BusinessWeek Mindanao (January 26, 2018)

BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O CREDIBLE

Volume VIII, No. 105

Market Indicators

As of 5:30 pm January 25, 2018 (thursday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P50.96

8,999.17

14

X X Briefly

cent

78.94 points

Jap rice donation BALO-I, Lanao del Norte -- The Japanese government turned over 225 metric tons of rice for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Marawi City through the Tier 3 Program under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).

A total of 7,500 sacks of rice at 30 kilos each will be distributed to the IDPs staying in evacuation centers in Northern Mindanao through the supervision of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The donation was handed over by Minister for Economic Affairs Makoto Iyori from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and General Manager Chanpithya Shimphalee of APTERR to National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Lt. Col Jason Aquino and DSWD Undersecretary Luzviminda Ilagan, during the turn-over ceremonies at Mahad Markazie Evacuation Center, Balo-i, Lanao del Norte.

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EU-PH pact expected to boost cooperation www.businessweekmindanao.com

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By ANTONIO L. COLINA IV, MindaNews

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AVAO City -- The Europ e an Uni onP h i l i ppi n e s Partnership and Cooperation Agreement will pave the way for a mechanism that will strengthen cooperation between EU and the Philippines in the areas of politics, trade and investment, and culture, said Walter van Hattum, head of economic and trade section of delegation of the European Union to the Philippines.

KITE SURFING. Aside from surfing and game fishing which have brought international competitions to Siargao, kite surfing is now getting popular there. A good time for kite surfing in General Luna, Siaragao Island is from November to February due to moderate to strong winds. mindanews photo by roel n. catoto

Bukidnon told to go beyond ‘Kaamulan, zipline tourism’

The Senate concurred to the ratification of this agreement on January 22.

Hattum told reporters during the Mindanao Business Briefing on Tuesday that cooperated/PAGE 11

By WALTER I. BALANE, MindaNews

Food security ISABELA City -- Food security remains to be one of the top concerns of the provincial government of Basilan.

As an island province surrounded by bodies of water, the island is blessed with natural resources both on land and seas. However, recent developments reveal that climate change, population explosion, and the ongoing industrialization and technological development have depleted much of the earth’s natural resources.

And this has also affected the island.

Production and domestication of food is threatened by strong winds, typhoons, flooding, and landslides because of extreme weather events brought about by climate change, which is also attributed to increased human activity.

MALAYBALAY City -- Bukidnon tourism should go beyond the annual Kaamulan and ziplines in pursuit of tourism goals in 2018, according to stakeholders in their responses to “Bukidnon 2018: Public Outlook Series initiative.”

Reynaldo Gil Lomarda, head of Greenminds, Inc., said it is time to focus more on natural and cultural tourism because it is the strength of

the province.

He said the province’s Kaamulan, a cultural festival, which he said is already commercialized, happens only once a year.

The provincial government must promote tourism also beyond the festival because Bukidnon is known for its tribes, which should have tourist attractions before and after the festival. tourism/PAGE 11

BANGUS HARVEST. Fishermen load tons of ‘bangus’ (milkfish) into containers after harvesting in Barangay Himaya, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. The fisherfolk usually harvest about six tons of bangus per harvesting season. It is sold at P105-130 a kilo and is shipped to other parts of the country, particularly Cebu, by the wholesalers. photo by gerry lee gorit

To avert massive displacement, drivers told to join coops: LTFRPB

By MARK FRANCISCO, Staff Writer

NO TO PUV MODERNIZATION. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 10 director Aminoden Guro talks with protesters from the Solidarity of Transport in Region 10 who picketed his office Wednesday, January 24. The protesters demand the government to rescind its PUV modernization program. photo by mark francisco

ONE way to cope with the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program is for drivers to become members of transport cooperatives.

This was the advice of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory

Board-Region 10 (LTFRB-10) Director Aminoden Guro for PUV drivers, many of whom expressed fears of economic displacement amid the government’s heightened effort to modernize the country’s transport sector.

Once the government

implements the PUV modernization program starting in 2021, Guro said transport cooperatives can avail of loan facilities to enable their members to buy e-jeepneys and solar jeepneys.

Guro said that based on LTFRB-10 records, half of drivers/PAGE 11

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Creation of cooperative Dev’t office mulled

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HE CAGAYAN de Oro City Council committee on cooperatives thoroughly discussed the proposed ordinance creating the People Empowerment and Cooperative Development Office (PECDO).

This ordinance provides that the city shall ensure the viability and growth of civil societies and cooperatives as instruments of social justice, equity, selfreliance, economic development, people’s organization and people empowerment.

It further declared as a policy of the city to

ensure a comprehensive approach to poverty reduction where sustained and inclusive economic growth is needed to improve the quality of life of its population, with responsive and targeted interventions to reach the very poor and marginalized sectors of the city’s economy.

Discussion One of the highlights of the discussion was the provision of Section 5, which is the organizational structure and staffing pattern of PECDO. Based on the proposed ordinance, there are three sections

of the PECDO office composed five or four positions each: the Operations Section, Administrative Support Section and Information, Education and Research Section.

Representative of the City Budget Office suggested that the proposed ordinance will be referred to the Local Finance Committee (LFC) for further study since, she said, it entails another appropriation.

For her part, Councilor Annie Daba, chair of the committee on agriculture and fisheries and member of the committee on cooperatives, proposed

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that in determining positions for the said office, employees must be from the other offices that fit to the qualifications for such position.

“Mas maayo nga sa other offices mag pull out og employees para makasave pud.

(It is better to pull out employees from other offices to save),” she stressed.

Councilor Enrico Salcedo, chair on committee on cooperatives, said the committee will invite heads of offices of LFC, Human Resource

Management Office (HRMO), City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), City Improvement Division (CID), and City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) for further discussions.

(JBD/SP)

TFBM to make Marawi MAA ‘prosperous again’ IN a dialogue with local officials of Lanao del Sur and Sultanate of Marawi City on Thursday, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chief and chair of Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) Sec. Eduardo del Rosario said the team is geared towards rehabilitating the most affected areas (MAA) in the war-torn city into an even busier central business district.

Del Rosario explained that it is one of the President’s goals to make the city prosperous again.

He said the MAA, composed of 24 barangays, 11,000 families and 250 hectares in Marawi City, was “totally damaged” during the firefight between the terrorists and government forces.

Among TFBM’s objectives is to restore

public utilities—such as barangay halls, elementary and high school buildings—port facilities, conventions and events hall, grand central market and health clinics. They also aim to preserve at least three historical or heritage sites.

Other facilities to be constructed include a centralized waste water treatment facility or centralized sewage treatment plant, concrete roads with bike and pedestrian lanes, and underground utilities such as water, power and telecoms. Both sides of Agus River and Lake Lanao waterfront on Marawi side would be allocated for parks and recreation.

