BusinessWeek Mindanao (December 4, 2013)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

Volume IV, No. 25

www.businessweekmindanao.com

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

FREE TV CH. 21 SkyCable Ch. 16 | Global Destiny Ch. 28 Cablelink Ch. 14 | Cignal Ch. 10

Wednesday - December 4, 2013

P15.00

Market Indicators As of 5:45 pm Dec. 3, 2013 (Tuesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P43.76

6,208.82 points

3 cents

X

X Briefly 38.86 points

CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS. Hundreds of residents and visitors witness the opening of the display of gigantic Christmas symbols in Tangub City, Misamis Occidental on Sunday (Dec. 1). The tradition has been going on for 21 years, and has captured the hearts of visitors from all over Mindanao and elsewhere. Tangub officials say proceeds from entrance and other fees during this Christmas season will be donated to victims of the Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda.

Eagle dies KIDAPAWAN City— Environment officials here are mourning the death of one of the country’s treasure – the wounded Philippine monkey eating eagle that was rescued in a North Cotabato village last week, officials announced Monday.

Andrew Patricio, North Cotabato environment and natural resources officer, said the five-kilo eagle died hours after it was turned over by his office to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) in Davao City.

“We are very sad of the turn of events, we could have saved the eagle had it been turned over to us on time,” Patricio lamented.

The eagle with a wing span of about 1.5-meter, found by farmer Joven Amacin at Sitio Lubas in Barangay Amabel, Magpet, North Cotabato, had wounds believed to be from air guns of bird hunters. Patricio said the PEF personnel found three pellets of air gun in the eagle’s body.

Increased production PAGADIAN City — The rice harvest of some 200 farmers in the municipalities of Molave and Midsalip in Zamboanga del Sur are expected to increase by at least 20 percent through multiple management practices after they participated in a recent orientation on System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

The orientation was conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) through the Agri-Enterprise Development (AED) under the Agrarian Reform Communities Project Phase II (ARCP2), in partnership with the local government units of Molave and Midsalip.

DAR Support Services Chief Josephine Sisican said the SRI orientation was the start of the 48-day handson farming field school or production training for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) in the villages of Culo, Miligan, and Rizal in Molave town.

Power restoration to cost govt P6.5B: DOE

Zamboanga City lifts curfew

By MYRNA VELASCO Contributor

F

ULL restoration of electricity supply and services at typhoonravage d are as in Eastern Visayas will cost as much as P6.5 billion based on the final computation drawn up by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the affe c te d distribution utilities.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla said “we already capped it at P6.5 billion for both transmission and distribution,” but such will exclude yet the deployment of generator sets being the ‘quick fix” at providing power in these areas.

The bulk of the expenses, he said, will be on the account power/PAGE 11

By MINDANEWS

BUKO SHED. Workers build a “buko shed” for picnickers near the foot of Tinago Falls in the boundary of Iligan City and Linamon, Lanao del Norte. Two of such structures are being built on the Linamon side. mindanews photo by bobby timonera

Alsons’ Zambo coal power plant faces delay

By GRACE BEBER, Reporter

THE construction of the 105-megawatt (SRPI) coalfired power plant of Alsons Consolidated Resources,

Inc. (ACRI) subsidiary San Ramon Power, Inc. (SRPI) in Zamboanga City faces delay as its proponent had made

Mindanao Daily NEWS

concessions to make way for 6 to 12 months transition for “normalization” following the bloody siege by rebels early this year. coal/PAGE 11

Z A M B OA N G A C i t y – The Crisis Management C ommitte e (CMC) has u n an i m ou s ly approve d a resolution lifting the implementation of curfew hours in this city effective today.

The curfew has been in effect since September 9, the first day of the standoff when hundreds of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels loyal to founding chair Nur Misuari laid siege in this city.

M o h a m m a d Ta h a Arakama, city director of the Department of Interior and L o cal Government (DILG), said the resolution was unanimously approved during the CMC meeting held Thursday last week following recommendations from top local police and curfew/PAGE 11

northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Editorial and advertising email : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com • Cell Number : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

2

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

3 PPP projects to generate 84-T new jobs MANILA –- Three infrastructure projects being built under the government’s public-private (PPP) framework are expected to generate close to 84,000 new construction-related jobs and will facilitate trade and travel.

PPP Center Executive

Director Cosette Canilao said the Department of Education’s (DepEd) PPP for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) Phases 1 and 2 can provide 81,107 jobs while the Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) jobs/PAGE 10

No.: 09161714813 (GLOBE)

Economy

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Cheng Ordoñez

PHL hosts 9th Forum on Asian Insolvency Reform MANILA -– Local and foreign key policy makers, members of the judiciary, academics, insolvency practitioner experts and other private sector participants gathered in Manila on Tuesday for the 9th Forum on Asian Insolvency Reform (FAIR).

This year’s FAIR with the theme: “Doing Ones’ FAIR Share,” is hosted by the Philippines, through the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), in cooperation with the World Bank, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, a n d t h e Int e r n at i o n a l Association of Restructuring Insolvency and Bankruptcy Professionals.

BSP Governor Amando Tetangco welcomed local and foreign guests during the opening ceremonies of the forum at the Philippine International Convention Center.

In his speech, Tetangco said the three-day forum is of huge significant, especially in the Philippines, as weak insolvency system could be a threat to the country’s

growing economy.

He stressed that the current insolvency laws may not be enough to address problems like calamities and economic crisis, citing the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998.

“Weak insolvency systems have been identified as one of the key shortcomings of t h e As i an m ar ke t s .

Unprecedented expansion fueled speculation that eventually led to a collapse of institutions, compelling governments to step in and putting a drag on economies that took years to shake off,” he said.

BALI, Indonesia -- Developed nations should give more market access and differential treatment to least- developed c ou nt r i e s ( L D C s ) a n d developing countries to reach an earlier consensus on the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) stalled Doha round of talks, according to an Indonesian expert.

“It is a way to continue

the negotiation process of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and balance the total trade between developed and developing countries,” said Zamroni Salim, an economic researcher at Indonesian Institute of Sciences, an Indonesia government thinktank.

“Developed countries declare their tariffs and

barriers are falling, but basically they use non-tariff barriers,” Salim told Xinhua prior to the ninth WTO ministerial meeting.

The four-day conference hosted by Indonesia’s Trade Ministry is being held in the resort island of Bali from Tuesday to Friday.

Developed countries often banned imports from LDCs

The Monetary Board head said with the development of insolvency reforms, countries will be updated on what to do to ensure financial security and prevent similar incident to happen. “ The lesson is clear, e f f i c i e nt an d e f fe c t i ve insolvency systems are necessar y in all constituencies, no matter their level of economic development. Having a well-developed insolvency law is important for the development of an effective insolvency system,” Tetangco said. forum/PAGE 10

Developed countries must improve market access: Indon economy expert and developing countries on the supposed grounds that they were of low quality and failed to comply with standards.

Salim pointed out that after the 2008 global financial crisis, many develop ed countries tended to be less open, especially in the agricultural sector. market/PAGE 10

0917-7154399 088-856-8562/63

AMENITIES : ZORBIT * ATV * TREE TOP ADVENTURE BUGGY * BUNGEE * PICNIC GROUNDS PLAYGROUND * CAFE * LUGE * MINI GOLF ROOM ACCOMODATIONS

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Nelson Constantino

CorporateWorld

Puregold unit eyes capital hike to grow S&R warehouse clubs A UNIT of Puregold Price Club Inc., which operates S&R Membership Shopping, wants an increase in authorized capital stock to grow and expand its retail supermarket until 2016.

