BusinessWeek Mindanao (February 19, 2018)

BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O

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Volume VIII, No. 114

Market Indicators

As of 6:00 pm February 16, 2018 (friday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P52.00

8,612.44

12

X X Briefly

cents

14.33 points

Poverty reduction INVESTING in the employment of young people is important to poverty reduction and the country’s inclusive economic growth, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) Brief.

The paper said youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) and slow in school-to-work transition is a challenge in the Philippines and the Southeast Asia and Pacific region.

It attributed to several factors contributing to the persistence of youth in NEET rates in the Philippines, particularly striking in the Visayas and Mindanao region. These include job skills mismatch in the labor market, a lack of labor market information available to young people, and insufficient employment services for at-risk youth.

The ADB Brief said many of these at-risk young people were from low-income households with limited social networks.

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Monday | February 19, 2018

cmyk

Patag Highway, Cagayan de Oro City

Tel. No. 858-5789 / Fax No. 850-5020; Cel. Nos. 0919-655-3754, 0923-304-2676 Email: verticalhomebuilders@yahoo.com

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; Good 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.

“YOU NAME IT, WE HAVE IT.”

Distributor & Dealer of: Steel Bars; Holcim Cement; Davis Paint; Sand & Gravel; Plywood; INdustrial Supplies; Finishing Supplies; Electrical Supplies; Power Tools; Air Compressors

TravelX eyes biz links with tourism players First Business-to-Business Event

T

By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

RAVEL and tourism stakeholders from several regions from Mindanao and the Visayas are converging in Cagayan de Oro City on February 21 and 22 for a travel dialogue and business session dubbed TravelX. Hosted by the Depar tment of Tourism Region 10 office and organized by tourism consultants and event management company, Selrahco, the two-day event will bring in some 100 representatives from the hotel and resort sectors, local tourism offices, event organizers, tour operators, large and medium sized corporations and social and

civic clubs.

Cagayan de Oro was selected to host TravelX - The B2B Event after it launched direct flight links late last year with several cities and top tourist destinations such as Boracay, Clark, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Zamboanga and 10 other points across the archipelago.

Travelx/PAGE 11

NEW HUB. President Rodrigo Duterte and Cebu Pacific chair Lance Gokongwei unveiled last year the commemorative marker launching Laguindingan airport as Cebu Pacific Air’s 7th regional hub. photo courtesy of charo l . lagamon

Ride-hailing firm eyes CDO for biz operation

By GERRY LEE GORIT, Reporter

A NEW player in the ridehailing industry is training its sights on making this city the second area in the country to launch its services, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) said.

Hirna, a young company that offers convenience to the taxi-riding public, has launched its business in Davao City last month and the firm’s top official said Cagayan de Oro will be

New condo tower DMCI Homes, Inc. unveiled last week the fourth tower at its P3-billion Verdon Parc residential estate in Davao City, following the robust take-up of the first three towers.

In a statement issued Thursday, the residential arm of DMCI Holdings, Inc. said the last tower in the estate called Maurin will have 22 storeys with units covering a range of 28 to 56.5 square meters each. Units are priced at P2.9 million upwards.

Maurin’s launch comes amid the sale of 837 units from the first three towers in Verdon Parc, called Martel, Belvedere, and Trevans, worth P2.76 billion.

P15.00

vertical home builders enterprises

the next city to establish its operation.

Hirna means “here na” or “here already” in local lingo.

Aminoden Guro, LTFRB-10 regional director, said the entry of Hirna will be to the advantage of the city’s riding public as they will get to enjoy the convenience taxis with ride-hailing software have to offer.

At present, Cagayan de Oro has dozens of taxis operation/PAGE 11

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI. Mayor Oscar Moreno enjoys fireworks at the Rodelsa Circle by the CDO Filipino-Chinese Community with Bell Church CDO IPP Greg Lao & MOFCCCII Pres Adelfa Sia during the Chinese New Year’s eve last Feb. 15. photo by mike baños

BIR tax collection reaches P13-B in Normin last year

By GERRY LEE GORIT, Reporter

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue’s regional office here has reported it has surpassed its collection target last year

as it vows to renew its efforts to go after erring taxpayers.

Lawyer Hermeno Palamine, regional director

for BIR Revenue Region 16, said the tax-collecting body was able to take in more than P13 billion in 2017, mostly from income taxes, collection/PAGE 11

BEATING THE DEADLINE. Taxpayers stand in line outside the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regional office in Barangay Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City. photo by gerry lee gorit

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

Economy 2 Prices of basic goods Marawi IDPs completed TESDA training of trainers remain stable in Region 12 capacity building program G Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

Monday|february 19, 2018

Cultivating skills and enhancing packages

ENERAL Santos City -- Prices of prime and basic goods in Region 12 have remained stable in the wake of the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law. Vanessa Claire Plena, public information officer of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Region 12, said Thursday there has been no significant price changes for various commodities in the area based on their monitoring since last month.

She said the agency’s

price monitoring teams, which is headed by provincial directors of its field offices, have been conducting regular inspections in local malls, supermarkets, public markets and grocery stores in parts of the region.

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

“There’s a general impression of stability in prices of prime and basic

commodities in the whole region,” she said.

Aside from stable market prices, Plena said local supplies remain sufficient, specifically for varieties of rice, meat and fish.

In South Cotabato, she said there was no price increase on basic and prime commodities and supplies were sufficient but was a significant increase reported in the prices of soft drinks and processed fruit drinks.

She said the prices of some canned goods like sardines, among them the Mega brand, have even decreased.

Plena said the same

situation was monitored in this city and in the provinces of Sarangani, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

In Cotabato City, she said there were reports of increases in the prices of soft drinks like Coca-Cola as early as the first week of January due to price adjustments implemented by suppliers.

But these were rolled back by the suppliers to the December 2017 prices by the second week, she said.

Plena assured their monitoring teams will continue with the price inspections to prevent possible abuses by some traders and commercial establishments.(FKA/PNA)

ILIGAN City -- More than 90 internally displaced individuals (IDPs) from Marawi City have completed the Training of the Trainers Capacity Building Program under Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The IDP beneficiaries, TESDA officials, representatives of Marawi local government, Fiat construction services representatives and Task Force Bangon Marawi Field office personnel attended the awarding of certificates and ceremonial distribution of toolkits at Regional Training Center in Iligan City.

