BusinessWeek Mindanao (December 14, 2017)

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Volume VIII, No. 84

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Davao’s cacao DAVAO City -- Kitakyushu City in Japan could be the next destination of Davao City’s cacao beans.

Kitakyushu City officials hinted on the possibility of sourcing cacao beans from the city for its chocolate industry duting Mayor Inday Sara Duterte’s visit there.

During her November 28 visit to Japan, Mayor Inday and Kitakyushu City Mayor Kenji Kitahashi also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a Green Sister City Cooperation.

“The mayor of Kitakyushu is interested in Davao’s cacao beans as a source for their chocolate industry. They are familiar with the Malagos Chocolate as it has won various awards internationally and want to check out the possibilities in that area,” Mayor Inday said.

Kitakyushu City has offered to help Davao with its solid waste management. In turn, Davao City could supply the Japanese city with quality cacao beans.

Coffee brands AS part of strengthening the brands of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Northern Mindanao launched 14 coffee brands from Bukidnon province on December 7.

DTI Bukidnon Provincial Director Ermedio J. Abang said the brands were developed under the Brand Equity Development Program (BEDP) of the department, which targets to develop strong homegrown Philippine brands in both local and foreign markets.

“The launching was part of the promotions and marketing enhancement strategy of the BEDP which aims to enhance business opportunities and marketability of coffee products through effective brands and sustained income,” Abang said.

The 14 coffee brands are Café Corazon, Highland Robusta, Señor Rogelio, Arabica Filipina, Café Mabuhay, Twin Creek Coffee, Kapeyapaan, Hineleban Coffee, Monk’s Blend, Café Hermano, Cincona Coffee, 7 Tribes Coffee, Café Rico, and Kitanglad Brew.

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Cagayan de Oro Lapasan Highway, Cagayan de Oro City

German logistic firm keen on N. Mindanao www.businessweekmindanao.com

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By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

HE Philippine affiliate of German logistics giant DB Schenker is looking south of the country to enhance its corporate growth targets in the medium term.

Air Freight is only one of the multi-modal solutions offered

by DB Schenker to its clients.

Schenker Philippines and North East Asia CEO Jonathon Kottegoda-Breden said this was a key factor in

locating their first office for Mindanao in Cagayan de Oro. “DB Schenker has targeted

The Philippines as a country with significant growth potential. And we realized in order to meet our customer demands, we couldn’t just do that by focusing on Luzon,” M r. Ko t t e g o d a - B re d e n said following the recent inauguration of the firm’s Cagayan de Oro office.

“Many of our ke y customers were already logistics/PAGE 11

Davao eyes importing coconuts from Indonesia

By ANTONIO L. COLINA IV, MindaNews

DAVAO City -- Coconutbased processors in the Davao Region need to tap other sources of raw materials, including Indonesia, to meet the tight demand caused by the growing number of entrepreneurs, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-11 said.

During the DTI-11 Annual Media Interface on Tuesday at the Pinnacle Hotel and

Suites here, DTI-11 regional director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi said regional coconut production could no longer meet the demand of a tighter market competition.

“In terms of coconut raw materials, we have a lot of processing establishments here in coconut. Our supply is no longer enough in Davao Region to sustain coconuts/PAGE 11

PEDDLERS. Peddlers, including some Badjao children, hawk Christmas paper bags outside the entrance of a mall in Digos City. mindanews photo by eric s . b . libre

Irrigation repairs drag down palay production in Normin

By MARK FRANCISCO, Staff Writer

NORTHERN Mindanao’s palay production in the third quarter of this year dropped by 6.74 percent to KUYAMIS. Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano welcomes each of the 20 candidates of Miss Kuyamis 2018 with flowers at the capitol. Kuyamis is the flagship festival of the province held every January. photo by mark francisco

Martial law in Mindanao extended for one year THE Philippine Congress on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to extend martial law in Mindanao for the entire 2018.

The Senate and House of Representatives, convening

in a joint session, granted President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for the extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of writ of habeas corpus for extended/PAGE 11

only 200,698 metric tons.

According to regional economic specialist Cecilio Clarete, the decreases in

production were due to inadequate supply of irrigation water.

Clarete said the National Irrigation Administration palay/PAGE 11

Official Dec. 17 grand launch:

Seven Seas Holiday Festival THE country’s newest world class waterpark will be officially launched on Sunday, December 17, with a Grand Program dubbed “Holiday Festival.”

The exclusive launch will be graced by the highest local officials and VIP guests of the Seven Seas Water Park & Resort in Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental.

Invited to grace the event includes Opol Mayor Max Seno, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno and Misamis festival/PAGE 11

SEVEN SEAS. The country’s newest attraction Seven Seas Water Park & Resort in Opol, Misamis Oriental formally opens on December 17.

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Unemployment slightly up in October

By Leslie Gatpolintan

MANILA -- The country’s unemployment rate slightly increased to 5 percent last October from 4.7 percent in the same month last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday.

In its October 2017 Labor Force Survey (LFS), the PSA, an attached agency of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said employment rate fell to 95 percent from 95.3 percent.

Total employment decreased to 41.6 million in October 2017, lower by 0.3 points from a year ago, on lower agricultural

employment.

Agriculture, accounting for 25 percent of the country’s total employment, shed about 1.4 million employment at negative 12.1 percent.

Industry and services, which accounted for 75.1 percent of the total employment, rose by 5.2 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

Underemployment rate, or the proportion of employed wanting additional work hours, declined to 15.9 percent in October 2017 from 18 percent recorded last year.

The rate represents about 893,000 less slightly/PAGE 11

Economy

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CNN Philippines TV-8 Bacolod CNN Philippines TV-9 Cebu CNN Philippines TV-5 Cag. de Oro CNN Philippines TV-5 Zamboanga CNN Philippines TV-7 GenSan CNN Philippines TV-9 Davao

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P3-B worth of cigarettes with fake stamps destroyed

By Joann Villanueva

F

inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Tuesday personally witnessed the destruction of cigarettes with fake tax stamps confiscated from the warehouses of Mighty Corp. in Bulacan and Pampanga last March.

The event, held at the Norzagaray cement production plant of LafargeHolcim, was the first for the Philippine government after implementing a strong drive against tax evaders. stamps/PAGE 9

RPN Radyo Ronda Stations Nationwide

CNN Philippines Stations Nationwide

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DZBS 1368 Baguio DZRL 639 Batac DZTG 621 Tuguegarao DZKI 1332 Iriga DYKW 936 Binalbagan DYKB 1404 Bacolod DYKC 675 Cebu DXKO 1368 Cagayan de Oro DXKS 1080 Surigao DXKD 1053 Dipolog DXKP 1377 Pagadian DXXX 1008 Zamboanga DXKT 1071 Davao DXDX 693 General Santos

P3-B FAKE STAMP TAX. Finance Sec. Carlos Dominguez III inspects PHP3-B worth of cigarettes with fake stamp tax prior to destruction at the LafargeHolcim geocycle compound in Norzagaray, Bulacan on Tuesday (Photo by Joann Santiago/PNA).