Directors of Kareila Management Corp. approved an increase in authorized capital stock to P3 billion, equivalent to 30 million shares at par value of P100 per share, from P500 million or five million shares at P100 apiece, Puregold Price Club Inc. on Friday told the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Wholly-owned subsidiary Kareila Management operates S&R, a wholesale and retail supermarket chain which caters mostly to registered members.

“S&R continues to expand and the capital hike will finance the succeeding e x p a n s i o n s ,” P u r e g o l d

president Leonardo Dayao said.

“We programmed one new store opening a year until 2016, but depending on availability of location, we may open two a year,” he added.

Puregold opened two S&R warehouse clubs in Mandaluyong City and Davao City this year, bringing eight the number of S&R stores stores.

In the same disclosure, Puregold said the Kareila board also approved a P475 million cash dividend and a stock dividend involving 6.25 million shares valued at P625 million.

In the first nine months, Puregold reported its net income grew 46.5 percent to P2.64 billion from P1.8 billion a year earlier on the back of acquisitions and expansion. – VS, GMA News

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

3

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

Nestlé shifting to digital advertising NESTLÉ S.A., the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company, is slowly shifting into the digital advertising which is expected to grow two notches higher to 12-14 percent on the average globally from the current 10 percent in its total advertising expenditures although more developed countries have already reached 20 percent and above.

Visiting Nestlé Executive Vice President Patrice Bula told reporters yesterday that social media plays a new role in the way how a brand behaves and communicates.

Although traditional advertising still dominates the way how a product or a brand is promoted, Bula said the digital world already

accounts for 10 percent of its advertising exposures on the average and is growing 2 percent to 12 to 14 percent.

More developed countries, however, have higher digital advertising budget of 20 percent and above.

The Philippines, Nestlé’s 10th largest market globally, is among those countries with

digital advertising budget of 10 percent, Bula said.

Bula cited the case of its chocolate brand Kit Kat, which tie-up with the digital world via the Android, is

making waves online. The Google KIT KAT partnership did not only make headlines but has become a trailblazer of sorts, a rather un-Nestlé nestle/PAGE 10

OTTAWA - BlackBerry’s new chief executive cast off persistent talk of the smartphone maker’s demise, vowing on Monday that the company would pick itself back up and was “here to stay.”

“Reports of our death are greatly exaggerated,” John Chen, who was appointed interim chief executive last month, said in an open letter to customers.

“We are very much alive, thank you.”

The Waterloo, Ontariobased company helped create

a culture of mobile users glued to smartphones, but lost its luster as many moved to iPhones or devices using Google’s Android software.

BlackB er r y st i l l has some 70 million subscribers worldwide, but most of these are using older handsets, with newer devices on the BlackBerr y 10 platform failing to gain traction.

I n S e p t e m b e r, t h e company announced that it was laying off 4,500 staff -- or one third of its global workforce -- after losing $965

million in its last quarter.

Two months later, it scrapped a search for a suitor

and nixed a deal with its largest shareholder Fairfax Blackberry/PAGE 11

BlackBerry dismisses demise talk, says ‘very much alive’

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Nelson Constantino

A griBusiness 4 Sur farmers Damage to agri exceeds Zambo undergo training average for past 5 years YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

AGRICULTURE losses for the year has now amounted to P33 billion, much higher than the average P26 billion for the past 5 years.

A g r i c u l t u r e Undersecretary Dante de Lima said this is due to the successive calamities, from typhoon “Santi” which ravaged Nueva Ecija, the Bohol earthquake and the recent super typhoon “Yolanda.”

T h e D e p a r t m e nt o f Agriculture stressed the impor tance for the government to release its 2014 budget at the soonest possible time. agri/PAGE 10

NFA Lanao del Sur intensifies local palay procurement

By APIPA P. BAGUMBARAN, Contributor

MARAWI City -- The National Food Authority (NFA) here is intensifying its local palay procurement program to help the government attain its goal of self-sufficiency when it comes to rice.

NFA Information Officer Khayamera Dialem said they are now implementing several strategies to encourage more

farmers to sell their produce to the NFA. She said NFA Provincial Manager Sittienaidah Sampaco is closely monitoring the palay production in the province and has deployed several mobile procurement teams to go to the places of farmers.

She said they also simplified the requirements for the issuance

of individual farmers passbook adding that the farmers passbook and taking of its ID picture is now free of charge.

Additional incentives are also available for farmers selling their produce to NFA such as delivery fee, drying fee and cooperative development incentive fee (CDIF).

Dialem said they are buying palay at P17.00 per kilogram (kg) plus the added incentives

of P0.20/kg drying fee, P0.20/ kg delivery fee, and P0.30/kg CDIF. Interested farmers can go directly to the NFA provincial office for more details or they can contact NFA Information Office at 0947-934-8071.

For the period January 1 to November 26, this year, the NFA Provincial Office has been able to procure 5,995 bags or 287,324.15 kg of palay.

PAGADIAN City -- The rice yields of some 200 farmers from the municipalities of Molave and Midsalip in this province are expected to increase by more than 20 percent through multiple management practices after they have recently undergone an orientation on System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

The orientation was conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) through the Agri-Enterprise Development (AED) under the Agrarian Reform Communities Project Phase II (ARCP2) in partnership with the local government units of Molave and Midsalip.

DAR Support Services Chief Engr. Josephine Sisican said the SRI orientation was the start of the 48-day hands-on season long farming field school or production training for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) in the barangays of Culo, Miligan and Rizal (CUMIRIZ-Agrarian Reform Communities) in Molave town.

DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program OfficerII Arturo Soria said the SRI training was aimed to strengthen the knowledge, capacity and skills of farmers, local authorities and other stakeholders related to the principles of SRI, so that

they are equipped with more technical information to improve their rice cultivation methods.

Soria is optimistic that with SRI adoption, the ARBs in the two municipalities will increase their harvests and income in line with DARARCP2’s goal of “making them rich and happy, Now Na!” Soria said municipalities Molave and Midsalip are am ong t h e m aj or r i c e producers in Salug Valley area of this province.

He said among the SRI best practices imparted to the ARBS in the two towns are the following: early and careful transplanting; tender loving care, ensuring that no root is cut; single seedling per hill for it to maximize sunshine and soil nutrients; higher seedling space density or wider distances between seedlings; observing alternate/intermittent wetting and drying; controlling the growth of weeds and grasses; and using as much organic composts for land preparation as possible.

SRI specialist and practitioner of SRI-Pilipinas Eng’r. Roberto Verzola, the resource speaker, has advised the ARBs to start SRI method with land area of 100 to 500 farmers/PAGE 11

SOA PROGRAM ON UPLAND RICE PRODUCTION GRADUATION CEREMONY Eighty four (84) farmer-enrollees of the School-on-theAir (SOA) program on Upland Rice Production have been officially conferred as graduates on November 26, 2013 at the Farmers’ Training Center in Baroy, Lanao del Norte (LDN). Provincial Agriculturist of LDN Letecia G. Ditucalan (4th from left, presidential table) said that the SOA program which is jointly initiated by the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) and the Provincial Government of LDN aims to encourage more farmers to engage in upland rice production through the transfer of productive, economical and sustainable farm technologies through a modular discussion over

the radio. She added that this is a feasible way in imparting knowledge and skills to farmers, considering that they are from the remote areas and there are also more arable lands in the upland areas within the province that are yet to be used for rice farming.

