BusinessWeek Mindanao (December 23, 2015)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

2013 ppi’S Best in Business and Economic Reporting

YOUR Mindanao-wide BUSINESS paper

Volume VI, No. 079

Market Indicators

As of 6:21 pm December 22, 2015 (tuesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P47.33

6,966.18

X

3 cents

55.84 points

X

Briefly Consumer protection THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Lanao del Norte conducted consumer protection and empowerment activities with the Barangay Councils in Iligan City which aims to campaign for consumer empowerment.

During the DTI press briefing on 11 December 2015, it was revealed that there were three participating barangays namely, Hinaplanon, Suarez, and Dalipunga with 163 participants including barangay officials, purok presidents, members of women’s group and livelihood associations, youths, retailers and consumers have joined the activities.

While in Barangay Hinaplanon, Mahayahay and Buruun, barangay officials and purok presidents were introduced to barangay-based and supply monitoring. The results of the monitoring will be used as baseline data for price databases which will be collected by the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (BDRRMC) and these databases are needed in times of declaration of calamity.

Negosyo Centers AS Misamis Occidental continue to be on top for the Bagwis award or seal of excellence with five silver and five bronze awards, the launching of Negosyo Centers and the conduct of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Roving Academy maintain its support for the expansion of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in their province.

Two Negosyo Centers were launched in the same day by the Department of Trade in Industry (DTI) Provincial Office on 30 June 2015. One is situated at Ozamiz city, the other is placed in Oroquieta city. These two Negosyo Center intend to promote ease in doing business and facilitate access to services for MSMEs. In developing MSMEs to become competitive in domestic and international markets, the province has targeted 20 trainings/seminars. SME Roving Academy has reached the above target having 34 trainings and seminars this year in which 11 were managed in Ozamiz, 15 in Oroquieta and 4 in Calamba.

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P15.00

Normin registers hefty gains in tax collections www.businessweekmindanao.com

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Wednesday | December 23, 2015

By MARK D. FRANCISCO, Staff Writer

AX collections in Northern Mindanao registered hefty gains anew as total tax takes by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the region increased by 22 percent to P2.54 billion in the third quarter of the year. registers/PAGE 11

‘AKALA KO ANAK KO’

CSWD warns parents to keep kids close while on Christmas shopping

By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

THE Cagayan de Oro City Social Welfare Office has issued a warning to parents and guardians to be vigilant and keep a close watch on their children while doing Christmas shopping following

reports of attempted abductions in two of the city’s major malls.

In one instance, the mother of a 3 year old toddler nearly got her daughter snatched CSWD/PAGE 11

Newly-crowned 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach waves to the crowed during her ceremonial catwalk on Monday. Wurtzbach, who takes her roots in Cagayan de Oro, is set to receive a big homecoming celebration courtesy of the city government here.

Oro government wants to hold homecoming for Miss Universe

By FROILAN GALLARDO, MindaNews

Universe Pia Wurtzbach if pageant organizers will permit her to visit her second hometown.

THE CAGAYAN de Oro City government is planning to hold a big homecoming for newly crowned Miss

Maricel Casino Rivera, chief of the Cagayan de Oro Information Officer, said the planned homecoming is dependent on the approval homecoming/PAGE 11

Cebu Pacific eyes more flights from Davao hub

By CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO, Correspondent

FINALLY, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. The big Christmas tree in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City is finally lit up on Monday after it went dark because of the rotational brownouts.

The lighting of the Christmas tree is sponsored by local utility firm Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (CEPALCO). mindanews photo by froilan gallardo

DAVAO City -- Budget airline Cebu Pacific is looking at maintaining an 85% load factor for its newly launched D avao-Singap ore twice

weekly flight.

Candice A. Iyog, vicepresident for marketing and distribution at the Gokongwei-led airline, said

having an 85% load factor for its Davao-Singapore flights would allow the company to start looking at other possible international routes from Davao International Airport cebupac/PAGE 11

vertical home builders enterprises

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Dealer of hardware and construction materials

Product Lines: - Angle Bars - Gl Pipes - C-Purlins - Holow Blocks - Coco Lumber - Carrying Channel - Double Furring Channel - Single Furring

- Acoustic Board - Polycarbonate - Power Tools - God Lumber S4S - Panel Doors - PVC Laminated Panel - PVC Vertical Blinds - Roller Blinds - Wooden Blinds

- Armstrong Vinyl Tiles - Kent Vinyl Tiles - Parquet Tiles - Apo Vinyl Tiles Distributor & Dealer of: - Steel Bars - Holcim Cement - Davis Paint

- Sand & Gravel - Plywood - INdustrial Supplies - Finishing Supplies - Electrical Supplies - Power Tools - Air Compressors

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Economy

Early Christmas gifts from Hedcor for IP youths STA. CRUZ, Davao del Sur -To attain sustainable inclusive growth, Hedcor continues its Technical Vocational Program for secondary students of

adopted schools located in its host communities as early Christmas gifts.

Recently, after evaluating and assessing the current

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needs and interest of both the market place and the target beneficiaries, Hedcor turned over electrical tools and equipment to Sibulan National High School and will send the teachers to train for Consumer Electronics servicing in order to meet the expected demand of enrollees for Sibulan High’s NC II course.

Consumer Electronics ser vicing NC II covers repairing and cle aning cellphones, MP3 Players, laptops, desktops, videokes, electric fans, radios, irons, and the like.

This is the second year of the TechVoc program for Sibulan High. Last year, the school received health,

10,000 OSY in ARMM get training from Australian-funded program MARAWI City -- The Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao (BEAM), a program funded by the Aust ra li an gover nment currently implemented in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has provided livelihood skills training to roughly 10,000 youth beneficiaries since it was launched in 2013.

In the province of TawiTawi alone, at least 2,000 out-of-school youth were trained under the program.

“BEAM-ARMM provides our out-of-school youth with opportunities to live a better life,” said Tawi-Tawi Governor Nurbert Sahali during the first visit to the province of an Australian delegation comprising of high-ranking officials.

wellness and cosmetology equipment and also trained teachers to become equipped and reliable sources of new knowledge and skills for the incoming students.

Simu lt ane ously, t his program is an Employee Volunteerism Project, too, in which aside from the trained teachers, expert Hedcor team members and team leaders also impart their mastery of electronics to the students.

The company believes that this will uplift the quality of education, make students not just knowledgeable but also skillful and would eventually h e lp t h e m f i n d b e tt e r livelihood opportunities in the future. gifts/PAGE 10

On Friday, December 11, Australia’s Federal Justice Minister Hon Michael Keenan MP and the Australian Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission, David Dutton, were in the provincial capital of Bongao to meet with local government officials and out-of-school youth representatives.

A statement from the Australian embassy said the visit “was part of Mr Keenan’s trip to the Philippines to discuss counter-terrorism co op erat ion under t he comprehensive AustraliaPhilippines partnership.” The Australian government is one of the largest donors to the country’s education sector with an annual investment of approximately P1.3 billion. program/PAGE 10

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Phoenix Petroleum offering 20M preferred shares for expansion PHOENIX Pet roleum Philippines offers 20 million preferred shares to the public for P100 each, proceeds of which will finance its expansion next year.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Monday, the company said “The preferred shares are priced at P100 per share and issued in two subseries PNX3A, with a dividend rate of 7.43 percent per annum., and PNX3B with a dividend rate of 8.11 percent per annum.”

Phoenix noted 3A traded at its first day on a high of P104.50 and closed at P103.90 with a turnover of P1,944,530.

Phoenix 3B, on the other

hand, “traded at a high of P106.90 and closed at P105.70.”

It has a turnover of P8,140,429.

Phoenix said the joint lead underwriters for the issuance were PentaCapital Investment Corp., Multinational Investment Bancorporation and AB Capital and Investment Corp.

PentaCapital Investment executive vice president chief financing officer (CFO) and treasurer Jose Ma. de Leon said “the company backed Phoenix Petroleum through the years, as it underwritten t he i r f i rst and s e c ond perpetual share issue in 2010 expansion/PAGE 10

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Globe executive adjudged Asia’s Most Promising Entrepreneurs 2015 A SIA Pacific Entrepreneurship Aw a r d s ( A P E A ) 2015, the region’s most prestigious awards for entrepreneurs, has chosen Globe Telecom executive Glenn Estrella as winner in the Most Promising Category for his efforts and perseverance.

Estrella’s selection was based primarily on his performance as Vice President for Globe Digital Media and his accomplishments as member of the board of directors of Yondu, Inc., a Philippine provider of IT and mobile services. Yondu started as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe before

its majority stake was sold to Xurpas last September.

“The award is a recognition of the culture we have in Yondu and Globe.

We have a culture that promotes an environment of true camaraderie (mutual trust and friendship). We know the value of having fun in what we do, we correct each other when needed, we depend on each when faced with challenges, and when the day is done or the task is done we say thank you and congratulate one another.

