BusinessWeek Mindanao (July 22, 2020)

BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O CREDIBLE

Volume XI, No. 20

Market Indicators AS OF 6:00 PM JULY 21, 2020 (TUESDAY)

FOREX US$1 = P 49.375

PHISIX 6,150.70

X X Briefly

6.50

61.95

cents

points

Low pork prices WHILE pork prices in Luzon have risen markedly in the past few weeks, hog raisers from Visaayas and Mindanao (Vis-Min) are still suffering from low pork prices – with some of them forced to sell their pigs at P90 per kilogram (/ kg), liveweight, from the farmgate price of up to P120/kg, liveweight– amid continuously falling demand.

This, while the prevailing prices for pork products in select markets in Metro Manila now range from P250/kg to P280/ kg, even prompting government authorities to adjust higher the suggested retail price (SRP) for this commodity amid a looming pork shortage in the capital.

In a phone interview, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) Executive Director Jayson Cainglet said that until now, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has yet to address the problems being faced by hog raisers in Visayas and Mindanao since April.

Tax remedies DAVAO City – The city council here approved Tuesday three remedial measures to provide relief to local businesses affected by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis.

“The city council is ready and very open to helping the business owners by passing ordinances that would give them more time to settle their taxes considering the situation in the city,” said Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chairperson of the City Council Committee on Finance, Ways and Means.

First of the three ordinances passed is the Ordinance No. 030420 or the "ordinance granting a three-month extension on the deadline of payment for the third quarterly installment for Real Property Tax (RPT) and additional levy on real property for the Special Education Fund (SEF)."

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Corn storage mulled to boost productivity www.businessweekmindanao.com

T

Wednesday|July 22, 2020

By PREXX MARNIE KATE TROZO, PNA

HE Mindanao Development A u t h o r i t y (MinDA) will propose the establishment of "corn storage complexes" using the modern silo systems equipped with dryers in the four major corn-producing

re g i on s of M i n d an a o : Z amboanga Peninsula, Nor thern Mindanao, Central Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Region.

In a statement on Monday, MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the corn facilities CORN/PAGE 7

Davao City posts 59% revenue growth in 1h DAVAO City – Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the city government said it manage d to sur p ass expectations by posting a 59-percent increase in revenue collections in the first half of the year compared

to the same period in 2019.

Lawyer Lawrence Bantiding, head of the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), said the city collected over PHP6.1 billion in revenues for the first six months of the REVENUE/PAGE 7

Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between Barangay Macasandig represented by Bgy. Chairman Aaron M. Neri, Sr. (center) and World's First Water Ventures Inc. represented by Chairman Engr. Joffrey E. Hapitan (upper left) on July 21, 2020 at World's First Corporate Office at South Diversion Road, Bgy. Taguanao for the 50 MLD Bulk Water Supply Project to be set up in Tambo, Bgy. Macasandig. Witnessing the signing are Engr. Rey Balandra, committee chairman on Infrastructure (lower left) and Mr.Nixon A. Baban, committee chairman on Environment (lower right). (RMB)

Duterte admin to continue ‘Build, Build, Build’ program

By ANTONIO L. COLINA IV, MindaNews

INFRASTRUCTURE projects under President Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” program will continue in his remaining two years in office

to help revitalize the economy, an official said.

In a press briefing, Presidential CONTINUE/PAGE 7

Palawan captures world's best island by travel mag

By JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA POLIO OUTBREAK. A health worker administers anti-polio vaccine for children in Barangay Casisang, Malaybalay City on Monday. A polio outbreak was declared in the Philippines on September 19, 2019 with health authorities attributing the resurgence of the debilitating disease to poor sanitation and low vaccination turnout. mindanews photo by h . marcos c . mordeno

PALAWAN was cited as the world's best island in the Travel+Leisure (T+L) 2020 World's Best Awards.

With a score of 94.83, Palawan bested 24 others in the world's

islands category, which included the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, Maui in Hawaii, Bali in Indonesia, and Great Barrier Reef Islands in PALAWAN/PAGE 7

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WEDNESDAY|JULY 22, 2020

P133-M farm-to-market roads to start in Surigao del Norte

B

UTUAN City – The Department of Public Works and Highways in Caraga Region (DPWH13) said the agency, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture in the area (DA-13), is set to begin the construction of farmto-market roads (FMRs) worth PHP133 million in the province of Surigao del Norte.

In a statement Monday (July 20), DPWH-13 said the 10 FMRs will be implemented by the DPWH Surigao del Norte 2nd Engineering District

Office in the third quarter of the year, as announced

by DPWH Secretary Mark Villar recently.

Villar was quoted in the statement as saying: “We are realizing the promise of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the Filipino people that he will strongly support the development of agriculture as the main economic driver of the country and uplift the condition of the farmers.”

With the improved infrastructure, Villar said farmers will be empowered to be more prosperous while inclusive

growth will be realized in the localities and will mirror the national economy.

DPWH-13 Director Pol Delos Santos said the

FMRs will further boost agricultural production in the province and reduce the handling cost and ease the transport of farm products to market

centers in the area.

The FMRs will be constructed in the towns of Claver, Gigaquit, Alegria, Bacuag, and Malimono, Delos Santos

said, adding that a series of consultations have been conducted to inform the residents and landowners to iron out road-right-ofway issues. (PNA)

CDO reports 13 Covid-19 recoveries THE CAGAYAN de Oro City Health Office (CHO) on Monday said it has recorded 13 coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) recoveries over the weekend, the highest number so far since May. Dr. Teodulfo Joselito Retuya, CHO resident

epidemiologist, said two of the recoveries were local transmissions, and 11 from locally stranded-individuals (LSIs) and repatriated overseas Filipinos (ROFs), including a one-year-old infant.

Two more recorded recoveries, which were not counted in the city, were a 32-year-old mother and her two-year-old daughter.

