BusinessWeek Mindanao (July 5-6, 2021)

BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O CREDIBLE

Volume XII, No. 11

AS OF 6:00 PM JULY 3, 2021 (SATURDAY)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P 49.20

7,002.26

0.09 cents

X

38.25

YOUR MINDANAO-WIDE BUSINESS PAPER

RELIABLE

www.businessweekmindanao.com

Market Indicators

X

points

Briefly

Milk feeding CLOSE to 5,000 malnourished children benefited from the milk feeding program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and National Dairy Authority (NDA) in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao).

DWSD-10 OIC Assistant Director Zosimo G. Butil said Wednesday more than P10 million was allocated for the milk feeding of 4,805 identified malnourished children in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities with 1,914 and 2,891 beneficiaries, respectively.

Butil said DSWD-10 signed a memorandum of agreement with NDA-10 for the fund allocation of P10,955,400.

IN-DEPTH

Mon-Tue|July 5-6, 2021

P15.00

MinDA seeks P5-B loan for agribusiness projects T Thank you for trusting us!

HE Mindanao De velopment Authority (MinDA) is proposing a P5 billion credit package to the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to support the agribusiness) sector in Mindanao.

The loans will support the Agribusiness Investment Proj e c t s for E c onom i c Recovery and Development (AGRED) initiative for poultry raising, hog breeding,

cattle fattening, and corn production.

“The programs are aimed at addressing the current supply issues for poultry, PROJECTS/PAGE 6

5th mall jab site soon to open in CDO A FIFTH vaccination site here will begin operations soon as the local government partners with a shopping mall to speed up the drive for population protection.

The management of SM City Uptown in Carmen town

Alsons bond issuance ALCANTARA-led Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. has secured the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on its proposed P2.0 billion worth of 182day Series O commercial papers (CP) issuance.

“The foregoing commercial papers represent the first tranche of commercial papers that forms part of the P3.0 billion commercial paper program,” the company has stipulated in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

As stated in the SEC approval, Alsons is permitted to offer and sell its CP “to the general public in one or more tranches within a period of three (3) years,” from the effectivity date of its registration statement — and that’s reckoned as of June 25 this year.

We strive for Excellence!

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press awardee for the following: 2013 Best in Business and Economic Reporting 2014 Best in Environmental Reporting 2017 Best in Business and Economic Reporting 2018 Best in Business and Economic Reporting

will cater mostly to residents from hinterland villages.

A simulation exercise will be held Friday, Mayor Oscar Moreno said.

The city has four vaccination sites in malls MALL/PAGE 6

FRUIT PARK. Located along the General Santos City to Koronadal City national highway, this "Fruit Park" in Tupi, South Cotabato sells fruits from the town and neighboring areas.

Before the pandemic each stall would earn up to P20,000 in sales daily. That figure has now dropped to P6,000. mindanews photo by jules l . benitez

MSU-Iligan's power-saving microchip ready for market

ENSURED FOR THE DAY. A fisherman casts a net in the shorelines of Maitum, Sarangani. He says his catch ensure the family’s meals for the day. mindanews photo by bong s. sarmiento

THE power-saving microchip developed by researchers at t he Mind anao St ate University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) is poised to be commercially available after it meets patent requirements.

Dr. Reynaldo M. Vequizo,

d i re c t or of M SU - I I T ' s Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office (KTTO), said Friday the microchip u nd e r we nt i ntel l e c tu a l prop e r t y or I P- rel ate d research and patent searches, along with its IP-related analysis for patentability, and

novelty searches, landscapes, licensing, and infringement, among others.

"Pre-commercialization and negotiation initiatives on 'μC-Integrated Circuit (IC)' with industr y for c om m e rc i a l i z at i on a re MICROCHIP/PAGE 6

CDO Customs seizes P5-M imported ‘chop-chop’ cars THE Bureau of Customs (BOC)10 (Northern Mindanao) confiscated 13 knocked-down mini-vans and a military jeep imported from Japan on Thursday afternoon.

Oliver Valiente, chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) in Northern Mindanao,

estimated the value of the recently confiscated vehicles at P15 million.

The vehicles are now stored at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental.

The cargo, he said, was declared as “used truck parts” but turned out to be disassembled Mazda Scrum

mini-vans.