Del Rosario said they have come up with a timeline to fasttrack the bidding for the contractor of the

project. With a project cost of P40 billion, they expect to conduct a groundbreaking ceremony in April 2018, and to complete the project in 2021.

He said this project would serve as a catalyst for growth, that when the city is developed, more investors will come in and more tourists will flock. While the infrastructure is being mobilized, he said concerned TFBM member agencies would provide livelihood opportunities for internally displaced persons.

In an effort to ensure the plan’s success, Del Rosario said it had been discussed with various sectors of Marawi City, from the local government, sultanates and the religious sector down to the community level. (JMOR/PIA10)

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

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Opinion

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Unforgiving road to Bukidnon HOTLINE

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No greater love think a minute

jhan tiafau hurst Think a minute…A four year old girl was seriously hurt in a car accident. She had lost so much blood that she would probably die. Her only hope was for someone else to give her blood. But her blood type was very rare and the doctors did not know if they could find anyone in time with her same blood type who was also willing to give their blood.

Then, they discovered that the girl’s 7 year old brother had the same blood type as hers.

The doctor led her brother into his office to tell him that his baby sister was very sick and unless she received some blood, the angels would probably need to take her to heaven. The brother’s eyes filled with tears. For a few moments, he tried to hold back his strong feelings of fear and sadness, then he said softly to the doctor: “I’ll

give my blood to my sister.”

Later, as the young boy watched his blood going through a tube into his sister, he became even more nervous and afraid. The doctor could see the little boy’s fear and told him: “It will be over very soon.” The boy started to cry and said: “So now is when I’m going to die.” From the very first time the doctor had asked this boy to give his blood for his sister, the young boy thought it meant he needed to give ALL of his blood and die so his sister could live. Yet this little boy loved his sister that much, He was giving his life for her.

Did you know Jesus Christ did even more than that for you? Even though He is God Himself, He loves you and me so much He gave His perfectly innocent life so we could finally be forgiven and live forever with Him. God humiliated Himself by becoming a human being to die for all our wrongs.

Remember, He never did one wrong He needed to die for. So His perfect life and death paid the penalty for all our sins. Then after He was dead and buried for 3 days, He came back to life so we can share in His kind of life, both now and forever after love/PAGE 9

Ruffy magbanua Wherever I may roam the distant land to see, I long to go back soon to sweet Bukidnon home, Her lovely mountains high with forest old and grand, Bring memories to me the home I long to see…

-Excerpts from “Bukidnon, My Home”, provincial anthem of Bukidnon province.

AS a short break from a life spent in the fast lane, I had the opportunity to enjoy the last days of 2017

in Bukidnon -- my sweet home away from home.

But traveling these days to Bukidnon is not as sweet as it could be as manifested in the province’s iconic provincial anthem.

Over the years, Sayre Highway, the national road network that cuts across the province of Bukidnon has been on a never-ending road repair binge since time immemorial.

Tr av e l n ow t o t h i s landlocked province is one of hell of a ride.

Notwithstanding the massive expansion of the highway from the old two-lane to four to six lanes, travel time from Cagayan de Oro to Valencia City will now take about six to seven hours, a sharp contrast to the usual 3-4 hours, either by bus or private vehicle.

But wonders of wonder,

I have yet to hear from Governor Jose “Joe” Zubiri of DPWH’s penchant of “butchering” Bukidnon’s only road link to the regional cities of Cagayan de Oro and Davao.

Sayre Highway is that portion of the National Highway which starts from Puerto in Cagayan de Oro City to Davao City via Buda along the borders of Kitaotao, Bukidnon and North Cotabato.

The 192-kilometer long highway was named after Francis Bowes Sayre, Sr., a professor at Harvard Law School who was the United States’ High Commissioner to the Philippines from 1947 to 1952. It was named after him since he was the one who spearheaded the initial construction of the Bukidnon highway.

Not too long ago, my

media colleague had to endure an overnight stay along the muddy stretch of the Sayre Highway under construction in Damay, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. He was on his way to cover a USAID project in Maguindanao. He nearly missed that event.

A massive landslide blocked a kilometer-long road with solid rocks as big as Zubiri’s mansion, and eventually clogged the highway with hundreds of vehicles, creating a massive traffic jam from barangay Damay to as far as Poblacion in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

For over 15 long hours, he and the rest of his copassengers aboard Rural Transit Bus had no choice but just stare at the open, dark skies of Bukidnon.

This is Bukidnon today.

Amid the vast green fields road/PAGE 9

DFA top officials should be replaced now

Kakampi mo ang batas

Batas Mauricio LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of t his scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll...”

(Revelation 22:18-19, the Holy Bible).

-ooo DFA TOP OFFICIALS SHOULD BE REPLACED NOW: Okay, I can concede that it is good that some

100,000 new appointment slots have been opened recently for those wanting to be interviewed by the Depa r t ment of Foreig n Affairs so they can secure their passports. But, are we to be happy with this now? No, we should not, because what the department did, under the leadership of Secretar y A lan Peter Cayetano, was a clear case of a mere “consuelo de bobo”.

W hy, you ask? Wel l, f irst, since the DFA has just shown that it is truly capable of setting up new 100,000 appointment slots if it wanted to, just like what it did the other day, why did it not do that right away?

What was its reason for not doing just that, right from the start? Why did its top officials have to wait for our countrymen to get agitated first before coming up with a solution?

Secondly, there are more than 100,000 Filipinos who desire to secure their own passpor ts, because t hey need t his of f icia l travel document to go to other

countries to enable them to find employment. What is the DFA going to do with the rest of our countrymen who still needed their own passports but who cannot, yet again, be accommodated even with the new 100,000 appointment slots? I believe the remedy here is a change of leadership at the DFA, with Cayetano being booted out first and foremost.

-ooo DIFFERENCES IN COM M A NDS TO HUSBANDS AND WIVES: From Colossians 3:18-25 of the Bible, we can read the following “Instructions for Christian Households”. Here are some of them: “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

And still some of them: “Ch i ld ren, obey you r pa rent s i n e ver y t h i ng , for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged…”

For t hose who work

for others: “Slaves, obey your ear t hly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism…”

-ooo OBEDIENCE TO PA R E N T S BRING BLESSINGS FROM GOD: Reading these commands f rom t he Bible, we ca n readily realize that there i s a bi g d i f fe r e nc e i n t he comma nds given to husbands and wives. For the wives, the command to them is to subject themselves to their husbands. On the other hand, the command to husbands is for them love their wives. Can you explain replaced/PAGE 9

Our spiritual and supernatural bearing hints and traces

roy cimagala We should always remember that our life is not just lived in the level of the physical and material dimensions. It is not even lived in the social level in all its aspects—economic, political, historical, etc.