The training of the

trainers’ capacity building program targets to further enhance the abilities of the skilled industry workers who are already doing jobs from masonry, carpentry, welding, machine operating and other construction occupations.

Beneficiaries of this program undergone job retooling and assessment, then, they will have to get a National Certificate (NC) II—a credential that proved that a certain individual had successfully demonstrated necessary skills and knowledge to perform the tasks carried out as a professional.

TESDA Region 10 Officer-in-Charge Tarhata TESDA/PAGE 11

Taking a degree in physical education

By ETHEL T. BOLO Teacher I Pagatpat Elementary School

RPN Radyo Ronda Stations Nationwide

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

THE Bachelor of Science in Education major in Physical Education program (BSEDPE) is designed to improve students with a strong foundation on the concepts of physical education. The program aims to produce graduates who are able to work as high school physical education teachers.

BSED-PE takes four ye ars to complete. An on-t he-job training or i nte r nsh ip i s d one on the third and fourth year level of the program where students are exposed to both

in-campus and out-campus teaching. The internship will last for at least one month on every year level.

Subjects included in BSED-PE are met ho ds and strategies in teaching, classroom setting and management, fundamentals of rhythmic activities, child and adolescent development, fundaments of games and sports, social dimensions of education, sining ng pakikipagtalastasan, special education for MAPEH, safety education and

f i rst ai d, masi ni ng ng pagpapahayag, curriculum development and Philippine history.

A graduates of BSED-PE needs to pass the licensure examination for teachers in order to practice as a public school teacher.

He or she can be a high school physical education t e a c h e r, m o v e m e n t education specialist, sports coordinator, sports instructor, sports instructor, physical education department head, athletic director or team coach.

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

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Monday|february 19, 2018

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CorporateWorld

PAL considers acquisition of A350-1000 jet

P

HILIPPINE AIRLINES (PAL) is considering the acquisition of the

new Airbus A3501000, amid the flag carrier’s aggressive fleet expansion program.

Phoenix Petroleum posts 1.8-B net income in 2017

By MYRNA M. VELASCO

WITH its ruffling feathers in the oil industry juggernaut in what many believe as targeted ascend to number 2 ranking in the sector, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. has also started delivering impressive performance at its bottom line, logging P1.792-billion full-year net income in 2017.

That has been a 65-percent profitability rise from the 2016 fullyear income level of P1.092 billion.

Yet, if its non-recurring gains and costs would be factored in courtesy of its acquisition of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business from Petronas last year, the company still posted 30-percent year-onyear income rise to P1.421 billion.

The profit jump, according to the company, had been primarily ushered in by “triple alltime highs in sales volume, revenues, and net income on core business.”

Taking all of these into account, the oil firm’s revenues escalated 45-percent to P44.426 billion in 2017.

Phoenix Petroleum President and CEO Dennis A. Uy emphasized that the company’s momentum in 2017 had been “a result of its investments over many years in people, products ,and partnerships.”

Taking off from business segments shoring up and buoyed top and bottom lines, Uy noted that the company “will continue to be opportunistic as we grow the business.”

Industry talks are rife that Phoenix Petroleum has already cemented its rise into number 3 ranking in the deregulated downstream oil sector, but reports have it that its next target would be a climb to the second spot – an industry landscape change that would totally erode the conventionally known phoenix/PAGE 10

AYALA Land Inc. (ALI) has earmarked a record P111 billion for capital expenditures (capex) in 2018 and is ready to launch P125 billion worth of projects, optimistic about the continued growth of the property market.

ALI Chief Finance Officer and Treasurer Augusto “Toti” Bengzon told reporters that P47.4 billion, or 43 percent of the projected capex, will be allotted for the residential segment; P18.7 billion, or 17 percent, for malls; and P14 billion, or 12 percent, for land acquisition.

The company will set aside the remaining amount for malls, offices, hotels and resorts and estate development segments, as well as for capital, services, and other investments.

ALI President and Chief Executive Officer Bernard Vincent Dy said, “(this year’s) capex is at P111 billion, which is significantly higher than we have been spending year-on-year the last four or five years. So this will gonna be another all-time high in terms of capex, that’s an indication of the opportunities that we see, optimism on what we see in the market.”

Dy said the company is also targeting to roll out P125 billion worth of residential, office and leasing projects this year.

The property giant booked a record profit of P25.3 billion in 2017, up 21 percent from P20.9 billion the previous year, on the back of resurgence of property sales and strong leasing growth. ayala/PAGE 10

Ayala Land earmarks P111-B capex for 2018

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PAL President Jaime J. Bautista on Thursday said the airline can earn savings with the new long-range aircraft, the largest of the Airbus A350 series.

“It’s a bigger version of the 350-900. Its advantage, if we take delivery of this, the engine is the same.

A little bit bigger but there is commonality, the spare parts. With training, the pilot can fly the same aircraft. So, in terms of pilot training, cabin crew training, we

have savings in training.

There are savings on spare parts because there is commonality in the airline, is very important,” Mr. Bautista told reporters on the sidelines of the A3501000 demonstration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2.

In 2016, the flag carrier ordered six A350900s. PAL expected to take delivery of four of the A350s this year.

Mr. Bautista said there is an option to convert

the A350-900s to A3501000s.

“We can. I’m sure.

We have an order of six option. That option, I’m sure Airbus will be happy if we convert those to 350-1000,” he added, noting the lease price is $200 million.

Airbus is set to deliver the first A350-1000 aircraft to Qatar Airways on Feb. 20.

Airbus brought the A350-1000 to Manila as part of its Asia-Pacific road show. The Airbus A350-1000 is the newest

product in the A350 WXB family. The twin-aisle aircraft is seven meters longer than the A350900 and can seat 366 passengers in three-class configuration.

This year, PAL is expected to take delivery of six A321neos, and five Bombardier Q400s. The $2-billion fleet expansion comes amid the airline’s efforts to secure five-star rating by 2020.

PAL earlier said it is targeting to carry 16.5 million passengers this year.

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Opinion

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Plastic problem

HOTLINE Businessweek Mindanao Corporation Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO

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Going through hot water

Think a minute…“A tea bag isn’t worth much until it’s been through some hot water.” There’s a saying in boxing: “Everybody’s got a plan—until they’ve been hit!”

Sooner or later, life is going to hit and knock you down.

Whether you get back up or not is your choice. Almost all people’s successes are built on their former failures. A very successful man was asked if he had ever failed.

He answered: “Only in life.”