Vladimir Sumapig emerged as the class valedictorian of the batch. Others included in the top 10 are: Ma. Erlinda Y. Balingit, Agnes B. Padua, Rhea S. Amesola, Floramy Abarquez, Lanie B. Cobrado, Clarisa Y. Abilay, Rosalinda B. Argallon, Ramel J. Templado and Fe B. Pantinople. As tribute for their commendable efforts, the DA-10 awarded them with plaques of recognition and laminated sacks,

while the Provincial Government of LDN handed them also with laminated sacks, rice cookers and farming tools.

Other than the farmer-graduates (in violet), the graduation ceremony was witnessed by Hon. Mayor of Baroy Rosa Dahab Olafsson (center); Municipal Administrator of Kapatagan, LDN Narciso Oporto (6th); Municipal Agriculturist of Kapatagan, LDN Francisco C. Bihod (7th); DA-10 Regional Information Officer Mary Grace B. Sta. Elena (3rd); OIC Municipal Agriculturist of Baroy, LDN Mabini Balatero (8th); and agricultural technicians of participating barangays of Kapatagan and Baroy. # (JLOlson)

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Nelson Constantino

Banking&Finance

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

wednesday - December 4, 2013

$400M financing for e-trike program bags BSP approval THE government will soon tap a $400-million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the development of electric tricycles (e-trikes) after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approved the borrowing.

BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said the Monetary Board gave final approval to the ADB loan for the electric vehicles program of the Department of Energy (DOE). BSP clearance is required for foreign currency loans to ensure the country has ample foreign exchange to pay the debts. “ The program will accelerate the utilization of e-vehicles. This will replace the tricycles,” Tetangco said.

ADB and the government

are promoting the adoption of e-trikes throughout the country, with 100,000 units seen on the road by 2016.

Electric vehicles considered energy efficient as they are supposed to use up 75 percent of their energy to power the vehicle versus only 20 percent used in most internal combustion engines.

The e-trike produces no noise and zero tailpipe emissions and can be charged at night during off-peak electricity hours.

The ADB w i l l work w it h lo c a l gover nment u n it s ( L G Us ) a n d t h e private sector to establish financing mechanisms so tricycle drivers will have the opportunity to lease or lease-to-own the e-trikes by paying less than P200 a day.

A conventional tricycle needs between 5 and 7 liters of gasoline to travel approximately 100 kilometers at a cost of P250 to P350.

To travel the same 100 kilometers, an e-trike will use between 3 and 5 kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity at a cost of only P30 to P50.

The P200 difference in fuel savings will help the driver pay for the cost of the e-trike.

THE impact of the Typhoon “Yolanda” on the economy is manageable and domestic growth could still reach the government’s targets for this year and next with little need for additional monetary p ol i c y e a s i ng , B ang ko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said yesterday.

Gross domestic product (GD) growth in the nine m o nt h s t o S e p t e m b e r averaged 7.4 percent, above the government’s 6%-7%

annual growth target for 2013.

Economic managers think the typhoon could shave as much as 0.8% off the growth rate given the damage to areas in the central Philippines that together account for 12.7% of GDP. The government is aiming for a 6.5%-7.5% growth for 2014.

But uncertainty over the withdrawal of the US Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing will hold more sway on the

Philippine peso’s movement rather than domestic developments, Tetangco said.

“The main driver of foreign exchange movements now has been external,” Tetangco told foreign correspondents. “The peso, just like other currencies in the region, is reacting to uncertainties of the tapering of the quantitative easing measures.”

He said fundamentals such as the country’s current account surplus and record bsp/PAGE 10

5

www.businessweekmindanao.com

BSP sees GDP growth reaching 6%-7% target Big banks’ bad loans ease in September Loans that have gone unpaid in the last three months dropped slightly even as lending by the country’s biggest banks increased at the close of the third quarter.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of the country’s universal and commercial banks fell to 2.6 percent last September from 2.67 percent last August and three percent in September of last year.

The combined NPLs of the country’s biggest lenders reached P102.09 billion in September, lower than the P103.42 billion recorded a year earlier.

This as their total loan portfolio increased to P3.92 trillion from P3.44 trillion a year ago.

The BSP said bad loans owed by companies in the financial intermediation, real estate, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail

trade sectors – accounting for a combined 62.8 percent of the total – remain low.

Even as soured loans comprised a smaller portion of their total portfolio, banks continued to set aside substantial reserves for potential credit losses at 128.80 percent of their gross NPLs. “Low NPL ratios and robust loan loss provisioning indicate prudent management of credit risks,” the BSP said.

NO MORE LEAKS, STUDENTS GOT NEW SCHOOLBUILDING FROM METROBANK

When it rains, students will no longer run for c ove r i n Pe bp ol o an Elementary School. Just re cent ly, Met rob an k formally handed over to the students and teachers in C ot ab ato Cit y, a newly-completed school building to replace leaking, makeshift classrooms still being used.

Omar Cadi, Grade VI student of Pebpoloan Elementary School; still recalls how he and his classmates would run and seek shelter every time it rains due to leaking roof in their makeshift classroom. “We would run and take shelter in the kinder garten’s classroom when it rains,” he said in his speech before representatives from Metrobank and education officials gathered for the turn-over event.

“Today, I am humbled because I was tasked to speak before you in behalf of my classmates; to thank you for this wonderful opportunity. Our dream of having a nice classroom has been realized,” Omar said in Filipino.

Alexander Untal, Area Head for Metrobank

Alexander Untal, Area Head of Metrobank Mindanao Area IV (1st, right) cuts the ribbon to formally hand-over newly-completed school building for students of Cotabato. Assisting him were Guiamel Abad (2nd, right) Principal of Tamontaka Central School and Mary Jay Infiesto (2nd, left) Regional Manager/OIC of PBSP in Mindanao. Also present to witness the turn-over event were officials from Metrobank, DepEd and students of the beneficiary schools.

M i n d a n a o A r e a I V, expressed optimism that with supportive community, student beneficiaries will achieve their goals in life.

“In behalf of Metrobank, we hope that the four classrooms we turn-over today shall

be a beacon of hope that will lead our students both in Pebpoloan Elementary School and Tamontaka Central School; to dream big and aspire more than they can imagine,” Untal emphasized in his message.

Bank employees gave personal contributions to help fund the construction of the school buildings. Funds raised by the employees were matched by a donation from Metrobank to help bankroll total cost of construction.

Implemented by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the Metrobank BuildA- C l a s s ro om P ro j e c t aims to assist the Department of Education in addressing classroom

crisis in the country. At least 24 classrooms are to be built in 9 public schools in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, directly benefitting 1,080 students upon implementation. (dannyescabarte)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

6

Opinion

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

DANTE M. SUDARIA Publisher ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, Ph.D. General Manager

NELSON CONSTANTINO Editor-in-Chief

ALLAN MEDIANTE Executive Editor

Shaun Uy

cHENG oRDOñEZ

Lifestyle Editor

Associate Editor

CLIFFORD SANTILLAN RONALD B. MASTAIL

SHIELA gosanes Advertising

Layout Artists

ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

Cris diaz mike baños Uriel quilinguing EditorialConsultants

Cell No: 09352379999

Juni Law Office Cruz Taal St., Cag. De Oro City Legal Counsel

The BusinessWeek Mindanao is published by BusinessWeek Mindanao Advertising and Promotions every Friday to Sunday with office address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Region 10 with Certificate No. 00875701, and with Business Permit No. 2013-10946, TIN No. 946396-807 – Non VAT. Tel. Nos.: (088)8578447, 74-5380, 0923-432-0687, 0917-7121424

Website: www.businessweekmindanao.com E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Member:

L

T

Live Your List THINK

hink a minute…If you made a list of your most A Minute important priorities, all the By Jhan Tiafau Hurst people and things that mean the most to you, what would be on your list?