"We are preparing them (recovered patients) for community

integration, and will lift the focused containment in their areas," he said, referring to the two local transmission cases which were contained when results turned out positive.

Retuya said that during their active surveillance in the contained areas, health workers did not record any cases of individuals in the neighborhood showing Covid-19 symptoms.

As of 10 p.m. of July 19, the CHO recorded 46

recovered patients since March.

Retuya also said that along with the new number of recoveries, the city recorded nine new positive cases, raising the city's total cases to 118, 66 of which are active.

Dr. Lorraine Nery, CHO acting head, also said that 79.6 percent of the cumulative total Covid-19 cases--or 94 individuals--come from LSIs and ROFs, while only 22 individuals or 18.6 percent were local transmissions.

"What's still good here is that they (ROFs and LSIs) did not have initial contacts and were not reintegrated when they arrived," she said, adding that the 14-day quarantine has always been part of the health protocols that returning residents must undergo.

Data from CHO also showed that between April 30 and July 19, the city has received a total of 3,403 LSIs and ROFs, and only 94 of them tested positive for the virus.

The city currently has 15 city isolation units (CIUs) intended for suspected and probable patients, while there were three temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs), which were used for patients who tested positive.

Patients who were residing at the CIUs and tested positive of Covid-19 are transferred to TTMF. (PNA)

3 Trucks dealer NZH International expands to Mindanao Q Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

WEDNESDAY|JULY 22, 2020

Text and Photo by MARK FRANCISCO

UEZON Citybased NZH International Vehicle & Machinery, Inc. has established its first branch outside Luzon right here in Cagayan de Oro City.

NZH Mindanao was inaugurated last Saturday (July 18) in its premises at the heart of the city particularly at Cugman Highway.

It is now the fourth branch of the ever growing NZH International Vehicle

& Machinery, Inc. which has maintained two more branches in the northern part of the country outside of its flagship dealership in Quezon City.

According to NZH International Vehicle & Machinery, Inc. national sales director Robin Lu, they chose Cagayan de Oro as their stepping stone in other parts of the Philippines even in this time of pandemic since the government here has managed the COVID-19

crisis well so as to steer the economy as well.

In the words of Maybelle Quilnat of NZH Mindanao herself, she opined that the administration of Mayor Oscar Moreno has recognized the continuing relevance of supply providers such as their business in keeping the economy float and at the same time managing the coronavirus pandemic.

At the same time, Quilnat also said that NZH International Vehicle & Machinery,

Present during the ceremonial toast are (from left) Mayor Oscar Moreno, Maybelle Quilnat of NZH Mindanao and NZH International Vehicle & Machinery, Inc. national sales director Robin Lu.

THE Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office oversight and evaluation committees jointly met last July 15 to discuss on enhanced managing police operations, illegal drugs, illegal gambling and clean riders. It was led by deputy police director for operations Lt. Col. Reynante Reyes. Specific topics discussed were target setting, situation-driven inputs and outputs, eight focus crimes and police intervention and harvest. Chiefs of police from all the cities and municipalities attended the activity. photo supplied

Inc. ventured into the Mindanao market particularly here in Cagayan de Oro City since it is the gateway to the northern part of the island.

Quilnat said that industry vehicle providers such as their company are essential especially at this time of the pandemic to keep the movement of supplies stable.

NZH Mindanao has a wide range of Shacman dumptrucks, transit mixers, tractor heads, wing vans and cargo trucks.

She said that these

are used in construction, freight forwarding, aggregates trucking and mining, among others.

“Even during the time of pandemic, they continue to operate.”

For his part, Moreno expressed his gratitude to NZH International Vehicle & Machinery, Inc. for putting their investments in Cagayan de Oro City in the midst of these trying times, saying they are not just helping to buoy up the economy but their transport conveyances are essential in all sectors.

At present, Shacman heavy duty trucks are

sold in more than 90 countries, the export and export volume ranking in the leading position of the industry, providing a full range of logistics solutions.

Indeed it is here in the Philippines. Lu said the trend of the trucking industry in the country is for the logistics and construction sectors to buy durable equipment over less expensive but unworthy ones. He assured potential clients that NZH International Vehicle & Machinery, Inc. excels in after-sales service in all its dealerships nationwide.

4

Opinion

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ORLAN R. RAVANERA It is quite puzzling to note that again and again and again, there are continuing attempts to tax the cooperatives. The attempts come in so many ways: either there are requirements to submit this or that, asking for tax account numbers of members who are farmers, indigenous peoples or informal settlers and what have you, before the Certificate of Tax Exemption (CTE) can be issued.

The cooperatives’ stand on those requirements as manifested in their position papers goes something like this: Do you ask that from the Church? If you see that it is really a cooperative as shown by its Certificate of Registration, then the issuance of CTE must be automatic!

Perhaps it is about time to know the real essence of cooperativism – that it is a social justice measure and no less than the Supreme Court has ruled in the case entitled Dumaguete Cathedral Credit C o op e r at ive ( D C C C O ) versus Commissioner of Internal Revenue, no less

than the highest court of the land affirmed the tax exemption of cooperatives.

Yes the power to tax is very strong, taxes being the lifeblood of the government, but such must bow down to Social Justice, the essence of cooperativism.

The High Court’s ruling has reverberated throughout the land, much to the rejoice of all cooperatives especially those who are similarly situated and have been subjected to what we can only described as tax aggression of those who have the propensity to tax anything that moves.

No one can deny that death and taxes are two things in life that we cannot all escape f rom: death, the inevitable fate of us mortals, aptly described as our “marriage to eternity, eternity being the home of the souls,” and taxes as the “life-blood of the nation” without which the essence of the State will just be illusory.

That said, the State rarely relaxes its inherent power of taxation which is the most pervasive and persistent than its other two fundamental powers, that of police power and eminent domain. And when the State gives tax exemption, it does so only for very important reasons that have great bearing on its reason for being as a nation.

