the National Achievement Test 2013. Thanks also to the usual support of the administration headed

by Dr. Sylvio C. Carciller.

Bacaraman received a medal and cash that day. He also proved that he was still lucky,

though not the luckiest.

Anyways, good things come

to those who wait.

To God be all the glory!

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

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friday - december 13, 2013

ABELLANOSA Lechon House Isuzu... from page 4 Corner Magsaysay Abellanosa St., Cag. de Oro City MANAGED BY :

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$2,700. In the near future, this market will become very important so we have to keep our assembly facility here,” he said.

He also added that it has been a strategy of Isuzu Motors of Japan to keep assembly operations in all locations to avoid disruption of operations when a calamity happens in one area.

Joseph Bautista, IPC sales division head, also said there has been a shift in the use of D-MAX from being a workhorse to a lifestyle vehicle. The total pick-up segment now sells an average of 20,000 units annually of which the IPC accounts for at least 20 percent of the market.

Toyota’s Hi-Lux is still the market leader followed by Ford’s.

Sales of D-Max in October jumped 89 percent over the previous month.

The local assembly of D-Max in the country also means that IPC will have attained 90 percent of all its products (Crosswind, D-Max and trucks) locally assembled

by October 2014. This leaves the Alterra model as its sole imported CBU model.

The new 4X2 D-MAX will be selling at P869,000 while the 4×2 at P1.45 million.

The new D-MAX is also proven to have superior fuel economy and engine performance during a fourday run.

The model, powered by direct injection turbo intercooled engine, has fuel consumption of 26.12 kilometer per liter.

Megaworld... from page 4

and lessees. The Leasing and Resale Management team also caters to negotiating and selecting bank financing options, maintaining and refurbishing of units, and among others,” Racho said.

T h e Tu r n o v e r a n d Maintenance Services unit ensures the safekeeping, quality control, and maintenance of the RFO units in the absence of the owner. This team provides RFO clients a seamless and hassle-free ‘before move-in’ experience.

BPI...

from page 5

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survivors to receive money through their BanKO savings accounts.

Typhoon Yolanda -- said to be one of the world’s strongest on record -- has left almost 6,000 people dead and more than 12 million affected as of Wednesday.

Moreover, partnerships with local government units (LGU) and non-government organizations (NGO) boost the company’s penetration as it raises public awareness about mobile banking, Mr. Nazal said.

As a result, he noted, there is growing confidence i n m o b i l e b a n k i n g ’s transparency, security and efficiency.

“ T h a t ’s w h e r e t h e institutional partners come in... The aspect of financial inclusion, literacy and raising awareness in people to not be afraid to put the i r mone y in an electronic wallet. We need that, so we need USAID (United States Agency for International Development), we need NGOs,” Mr. Nazal said.

BPI Globe BanKO has teamed up with USAID and the Quezon City LGU as a solutions provider for its new mobile money disbursement and tax payment system.

L aunche d yesterd ay, the system allows over 10,000 scholars and 12,000 public school teachers of Quezon City to receive their monthly stipend and allowances through their BanKO savings accounts, eliminating the need to queue at the City Hall to receive their disbursements.

They can also encash the money at any BanKO partner outlet or withdraw it through automated teller machines.

Moreover, the system will allow Quezon City residents to pay their real property taxes using mobile money starting next year.

G-Xchange Inc. -- a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom and the provider of mobile money G-Cash -- will administer the assessment and collection of real property taxes of almost 600,000 households in Quezon City.

The initiative is part of USAID’s Scaling Innovations in Mobile Money project which aims to enhance financial services through the use of technology.

“Efforts to make the city clearance and collection system more efficient and transparent will not only boost tax collection and the provision of government s e r v i c e s , but w i l l a ls o attract more investments,” USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Greg Beck said during the launch.

Q u e zon C it y Mayor Herbert M. Bautista added that the mobile money system will improve transparency, reduce the potential leakage of government funds and make a 24-hour tax and fee payment operation possible.

Tauli... from page 6

connected solar photovoltaic power plants. Electricity from nuclear plants in Mindanao would exceed twenty pesos per kilowatt-hour, while utility-scale solar PV power plants will soon be constructed (to be available by 2017) in various places throughout Mindanao at the ERC-approved Feed-in-Tariff of 9.68 pesos per kWh. In Mindanao, hydro plants are the least-cost power plants, with an average cost of around four pesos per kWh for at least 3,000 MW of potential capacity.

Coal power plants come next, at around five pesos per kWh. Coal power plants, of course, are at the top of the list of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as contributors

to greenhouse gas emissions and the consequent global warming. Most of the efforts of international organizations at controlling global warming are directed to eliminating, reducing or mitigating the GHG emissions of coal plants.