Our life has a prominently spiritual dimension that requires us to nourish the way we think, judge, reason and ultimately to love. These are the functions of our spiritual

soul. It’s in this dimension that the supernatural aspect of our life enters.

Our spiritual soul with all its faculties (our intelligence and will) enables us to go beyond our material and natural world. It is what connects and engages us with others, be they things or persons or a supernatural being. It is what enables us to enter into communion with others.

We just have to remember that our spiritual soul is not a self-generated being. It is a creature, created by God the Creator. It is what would make us realize that we come from God and should remain with God for its proper vitality. We have to realize deeply that we cannot live properly without him.

That is why we have to see to it that to live properly

as a human person we need to establish and continually reinforce our spiritual and supernatural bearing. This duty has priority over all the other duties we have in this life. We may call it the mother duty from where all our other duties and responsibilities, as well as our rights and dignity, spring.

We should do everything to establish, recover and maintain this spir itual bearing and supernatural outlook. We should see to it that more than anything else, we should be guided

by God’s will and ways that are shared with us through his gifts of faith, hope and charity. We just cannot rely on our own counsel.

Given the way we usually are, we really need to exert great effort to comply with this duty of keeping a spiritual

and supernatural bearing in our life. Fact is we tend to rely simply on our own ideas, opinions, preferences. We easily allow ourselves to be swayed by social trends and fads, hardly questioning their foundations and orientations.

That is why we need some time everyday to do some deep thinking and reflection that should lead us to meditate on God’s word and works, and to pray, that is, to enter into conversation with God. Otherwise, we would not be able to enter the spiritual and supernatural dimension of our life. We would simply remain in the peripherals and the superficial aspects of our life.

In this, we certainly are not inventing things and playing make-believe.

Though God is the most bearing/PAGE 9

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Geronimo Cristobal’s 4th solo show at Gateway Gallery

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ateway Gallery presents the second exhibit for the year 2018: Vestigium, Scriptorium, the fourth solo exhibit of Geronimo Cristobal. In his latest exhibit, Cristobal presents new works of 8 paintings and 12 drawings that truly reflect the era of modernity. His “unprogrammed free abstraction” summarizes a compositional aesthetic that speaks of a weightless gesture and liberating brushstroke on a large format canvas.

Geronimo Cristobal, who majored in Creative Writing and took art history courses in the University of the Philippines, chose the sensuality of the paint medium and melds it with the cold rationality of conceptual art. His training in Berlin’s Universitat der Kunste has helped him navigate the issues and challenges of abstraction. His more subdued works of contemplation and action are more than layers of paint – they are akin to psychological cleansing.

Cristobal’s Vestigium (Latin for “footprint” or “marks”) showcases his

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method of sanding and scraping; the joy and challenge of uncovering hidden signs and messages in his works – in his mostly noir color palette – will intrigue the viewer. His Scriptorium, the room for writing by medieval monks in monasteries, refers to his belief that writing and

painting have the same origins. It also evokes Cristobal’s social role as a writer, documentarian and messenger; and his visual works as medium of information and knowledge. The writing role parallels that of his work as a visual artist, as someone who transfers gallery/PAGE 9

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CorporateWorld

friday|january 26, 2018

Three firms vie for third major PH telco player T

PhilJets Group is hoping to capture a bigger slice of the region’s business aviation market.

PhilJets plans to add aircraft to meet growing demand PHILJETS Group is planning to add four to five aircraft to its fleet this year, as the company seeks to address growing demand from domestic and international customers.

“We need both lighter single engine and lighter twin-engine helicopter in

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our fleet, as well as a good twin-engine turboprop fixed wing,” Augustus Elciario, head of charter services at PhilJets, was quoted as saying in a statement.

Geoffroy Cahen, PhilJets head of sales philjets/PAGE 9

HREE firms have expressed interest in becoming the country’s third major player in the local telecommunications industry.

The Philippine Telegraph and

Telephone (PT&T), Now Corporation, and Converge ICT are eyeing to form their separate consortia with foreign partners, according to Department of Information and Communications

Technology (DICT) officer in charge Eliseo Rio Jr. DICT is yet to wait for the official bidding documents that will formalize the firms’ interest in becoming a major telco player.

Last month, the

department released its memorandum, stipulating that any prospective third telco player should have a significant financial investment for five years, a valid congressional franchise, must not be a telco/PAGE 9

THE energy unit of Ayala Corp. (AC) is teaming up with BIM Group to jointly develop over 300 megawatts of solar power projects in Vietnam.

The initial phase of the 30-MW solar project

broke ground Tuesday, with investment for this phase expected to reach 800 billion Vietnamese dong (VND) and to be completed within the year.

The solar project is envisioned to be expanded

by an additional 300 MWs. “AC Energy is very keen to participate in the fast-growing Vietnam power sector, with pioneering investments in renewable energy,” said

AC Energy chief executive officer Eric Francia.

A diversified firm in Vietnam, BIM Group has successfully established its mark in renewable energy and other business fields.

(PNA)

Ayala Corp. energy unit to build solar power projects in Vietnam

E-POWER MO! ACD: Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Manuel Teehankee, ACD Secretary General Bundit Limschoon, UAE Energy Undersecretary Matar Alyenadi, Bohol Governor Edgardo Chatto and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue delegates do the E-Power Mo! signature pose to signify unity and solidarity among ACD member states, their commitment towards energy security, sustainability and resiliency, and to move forward the ACD Energy Action Plan.

DOE to widen energy base Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi has called for the widening of the energy base with efficient and reliable power sources .

Cusi said the strategy can help nations secure their energy needs while addressing the challenges of climate change and energy affordability.

“We have a diversified energy mix, with nearly 24 percent of our power being sourced from renewable sources. And this diversified mix has proven to be competitive and sustainable,” he said.

Achieving security and sustainability requires a three-pronged approach driven by three I’s: incentives, investments and innovation, according to Cusi.

“Governments must be willing to provide the necessary support for players who want to bring fresh energy solutions and thus, make electricity rates affordable to consumers,” he said.

“All players must be willing to invest in new technologies that not only increase reliability, but reduce emissions. Innovation is the key driver that we need in order to achieve security and sustainability. Governments

must develop a regulatory environment that supports our innovators and researchers.”

With the three I’s approach, Cusi said, Asia can produce its own visionary problem solvers.

“We must be resilient and stay the course,” he said.

Meanwhile, the energy chief shared the country’s solution to the hurdles faced by energy investors in Asia in the form of red tape and long waiting times.

As a solution, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 30 that classifies energy projects amounting to at least USD70 million as projects of national significance, said Cusi.

EO 30 also streamlines the permitting process of all government agencies under the Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC).

Under the order, concerned government agencies must act on a proposal within 30 days.