New South Wales wants to boost economic ties with PH

By Kris Crismundo

The government of New South Wales aims to strengthen its trade and investment ties with the Philippines, particularly sharing its expertise and technological know-

how and participating in infrastructure projects.

In a statement Monday, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the government of New

South Wales expressed its interest to boost its economic relations with the Philippines, after New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian visited boost/PAGE 9

CAGAYAN DE ORO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947 CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491 CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631 LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739 CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

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Opinion

Businessweek Mindanao Corporation Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO

ALLAN mario MEDIANTE

Vice President for Corporate Affairs

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Joe felicilda

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Vice President for Events and Promotions

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Vice President for Marketing

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Ruffy magbanua A new year is about to take over, yet the issue on the shift of governance -- from the unitary form of government to federal gets hotter by the day.

Nowhere I can recall that in the present system of government, the roadmap of peace and progress had been leveled up equally on a per

Member: Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

Everyday Christmas think a minute

jhan tiafau hurst T h i n k a m i nute… Just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean we must stop giving things to others.

In fact, we should enjoy Christmas day ever y day of the year! We could call these daily gifts “Our daily Christmas celebration.” At least 1 a day will make a big difference in your life and in the lives of others around you. Here are a few suggestions.

Make peace with s omeone you quarreled with. Find a forgotten friend. Pay a long overdue debt. Be gentle and patient with an angr y person. Make a child h a p p y. M a k e o r b a k e s omething for s omeone els e - anonymously! L et go of a grudge. Make the time to listen to your child’s real feelings and

interests. Keep a promise.

F o r g i v e n a n e n e m y.

E xpress t han ks to your wife, husband, or children for w hat t he y do e ver y d ay. Bre a k a b a d h abit a n d s t a r t a n e w, g o o d one in its place.

Speak kindly to a s t r a n g e r. L o w e r y o u r demands and expectations of others. Be honest.

Ta k e y o u r w i f e o u t o n a d ate. Work hard e r at your job and career. Show true compassion and put yourself in the other p e r s o n’s p l a c e . L a u g h and have fun with your family. Take the time to talk and listen to an older p e r s on . O f fe r t o b aby s i t f o r a t i r e d m o t h e r.

Buy s omeone a meal or an ice cream. Ap ologize i f y o u ’r e w r o n g . G i v e your teacher a break and do your b est. Give your students a break and b e realistic in your requirements.

Let’s make Christmas one life-long gift of ours elves to others. Oh yes, one more suggestion.

Give you r l i fe t o Je s u s Christ by loving Him and living His way ever y day.

After all, He died to give His life to you.

Just Think a Minute…

region basis, nor felt or seen, or even enjoyed by at least half of the country’s more than 100 million population.

Since time immemorial, Imperial Manila has always the final say in managing the resources of government to the frustrations of the greater mass including the millennials who opted to go with the Duterte bandwagon.

With hope against hope, the millions who supported Duterte expect drastic inroads in the search for lasting peace in Mindanao and the subsequent economic leap in every nook and cranny of the country’s 7,000 plus islands.

That said, the Duterte administration, with support from both lower and upper house is reportedly hell

b e nt on pu s h i n g f or federalism, subject of course to constitutional amendments -- either through a people’s initiative, or by Congress t h rou g h a c on s t itu e nt assembly.

Malacanang firmly believes that separatist groups in Mindanao who have been fighting for greater autonomy in governance would likely agree with federalism as long as key aspects of the configuration in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law are retained.

Malacanang believes that nothing short of federalism will bring peace to Mindanao.

The most outstanding feature of a federal set-up is that our resources are ours to benefit from, Duterte explained in one of his oft-

repeated mantras during recent appearance before a local audience in Pampanga.

In a federal form of government, each state or region shall have its own discretion in managing its economy, natural resources and law, among others.

Under the present setup, provinces need to remit their income to Manila, of which the distribution and allocation of funds to the provinces are pittance compared to the large amount these areas contribute to the national coffer.

As practiced invectively, unfair distribution of funds between the local government and national government persist under a unitary form of government up to this day. wave/PAGE 9

Do you know this Christmas mystery?

Kakampi mo ang batas

manila office: 9th Floor, Unit 918, CityLand Herrera VA Rufino Cor. Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel. # : 5555392,Cell No.: 0977-152-8860 lani vallido-Marketing Manager

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New wave of change

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Batas Mauricio LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…`What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ `The son of David,’ they replied…” (Matthew 22:42, the Holy Bible).

-ooo DO YOU KNOW THIS CHRISTMAS MYSTERY? There is one Christmas mystery that, I submit, should be answered by each and every believer: why is the Bible saying that Jesus Christ came from the family line of King David and Abraham when, quite clearly, He did not “physically” descend from them?

Jesus, our God and Savior, directly came from God, as Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6, and Matthew 1:18-25 and even John 1:1-14 would show. He was not fathered, as it were,

by Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Luke 1 says He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, is the Bible wrong in calling Jesus as the descendant of David and Abraham? No, the Bible is not mistaken in this regard.

-ooo JOSEPH HAD JESUS REGISTERED AS HIS SON: Indeed, even if Jesus directly came from God, and was not “physically” the descendant of David and Abraham, He nevertheless became a part of the family line of David and Abraham, in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

How did this happen? The answer is found in Luke 2 of the Bible, where the following story is told: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman

world… And everyone went to their own town to register.

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

-ooo IT IS THEREFORE CORRECT TO SAY JESUS CAME FROM THE LINE OF DAVID: “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them…”

What does this Biblical story show? It shows that while, physically, Jesus did not descend from Joseph, the husband of Mary, and therefore, He could not have “physically” belonged to the family line of King David and

Abraham, He nevertheless got officially “adopted” into that family line because of His registration in the census ordered by Caesar Augustus.

By this one single application of a human decree, the Scriptures got fulfilled: the Messiah will come from the family of Abraham and King David and, therefore, from Adam, the first man. The compliance with the census by Joseph, and his registration of Mary as his wife and Jesus as his child, sealed the human family lineage of Jesus.

-ooo WATCH ANG TANGING DAAN” AT FACEBOOK: “Ang Tanging Daan” is a Bible exposition and prayer session for everyone, in English and Filipino, 24/7, worldwide, that can be viewed at www.facebook. com/angtangingdaan.

Please see the video section.

Reactions: 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0977 805 9058. Email:batasmauricio@ yahoo.com

Year of the clergy and religious hints and traces

roy cimagala As part of the nine-year plan of preparation for the fifth centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines in 2021, our bishops have declared 2018 as Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons.