You would probably have things like your family, job, schooling, friends and fun.

Now look at your life.

Are you living your list?

How are you spending most of your time?

Do you really practice your priorities?

Someone said: “If we don’t actually practice our priorities, then they’re not really our priorities.”

Our actions and lifestyle speak much louder than our words. If we don’t live it, we don’t believe it. How we spend our time shows what we love and care about.

We almost always find the time to do the things we really want to.

Unfortunately, our jobs, personal hobbies and pleasures can become more important to us than they should. Soon these pleasures and our profession can replace our most important priorities. They end up controlling how we live and what we do in our free time during the evenings and weekends.

Maybe you realize today that you’re not really living your list. You’re not spending most of your time on your most important priorities in life. You’re not spending enough time on your marriage and children, other people, as well as your own personal character growth.

Most importantly, you’re not spending enough time on the most important person and priority in life: your own Creator Who has a great plan for your life. But you can start changing that today by asking Jesus Christ to forgive you for not putting Him first in your life.

Jesus promises that if you will put Him first in every relationship and area of your life, He will give you everything you need for the successful, satisfying life He created you to enjoy. So it’s actually quite simple: Jesus IS your list.

Just Think a Minute…

Pacquiao: Ask, Seek and Knock!

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened’…” (Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, in Matthew 7:7-8, the Holy Bible).

-ooo YOUNG PACQUIAO UNABLE TO PAY ROOM RENT: There’s a black and white picture of a young, skinny, and hungry-looking young man standing in front of an obviously dilapidated residential structure going the rounds of social networking sites lately, saying the man was the much-younger Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing champion, when he was yet a very poor nobody.

Well, I could very well believe that that young man was indeed Pacquiao, and I could even confirm that, at one point in time when he was just starting to be a boxer, he was so poor he had to live in a forsaken and poorly-lit and often-flooded room, in a shanty which was located near dark-watered rivers somewhere in Malabon or Navotas, north of Metro Manila.

I know, because at that point in his life, I was given a chance to have a very brief encounter with Manny on account of his inability to pay the measly rent for the rented room, which was prompting his landlord to be telling him quite so often to move out already, so the room could be rented out to others.

-ooo LANDLORD KICKING PACQUIAO OUT OF RENTED ROOM: His handler then, the late Rodolfo “Ompong” Nazario (the husband of then Sandiganbayan First Division Clerk of Court Minita Chico Nazario and who, later, would become an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court), called me up and asked me to help Pacquiao talk to his landlord, to give the young boxer at least sixty more days.

Ompong and Minita (well, I always called her by her first name, except when she got appointed to the high court) were such good friends of my wife and I (the two of them worked at the Sandiganbayan together) that I couldn’t say no to them, even if I didn’t know who Pacquiao was, at that time.

My only condition then was for Pacquiao to call me,

Philippine Press Institute

T

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Clifford Santillan

K

so that I could be informed akampi of what his real status was, Mo A ng Batas and what promise I had to

By Atty. Batas Mauricio make to the landlord. Pacquiao somehow managed to get in touch with me, and the Ilocano that was in me, and the Visayan that was in him, really made it difficult for me to understand what he was telling me.

-ooo ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK: Ne ve r t h e l e s s , t h at br i e f conversation enabled me to talk to the landlord, who insisted, as a condition for Pacquiao’s continued stay, that I should be held liable for the unpaid rentals if, within sixty days, Pacquiao would not be able to pay. I was so pissed off with the landlord’s condition, but I couldn’t do otherwise then but to agree to pay if Pacquiao could not pay. It was because of my promise that the landlord allowed Manny to stay in the shanty for sixty more days.

Pacquiao however subsequently paid his rentals, and so that was the first and last time I talked to him. He may not remember this now, but certainly, he will remember that, at one point in his career, he was being booted out of the room he was renting at that time because he could not pay, and it was a lawyer-friend of his handler, Ompong Nazario, that somehow managed to maneuver for his continued stay in that room.

This is a proof that one should always be ready to help anyone and everyone who asks for help, for we will never really know what the future holds. Manny may not even know me now, but that doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is, somehow, somewhere in his past, he asked for help, and was graciously given the assistance that, who knows, could have even contributed to his future destiny as a great boxer and, yes, as a great preacher of God! -ooo REACTIONS? Please call me at 09017 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0922 833 43 96. Email: melaniolazomauriciojr@outlook. com, mmauriciojr111@gmail.com, and batasmauricio@ yahoo.com.

Truth, Justice and Charity

hey are supposed to come together. They are inseparable. They mutually affect each other. All this because they come from the same source and are meant to go toward the same end. And that is God. But given our human condition, both in its original state and its current state wounded by sin, they seem to sometimes conflict with one another, their ideal of being together has to be worked out by us.

It’s in this context that we have to be more aware of our responsibility to put them together. Precisely when we find ourselves in the middle of some raging controversies and hot issues, this duty of ours comes to the fore.

Now that we are in the midst of a screaming national crisis, thanks to the pork barrel issue, it behooves us to be most careful in expressing our views and opinions so that truth, justice and charity go together as they ought.

At the moment, especially in blogs and in the social network, patent irregularities can be noted. Basic courtesy is tossed to the winds, with venom spewed right and left. People seem to monopolize the truth as opinions practically become dogmas, creating very funny black-and-white scenarios.

We need to hold our horses and strive to sort out things calmly, always eager to hear everybody’s side no matter how insignificant, irrelevant or of little value it may be. Everyone should be heard, especially the side of the suspect or the accused.

In the end, we are all brothers and sisters. No amount of wrongdoing can erase that fact. And we have to remember that whatever good or evil happens in the world, every one of us, one way or another, is responsible, at least in part. We are all in the same boat. We rise and fall together.

It always pays to be calm, sober and courteous in going through a certain issue, let alone, a national crisis. This way we can think, assess and judge things better, able to distinguish between what is essential and what is incidental.

Yes, certain parties may have to be penalized, but even the penalty, while out of justice, should come and serve charity as well. They may be condemned through our judicial system, but they are still persons and brothers and sisters of ours. They are not animals nor mere objects, though they may have behaved like one.

I think that this will do us a lot of good individually as

HINTS

a person and collectively as a people, as a nation. With our and Traces new information technologies

By Fr. Roy Cimagala that afford us easy and rapid communication, we would always be tempted to speak our mind without restraint.

Truth is not served that w ay, s i n c e t r ut h s h ou l d always go with charity and justice. We need to restrain ourselves a little bit, to purify our intentions and to muster the best way to proceed.

We have to be most wary of what is known as bitter zeal. It is the eagerness to pursue one’s goal by any means, even trampling on the requirements of charity.

It is an expression of the erroneous moral principle that the end justifies the means.

Sad to say, I notice that many people, even the so-called educated ones, seem to have no qualms in resorting to this principle. They feel justified to do so, forgetting that no matter how honest and holy they believe they are, there’s always something to pin them down too.

Remember that episode of the woman caught in the act and practically thrown before Christ to be condemned and stoned to death. Christ simply kept quiet, wrote something on the ground, and finally told the accusers that whoever was without sin could cast the first stone. Then everyone left, starting with the older ones.

It’s bad enough that this bitter zeal afflicts a person.

It’s much worse when it afflicts many people, erupting into a mob rule. That’s when truth, justice and charity flee, and a most blinding self-righteousness prevails.

We have to do everything to avoid this predicament to befall on us. So what are we supposed to do? Aside from studying the issues well and going through the steps of prudence, what is even more important is to pray, to offer sacrifices, to effect another renewal and conversion both in the personal and collective levels.