The fact is, even after we’ve been knocked down we can still use our past mistakes and failures to build a bridge to our success.

You know that you’re the only one who can kill your dream by quitting.

Remember that just falling in the water is not what drowns you; it’s staying down there that does. Just like

kites fly high because the wind pushes against them, so problems that oppose you can actually help you succeed, if you choose to believe and use them that way.

There was a man who was the only survivor from a shipwreck. He drifted to an uninhabited island where he built a hut for his shelter. One evening after he returned from searching for food, he found his little hut on fire.

Early the next morning he awoke to find a ship that had come in during the night. When the captain came on shore he told the man: “We saw your smoke signal so we came to rescue you.” Everything this man owned and valued in his hut had to be destroyed before he could be saved.

Sometimes our Maker even uses our pain to get our attention, so we can learn our most important lessons for living well and wisely. So why not ask Jesus Christ to take charge and lead you through the hot water you’re in now? He’s the only one who can help you change your pain and problems into peace and prosperity for you and your family. The choice is yours.

Just Think a Minute…

Researchers compiled their data from production statistics for resins, fibers and additives from a variety of industry sources.

The report found that as of 2015, nearly seven billion tons (6.3 metric tons) of plastic waste was generated on Planet Earth.

A total of 79 percent of that plastic waste accumulated in landfills or the environment, including the oceans. Despite widespread efforts toward reusability, only nine percent was recycled.

Another 12 percent was incinerated, a process that can also be harmful to the environment.

Recycling is not much help when it comes to plastics, because they do not dissolve in the environment. None of the plastics in widespread

use are biodegradable.

Just over two tons of plastics were produced globally in 1950, when mass manufacturing of the durable material began, said the report.

By 2015, that number skyrocketed to over 440 million tons, outpacing most other man-made materials, with the exception of steel and cement.

About half of the total amount of plastics produced from 1950 to 2015 has been made in just the last 13 years.

While steel and cement are used for years, most plastic is used in packaging -- think plastic water bottles that are used once and discarded.

Roughly half of all the steel we make goes into construction, so it will have plastic/PAGE 11

Why change it? It’s working!

Cell No: 09352379999

ABEGAIL BAYNOSA era mae deloso

jhan tiafau hurst

Mother Earth has a plastic problem. More than 9.1 billion tons of plastic of any kind and in any form are produced on E arth regularly and dumped into open spaces -- landfills, seas and oceans, mountains, plains and plateaus.

Name it, the Earth have it. Plastic is everywhere.

The report in the journal

ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

Layout Artist

think a minute

Ruffy magbanua

Science Advances is described as the first global analysis of all mass-produced plastics and warns that an even more dire scenario lies ahead.

At the current pace, over 13 billion tons of plastic waste will be discarded in landfills or in the environment by 2050.

This amount -- which converts to 12 billion in metric tons -- is about 35,000 times as heavy as the Empire State Building in New York.

Most plastics do not biodegrade in any meaningful sense, so the plastic waste humans have generated could be with us for hundreds or even thousands of years.

The estimates underscore the need to think critically about the materials we use and our waste management practices.

Speaking out

ignacio bunye In a recent video-streamed forum, the panelists were hard put trying to explain the Duterte phenomenon.

Here is a President who curses, cracks all sorts of vulgar jokes, acts beyond generally accepted social norms and yet gets away with it. Instead of being jeered as un-presidential, he is applauded and cheered by his audience.

According to both SWS and Pulse Asia, he has enjoyed the highest trust and acceptance ratings compared to his predecessors.

Surprisingly, his popularity even cuts across classes and even across the world.

No doubt, he has his fair

share of detractors – from the academe, the religious, mainstream media, political opponents. But against them, Duterte has a solid core of 16 million Dutertards.

To what can we attribute this phenomenon? Charisma?

Ability to connect with his crowd? Ability to evoke an emotional response?

He has succeeded in projecting himself as a probinsiyano mayor with no pretensions. He readily admits his ignorance of economics. The reason, he says, why he leaves his economic managers pretty much alone.

But he can also project himself as a strong and decisive leader. His posture of defiance against superpowers and his handling of Marawi are cases in point.

Over two decades as a ‘kanto boy’-type mayor, he has developed a flair for drama. Just take a look at how he ordered the destruction of several confiscated luxury cars with a back hoe. Not to forget the firing of an appointee for going on foreign trips once too many.

And thanks to his handlers too, he has come up with a strong narrative (supporting the police and the military come hell or high water, caring for the OFW), which he delights in personally repeating.

It also helps that he has retained a troll army whose main job is to magnify and re-echo his messages. Never mind if the truth is often stretched in the process.

The result is a ver y powerful, larger-than-life Duterte who can challenge and has, in fact, succeeded in disrupting the status quo.

The establishment probably had it coming. In so many ways, it has not lived up to the expectation of the average Filipino. The justice and criminal system, for example, works sooooo slowly. It is no surprise therefore to find the average Filipino welcoming legal shortcuts and the return of the death penalty and lapping up Duterte’s rhetoric.

In a re c e nt c h a n c e encounter with Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, I congratulated him for the

recent passage of TRAIN which will fund this administration’s “build, build, build” program.

But I also shared with him my personal concerns about the President’s leadership style. Our next generation must have a good role model, I told Sonny.

Sonny just smiled: Why change it? Its working!

The Boracay Challenge For years, authorities have been in denial that something was environmentally wrong with Boracay. A top tourism official even went swimming along its shores to show one and all that Boracay’s waters were safe and pure.

But truth will eventually out. And last week it did.

It took no less than the President to declare that when one bathes in Boracay nowadays, the swimmer comes out smelling like s..t.

As it turned out, none of the hundreds of tourist establishments that have mushroomed in Boracay over the years have installed waste treatment facilities.

Toilet and kitchen waste are bunye/PAGE 9

What absurdity is happening at the SEC? Kakampi mo ang batas

Batas Mauricio LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead…” (Ecclesiastes 9:3, the Holy Bible).

-ooo WHAT ABSURDIT Y IS HAPPENING AT THE SEC? Does President Duterte know that, at the Securities

and Exchange Commission or SEC, it is no longer the employees of the agency that give out to the public sensitive documents on trade and commerce in the country which are filed with it, but those of a private company already?

The re as on I ask if President Duterte knows this kind of a system that is in place at the SEC now is that, SEC continues to be a part of the executive branch of the government, making it still under the administrative jurisdiction and control of the Office of the President.