If the coal plants now being constructed in Mindanao will incorporate measures that would neutralize (or reduce to zero) their GHG emissions, electric power from coal would cost more than ten pesos per kWh. Coal would be more expensive than grid-connected solar PV plants, which are the most expensive among the renewable energy resources (including biomass, hydro, and wind) that would be paid at the FIT of the Renewable Energy Law of 2008. The coal plants in Mindanao are being offered in the market at “only” five pesos per kWh because they will not be taxed for spewing their environmental poisons into the land and waters of Mindanao and for their GHG emissions.

The environmental expert of Gov. Bambi says falsely that coal plants in countries such as Germany, Japan and the US are being replaced by nuclear plants. I think this expert stopped reading the literature on power plants after getting his academic degrees. His opinions on coal and nuclear power plants are at out of date, and contrary to current understanding of reputable experts on the directions of global development of supplies of electric power. Today, Germany and Japan have totally rejected the nuclear option, and are resorting to renewable energy resources for their additional requirements for electricity.

The environmental expert of Gov. Bambi claims that “with the destruction of watersheds and river basins, the hydro plants’ capacity to produce power has been adversely affected,” implying that hydro is not a viable option in Mindanao. But the list of the Department of Energy of potential hydro power plants in Mindanao, which the DOE is offering as investments for the private sector, have more than 2,000 MW of capacity. And the actual hydro power potential in Mindanao that would be economically feasible is much greater than that.

What the ‘Environmental Expert’ failed to mention The environmental expert of Gov. Bambi is not only out-ofdate on his personal database on the Mindanao power situation; he also does not know what should be known about the electric power resources of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.

The first thing he does not know is that while the people of Misamis Oriental can tolerate the existence of the 200-MW coal plant in Villanueva, the intensification of emanation of environmental poisons from additional power plants in the community would pose hazards to the life and health of people, which should not be allowed by the people and their government.

If this expert likes coal power plants, for whatever reasons, the least he should do is to advise his clients in the provincial government to have additional coal plants for Mindanao located in provinces other than Misamis Oriental, which is already hosting

its “equitable” share of coal plants.

Any additional economic benefits to Misamis Oriental that may come from the coal plants would be much less than the costs to the health of the people and the poisoning of land and waters due to the toxic pollutants from the additional coal plants.

The other thing this expert does not know is that in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon, hydro resources are available for development that would be cheaper than the proposed coal plants, and would avoid the GHG emissions that these coal would spew into the global environment. If these hydro resources were developed as economic enterprises by the local governments, it would provide revenues that the LGUs can use in providing services to their constituents.

In t he cas e of t he municipalities of Libona and Baungon, for example, the hydro potential in the Cagayan River could provide them revenues for their operations that would be greater than the IRA that they are now receiving from the national government. The construction of renewable energy power plants in Misamis Oriental also would reduce significantly the rates for the generation component in the power bills of consumers in Misamis Oriental.

The environmental expert reminds us all that smoking is the world’s leading cause of lung cancer. If he were worth his pay, he would remind us instead that global warming is the greatest threat that the world should contend with, and the people of Misamis Oriental should also work to mitigate.

He does not say that, probably because he has a bias for coal plants. So, like all coal advocates, he tries to keep from the public the knowledge that if hydro plants were constructed in Mindanao, coal plants would not be necessary, and Mindanao could do its share in the global work of preventing global warming, thereby helping prevent future typhoons like Sendong, Pablo, and Yolanda.

Environmental expert? Quite clearly, no. An environmental hazard, rather.

Not coal power plants, but run-of-river hydroelectric power plants will enable people in Misamis Oriental and throughout Mindanao to have adequate, reliable and affordable electricity.

In Mindanao more than 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power plants have been identified that will be developed at an average, fixed cost of less than four pesos by kilowatt-hours. The cost of electricity from the coal plants now being constructed in Mindanao cost at least five pesos per kWh at current prices, increasing yearly with the price of coal fuel. In 2017, when enough coal plants and enough hydro plants will be built to supply the increase in the power requirements of Mindanao, electricity from hydro will be available at four pesos per kWh, and electricity from coal at six pesos and fifty centavos or more. The power consumers of Mindanao will then answer with their money the question of Bambi Emano and his environmental consultant: Not coal, but hydro.

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Benefit... from page 1

50 years and this expertise had been brought to Cagayan de Oro to fulfill the Filipino dream to own a home.

Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI) reported that its net income in the first nine months of 2013 rose by 22% year-on-year to Php2.438 billion from the Php2.006 billion registered in the nine months of 2012.

Growth in Real Estate Sales and Rental Income primarily drove the rise in total revenues to P8.470 billion, a 26% increase versus the same period last year.