I know how to do my job, but I love it because of the people I work with,” Estrella said. globe/PAGE 10

PAL, China Air ink codesharing deal FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) has struck a partnership with China Ai rline s for co deshare services between Manila and Taipei.

PAL and Taiwan’s largest airline signed a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 14, allowing the two carriers to share operating three

daily flights between the two cities, the Philippine firm said in a statement.

Both airlines plan to further expand their cooperation in passenger and cargo operations under the agreement, as they are both aggressively developing their respective markets in Southeast Asia through route

expansions.

PAL currently flies to six Southeast Asian destinations, operating approximately 166 flights a week. China Airlines, on the other hand, operates 155 weekly flights to 16 Southeast Asian points.

For flights to the Philippines, apart from the 14 weekly flights on the

GSIS Bohol office moves to better location Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and General Manager Robert G. Vergara announced that its Bohol Branch Office transferred to a better location making it convenient for its 26,000 members and pensioners in the province to transact with the pension fund.

“The move not only provides a bigger and newer space to serve our stakeholders but also renews our commitment to provide them accessible and responsive service,” Vergara said during the office’s inauguration held on Thursday.

At its new address, CPG North Avenue in Tagbilaran City, GSIS solely occupies the newly built, two-

story building to accommodate more clients. Unlike before, clients can now proceed to the ground level where the service area is located.

The Bohol office used to lease only the second floor of the Development Bank of the Philippines’s building.

Wheelchair ramps have been installed within the building for physicallychallenged visitors.

The new parking lot is also bigger.

The new location of GSIS Bohol is accessible to public as well as private transportation and just a few blocks away from other government agencies such as the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

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All types of GSIS claims and benefits covering retirement, loans, and life insurance, such as cash surrender value (amount to be paid to members when they are separated before the maturity of their life insurance policies); maturity, death, survivorship, and funeral will be accepted and processed in the branch.

GSIS Bohol branch is a backto-back recipient of the coveted Seal of Excellence for exemplary service under the Civil Service Commission’s Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) customer feedback survey.

For the third year in a row since 2013, it received an ARTA rating of “Excellent” (90 percent and above).

Taipei-Manila route, there are also four weekly flights on the Kaohsiung-Manila route, and four weekly flights on the Taipei-Boracay route for a total of 22 flights a week.

Founded in 1959, China Airlines has a fleet of 104 aircraft and more than 12,000 employees worldwide.

Globe Telecom executive Glenn Estrella

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Opinion

Do Christians have a right to celebrate Christmas?

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…For God so loved the world, He Himself came down from heaven into the world, in the form of man, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life…” (John 3:16, the Holy Bible, AND KNK translation).

-ooo DO CHRISTIANS HAVE A RIGHT TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS? As Christmas 2015 is upon the world once again, and the annual Christmas rush is almost done, it is time to ask one important question which should enable all of us to really appreciate why we celebrate, year in and year out, the birth of Jesus Christ.

This is the question: do the Christians of today have a right to celebrate Christmas?

People take time out to remember an occasion because it holds a special s i g n i f i c an c e for t h e m .

Birthdays are celebrated because they are the dates that ushered in the celebrants’ life into the world. Anniversaries are commemorated because they signify the occurrence of a marital union, the establishment of a valued friendship, or the putting up of a profitable economic enterprise.

Member:

Christmas, on the other hand, is supposed to be celebrated because of its special significance for all humankind, in that it meant enabling sinners to escape from being burned with unquenchable fire and from being eaten by millions of worms, without let up yet, for all eternity.

-ooo CHRISTMAS TODAY NO LONGER CENTERS ON JESUS: I say “supposed”, because that, really, is the problem with how Christians of today---or those who profess to be followers and believers of Jesus---celebrate His birth. The celebration now is no longer focused on Jesus, but on many other things that are totally alien to Jesus and His teachings and commands.

For example, Jesus clearly wanted to be recognized, accepted, and believed in, as the God and Savior, who is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all rolled into one. Yet, even those who say they believe in Jesus no longer believe and have faith on Him as God and Savior, who is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all at the same time.

Many are now saying Je s u s i s n o t G o d , b ut someone else, even if the

“S” in that “Someone” is spelled in capital letter “S”.

Some are also saying He is not the Father, and He is not the Holy Spirit, as He has a “personality” different from the Father and the Holy Spirit. Wow! -ooo MANY CHRISTIANS A R E N O W PA S S I V E BELIEVERS: Will Jesus be happy today when people--His own creation---purport to be celebrating His coming into this world by actually denigrating Him from His status as God and Savior, who is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all rolled into one, and treating Him instead as a simple, though special, human?

What is more, Jesus has clear commands for His true followers. He ordered them to go to the world and ma ke a l l men His disciples (which means His workers, and not simply worshippers or believers in the ordinary sense of the word “believers”), to baptize peolple in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach everyone what He taught the world to do.

Yet, even churches who are supposed to have born again into a new belief about Jesus are not complying with these commands of

K akampi

Mo A ng Batas

Atty. Batas Mauricio the Master, since they are now contented with simply “collecting” members who remain passive in their belief, who sit idly during praise and worship services every week, and return to their homes un-regenerated.

Would these churches and p e ople have a r ig ht to celebrate Christmas?

-ooo PLEASE LISTEN: “Ang Tanging Daan” (The Sole Way): a Bible study and prayer session online could now be heard, 24 H O U R S a d ay, i n t h e Philippines and the world at w w w. f a c e b o o k . c om / angtangingdaan or www. facebook.com/ANDKNK (and look for “Ang Tanging Daan” broadcasts). Phone: 0922 833 43 96, 0918 574 0193, 0977 805 9058. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com.

Focus, openness, mystery

Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

Can’t get no satisfaction Think a minute…What’s your pleasure? Do you enjoy music and parties? A nice meal with your closest friends?

Or do you enjoy gambling and alcohol? Maybe you love sports like football, tennis or golf ? What’s your greatest pleasure? As one guy puts it: “What turns your eyes red?”

Pleasures make us feel alive and free. But the problem with pleasure is that it only makes us feel good and satisfied for a short time. Unfortunately, we still end up feeling like the old hit song by the Rolling Stones: “I can’t get no satisfaction.”

After the party’s over we’re back to living our same, ever yday life and responsibilities. It seems even worse after your big high and pleasure. Just ask the guy with the terrible hangover. Ask his wife or kids whom he beat up while he was drunk. Ask the wife and children who are suffering terrible heartbreak and pain from the adulterous affair their father had with another woman.

Yet the amazing thing is we keep doing these same wrong things over and over again. These same things that keep hurting ourselves and the ones we love. We keep believing the lie and illusion that these extreme feelings of physical pleasure are what

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THINK

A Minute

Jhan Tiafau Hurst we want and need to feel satisfied. So even though we already know from our own experience that the pleasure doesn’t last and satisfy, we keep going back for more.

We’re almost like the dog that keeps chasing its tail.

But there’s a reason why we can’t be satisfied just from physical pleasures. It’s simply not possible! We are not made or designed that way. We humans are not able to be permanently satisfied with only fun experiences and physical pleasures. You and I were made for much more than “just to have a little fun before we die!” God made us spiritual beings like Him, so the only way we can be fully satisfied and happy is by having a daily, close personal relationship with hurst/PAGE 10

I n o u r l i f e , w e a l w ay s would be in need of some fo c u s b e c au s e we h ave goals to reach, tasks to perform, duties to carr y o u t . It’s g o o d t h a t w e learn how to gather and mobilize all our powers and resources to achieve the goals set for us.

B u t w e j u s t h av e t o make sure that our need for focus does not detract us from our equally important need to be open to things in general and to learn how to deal with the myster y that always shrouds God’s continuing providence over us.

No matter how legitimate, important and u rge nt t he s e go a ls are, we should not forget that there are many other things that we also should give due attention. Let’s never forget that the goals we are pursuing are always p a r t o f a mu c h b i g g e r pi c tu re t hat we shou l d tr y not to lose sight of.

These are, at least, two dimensions of our life that we have to learn how to put together in harmony.

These are but part of the consequences of our other dual dimensions in life, like the natural and s u p e r n at u r a l , m at e r i a l and spiritual, temp oral and eternal, etc.

And so, a lot of reviewing, adjusting, adapting and reinventing has to b e done, a lways assuming a sporty attitude

so as to be able to move on, whatever the situation may be in a given moment.

We shou ld avoid b eing naïve to think that things would just go fine in some automatic way.

Our usual problem is that with all the pressures bearing on us today, we can tend to be so focused with our immediate o bj e c t ive s t h at we e n d up b e ing shor t - s ig hte d and narrow-minded, even rigid, bigoted and selfrighteous.