Valiente said the decision of the CIIS to conduct a spot check on the cargo was based on the profiling of shipments.

“If I see a red flag, I instantly have the container vans examined. Most of the spot checks we conducted have resulted in the CARS/PAGE 6

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

2

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

MON-TUE|JULY 5-6, 2021

K-12 Senior High School Curriculum in our country By: NENETH A. TIU

Students all over the Philippines are now required to take 13 years of basic education, broken down into one year of kindergarten and 12 years of primary education. The latter is further subdivided into six years of grade school, four years of junior high school (JHS), and two years of senior high school (SHS).

For many, senior high school is a long way to go. The K-12 curriculum in our country is aimed to create more developments and address social issues, formulate fundamental elements which will stand as the form of standards and development stage for different assessments which will serve as a tool to initiate more development for the next years to come.

The implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program in the Philippines includes the introduction of senior high school (SHS), or grades 11 and 12, the final 2 years in a new 6-year secondary education system We have now a total of 13 years from Kindergarten to Grade 12, all of which are mandatory and free especially in the public schools, and subsidizes students who will take their grade 11 to 12 classes in the private schools or universities/colleges through the voucher. Students are required to choose their preferred senior high strands as prerequisite for College admission.

Senior High School is two years of specialized upper secondar y education; students may choose a specialization based on aptitude, interests, and school capacity.

In senior high school, students are going to pick among four senior high strands or tracks. Students will undergo assessments to determine their strengths and interests to guarantee a good decision for their Senior High School strand preference. These will include an aptitude test, a career assessment exam, and an occupational interest inventory for high schools. Career advocacy activities will also be conducted to help guide students in choosing their specialization or track (What is K-12 Program).

Curriculum Guides were also distributed to Senior High School Teachers to use as a tool for teaching instructions based on standards.

Senior High School teachers were also given essential trainings, workshops and seminars to be fully equipped with vital information in molding senior high school students ready for work or to continue higher education.

Senior High School Curriculum together with the Department of Education in the Philippines aims that graduates acquire essential skills that will provide them work opportunities to different sectors in the society (Department of Education, 2016), which serves as a respond to the plea of most non-graduate Filipino citizen.

The number of challenges faced by the senior high school curriculum during the years of its structural development and with its full term, can be considered an item to manifest a struggle to effectively implement the curriculum.

BALINGASAG, MISAMIS ORIENTAL National Highway Balingasag, Barangay 4, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental Mobile Number/s: 0933-823-3161, 0933-823-3304 Tel. Number: 333-5161 CAGAYAN DE ORO P&J Lim Building, Tiano Kalambagohan St., Barangay 14, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel No. (08822) 727-829 / 231-6629 Telefax No. (088) 856-1947 Mobile No. 0933-823-3303 / 0943-708-7065 CAGAYAN DE ORO WAREHOUSE Warehouse 7, Bonbon Road, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Mobile No. 0917-825-4149 / 0943-708-7065 CARMEN, CAGAYAN DE ORO Vamenta Blvd., fronting CEPALCO, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 233-2011 Mobile No. 0933-823-3159 CORRALES, CDO Corrales Ave., Barangay 29, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 231-2055

'Baby Yuan' joins his Creator in Heaven, netizens continue to extend monetary help

BY JOEL C. ESCOL & OSCAR LEDESMA, MDNN Bukidnon News Bureau Chief

MALAYBALAY CITY - This is now a heartbreaking news as the little baby Yuan, netizens are helping to survive the crisis of his life, has died last night at around 8:03 in the evening. (Friday, July 2) Prior to his death, attending physicians at a private hospital where he was admitted has already told the immediate families of Baby Yuan that only prayers could save the little kid from his worsening condition.

"Nagpahibalo na ang

DIVISORIA, CDO A. Velez St., Barangay 9, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 856-1947 Mobile No. 0917-841-4000 / 0933-823-3164 GINGOOG CITY G/F Wyne Militante Bldg., Lugod St., Barangay 22, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 861-0104 Mobile No. 0933-823-3168 LAPASAN, CDO National Highway (FICCO Bldg.), Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 231-6739 Mobile No. 0933-823-3160 PUERTO, CDO Purok 6, Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 859-0574 Mobile No. 0943-708-7537 CAMIGUIN B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Telefax No. (088) 387-0491 Mobile No. 0943-708-7539

doctor ni Baby Yuan nga iampo nalang siya kay prayers nalang gyud daw makahatag sa iya ug miracle para mabuhi pa," Jessa Atillo, Yuan's aunt told MDNN yesterday over the phone.