Did the President or Malacanang agree that the records of the SEC (including the sensitive records of all corporations, companies, and partnerships that do business in the Philippines) can no longer be requested

from that agency, but from a private company instead?

-ooo A PRIVATE COMPANY IS NOW IN CONTROL OF SEC RECORDS? I learned about this last week, after I sent a written request to the SEC Records Division for the record of a corporation which my fellow lawyers sued on behalf of a client who is a trucker from Antipolo City.

The request for the records was earlier ordered to be made by the Antipolo City Regional Trial Court.

The court explained in its order that there is a need to ask from the SEC the record of the offending corporation to establish the identities of its top officers who should be required to receive copies of the complaint that we filed for the trucker.

The problem was that,

after the SEC received my request to be furnished with the record of the aforesaid corporation, a man called me, said he was an employee of a company known as “Teleserve” (yes, that was the name given by the caller to me), and explained that Teleserve is now in charge of all documents that the public would like to secure from the SEC. -ooo SEC RENOUNCED ITS RIGHT TO BE CUSTODIAN OF CORPORATE RECORDS? There would have been no problem, really, with that kind of an apparently new arrangement, because my only concern anyway was to be able to secure the record required to be produced by the Antipolo City Regional Trial Court. No matter who is absurdity/PAGE 9

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Monday|february 19, 2018 The Department of Tourism Region 10 will be staging the 1st ever TravelXchange The B2B Event on (Wed & Thu) February 21 and 22, 2018, bringing in various travel product sellers such as resorts, hotels, theme parks, tour operators, airlines, event organizers from mainly the Visayas and Mindanao regions

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(Regions 6, 7, 9 and 11).

Cagayan de Oro City has developed itself to be an important travel market with Languindingan Airport becoming an aviation hub with direct air links to Manila, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Bacolod, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Boracay and Clark Freeport.

TravelXchange The

B2B Event will arrange direct one-on-one (Business-to-Business, or B2B) between sellers and buyers in Region X and the aforementioned destinations. The idea is to foster increased two-way air travel and hence travelrelated business between the ten destinations directly between firms from these areas.

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6 TRAVELX SELLERS DIRECTORY Bellevue Resort Bohol Bohol Ms. Mutya Aquino & Ms. Jed Lim sales@thebellevuebohol.com Lite Shipping Cebu Benedict John Enerio bjaenerio@gmail.com Asiatic Adventure Tours and Services Bohol Ms. Bernadette Salinas & Karen Faith Balbon asiaticadventuretours@gmail.com Almont Hotel Butuan Mr. Manuel Sandagon manuel.sandagon@bluewater.com.ph San Remigio Beach Club Cebu Ms. Khalel Sarmiento & Ma. Claudine Baylon sanremigioproperties.sales@gmail.com Belmont Hotel Manila Mr. Rey Fabricante & Ms. Joy Torres lorenzo.tang@thebelmonthotels.com Savoy Hotels Manila Raquel Marasigan lorenzo.tang@thebelmonthotels.com Marco Polo Davao Davao Ms. Tang Jabilles and Princess Barsalote sanremigioproperties.sales@gmail.com Enchanted Kingdom Pampanga Mr. Albert Jimenez mgadante@enchantedkingdom.com 4 Bros and I Events and Travel Zamboanga City Ms. Honey Belle Pajiran honeybellepajiran@gmail.com iTravel Tourist Lane Zamboanga City Mr. Erold L. Bayona info@itraveltouristlane.com Dakak Resort and Properties Dapitan City Ms. Junelda G. Andas juneldagimena06@gmail.com Be Resorts Cebu, Bohol Weng Esteban weng.esteban@beresorts.com Bohol Beach Club Bohol Ms. Gigi Filoteo inquiries@boholbeachclub.com.ph Seda Hotel Cagayan de Oro Ms. Carol Valdez valdez.carol@sedahotels.com Seven Seas Waterpark and Resort Cagayan de Oro Ms. Angelica Paras http://www.sevenseaswaterparkresort.com/ Limketkai Luxe Hotel Cagayan de Oro Ms. Mylene Sison mylene.sison@limketkailuxe.com Quest Hotel Cebu City Mr. Noemer James Orcullo Cebusm1@questhotelsandresorts.com GetGo Pasay City Ms. Sherri Anne Costo SherriAnne.Costo@cebupacificair.com International Journeys Inc. Malate, Manila Mr. Ian Kirby Solpico kirby@signaturetours.ph Bai Hotel Cebu City Ms. Cherrie Mae Faelnar cbfaelnar@baihotel.com.ph Robinsons Hotels and Resorts Manila Ms. Anna Monica Casperino & Ms. Dyna Abello monica.casperino@robinsonsland.com / dyna.abello@ robinsonsland.com Asia Travel Pasig City Ms. Cheska Sevilla cheska.sevilla@tacentre.com

TravelFeature

CONCEPT

The 1st ever B2B travel event of its kind ever to be staged in Northern Mindanao, will gather top stakeholders of the travel and tourism industry from Regions 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 in Cagayan de Oro City (CGY) on February 21 and 22, 2018.

These regions have been chosen as their capital and major cities have direct air or sea links to and from CGY (see map below).

Tourism potentials have never been brighter than now as we welcome the year 2018. The commercial and economic boom in CGY and nearby cities such as Iligan, Malaybalay has created a huge tourist market and on hand to participate in this event are the travel agents, LGUs, civic clubs and organizations, schools and various travel groups from the area with the full support of the Department of Tourism Region 10 office.

Invited to lead the delegations from the other participating regions comprising of tour operators, hotels, resorts and tourist attractions are the DOT regional directors. This B2B event will put sellers in direct contact with dozens of serious potential buyers on a one-on-one table top discussion. A program is enclosed.

Registration with a nominal fee is now open to all sellers.

Participation forms for all buyers from Misamis Oriental are also available.

For more information, contact Mr Apollo Santos of Selrahco Events via mobile: 09273173737 landline: (032) 4155951 or email: apollo. selrahco@gmail.com THE VENUE LIMKETKAI LUXE HOTEL is the venue and is the official hotel of the event.

A special room rate for registered buyer delegates of P3,500.00 (single or double/twin with breakfast) is being offered by the hotel.

Contact jerome. delafuente@ limketkailuxe.com or call +639 88 880 0000 for reservations TARGET BENEFICIARIES 1.

Primary Target Market Local travel agents, tour operators, schools, and local government units in Misamis Oriental.