This is a danger that we should be most aware of and careful about. In fact, it has become a common and “clear and p r e s e n t d a n g e r.” It’s a d anger t hat cou ld b e a corollar y of what Christ himself warned us: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” (Mt 16,26) Ye s , i t c a n h a p p e n t hat we can succeed in attaining our immediate goals, but neglecting the more important things in life. Thus, we can have a replay of what Christ said about some critical leading Jews of his time: “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but s w a l l ow a c a m e l .” ( Mt 23,24) But how can we have focus and at the same time be open to things in life in general that can be full of mysteries? Again, we can have many ideas about

how to go about this task, but the ultimate answer can be no other than to be ver y vitally identified with Christ.

He is the very epitome of one who has perfect focus in life and yet open to how t h i ng s we re on the ground and, most e s p e c i a l l y, t o t h e v e r y will of his Father. And so, once again, we cannot overemphasize the need for prayers, for sacrifices, for study of the doctrine and recourse of the sacraments, developing virtues, etc., for these are the means to live our life with Christ.

More concretely and directly, we need to see to it that we always have rectitude of intention in whatever we are doing, guarding and defending t h at re c t i t u d e w i t h a l l the power we have got, s o that e ven if we may not be able to read God’s will perfectly, we can still be with him and manage to follow his ways that often can be mysterious and unpleasant to us.

Obviously, the ideal is for us to be able to promptly discern and second God’s promptings to us, because we can presume that G o d i s a c tu a l ly a lw ay s inter vening in our lives.

There is no moment when he is indifferent to our situation.

Given the temper of the times when we are exposed

HINTS

and

Traces

Fr. Roy Cimagala to so many pressures and many other seductive distractions, we have to see to it that we intensify our rectitude of intention before we work or start a project or embark on an excursions, etc.

We have to s ee to it that God is the abiding focus even if we have many alternating secondary foci.

Rec titude of intentions means all our thoughts, words and actions are m e ant t o g ive g l or y t o God and to ser ve others.

T h at w ay, we wou l d at least be aware of many other things. We c a n m a i nt a i n a p ro p e r h i e r a r c hy o f p r i o r i t i e s and st i ck to it w it hout getting swayed by what clearly are distractions.

We ne ed to de vis e a concrete strateg y of how to tackle the distractions e f f e c t i v e l y, s i n c e t h e y i nd e e d c an b e come to us in a ver y att rac t ive, oftentimes irresistible way.

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BSP revises BOP projections for 2015, 2016

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HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Friday released a report on its reassessment of the 2015 and 2016 balance of payments (BOP) projections, incorporating the latest available data to-date. The reassessment also reflects recent and prospective economic developments, both domestic and global, that could have a bearing on the outlook for the country’s external payments position.

The outlook for the 2015 BOP surplus is maintained at US$2.0 billion, a reversal from the shortfall recorded in 2014 of $2.9 billion.

The current account balance is projected to remain in surplus, albeit at lower levels. At the same time, the outflow in the financial account is seen to be lower.

As a result, year-end gross international reserves (GIR) are anticipated to be around $80.7 billion, an improvement

from the $79.5 billion posted in 2014. At this level, the GIR remain ample, covering nearly 10 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income.

The current account is projected to remain in surplus, albeit at a lower amount of $8.9 billion, equivalent to 3.0 percent of GDP. The downward revision is due to the expected

widening of the trade deficit as exports growth is seen to be slower than previously projected. The year-on-year change in goods exports is revised to a drop of 4.0 percent on account of the

continued softening of global growth prospects dragged by the slowdown in China, impact of a possibly strong and protracted El Niño, decline in metals prices, and BSP/PAGE 10

Sun Life targets to set up more branches next year SUN Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc. (Sun Life) is looking to open more branches next year as it endeavors to expand its presence and further grow its client base in the provinces.

SUN LIFE wants to open more branches to expand its reach. -- www.sunlife.com. ph Rizalina G. Mantaring, president and chief executive officer of Sun Life Philippines, said the local subsidiary of the global insurer has been adding three to six branches annually, and this will likely be carried on to 2016.

“For expansion, in terms of branches, I think we’ve been adding three to six

branches a year. So next year, the same, probably three to six branches next year,” Ms. Mantaring said in a recent interview.

“It will still be nationwide but with special efforts to grow in the provincial areas,” she added.

The Sun Life executive cited the robust demand for insurance products seen in rural areas, which she said is expected to continue moving forward.

“We’ve seen increases nationwide but the growth rate have been very good in the provincial areas, we’re really trying to focus on growing more in the branches/PAGE 10

Globe Telecom holds forum for journalism students in Davao Globe Telecom recently held a forum for graduating journalism students in Davao amid growing impact of technology and internet on journalism practice. Entitled “Role of Technology and Social Media in Journalism”, the forum sought to provide relevant insights from journalism and social media practitioners based on their respective professional experiences. Around 250 students attended the forum. Panelists were past winners of the Globe Media Excellence Awards, which is now on its fourth year. Photo above shows Ric Angelo Aquino, Globe Head of Small Medium Enterprise Group - South Mindanao; Vina Araneta-Pilapil of ABS-CBN Davao, Estremera of SunStar Davao; Roland Jonas Ferrer, Director for Corporate Brand Management; Olan Emboscado of The Travel Teller; Danjo Revilla of ABS-CBN Davao; Henry Tacio of Edge Davao; and Rommel Aquino of 105.9 Balita FM.

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DOST’s science and tech fair highlights industry benefits to Mindanao

By Ma. Lotuslei P. Dimagiba S&T Media Service, DOST-STII

The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Science and Technology (S&T) Fair for the Mindanao Cluster got underway in Z amb o ang a C it y f rom December 3-5, 2015 with focus on S&T’s impacts on the rubber, mining and food industries, including halal.

The fair showcased the many benefits of DOST’s Small Enterprise Upgrading Program or SETUP via project visits to program beneficiaries Philippine Pioneer Rubber Product Corp. (PPRPC) and Monmon Bakeshoppe and Snack Haus in Zamboanga.

Organized in 2000 as a federation of six agrarian reform communities, PPRPC

provides milling services to rubber-producing cooperatives, rubber farmers and traders. With SETUP’s assistance, the company has increased production by 25%, provided better quality and faster ser vice to rubber farmers and traders, became compliant to ISO 2000 quality standards, and generated 23 additional employment from 127 to 150 employees.

Monmon Bakeshoppe was also given assistance through upgrading of the bakery facility to meet the growing demand of customers. It increased gross sales by 11.3%, upgraded its product packaging, and now employs eight additional employees aside from the previous five

regular workers.

The S&T Fair also saw the launching of various DOST initiatives, such as the rubber testing laboratory inside the DOST Region IX compound at Pettit Barracks in Zamboanga City, as well as the Food Innovation Center in Nor thern Mindanao located at the Mindanao University of Science and Technology in Cagayan de Oro City which will serve as a hub for innovation of food products.

Also launched was the Halal Laborator y at the DOST Compound in Cotabato City. The facility is projected to increase the integrity of locally made halal products and give credibility to certifying bodies, local halal product manufacturers, producers, and processors

for local and international trading.

The Complementary Food Production for the CARAGA Region was also rolled out, featuring food technologies by the DOST’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

These are the Rice-Mongo Curls, a nutritious snack made from rice flour and mongo flour; and the RiceMongo Baby Food Blend, a ready-to-eat baby food.

These technologies are part of DOST’s strategies to meet the Philippines’ Millennium Development Goals, namely, t o re du c e by h a l f t h e proportion of people who suffer from hunger and to solve the persistent problem of malnutrition among 0-5 year-old children.

Another launching held was that for Better Mine, a

AFS INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMS PHILIPPINES – VICE GOVERNOR JOEY G. PELAEZ speaks before the National Orientation and Selection Camp 2015 of the AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines at the Apple Tree Resort, Opol, Misamis Oriental. AFS is an international, volunteer-based, non-profit, non-governmental, non-religious organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. This selection camp chooses participants to the various sending programs of AFS-IPP to different partner-countries such as the US, Turkey and Japan, among others. Vice Governor Pelaez is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines. With him are (upper right photo, from L-R) NATASHA B. OMAR (High School Programs Coordinator, Sending) and FROSKHAN B. ADBURAHIM (Sending Programs Manager).

DOST and University of the Philippines collaboration for the mining industry. Better Mine eliminates the use of mercury and cyanide, thus promoting a non-hazardous and environment-friendly method to extract gold in the Philippines for smallscale mining applications through integrated goldcopper mineral processing.

It can increase gold recovery from 40-50% to 80%, recover other valuable minerals like copper and zinc, has a tailings disposal and treatment system, a flexible operation, as well as low capital and operating expenses for small-

scale miners.