She said that the doctor

confirmed the baby was already on critical stage as he was already contracted with pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTI) and problems with his ears due to complications.

"Daut na daw kaayo ang immune (system) ni Baby Yuan ug dali na kaayo siya mataptan sa kagaw. Looy na kaayo ang bata," Jessa added.

NEW FINDINGS Yuan's aunt also revealed that attending physicians of the baby has found out that the boy's worsening illness has something to do with Primary Immuno Deficiency disorder. A condition that prevents the body from fighting infections and diseases.

This type of disorder makes it easier for the victim to catch viruses and bacterial infections.

Immunodeficiency disorders are either congenital or acquired.

A congenital, or primary, disorder is one you were born with. Acquired, or secondary, disorders you get later in life. Acquired disorders are more common than congenital disorders.

"Wala man gyud mi kabalo sa sakit ni Yuan sir kay mga two to three months pa siya healthy man kaayo buyag. Ayha na namo nahibaw-an nga nagsuka kalibang siya unya gidala na namo sa ospital kay dehydrated naman siya unya luya na kaayo," Jessa said, adding that Baby Yuan was then very active YUAN/PAGE 7

3 PH agri trade improves in Q1 '21, DA aims continuity T Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

MON-TUE|JULY 5-6, 2021

HE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recorded positive growth in the country’s total agricultural trade in the first quarter of 2021.

The total agriculture trade for the months of January to March amounted to $4.92 billion, an increase of 5.5 percent at an annual rate.

In contrast, trade in the fourth quarter of 2020 recorded an annual decline of -89.5 percent, while in the first quarter

CorporateWorld

of 2020, trade decreased by -89.3 percent.

During the first quarter of 2021, agricultural exports and imports were recorded at $1.55 billion (31.5 percent), and $3.37 billion (68.5 percent), respectively.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) hopes these figures will be reflected for the rest of the year as the country builds its defenses against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and moves through

Globe says 5G users up almost 13% in May GLOBE Telecom, Inc. said on Friday fifth-generation (5G) technology users have increased by 12.9% to more than 700,000 in May from April.

“The entry of affordable 5G-capable mobile devices has also made it possible for more people to use the technology,” said Joel R. Agustin, senior vicepresident for Globe’s program delivery, network technical group, in an e-mailed statement.

“We will make our 5G presence more felt in Visayas and Mindanao in the coming months,” he added.

Globe said it had over

560,000 users on 5G devices in March. The number of users climbed to over 620,000 in April, then to over 700,000 in May, a 12.9% rise over the previous month.

“There was an average of 11.8% increase in device count in the last two months,” Globe noted.

Globe has said its 5G network now covers at least 88% of the National Capital Region.

Citing data from Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, Globe said its 5G network was the “most available” to users of 5G-capable devices in the first three months of the year.

the challenges that come along with the pandemic.

"We can see that despite the mobility restrictions, there are already positive yields in our sector. This implies that the agriculture industry is slowly gaining its energy and now contributing bigger to the economy," said DA spokesperson Noel Reyes in a virtual briefer on Thursday.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar has also been bullish in strengthening relations with

allied countries for the exchange of products.

The country’s agricultural exports to Asean member countries in the first quarter of 2021 amounted to $201.51 million which accounted for almost 7.0 percent of the total exports to the region.

Among the Asean member countries, Malaysia was the top buyer of agricultural exports worth $61.87 million or a share of 30.7 percent of the total agricultural exports.

Meanwhile, the Philippines' exports of agricultural goods to European Union member countries in the first quarter of 2021 amounted to $298.27 million which comprised 14.2 percent of the country’s total exports to EU member countries.

Among the EU member countries, Netherlands was the country’s top destination of agricultural commodities worth $120.51 million or 40.4 percent of the total agricultural exports to EU member countries. (PNA)

13 Cebu ecozone firms get ‘safety seal’ from DOLE CEBU City – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has awarded 13 export companies in Lapu-Lapu City registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority-Mactan Economic Zone (PEZAMEZ) with safety seal certificates.