We should never think that these spiritual and supernatural means are of no practical value. The truth is that they are the ones that would enable us to think and judge things properly, for these would be done in the presence of God.

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Ronald Mastail

Billboard

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

7

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

Eleven(11) OFW Helpdesks Established in Region 10 Cagayan de Oro City -- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration intensifies its information campaign for the establishment of OFW Help Desks to enable it to bring various programs and services closer to the grassroots level. Forging partnerships with the Local Government Units (LGUs) in Region 10 is considered the most viable option to counter OWWA’s problem of manpower complement.

Northern Mindanao covers the Provinces of Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte. Statistics show that OWWA Members in Region 10 has reached a total of 69,348 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) 57,185 of w hich are land-based and 12,163 are sea-based. Hence, the urgency to act with dispatch on welfare cases brought before us and the need to protect their families left behind coupled with the mandate to disseminate other programs and services has made it more imperative to align with other government instrumentalities to make this goal attainable.

Harry B. Borres, OICDirector of OWWA 10, has officially forged several Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) with various Local Governments Units (LGUs) for

OWWA 10, OIC-Director Harry B. Borres and Mayor Manuel G. Animas, shake hands after the signing of MOA on the establishment of OFW Help Desk between the Local Government Unit of Sapang Dalaga and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) held at the Municipal Hall, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental on November 11, 2013. Also present during the signing is Vice Mayor Donjie D. Animas (in blue).

the establishment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Helpdesk in Region 10. Already, eleven(11) municipalities have agreed to sign MOAs with OWWARWO 1 0 , a n d t h e y are as follows: Two(2) LGUs- Municipalities of Salay and Balingoan for Misamis Oriental; Five(5) LGUs in Bukidnon- Municipalities of Sumilao, Cabanglasan, Quezon, Kalilangan and Kadingilan; Three(3) LGUs- Municipalities of Aloran, Sapang Dalaga and Jimenez from Misamis Occidental; and One(1) LGU- Municipality of Mambajao for Camiguin Island.

Under t he ag re ement, the Local Government Unit will assign a staff to take charge of the public Overseas

Filipino Worker (OFW) Helpdesk. Moreover, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will provide orientation to the LGU personnel regarding the programs and services of the agency. The OFW Helpdesk will serve as t h e i nte r ve nt i on to reach out to the OFWs and their families and to make accessible to them the assistance of the LGUs and OWWA. Also the distance of OWWA Regional Welfare Office 10 to most localities in the region has taken into account for an easy access of the OFW and their dependents. OWWA has been partnering with the different LGUs for the establishment of OFW Help Desks in every locality.

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Signing, held at Municipal Hall, Quezon, Bukidnon on October 23, 2013 led by OIC-Director OWWA 10, Harry B. Borres and Mayor Gregorio LL. Gue of Quezon, Bukidnon. Based on records there are 749 OWWA members in the municipality, as of September 2013 statistics.

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

8

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

The Night Stalker:

Lifestyle

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Shaun Uy

Simply Irresistible with Seda Centrio’s Banquets T here’s just no other place quite like Cagayan de Oro’s Seda Centrio to experience a truly memorable Holiday Party.

Only the City of Golden Friendship’s self-styled Urban Lifestyle Hotel offers you not one, or two, but three (!) complete worry-free banquet packages for all occasions you may choose to celebrate in the city’s best party venue this December.

“Let us take out the stress and worry about planning a party from you and allow you instead to enjoy the occasion,” said Lorenzo Tang, hotel manager.

The Noel Package for 30 persons includes a buffet dinner, one round of iced tea, waived corkage for five (5) bottles of wines and spirits, 30 pcs. complimentary invitation cards, and one (1) gift certificate for an overnight stay for two in a Deluxe room with breakfast for two (2) at Misto. All this for only PhP 45,000 nett.

For bigger parties there’s the Wonderland Package for 60 persons which covers your sumptuous buffet dinner, one round of iced tea, 60 pcs. complimentary invitation cards, and one (1) gift certificate for an overnight stay for two in a Deluxe room with breakfast for two (2) at Misto. All this for only PhP 70,000 nett.

And for those looking for a truly extraordinary experience, there’s the Kris Kringle package fro 60 persons which includes one round of iced tea, one round of beer, 60 pcs. complimentary invitation cards, and one (1) gift certificate for an overnight stay for two in a Deluxe room with breakfast for two (2) at Misto. All this

for only PhP 80,000 nett.

All packages include use of the function room for five (5) hours, basic sound system, LED projector and screen, and stage platform. All rates are inclusive of service charge and taxes.

Seda Centrio celebrates its 1st year anniversary on 29 December with a special intro rate of P3, 450 nett only for bookings made on this day.

The hotel will hold a small cocktail reception for its hotel guests for that day.

Styled as “The Urban Lifestyle Hotel”, Seda Centrio redefines the concept of urban living, daring to delve into uncharted territory.

It has carved its own path in creating the ultimate luxury haven, constantly striving to surpass even the most demanding of tastes and standards.

“We have achieved the impressive feat of balancing the best qualities of boutique, chain and business hotels in our accommodations, offering a sanctuary that capably suits your savvy lifestyle,” Mr. Tang noted.

Situated astride the central business districts of Cagayan de Oro, Seda sets its guests closest to the most exciting destinations.

With its attractive qualities of stylish spaces and prime location, you’ll be hard put in finding a more lavish retreat.

Call in your reservations today at (63) (88) 323-8888 or email cdo@sedahotels.com.

Hurry! Limited seats only!

HEALTH IN FOCUS

by DR. MARY JEAN LORECHE

A

s of this writing, we are one in celebrating World AIDS Day, with our friends from the Department of Health and the various organizations whose advocacy is to help in the giving out of correct information on HIV AIDS. I had a very fruitful one hour discussion on updates and programs, with the HIV AIDS Program Coordinator of DOH, Dr Evelyn Magsayo, and Ms Fritzie Estoque from the Misamis Oriental Cagayan De Oro AIDS Network (MONCAN).

HIV AIDS is still the leading killer among infectious diseases, and a major public health concern.

The latest data from the World Health Organization states that there are approximately 35.3 Million affected people worldwide, and of this number, adolescents number 2.1Million.

From a global perspective, the Philippines is one of only 2 Asian countries of the seven nations wherein the number of new cases has increased by 25% from 2001-2009, and by 2012, the increase was 79%.

Another alarming data is that, of these new HIV cases, it is now focused on MSMs (Males Having Sex with Males), and the age group 1524 years.

And here in our own very city, as of May 2013, 95% of the newly diagnosed cases belong to the 25-29 age groups.

Two things can be gathered from the above data: due to the increased awareness, people with risky sexual behaviors have come out in the open to have themselves tested, thus, increasing the statistical data.

Also, the presence of testing centres and skilled workers to handle the cases

Life Beyond HIV/AIDS contribute to the registry of the cases.

The downside though, means that where before there was no single risk factor in transmitting the virus (sexual contact, blood and blood products, injecting drug users, mother to child transmission during vaginal deliveries), the current data shows that the leading cause is sexual contact, and that young people are very much involved as they tend to engage in risky behaviors.

The Millenium Development Goal (MDG) of the WHO aims for a ZERO NEW INFECTION, ZERO DEATHS FROM HIV AIDS and ZERO DISCRIMINATION by 2016.

This is quite an ambitious goal but I believe that, this is attainable.

That is, if we join hands in the fight against HIV AIDS. I had the privilege of interviewing an HIV positive

case, very young and promising.

He got involved in risky behavior at the age of 15 in order to earn to support his studies.