It’s a good year-long occasion to reflect and deepen our understanding of the crucial role the clerics and consecrated persons play in the lives of the people.

Let’s hope that at the end of the year, we can truly say there is a quantum leap

in such understanding and in our love, appreciation and support for the men and women who dedicate themselves in a special way in the vineyard of the Lord.

In that way, we can say that we are really readying ourselves for this landmark event in the histor y of our country that should fill us with great joy and thanksgiving, and a stronger resolve to be more generous in our self-giving and fidelity.

At the moment, there is already a lot of talk about priests and religious to be truly “servant-leaders” who have to mediate or act as a bridge between God and men.

In the Archdiocese of Cebu, for example, the monthly recollections for priests are themed after this ideal.

Let’s pray that the whole year will produce real fruits of sanctity in these men and women, myself included, that go beyond slogans, euphemisms and play-acting.

Let’s pray that these men and women, myself included, will truly assume the very mind and heart of Christ, our Redeemer, to such an extent that like Christ they, we, would be willing also to be crucified.

We should be priests and religious through and through, from head to toe, from outside to inside, and not just priests and religious in name only, nor priestpolitician, priest-sociologist, etc. We should only be priests and religious who faithfully and consistently show Christ to everyone, and who act out what Christ told his apostles: “He who hears you hears me.”

(Lk 10,16) And so we have to be clear that the only way we, priests, can truly become “servantleaders” is when everyone strives to identify himself more and more with Christ, the priest, the quintessence of a “servant-leader” who gave his all, including his life, for

the salvation of men.

In this regard, it might be helpful to remember those famous words of St. John the Baptist that expressed his attitude toward his vocation.

“He (Christ) must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3,30) It might be good to make a good inventory of the issues relevant in making priests and religious true “servantleaders.” The continuing formation should be beefed up, and greater attention should be given on how each priest and religious can be attended to spiritually. Very often they are left on their own, practically like a sheep in the midst of wolves and many have been eaten up.

We need to look more into how each priest and religious are living the crucial virtues of piety, poverty, obedience, chastity, fraternity, etc. These are basic and need to be lived well before we can be effective and credible cimagala/PAGE 9

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Banking&Finance

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RCBC to BB: Share results of cyber heist probe

By Joann Villanueva

R

izal Commercial Banking Corp.

(RCBC) has again called on officials of Bangladesh Bank (BB) to make public the results of its own investigation on the 2016 bank heist, wherein it lost a substantial amount, instead of blaming other entities.

In a statement Tuesday, lawyer George dela Cuesta, RCBC Legal Affairs head and first

senior vice president, said RCBC had been used as a scapegoat for BB’s inefficiency to ensure that its funds with the New York Federal Reserve were fully secured.

In February last year, about USD81 million of the stolen funds ended in four dollar accounts opened with the RCBC Makati branch in May 2015.

The Philippine government exerted

efforts to recover the funds, part of which ended in the hands of casino operator Kim Wong, who returned a total of USD4.63 million and PHP488 million worth of cash to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Dela Cuesta said BB “has been quite active in media, accusing everybody but itself ” regarding the stolen money.

“BB had blamed the New York Fed for releasing the funds but never mentioned that

‘someone’ in BB helped clear the withdrawal. BB also targets RCBC every now and then, asking it to return the whole amount which is factually and legally baseless,” he said.

The lawyer pointed out that Bangladesh’s former finance chief had dubbed the incident an “inside job”, thus, it had no right to ask other entities to return the stolen funds.

He said both the Philippine government and the New York Fed have asked BB to release the results of its

investigation ”to no avail”.

“For as long as BB refuses to cooperate with global efforts to find out what happened, this suspicion will linger.

Unfortunately, BB’s refusal to cooperate victimizes truth since there are critical questions based on reports that only BB can respond to and clarify,” he said.

Among these issues are how BB cleared the funds withdrawal in the New York Federal Reserve to be wired to RCBC even as reports have said that

this process requires BB officials to be physically present to give the go signal; why BB allowed itself to be digitally vulnerable by not putting in place a firewall and using only second-hand USD10 switches; and why BB was not alarmed over the trial runs made by the hackers as early as January last year.

The statement also cited reports that the Bangladeshi expert who claimed inside job as a possible reason for the share/PAGE 9

BTr rejects bids for T-bills across the board The Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) auction committee on Monday rejected bids for all tenors of Treasury bills (T-bills) after banks asked for high yields.

National Treasurer Rosalia De Leon told reporters after the auction that banks asked for unreasonable yields because of expectations for an uptick in the Federal Reserve rates next year and because the financial institutions are in the process of closing their books for the year.

“There is not much enthusiasm...and they also feel that given the very liquid position of the Treasury we will

not also be included to accept the high rates offered by the banks today,” she said.

This after the BTr recently issued PHP255.4 billion worth of Retail Treasury Bond (RTB), proceeds of which will be used to finance the government’s programs next year.

Had the auction committee accepted bids for the benchmark 91-day bill, rate of the debt paper would have reached to as high 3.376 percent, higher than the 2.148 percent it fetched in the previous auction.

Secondary market rate for the same tenor Monday morning stood

at 3.1607 percent.

Rate of the sixmonth paper would have registered an uptick to 3.020 percent from 2.663 percent and the one-year paper to 3.30 percent from the previous auction’s 2.962 percent.

Rate of the six-month paper in the secondary market in the morning session stood at 3.2929 percent and the oneyear, 3.1285 percent.

“I think there is also no reason for banks to ask for so high rates 45 to 60 basis points higher than the previous auctions.

Even comparing to the secondaries also,” De Leon said.

BTr offered a total of

PHP20 billion worth of T-bills - - PHP8 billion for the 91-day and PHP6 billion each for the 182day and 364-day paper.

Banks offered PHP2.975 billion for the three-month T-bill; PHP2.325 billion for the six-month; and PHP2.276 billion for the one-year bill.

De Leon said banks are also positioning ahead of expected increase in rates, both by the Fed and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The Fed’s last meeting for 2017 is scheduled from Dec. 1213 while BSP’s is on Dec. 14. (Joann Villanueva/ PNA)

Peso, PSEi down ahead of BSP, Fed meetings

By Joann Villanueva

MANILA - - Riskoff sentiment ahead of the respective policy meetings of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Federal Reserve this week weakened the Philippine peso and local equities market on Tuesday.

The local currency

ended the day’s trade at 50.51 from 50.36 a day ago, which was buoyed by Fitch Ratings’ upgrade of the country’s investment grade rating to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB-’ with Stable outlook.

BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) will have its last rate

setting meet this year on Thursday, Dec. 14, while the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is scheduled to have its meeting from Dec. 12-13.

For the day, the local unit opened better at 50.33 from the previous session’s 50.42 start.