B ecaus e of t he vit al role they play in society, cooperatives are given a distinct privilege as aptly manifested in the words of

Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, the one who penned the decision. He said, “Cooperatives, including their members, deserve a preferential tax treatment because of the vital role they play in the attainment of economic development and social justice. Thus, although taxes are the lifeblood of the government, the State’s power to tax must give way to foster the creation and growth of cooperatives.

To borrow the words of Justice Isagani A. Cruz, ‘the power of taxation, while indispensable, is not absolute and may be subordinated to the demands of social justice.”

We in the cooperative movement firmly salute the Supreme Court for giving justice to the essence of cooperativism. We cannot understand however why there are those who are stubbornly persisting to tax the cooperatives when the law is very clear and categorical. The Philippine Cooperative Code (RA 9520) clearly states in Article 6 1 t h at “C o o p e r at i v e s transacting business with both members and nonmembers shall not be subject to tax on their transactions with members. In relation to this, the transactions of members with the cooperative shall not be subject to any taxes and fees, including but not limited to final taxes on members’ deposits and documentary tax.”

Why are cooperatives so

essential in the life of the nation? It is my contention that cooperativism in this country is in itself an exercise of the most important power of the State which is the Police Power. Its ver y essence is to rectify social ills and economic flaws by advancing “social justice, e qu it y and sust ai nabl e development” as a declared State policy. The framers of the 1987 Constitution must have fully realized the crucial role of cooperatives to democratize wealth and power in a highly skewed societal order with only a few elite in control at the expense of the many who are powerless and wallowing in poverty.

To sum it up, Justice Del Castillo said, “The clashing interests of the State and the taxpayers are again pitted against each other. Two basic principles, the State’s inherent power of taxation and its declared policy of fostering the creation and growth of cooperatives come into play. However, the one that embodies the spirit of the law and the true intent of legislature prevails.”

Let this landmark case serves notice to one and all that in the struggle to make b etter for our people who are fighting dehumanizing pover ty through their cooperatives and who have come together to work for social transformation through people empowerment, cooperativism prevails over the power to tax.

The 3 additional Commandments

Oro Chamber

Bring out the best Think a minute… Winston Churchill was 65-yearsold when he first became England’s Prime Minister.

It was May of 1940 and England’s military was not prepared for war. So when Hitler’s massive German army began attacking the British Isles, almost all of the military experts expected Germany to quickly and easily conquer England.

But these experts could not imagine that in only seven months, Winston Churchill would help change the history of both England and the entire Western World. During those months, when the families of Great Britain gathered in their homes to listen to their leader over the radio, their feelings of fear and hopelessness were replaced with great confidence and courage. Why? Churchill knew just how to inspire the English people to believe in themselves and in their just cause of defending freedom by stopping the spread of evil tyranny. In fact, defeating Germany’s powerful army became “England’s finest hour.”

It has been said: “People

WEDNESDAY|JULY 22, 2020

Taxation bows down to social justice

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THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST who feel good about themselves do their best.”

Whether it is at work on the job or at home with their family. So if you want people to change, you must help them believe in themselves so they will want to change and become their best. But when we criticize or shame our children, our wife or husband, or people we work with, we only hurt them and tear down their selfconfidence. So why should we expect them to be better when we have made them feel and believe they cannot do it?

We all do our best when we feel good about ourselves. A successful businessman says: BEST/PAGE 7

THE wellspring wherefrom the social amelioration fund comes from is not forever limitless. Make no mistake of that. The traditional sources of funds are individual and corporate taxes, customs tariffs, fees, income from government-run corporations among them Pagcor, to name a few.

In his pre-SONA report to the nation the head of the Economic Cluster of the Duterte government, Finance Sec. Sonny Dominguez, detailed to us how vibrant was t he growt h of t he countr y’s economy and how the coronavirus disease (Covid)-19) pandemic hit us in the solar plexus. This is not unique to the Philippines, it is worse in other countries and none, no matter how advance is the economy, is spared from the plague.

We took note of the fact however that a number of countries had revved up the engine of growth and revived various levels of industries. We are all in the same predicament. Millions have lost their jobs with the closures of businesses, cessation of construction activities and transport

systems come to a halt. After months of having to grapple with the new coronavirus we have learned that this will not go away just yet but there are means on how to mitigate it as demonstrated by other countries that have now revived their industries.

It takes a very tiny bit of discipline and obedience to uncomplicated protocols.

Wearing of masks, social distancing, and washing of hands wit h s oap or disinfecting it with alcohol will, to a very significant degree, prevent infection and control the spread of the virus.

In short, it only takes these three modes of discipline and we get the engines of development going, saving or getting back our jobs, resuming our mobility, and depriving the virus of its host.

Secretary Dominguez stressed the obvious: under ECQ, GCQ. MGCQ the deadly virus will be there.

If there are means to control it, then we have to enforce these. There are only three commandments to follow.

Thus, factories and other business es are a l lowe d to open, construction of government and private

proj e c t s t o re s u m e t o maintain a delicate balance of economy and health which are both vital to the survival of the nation as people get employed. We cannot sustain a welfare state.

In the meantime, with our government coffers nearing depletion, the next option available to us is to borrow money. The Philippines is lucky that under the Duterte government, the growth of the economy was at its peak borne by the sustained gross domestic product. All the major credit rating agencies, Fitch, S&P, Moody’s gave the Philippine an unprecedented BBB rating. In other words, it is investment grade and stable. Just last month Japan Credit Rating Agency rated the country A-minus.

Ratings have significant impacts on any countr y and most especially for the Philippines under this time of crisis. These guarantee the stability of the economy, the capacity to settle loans and stable economic policies.