It was through the help of an advocate that he got the courage to seek consultation, and treatment.

The use of anti-retroviral drugs work by decreasing the viral load in the body of the affected individual.

There is no cure to HIV AIDS, but, treatment is available.

The presence of treatment hubs in a particular place, is the right step towards helping curb the mortality from the illness.

It is not the HIV AIDS that will cause the death of the individual, but, rather the opportunistic infections that may arise from the damaged immune system.

It is worth mentioning that one of the problems

that we are faced with the rising number of HIV AIDS positive cases is the risk of developing Tuberculosis that is resistant to multiple drug therapy!

When this happens, then the drive to eliminate TB may not be attainable.

Awareness, getting the correct information, and a healthy lifestyle (which includes the five ways by which HIV AIDS can be prevented from happening in one’s life- Abstinence, Be Faithful to one’s partner, Condom use as protection, doing away with drugs, Education) are simple things that we can do.

However, should a loved one test positive for HIV, instead of turning our backs on them, let us instead give them the support that they need in their greatest time of need.

For after all, there is always hope....

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Cheng Ordoñez

Environment

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

9

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

Feature..

Acacia tree. (Photo courtesy of askabba.com)

Planting exotic trees not good for local ecosystem—Haribon

By Danny O. Calleja

I

n a tree-planting endeavor, there can be no way of complaining against any pre-midday trek over footprint-marked and mud-caked road as the air is cool and refreshing, the ground is soft supporting every step and it comes with a view not seen in the city.

At the end of every road is a place to get down on one’s knee, feel the earth, select a seedling and plant.

These seedlings should not be just trees but native species carefully selected for being more suitable to restore the natural processes and diversity of forests.

This should be the fundamental principle to be followed in the entire tree-planting efforts of both the government and the private sector since a patch of trees does not automatically make a forest, according to Haribon Foundation.

“We religiously follow this principle in contrast with common and disturbing trend in reforestation efforts in the Philippines that prefer the planting of exotic or alien trees in place of the original forest,” Maria Belinda de la Paz, the foundation’s officerin-charge and head of its Advocacy Division, said.

Popular trees such as mahogany, acacia mangium and gmelina are considered exotic and could have detrimental effects to the local ecosystem as they tend to alter the soil around them, preventing other plants to thrive, De la Paz added.

Susceptible to diseases and can easily be ravaged by insects since they are not used to local environmental conditions, exotic trees increase the acidity of the soil, which prevents other plants to grow and multiply.

The wildlings of the exotic trees grow

dominantly on their surroundings, making the plant community underneath the canopy not attractive and ecologically well-balanced, De la Paz said.

Exotic trees, on the other hand, have lower wood density and shorter lifespan, thus, they are not as effective as the premium native tree species when it comes to carbon sequestration.

Likewise, these species of trees that originated from abroad are not protective of wildlife as animals, including many endangered species, prefer to nest and inhabit areas with native trees and avoid those they are not familiar with, she stressed.

As such, native trees provide habitat for smaller animals and insect predators, which are important in the control of crop and pasture damaging pests, thereby reducing the use of pesticides.

Most insect predators such as bats, birds, predatory insects and parasites build their homes on native trees that create different layers of diverse, healthy and thriving vegetation underneath the canopy, which reduce the tunnel effect of strong winds and double the ability of trees in erosion control.

By complementing the local landscape, native trees also give an area a unique feel and provide a beautiful landscape while providing valuable resources for the survival of fauna species, given that some local

animals are dependent on certain native trees in order to survive and thrive.

De las Paz said Philippine rainforests make up a portion of the ancient lungs of the world.

A visit to one gives a glimpse of how the earth was prior to humanity’s taming.

At ground level, fruiting and flowering plants, ferns and orchids in as many colors imaginable spread rampant in every corner while ancient trees with massive tower-like trunks reach for the sky stretching more than a hundred feet up.

Not to mention being the preferred habitat of majority of the world’s wildlife species, from birds to mammals and reptiles to amphibians and everything in between, native trees are matched in amazingness only by the alarming rate that they are being destroyed, De la Paz said.

“So, why prefer exotic trees when there are about 3,800 species of native trees in the Philippines, the most famous of which is the narra, the national tree whose wood is one of the world’s hardest and its trunk is source of medicine and dye,” she said.

Among other trees native to the Philippines are the almon, apitong, guijo, kamagong, red and white lauan, tindalo, yakal and the Philippine mahogany or molave tree -- all having high resistance to insect and disease attacks.

According to the book authored by Justo P. Rojo, “Revised Lexicon of the Philippine Trees,” exotic trees are “introduced species,” which means that they were brought to the Philippines.

“These trees whether naturalized or localized in our country are still invasive species. Because of this, our own native

endemic and indigenous trees and plants are being displaced,” the book says.

Likewise, according to the book, if a fast growing species such as gmelina/melina (Gmelina arborea) or the known mahogany (Swietenia mahogani) are planted in a certain area, the slower native trees such as the kamagong (Diospyros discolor) will not be able to compete.

Eventually, the much slower growing tree will die, which may later lead to species extinction, it adds.

Haribon said Philippine’s forest cover has dwindled from 70 percent at the start of the 20th century to a miserable 24 percent today, which is a condition not suitable to support the food, clean water, and disaster mitigation demands of a country visited by more than 20 typhoons every year.

And while the government, especially under the administration of Pres. Benigno Aquino III through its National Greening Program (NGP), is determined in restoring what was lost by the forest and protecting what is left with its total logging ban policy, De las Paz said, using native trees as planting materials remains the best option.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Bicol Regional Executive Director Gilbert Gonzales agreed, saying the trend now being pursued by the agency -- which is the lead implementing agency of NGP -- is the use of not only native trees but also fruit-bearing species as well.

The program, which was started in 2011, targets to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares within six years not only for the purpose of reforestation but also for food security and poverty alleviation, he said.

(PNA)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

10

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

Jobs... from page 2

www.johndprovoice.com

Link Road project will create 2,672 jobs. “ These (84,000 jobs) still exclude new businesses generated,” she said in an interview.

C onst r uc t ion of t he PSIP Phase 1 and the Daang Hari-SLEX road projects are ongoing.

Canilao said they expect construction on the PSIP Phase II will start early next year. Procurement of independent consultant is ongoing.

She said another awarded project, the NAIA Expressway Phase 2, can also generate j o b s e s p e c i a l ly du r i ng construction.

“These new roads that we are building are also expected to reduce travel time significantly especially D aang Har i and NAIA Expressway. That would translate to transport cost savings,” Canilao noted.

She said lower transport costs can lead to cheaper prices of goods.

Aside from the four awarded projects, Canilao said three other PPP projects are targeted for completion before the term of President Benigno S. Aquino III ends in 2016.

She said these are the Mo d e r n i z a t i o n o f t h e P h i l ippi n e O r t h op e d i c Center, the Automatic Fare Collection System and the Integrated Transport System.

Canilao further said six other projects are in their advanced stages, while 15 others are in their early stages of development.

“We are aiming to have at least 15 PPP contracts signed by the end of President Aquino’s administration,” she said. (PNA)

Forum... from page 2

However, he also stressed that reforms alone will not be as powerful, if not properly implemented.

“It is equally important to focus on developing strong institutions that would interpret and implement the laws. Combined, a welldeveloped insolvency law and strong institutional capabilities provide a good

foundation for a smoothly f unc t ioning ins olvenc y system,” he said.