Its opening level is the currency’s strongest for the day after it dipped to 50.52, resulting in an average of 50.43.

Volume for the day reached USD665.6 million, higher than the USD509 million a day ago. meetings/PAGE 9

PO1 Carmen Duran and high school student Leufer Joy Mangilala rock the runway during the World AIDS Day fashion show for awareness Tuesday, November 28 at Centrio. photo by mark doña francisco

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Tent Avenue Food Park opens Story and Photos by MARK FRANCISCO

A

N al fresco food joint has just opened right at the heart of Cagayan de Oro. The aptly-named Tent Avenue Food Park is located right beside CDO Bar and across Rodelsa Circle in barangay Nazareth. It offers a variety of dishes in 19 stalls from Japanese, tuna, soup, rappes,

burgers, lechon, barbecue, Korean, dimsum, café, lechon kawali, chicken, Mexican, steak and babyback ribs to much more.

The list of homegrown brands are stunning – Steka Out, Mercedes, Tres Amigos, Nic’s Pizza Baguettes, Feed Goals, Jojo Potato, Borj, Wasabeh,

Anton’s, Bae Go pa, etc.

Manager Nicole Aballe said she made sure that each dish in their respective menus is unique.

This is precisely the reason why the 2,000 square-meter wide Tent Avenue Food Park is full house every night.

Consider this: Borj Tuna has its own variety of panga, belly, kinilaw, tinola,

bagaybay , bihod and ginataang buntot. Walk over at Barbecue Joe’s and you’ll discover varied buffalo wings – Devil’s Wing, Jack Daniel’s Wing, Sweet and Spicy and Classic.

They also offer hotdog sandwiches and Hungarian sausages. At the Japanese-themed Wasabeh, you’ll find various maki, kali, salmon, tuna,

yakitani, tempura, tuna nachos, ramen and your choice of donburi and bento dishes. In Bae Go Pa, you can order bibimbap, ramyeon, rabokki, soegogi-gui, bulgogi rice burger, tteokboki, kimchi, japchae, kimbap and

chicken value meals.

Aside from the food, Tent Avenue also features trivia night and movie night on weeknights and acoustic night with DJ on weekends.

It is open from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. the next day.

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When you’re in Davao City, Read:

HOTELS & RESORTS DIRECTORIES

VILLA MARGARITA HOTEL J. P Laurel Avenue, Bajada, Davao City, Philippines Tel. No.: (082) 221-5674 / Fax No. (082) 226-2968 MICROTEL

By Wyndham Davao Damosa Gateway Complex Angliongto Rd., Lanang Davao City 8000, Philippines Tel +63 82 233 2333 / Mobile +63 917 795 3548 www.microtelphilippines.com PINNACLE HOTEL Sta. Ana Avenue, Davao City.

No. (082) 300-5885 Telefax: 300-1881/ 221-3025 Website: www.thepinnaclehotel.com ALU HOTEL M. Roxas Avenue corner Padre Faura Street, Davao City.

Tel No (63 82) 221-5232 / Mobile (O943) 652 3927 Email: aluhoteldavao@yahoo.com info@alu-hotel.com / www.alu-hotel.com GRAND REGAL Km 7 Lanang, Davao City, Philippines Tel. 235-0888 / Fax 235-2335 email: grandregalhotelegmail.com

VIAJEROS ECONOMY HOTEL Patnubay St., Sandawa, Matina, D.C Tel. No. 297-5710 / Telefax (6382) 298-5134 Mobile: 0922.-8268425 Website: www.viajeroseconomyinn.com

ROYAL MANDAYA HOTEL J.Palma Gil St., Davao City 8000 Phils.

Tel. No. (082) 225-8888 / fax No. (082) 225-1885 info@theroyalrmandayahotel.com www.theroyalmandayahotel.com HOMITORI Bangoy Street corner Santa Ana Avenue, Davao City Tel. No. (082) 295-2969 & 295-2471 / Mobile: (0922) 8994646 Email: homitoridvo@gmail.com or Like us on www.facebook.com/pages/Homitori-Davao BIG APPLE HOTEL Brgy. Angliongto, Lanang, D.C. Hotline Nos.: (082) 234-8459 Facebook account: bigapplehotel@ymail.com Email: bigapple_hotel@ymail.com

THE PERIDOT SUITES Carmelite Drive, Lanang, Davao City Tel. no.: (082) 305-6530 / Fax no.: (082) 305-38I2 Email: theperidotsuiles@gmail.com AZIENDA MEO APARTELLE 11 Corner Pioneer and Doña Vicenta Village, Phase 1, Davao City Telefax. No: (082) 227-4119 & 284-6689 Cell Phone No. 09256652626 Website: www.aziendameo.com Email Add: aziendameo@yahoo.com.ph Big 8 Corporate Hotel Visayan Village, National Highway, Tagum City Mobile nos. 09173029063 & 09328539372 Tel. No.: (084)216-0888 Email: info@big8corporatehotel.com www.facebook.com/big8corporatehotel.com www.big8corporatehotel.com HOTEL ELENA Avenida Santos Ave., Nova Tierra Vill, Lanang, D.C Tel. Nos. (082) 233-1941 & 305.8799 / fax No. (082) 233-1887 PARADISE ISLAND Tel. No. (082) 233-0251 & 300-2343 / CP No.: 09209546780 E-mail: paradiseislanddavao@gmail.com MARCO POLO DAVAO C.M Recto St., Davao City davao@marcopolohotels.com www.marcopolohotels.com (63 82) 221-0888 HOTEL ESSE Brgy. 9-A F Torres Street, Davao City Hotline: No: 227-37-73 / Fax: 295-34-85 Website: www.hotelessedavao.com.ph Email Add: hotel_esse_davao@yahoo.com RUEMANGO APARTELLE & SUITES 516 Mangga St., Juna Subd., Matina, Davao City ruemangoapartelleandsuites@gmail.com www.ruemango.com Tel. Nos.: (082) 295-7175/ 295-7180

PH credit rating upgrade reflects strong economy: NEDA T

By Leslie Gatpolintan

he National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) welcomed on Monday the Philippine creditrating upgrade from Fitch Ratings, noting this signifies the country’s steady and strong economic performance and investors’ confidence.

International debt watcher Fitch Ratings raised Philippine credit rating to stable or “good quality” (BBB) from the previous BBB-, which means there are no pressing factors that could trigger an adjustment within the near term.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director-General

IT-BPM resurgence seen in 2018

Ernesto Pernia said the Fitch forecast of Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.8 percent affirms that the country’s economic performance will be consistent, as the economy is poised to be one of the fastest- growing in Asia.

“This positive outlook and ratings from global credit watchers encourages the whole of government to be more efficient and swift in executing the needed policy reforms, programs and projects laid out in the Philippine Development Plan ‎2017-2022,” he said in a statement.