These are important factors for investors and money lenders. And for the Philippines, these translate to low or concessional rates

LETTERS FROM DAVAO

JUN LEDESMA with a long grace period to pay on loans it may have to avail of to keep the health of the nation and to rev the engines of its industries going.

The success of the economic goals and health of every Filipino is dependent on our adherence to the 3 added Commandments: Thou shall wear your face mask properly by covering your nose and mouth.

Thou shall wash your hand with soap or disinfect with alcohol whenever necessary.

Thou shall keep a distance of at least one meter from the nearest person when you are in a crowd of two or more persons.

You must keep these commandments until a vaccine is discovered.

L I K E U S O N FAC E B O O K !

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Wednesday|July 22, 2020

Online English teaching a safe and resilient livelihood that bridges people and cultures

W

HILE the Philippine economy reels from the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic with the easing of quarantine restrictions, the monthslong quarantine have created a chain reaction that led to many Filipinos losing their jobs and livelihood.

On March 16, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the entire island of Luzon with its population of 58 million under community quarantine to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

Though community quarantine measures are effective methods in f lattening the infection

has become a very popular career choice, which turned out to be one of the least affected jobs amid the pandemic.

Most online teachers in the Philippines typically work from home, which insulated them from the quarantine measures that have devastated other businesses.

Being an online English teacher can be very rewarding. In 2019, the average monthly salary in the Philippines was PHP 50,600 and online English teachers may earn more than this amount per month, depending on their number of classes.

Online English platform 51Talk,

Teacher Xandra Hill

curve, it resulted in a downturn in economic activity.

Public transport was halted and the movement of private vehicles was also regulated. Various industries were badlyhit, causing a stoppage of business operations, massive lay-offs, and cease-hiring altogether.

Tourism, trade, and consumption drastically dropped during this period, and according to the Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, 2.6 million Filipinos have already lost their jobs due to the temporary halting of operations of business establishments.

As the onsite or office-based jobs and opportunities dwindled, home-based, online jobs and livelihoods f lourished as a safe and resilient way to conduct business and continue earning.

The Philippines, as among the most populous Englishspeaking nations, has long been a destination for top business process outsourcing firms and call centers. In recent years, online English teaching

which has been around since 2011, has been promoting this homebased online English teaching opportunity.

51Talk connects its 20,000 English teachers to Chinese students using its proprietary technology called Air Class to deliver live, one-onone, interactive, and fun lessons.

Zeeryl Vivi, a licensed professional teacher from Bacolod City, has been teaching with 51Talk for two years now. Zeeryl said that her earnings have increased during the pandemic because her students are mostly staying at home.

“I continued to earn from home despite the quarantine restrictions.

I actually realized that I was earning more than usual and I was able to provide for my family’s needs. This home-based opportunity really helped us a lot.”

Despite initial reservations, more and more people are coming to appreciate online freelance opportunities that are f lexible yet stable and sustainable.

“My family is really

thankful that I was able to contribute even more during this time. My dad was not able to receive his salary for two months and I was able to cover some of the bills that we have here at home,” added Zeeryl.

Teacher Xandra Hill found her career as a professional pilot in limbo as travel restrictions meant that the travel industry was put in a standstill. “As a pilot, the world literally stopped for me because of the suspension of work, which was my main source of income. I had to look for alternative means to earn and sustain my family’s daily necessities. That’s how I found 51Talk,” said Xandra.

Xandra is a graduate of AB Psychology and loves to teach. She said that her family felt proud that she was able to be productive during the quarantine while helping people in a different kind of way.

“To those looking for a job in these trying times, I strongly recommend teaching at 51Talk. You can earn in the comfort and safety of your own homes, anytime. All you need is a computer, a good internet connection, and a heart that is willing to serve other people through teaching,” added Xandra.

Newly-launched teacher Trixie Laura worked as a production staff in an advertising company before she joined 51Talk. Having no background in teaching, she said it was quite challenging at first because teaching was far from what she was used to doing. At 51Talk, teachers are encouraged to attend the free training sessions that equip them with the necessary teaching skills to make them competent and confident in handling online lessons. “This livelihood opportunity helped me discover new skills and has eased my anxiety as I get to earn and keep myself busy,” explained Trixie.

51Talk, even throughout the pandemic, has been hard-at-work in empowering Filipinos across the Philippines by spreading awareness about the advantages of being a home-based online English teacher through digital conferences and webinars, and social media campaigns.

“Everyone has seen, especially in the past three months, that earning a livelihood from home is

not just possible but also sustainable and profitable.

Business processes like meetings and interviews can all be carried out virtually with the aid of technology. We have been doing this for 9 years now and as you can see, our teachers are able to earn and be safe as they continue to teach from home with 51Talk.” said 51Talk Founder and CEO Jack Huang.

51Talk recently has generated a great deal of attention in the news and in social media. In a video message posted on social media, Mr. Huang encouraged Filipinos whose regular work was affected to join 51Talk.

“If the pandemic affected your job, then 51Talk can offer you a new option.

There has probably never been a better time than right now to teach English

Zeeryl Vivi, a licensed professional teacher from Bacolod City

Huang Jiajia, or Jack Huang, Founder and CEO of 51Talk

online,” according to Mr. Huang.

The Chinese market for foreign English teachers has grown massively over the past decade, and it shows no sign of slowing down. In China, all children from age seven are required by law to learn English and most parents enroll their children earlier than this, even as young as two years old because they want their children to gain an advantage in a highly competitive environment.

This means there is a very bright future for the online ESL industry in the Philippines to meet this increasing demand from China.

The Phillippine government in recent years has made great strides in furthering its relationship with China. On the occasion

of the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sought stronger ties amid challenges such as the on-going COVID-19 pandemic adding that these special ties should be fully realized. President Duterte describes Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “valued friend” and he promised to “preserve and build on the gains of our close partnership for greater peace, progress and prosperity for our nations.”