Tetangco said this is also the reason why for this FAIR, they will be focusing on “Financial Stability,” covering development of re s olut i on f r am e wor k s for financial institutions; development in regulatory treatment of nonperforming loans or distressed assets; developments in standardizing the duties of directors to better manage systematic risk and the application of these standards to state-owned enterprises.

Aside from these issues, it will also focus on “Responsible Access to Finance,” which will cover approaches to the treatment of insolvency of natural persons, responsible lending and consumer protection, and productive potential and asset value in small and medium enterprises insolvency.

With the forum, he said he expects that participating countries will be able to get the necessary information about financial security and will have a broader look on existing insolvency reforms.

“I am confident that this 9th Forum on Asian Insolvenc y Reform will be successful in helping us move toward a strong ins olvenc y regime that promotes sustainable growth and development, financial s t a b i l i t y a n d i nv e s t o r confidence,” he ended.

The Forum on Asian Insolvency Reform was first convened in 2001 by the the World Bank in partnership with other international organizations in Asia.

It has established itself as the leading forum for dialogue on insolvency law and reform in the region.

This is the first time that the Philippines hosted the FAIR, which was previously held in Indonesia, South Korea, India, China, Thailand and Malaysia. (PNA)

Market...

from page 2 Developed countries also raised protectionist barriers using measures that accorded with WTO principles, such as standards, hygiene and non-technical grounds, he said.

“The WTO authorizes members to redefine standards of products that are allowed to cross their borders, as long as they can provide scientific evidence to support this,” Salim said, adding the evidence could sometimes be manipulated.

However, standards were only one aspect of trade facilitation.

“Developed countries use standards only; they tend not to talk about other aspects of facilitation and insist that developing countries should comply with their standards,” he said. “ Ho w e v e r, t r a d e facilitation is about more than just standards, like how can we simplify customs procedures, improve infrastructure, and

reduce the cost of exports and imports.

“As the DDA negotiations are not progressing, market access is the key principle for the MC9 negotiations,” Salim said.

The aim of the Doha round of trade talks, launched in 2001, is to create a wideranging accord to open markets and remove trade barriers, with a focus on helping poorer countries. The WTO has since significantly lowered its sights following repeated failures to produce an agreement.

Salim said the main obstacle of the DDA is the issue of agricultural trade.

“Most of the agricultural sectors in most developed countries are established, already developed,” Salim said.

H o w e v e r, i n m o s t developing countries the agricultural sectors were less developed, and productivity was less than that in LDCs and developing countries, who needed greater access to developed countries, he said.

Commenting on China’s role in promoting the WTO multilateral system, Salim said the membership of China since 2001 has created a balance to the United States and the European Union in the WTO’ s multilateral system and provided developing countries with encouragement.

“I t h i n k C h i n a c an work with LDGs and the developing countries to persuade or discuss with the developed countries the need to increase their market access, to provide more trade facilitation,” Salim said. (PNA/Xinhua)

Nestle... from page 3

move.

Android is the operating system that powers over 1 billion smartphones and tablets. Since these devices make lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert: Cupcake, D o n u t , E c l a i r, F r o y o, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. As everybody finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate Google has decided to name the next version of Android after one of the world’s favorite chocolate treats, Kitkat Nestlé is also producing 20 million Kit Kat chocolate bars with Android logo on it.

John Mar t in Mi l ler, chairman and CEO of Nestlé Philippines Inc., said they are not sure if the Android Kit Kat bars would also be made available in the Philippines. At present, it is available in Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Nestlé Philippines imports this popular chocolate bars from Malaysia.

Miller also said that television still accounts for the bulk of its advertising expenses in the country although they have strong digital campaigns for its

products, particularly Nescafe and Kit Kat online noting that Filipinos are among the world’s heavy users of social media.

“For old marketers like me, we have to be where people are living and people are living online and we are putting more campaigns online and where people’s interests are,” he said.

Ad ve r t i s i ng bu d ge t , however, still varies from brand to brand. Kit Kat may be more on the digital media.

The social media also does not distinguish anymore in terms of age bracket because more adults are becoming very active on online. Kit Kat obviously has gotten more online exposure while Nescafe is more on television.

Based on recent surveys, t he re are t h re e Ne st l é Philippine brands that belong to the top 20 brands of Nestlé.

These are Bear Brand, Milo and Maggie.

Bula, who is in charge of Nestlé products branding image, said that Nestlé is now more aware of the importance of food on health of people as he cited the fortification of Bear Brand milk by Nestlé Philippines to address micronutrient deficiency of the people.

He said that p eople have become receptive to its campaign platform of nutrition, health and wellness.

“This has built awareness worldwide on health issues with discussions on obesity and ‘who you are is what you eat’,” said Bula.

“We have responsibility to make people lead healthy life and confectionery has a whole lot to play in people’s diet but the challenge is how to offer these so we have to offer alternative product,” he said.

Agri... from page 4

The DA said it needs at least P5.5 billion in order to carry out clearing, recovery and rehabilitation in affected areas.

“Farmers cannot wait, planting season cannot wait,” de Lima said.

He added affected areas should be able to start planting in four months so they can harvest early next year.

For Typhoon Yolanda alone, a total of 203,870 families or 873,666 individuals have been affected.

The UN Food Agriculture Organiz at ion (FAO ) is already extending technical and financial assistance in the rehabilitation efforts of typhoon stricken areas.

T h e FA O i s a l s o formulating a 3 year rehabilitation plan with the DA. The DA clarified though, that if certain delays are encountered, the impact will be isolated in affected regions only.

T h e Nat i o n a l Fo o d Authority meanwhile will be importing 500,000 MT of rice to cover the loss in production and address ongoing relief requirements.

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

wednesday - December 4, 2013

Power... from page 1

of the affected electric cooperatives. Momentarily, he noted that the National Electrification Administration (NEA) has been funneling required funding for repair and rehabilitation through its available on-lend facility.

The deadline the energy chief imposed for power restoration in the disasteraf fe c t e d are a s w i l l b e December 24 this year. Failing that, he offered his position as a trade-off, with his “I will resign” statement.

T he c o st re c ove r i e s for these repair works, he said, will be done through applications e ventually with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) – at least for the costs not covered by insurance policies.

Petilla qualified that “the promise of having electricity

by December 24” does not necessarily mean at all households, because some electric cooperatives may still not be able to fully restore their service then or some consumers may not agree to corresponding costs that will come with their electricity service re-connection.

He said the commitment they had would be to make ready the infrastructure — that once a DU would be ready to energize its franchise area, electricity service can be immediately restored.

If it can only be taken as a gauge, he noted that there had been areas that seemed impossible to be restored with power supply, like in the case of Tacloban, but so far the hurdles were overcome.

According to NGCP’s latest report, Tacloban was already energized Sunday but the line tripped due to some ‘technical fault’. Restoration has been re-scheduled anew at 2:00pm on Monday (December 2).

Other areas, according to the energy chief, will certainly be challenging on the electricity supply restoration track, but utmost efforts are being exerted to meet the December 24 deadline.

By then, he stressed that restoration could be at more than 50-percent at the transmission level; while its less than 50-percent at distribution level.

The energy chief averred that the important consideration he realized on the imposed deadline was not to compromise the safety of personnel involved in the supply restoration and facilities’ rehabilitation efforts.

Coal... from page 1

But Alsons executive vice president Tirso Santillan Jr. said the delay is necessary and has nothing to do with earlier calls from various sectors to stop the construction of the coal-fired plant for environmental concerns.

“The Zamboanga project is a bit delayed because of banks’ concerns for normalization of city and rehab of Zamcelco distribution. Might be six to one year delay,” Santillan said.

The company had scheduled project construction late this year.