The NEDA chief urged Filipinos to support the critical reforms,

including the tax and other regulatory reforms, needed to sustain and even ramp up economic growth.

The administration is expecting that the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) will be implemented as soon as it is enacted into law before year-end.

“This tax reform package will boost the country’s revenue-to-GDP ratio, fund the Build, Build, Build program, and also increase the spending capacity of the poor and the working Filipino,” added Pernia.

The Build, Build, Build program, meanwhile, is expected to ratchet up public construction spending in line with the government’s target

to raise infrastructure spending to reach up to 7.4 percent of GDP by 2022.

This will intensify investments on public infrastructure to improve connectivity and ease the cost of doing business in the country.

Pernia said the NEDA has been pushing for ease of entry of foreign investments.

The Economic Development Cluster (EDC) recently approved the recommendations of the 11th Regular Foreign Investment Negative List (RFINL), which cover easing of restrictions on practice of professions, mass media, communications, educational institutions and health-related sector.

(PNA)

By Leslie Gatpolintan

The office property market is expected to continue expanding next year with a resurgence of the information technology-business process management (ITBPM) and growth of the offshore online gaming industry.

David Leechiu, chief executive officer of Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), anticipates a “dramatic resurgence” of the ITBPM industry in 2018 resulting from reaffirmed relations with the United States (US) and the bicameral version of the comprehensive tax reform law which is friendly to the IT-BPM industry.

Leechiu noted the resurgence/PAGE 9

Children browse at their own entries in the Children's Month poster making tilt held at the City Hall bridgeway. photo by mark doña francisco

Anti-trust body issues guidelines on deal

By Kris Crismundo

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said it has issued a Statement of Concerns (SOC) to the parties involved in the planned acquisition of Goldilocks Bakeshop, Inc., the country’s largest bakeshop chain, by Sy-led SM Investments Corp.

(SMIC).

In a media briefing Tuesday, PCC Commissioner Stella Luz Quimbo, said the antitrust body issued SOC last week and the parties are due to comment by December 14.

“The potential concern has to do with how SM will relate with the

competitors of Goldilocks, for example, Red Ribbon and other bakeries,” Quimbo said.

She added that the PCC has pointed out in its SOC all its concerns regarding the deal such as SM’s ability to foreclose Goldilocks’ competitors and the incentive, particularly in terms of increasing profits, when it totally or partially foreclosed other players in the cakes and pastries sector with SM’s planned acquisition of the bakeshop chain.

In this case, total market foreclosure means other bakeshop chains are barred to do their business

in SM malls, while partial market foreclosure would mean allowing other players to be tenants of the mall but their location would be in a competitive disadvantage compared to Goldilocks’ spot.

Last August, SMIC told the Philippine Stock Exchange that the company has preliminary discussion with Goldilocks for “possible equity investment, joint venture, or other cooperation agreement”.

But it noted that the deal is still pending and subject to the approval of the PCC. “They are well-aware of what we think what could be the competition problems,” said Quimbo.

“And we have also provided guidance on how they can proceed; meaning, providing them specific guidelines on the kind of commitments they can propose and what are the acceptable to the PCC,” the Commissioner added.

Quimbo said that the involved parties could provide PCC with comments on the SOC, which the Commission would take into consideration when it would finally decide on the deal whether to approve it or to approve it with conditions.

She also said the companies could submit voluntary commitments in which PCC has provided certain guidelines. (PNA)

9

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Stamps... from page 2

In a briefing, Dominguez said some 229,428 boxes or 114.714 million packs of cigarettes worth PHP3.316 billion had been delivered to the cement company’s ge o c yc le c omp ou nd i n Bulacan.

These cigarettes included Mighty Menthol 100s, Marvels Menthol and Marvels FK. Dominguez said destruction of the cigarettes through a process called co-processing is being done to ensure that none of these go back to the open market and deprive the government of the necessary taxes.

“More importantly we want to deliver the message that tax evasion does not pay.

Our revenue agencies are alert, adepth and empowered to ensure that taxes due spec ia l ly si n t a xe s a re properly collected,” he said.

“We are totally focused on our mission to raise revenues for the government that the government needs to build a v ibra nt a nd inclusive economy for our people,” he said.

Discovery and conf iscation of the said c i ga re t t e s a l lowe d t he government to run after Mighty Corp. and required it to pay billions worth of unpaid taxes.

The cigarette company has entered a settlement deal with the government to pay its tax obligations amounting to PHP25 billion. Its initial payment of PHP3.44 billion was made last July.

The remaining amount will be paid by Japan Tobacco Inc. (JTI), which bought M i g h t y C o r p o r a t i o n’s manufacturing assets and other properties.

Dom i ng uez sa id t he government stands to gain PHP30 billion from Migthy Corp. and JTI once value added tax (VAT) had been included in the payment of tax arrears.

Relatively, the Finance ch ief s a id Holc i m a nd representatives from various government agencies also witnessed two weeks ago the destruction of about f ive mi l lion pack s of cigarettes amounting to around PHP142.44 million c on f i s c at e d f rom t he Migthy Corp. warehouse in Mindanao.

The cigarettes also bore fake stamp taxes.

Dominguez said Mighty Corp. and not the government pays Holcim for the destruction of the cigarettes but he declined to give figures. (PNA)

Boost... from page 2

the country last week.

New S outh Wales is located in Australia’s east coast.

“We welcome Australian investors and businesses that will help us uplift the lives of those at bottom of the pyramid and enable the Philippines to contribute in the global value chain. New South Wales has expressed

strong confidence in our economy and the business environment stability under the Duterte Administration and wish to partner with us,” Lopez said.

“We will continue to work on opening areas of investment and increase employment and business opportunities for all Filipinos,” he added.

In his meeting with Berejiklian, the trade chief highlighted the country’s m a nu f a c t u r i n g s e c t o r, wherein Australian companies can also participate, especially in research and development.

On the other hand, the Berejiklian noted that the businessmen from New South Wales are looking at opportunities in the Philippines’ information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Among the top imports o f N e w S o u t h Wa l e s include telecommunication equipment and computer, as well as passenger motor vehicle, medicaments, refined petroleum.

She said the country’s strong economic growth and workforce continue to attract Australian investors. (PNA)

Wave... from page 4

Federalism as perceived by the Duterte administration shall offer greater autonomy that would allow regional governments to provide more opportunities and appropriate solutions all by themselves without relying too much on the manna from the central government This early, the Duterte administration has already prepared for the push of a federal government.

Its timeline will start with a proposal to Congress to call for a constitutional convention for the rewriting of 1987 Constitution, then to the possible approval through a plebiscite and eventually the setting up of regional states under a federal system of government.

Hopefully, before the end of Duterte’s term, we shall have federalism put in place.