During President Duterte’s most recent visit to China in 2019, the two countries discussed ways to deepen its friendship and have agreed to hasten education cooperation through sharing of information and study of languages, establishing

more Confucius Institutes in the Philippines, and promoting participation in scholarships, training programs and workshops, among others.

According to Mr. Huang, beyond the livelihood opportunity and English language education his platform provides, 51Talk has long been a bridge that promotes cooperation and understanding between the Philippines and China with its thousands of Filipino teachers interacting with and educating Chinese children daily.

“We are very proud to serve as a bridge to further educational and cultural exchanges between the two peoples through language education. May this strengthen the bond and friendship between us,” said Mr. Huang.

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WEDNESDAY|JULY 22, 2020

Coach Benminton – the name you can trust in ForEx trading

By MARK FRANCISCO

and-sell business and craved for that needed in forex trading. So THIRTY-five yearfinancial break. Then how did he transition to old Benbert Beniero he happened to discover become successful in this forex trading. That was was once upon a time financial field? engaged in the realty in the summer of 2018 In this interview, sector in Iligan City here in Cagayan de Oro Coach Ben as he is as a buy-and-sell when forex trading was affectionately called, entrepreneur. It is a far at its growing euphoria. cry from who he is today was already feeling the That early, Coach monotony of the buy– a sought-after coach Ben knew that there were already others like him who engage in forex trading. Yet he knew his goals from the start – to ace in this field so he could be financially stable and at the same time pass forward to others so they could experience success as well.

Thus, Coach Ben intensely studied about forex for one month in a forex academy in Metro Manila. Emerging from the tutorials, he started venturing into forex trading and zeroed in on gold.

Why gold? “We all know that in the past 30 years or so, the growth Joyce (CEO of Smart Trade Philippines) & Sam (Account of gold has steadily risen Manager)

Teachers’ readiness under the ‘new normal’

By NANETTE L. SAMSON, MT-II Libertad National High School Libertad, Butuan City

FOR a teacher in the “new normal” setting is an opportunity to teach differently to a bigger classroom, and looking forward to retiring from live lecturing and shifting the gear using online platforms such as google classroom for continuing education.

This abrupt change in educational paradigm is necessary to keep abreast with the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a memorandum circular, the Department of Education (DepEd) has laid the groundworks by instituting radical changes in methodologies in basic education through the Learning Continuity Plan (LCP), which will be in effect by the time School Year 2020-2021 opens initially slated in August, this year.

LCP is the education department’s major response and commitment in ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of studentlearners, teachers, and personnel in the time of COVID-19 while finding ways for education to continue amidst the crisis for the upcoming school year.

Under such circumstances, the primary challenge is to ensure adequate access and readiness of the stakeholders, students and lecturers/teachers to the digital world that "real" learning may be missed out for the lack of learners' "readiness" for independent self-learning, as well as teachers' wellbeing and readiness for online teaching.

Although not fully equipped with appropriate knowledge in the new set up, teachers are now preoccupied with the basics of how to set up an online class with google classroom features and the likes, how to narrate PowerPoint slides, what to wear to teach online in a synchronous format, how to condense information into a new format, what videos to choose, how to record lectures with other people at

home for students with their own set of responsibilities, how to prevent students from cheating on online exams — the list is truly endless.

It’s understandable. When people are nervous, they fixate on the little they can control.

Fortunately, the Unicef has some helpful tips on how parents can help their children learn. The first is that parents can be the ones to set a routine that integrates time for studies and education through online and media sources, while balancing it with other social and play activities that a child also needs.

Next, parents should keep open lines of communication, particularly if children are linking what they are learning to what is happening right now in our world.

Parents can help their children process what they are learning.

Parents can also be the ones to train their children to get into the swing of longer educational sessions, and at the same time, they can monitor their children’s online activity, and what resources they are accessing.

Finally, teachers and parents should communicate with one another—just as the teacher is now the one who creates the learning modules that students will use on a local level, so it is that parents should also be aware of how to maximize learning from these educational packages.

All these issues should be carefully and properly built into the educational system for the new normal. Although I doubt these can be done in the near term due to the proximity of classes, however hopes are high that given the utmost support and cooperation of all stakeholders, these challenges can be surmounted and that continuity of learning is achievable under the new normal.

and risen. There may be instances that gold may fall for some time but the general trend, if we chart the graph, is that gold will continue to grow.”

In the next six months, Coach Ben would watch his accounts slowly grow and grow.

Within that time, he has learned one additional virtue – the virtue of not being greedy. “You always implement proper risk management to your accounts. There are other traders that I know who expose as much as 30 percent of their assets. I am not like that. I’m not greedy. So I only go for two percent exposure.

Even if my returns were only that small, at least they’re steadily growing.”

Applying the two percent exposure rule, the next tactic would be to get more and more accounts.

So whatever small growth he has would be multiplied hundredfolds.

Today, Coach Ben is maintaining 300 accounts based on the copy trading method. In copy trading, a portion of the copying trader’s funds is linked to the account of the copied investor. Thus, any

trading action made by the copied investor are also executed in the copying trader’s account.

Of course, copy trading won’t be possible if your reputation is not well established.

Thus, Coach Ben has always seen to it that his accounts are trading bullishly.

With his name established, Benbert has easily transitioned into a financial coach.

He is now conducting webinars about forex trading and his thousands of viewers are all over the Philippines, with some of them residing abroad.

Today, Benbert is also maintaining an hourlong show every week in MDN Radyo Natin. It can be viewed live each Friday from 12 noon onwards on the Facebook page of Mindanao Daily News. “Let’s connect on Facebook. Looking forward in partnering with you towards success!”