2.

Secondary Target Market Corporations, groups and institutions that are for corporate trips, business meetings and corporate conferences and incentive travels.

PRODUCT UPDATES Product updates will be given by each participating DOT regional office as part of the program strictly for invited travel agents, conference organizers, civic organizations, selected schools, local government units, associations and local business groups.

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DOT promotes Arkat A Lawanen Marawi Icon dolls for Peace

By Asa T. Madale

T

he Department of Tourism (DOT) has officially endorsed the Arkat A Lawanen Marawi Icon Dolls for Peace as a means to strengthen the preservation of the Maranao's culture and heritage.

"Tourism can play role in reconciliation to unites communities that may have been broken or displaced during conflict around common interests and goals, fostering a sense of peace and cooperation which may not otherwise occur,"Tourism Secretary Wanda C. Teo said.

"By rebuilding and strengthening culture, economy, and infrastructure, the tourism industry provides the

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region a chance to make a statement about the future of their region, especially after the Marawi siege," Teo stressed.

DOT Asst. Secretary Daniel Mercado emphasized that under the administration of President Duterte , tourism is an influential sources of capital. It provides economic opportunity through employment,ownership of business, and increased market size. It also perpetuates personal and community empowerment by offering renewed opportunities for selfsustaining business and economic enterprises.

Through the promotion of the Marawi Icon Arakat A Lawanen dolls under

the leadership of the Alliance Development for Woman Empowerment (ADWE) employment and income through livelihood will benefit the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) due to Marawi Siege.

The government and other allied agencies had been serving on the ground 24/7, but Mercado admits that rehabilitation and social healing needs ample time for the rehabilitation of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) Ms Ashlia M. Limbona, chairperson of Alliance Development for Women Empowerment (ADWE) said they found IDPs suffering harrassment due to past political affiliations, and many are still homeless and penniless because they are the least priority

of the poltical constituents.

Limbona emphasized that, while Task Force Bangon Marawi and present administration are dedicated to helping the IDP, they need

immediate and continuous employment to survive, despite substantial government assistance.

Wth the full support and cooperation of the Department of Tourism

under the dynamic leadership of Secretary Wanda C. Teo and Asec Daniel Mercado, ADWE has proposed the Marawi Icon Dolls envisioned to lawanen/PAGE 9

He & Some is a group of male Dreamboard balladeers who will serenade and melt your heart away. In the picture are Kevin Galos, Nick Ramsis Apolonio, Mark Pajaron and Kenneth Paro. They performed Valentine-themed songs at Limketkai Center last February 11. photo by mark francisco

Sikat ka Higala

By SHERYL MACALE

Your deeds are your monument.

For years I have searching for inspirational stories no particular people just the heroism and the power to move and inspire the whole nation. This time it is an agency of the government I found very willing to give a gift of skill that can change someones life abruptly. TESDA or Technical Education and Skills Development with the purpose of strengthening, promoting,coordinating, and expanding the programs of education in technical aspects and enhancing the socio-economic program of the Philippines through the development of skilled manpower in agriculture, industrial, and trade-technical, fishery and other vocational courses.

I have been tracking its programs for about few years now until I have personally met the Director General Guiling Mamondiong. I found his compassion and dedication to help extend a bright future to everyone.

There is no age limit to opportunities he said embrace the skill it will walk you to your desired path. There is no poverty that cannot bridge you to your success only the ambition that will drive to where you want to be. It is quite impressive to witness successful stories. Recently a project of the Provincial Government have pave way to 3,000 graduates in cooperation with TESDA and Senator Loren Legarda in the Governors pilot program ISKOLAR KO NI BAMBI. It was full packed with students from varieties of technical and vocational fileds. Tagoloan Dome was the venue of the event dated February 14,2018. It was witnessed

by Provincial Director, Regional Director of TESDA and Regional Training Center of Region X. I found this programs the only link to our economic distress. The Governor has expressed its honor to have given the opportunities that would lead these graduates to its destinations and through there achievement not only that it can find employment but give everyone a better future. Graduating from the programs given by TESDA will ensure the trainee a National Certificate from TESDA Assessment

that comes with benefits that include a quality assurance that the graduate has acquired proper knowledge and an understanding of the task at hand from undergoing a series of practical and hands on demonstrations, positive attitudes from interviews with people who contributes to the job and work projects. Not only that but the certificate has acquired the values that can help them the skills needed for the occupation and future opportunities. Through this programs we will be able to uplift the

economy with globally competitive workers that will give a renowned quality of skill that can honor the nation. I commend Governor Bambi Emano for his dedication, Provincial Director Leo Velez, The newly appointed Regional Director Tarhata S. Mapandi OIC and Engr. Nazario Villamor Jr. capacity Chief RTC. To all the graduates congratulations earn your Stripes in the world and make the nation and our Region proud. To the 3000 graduates, Sikat Kayo mga Higala.

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Bunye...

Lawanen...

directly discharged into the sea. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to understand that eventually this untreated waste goes back to the shore.

But all is not lost. Here comes Manila Water which claims it can provide a waste treatment facility that can fix the problem of the island.

But why didn’t local officials even think about it before hand?

Caloocan’s Finest I almost fell off my seat upon reading about a recent National Police Commission survey.

The survey showed that in Metro Manila (with 16 cities and 1 municipality) , the Caloocan City Police Station enjoyed the highest trust rating. (88 per cent) What next? Perhaps, the Napolcom will also announce the results of a future nation-wide survey, proclaiming Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido as “Most Outstanding COP”.

Note: You may email us at totingbunye2000@gmail. com. You may also “like” us on Facebook at “Speaking Out”.

promote and preserve the culture and traditions for Maranao society.

T h is is d e s i g ne d to rehabilitate the Maranao women IDPs by giving them social interaction with community and the world outside. They will be regarded as WARRIORS FOR PEACE creating the MARAWI ICON ARAKAT A LAWANEN Dolls that will be able to sustain their means of livelihood a decent way of living. They will be trained and develop from their artistic lineage and passion in showing the world that the Maranao woman can be an epitome of beauty and peace.

ADWE will conduct its two stages of training of some selected IDPs by special field of skills such as: First training ONE WEEK CAMP OUT. The Marawi IDPs must be uprooted from evacuation centers for 2 days PSYCHO social rehabilitation for motivation and inspiration (REFLECTION OF FAITH). Followed by 3 days training. They will be briefed on the history andimportance of the project.