With fingers crossed, we would see , by then, a federal government that will work in achieving a more balanced and sustained economic growth among the country’s 17 regions (ruffy44_ph2000@ yahoo.com)

Share... from page 6

heist, disappeared for a few days after giving his statement and was later found to be “in daze and out of his wits”.

It said BB asked RCBC to freeze the movement of the stolen funds in an ordinary message instead of using the Code Red required from banks to raise the alarm, and called the bank only on Feb. 11 last year, six days after the release of payment instruction from New York Fed. RCBC sa id “BB is definitely partly to blame for the heist. Its refusal to be transparent is a continuing cover-up and a disservice

to global efforts to combat cybercrime. For this, BB must be sanctioned until it owns up and shares what it knows to prevent a repeat,” it said, pointing out that no BB official has been identified for participating in the crime.

The bank said it had revealed everything it legally could to the Senate and its regulator, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The BSP has slapped a PHP1 billion supervisory fine against RCBC in relation to the cyber heist.

The f ine imposed on RCBC is the largest to date against any BSP-regulated institution. (PNA)

Cimagala...

from page 4 in our ministry. These are no joking matter. These are where the temptations are most insidious and devious in the lives of priests and religious.

May it be that we, priests and religious, deserve those words spoken in the Book of Jeremiah: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and good sense.” (3,15) Please pray for us, priests and religious. We need it badly! roycimagala@gmail.com

Meetings...

from page 6 The trader expects the c u r re nc y p a i r t o t r a d e bet ween 50.30 and 50.50 Wednesday.

The drop was also seen on t he Phi lippine Stock E xcha nge i ndex (PSEi), which fell 0.29 percent, or 24.51 points, to 8,334.06 points.

A l l S h a r e s f o l l ow e d w i t h a d e c l i n e o f 0 . 39 percent, or 18.83 points, to 4,866.62 points.

Mo s t o f t h e s e c t o r s a lso f inished t he day on t he red w it h Mining and Oil, registering the highest d rop of 1. 2 8 p erc ent ; followed by t he Holding Fi r ms , 1.03 percent ; Services, 0.86 percent; and Industria l, 0.14 percent.

Property and Financials

bu c k e d t he t re nd a f t e r these rose by 0.47 percent and 0.42 percent, respectively.

Volume reached 638.34 million shares amounting to PHP6.6 billion.

Losers led ga iners at 115 to 87 while 52 shares were unchanged. (PNA)

Resurgence... from page 7

re c e nt up g r a d e of t he Philippines’ credit rating is also a positive development.

“Handful of the world’s largest companies by market capitalization are in final stages of setting up shared ser vices operations that will be employing tens of thousands of Filipinos, which will assure the world that all is well in the Philippines,” he said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Leechiu said there is a “very good chance” that Metro Manila office takeup would reach 800,000 to 850,000 square meters in 2018.

Met ro Ma ni la of f ice takeup rate is forecast in 2017 to register at an alltime high of 750,000. As of end-November, take-up was at 728,305 sqm.

“Exponent ia l grow t h from the offshore online gaming industr y fuelled robust office demand and more than made up for a slack from the IT-business process manufacturing Industry,” he said.

Leechiu f ur t her sa id online gaming expanded by 306 percent from only 56,700 sqm in 2016 to 230,102 sqm as of the end of November.

IT-BPM takeup, on the other hand, was 28 percent less at 347,660 sqm as of November from 485,100 sqm in 2016.

Online gaming firms took up spaces mostly in Bay City, the business districts rising along Manila Bay. Bay City accounted for 67 percent of all online gaming takeup as of last month.

Me a nwh i le , v ac a nc y rate across Metro Manila registered at a manageable 6.62 percent. (PNA)

NDP’s Year – End Journal By: Lorena Vallejos Agpasa Nurse Deployment Project Department of Health Regional Office X

Once again, the year will end as well as our contract.

Mix emotions though I am getting used to it. Sadness and a doubtful heart always remain in me. Yes, looking back I can always say that I did everything impossible to possible in the name of public service but it isn’t always the basis of renewal. Partly yes, but like in every game of life, criteria’s and or guidelines were set to follow. Sad to note that we are still perceived as students.

That in every semester, we need to take and pass the exams, comply the required requirements again and again and because salary is not on time though earlier now compared before, still we need to ask allowances from our parents. Very tiring cycle that sometimes I felt pity to myself and powerless to get back on track. This kind of thoughts me knockoff every end of the year, but the start and in between days of my Public Health life is a rock and roll inspired spirit in serving the less and the needy in far flung areas. The Geographically Isolated Depressed Areas (GIDA) like Sitio Lantad Barangay Kibanban, Balingasag was by far, the most beautiful challenging and courageous

area I’ve encountered my whole life. Really, I can’t imagine how people survive and live their life up above away from civilization.

Seeing their situation made me realized how blessed I am in terms of status that even if I am not rich, I have everything I need for survival. It made me realized that my complains in life were nons ens e and baseless at times.

That I am lucky I have a comfortable life, a degree and a profession, most of all a chance to help and to serve out of public health service. That I am fortunate to be part of this program – Nurse Deployment Project because this job brought me a lot of maturity, taught me the real meaning of professionalism, molded me into a responsible, efficient and effective dependable individual/nurse and have helped me in getting step by step closer to my dreams.

There are a lot of things to be thankful for this noble calling, and if fortune will not get back to my doorstep next year, I can say that I have done everything I needed to do and I have fulfilled my mission. I will be very happy because I know somehow my legacy will remain. With this, I am proud to say, I am an NDP.

10

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'Bots Legis' founder trains junior high students on artificial intelligence, shares on chatbot’s new features

I

START THEM YOUNG. Bots Legis founder and fourth-year Xavier Ateneo Law student Albert Daba III holds a workshop on artificial intelligence with XU Junior High School students on Friday, December 1. supplied photo

n the culmination of this year’s Maker Faire of Xavier University Junior High School, Bots Legis founder Albert Daba III conducted a workshop on chatbots and artificial intelligence technology, Friday, December 1.

Daba, who is also a fourth-year Xavier Ateneo Law student, hopes that the lessons from this workshop will be applied by the

participating junior high school students in their future projects and careers.

A chatbot is a conversation software done via auditory or textual methods, typically used in dialog systems for various purposes, including customer service, polls, or information acquisition.

Simple AI chatterbots, like Bots Legis, use scanning systems for keywords within the input, and then pull a reply with the most matching keywords, or the most similar wording pattern, from a database.

As their output from the workshop, each of the 12 participants now has a Facebook page with a basic working chatbot.

Online libel guide While the workshop was going on, the handpicked students who have previously undergone the training helped in programming the libel diagrams developed with the help of lawyers Ernesto Neri, Kristine Ravanera, and Jayfrancis Bago into Bots Legis, which can be accessed via Facebook Messenger.

The said diagrams served as the blueprint for the Online Libel Guide, one of the new features of Bots Legis.