“With DOST, with the help of the science and technolog y agenda, we Filipinos must chart our own course guided by the principle that what we do ultimately benefits Aling Maria and Mang Juan, that science is being felt by the people,” said Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, undersecretary for S&T services of DOST during the S&T fair opening ceremony.

A S ci - Te ch C ampus J o u r n a l i s m Tr a i n i n g Workshop, research forum, and exhibit, were also held, among others.

Visitors view the exhibit of the 2015 Mindanao Cluster S&T Fair at the Marcian Garden Hotel in Zamboanga City. (Text and photos by Ma. Lotuslei P. Dimagiba, S&T Media Service, DOST-STII)

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AgriBusiness 7 DA-12 steps up monitoring on effects of El Nino 2013 ppi’S Best in Business and Economic Reporting

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G

ENERAL Santos City -Agriculture personnel in Region 12 have stepped up their monitoring on various agricultural production areas in the area in the wake of the worsening dry spell triggered by the El Nino Phenomenon.

Amalia Jayag-Datukan, Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 12 director, said they are currently conducting a weekly review and assessment of the region’s farm areas to ensure immediate interventions in case the dry spell further intensifies.

She said they are specifically following the rainfall volume in parts of the region, especially in

the identified vulnerable areas for the El Nino.

“As of now our rainfall volume is still at below normal level and there are farm areas where crops have started wilting. But we have not yet received reports on significant crops damages,” she said.

She said among those already affected by the dry spell are corn farms in South Cotabato and this city.

Some corn crops turned out like “onions” as they started wilting due to the extreme heat and the lack of irrigation, she said.

But she said some of the

wilting corn crops were able to recover due to the rains in the last several days that were brought by typhoons Nona and Onyok.

“We’re hoping and praying for more rains in the coming weeks so we can save our remaining standing crops,” she said.

For the weather monitoring, Datukan said they have been closely coordinating with t he Phi lippine At mospher ic Geophysical and Astronomical Ser vices Administration ( PAG A S A ) t o e n s u r e m o r e accurate assessment results as well as forecasts.

She said the agency has been maintaining agro-meteorological

stations installed by PAGASA in strategic areas within the region’s four provinces and five cities.

Also known as Soccsksargen, Region 12 is composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

She said the results of their weekly review will serve as basis later should they decide to conduct cloud-seeding operations.

DA-12 has allotted an initial P H P 4 4 m i l l i on f or v a r i ou s inter ventions to counter the effects of the El Nino, which has been predicted to last until the

second quarter of 2016.

The lined up interventions include relief assistance for the affected farmers and workers as well as the conduct of cloudseeding operations in coordination with DA central office’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management.

Cloud seeding is the process of manually spreading either dry ice or salt into the upper part of the clouds to help stimulate the precipitation process and form rain.

The DA central office had identified cloud seeding as among the immediate counter measures to mitigate the impact of the El Niño Phenomenon. (PNA)

Agri dept sees higher palay, corn output in Q1 Mango output up DESPITE the devastation caused by Typhoon Lando (international code name Koppu) in Northern and Central Luzon, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said palay and corn production in January to March next year will likely surpass the output recorded in the first quarter of 2015.

For the first quarter of 2016, the DA has set production targets of 4.5 million metric tons (MMT) for paddy rice and 2.8 MMT for corn. According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Philippines produced

4.36 MMT of palay and 2.36 MMT of corn in the first quarter of 2015. “[The PSA’s] forecast for palay output next quarter is 4.381 MMT, but the department is targeting 4.5 MMT. For corn, the PSA forecast is 2.38 MMT, but we are expecting up to 2.8 MMT output,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Edilberto de Luna told reporters in an interview.

De Luna said plantings undertaken by farmers i m m e d i at e l y a f t e r t h e onslaug ht of L ando in October would boost output.

The typhoon unleashed its

fury in major corn-producing areas in Northern Luzon and in Central Luzon—the country’s rice granary.

The DA dist r ibute d 150,000 bags of hybrid and inbred seeds to farmers affected by the typhoon. De Luna said yield from these seeds would be harvested in the first three months of 2016.

He added that the National Irrigation Administration released irrigation water on November 15, earlier than the original release schedule of December. This prompted the farmers to plant early.

“First-quarter output

would be higher because the crops would be harvested by then. We’re more worried about the second quarter. But we’re happy to know that El Niño mitigation fund will be released soon,” de Luna said.

On top of the P2.1 billion needed to bankroll the El Niño mitigation road map, de Luna said the DA is also awaiting the release of P900 million in additional funds for the immediate rehabilitation of typhoon-devastated areas.

For the whole of 2015, the PSA said rice and corn output would be lower due output/PAGE 10

8.9% in Q3–PSA

T H E c o u nt r y ’s m a n g o production for the third quarter of 2015 rose by 8.9 percent to 64,204 metric tons (MT), from 58,978 MT recorded in the same period last year, according to a report published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Based on the PSA report, the improvement in production could be attributed to the increase in the number of trees grown in Zamboanga Peninsula and the Caraga region, the application of organic fertilizer in Eastern Visayas and an increment in the fruits harvested in the

Bicol region, Mimaropa and Northern Mindanao. The top mango-producing region during the period was Central Visayas with 17,653 MT or 27.5-percent share of the total output. This was followed by Zamboanga Peninsula with 14,764 MT and Northern Mindanao with 11,975 MT. Carabao mango comprised the bulk, or 79 percent, of the total mango production during the July-to-September period.

Despite the increase in production during the period, another report from the PSA mango/PAGE 10

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Grace Poe welcomes reward offer, prays for positive outcome Senator Grace Poe said she is thankful for all the people who are helping her look for her biological parents and welcomes their help.

“I am happy and grateful that there is a reward offer made by a retired judge and his friends for credible i n for m at i on ab out my biological parents.

“I am very thankful for everyone’s help and I hope this leads to the truth I have been longing for and now the whole country seems curious about,” Poe said.

In a press conference over the weekend, Jesus Rodriguez Jr. – former arbiter of the National Labor Relations

Commission in Western Visayas – announced that he and some of his friends will give P300,000 to anyone who could give “solid and credible information” that could help lead to the true identity of Senator Grace Poe’s biological parents.

Poe said it is no secret that she herself has spent many years trying to find her biological parents.

She said she has been to Iloilo several times and have met with relatives and family friends there in an earnest effort to know the truth, well before her natural born Filipino citizenship became an issue that has been used

against her qualifications for president.

“All foundlings want to know who their real parents are. A l l fou nd l i ng s go through a difficult process, growing up – as a child, as a teenager and even as an adult—they wonder, they ask. I am no different. I went through the same ordeal. I have been yearning to know and making honest efforts to find out,” Poe said.

Poe relates that there are many theories and many stories, some of them jive, some are conflicting.

The senator also maintained that there is a higher purpose to the

search, which is to fight for the equal rights of children and not just to fight to remain in contention for the presidency. She also believes that the state should not discriminate based on the circumstances of one’s birth.

“The government has a parens patriae principle, to act as the guardians of people who cannot effectively take care of themselves.

“If children are abandoned or abused, the state takes care of them and the children take the citizenship of the state that adopts them. It is not humane to say you have no

rights just because you are a foundling, that orphaned children are stateless, that they have no country, no citizenship,” Poe said.

“Whatever happens to the search, I am eternally

grateful to all those who believe in me, believe that I am a Filipino, and that I am worthy to serve them in government, through the highest office of our nation,” she added.

COWD NRW reduction project kicks off

Gov. Bambi Emano considers Mediamen as partners for development and transparency. That is why he has always been admired and respected by the local media industry for being open to criticisms and for coming up with news-worthy programs and projects for his constituents and even beyond.

As a good testament to this, the governor serves as invited guest during the KBP CDO-MISOR’s Christmas party and induction of 2016 officers , December 15, 2015.

The father of the province assures them that his governance will always be an open book for everyone. Criticisms will be taken as constructive ones. Because Gov. Bambi Emano believes that no responsible media practitioner will resort to fabricated issues just to ruin his programs and services for the people of Misamis Oriental. photo courtesy of governor bambi emano’s facebook page

In its efforts to improve water service to its existing customers and make water available to more people particularly in yet unserved a re a s , t h e C a g ay a n d e Oro City Water District has never ceased to look for means to address the challenge of an increasingly growing demand for adequate, safe and potable water supply. Addressing the issue of non-revenue water (NRW) is crucial to the attainment of this objective and is among COWD’s priority concerns.

It h a s , i n f a c t , s ou g ht the assistance of various lo cal and inter national organizations and has been fortunate to have availed of this through grants such as the one from the Japan International Cooperation Ag e n c y ( J IC A ) . B e tt e r m a n a g e m e n t o f N RW w ou l d m e an i mprov e d water pressure, more water avai lable for us e and increased revenues for COWD that would redound to better quality service for the water consumers.