Actual teaching of how to handle and dress a doll. On the 3rd day graduation and shall transfer to a permanent training facility.

On the 2nd and 3rd week of training. 25 participants (group of 4=100 IDPs) They will be classified according to their level of skillse, like hair dressers (combong making) accessory makers blouse and malong weaving . The artistic section will dress the doll, then final quality control and packaging.

The ADWE Social Entrepreneurship and Empowerment shall not be limited to ARKAT A LAWANEN and DARANGEN DOLL, there will be more preservation of our Muslim Indigenous arts and masterpiece show cases that shall be introduce to the market.

We shall be creating a livelihood center where every Maranao woman can participate in delivering there skills talents to dressing a doll only (e,g, Tugaya Brasswares, Langkit Malong and Inaul).

The new awareness that shall be existing in the world of fairies and fantasy is the beautiful epitome of peace, Marawi Icon dolls. Limbona stressed .

She added that the ADWE envisions Maranao woman shall be allowed to stand of their own all by organizing themselves into a Cooperative under the umbrella of ADWE to empower them. That the trained IDPs shall be allowed to produce her own DOLLS after 1 year of service to ADWE training and shall if given the chance to make their cooperatives they must hand in their products to ADWE for quality control and marketing strands. Finally, they shall can make a factory of talented ethnic dolls in the history.

from page 4

Absurdity... from page 4

now in charge of these records at the SEC---whether it is still the SEC or a new private company already---as long as they are able to comply with order of the court, involving public records yet, that would be okay with me.

What is riling me however is that, the man who called me claimed his company is not in possession yet of the documents needed by the court, so they still could not give me anything. When I asked him if I can then go straight to the SEC once more, the man responded that the SEC no longer has any right to release any document in its files, allegedly because it is Teleserve now which has the right to do this, pursuant to its contract with SEC. Ha ? He l l o ? C l e ar l y, Tel e s e r ve i s u n abl e to fulfill its contractual obligation to release the documents needed by the court. Why did the SEC--the agency of government which is in possession of those documents---have to renounce its right and obligation to the public to release documents to any interested party, like the Antipolo City court? What absurdity is happening at the SEC? -ooo FOR QUESTIONS, REACTIONS: If anyone would like to ask me any question about what the burning issues of the day mean, or what we have discussed here, or to consult on any problem, whatever it maybe, please call 0917 984 24 68, or email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com, or post your concerns at www. facebook.com/attybatas.

Promise, I will answer right away. Thank God in the Name of Jesus, Amen!

from page 8

JLL, Italpinas bring Italian living to Batangas I talpinas Development Corp. (IDC)is poised to replicate its success in its Cagayan de Oro projects in Sto. Tomas, Batangas with Miramonti Green Residences, the first mixed-use condominium project in this area with commercial offices and serviced apartments.

IDC is known for its flagship Primavera City and Primavera Residences which are eco-friendly projects that offer Italianinspired design and world-class construction standards.

While majority of mixed-use real estate developments have been concentrated within the confines of Metro Manila, IDC is one of those which have

committed to finding sweet spots in the emerging cities of the country.

Romolo Nati, IDC chairman and chief executive officer, Batangas is ripe for a project such as this.

“As a first-class municipality, Sto. Tomas is part of the Philippines’ new beltway of economic growth. Its location is very strategic too, being along the expressways connecting the capital region with Batangas port,” Nati said.

Miramonti Green Residences offers efficient, affordable and functional contemporary Italian architectural design.

Located within short distance of the Light Industry Science Park (LISP) III, the

Dr. Ben Kadil, chairperson History Department of the College of Social Sciences & Humanities of MSU main campus Marawi City lauded Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo for officially endorsing the Marawi Icon Arkat A Lawanen Dolls under the ADWE which is very timely project to undertake not only to generate income among IDPs affected by the Marawi siege, but to showcase window of the Maranao culture traditions, customs, beliefs in the preservation of their identity.

This move is congruent a long w it h t he Master Plan of President Rodrigo Duterte who emphasize on the importance of culture as shown in Chapter 7 of the Philippine Development Plan , which gives attention to the promotion of Philippine Culture and values. The plan emphasizes cultural awareness as a requirement for national inclusion and equity.

Better interactions among members of a community require awareness and their diverse cultures and values.

The Philippine Development Plan emphasizes culture and its role in national development that spans over and intersects multiple sectors. Integrating culture in the formulation of policies and in the design of development interventions enhances the effectiveness of programs and projects.

The failure to recognize the significance of culture in shaping our society may lead to cultural fragmentations, percieved distrust toward fellow Filipinos, parochialism, perpetuation of historical injustices, and inability to collaborate for national building, Kadil cited.

Kadil added that the Philippine Development Plan for 2017-2022, enumerates the priority concerns of the cultural agenda, which are: (a) safeguarding and enshrining our cultural heritage; (b) achieving equity and inclusion in access to cultural resources and services; and (c) sustaining and enhancing cultural assets to foster creativity and innovation for socio-economic growt Dr. Nagasura T, Madale former Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension of MSU main campus Marawi City said that the promotion of Marawi Icon Arakat A Lawanen dolls story can make a big impact to the modern Maranaos this days.

This were the Singkil dance immersed . So we stick to the concept or early Maranao culture likes of Malongs landap, and among others.

In another development, the head of the Socio-Cultural working group of BIMPEAGA Adelina Suemith said they have designed a program for the Maranao youth will take place in a cultural livelihood to make Maranao crafts. This is one way of preserving Maranao culture & arts & crafts at the same time source of income for them.

Engr Marites Maguindra director Bureau on Cultural Heritage of ARMM said that understanding culture is one way to attain peace. Under the administration of ARMM regional gov. Hataman, they will establish a cultural center in Marawi. This way, all the craftsmanship of Maranao culture will be displayed in one place enhancing to attract tourists who will visit the ground zero due to Marawi siege.

development is very accessible to other industrial parks such as the Filinvest Technology Park Calamba, Carmelray Industrial Parks, Calamba Premiere Industrial Park and Lima Technology Center, as well as schools, offices, commercial centers and golf courses.

The project is targeted towards businessmen, entrepreneurs and overseas Filipino workers looking to invest and those who work inside LISP III and its neighbouring industrial parks, including foreign nationals.

Jose Leviste III, IDC president, said the company will be tapping the marketing services of JLLto ensure that those who will benefit

the most from investing in Miramonti will be reached. JLL isa leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management.