“The libel diagrams prepared by the high school students in consultation with lawyers were turned into a Bots Legis feature to help inform people about libel,” Daba said.

This feature asks the user the nature of the conversation or the context in which the words were said

to help determine whether it would qualify as libel or not.

This part, according to Daba, is particularly relevant considering the influx of heated exchanges and accusations of libel on social media.

Consumer complaint feature Daba also shared that Bots Legis has grown a lot since its inception in April.

Another new feature of the artificial intelligence chatbot is the Consumer Complaints Guide prepared in consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“The consumer complaints feature asks about the nature of the item and the nature of the purchase to help people determine if an ‘implied warranty’ still exists. It also provides information on the legal options which a consumer can take and to which appropriate government agency to file consumer complaints,” Daba shared.

The Consumer Complaint Guide was developed with the assistance of DTI Region 10 - Consumer Protection Division and earned the approval of Atty. Fel Lester Brillantes, the head of the said division.

Accessible via Facebook Messenger, first-level AI chatbot Bots Legis guides users through a textual dialog system requiring their “categorical” responses on a specific legal topic.

The bot’s responses were prepared in consultation with legal professionals.

PRESENTATION. Daba’s Consumer Complaint Guide on Bots Legis was developed with the assistance of DTI Region 10 - Consumer Protection Division and earned the approval of Atty Fel Lester Brillantes (right), the head of the said division.

11

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Logistics... from page 1

in Cagayan de Oro, so we just followed where our key customers were. We decided to invest in a branch office immediately, so our customers have the support structure on the ground and a place to go.”

“It was a combination of strategic analysis and gut feel, speaking to our customers here, speaking to locals here, it just felt like Cagayan was the place to invest,” he added.

The local affiliate is already serving many large fashion and retail clients on their shipments from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, as well as international shipments from abroad such as coffee from Indonesia to Cagayan.

“In Visayas and Mindanao now we’re doing a huge amount of inbound ocean freight and domestic transportation. Air freight is currently more focused in Manila, Clark and Cebu where most of our customers are technology based companies,” Mr. Kottegoda-Breden said.

Medium Term Focus While Schenker Philippines sees Mindanao as a green field for its logistics and supply chain solutions and a major contributor for its medium term revenue targets, it is focusing on servicing specific industries to start with.

“We’re trying to focus on a target number of industries,” Kottegoda-Breden said. “So for Cagayan for example we’re really focusing on the power industr y : the importation of coal, spare parts and infrastructure is a key capability Schenker has already aligned with.”

“Additionally within the next month we’re opening new warehouses in both Cagayan de Oro and Davao to support one of our petrochemical customers, which already has five distribution centers around the Philippines,” he added.

Besides petrochemicals, consumer retail and power plants, other markets that Schenker Philippines expects to grow in the next 3 years are telecommunications and perishables, specifically in Davao and General Santos.

“When you look at the export statistics, a significant percentage of exports from the Philippines are now perishables, going to the likes of Japan and Hong Kong,” Kottegoda-Breden noted.

One of the upcoming developments that the firm is keeping an eye on is the planned development of Ayala Techno Hub in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, which they believe will provide a push for the development of international air freight. “ The planne d Aya la Technopark could drive a massive increase in air freight for CGY,” Kottegoda-Breden said.

Multi-modal Solutions While the Philippine t ransp or t indust r y has inherent challenges that constrain the growth of the logistics industry, Schenker Philippines have been finding

ways around them to service their clients, especially those from Southern Philippines.

“Whilst we have a regular shipping schedule out Cebu to Davao, as an alternative solution Schenker also ships to Cagayan then we truck it all the way to Davao. It’s the easiest and fastest way,” said Vanessa Sumanpan, General Manager for VisayasMindanao Operations.

Mr. Kottegoda-Breden s a i d t h i s mu l t i - m o d a l solution is actually a smaller scale adaptation of the DB Schenker Skybridge.

“We do this internationally as well with our product Skybridge, where we ocean freight it to one part of the world, and then air freight it the rest of the way,” he explained. “It has the benefit of reduced freight rates versus airfreight alone, and improved lead time versus ocean freight. So why not introduce it to the Philippines market as well?”

Besides shipping by air and sea, the firm also has a fleet of trucks which makes multi-modal solutions like Skybridge possible.

“Schenker has on a daily basis up to 1,000 trucks a day in the Philippines serving our customers, whether it be importation of containers or deliveries to consumers in the country,” Mr. KottegodaBreden said.

Growth constraints While Southern Philippines promises great potential in growing the logistics and supply chain industry in the next three years, Ms. Sumanpan says a more flexible cargo policy especially from domestic airlines could go a long way in further developing the Mindanao economy.

“At pre s e nt , we are limited to 150 kilograms as the maximum allowable per shipment for domestic flights to CGY in all aircraft,” she explained. “We are also not allowed to bring in palletized cargo, only loose cargo. If we have growing business going in and out of Mindanao, most likely we’ll need bigger aircraft.”

Hence, the local version of the DB Schenker Skybridge.

“With many of our customers we had with us today, usually we airfreight their cargo to Cebu then move it to Cagayan de Oro by sea freight,” she added.

“However, we are certainly seeing increased collaboration with the domestic airlines to offer improved services and solutions”.

Today, after ten years of offering integrated logistics and supply chain solutions to local and international customers, Schenker Philippines employs a 1,700 strong workforce in logistics, backed by over 170,000 square meters of combined on-site and off-site office and warehouse space.

To further demonstrate its investment in The Philippines, the company also operates an offshore operations center in the Bonifacio Global City for its regional freight clients and in house financial services, and will expand to over 600

personnel by next year as part of its drive to constantly improve the quality of service to its clientele based on its global standards and core values.

“We’re hoping for bigger opportunities for Northern Mindanao and with the existing clientele that we have, we expect more to come in the coming days especially now that we’re focused on marketing Cagayan de Oro with our dedicated staff and our own brokerage team who can assist us clearing the cargoes through customs.”

Ms. Sumanpan said.

Coconuts... from page 1

the operations,” she said.

She said many of the co conut pro cess ors, in particular those making coconut oil, are also expanding their operations, due to higher global demand.

She said they plan to take advantage of the Davao City-General Santos-Bitung, Indonesia sea route that was launched last April 30 in the city.

She cited Mindanao is closer to Indonesia, which is currently the largest coconut producer in the world.

Even if local processors would import raw nuts from Indonesia, Ambi said they can still earn higher income because they are into valueadding.

“It’s a win-win situation for us,” she said.

