BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O CREDIBLE
Volume VIII, No. 89
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Truce with rebels PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has declared a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels this Christmas season, Malacañang said Wednesday. P r e s i d e n t i a l Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the President announced the suspension of military operations (SOMO) against the Communist Party of the PhilippinesNew People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPANDF) Tuesday night. He said the SOMO would run from December 24, 2017 to January 2, 2018 and the Palace expects the communist rebels to return the favor. “This unilateral ceasefire would lessen the apprehension of the public this Christmas season. We expect that the CPP-NPANDFP would do a similar gesture of goodwill,” Roque said in a statement.
Russian mining firms TWO Russian companies are planning to put up mineral processing plants in the Surigao provinces, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said. MGB officer-in-charge Wilfredo G. Moncano told reporters on Tuesday that the bureau expects final signing with one of the companies signed by January. He did not identify the companies nor specify where in the Surigao region the plants will be built. “Actually, the first signing was with one [Russian] mining company — I do not want to mention the name — in October and [another] to sign early January,” he said. Mr. Moncano said a mineral processing facility typically costs about $200 million, but the two Russian investments could be worth $600 million.
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Martial law extension won’t affect economy www.businessweekmindanao.com
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HE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is optimistic that the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao will not adversely affect the economy.
“If we go by the experience in Marawi, it’s going to be neutral at worst. It could boost investor confidence if it’s done (similar to) what happened in Marawi,” NEDA Director-General Ernesto Pernia told reporters on Thursday. Pernia noted the martial law declaration seemed to be well-administered “so our before and after analysis was it was more positive than negative.” extension/PAGE 11
Opposition lawmakers to question martial law extension before SC OPPOSITION lawmakers belonging to the “Magnificent 7” bloc on Thursday expressed their intent to contest the full-year extension of martial law in Mindanao before the Supreme Court. “We are definitely filing a petition before the Supreme Court,” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said in a press conference. “I hope this time the Supreme Court will see that there is no factual and constitutional basis for the extension of the period of martial law,” he added. A total of 240 members of Congress question/PAGE 11
CAGAYAN DE ORO ICON. Motorelas with Christmas-themed decors line the streets of Cagayan de Oro City during the annual Paskorela. An icon of the city, this cheap mode of transportation was introduced in 1964 by local inventor Rafael Floirendo. mindanews photo by froilan gallardo
Davao region council sees infra projects 11.5% growth By CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO, Correspondent
DAVAO City — The Davao Regional Development Council (RDC) is banking on big-ticket infrastructure projects in the next five years as
a catalyst to achieving economic growth of 11.5% by 2022. Davao del Norte Gov. Antonio Rafael G. del Rosario, who chairs
the RDC, said the target for gross regional domestic product growth is achievable if all the key infrastructure projects are implemented within the timetable. projects/PAGE 11
Psycho-social intervention for IDPs to drag on to 2018 By MARK FRANCISCO, Staff Writer
CHRISTMAS VILLAGE. A staff of Lim Ket Kai Luxe Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City checks the miniature Christmas Village at the hotel’s lobby which is one of its Yuletide season attractions. photo by gerry lee gorit
PSYCHO-social intervention for the Marawi internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have opted to stay in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities will what make the psycho-social therapy volunteers busy during the whole of 2018. During their yearend evaluation held Wednesday, VO IC E Ne t w or k v i c e president Myrna Sios-e said that while the government is concentrating on structures rehabilitation in battle-torn
Marawi City, the volunteers will focus on psycho-social intervention with the affected residents. VOICE Net work, or Volunteer Organizations Information Coordination & Exchange, Inc., is composed of the Department of Interior and L o cal Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), city government of Cagayan de Oro, Archdiocese idps/PAGE 11
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