Christophe Vicic, JLL Philippines country head s very bullish on the potential ofMiramonti.

“At JLL, we’ve always believed the future of real estate lies in emerging sectors outside of Metro Manila. Miramonti is the perfect avenue to prove just that. There is so much business being conducted in this part of the country, and it’s the perfect time to develop a mixed-use condominium project that will reflect the investment value attraction of this area,” Vicic said.

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cmyk

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TravelX... from page 1

“We are inviting travel agents, tour operators, organizations, associations and event and meeting organizers from Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao who plan to organize tours or conferences in places like Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, Zamboanga, Bohol and Boracay to attend the one day business session on February 22,” said Charles Lim, Selrahco President.

L i m s a i d Tr a v e l X will provide the perfect networking platform for travel stakeholders and promote increased awareness about tourist attractions of the featured destinations with direct business-to-business contacts and transactions between tourism and travel stakeholders from the various destinations.

Some of the prestigious establishments already signed up for TravelX are Radissons Blu, Park Inn, Bellevue Resort, Be Resort, Almont Resort, Savoy Hotel, Belmont Hotel, Marco Polo, Almont Hotel, San Remegio Beach Club, Quest Hotel, Dakak Resort and Properties, Be Resorts, Bohol Beach Club, Bai Hotel and Cagayan de Oro-based hotels and attractions like Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Seven Seas Waterpark and Resort, and Seda Centrio.

Other entities participating include the Iloilo Provincial Tourism Office, Lite Shipping, Cebu Pacific Air, Asiatic Adventure Tours, Enchanted Kingdom, itravel tourist lane, 4 bros and i events and travel, and GetGo. Registration is open on a first come first served basis to corporate clients. travel agents, civic clubs and accredited event organizers f rom C a g ay an d e O ro and Misamis Oriental for free. Interested parties can call Apollo Santos at +639273173737 or email him at apollo.selrahco@gmail. com.

TravelX -The B2B Event is supported by the Department of Tourism regional offices of regions 7, 9, 11 and 10 with Limketkai Luxe Hotel and Cebu Pacific as main sponsors and Quest Hotel and Seven Seas Waterpark and Resort as featured event sponsors. Media partners are Business Week Mindanao, CDO Bloggers, KBP Cagayan de Oro Chapter and CDODev. com.

To properly evaluate Tr a v e l X i n i t s r i g h t context, a look back at recent developments at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental is in order.

Last October 20, 2017 top executives of the country’s leading airline and chief executives of the government from the national, regional and local levels launched Laguindingan Airport as the 7th Regional Hub of Cebu Pacific Air. This was followed barely a month later by the Philippine Airlines (PAL) launch of direct flights from Cagayan to Clark Freeport, bringing to ten the destinations served with direct flights from

Laguindingan.

Cebu Pacific and its affiliate Cebgo have nine direct connections to and f rom C agayan. Manila, Bacolod, Davao, Zamboanga, Cebu, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, and starting today, Caticlan and Dumaguete, while PAL served Clark (Angeles), Cebu, Davao, and Manila.

“Laguindingan is the gateway to Northern Mindanao. When we started in 1996, actually Cagayan de Oro was our 4th destination, and today it’s still our 4th largest destination,” said Lance Gokongwei, CEB President and Chief Executive Officer during the Oct. 20 launch.

“We now have 146 weekly flights out of Laguindingan to nine destinations in the Philippines and we want to promote tourism and business in a region that deserves more attention and access.”

“That’s our mission, to create access for all Filipinos not only to Metro Manila but to all other cities. With the help of Cebu Pacific, many destinations are being discovered and we hope such destinations in Northern Mindanao will be discovered and we’ll do our own little part of make that possible,” he added.

Long Term Outlook It’s actually quite timely if we need to develop the hub and location-wise, geographically it’s also a good central location to connect to the other islands in the Visayas and Mindanao,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President, Marketing and Distribution, on the sidelines of the event.

“When we enter a market the intention is always to do long-term. Because the time, the effort to actually set up a hub operationally, resource-wise, is the same whether it’s a short-term or a long-term. So when we come into a market, it’s really with the full intention of developing it and growing it,” she added.

Public-Private Partnership “We always view the government as our partners.

We work closely with the Dept. of Transportation (DOTr) and its associate agencies, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in making sure that all processes and infrastructure are in place, and we work closely with the Department o f To u r i s m ( D O T ) i n promoting destinations in our place,” Gokongwei noted. “ We a r e a l s o v e r y supportive of the government’s moves to really Build, Build, Build ... because that’s what we really need, more infrastructure if the aviation industry’s gonna grow, certainly we need more and better airports,” he added.

Engr. Jose G. Budiongan, airport/area manager for CAAP Area X, said Laguindingan airport is now gearing up for the increased passenger traffic by opening another gate in addition to the existing two. An additional passenger lounge capable of seating 100 additional departing passengers is also in the works.

International flights

Asked about the proximity of international f lights landing in Laguindingan Airport, Gokongwei replied: “I think international flights are something we should look at in the next two years because generally if a hub already has many domestic connections, that means there’s enough support as possibly an international d e st i nat i on , and t hat’s something we’ll seriously consider.”

“We are considering opening flights to the Brunei D ar uss a l am - Ind one s i a Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMPEaga) maybe in the future, as preparations improve for airports and all that, we will probably start flights of our international airports from Davao and Cagayan de Oro and the like from Mindanao to the Indonesian islands, like Sandakan, like Malaysia,” he added.

Cebu Pacific Mission In his brief talk during the launching program, Gokongwei disclosed how a letter addressed to him epitomized the mission of Cebu Pacific to serve “EveryJuan,” the airline’s tagline.

“With this as a hub, a tourist from Boracay can now easily explore this region’s diverse natural attractions.

Small businesses can flourish with additional cargo options, and seat sales enable families and couples to visit their loved ones more,” Gokongwei noted.

“What was originally the fourth destination of Cebu Pacific in 1996 is now a hub.

It follows the path of Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, also as hubs,” he explained. “Today is a testament to our long standing commitment to contribute to nation-building, and make air travel more accessible to all Filipinos.

We look forward to the effect our low fares and direct flights will have on Northern Mindanao.”

Operation...

from page 1 installed with a ride-booking software but this industry, quite popular in the country’s major urban areas like Cebu City and Metro Manila with the operation of Uber and Grab, has yet to establish its significant presence here.