J u s t v e r y r e c e n t l y, COWD has been a recipient of a grant worth $800,000 f rom the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID), t h rou g h it s B e S e c u re Project, and C oca C ola Foundation Philippines.

The grant is in the form of a technical assistance for NRW Reduction Strategy and Implementation.

Basically, it will enable COWD to develop, manage, maintain and update its own Geographic Information System (GIS) D at ab as e and Hydraulic Modelling.

Miya, a global leader in optimizing urban water efficiency, will implement the project which is to be completed in twenty (20) months. During this period, the team will be doing surveys, excavations and some pipe-laying. The cooperation of the water consumers and the public in general, therefore, will greatly help in ensuring the successful implementation of the project.

A Kick Off Meeting on the project was conducted in Luzon last October 19, 2015 and another one in CDO last November 16. This was attended by representatives from USAID-Be Secure, C o ca C ola Foundation, Miya, DBP and the COWD.

Pag-IBIG readies Calamity Loan for members affected by Typhoon Nona Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees Chairman Atty. Chito M. Cruz said recently that Pag-IBIG Fund is ready to assist its members affected by the havoc wreaked

by Typhoon Nona.

“As soon as affected local government units issue Resolutions declaring their areas under state of calamities, PagIBIG branches in the vicinity will immediately start accepting applications for calamity loan,” said Atty. Cruz.

As of D e cemb er 21, t he provinces of Northern Samar, Albay, Sorsogon, and Oriental

Mindoro, and the Municipality of Magsaysay in Occidental Mindoro have already issued Resolutions declaring their areas under state of calamity.

Under Pag-IBIG guidelines, members residing in areas declared under state of calamity may file for a calamity loan application at the nearest Pag-IBIG office within 90 days from the date of declaration of the state of calamity.

Atty. Cruz explained that affected residents in the North and Central Luzon region may immediately f ile their loan applications if their area was

declared under state of calamity about two months ago due to the devastation caused by Typhoon Lando.

“We are still within the 90-day period since several provinces in North and Central Luzon were declared under state of calamity because of Typhoon Lando so there is no need to wait for a separate declaration of a state of calamity in the region,” Atty.

Cruz added, referring to the areas affected by Typhoon Lando and then Typhoon Nona.

Atty. Cruz clarified, however, that for Pag-IBIG members

residing in other areas affected

by Typhoon Nona, they need to wait for the declaration of a state of calamity before they can file for a calamity loan, unless their case is similar to that of Central Luzon’s.

Pag-IBIG yearly allots an amount for calamity loan that may be availed of by their members affected by calamities.

“For 2015, we still have a remaining fund allocation of P3.27 Billion for the Calamity Loan Program.” said Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, President and Chief Executive Officer of

Pag-IBIG Fund.

Atty. Berberabe explained that members who have been contributing for at least two years can borrow up to 80% of their total savings.

“Our calamity loan offers the lowest interest rate in the market at only 5.95% per annum, with a three-month grace period before the first amortization starts. Because of the affordability and easy terms of our calamity loan program, we do not add to the burden that our affected members just went through,” Atty. Berberabe said.

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Gifts... from page 2

About 70% of Hedcor’s CSR budget is allotted for education.

Hedcor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AboitizPower engaged in run-of-river hydro development and operations.

It is currently expanding its operations in Bukidnon with the 68.8-MW Manolo Fortich Hydro.

C u r r e n t l y, H e d c o r operates 22 hydropower plants with a total capacity of 185 MW. (Hedcor)

Program... from page 2

A five-year initiative, BEAM-ARMM is a comprehensive education and youth development program that contributes to poverty alleviation and emergence of peace in ARMM through targeted investments in basic education and the training of out-of-school youth in technical-vocational courses.

The training courses include small engine servicing, masonry, electrical installation maintenance, carpentr y, dressmaking, cooking, solar lamp installation and maintenance, and baking, among others.

Yasser Usani, 21, a young man trained to be a barber, said he is already earning from working part-time at a barbershop established last year with support from the program. “The training helped me pursue my college education,” the statement said, adding, Usani was not able to enrol in college in previous years due financial constraints.

Another beneficiar y, Sonora Sampang, 26, said she is now a dressmaker expressing hope to put up her own dressmaking shop to earn bigger income. Out-ofschool youth who completed the BEAM-ARMM training receive Technical Education and Skills Development Authority certificates that can be used in applying for local and foreign-based jobs, the statement added. (BPI/ PIA-10)

Globe... from page 3

The research and analysis carried out by the team of APEA 2015 analysts noted that Estrella’s excellent bus ine ss fore s ig ht and managerial style, particularly in turning around Yondu Inc., was one of the key factors for him being considered a winner.

“Not everyone can turn around a struggling business, and what Mr. Estrella did at Yondu is undeniable. He hauled the entire organization, from a failing business into one of the most profitable units of Globe Telecom. Yes, there were tough decisions and choices which had to be made, be it managing the manpower or resources. Mr. Estrella took these decisions head on and what we see today is in no small part down

to his astute managerial and man management skills,” the team said in their report.

APEA provides a real platform for companies and governments to recognize and b e re cog n ize d for entrepreneurial excellence so as to spur greater innovation, fair practices and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, APEA is able to group together leading entrepreneurs across the region as a powerful voice for entrepreneurs and a crème of- the-crop networking opportunity. APEA has a network of over 2,000 award winning business leaders and entrepreneurs from across Asia since its conception in 2007.

Expansion... from page 3

and 2013.”

The CFO added it wants to assist Phoenix achieve its vision of becoming a bigger player in the oil industy.

AB Capital & Investment C or p. pre s i d e nt S e ne n Matoto said it is “pleased to contribute to the role of Phoenix Petroleum in developing the local capital market through their hugely successful public offerings of initially their P3.5-billion short-term commercial paper (STCP) followed by the most recent issuance of their P2 billion preferred shares.”

P h o e n i x Pe t r o l e u m spokesman Raymond Zorilla said the proceeds will be used for projects, such as its depot and retail store expansion.

Currently, the firm has 450 stations in its portfolio across the country.

It also has five depots in Aklan, Batangas, Cebu, Davao and Zamboanga. (PNA)

Hurst... from page 4

our Maker. Then, we can start living His successful and satisfying way.

So today, won’t you ask Jesus to forgive you for living your own way? Then ask Him to start changing your heart and lifestyle. He’s the only One Who can finally fill your life with the pleasure and peace of mind you’ve been looking for. Jesus will give you real satisfaction that lasts, not just for a day or a night, but for the rest of your life. Just Think a Minute…

BSP...

from page 5

less optimistic outlook by export industry groups.

Meanwhile, growth in goods imports is expected to be flat year-on-year, a slight deceleration from t h e e ar l i e r proj e c t i on .

This is due mainly to the continued decline in energy and metal prices as well as weaker prospects for importintensive manufac tures exports such as electronics.

The sustained surplus in the current account is expected to be supported by overseas Filipino (OF) remittances and robust receipts from business

process outsourcing (BPO) and tourism.

The growth of OF remittances in 2015, the central bank said, is seen to decline slightly from 5.0 percent to 4.0 percent with the continued dollar appreciation relative to the currencies of major host countries. However, c ont i nu e d re m it t a n c e s from OFs are still expected on account of the steady deployment of OF workers, greater diversification of country destinations and shift to higher-skilled types of work.

T h e b a l an c e of t h e financial account is expected to post a lower outflow of $3.1 billion from the previous forecast to reflect lower residents’ acquisition of financial assets abroad with the possible tightening in external financing. While the global financial environment i s e x p e c te d to re m ai n volatile, the bullish business confidence is expected to support the continued entry of foreign direct investments (FDI).

Outlook for 2016 The overall BOP position in 2016 is expected to increase to $2.2 billion, even with the anticipated lower current account surplus compared to the 2015 forecast, as this is expected to be partially offset by a reversal in the financial account from a projected net outflow in 2015 to a small net inflow in 2016.

The projected surplus in the overall BOP balance is seen to result in an increase in the 2016 GIR level to $82.7 billion (equivalent to 9.0 months import cover) from $80.7 billion (nearly 10 months import cover) projected in 2015.

The 2016 current account will continue to be in surplus at US$5.7 billion, lower than the $8.9 billion in 2015 due mainly to the expected large increase in the imports of goods, notwithstanding improvements in the services and s e cond ar y i ncome accounts. The projected net outflow in the financial account in 2015 could likely reverse to a small net inflow in 2016 as foreign direct investments continue to flow in.

Overall, the BSP forecasts the external position of the Philippines improving in 2015 and 2016 from a deficit in 2014. The BOP outlook for 2015 is supported by a resilient current account surplus supported by robust receipts from OF remittances, tourism earnings and BPO revenues. The moderate improvement of the outlook in the financial account considers the impact of more aggressive easing by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) which may offset partially the spillover effect arising from the expectations of US Fed’s interest rate shift in the last quarter of 2015.