Otherwise, the proposal is deemed approved.

“Speed is of the essence here and we are determined to see that we pull in the best investments and build our projects on time to deliver on our domestic plan,” Cusi said.

“But it is not just enough to focus internally. It is also

important to promote closer cooperation among our countries. Our diversity is our strength.”

The ACD will encourage member countries to develop the mechanisms to move forward with an Energy Plan of Action to pave the way for initiatives on the nexus of critical resources, such as food, energy and water.

To be more resilient, Cusi said, future initiatives should be focused on technological advancement and improved management practices must be implemented.

“We need future-proof policies that would allow us to cope with natural and human-induced disasters,” he said.

Winding up his speech, Cusi showcased the DOE’s consumer-focused energy campaign E-Power Mo! or the consumers’ “Power of Choice”.

Providing information on the fast-evolving developments in the energy sector, E-Power Mo! is a campaign that seeks to empower and educate consumers by giving them the power of choice and allowing them to better manage their energy consumption patterns. (DOE PR)

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Banking&Finance

DBS forecasts steady 6.7% GDP growth for PH until ’19

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LOBAL banking player DBS is considering the sustained 6.7 percent growth of the Philippine economy until 2019, to be buoyed by private consumption as well as investments both by the private and public sectors.

In a study, DBS economist Gundy Cahyadi said although growth, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), slowed in the last quarter of 2017 to 6.6 percent from quarterago’s upwardly revised seven percent the full year output was as expected.

“Domestic demand remained firm in Q4 and we expect this to continue driving overall GDP growth in 2018/19.

We forecast a steady GDP growth at 6.7 percent in

2018 and 2018,” he said.

Domestic expansion in the last three months of 2017 is below market consensus of 6.7 percent.

Private consumption, which is among the economy’s major growth drivers, rose by 5.8 percent last year after it rebounded to 6.2 percent in the last quarter.

The study said last year’s private consumption growth is the slowest in the last three years but noted that “highfrequency data continued to show encouraging trends in consumption.”

Favorable demographics continues to lift underlying demand as proven by, among others, the 17 percent growth in average motorcycle sales last year, it said.

“This year’s tax

reforms will have a positive long-term impact on disposable income despite a short-term rise in inflation. We expect private consumption growth to hold up at around six percent in 2018/19,” it said.

Investment is seen to get a boost from the government’s infrastructure program, which has a budget of at least Php8 trillion until the end of the Duterte administration in mid2022.

Investment is also seen to expand by around nine percent this and next year.

The study noted that expansion of investment was seen on the PHP273billion worth of net exports in the last quarter of 2017, which, on the other hand, was a record-low, due mainly

to strong rise in imports as domestic demand continued to rise.

“Net exports are likely to remain deep in the negative for now, and we forecast the current account deficit to widen to about 1.1 percent of GDP in 2018, from an estimated 0.7 percent in 2017,” it said.

With domestic growth staying strong, Cahyadi expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise key policy rates by as much as 100 basis points this year.

“Apart from addressing the transitory lift to inflation from tax reforms, higher rates would help temper the peso’s depreciation from record wide trade deficits and the return of the current account deficit last year,” he added. (PNA)

Exec eyes digital payment platform in all PH villages AN official of newlyestablished digital transaction platform is targeting to widen the company’s presence in all the 42,000 villages in the Philippines in a bid to tap the micro and small businesses as payment centers to help even the people in far-flung areas.

In a briefing during the launch of the POSIBLE.NET in Makati Wednesday, its President and CEO JG Puzon said they did not have specific target for 2018 alone but wanted to be present in all the villages in the country in two to three years.

“Our end goal is to be

present in all barangays (villages) so you’re talking of 42,000 barangays nationwide,” he said.

POSIBLE.NET taps micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as real-time payment conduits through the use of a device that is around the same size of landline phone and uses internet connection.

Among the services provided through this platform is acceptance of payments for utilities, select government fees, money services, microinsurance, prepaid mobile phone loads, online gaming credits, and

bus ticketing for select provincial bus lines.

Puzon said that since starting their operations in 2016 they now had more than 1,600 retailerpartners nationwide, who, in turn, had registered nearly PHP2 billion worth of transactions.

He is confident of the success of this business, citing its convenience to people who can pay their bills and conduct other transactions through the neighborhood stores instead of going to the malls or banks.

“I believe that now is the perfect time to tell everyone about how we are

empowering the Filipinos MSMEs,” he said.

Data from the central bank show that about 36 percent of towns and cities around the country still do not have access to banks, thus, Puzon is confident that their platform will help more Filipinos as well as the government’s bid to include more Filipinos in the formal banking system.

“We are working to make the technology readily available to all barangays and community stores so that they would be able to do digital transactions and spur economic growth,” he added. (PNA)

DOF eyes reform on sin taxes OFFICIALS of the Department of Finance (DOF) are set to submit to Congress by end-January 2018 the proposed Package 2 plus aimed at raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol, mining, coal and casinos.

This was announced

by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III in his speech during the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) 68th inaugural meeting in Shangri-La at The Fort Tuesday.

The hike in sin taxes, or those for tobacco and alcohol, was included in the first package of the proposed tax reform program but was not part

of those approved.

In 2012, lawmakers approved the reform in the country’s sin taxes, with excise tax on cigarettes alone to increase to P12 per pack in 2013, P15 in 2014, P18 in 2015, P21 in 2016 and P30 in 2017.

By 2018, tax rates on cigarettes are mandated to rise by four percent every year through revenue regulations issued by the DOF Secretary.

In an interview by journalists after the MAP event, the Finance chief explained that increasing sin tax rates is really part of the plan.

He said sin taxes “were supposed to be reviewed

in toto but actually what they only adjusted is the cigarette tax.”

“So there is still the alcohol tax that has not been reviewed. And according to the original sin tax law that should have been reviewed by the Congress,” he said.

Dominguez said there are currently two bills in the Senate aimed at increasing cigarette taxes.

He was referring to the measures filed by Senate Manny Pacquiao, who wants to increase cigarette tax from P30 per pack to P60 per pack and hike annual excise tax from four percent to nine percent; and that of Sen.

JV Ejercito, who wants to raise the tax to P90 per pack.

Dominguez said they have informed the lawmakers that “if they intend to put it we will help them with it. “ He added that “there are other non-tax measures that we might be able to put in.”

“But again we will discuss it with them,” he said.

Regarding tax on mining, the Finance Secretary said the state gets revenues from mining excise taxes and other fees and these, he said, have to be rationalized. reform/PAGE 9

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Cinemagis 10: Filmmakers share common themes behind the scenes

T

his year’s Cinemagis Digital Short Film Festival provides an avenue to tell stories. Looped into films with varying lengths, these compose the narratives based on their creators’ stance, perception, and philosophy, as well as their representations of their realities.