FLI’s Real Estate Sales increased 30% to P6.974 billion in the first three months of 2013. On the other hand, Rental Revenues reached P1.496 billion, 8% more than January to September of 2012.

Major contributors to the good sales performance during the period included the launching of new midrise buildings (MRBs) and hous e - and - l ot proj e c t s in diverse new locations, intensive marketing activities and attractive pricing.

Some of the new MRBs and high-rise building that boosted sales include San Remo Oasis, The Levels and Studio Zen. Growth in rental revenues is mainly attributable to rental income at Grand Cenia and higher occupancy in both mall and offices spaces in EDSA Transcom Building, Vector Two and Plaza B, and three readybuilt factories in Filinvest Technology Park in Calamba, Laguna, commercial spaces in Brentville, Mamplasan, Laguna and commercial lots in Tagaytay.

FLI in Cagayan de Oro FLI’s first venture in the region is One Oasis Cagayan de Oro, the first Mid-Rise Development in the city’s downtown central business districts.

T h e As i a n - B a l i n e s e themed development along Rosario Limketkai Avenue has five medium rise buildings (MRB). Work has started on the first seven storey unit and sales have been brisk for its 314 one and two bedroom units. It boasts of three-level podium parking, residential parking and driver’s lounge.

One Oasis unique advantage compared to nearby projects is its resort themed amenities which occupy half of its 2.7 hectare areas including open spaces and landscaped gardens, hence, its tagline “Your Patch of Green in the City”. Complete with all the facilities of modern living, it’s just minutes away from shopping malls, schools, churches, hospitals and offices.

As one of the country’s leading conglomerates, FLI long noted what the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) recently verified officially: Cagayan de Oro is the Philippines most competitive city in 2012.

Credit Upgrade

FLI has over 100 projects in 39 cities across the country, with a land bank of 2,251 hectares as of end-2012, according to PhilRatings.

“Despite the aggressive expansion of the company, its debt-to-equity ratio and debt-to-capitalization ratio remained relatively conservative at 0.57x and 36.2%, respectively, as of the first half of 2013,” PhilRatings said.

At the same time, the debt watcher noted “prospects for the real estate industry continue to remain strong, with demand remaining highly supportive given the existence of a substantial housing backlog, a growing business process outsourcing industry and rising disposable incomes.”

“Such factors bode well for the continued expansion plans of the company,” PhilRatings said.

Growth... from page 1

”All the rehabilitation and construction and all the remittances that will surely increase by 10 to 12 percent because the relatives of these victims will be more generous for the Christmas,” said Villegas.

The economist added that the country would continue to have the USD 25 billionremittances from abroad.

He added that government spending for infrastructure has also increased from 2 percent of GDP to 5 percent of GDP. Further, Villegas explained that due to reconstruction of infrastructure facilities, demand for dollars would increase, adding that this would push the Philippine peso to depreciate to an estimate of P42.00 to P45.00 against the US dollar.

He said there will be an increased demand for dollars as a lot of materials and equipment neede for reconstruction are imported.

Also, the recovering US economy would result to an appreciated value of the US dollar thus pushing other currencies to depreciate.

Moreover, the over 7 percent GDP growth would still be possible because of the resurging manufacturing industry in the country as Japanese companies opt to relocate their facilities in the Philippines after the increasing wages in China.

Villegas also noted that the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry would push to stabilize the economic output.

The industry has employed around 900,000 personnel and generating USD 12 billion of revenues. ”Whatever happens to the world, the Philippines is still the number one BPO center, having surpassed India a couple of years ago,” he said.

Villegas also said that the independence of the country’s GDP from export is an advantage among other nations. ” Thos e w ho dep end so much in exports are in

11

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DTI orders 3 Balik Manggagawa s-markets to Processing Center explain overpriced opens at SM Manila Noche Buena items MANILA -- SM Group of The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued Show Cause Orders (SCOs) to three supermarkets in Quezon C it y a f t e r d i s c ov e r i n g their overpriced Noche Buena products during a market monitoring activity conducted by the Price Monitoring Unit of the Bureau of trade Regulation and Consumer Protection.

“We issued Show cause orders to three supermarkets to get their explanation on selling Noche Buena items above the SRP (suggested retail price),” said DTI Director Victorio Mario Dimagiba on Wednesday.

The said establishments were found to be selling Noche Buena items 2 to 10 percent higher than the SRP, which include several brands of spaghetti, elbow and salad macaroni, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, and fruit cocktail.

Although one of the apprehended supermarkets immediately lowered their price upon inspection to comply with the SRP, DTI still issued SCO to its owners.

“Our Price monitoring te ams conduc te d t hes e market visits to monitor prices of Noche Buena items, especially these few weeks before Christmas. We will continue our monitoring to ensure that the price of Noche Buena items is within the SRP.” Dimagiba said.