The BOP surplus in 2016, according to BSP, will be supported by sustained yields from the exports of goods

and services (i.e., tourism and BPOs) and remittances from overseas Filipinos, as well as increase in the inflow of FDIs in the country.

While the global economic outlook in 2016 is expected to improve slightly, uncertainty and caution still remain.

Nevertheless, the Philippine economy is expected to exhibit continued resilience on the back of strong domestic economic activities.

Branches... from page 5

provincial... it’s very underpenetrated,” Ms. Mantaring said.

Bulk of Sun Life’s sales -or almost 80% of its business -- was previously from Metro Manila, “but if you look at the population, 83% are outside Metro Manila and 50% of the A and B market is outside Metro Manila,” she added.

“It’s very fertile there and there’s high potential in provincial areas so we focus on growing there,” Ms. Mantaring further said.

Sun Life will also grow its agent base next year from the current count of almost 8,000.

Sun Life topped life insurers in the first half in terms of performance as its total premium income in the period was the highest in the industry, data from the Insurance Commission showed. Sun Life ranked first among life insurers with total premiums of P16.313 billion from the year-ago level of P11.140 billion.

Output... from page 7

to the havoc wreaked by El Niño and Lando on the farm sector.

Data from the PSA showed that palay output for 2015 is seen to decline by 3.54 percent to 18.3 MMT, from 18.97 recorded in 2014. Corn production is also expected to drop by 2.8 percent to 7.55 MMT, from 7.77 MMT posted last year.

De Luna said these figures are lower than the DA’s 2015 production goals for rice and corn at 20.069 MMT and 8.4 MMT, respectively. For 2016, the government has set production goals of 20.069 MMT for rice and 9.1 MMT for corn.

Mango... from page 7

showed that mango exports for the month of September declined by 34.1 percent to $1.03 million from $1.57 million in 2014.

MangoexportsfortheJanuaryto-September period also dropped by 37.6 percent to $12.71 million, from $20.38 million recorded in the same period last year.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) did not comment on reason behind the decline. The DA said 33 countries buy fresh mangoes from the Philippines.

These include Australia, Canada, China,England,France,Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and South Korea.

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Registers... from page 1

In their quarterly report released recently, the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) 10 reported that receipts from value added taxes (VAT) which contribute to 26.8 percent of total BIR revenues, recorded the highest growth of 44.3 percent from the same period a year ago.

Collections from income taxes, which cornered 63 percent of total receipts, improved by 23.1 percent.

By re venue dist r ic t, Gingoog City emerged as the top growth performer with 42 percent.

Another revenue generating agency, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) 10 posted a total collection of P2.42 billion in the 3rd quarter, higher by 24.8 percent than a year ago level.

The report noted that the Mindanao Container Terminal topped the regional collections at P1.6 billion.

Meanwhile, the total number of incoming and outgoing flights at Laguindingan Airport during the third quarter of 2015 also went up by 25.69 percent from 2,966 flights in 2014

to 3,728 this year.

Ship calls in the three major ports are higher by 8.09 percent during the period compared to last year as both the domestic and foreign ship calls registered increases by 7.65 percent and 90.91 percent, respectively.

Cargo traffic also increased by 14.29 percent as both the volume of domestic and foreign cargoes handled by the major ports in the region recorded big improvements.

Total number of ship passengers registered during the period is likewise higher compared to last year, posting an increase of 17.63 percent.

The total volume of container traffic in TEUs handled by the major ports grew by 19.26 percent, from 62,831 TEUs to 74,930 TEUs. The entry of Shandong International Transport Corp. in June 2015 contributed to the increase in the total number of foreign ship calls at Mindanao Container Terminal by 42 percent.

Domestically, the increase in the number of vessels at 33 percent was attributed to t he incre as e in t he number of vessels chartered by the Philippine Sinter Corporation and Filinvest Development Corporation

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL 10th Judicial Region Branch 25 Cagayan de Oro City OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL SHERIFF NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE EJF File No. 2015-273 Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 filed by BALIKATAN PROPERTY HOLDINGS, INC., Mortgagee/assignee with office at 22/F RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center, 26th & 25th Sts., Bonifacio South, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, against SPS. MA. VENCI D. SANCHEZ & ALVIN E. SANCHEZ, Mortgagors/ Debtors, with known address at Lot 27, Blk 2, Promiseland Subdivision, Brgy. Poblacion, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, and TRANS-BUILDERS RESOURCES & DEVELOPMENT CORP., to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of September 17, 2015 amounts to TWO HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED TWO PESOS & 50/100 (P264,402.50), exclusive of interest and penalty charges, attorney’s fees and expenses of foreclosure, the undersigned or her duly authorized deputy will sell at public auction on January 27, 2016, at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter at the office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Branch 25, City Tourism Hall, City Hall Compound, Cagayan de Oro City, to the highest bidder for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the following property with all improvements found, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-15135 “A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot 27, Block 2, of the Cons.

Subd. Plan, PCS-10-001152, being a portion of Block 1-9, Road Lots 1 & 2 of the Psd-104324-017657. Situated in the Barangay of Poblacion, Municipality of Tagoloan, Province of Misamis Or. Island of Mindanao. Bounded on the x x x. Beginning at x x x. Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED FORTY SIX (146) SQUARE METERS, more or less. Registered in the name of Ma. Venci D. Sanchez, married to Alvin Sanchez.”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated date, time and place.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date for whatever reason, the public auction will proceed on the next working day, without further notice, posting and publication.

Prospective buyers/bidders may investigate for themselves the title herein-above described and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

December 11, 2015, Cagayan de Oro City FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROVINCIAL SHERIFF: (SGD.) LOVE M. VERDADERO

Sheriff IV BWM: December 16, 23 & 30, 2015

for their dredging, piling and concreting uses.

But overall domestic cargo declined by 14.59 percent due to a slowdown in the transport of petroleum products.

CSWD... from page 1

while the family was standing in line at a checkout counter.

“I was paying at the cashier and my wife was carrying our 6 month old baby and our eldest daughter was just right beside her a few meters from me,” said the husband (we are not disclosing the names of the would-be victims for their own protection). Then, my wife noticed our daughter was wandering off and called her back. However, when she failed to respond my wife realized that a woman was holding our daughter’s hand and tagging her along.”

It took a while before the mother noticed the child was being led away since another of the suspected abductors was blocking her view.

“They weren’t too far away when my wife caught up with them and the lady said, “akala ko anak ko.” It was only much later when the family was going home that the wife related the incident to her husband when she belatedly realized it was an attempted abduction.

“It’s impossible for that woman to mistake our daughter for her kid,” the husband said. “There were 3 of them, the guy was carrying a little girl, so I believe they were pretending also to be family so they would not be noticed.”

In an earlier instance, anot he r you ng mot he r shopping at one of the major malls downtown experienced a similar incident.

“We were walking towards the escalator and it was crowded,” the mother said.

“My daughter was walking in front of me when a woman grabbed her hand I spanked the woman’s hand and shouted at her, she said she thought it was here child.”

Up on re c e i v i n g t h e reports, Sabugaa called on police authorities and mall management to tighten their security measures to avert these alleged attempted ‘child snatching or trafficking’.

The City CSWD officer believes this modus operandi is the handiwork of a child trafficking syndicate who victimize young kids while their unsuspecting parents are busy shopping to beat the Christmas rush.

Homecoming... from page 1

of the Miss Universe pageant organizers who sets the schedule of the beauty queen.

“We are in gratitude that Pia considers Cagayan de Oro as her second home. This is why we want to honor her,” Rivera said.

Mayor Oscar Moreno said Cagayan de Oro is deeply honored that Pia considers the city as her second home next to Manila.

“Just like the homecoming we had for her when she won the Binibining Pilipinas title, we are looking forward on holding another one to our Miss Universe,” Moreno said.

Pia attended kindergarten classes at Kong Hua High School and later at Corpus Christi High school for her primary education.

She stayed at Corpus Christi until Grade 4 when her mother, Cheryl Alonzo, separated from her German father, Uwe Wurtzbach.

Pia grew up at the Golden Village Subdivision here and would frequently go to nearby Iligan City where her mother’s family sells tasty buko bar ice cream.

In her interview with the local media during her homecoming early this year, Pia said she considers Cagayan de Oro her second home even if their family has no relatives in the city.

She said she was frequently teased by her classmates because of her height and that bothered her so much that she became an introvert preferring to be alone rather than mingle with other children.

“At s cho ol, I w as a wallflower. I was always the last person in the flag ceremony because I was the tallest. It was difficult to have a crush because you are too tall for the boys,” Pia was quoted by SunStar as saying.

Pia though have fond memories of her mischief during her childhood days stealing buko bar from the

family store in Iligan, the Real BukoBar & Cold Products.