With a total of 16 competing entries in the Student and Senior Categories, as well as four full-lengths and a series of short films in the Special Feature and Special Citation, these films share Cinemagis’ current themes to weave cultural solidarity, value human rights, promote gender and development, harmonize with the environment, understand culture and spread awareness, and reflect on life’s funny and subtle contradictions.

Beyond competition, celebrating films by Mindanaoan filmmakers has always been one of Cinemagis’ major thrusts. “As we foster cooperation, we look forward to the collaboration,” Xavier Center for Culture and Arts (XCCA) Director Hobart Savior noted. He also authored the film festival since its conception in 2009.

With the same desire to tell stories onscreen, filmmakers also share similarities in background, location, and most notably, their inspiration.

Redeeming Relationships “My stories are always geared towards relationships - the ups and down,” said Josey Rex Soriano, director of “Good Night” which is among

cmyk

By Angelo Lorenzo

the entries under the Senior Category. His film tells the story of former lovers conversing about their past which leads them to choose between moving on or staying together.

Relationship has become one of the focal themes that resonate among five films in both categories. Soriano’s take on romance is one for the mature adolescent audiences, but to consider the care bestowed by a brother to his younger sibling in Ryujie Abejuela’s “Lantern” in the Student Category is reminiscent to the relationship shared among family members.

“I aspire to project my vision for our society,” Abejuela claimed.

“Isig-katawo” by Carl Hudson Mabanag (Student Category) reveals how an individual becomes the cause of two people’s friendship.

However, not all relationships blossom happily. A person’s mental downfall could be attributed to the unpleasant experience with a loved one - as portrayed in Edmund Telmo’s “Redempsyon” and Angelo Dabbay’s “Kabuang ug Kasakit” (both of which are in the Senior Category).

But to avoid this doom, an individual needs to assess whether it is smart to engage in a relationship with a desired person - the idea that transpired in John Rey Laure and Venxel Geno’s “Tuldok Kuwit” (Student Category).

If relationships matter to these filmmakers, so is the sense of belongingness to some.

A Place to Belong A student in Miguel

Fernandez’s “Kita Nakita” (Student Category) embarks on a personal journey to seek for happiness after he was bullied to isolation in his school. This premise, except for the bullying incident, shares similarities with Reena Dunque’s “AyoAyo” (Senior Category) which depicts how a student enrolled in a university far from home is coping with a new lifestyle in a different environment.

Screened in Cannes Film Festival last year, “AyoAyo” was initially Dunque’s thesis film, along with her classmates, for their course in AB Communications in Ateneo de Manila University. It tackles on the educational domestic migration - a reality prevalent to students that study away from their place of origin.

“We interviewed students who experienced the same phenomenon,” Dunque, who also share the same background with the main character as a Kagay-anon who studied in Manila for college, recounted.

But as far as displacement is concerned, Sheron Dayoc’s multi-awarded “The Crescent Rising” (Special Feature Film) which was first released in 2015, reveals the causes and effects of injustices undergone by the Moro people in Mindanao.

Displacement was also the recurring theme in Glorypearl Dy’s “Walay Nidanguynguy” (Special Citation) in which women were forced out of their home.

But displacement does not always have to refer to a physical place. Adrian Rey Manapil’s

“5:12” (Senior Category) shows how two people of varying ages face the challenge of seeking for their relevance in a fastchanging generation. Time and age can be two factors that indicate belongingness, while identity also matters in Rhadem Morados’ “Hugo: A Hidden Past Revealed” (Special Citation) and Davao City’s “Ngilngig” (Special Film Feature).

Morados’ documentary centers on the cultural icon of the Ifugao, and a series of short films comprising peculiar themes in “Ngilngig” becomes the cinematic pride of Davao City.

A National Concern Displacement is a national concern, but this is one among the many.

As works art, some of the films mirror reality. This refers to cases that may have been reported on the news, but are often overshadowed by popular trends which are left unheard.

The impunity against the indigenous communities is portrayed in Bagane Fiola’s NETPAC-Jury-Prize-Awarded “Baboy Halas: Wailings in the Forest” (Special Feature Film). His film magnifies an indigenous family’s struggle for survival by hunting in a forest that gradually undergoes change caused by unnatural and ominous forces.

Meanwhile, Arnel Barbarona’s critically praised, “Tu Pug Imatuy (The Right to Kill)” in the Special Feature Film Category also contains the same theme. A family that belongs to an indigenous

community is threatened and harassed by the AFP as they are caught between their conflict with a rebel group.

Horror emerges in the crimes portrayed in Bezalel Banaag’s “7:30” and John Roel Cabana’s “Hiraya”, both contenders in the Student Category.

Relative to these horrors are the retributions in the current administration’s War on Drugs campaign in Kenneth Sabijon’s “Between the Lines” (Senior Category) and Christian Toring’s “Simulacrum” (Student Category) both of which tackle the atrocities of drug use and extra-judicial killings.

As Sabijon puts it: “My film was inspired by what is currently happening in the country.”

The Value of Contentment But despite the many tragedies brought by conflicts, values remain constant.

For Julienne Ilagan’s “Sikad” (Senior Category) and Leo Marie Fabre’s “Pa Dyak” (Student Category), contentment and humility build the foundation of gratitude in a life well-lived.

Ilagan, whose previous entry, “Balut, Penoy, Asin,” bagged first place in the Senior Category of last year’s Cinemagis, shared that “Sikad”, which was her most recent work, was inspired by the Typhoon Vinta (international name: Tembin) last year.

She relayed a memory that inspired her to accomplish this film: “I was driving over the Marcos Bridge that December when the flood surged from cinemagis/PAGE 9

9

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friday|january 26, 2018

Love... from page 4

we die. He is the only hope we have. So have you asked Jesus to forgive you and give you His new life today? He loves you more than anybody does—so much that He died to save you. Won’t you thank and love Him in return by living His right, successful way every day? Just Think a Minute…

Road... from page 4

of sugarcane, pineapple and banana plantations, this province of over a million people had been suffering from both infrastructure and socio-political turmoil that nobody seems to bother complaining about.

Like the “chop-chop” Sayre Highway, the political scene in this landlocked province is into a colossal web of infighting and constant backbiting to the detriment of the people whom Zubiri had been “serving” for quite a long time.

O ver t he ye ars, t he construction of the widening r o a d p r o j e c t o f S ay re Highway, as closely observed, is moving too slow, already overtaken by time as DPWH continue to brag about its accomplishments under a Villar hierarchy.

When will the DPWH learn to assure the traveling public of safe and comfortable ride over Bukidnon’s “new” Sayre Highway? (ruffy44_ ph2000@yahoo.com)

Replaced... from page 4

the difference?