Impact of pandemic in financial management JANMAE D. PABONITA Administrative Assistant-III Baliwagan Central School

A dramatic health crisis, COVID-19 outbreak led to an economic dilemma between saving the economy or saving the people. The pandemic causing massive job losses that led people to ask financial assistance f rom t he gove r n me nt especially the people belongs to poor and meddle-class families. Even the rich had an economic crisis that led their businesses close and some of them declared bankruptcy.

In the early stage of pandemic in our country, the government implemented safety measures by creating quarantines and lockdowns with specific protocols to combat the spreading of the virus. Due to this health

protocols, lot of business establishments had close and the economy was totally down. In this stage, the government was providing the basic commodities (food) of the people.

Due to the massive job losses and temporary closure of businesses, the people including business sectors creating new way on how to survive in the middle of pandemic. Some of the business manufacturers shift their productions to something needed in the middle of pandemic.

Like alcoholic beverages companies, they shift their production to making disinfectant alcohols that much useful in controlling the spreading of the virus.

In the current situations of our countr y in this p andemic, t he p e ople learned how to innovate f inancial management to survive the day to day living. Lots of Filipinos used social media and internet to have online businesses.

The Filipinos learned how to handle businesses using the internet that most of the Filipinos before are dependent of works to have wages/salaries for their daily needs.

It is very clear that this pandemic gave us so much struggles in our financial aspect, but as Filipinos, we have a courage and capacity to face and overcome those challenges that we may encounter.

7

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WEDNESDAY|JULY 22, 2020

Flexible...

Corn...

distance learning using online systems, PHINMA Education still adopted online systems for ancillary activities such as enrolment and distribution of digital diplomas and transcripts of records (TORs).

“We developed these systems so students and parents do not need to go to the campus for these matters,” he added.

PHINMA Education Ever Onward Last semester, PHINMA COC had some 10,000 students in the tertiary level, about 5,000 in Senior High School, and approximately 1,000 students in their K to 10 program. It currently maintains a Main Campus at Barangay Carmen and a satellite campus at Barangay Puerto.

Although the community quarantine measures mandated by the global pandemic has meant it had to suspend operations from March until August, the college still has managed to retain all of its 144 regular teaching and non-teaching staff as well as extend financial and non-financial aid to its 200 casual teaching and nonteaching employees.

One advantage PHINMA Education has in dealing with the economic fallout from the global pandemic is the strength and flexibility in being a subsidiary of the Filipino-owned conglomerate, PHINMA, which has investments in education, property development, hospitality, and construction materials. PHINMA Education Holdings, Inc. (PEHI) owns and operates seven schools across the Philippines, including PHINMA COC, and manages one in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia.

PHINMA Education has an 80 percent average first-time passing rate for licensure exams with some 81 percent of students getting hired a year after graduation. It has 94 board exam top notchers since its inception in 2004.

"The safety and welfare of our students are paramount, but the continuation of their academic journey is fundamental to their future success. FlexLearning@ PHINMAEd will help us and our students continue to advance – ever onward," Macaventa assured. (RMB)

will be owned by the corn farmers' cooperatives which will be linked by MinDA to financing institutions for their operating capitals.

With the corn storage complex strategically placed in corn-producing areas, Piñol said farmers would be able to deliver their produce to their respective cooperatives, which in turn will store the harvests under a system similar to the sugar quedan.

This will give corn farmers leverage in the pricing of their products as they could hold on to their stocks and wait for a better price or enter into direct marketing agreements with institutional buyers, such as feed mills.

Piñol recalled that when his father was still a member of the Provincial Board of North Cotabato in the late 80s, he led farmers to the halls of the Senate to ask for legislative action on the unfair and unjust practice by traders to drop the buying price of corn during peak harvest season.

At that time, Cotabato corn farmers of Cotabato -- especially the Arakan Valley -- either dumped their harvests by the side of the road or burned their corn to show their displeasure at the seeming inability of the government to help and protect them.

“Today, 40 years after that futile corn crusade waged by my father and the corn farmers, I see light at the end of the tunnel.

This ray of hope is provided by the PHP2.1 billion grant fund by the European Union (EU) Delegation to the economic development of Mindanao which will be managed by MinDA,” he said.

Piñol said that among the priority projects that MinDA has identified following a consultation with stakeholders is the establishment of postharvest and storage facilities for both rice and corn in Mindanao.

“For our intervention for corn farmers, I have designed the Mindanao Corn Development Program which will involve the participation corn farmers associations and cooperatives, the private sector and the government through MinDA using the EU Grant Funds,” he said.

from page 8

Best... from page 4

“Instead of catching people doing something wrong to criticize and punish them, try to catch people doing something right and praise them for it. Then they will want to keep doing that right thing and always do their best.”

This is why Jesus teaches us to love others as ourselves.

Make others feel good about themselves the way you want to feel good about yourself. Won’t you ask God the Son to forgive you for the wrong ways you have lived and treated others?

Then ask Him to start changing your heart, so you can become your best, and help bring out the best in others. Just think a minute…

from page 1

Piñol said MinDA planning staff will work on the details of the program with the help of the corn farmers’ associations prior to its inclusion in the list of projects for funding under the EU Fund Grant.

“This will improve their income, increase their productivity, and address poverty in the agriculture sector, especially among corn farmers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Piñol bared that during his visit to Bukidnon last week, Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri warned that corn farmers in the province could suffer from very low buying prices as the province expects bumper harvest from over 100,000 hectares of production area.

Bukidnon is a huge cornproducing province in Northern Mindanao, the country’s secondbiggest producer of corn after Cagayan Valley.

“The drastic drop in the price of corn during peak harvest season has always been a problem for corn farmers in Mindanao for as long as I could remember. The buying price of corn in Mindanao goes up to as high as PHP20 per kilo offseason too as low as PHP8 at peak of harvest,” Piñol said.

He added that traders take advantage of the absence of drying and storage facilities and set the prices at very low levels and since they own warehouses and drying facilities, they hoard the stocks and release these to the market during the off-harvest season thus making a killing.