The economic zone locators were found compliant with the minimum public health standards and have adopted a digital contact tracing application that effectively contains the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19),

the DOLE in Central Visayas said on Thursday.

Six awardees came from MEZ I that include Feeder Apparel Corp., Feeder Apparel Corp.FIT (Printing), On Semiconductor Cebu Philippines Inc., Mactan Apparels Inc., Metro Wear Inc., and TMX Philippines Inc. From MEZ II, the export companies that received safety seal certificates were Delfingen PH-Filipinas Inc., Lear Philippines Engineering Branch, and Matluster Corp.

The other awardees

were from the Cebu Light Industrial Park (CLIP): Duck-Il Korea Inc., Global Wear Manufacturing Inc., Teradyne Philippines Ltd., and Vertex One Apparel Philippines Inc. DOLE-7 Director Salome Siaton said in a statement that PEZA in Mactan is the first export processing zone in the entire country to receive several safety seal certificates.

“This is a good start for the collaboration of DOLE and PEZA and we are looking forward to transforming the whole zone into a safer place,

whereby all its locators will finally institutionalize the adoption and implementation of the government’s Safety Seal Program,” Siaton said.

She underscored the gains that the locators will benefit from observing the minimum public health standards.

“Having been issued with a Safety Seal Certificate is a demonstration of the companies’ compliance with the rules and regulations set forth by government. And the certificate, itself, is a ECOZONE/PAGE 7

4

Opinion

The BusinessWeek Mindanao is published by BusinessWeek Mindanao Corporation every Monday to Friday with office address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Company Registration No. CS201531633 with BIR Certificate of Registration No. 2RC0000831068, TIN No. 463-826-272-000 – VAT. Reg., and with Business Permit No. 2020-04015. Tel. Nos.: (088)856-3344, (088) 810-100, 0923-432-0687, 0917-7121424 Website: www.businessweekmindanao.com E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com

BUSINESSWEEK MINDANAO CORPORATION Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO ALLAN MARIO MEDIANTE Vice President for Corporate Affairs RUFINO T. MAGBANUA Vice President for Business Development VICENTE C. DELA VICTORIA Vice President for Operations JOE FELICILDA Vice President for Administration JOE PALABAO Vice President for Marketing ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, PhD Vice President for Finance MIKE BAÑOS Vice President for Digital

NELSON CONSTANTINO Editor-in-Chief

MIKE BAÑOS

JUN AYENSA

Motoring Editor

Regional Editor - Caraga

MIKE BAÑOS Contributing Editors

ATTY. ANTONIO S. SORIANO

JOE PALABAO

Feature Editor

2f, ICS Building Tel.No.: 881-0176 Tiano cor. Montalvan sts.

Legal Counsel

ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

CLIFFORD SANTILLAN

Cell No: 09352379999

Layout Artist

Juni Law Office Cruz Taal St., CDO Legal Counsel

RIVA FELICILDA Advertising

DAVAO MARKETING OFFICE Door 223, Doña Segunda Bldg., CM Recto Ave., Davao City Telephone #: (082) 298-8815 Regional Mktg Manager-JOE PALABAO- 0926-8430152 Circulation-JOHN PAUL AQUINO, 0907-331-5640 OSCAR LEDESMA Bureau Chief, Bukidnon Contact No.: 0916-910-0019

Member: Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

Breaking free Think a minute… Years ago I visited someone in prison.

I was deeply saddened as I watched all those people locked up, living their life inside a little room. tragically, although many of us have never been convicted of a crime, we still live our entire lives locked inside a prison.

Saddest of all, we are the ones who build the walls that hold us inside, so we are not free to live our life to the fullest. We become our own worst enemy—through our own wrong thinking about ourselves. Someone said: “When you lose your confidence, you lose the battle.”

In zoos a baby elephant is tied with a strong steel chain to a large post. At first, the young elephant pulls and tries to break free from the chain; but finally it gives up and stops trying. After that, only a thin rope is needed to tie that huge, powerful elephant down and stop it from moving anywhere. For the rest of its life that elephant believes the lie that it is too weak to break that thin little rope, so it never even tries again!