The items included in the SRP list of DTI are ham, cheese, sandwich spread, mayonnaise, keso de bola, creamer, pasta/spaghetti, elbow and salad macaroni, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, and fruit cocktail. “ We a r e u r g i n g sup ermarket owners to comply with our SRP on noche Buena items and avoid overpricing their goods.

Always check the list of Noche Buena items with SRP” according to Dimagiba.

(PNA) trouble… We don’t depend on exports. When we cannot (sell) what will we do? We sell it to hundred million Filipinos,” he further said.

(PNA)

Solar... from page 1

a lre ady s e c ure d e quity partners for some of the projects but stopped short of disclosing their identities.

Enfinity’s first batch of solar farms will rise in Mindanao as the company seeks to take advantage of the power supply deficiency in the region.

“We do have Luzon and Visayas [projects] also but obviously we’re putting highlight on the Mindanaoans because five to six hours curtailment not to mention that rates have gone up a bit,” Ibarra said.--InterAksyon

Companies in partnership with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration POEA), Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration OWWA), of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) launched the Balik Ma n g g a g aw a O v e r s e a s Employment Certificate(OEC) Processing Center at Global Pinoy in SM Manila.

“The SM Supermalls give its effort to do its shares in giving honor to our modern day heroes and to provide to the overseas Filipinos and their families convenient access to encourage them put up a Global Pinoy program,” said by Mr. Glenn Ang, Vice President for Operations and Program director of the SM Global Pinoy.

The partnership aims to provide convenience to returning OFWs specially this holiday season so they can turn their waiting time into a quality family time The ribbon cutting that marked the opening of the Balik Manggagawa Processing Center to the public was led by DOLE Sec. Rosalinda Dimapalis-Baldoz together with the different secretaries of POEA, OWWA, and representives from different agencies like Philhealth and Pagibig.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 10TH Judicial Region BRANCH 24 Cagayan de Oro City RE: PETITION FOR THE CORRECTION OF THE ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE OF LINSON M. CHAN AND APPLE MAE CHAN AND THE CERTIFICATES OF LIVE BIRTH OF THEIR MINOR CHILDREN TO CHANGE THE NAMES FROM ANGELINE CHRISTINE”UY” CHAN AND LELLOUIE “UY” TO ANGELINE CHRISTINE “JARO” CHAN AND LELLOUIE “CHAN”, RESPECTIVELY,

SPEC.PROC.NO. 2012-152

LINSON M. CHAN AND APPLE MAE CHAN,

Petitioners,

-versus-

LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY,

Respondent.

X--------------------------------------------------------------/ AMENDED ORDER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that before this Court is a verified Amended Petition for Correction of Entry in the Certificate of Marriage of Linson M. Chan and Apple Mae Chan, alleging, among others, that petitioner Apple Mae Chan was born on September 3,1985 in Paranaque City, to Florita Yamaro Buendia and Manalito Acuna Jaro; that her birth was registered with the Local Civil Registry of Paranaque City,Metro Manila on July 11, 1988, under the name Apple Mae Buedia Jaro; that her parents separated after her birth; that at the time of her marriage with Linson M. Chan, her birth was again registered with the Local Civil Registry of Iligan City on December 11,1992, reflecting the name under the entry Father, as Edgar G. Uy, and her name as Apple Mae Uy; that she had no knowledge of the prior recording of her birth record at Paranaque City, Metro Manila; that only recently that the circumstances of her birth and ancestry were revealed to her; that petitioner’s two (2) minor children’s Certificate of Live Birth likewise reflect the middle name “ Uy “ Hence, this Amended Petition.

This Amended Petition will be called for initial hearing on November 25, 2013, at 8:30 o’clock in the morning, during which Petitioners are directed to present compliance of the jurisdictional requirements of publication of the notice of initial hearing once a week for (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental, and posting in the Bulletin Boards of this Court, City Hall of Cagayan de Oro City, and the Barangay Hall of the Barangay where Petitioners are residing, and notice to all persons who have interests or claims which would be affected by this Amended Petition.

Let summons issue to the Local Civil Registrar of Cagayan de Oro City, and a copy each of the Amended Petition and this Amended Order served to the Office of the Solicitor General, City Prosecutor and City Prosecutor of Misamis Oriental.

Petitioners are directed to show proof of compliance of this Order during the initial hearing.

Any person or persons whose interest stand/s to be affected by this Petition, may within fifteen (15) days from notice, file his/her/ their opposition(s) to the Amended Petition, or appear during hearing and oppose the Amended Petition.

SO ORDERED ISSUED this 7th of October, 2013 in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

BWM: Nov. 29, Dec. 6 & 13, 2013

(Sgd.) HENRY B. DAMASING Presiding Judge

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