(PNA)

Revenue... from page 1

year, or almost 60 percent higher than the PHP5.5-billion collection in the same period last year.

“The increase in the collection is attributed to our stable tax collection. Aside from that, the bulk of collection that we collected were from the Business Permit renewal last January," Bantiding said.

However, CTO noted a decrease in amusement tax collection due to the closure of cinemas and cancellation of events because of movement restrictions following the imposition of community quarantine in March to contain Covid-19 infections.

CTO also bared a decrease in transportation system fees

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF REAL ESTATE WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF REAL ESTATE WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

The late FERMIN RAZA SR. and EVELYN O. RAZA left a parcel of land with TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-12051, situated at Villa Rosario, Casinglot, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, containing an area of TWO HUNDRED SIXTY SEVEN (267) sq. meters, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF REAL ESTATE WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, filed by the heirs of FERMIN RAZA SR. and EVELYN O. RAZA, in favor of JIESEBEL A. PIMENTEL and EVELYN S. PIMENTEL, per DOC #240; BOOK #48; PAGE #XLIII; Series No. 2019 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. ADONIS ARC P. GUMAHAD.

The late FERMIN RAZA SR. and EVELYN O. RAZA left a parcel of land with TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-12052, situated at Villa Rosario, Casinglot, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, containing an area of TWO HUNDRED SIXTY SEVEN (267) sq. meters, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF REAL ESTATE WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, filed by the heirs of FERMIN RAZA SR. and EVELYN O. RAZA, in favor of JIESEBEL A. PIMENTEL and EVELYN S. PIMENTEL, per DOC #234; BOOK #48; PAGE #XLIII; Series No. 2019 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. ADONIS ARC P. GUMAHAD.

BWM: July 15, 22 & 29, 2020

BWM: July 15, 22 & 29, 2020

due to the non-operation of Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) during the enhanced community quarantine period.

A 20-percent decrease in collection of rental fees is also noted under the City Economic Enterprise due to the waiver of rental fees, which was granted as part of the relief measures for small businesses.

The City Council approved three remedial measures for businesses consisting of payment extension, tax amnesty for delinquent real property taxpayers, and the 60-percent reduction on the rental fees on commercial government stalls or booths.

Still, Bantiding said he remains optimistic that the revenue-generating offices can catch up with targets in the second half of the year by strengthening inspection operations.

"For example, the Business Bureau must ensure that those who are conducting business must have a permit. For the Office of the City Building Official, they must ensure that all constructions have secured a building permit," he said.

"All revenue-generating offices should intensify their inspection to ensure that all those who need permits from the city should have gotten one and that should translate an additional income for the city," he added.

The CTO has set a target of PHP10.3 billion revenue collection for 2020 based on the tax collection of the previous year.

"Based on our collection as of June, more or less we have reached more than 50 percent of our target collection so we are hoping that we still reach the target even with the pandemic we are experiencing now,” Bantiding said. (PNA)

Continue... from page 1

spokesperson Harry S. Roque echoed the position of Duterte’s economic managers that pursuing these projects will help the country recover from the stifling effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Duterte, the first Mindanawon Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING & REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No.10, Apovel, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City RAISEN M. ORQUILLAS CASE NO. R10-EV-PUJ 2020-07-2235 (2015-10-1897)

NOTICE OF HEARING

APPLICANT(s)/ PETITIONER(s) request/s authority to Extend the Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate PUJ SERVICE on the line: OZAMIS CITY TO BALIANGAO via OROQUIETA CITY – CALAMBA – PLARIDEL (MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL) and vice versa with the use of ONE (1) unit/s.

This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on August 3, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. at this board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/their evidence.

The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least TEN (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of local circulation.

Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/their written opposition with supporting documents, unless this BoardDE deems necessary to require CAGAYAN OROitMAIN BRANCH P& J Lim Bldg.,evidence Tiano Brothers additional documentary and/or his/her/ Kalambagohan Sts., their oral testimony(s).

Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * # (088)

N.B.Telefax FAILURE TO 856-1947 APPEAR AT THE SCHEDULED DATE ANDBRANCH TIME OF HEARING CAMIGUIN B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, SHALLCamiguin MEAN THE DISMISSAL OF THE Tel. # (088) 387-0491 APPLICATION/PETITION. CORRALES BRANCH

WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 21st day of July DIVISORIA BRANCH 2020 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

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

LAPASAN BRANCH (Sgd.) ATTY. MOHAMAD FAHDEL S. PIMPING Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City HEARING Tel. # (088)OFFICER 231-6739 CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd., Cagayan de Oro City (088) 231-2011 BWM: JulyTel. 22,# 2020

Australia, among others.

Citing one reader, T+L said Palawan "offers the most beautiful beaches, resorts, and scenery anywhere”.

“Though it’s difficult to reach from many parts of the world, once travelers get there they can dive in World War II wrecks, explore old-growth rain forests, and paddle one of the world’s

longest subterranean rivers at Puerto Princesa," wrote T+L writer Sara Clemence, as she praised the island's "dramatic" view at sea level.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who recently visited the island for its future reopening to tourists, welcomed the citation.

“It’s wonderful to see that our rehabilitation and sustainable development efforts last year, especially in El Nido and Coron, were well-received by tourists everywhere,” she said.

The World's Best Awards 2020 results, published on July 8, reflects an annual survey conducted by the New Yorkbased magazine prior to the widespread border closures and lockdowns due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

In the island category, readers rated each destination based on natural attractions and beaches, activities and sights, restaurants and food, people and friendliness, and value.

Boracay also made it to No. 14 in T+L’s World Best Island list and was hailed fifth in Asia this year.

According to the Department of Tourism, this is the third citation reaped by the Philippines since community quarantines were enforced in various parts of the world.