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST Sadly, in a similar way, if I let myself believe I cannot go any farther in life, even though it is not true, then I won’t. That is the destructive power of believing the lies of my own wrong thinking about myself. The enemy I am fighting is in my own mind.

But it can happen the other way too. “Nearly every man wastes part of his life trying to show abilities he does not have to get other people’s approval he cannot keep.” A popular T.V. program in the U.S. is American Idol. It lets ordinary people show their singing talent. The problem is some of them have no singing talent at all! Yet they believe FREE/PAGE 7

MON-TUE|JULY 5-6, 2021

Corruption according to Sen. Manny "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche THE bagful of evidences presented before flying to the US was his reply to President Duterte’s challenge to show proof of his allegations of massive corruption in the current administration.

According to the fighting Senator from Sarangani, his exposure of corrupt agencies led by DOH, DPWH and DSWD was his gesture of concern to help President Duterte curb the corruption pandemic under his watch.

Seemingly irked by what Sen. Manny Pacquiao has thrown his political towel this early, President Duterte demanded to make good his corruption allegations,

branding the senator as liar like no other.

Indeed corruption is more than the Covid-19 pandemic, and one need not be an expert, nor an academic to measure the gargantuan malfeasance in many, if not most offices in the bureaucracy today.

And President had openly admitted that corruption stays as it were in the bureaucracy.

The Crusade for Clean Government, a volunteer watch dog sees corruption happening in high places even this time of global health crisis, lurking like leeches, sucking non-stop into the veins of taxpayers’ money.

C or r upt i on re m ai ns pervasive as ever despite the effort of the Duterte administration to curb this malpractice in its remaining year of ascendancy.

And Malacanang protégés, lured by the glitters of gold,

had betrayed -- one after the other -- their pledged of incorruptibility.

Corruption in government is as potent as the pandemic, so packed with immense power and dominance. The fight against corruption is indeed a war within, not without.

And perhaps the boxing icon turned politician, sans his ambition to settle in Malacanang, was in his right mind for the corruption exposure before heading to his awaited fight in Las Vegas.

To Sen. Manny, this is his fight of man’s indefatigable greed, where power corrupts, and where the powerful is corrupted in high places and down to the last man in public service.

The fight to end the pandemic continues, but there is one thing that needs to be addressed upon fast and furious, and that is the

UNRUFFLED

RUFFY MAGBANUA campaign against graft and corruption in all fronts in the bureaucracy.

The Crusade for Clean Government is up in arms against the monsters of public funds.

Abyss as it were, but the fight to clean the bureaucracy continues – without let up and unabated. Editor’s Note: Ruffy Magbanua is the Lead Convenor of the Crusade for Clean Government he organized to herald the evils of corruption in government. (ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo.com)

BPI Family turns 36, shoots for 170 SPEAKING OUT

MANILA OFFICE: 9th Floor, Unit 918, CityLand Herrera VA Rufino Cor. Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel. # : 5555392,Cell Nos.: 0955-366-5968 | 0918-527-5898 CECILIA FRESNIDO-HONRADE - New Marketing Manager

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

IGNACIO BUNYE BPI Family Savings Bank, the biggest thrift bank in the Philippines, celebrated its 36th year last July 1 – two days ahead of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s 28th anniversary.

BPI Family was established in 1985 following the historic merger between BPI and Family Bank and Trust Company, a universal bank positioned in the consumer banking segment. This year’s anniversary will be the last for BPI Family as it is set to merge with its parent bank, the 170-year-old Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, D.D., Apostolic Vicar of Taytay, Palawan, offered the anniversary mass not only as a “thanksgiving for another

year of service” but also “for the new life that this bank wiil have in the merging with BPI… a new phase in the life of the bank and in the life of also many people.”

In the online ceremony attended by thousands of bank employees and clients, Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco, BPI Fam i ly C hai r man , reminisced: “Over the past 36 years, BPI Family has served the nation quite well.

We have provided the means for many families to progress with their lives, to secure their futures, providing them with homes, transportation, and capital for their small businesses.”

Limcaoco looks forward to the forthcoming merger, w hich w i l l e nabl e BPI Family “(t)o dream bigger dreams. To aspire for greater accomplishments. To make more dreams come true.”