Her parents separated when Pia was 11 and her mother brought her to Malabon, where the Alonzos also have a buko bar business started by her grandfather.

Pia was born on Sept. 24, 1989 in Stuttgart, BadenWürttemberg, Germany.

Her win elicited a storm among young Cagayan de Oro residents who have eagerly followed the Miss Universe Pageant on Monday.

“We are so proud of this woman. Congratulations Pia!!! All your hard work and sacrifices have finally paid off,” Sarcy Corpus, presidents of the Jaycees here, said in her FB post.

Mary Mikaela Montalban said, “Way to go Pia! You never gave up to reach your dreams. You are an inspiration. So proud of you.

You brought pride and honor to our city, Cagayan de Oro, and our country, Philippines.”

CebuPac... from page 1

(DIA).

Load factor is a measure of how much of an airline’s passenger carrying capacity is used.

“Hopefully we can grow this, then we start looking at o t h e r i nt e r n at i on a l destinations (from Davao),” said Ms. Iyog at the sidelines of the new route on Thursday afternoon.

Cebu Pacific is using a 180-seater Airbus A320 for the Davao-Singapore flights.

The company used to service the route in 2008, but the increase in fuel prices prompted its cancellation.

To u r i s m A s s i s t a n t Secretary Arturo P. Boncato welcomed the development, saying that the industry needs

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connectivity to attract more tourists to Mindanao areas.

“This strengthens the role of Davao as leader in tourism.

It also has a great impact on the other destinations that are working very hard to become destinations as well,” he said.

With the new flight, Mr. Boncato said the tourism industry would be able to tap Singaporean tourists, overseas Filipinos living in Singapore, as well as travelers using the island-state as a jump-off point to other destinations.

The flight leaves DIA at 5:45 p.m. every Thursday and Sunday and leaves Singapore at 9:55 p.m. the day after its arrival.

Also last week, the budget carrier launched Cebu-Taipei and the Manila-Fukuoka flight.

Ms. Iyog said Cebu Pacific is launching the ManilaGuam service, its first US destination, in March.

The airline had secured approval to fly to the United States in April 2014, after the Federal Aviation Authority upgraded the countr y’s aviation rating to Category 1. Aside from Guam, the airline is permitted to fly to Saipan, Honolulu, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

For the first nine months, listed parent Cebu Air’s net profit surged by 71% year-onyear to P3.56 billion, while revenue grew 9.9% to P42.26 billion on higher passenger revenues.

A s i d e f r o m D a v a o, Cebu Pacific also operates from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and Terminal 4; Mactan-Cebu International Airport; Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga; Iloilo International Airport; and Kalibo International Airport in Aklan.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Misamis Oriental Municipality of Initao NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC CFN-0007-2015 In compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1 Guidelines in the Implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series CAGAYAN ORO MAIN BRANCHto of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 10172), Notice is DE hereby served P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers the public that MURIEL D. LUNTAYAO has filedSts., with this Kalambagohan Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Office, a petition for change of first name from “TERESA Telefax # (088) 856-1947 to “MURIEL” and correction of entry in sex from “ “ to “ CAMIGUIN BRANCH “ or correction of entry in the dateB.ofAranas birth from “ “ to “ “ St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin (088) 387-0491 at in the certificate of live birth of TERESA Tel. A.# DULALAS Initao, Misamis Oriental and whose parents PEDRO CORRALES are BRANCH DULALAS and AGNES ANDAS. Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City Any person adversely affected by said petition may file DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. his written opposition with this Office not later than January Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631 7, 2016.

LAPASAN BRANCH

Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City (SGD.) ISAIAS A. JARALES Tel. # (088) 231-6739 Municipal Civil Registrar

BWM: December 23 & 30, 2015

CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

CDO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947

DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631

CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491

LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739

CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City

CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd.,Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

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Women sari-sari store owners finish entrepreneurship training wednesday | december 23, 2015

A

t least, 111 women entrepreneurs who are owners of sarisari stores (small retail outlets) from different towns of this province

Editor: Cheng Ordoñez

successfully completed the six-day Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

(TESDA) in partnership with Coca-Cola Philippines, Provincial Government of Lanao del Norte (PGLDN) and 2nd Congressional District Office of Lanao del Norte.

The program participants were divided into two groups. The first group composed of 65 women entrepreneurs from the municipalities of Lala, Magsaysay and

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Salvador conducted their training every Tuesday at Brgy. Raw-an Hall, Lala town. The second group composed of 46 women store owners from the towns of

Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Sapad, Kapatagan held their weekly training every Thursday at the Kapatagan Municipal Hall. training/PAGE B3

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wednesday|december 23, 2015

The Marinela Neri Velez String Program A 35 member string from the Lourdes College Marinela Neri Velez String Program will perform live at Limketkai Luxe Hotel’s lobby, December 21 to the 24th at 6pm, showcasing their Christmas, Philippine Folk Songs and Light Classical music, led by their coordinator Ana de la Fuente.

The Marinela Neri Velez String Program for Lourdes College

is a 10-year scholarship program designed to develop a Symphony Orchestra in Cagayan de Oro City, in partnership with the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

The program houses artistteachers from the Manila Symphony Orchestra teaching violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

The group is

now composed of a Junior and Senior performers who mastered different repertoire of Filipino and classical music.

This 10-year, 10-million program will hope to realize Ms. Marinela Neri Velez’ vision to give Cagayan de Oro its own Orchestra and that Kagayanon’s will appreciate music more profoundly.

Ororama announces grand winners of Bonggang Papremyo draw

By MARK FRANCISCO, Lifestyle Editor

FELIX Pajaron of Cagayan de Oro City became the grand winner of a Hyundai Eon GL in Ororama’s Bonggang Papremyo Para Sa Yo which had its grand and last quarterly draw last December 19.

The rest of the winners of Ororama gift certificates worth P2,000 each are the following: Domingo Kabingue, Corazon Corpuz, Lorra Tumala, Irish Constantino, Mary Ann Satur, Dalia Duloghil, Shella Ducy, Kate Herrera, Mary Jane Saycon, Nancy Galle, Hansel Piedad, Jeho Nacalaban, Josefina Jamis, Angelina Apurado, Liezel Carupo, Elaine Grace Torayno, Sofia Peligro, Rowena Yanez, Gregory Baluga, Randy

Babation, Oriental Garden Restaurant, Lorabelle Cruz, Jeanrose Selovia, Wilma Limocon, Gina Balibalos, Marvin Jun Guasa, Leonor Salise, Rosemary Cardenas, Rachel Lorenzo, Gemmuel Joseph Paterno, Leah Ramos, Jeaneth Lina, Sarlyn Palahang, Ma. Cheryl Galita, Grace Emata, Mark Maghanoy, Shirlyn Grace Catarong, Henry Chu, Girlie Galuadores, Sophia Roque, Marivic Labitad, Jeane Taboclaon, Belielyn Lascuña, Fely Ampuan and Lyneth Jensen.

Ororama Chain of Stores vows to have merrier and livelier promos and gimmicks as Cagayan de Oro ushers in 2016.

The RSS singing ladies (from left) Sharia, Lee Jee, Kteen and Sazzy during Dreamboard Artists' yearend thanksgiving presentation last December 20, 2015 at Limketkai Events Center in Cagayan de Oro City. photo by mark francisco

CAB grants CEB additional entitlements to the UAE and other int’l destinations The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), in a recently concluded board meeting, granted additional entitlements to the Philippines’ leading carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), for international routes from Manila to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from various points in the Philippines to Taipei and Kaohshiung in Taiwan, and from Manila to key destinations in Russia.

CEB was granted the right to operate additional seven flights weekly from Manila to the UAE, which

would allow the airline to launch flights to any point in the UAE. Currently, CEB is fully utilizing its entitlements with daily flights between Manila and Dubai.

CEB’s request for rights to operate direct flights to Taipei from Caticlan, Clark, Davao, Puerto Princesa, and Tagbilaran, as well as direct flights to Kaohshiung from Caticlan and Cebu, was likewise granted. The airline is presently operating ten times weekly flights between Manila and

Taipei, and thrice weekly flights between Cebu and Taipei.

CEB was also designated as an official Philippine carrier to Russia, and was granted thrice weekly flights each from Manila to Moscow and Vladivostok.

In the same board meeting, CAB approved CEB’s request to be designated as an official carrier under the ASEAN Multilateral Agreement on Air Services (MAAS).

As soon as the Philippines completes the ratification of the relevant protocols

of the MAAS, CEB will be able to operate unlimited flights between capital cities within the ASEAN region.

“We sincerely thank and commend the members of the Civil Aeronautics Board for enabling Philippine carriers such as Cebu Pacific to expand operations to key international destinations.