B as ed on data f rom the Philippine Statistics Au t h o r i t y, M i n d a n a o’s coconut production in 2016 only reached only 8.3 million metric tons. Davao Region had the highest production with 1.89 million MT, followed

by Northern Mindanao with 1.8 million MT, Zamboanga Peninsula with 1.52 million MT, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 1.3 MT, and Cotabato Region with 958,350 MT. Davao Region Industry Cluster Inc. chair Tata M. Fernandez said Mindanao faces a 3-million MT coconut deficit a year that many of the local processors source out from Visayas to fill the supply gap.

Fernandez said the deficit is caused by a stagnant pro du c t i on v i s - à - v i s a demand that grows between 3 percent and 5 percent a year.

He said if the deficit continues, it will cripple the growth of the coconut industry.

Romeo L. Castañaga, p rov i n c i a l d i re c t o r o f D T I - D a v a o d e l No r t e who is also country head of Brunei, Indonesia, Ma l ay s i a , P h i l ippi n e s East ASEAN Growth Area SME working group, said shipping companies have already signified an interest to deploy smaller vessels to the newly-opened sea route.

He i d e nt i f i e d t h e s e companies as the Zamboanga City-based Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. and Cebu-based Asian Marine Transport Group which owned the 500TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) M/V Super Shuttle

RORO 12 that was used during the April 30 launch.

H o w e v e r, t h e M / V Super Shuttle RORO 12 did not sustain its operations while the Gensan loop was temporarily suspended due to insufficient load factor.

But the bigger vessel was already replaced by a smaller vessel, KM Gloria 28, with a 256-TEU capacity, owned by an Indonesian company, shipping directly from Davao to Bitung since October 2017, six months after the route was launched.

Castañaga said the 41year old Aleson relayed its experience when it was just beginning to serve the route between Zamboanga Port and Sandakan port, Malaysia in 1994.

He said the shipping company suffered from insufficient load factor but the volume picked up later on. Its pioneering vessel that served the route was MV Danica Joy 1.

According to the firm’s website, the new route “made improvement in terms of goods mobility and comfortability and convenience among passengers.”

At p r e s e n t , A l e s o n operates a fleet of 25 vessels and has become the dominant shipping operator in Western Mindanao.

According to the Preliminary Annual Report of DTI released on Tuesday, Indonesia is the Philippines’ top 2 import origin, second only to China. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

Palay... from page 1

(NIA) has reported to him that some of its drains have bogged down between July to September and currently under repair.

The decrease in palay production brought down the value of the last quarter’s production to P3.831 billion, resulting to an 85.57 percent rice sufficiency regionwide.

Along this line, rice inventory as of October 1 dropped to only 1.52 million bags in the five provinces comprising this region.

As i d e f rom l a c k of irrigation, double cropping to tobacco and cacao also contributed to the decline of both yellow and white corn production, totalling 438,441 metric tons.

Yet it has not impacted the region’s corn sufficiency since most of the population are rice or palay consumers.

The region’s main export, coconut and its by-products, remained prolific however at 112,551 metric tons due to sufficient rainfall which supplemented the lack of irrigation facilities.

Clarete said this already comprised both raw copra and green nuts as well as its byproducts - activated carbon, coconut chemicals, coconut oil, coconut cream, coconut milk powder, coconut shell charcoal, coconut water, copra cake, dessicated coconut, fresh young nut, reduced fat coconut and sweetened coconut.

The total export volume

was 110,556 metric tons.

The rest were for domestic production, according to a Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) report submitted to Clarete’s office.

The combined productions of rootcrops in Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental increased by 19.12 percent, totalling 109,937.21 metric tons.

On t he ot her hand, livestock and poultr y production rose by 6.5 percent at 23 million heads.

This comprised to 1,022,269 heads of hog and 22,340,271 chickens.

Meanwhile, fresh fish production for the period pulled down to only 12,968 due to brackish water fishponds stopping operations because of their proximity to the Panguil Bay bridge construction in both Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental.

Extended...

from page 1 a period of one year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018.

A total of 240 members of Congress voted to approve t he res olut ion of b ot h houses calling for martial law extension in Mindanao, while only 27 voted against it. There was no abstention.

A total of 14 senators voted in favor of the motion and four were against it, while 226 House members approved the motion and 23 rejected it.

Under the Constitution, the Congress, voting jointly, has the sole power to extend martial law. A majority vote of the two chambers -- or at least 158 members -- is needed to pass the motion.

To re c a l l, Pre si d e nt Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under martial law last May 23 after terrorists inspired by the Islamic State (IS) laid siege to Marawi City.

Congress, in a special joint session in July, granted the extension of martial law until Dec. 31 this year at the President’s request.

In his letter dated Dec. 8, Duterte asked Congress to further extend the declaration of martial law in the whole of Mindanao for 2018 to totally eradicate terror threats posed by remnants of IS-linked terrorists and by communist rebels in the region.

He said extending martial law for another year would help state security forces c r ush t he reb el l i on i n Mindanao and ensure public safety. (PNA)

Festival...

from page 1 Oriental Provincial Governor Yevgeny Vincente B. Emano.

Rep. Juliette T. Uy, of the 2nd Congressional District of Misamis Oriental province which hosts the seven hectare water park and resort will introduce Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo, who has been invited as the Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker.

Engr. Elpidio M. Paras, president and CEO of UC-1 Corporation which owns and operates Seven Seas, will

relate the history behind the project.

The seven hectare piratet heme d water p ark and resort, has over 20 slides, rides and attractions, as well as restaurants, cafes and food kiosks which can accommodate up to 2,000 guests daily.

Slightly... from page 2

underemployed workers.

The number of remunerative and stable wage and salaried workers increased by about 624,000, while vulnerable employment, or the proportion of selfemployed and unpaid family workers to total employment, further decreased to 33.9 percent last October, an improvement from 36.3 percent a year ago.

The NEDA said underemployment recording its lowest rate in more than a decade, signifies that the country’s decent work agenda is moving forward. “ T h e l o w e r underemployment rate and the higher proportion of wage and salary workers indicate improvement in the quality of employment in the country,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretar y and NEDA Director-General Ernesto M. Pernia.

Pernia said the regular conduct of job fairs and the provision of livelihood assistance have contributed to the improvement of underemployment rates, especially in areas outside the National Capital Region.

“This is a good indicator that our efforts in the lagging regions are starting to take effect,” he said.

Und e re mpl oy me nt in areas outside the NCR registered 17 percent, lower by 2.6 points from the 19.6 percent in 2016. ernia underscored the need to closely monitor the agriculture sector to ensure that those engaged in the sector are highly productive and resilient and are increasingly linked to the industry and services sectors.

“Agriculture sector is very vulnerable to risks, including natural and man-made hazards. The government should strengthen early warning systems and social protection programs for the sector to ensure resiliency of agricultural communities,” he said.

Pernia added that the sector requires sustainable productivity improvements by promoting value addition, product diversification, an d a c c e l e r at i ng l o c a l infrastructure provision like irrigation systems and farmto-market roads. (PNA)

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THursday|december 14, 2017