Insofar as the commands g iven to chi ldren a re concerned, we can see that there is a need for kids to obey t heir parents. The Bible says that an obedient child gives gladness to God. Indeed, if a person displays sincere obedience to his parents, he is assured of blessings, guidance, and protection from God. -ooo FOR QU E STIONS, R EACTIONS: If a nyone would like to ask me any question about what the burning issues of the day mea n, 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@ ya hoo. com, or post your concerns at w w w. f a c e b o ok .c om / attybatas or www.facebook. c om /a n g t a n g i n gd a a n .

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

Bearing... from page 4

mysterious object of our thoughts, he is the most real being that we can ever think of. That’s because being the creator of the whole universe, he is the very foundation of reality. We just have to accustom ourselves with the dynamics of the spiritual and supernatural world.

We obviously need to be humble to acknowledge this

basic reality of the spiritual and supernatural world and try our best to correspond to it. For certain, we need to constantly ask for God’sgrace which is actually given in abundance so that we would always feel the need to take care of our spiritual bearing and supernatural outlook.

That is why we have to learn the art of being recollected and of being a true contemplative right in the middle of the world. We have to learn to turn our worldly and temporal affairs as means, not obstacles, in our abiding connection with God.

Gallery... from page 5

his knowledge, values and convictions through the visual form.

Vestigium, Scriptorium will have its Artist’s Reception open on January 26, 6 pm at Gateway Gallery. The exhibit will be open to the public from January 27 to February 2, 2018.

Gateway Gallery is the art museum of Araneta Center.

It is open from Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm.

It is located at the 5F of Gateway Tower, Araneta Center, Quezon City. For more information or press inquiry or media coverage, please contact Gateway Gallery at gatewaygallery@ aranetagroup.com, Facebook or 588-4000 local 8300. The artist can be contacted at www.geronimocristobal.com and at geronimocristobaljr@ gmail.com.

Cinemagis... from page 8

the river beneath. I saw people being evacuated from Brgys.

Consolacion and Burgos. I was deeply affected by what happened.”

Then came the idea of her main character - a tricycle driver who points out the good side of life despite the skirmishes in his community and the distasteful comments from his passengers and friends.

Despite the dominating theme of resilience and contentment, Ilagan hopes that this film will spread awareness about the issue of flooding and how it could directly and indirectly affect lives. *** As Cinemagis: Digital Short Film Festival reaches a decade this year, these films will be showcased on January 24 to 27 at XU Little Theater and SM City Cagayan de Oro Cinema 1. Albeit the common themes, these films celebrate their artists’ uniqueness in storytelling as the film festival continues to hone and promote the diverse talents of Mindanao.

Reform... from page 7

Taxes on properties also need to be rationalized, he said, citing that assessment of local government units (LGUs) on the value of property taxes are usually low.

“So we are going to propose

that the national government makes the assessment but the rate is determined by the local government so there is still autonomy,” he said.

“If they want to make it zero they can make it zero.

But we want to say that the value, the assessed value should be in accordance with international standards. Right now it’s not,” he added. (PNA)

PhilJets... from page 6

and marketing, said the company is working to address requests from customers to acquire certain aircraft types or brands.

Wit h t he addit iona l aircraft, its fleet will exceed P4.5 billion in asset value under management this year.

In 2017, PhilJets acquired two helicopters (1 Bell 407 GX and 1 Airbus H145) and three fixed wing aircraft (1 Bombardier Challenger 350 and 2 Cessna Citation XLS+) to end the year with 11, with an asset value of P3.8 billion.

F o r t h i s y e a r, t h e business aviation operator is considering expansion into the education, logistics and tourism sectors, as it plans to open bases in the provinces.

PhilJets is also working to upgrade its license from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) from non-scheduled domestic to non-scheduled international, which is key to entering the jet market.

The company has a Cessna Citation XLS+ and a Cessna Citation Business Jet, as it plans to capture a slice of the region’s business aviation market.

“It is very challenging to manage growth for a start-up in aviation, we are looking at innovating opportunities and the best way to develop them while always keeping safety and customer service as our core priorities,” PhilJets Chairman Thierry Tea was quoted as saying.

PhilJets is a company of the Starline Global Industries Group. Its units include PhilJets Aero Services, Inc. and PhilJets Aero Charter Corporation.

Telco... from page 6

subsidiary affiliate, or have any corporate or financial interest with PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom as of December 31, 2017, and

have a written and binding commitment from a foreign venture company.

“What we really want to have is as many contenders as possible, as this will really benefit the public, which is not served well by existing telcos. There is now a third telco player with major financial clout that can really compete with Globe and Smart. Ang instruction ni President we must come up with a third player na di maibibili ng duopoly (The President’s instruction is we must come up with a third player that will not be taken over by the duopoly)”, Rio said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the preliminary conference on the guidelines for the entry of a new telco player in Quezon City on Wednesday.

The National Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission (NTC) is set to promulgate on February 19 the memorandum circular containing the terms of reference for the selection and the assignment of radio frequencies for the new major player in the telco industry.

The new major player will be assigned the frequency bands that are now available for assignment as identified by the NTC. The DICT expects the entry of a new major telco player by April this year.

However, the department is set to ask the President to extend by a few months the end-March deadline for the acceptance of bidding documents from the applicants.

“We are asking for an extension of at least two months from the deadline of end-March, as prospective telco players do not have sufficient time to prepare bidding documents within the existing time frame,” Rio said.

The DICT official earlier said state-run China Telecom, KDDI Corp. of Japan, LG Uplus of South Korea, and an unidentified Taiwanese company had expressed interest in investing in the Philippines to become a third major telco player in partnership with a local firm.

A prospective third telco player needs to invest around P300 billion to P400 billion over the next five years.

(PNA)

0935 161 3398

856-3344 / 74-53-80

10

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friday|january 26, 2018

Romance and Fortune at Seda Centrio this February February is a busy month.

Aside from Valentine’s Day on the 14th, a lot of people will also be celebrating the Chinese New Year on the 16th.

The perfect way to enjoy these special events is to reward yourself and your loved ones with extraordinary treats at Seda Centrio, one of CDO’s finest hotels.

For Valentine’s Day, Seda is preparing a romantic dinner that will make anyone eat their heart out with envy. After some romance, it’s going to be fortune time on February 16 for a one-of-a-kind Chinese New Year celebration.

Eat Your Heart Out: Romance on Valentine’s On February 14, from 6pm to 10pm, Seda invites you to a Valentine dinner buffet with your loved one. For only Php770 (nett per person), feast on Misto’s most sumptuous culinary creations. It’s going to be an evening of love treats guaranteed to bring out the best, sweetest memories while igniting good romance.