Limcaoco likens the merger to a maturing relationship between a mother and a daughter. “BPI and BPI Family have always been like mother and daughter to each other. A loving and respectful relationship but sometimes with tension. But as the

daughter grows up in age and grows in wisdom and maturity, the mother and daughter become almost as one. And eventually you won’t be able to tell them apart. So, it hopefully will come to pass where with One BPI, the merger of BPI and BPI Family, the mother and daughter become one. A signal that the daughter has become as important and as equally prominent as the mother.”

The merger, Limcaoco said, will mean “the qualities and successes of BPI and BPI Family will combine for even greater strength. And while the brand BPI Family may disappear, the importance of family will always remain at BPI.” Ma. Christina “Ginbee” Go, BPI Family president, waxed nostalgic as she looked back at 36 years of BPI Family.

“I feel a certain sense of pride for the opportunity to be part of this great institution.

An institution that knows exactly who it serves and why it serves. BPI Family has defined the gravity of its mission: to help families live their dreams every day

through each one of you.”

Ms. Go also recounted how BPI Family bankers “stood by their post“ (refering to the battle cry of past Chairman Cezar “Bong” P. Consing) during the pandemic. “The past year has tested the bank and the strength of our family ties. When most banks slowed down on issuing loans, we remained present for our business partners and for our clients who continue to aspire for their dream homes or their dream cars. When most other banks charged for the full 2 to 3 months amortization of the loan upon the expiry of the Bayanihan period, we maintained the same amount of the loan amortization and extended the term. The reward is our client’s continued trust and patronage. Our housing loans portfolio, continue to register growth, as we supported our partner developers’ need for liquidity. Our auto loans releases registered higher growth than the auto industry sales. Our delinquency and NPL ratio are better than industry average. Our core income, before provisions, BPI/PAGE 7

Beware of self-righteousness WE have to be most wary of this spiritual anomaly that can come to us anytime.

It usually takes advantage of our natural inclination to seek the truth, the good and the beautiful in life—in short, what is right—and corrupts that inclination because it is not properly rooted on the ultimate source of righteousness who is God himself. It’s so blinding that it can even assume the appearance of holiness.

Most prone to this illness are those with some special endowments in life, be it intelligence, talents, wealth, fame, power, health, beauty, etc. When all these gifts are not clearly grounded and oriented toward God, the

source of all righteousness, the problem starts.

This is the irony of ironies because one can earnestly pursue the path of holiness and does practically everything to be good and holy, and yet ends up the opposite of what is intended.

That’s when one practically has the trappings of goodness and holiness and yet misses the real root of righteousness who is God. This was well personified by the Pharisees, scribes and other elders during the time of Christ. They preferred to stick to their own ideas of goodness and holiness, their own laws and traditions, and went all the way not only to be suspicious of Christ, always

finding fault in him, but also to finally crucify him.

A passage from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans can serve as a graphic description of this sad phenomenon.

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools,” (1,22) he said.

The immediate context in which these words were spoken may be different, but they still can be applicable to the present state of the world where we can now see so much foolishness masquerading as wisdom.

When people abandon God or alienate themselves from him, there’s no way but to get into all kinds of anomalies, no matter how clever and sophisticated the rationalizations are.

HINTS AND TRACES

ROY CIMAGALA Such sophistication foists falsehoods as truth.

Nowadays, there is so much surge of self-righteousness that the source of what is good and evil, fair and unfair, human and inhuman is not anymore God the Creator, but us. The distinction is BEWARE/PAGE 7

5 CENRO Talakag holds Tayo ang Kalikasan activities Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

MON-TUE|JULY 5-6, 2021

IN support to the department’s effort to collaborate with its citizenry toward responsible development of our natural resources and to ensure the protection, restoration, rehabilitation and enhancement of the environment, the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Talakag, through the leadership of CENR OfficerArnulfo T. Osio conducted series of activities to support the implementation of Tayo ang Kalikasan (TAK) of CENRO Talakag, Bukidnon.

CENRO Talakag TAK Team conducted visit and inspection to the bamboo nursery of DOLE STANFILCO and participated in the ceremonial planting of 50 Narra seedlings with the KASILAK Development Foundation both located in Barangay 5, Talakag.