Forbes magazine earlier ranked the Philippines among the seven countries “that have the potential to become a major tourist destination in a postCovid world". Last month, Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) cited the Hidden Beach in El Nido, Palawan, as one of the 30 Best Beaches in the World.

(PNA)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING & REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No.10, Apovel, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING & REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No.10, Apovel, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City

MAGDALINA B. BUAQUINA CASE NO. R10-EV-PUJ 2020-07-2236

LEONIDO E. SUMUNDONG C ASE NO. R10-EV-TX 2020-07-2224

President, will end his term in June 2022.

Roque assured there would be no delay in the implementation of the projects, but said that some of these would be subject to “re-prioritization or for future release.”

According to the “Build, Build, Build” website, the government targets to spend P8 to P9 trillion on infrastructure projects, seen as among the top priorities of the Duterte administration from 2017-2022.

The current administration, which envisioned to reduce poverty from 21.6 percent in 2015 to 13-15 percent by 2022, is looking at ramping up government infrastructure spending and the “development of industries that will yield robust growth across the archipelago, create jobs and uplift the lives of Filipinos.”

In Mindanao, the P23.04billion Davao-Samal bridge project and the P81.9-billion phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway Project are included in the infrastructure program.

Last month, Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects Vince Dizon said the government will not put the two projects on the backburner amid the pandemic.

Palawan... from page 1

(2015-10-175)

NOTICE OF HEARING

APPLICANT(s)/ PETITIONER(s) request/s authority to Extend the Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate PUJ SERVICE on the line: PLARIDEL TO OZAMIS CITY via OROQUIETA CITY (MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL) and vice versa with the use of ONE (1) unit/s.

This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on August 3, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. at this board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/their evidence.

The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least TEN (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of local circulation.

Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/their written opposition with supporting documents, unless this Board deems it necessary to require additional documentary evidence and/or his/her/ their oral testimony(s).

N.B. FAILURE TO APPEAR AT THE SCHEDULED DATE AND TIME OF HEARING SHALL MEAN THE DISMISSAL OF THE APPLICATION/PETITION.

WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 21st day of July 2020 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

(2015-10-650)

NOTICE OF HEARING

APPLICANT(s)/ PETITIONER(s) request/s authority to Extend the Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate AIRCON TAXI SERVICE on the route: CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY TO ANY POINT IN REGION X and vice versa with the use of ONE (1) unit/s.

This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on August 3, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. at this board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/their evidence.

The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least TEN (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of local circulation.

Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/their written opposition with supporting documents, unless this Board deems it necessary to require additional documentary evidence and/or his/her/ their oral testimony(s).

N.B. FAILURE TO APPEAR AT THE SCHEDULED DATE AND TIME OF HEARING SHALL MEAN THE DISMISSAL OF THE APPLICATION/PETITION.

WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 20th day of July 2020 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

(Sgd.) ATTY. MOHAMAD FAHDEL S. PIMPING HEARING OFFICER

(Sgd.) ATTY. MOHAMAD FAHDEL S. PIMPING HEARING OFFICER

BWM: July 22, 2020

BWM: July 22, 2020

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

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

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

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

CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City

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

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FEATURE

IN-DEPTH

Wednesday|July 22, 2020

8

PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College

Flexible Learning is Key for Underserved Students (This is our third in a series on what students, parents and the general public can expect when school opens next month for some of Cagayan de Oro's Universities and Colleges) Mark C. Macaventa, Executive Vice President & COO, PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College

T

HINGS are going to be a bit different when students of Cagayan de Oro's four universities resume classes next month.

Most of t he city's tertiary level institutions are shifting to online learning as the primary method of instruction in compliance with the guidelines issued by government agencies like the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Local Government Unit (LGU), and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

With one notable outlier.

PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College (COC), whose students primarily come from underserved families, will provide an innovative “410” scheme where students will have face-to-face classes four times every 14 days as soon as permitted and while complying with all guidelines for the resumption of classes.

"Distance learning using purely online methods is just out of the question,” said Mark C. Macaventa, PHINMA COC Chief Operations Officer. “Most of our students cannot afford a stable internet connection, so we designed something that matches their needs and situation. We are also designing the system so that we can go full home study if required by IATF, CHED, or LGU rules by providing students with modules at the start of the semester.”

But for PHINMA COC, face-to-face classes cannot truly be replaced.

“Our research in PHINMA Education tells us distance learning is not really that ef fec tive esp ecially for complicated and technical subjects,” he added. “Nothing

Phinma Education Network

Quality Education from PHINMA-COC FlexLearning@PHINMAEd

matches face-to-face learning, but adjustments need to be made in light of the circumstances.”

FlexLearning@ PHINMAEd When the college begins student orientations on August 24, PHINMA COC will adopt FlexLearning@ PHINMAEd. The system was developed by PHINMA Education to enable their students to sustain their education and preserve their quality of learning.

"Although we face a huge uncertainty in this pandemic, we also see a great opportunity to face a meaningful challenge, bearing inspiration to our students in their quest for a better life.

Life goes on," Macaventa noted. "And because it is imperative that we continue to move forward, we are poised to deliver a creative and efficient response."

Among the salient features of the new system are the following; A maximum class size

of 25 students (down from 50) to comply with social d ist anc i ng , re du c e t he chances of infection, and provide students with close support and mentoring.

A blended learning model consisting of in-campus learning that observes social distancing and off-campus independent learning for the tertiary level.

Modular distance learning for Grades 1-12 where all learning activities will be done at home until the DepEd allows in-person classes.

Remote te acher and peer support systems to help students through this adjustment.

"Teachers will do regular check-ups via texts, messages, or phone calls when students are off-campus. We are already finalizing negotiations with mobile data providers to give the connectivity our students need," Macaventa noted.

But even if the economic status of most of its students has precluded its adoption of FLEXIBLE/PAGE 7