Francisco Mauricio, Hirna chief executive officer and president, said by choosing Davao and Cagayan de Oro they want to establish their foothold in Mindanao and work their way up to Visayas and Luzon once the business starts to pick up.

Maurico said one of the differences of Hirna from other companies providing the same service in that Hirna has a “driver rating system” that keeps track of the drivers’ disposition on the road.

Mauricio said Hirna has data analytics that look at the number of rejections made by drivers, citations, attitude problem, and other negative issues.

“It [analytics] will collate to a driver rating system that would be shared between taxi

operators and the LTFRB. The driver is then rated. We will know who the model drivers are and who are not,” he said.

Mauricio said they are planning on persuading the city’s taxi operators to have their units be connected with Hirna.

He assured the drivers and operators that Hirna will have favorable effect on their livelihood as his company will not be asking for extra charges from them, only a minimal fee, so that what they earn will be theirs.

With the driver rating system that Hirna will put in place for its affiliated taxi drivers, Guro said this will change the drivers’ outlook since how they deal with their passengers will be monitored and appropriate actions will be taken once the drivers are in violation of existing transportation and related laws.

Because of the system that Hirna will introduce, Guro said this will be advantageous to the passengers as, aside from the ease and convenience, drivers will now be mindful of their actions while driving.

Among the complaints that LTFRB has been receiving from passengers include rejection, bad grooming, and drivers lacking in manners.

“Once the y us e this app (Hir na), t he y w i l l be disciplined,” he said, noting that there are still undisciplined drivers on the road.

At present, the city has 2,691 taxi units and close to a thousand operators, who were encouraged by the LTFRB-10 to consolidate their franchise by forming a cooperative or a corporation so they could be united, Guro said.

Also, under the Omnibus Franchise Guideline, new taxi units are required to have a dash camera, closed-circuit television, global positioning system (GPS), among others, he said.

The phone the drivers will be using will be installed with the Hirna taxi-hailing app and other softwares such as Waze, Google Maps, Facebook, and Viber, which can be remotely controlled by Hirna.

Aside from the Hirnaenabled cellphone that the drivers use in picking up passengers, those built-in features will also be useful for its operations as the company requires a GPS signal to track the taxi’s routes and destinations.

Glenn Fernandez, Hirna project manager, said the entry of Hirna to Cagayan de Oro will also help in creating a good impression of the city as it is expected that taxi drivers will now be courteous and their cars presentable to the riding public.

Collection... from page 1

contributing to the agency’s total collection of P1.779 trillion last year.

Palamine attributed this achievement to the relentless tax collection campaign of the BIR, especially those in the regional field offices.

But the challenge, he

pointed out, is that the national government upped its collection target for this year to P15 billion, which he noted is about 20 percent higher than last’s year goal.

“We cannot yet tell if we can achieve it (this year’s collection target), but we will do our best,” he said, adding that the BIR is apprehensive of the effects of the Tax Reforms for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

Palamine said the agency’s performance in January was on course as they were able to reach their monthly collection target.

However, he said, the BIR is on a wait-and-see situation as far as its collection effort for February and the succeeding months due to the tax reform measures the Duterte government is taking that is expected to be felt within the year.

Palamine said February, in particular, would be “dramatic” as the effects of the TRAIN law would likely be felt by both the consumers and business operators. “ Tan-awon nato ang epekto (we will have to see the effect) before we can judge [the outcome of the TRAIN law] in the coming months,” he said.

According to the Department of Finance, the goal of the TRAIN law is “to create a more just, simple, and more effective system of tax collection, as per the constitution, where the rich will have a bigger contribution and the poor will benefit more from the government’s programs and services.”

TESDA... from page 2

Mapandi said that the program aims to provide sustainable livelihood preparation for the victims of Marawi siege.

TESDA through this program helps to enhance the skilled residents of the war-torn city to become fully equipped in their future jobs while delivering perceptible outputs.

Mapandi urged other Marawi residents to take these kinds of opportunities from TESDA beyond monetary consideration, as the agency is really committed to providing assistance.

“Alamin din nating kung anong klaseng scholarship program meron ang TESDA, dahil hindi ho pare-pareho a n g m g a p r o g r a m a at inter vention. Pwede po kayong umattend ng training

na nababagay sa skills ninyo kung hindi naman sakto sa inyo ay ibigay natin yung slot dun sa nangangailangan,” she added.

C ongratulating the participants, Mapandi said, "expect more from TESDA, expect our support, anytime wala hong problema sa amin as long as truthful tayo at may commitment tayo hanggang 2018 and years to come pa,” Mapandi assured that TESDA is committed to deliver series of training even in other municipalities neighboring Marawi city to provide full support to IDPs, more even in the construction industry.

“We would like to ensure na marami pang darating because that is our [TESDA] commitment na bigyan po ng full support ang ating mga kababayang IDPs at ang ating construction industry. Kaya nandito po ang mga partners natin from the industry at hindi po sila mawawala sa rehabilitation sa Marawi at Lanao del Sur,” says Mapandi.

Plastic... from page 4

decades of use -- plastic is the opposite. Half of all plastics become waste after four or fewer years of use.

Plastic debris can now be found in oceans all over the world. In 2015, eight million metric tons of plastic entered the oceans.

Many bags drift into the ocean, strangling turtles, suffocating seabirds and filling the stomachs of dolphins and whales with waste until they die of starvation.

By 2050, we will have more plastic in the ocean than fish. Plastic bags take between 500 to 1,000 years to break down. It enters the human food chain through fish and other animals.

Plastic problem is real. The call for global intervention to mitigate this plastic problem is paramount –- and urgent in the highest order. (ruffy44_ph2000@ yahoo.com)

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

Republic of the Philippines LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OFFICE Baungon, Bukidnon CCE-0004-2017 RA 10172

Date: February 16, 2018

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC 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 of 2012 (IRR on RA 10172), Notice is hereby served to the public that JADE N. AGNO has filed with this Office a petition for correction of entry in SEX from ‘’FEMALE’’ to ‘’MALE’’ in the Certificate of Live Birth of JADE N. AGNO, born on January 15, 1992 at Baungon ,Bukidnon and whose parents are EDUARDO M. AGNO SR. and CLEOFE S. NOGODULA.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file a written opposition with this Office not later than 10 days.

(Sgd.) EVANGELINE C. LIBAYNON

Municipal Civil Registrar BWM: February 19 & 26, 2018

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Monday|february 19, 2018