We’ve always maintained that traffic rights are valuable resources that must be rationally allocated to carriers that are willing and able

to utilize and operate flights. We look forward to mounting additional flights to meet the growing travel demand in communities we serve, and opening new routes to stimulate travel in emerging markets,” said Atty. JR Mantaring, CEB VP for Corporate Affairs.

CEB offers flights to a network of over 90 routes on 60 destinations, spanning Sydney, Dubai, Doha, Bali, and Tokyo (Narita). On December 17, 2015, the airline launched three new routes: Manila – Fukuoka,

Cebu – Taipei, and Davao – Singapore. It is also slated to launch direct flights from Manila to Guam, its first US destination, on March 15, 2016.

For bookings and inquiries, guests can visit www.cebupacificair. com or call (02)7020888 or (032)230-8888.

The latest seat sales can also be found on CEB’s official Facebook and Twitter pages. Guests may download the Cebu Pacific official mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.

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How to solve airport congestion:

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Gatchalian suggests use of Clark for international flights, NAIA for domestic flights and Sangley for private planes Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) Congressman Win Gatchalian today urged the government to use the Clark International Airport and the yetto-be-built Sangley International Airport to address the worsening air traffic in the country as more flight delays are expected due to congestion during the holiday season.

Gatchalian pointed to Clark International Airport as an alternative to the already congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“My suggestion is simple: Use Clark airport for international flights; the current NAIA for domestic flights and Sangley in Cavite for private planes,” said Gatchalian, a senior vice chair of the House committees on tourism and on Metro Manila development.

The Valenzuela City lawmaker, however, said that if government will use Clarkas the new international airport, a high-speed train system have to built along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) so that passengers coming

from Manila as well as Northern Luzon will not be late for their flights.

“To boost the influx of passengers to Clark, a high-speed train should be built to ferry passengers to the airport.

Singapore’s Changi Airport and Denmark’s Copenhagen Airport are both accessible by train,” explained Gatchalian.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines updated in Marchshows that nearly 16 million passengers for international flights and a little over 18 million for domestic flights went through the NAIA in

2014. A total of 183,816 passengers used NAIA for general aviation.

Time-wise, 8.46 million passengers used NAIA in the fourth quarter.

“That another terminal is being planned to be built to decongest NAIA instead of maximizing the usage of existing facilities such as the Clark International Airport shows that taxpayers’ money is being badly managed,” said Gatchalian.

For the year 2014, more than 7.1 million international passengers arrived and departed in NAIA- Terminal1, over

its design capacity of six million passengers.

In Terminal 2, which was designed to handle nine million passengers yearly, the number of arriving and departing international passengers last year reached almost 4.7 million passengers while domestic passengers reached nearly 3.1 million.

Almost 15.62 million passengers deluged the NAIA-3 in the previous year, which has the capacity of 13 million passengers annually.

NAIA-Terminal 4 handled 3.58 million international and

domestic passengers.

Meanwhile, the airport in Clark is suffering from a decline in passenger traffic with only 877,757 international and domestic passengers last year from 1.2 million in 2013 and 1.32 million in 2012, according to the 2014 annual report of ClarkInternational Airport Corp.

The P435.9-billion Sangley International Airport, which is expected to handle 55 million passengers annually and will later be expanded to manage 130 million passengers, would not be open until 2025.

A 12-member delegation from India and Mongolia visited recently sub-projects of the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) in Davao Region for a learning exchange visit in the country.

Together with the World Bank representatives, the delegation visited a farmto-market road in Panabo City, Davao del Norte and the Cacao Production and Marketing of Dry Fermented Beans in Davao City.

World Bank Rural Development Specialist Carolina FigueroaGeron said that these countries, who are also implementing World Bank supported projects in their respective countries, have been requesting the World Bank to visit the sites of PRDP to learn how things are done within the project especially with the use of geotagging technology.

Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for Livestock and Agricultural Marketing Project (LAMP) in Mongolia Bolor-Erdene Battsengel

said that the Philippines and Mongolia have the same systems for their World Bank projects, but the difference is how these systems are being implemented locally.

“One thing that I wanted to bring to Mongolia is planning.

Your plans are very detailed and you track implementation very well,” added Battsengel.

Joint Secretary to the Government of West Bengal and Project Director of the Institutional Strengthening of Gram Panchayats Project (ISGPP) in India Soumya Purkait said that like the Philippines, India has also set up geographic information system (GIS) but added that it’s more advanced in the Philippines.

“I’m impressed with the activities of the PRDP because measures on accountability and transparency are put in place in implementing any activity within the time frame,” he explained.

Davao del Norte Project Management and Implementing Unit presented the planning process for their PRDP

sub-projects using the tools such as geotagging, which is utilized in validating, reviewing and monitoring subprojects proposed and implemented under the PRDP. Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario thanked the World Bank and the PRDP and said that infrastructure projects are vital in laying foundations for economic growth.

“The PRDP’s precursor Mindanao Rural Development Program has helped the province realize a dramatic turnaround through the provision of farm-tomarket roads, postharvest facilities and more,” del Rosario said.

The group also interviewed provincial and barangay officials on how they handle and monitor sub-projects implemented in the area.

“The visit to the FMR project is a sort of an eye-opener for us. They document each and every step from the start of the project implementation.

That was wonderful. We have learned a lot,” said Purkait.

The group also visited

the cacao enterprise development sub-project in Calinan, Davao City where the cooperative demonstrated the postprocessing of cacao fermented beans.

TheP26-million enterprise received recently approval for funding under the PRDP. “The project implementation has just begun but they

have accomplished so much. This shows how dedicated the people in the Philippines are,” said Battsengel.

The ISGP Project in India intends to support high-performing gram panchayats (local selfgovernment organization) to strengthen their institutional capacity and ability to delivery basic public services,

while LAMP in Mongolia aims to improve rural livelihoods and food security in selected provinces and districts through investments in enhancing productivity, market access and diversification in livestock-based production systems. Both are World Bank-supported projects. (Cath Nanta, InfoACE Unit-NPCO)

Foreign delegates learn from PRDP in Mindanao

PRDP Deputy Project Director Arnel De Mesa (right) explains to Joint Secretary to the Government of West Bengal Soumya Purkait (center) and Ms. Nilanjana Dasgupta (left) the processes and requirements in implementing farm-to-market road project under the PRDP during the learning exchange visit in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

(Photo by Gian Enrique).

Training... from page B1

Evangeline Pangasian receives her “Top Performer” award from Boardmember Harris Ali (3rd from right) during the graduation ceremony of Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) training program held on December 22, 2015 at held at Macapagal Training Center, Tubod, Lanao del Norte.

“You are very fortunate that you have a very hard-working congressman in the person of Congressman Abdullah Dimaporo. He really wrote Secretary Joel Villanueva to request for trainings that will benefit his contituents. He is the main reason why Lanao del Norte is the few select province to receive this kind of training outside of Metro Manila”, said TESDA Regional Director Lamberto Jos. Graduates of the STAR

training also undergo Gender Sensitivity Training to empower them of their rights as women entrepreneurs.

“We are really happy that we are made part of this training. We were taught the importance of recording every sale that we make and in maintaining good relationship with our customers”, expressed Norma Buhisan of Lala.

Five participants were also given the “Top Performer” award during the graduation ceremony held on December 22, 1015 at Macapagal

Training Center, Brgy.

Pigcarangan, in capital town Tubod.

According to Chief of Staff Marie Vil Codilla of the 2nd Congressional District, 1,000 slots will be made available next year for women enterpreneurs in towns of Lanao del Norte not included in the first training.

Also present during the graduation ceremony were Boardmember Harris Ali and 2nd Congressional District Consultant David Ditucalan. VNL/PIOLDN

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R.O.X.: Your One Stop Shop for Everything Outdoors wednesday | December 23, 2015

R

ecreational Outdoor eXchange (R.O.X.) just opened its Satellite Selling store at the garden of Centrio Mall (near

Starbucks).

The premium outdoor shop is extending their premium brands to the Kagayan-nons by featuring the variation of outdoor

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gears for different adventures like trail running, camping, hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, and biking.

Although R.O.X. is best known to be the outdoor enthusiasts favorite spot; it can also be the place where you start your adventure.

“We want to encourage everyone to live an active lifestyle.

We want to encourage families to go on a camping

adventure. We want to encourage barkadas to have a biking road trip,” Cluster Operations Head, Norgelyn Bihag, said.

R.O.X. simply derives satisfaction in providing the tools of trade for the outdoor enthusiast, and subsequently provides outdoor

experience to sustain consciousness of people on issues pertaining to environment.

In Cagayan De Oro, R.O.X. is located in Ayala Centrio. The 291 sq meters space carries commodious concept that defies limit.

What R.O.X. wants to get done is “get everyone Outside-experience firsthand the outdoors, outlive every exhilarating moment and embrace the adventurer in each one!”

R.O.X. is owned and operated by the Primer Group of Companies, Asia's next retail giant.