Zamboanga City suffered from an armed conflict on September 9 when members of the Moro National Liberation Front took around a hundred people hostage to push its secession demands. The siege ended on September 28, but the clash displaced some 100,000 people.

Last week, a member of the Z amboanga City Council has reiterated that the construction of the coal plant here is more expensive than that of the other power producers in Mindanao, a local lawmaker here said.

In a City Council session here, Councilor Rommel Agan exposed a document showing power that will be drawn from the SRPI is expensive.

The document, which Agan found, was posted in the Web site of the Department of Energy, shows a comparison of the project costs of the various companies engaged in constructing and operating a coal-fired power plant.

But SRPI Vice President for Business Development Joseph Nocos explained that the document posted by the DOE is inaccurate, saying they will provide the City Council with an updated costing.

Alsons chairman and president Tomas Alcantara earlier said the San Ramon plant had signed up Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd. of South Korea as contractor in December last year.

“The… plant is expected to begin construction later in 2013 and is scheduled to commence operating by 2016,” he said earlier.

Alcantara said Alsons was committed to ensure Mindanao’s power stability in the long run and planned to double the current generating capacity of subsidiaries to make it a supplier of onefourth of Mindanao’s energy demand by 2016.

“With two plants going up in Sarangani and Zamboanga, we are looking forward to generate an aggregate of 463 megawatts–more than onefourth of the Department of Energy’s projected 2016 Mi nd an a o p e a k p owe r demand of 1,829 MW,” he said.

o f t h e C i t y C o u n c i l’s Committee on Peace and Order, and seconded by City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr., both of whom sit as CMC members.

Arakama sits as CMC member and head of the secretariat representing the DILG. “Resolved, as it is hereby resolved, to approve the recommendation of the Task Force Zamboanga and the Zamboanga City Police Office the lifting of curfew hours in Zamboanga City starting December 2,” the CMC resolution said.

The curfew was first implemented for 10 hours since September 9 by the CMC chaired by Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.

Salazar gradually shortened the curfew to six hours, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., and further to four hours, from 12 midnight to 4 a.m., following the request of the business sector.

“Today, we began anew as we transition from the crisis to rehabilitation,” Salazar said of the lifting of the curfew.

Senior Supt. Denis Basngi, city police director, said he might assign more policemen in the streets, especially at night time, with the lifting of the curfew, as it is expected that the number of civilians going around will increase.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) chief, said his command through the Task Force Z amboanga will enhance the security measures in support to the local police force.

BlackBerry... from page 3

Financial that would have taken the company private, sparking rampant speculation about its future.

“Our ‘for sale’ sign has been taken down and we are here to stay,” Chen said, adding: “We’re going back to our heritage and roots -delivering enterprise-grade, end-to-end mobile solutions.”

In his open letter, he said BlackBerry is committed to its handsets, messaging

service and ser vers that manage mobile devices for companies. — Agence France-Presse

ABELLANOSA Lechon House Corner Magsaysay Abellanosa St., Cag. de Oro City

Farmers...

MANAGED BY :

KUYA ABS CDO EAGLES CLUB

from page 4

square meters plot.

Verzola told the farmers that they could apply such strategy in a larger farm when they have mastered the application of SRI techniques.

Verzola proudly told the farmer-participants of the orientation that the SRI holds the phenomenal world rice harvest record of 448 cavans of rice per hectare per cropping in India in 2011.

He added that it was discovered by Fr. Henri de Laulanie with farmers assigned in his parish in Madagascar, Africa and being adopted in more than 50 countries worldwide. (PNA)

WE ACCEPT ORDERS: LECHON, HALANG-HALANG or SAMPAINA

FREE DELIVERY WITHIN CITY PROPER Contact:

09353742908 / 09265949729 / 0883091150

BSP...

from page 5

high international reserves as well as steady remittance inflows favor the peso.

Tetangco said overseas workers’ foreign exchange remittance could increase further given the disaster caused by typhoon Yolanda, as has happened in past calamities.

Remittances in the January-September are up 5.8%, ahead of the central bank’s 5% target for this year.

The target for 2014 is also for a 5% growth.

“Currently, there doesn’t seem to be a need for altering the stance of monetary policy,” Tetangco said, referring to the easy monetary policy that has brought its closely watched overnight rates to 3.5% for borrowing and 5.5% for lending.

He s ai d t h e e ar l i e r forecasts for inflation to average 3.2% for this year and 4.5% for 2014 “appear to be on conservative side.”

That means, he said, that inflation this year could even be lower.

Mr. Tetangco said typhoon Yolanda may stoke some inflationary pressure but “won’t be significant.” (Dow Jones)

Pryce Plaza Hotel Carmen Hill, CDO, Tel. No.722791 to93/858-4537 E-mail:reservations@pryceplaza.ph

Curfew...

---------------------------------

from page 1

CAGAYAN DE ORO MAIN BRANCH

military officials since the P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers peace and order situation Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * has normalized. # (088) A r aTelefax kam a 856-1947 made the announ c e m e n t during CAMIGUIN BRANCH theB.program “Tribute Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, to Heroes” in Tel. front City Hall Camiguin # (088)of387-0491 attended by local government CORRALES BRANCH e mpl oye e s , p ol i c e an d Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City military officials and from the academe.

DIVISORIA BRANCH Erasmoprogram B. Damasing Bldg., Don A. Atty.The was#61meant Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City to remember in a special way Tel. # (088) 857-3631 those who have risked their lives in defense Zamboanga LAPASAN of BRANCH Lapasanthe Hi-way, Cagayan derebels.

Oro City against MNLF (088) A r a Tel. k a# m a 231-6739 said the resolution was BRANCH unanimously CARMEN approved Vamenta Blvd.,following Cagayan de Oro Citythe prop o sTel. a l# (088) of 231-2011 C ou nc i l or Roel Natividad, chairman

11

www.businessweekmindanao.com

CHANANTHON BED & BREAKFAST 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

CM Recto Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. #: 856-81-89 / 309-3095 / 231-2103 Email ad : chananthonbb@yahoo.com Room @ P800.00

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT

CONTACT PERSON: RAYLYN LANTACA

---------------------------------

NEW DAWN PENSIONNE Velez-Macahambus Sts, CDO Tel Nos. 8571776, 721776 email : gchreservation@yahoo.com

BusinessWeek MINDANAO

12

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessdailymindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

YOUR LOCAL ONLINE BUSINESS PAPER

www.businessweekmindanao.com

wednesday - December 4, 2013

COUNCIL OF DEANS CRIMINOLOGY EDUCATION REGION 10

AND

In cooperation with

HON. AQUILINO PIMENTEL III HON. YEVGENY EMANO Senator Republic of the Philippines

Provincial Governor Misamis Oriental

HON. JOEY PELAEZ Vice Governor Misamis Oriental

HON. OSCAR MORENO HON. ROLANDO “KLAREX” UY HON. PETER UNABIA City Mayor Cagayan de Oro City

Congressman, 1st district Cagayan de Oro City

Congressman, 1st District Misamis Oriental

present

REGIONWIDE

2013

COMPETITION 07 December 2013 7:00 o’ Clock in the morning Pelaez Sports Center Cagayan de Oro City

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

CAGAYAN DE ORO COLLEGE PHINMA EDUCATION NETWORK

LICEO DE CAGAYAN UNIVERSITY

ILIGAN MEDICAL CENTER COLLEGE

MISAMIS ORIENTAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DON CARLOS POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES COLLEGE

TAGOLOAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

COLEGIO DE STO. NIÑO DE JASAAN

MINDANAO ARTS AND TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

CAPITOL UNIVERSITY