The Valentine buffet menu consists of appetizers like Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, Mushroom Bruschetta, and cold cuts & cheese platter; French onion soup; mixed greens and your choice of salad dressing; bread; the main entrée – Grilled Tuna with Limoncello Sauce, Chicken Pastel, Ciambotta Vegetable & Pork Stew, Beef Stroganoff with Fettucine Noodles, and Parsley

Rice; Salt & Pepper Spareribs; and desserts for the sweet tooth.

And while you and your date are enjoying each other’s company – and the food – feel extra special as guest performers serenade you with your favorite love songs.

If a dinner buffet is not your cup of tea, you can choose to surprise your date with a 5-course dinner. For Php2,200 nett per couple, bask in the sweet romance of a candlelit dinner by the Misto Al Fresco area.

This Valentine dinner consists of specially prepared appetizers, soup, and salad.

Main entrée includes Salmon En Croute (rich salmon fillet wrapped in puff pastry) or Stuffed Pesto Chicken (French cut breast of chicken with sliced ham in a pesto vinaigrette), and Meat & Spincah Ravioli (a culinary feast of ground beef, spinach, spices, and Parmesan cheese).

Cap off your candlelit dinner with a dessert treat.

After a romantic dinner, you and your loved one can extend Valentine’s by spending the night in one of Seda’s cozy, comfortable, and wellfurnished rooms. The Love Lockdown Valentine’s Day promo will run from February 13 to 18, 2018.

Enjoy these special rates when you decide to experience Seda’s Valentine love lockdown: Deluxe Room – Php5,000

nett Club Room – Php6,000 nett Premier Room – Php7,000 nett Book a Premier Room and enjoy a more spacious, wellfurnished, and comfortable room. In addition, you will also have exclusive access to The Club Room.

The Club Room at the ____ floor is a VIP lounge perfect for enjoying a quiet meal (breakfast) or coffee, tea, and cocktails.

Flavors of Fortune: A Special Chinese New Year Dinner Buffet On Friday, February 16, welcome the Year of the Dog at Seda with the Flavors of Fortune. This special Chinese New Year dinner buffet is guaranteed to get you in a festive mood.

The buffet will be from 6pm to 10pm at Misto. This Chinese New Year treat is worth Php888 nett per person; perfect for a sumptuous celebration for you and your loved one.

If you go there early, you can witness the lion dance at 7pm at the 4th floor lobby.

It’s one of the best ways to celebrate the start of the Year of the Dog. For more information about Seda’s February romance and fortune treats, call 088-323 8888 or 0917-577 5910. You may also send an email to cdo@sedahotels.com.

See you at Seda!

11

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friday|january 26, 2018

Cooperated... from page 1

that the ratification was a welcome development and described by EU Ambassador Franz Jessen in a separate statement on Monday as a “major milestone” in the EU-Philippines relationship.

Hattum said the last political agreement the EU signed with the Philippines was some 30 years ago and this new agreement is a “renewal,” covering all areas of cooperation between EU and Philippines.

He s ai d it prov i d e s a general framework of collaboration between the EU and the Philippines in political, economic and development issues.

He a d d e d t h a t t h e agreement may pave the way for free trade agreement (FTA) and may also help address the concerns in customs and maritime affairs to facilitate a freer movement of goods between the EU’s 28 member countries and the Philippines.

The diplomat added that EU sees there are a lot of investment and export potentials in the Philippine but there is a need to educate the prospective European investors on the export commodities of the Philippines and the country’s economic fundamentals to get the Europeans to invest here.

The EU is one of the largest investors in the country, Hattum claimed, but the European investments in the Philippines pale in comparison with its ASEAN neighbors like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand “where you see, thanks to investors, these countries are able to boost their economy quite substantially.”

A growing interest from the European firms in the Philippines and government must put in place new measures to keep their interests, he added.

Hattum said new opportunities for investments must be made available to Europeans so that they can be encouraged to enter the country to increase the level of investments that will boost the economy.

He believes the Philippines has everything it needs – such as talents, skills, intelligence, and resources – to keep the economy growing.

“You just have to put ever ything in the bowl, consider a little bit how you can put it all together to get an outcome which is good for foreign investors,” Hattum added.

In a press release, Jessen said that the concurrence of the Senate to the ratification of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement is a major milestone and a big step forward in the EUPhilippines relationship.

The Philippines and the EU established diplomatic relations in 1964, and this partnership has matured and evolved over the years.

The ambassador explained the next challenge is to get this framework effectively

operational.

The export values from Philippines to EU totaled US$7.1 bi l lion for t he first nine months of 2017, including a strong increase in the agriculture sector, thanks to the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+).

The GSP+ allows producers here to export at zero tariff to EU their products, comprising coconut and marine products, processed fruit, prepared food, animal and vegetable fats and oils, textiles, garments, headwear, footwear, furniture, umbrellas, and chemicals.

The release added that foreign direct investments (FDIs) from the 28 EU member states represent the largest FDIs in the Philippines, supporting over 500,000 Filipino jobs.

(Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

Tourism... from page 1

“If we talk about culture tourism in Bukidnon, only Kaamulan will emerge,” Lomarda added.

Bukidnon local governments, he said, must push for a program focusing on “tourism that is unique to Bukidnon”. He lamented that tourists could only picture out pineapples and ziplines upon mention of Bukidnon.

Bukidnon tourism officials could expand their promotion to include indigenous cultural sites and farm sites, Lomarda added.

He said tourism could be used to provide livelihood to the indigenous peoples’ communities with some already started in some areas.

But Lomarda warned t h at gove r n m e nt mu s t prevent exploitation of the IP communities. He said government must support IP communities but not to the extent of exposing them to exploitation as what has happened in other areas.

He cited as example tourist sites in Luzon where tourists just take pictures of tribal folks wearing their attires.

“The IP communities must be part of those who decide on what will be featured and promoted,” Lomarda said.

He adde d t hat e ven during Kaamulan, the tribal sports and other events are scheduled on weekdays with few spectators.

He said the same events could also be organized outside of the Kaamulan to spread out events in partnership with tour operators.

Lomarda’s Greenminds, Inc. runs Umanika Farms, an organic farming site in Malaybalay City that models IP traditional and organic farming. He said farm tourism is also effective in educating the public about farming to help ensure food security.

Maite Abellanosa, chair of the tourism sector of the Bukidnon Kaamulan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., said there has been improvement in tourism in the province.

But she agreed that more should be done to promote agricultural and cultural

tourism in the province, focusing on these two as its niche.

“This is what we have, let’s show it to the world,” she said, adding that farm and cultural tourism can be helpful in educating the visitors about the life of farmers and the IP communities.

Ab el l ano s a s ai d t he government should make tourism sites more accessible with roads. She added there should be support also to the private sector in government accreditation like for the Department of Tourism and accessing incentives such as those offered by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).

Abellanosa said there should be destinations like a cultural village in Malaybalay, where visitors could learn about the IP way of life without the need to disrupt them in their villages.

She added another addon could be a youth center, where young people could go for sports and amusements to ensure healthy lifestyle.

“Right now, Malaybalay youth are known to be heavy liquor drinkers, for example,” she added.

Rashia Mae Deva Paano, a student leader at the Bukidnon State University, said however that many of those young people seen drinking in local bars are boarders who are from outside the city.

Annie Emata, department chair of BukSU’s Hospitality Management Department, said tourism stakeholders

should consider balancing social, environment and economic objectives to uphold sustainable development in the province. “ That the Bukidnon c ulture should als o b e preserved and be promoted to the community, most especially outside Northern Mindanao since cultural tourism is the niche product of Bukidnon,” she added.

Emata said they also aspire for the government, private sector and the academe to work closely to provide learning experiences to students.

BukSU has planned to open its own hotel earlier this year to cater to the needs of its students and personnel, which is also open for guests of Bukidnon.

Reuel Gallo, who runs a restaurant in Malaybalay and founder of the Bukidnon Vi s i t o r s’ G u i d e , s a i d improvement in the road networks and the operation of the Don Carlos airport would help attract more visitors.

Raiza Maicah A. Layos, Valencia City’s tourism officer, said it counts to have tourism development and promotion – improvement of tourist attractions and the community as a whole.

She said there are both man-made and natural attractions in Bukidnon but generally what hampers tourism is the notion that “Mindanao is not safe” and that infrastructure is poor.

The tourism officers of the Province of Bukidnon and the City of Malaybalay agreed

to contribute to “Bukidnon 2018: Public Outlook” but were unable to provide information as of noon of January 24.

Layos said accessibility is crucial along with proximity to gateways like airports, ports and terminals.

William Kopp, who runs Eiffel Kubo, a Malaybalaybased French restaurant serving native dishes, said they envision local tourism as an opportunity to experience the most meaningful culture of Bukidnon.

“By means of meeting and briefly sharing the natives’ way of living, thinking, worshipping, cultivating and creating, tourists shall be transformed, hence become advocates of their cause for harmony and peace,” he added. (Walter I. Balane)

Drivers...

from page 1 the transport operators and drivers in Cagayan de Oro alone would be displaced.

That constitutes around 2,500 drivers out of the 5,000 jeepneys plying the city.

Guro said individual PUJ operators still have three years to join cooperatives in their respective routes to avail of government financing.

Guro said that both LandBank and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) had already finalized their financing guidelines for transport cooperatives seeking to avail of goverment loans.

T h e D e p a r t m e nt of Transportation’s own Office

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL 10th Judicial Region Cagayan de Oro City Branch 22 OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL SHERIFF SHERIFF’S NOTICE OF SALE File No. 2017-382 Upon Extra-Judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended filed by BDO UNIBANK, INC., mortgagee, with principal office address at 10th Floor, BDO Corporate Center, 7899 Makati Avenue, Makati City, against SPS. JAIME ORAIZ, JR. & LUCENA G. ORAIZ, mortgagor/s, of legal age/s, Filipino/s with postal address at (1) 66 Consolacion Street, Cepalco Compound, Cagayan-de Oro City, (2) Lot 18032-G Cepalco Compound, Barangay Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City, to satisfy the mortgaged indebtedness which was as of October 2, 2017 amounts to SEVEN HUNDRED FOURTEEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO PESOS AND 31/100 (P714,162.31) Philippine Currency including interest, penalty charges excluding attorney’s fees and expenses of foreclosure, the undersigned sheriff will sell at public auction on February 19, 2018, at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter at the RTC Branch 22 office, Hall of Justice, Fr. Mastersons Avenue corner Macapagal Road, Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, to the highest bidder, for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the herein described property and all improvements thereon to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-146146.

A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot 18032-G plan (LRC) Psd-166289, being a portion of Lot 18032, Cag, Cad L.R.C. Record No. N-39923), situated in the Poblacion, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao. Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) square meters, more or less Prospective buyers/bidders may investigate for themselves the title of the herein described property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

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

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be on the next working day without further notice.

Cagayan de Oro City, January 8, 2018,

FOR THE PROVINCIAL EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF:

(SGD.) JOEL LYDVEL G. PAKINO

BWM: Jan. 19, 26 & Feb. 2, 2018

of Transport Cooperatives would be assisting transport cooperatives nationwide for this purpose, the LTFRB official said. Local drivers and operators may coordinate with the regional LTFRB office.

On Wednesday ( Jan. 24), transport group Starex, or Solidarity Transport Association of Region X (Starex), held a picket in front of the LTFRB regional office to call on the government to rescind its planned PUV modernization nationwide.

(Mark D. Francisco/PNA)

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

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF DECEASED SPOUSES WITH WAIVER Notice is hereby given that the intestate of estate ALEJO O. SERIÑA and DOROTEA MAAGAD, respectively died intestate inOpol, Misamis Oriental which was their places of residence at the time leaving two (2) parcels of land and all the improvements thereon, situated at Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental (formerly Iponan, Municipality of Cagayan). A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot No. 6417 of the Cadastral Survey of Cagayan), situated in the Barrio of Iponan Municipality of Cagayan, containing an area of TWO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO (2,962) SQUARE METERS, more or less.

A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot No. 6437 of the Cadastral Survey of Cagayan), situated in the Barrio of Iponan, Municipality of Cagayan, containing an area of THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TWENTY FOUR (35,224) SQUARE METERS, more or less. ALEJO O. SERIÑA and DOROTEA MAAGAD, is the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF DECEASED SPOUSES WITH WAIVER; is made and entered into; HERNANDO R. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Poblacio, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental; Atty. FELIX B. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of 122 Calbayog Street, Crossing Mandaluyong City; RACIA S. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Taboc, Opol, Misamis Oriental; TEOGENES M. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Igpit, Opol, Misamis Oriental; ARTURO U. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Poblacion, Opol, Misamis Oriental; SOSISO T. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Poblacion, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental; TERESITA S. GAMOLO, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Poblacion, Opol, Misamis Oriental; JUSTO S. SALVA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Poblacion, Opol, Misamis Oriental; ALEJO B. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Puntod, Cagayan de Oro City; BEATRIZ S. LUZA MAAPE, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Poblacion, Opol, Misamis Oriental; and SALUSTIANO G. SERIÑA, of legal age, Filipino and a resident of Poblacion, Manticao, Misamis Oriental; Under Notary Public of CONCHITO J. OCLARIT; Doc. No. 146; Page No. 30; Book No. XX; Series of 2015.

BWM: January 12, 19 & 26, 2018

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friday|january 26, 2018