The said bamboo propagules of DOLE

STANFILCO and ceremonial planting of 50 narra trees of KASILAK Development Foundation were part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

CENRO Talakag TAK team also monitored tree plantation that was planted on July 20, 2020 along Malinao Creek, San Isidro Talakag. A total of 300 Narra trees were planted on the area.

The said activity is part of the annual monitoring conducted by the Office.

In another development, a joint tree growing and clean-up activities was conducted on May 14, 2021 along the riverbanks of Bigaan River, Kiliog, Libona, Bukidnon.

The said activity was spearheaded by the CENR Office of Talakag personnel, representatives from various poultry and piggery farms located in the said barangay.

Local Government of Libona, Barangay Local Government Unit of

Kiliog (Cash for Work) beneficiaries, Del Monte Philippines and the local Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection of Libona.

Participating public and private corporations who supported DENR activities are proud supporters of the Tayo ang Kalikasan of the CENRO-Talakag. (From the report of CENRO Talakag, Bukidnon) #TayoAngKalikasan (RSCIG PR No. 06-1742021)

Tech Shifting and Structuring New Normal Learning OPONITA ARIZO ELACO, T-I, Kalangahan ES

In a ringcentral.com column, it is mentioned that tech adoption in the classroom has increased over the past two decades.

Interactive whiteboards, tablets, and laptops have all but replaced the chalkboards, textbooks, and clunky desktop computers of the traditional classroom, and today’s teachers and students have access to hundreds of thousands of apps, videos, and online courses designed to enhance the learning experience.

Now, in the middle of a global pandemic, technology has assumed an even greater role in the education of our kids. At the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, over 1.5 billion children across the world were taken out of the classroom because of school closures, which, in turn, forced the widespread adoption of remote teaching technologies and the suspension of inperson instruction.1 There are serious doubts that education will ever return to what it was. In a recent survey of students and faculty, 83% of students and 89% of faculty believe that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on students in higher education.

But one thing is for sure, whether classrooms are set to permanently reopen, or whether a more hybrid online/ in-person approach will become the new norm, technology will be at the center of the educational experience.

In a techdayhq.com article by J. Wing, it enumerated top 7 ways technology has affected or revamped the academic setting. They are namely: streamable lessons, distance learning solutions, personalized learning, access to resources, improved communication, renewed focus on inequities, creative teaching methods.

The author also penned the emphasis that though the advantage may seem numerous, teachers are still struggling in this sudden shift. The change from in-school to online was quick and unexpected. More than students, the teaching community had

to train themselves to adapt to the new methods. Education technology investors do not plan to slow down. However, to deal with it better, the schools, as well as the individual staff, also have to be updated with the latest developments. Teachers need to be prepared to ensure that online learning can continue through another crisis.

The future of education does not rely soley on new and innovative tech tools but on creating safe and accessible learning, equal for all.

Equal quality education for all may require major legislative backing and budgetary allocations. As we all know, politics and policy makers play very important roles in deciding the fate of quality 21st century education in this country. With our current fiscal conditions, it is still dubious if ever this lofty dream would ever become a reality. In certain big schools with big budgets and with greatly generous benefactors and stakeholders and tech-savvy teachers, this dream is highly attainable. They can easily structure the classrooms to accept the new normal setting. But for small barangay schools, certain supernatural phenomena must be invoked to come up with something closer to quality 21st century instruction.

However, our hearts and minds should never dwell on the pessimistic side of the faith spectrum and keep our fingers crossed for any in coming developments into the most hoped for future.

Right now teachers in small public schools are truly being self-reliant and fund their own classroom structuring. They even solicit from friends and well-meaning individuals. They followed through with cubicle type seats adorned with plastic cover and spatially arranged the seats following recommended seating distance.

They installed handwashing area, foot baths, and keep alcohol, face masks and face shields inside the classrooms.

NEW COWD BOARD OF DIRECTOR. Atty. Dale Bryan D. Mordeno swears before Mayor Oscar Moreno as the new member of the Board of Directors of Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) representing civic sector during simple oathtaking at the Mayor’s Office today, July 1. (IAF/photos by Jomar Figuracion/CIO)

6

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

MON-TUE|JULY 5-6, 2021

Projects... from page 1

pork, and beef by establishing breeder and cattle fattening farms in key production areas all over Mindanao,” MinDA Chairman Emmanuel F. Piñol said in a Facebook post Friday.

“The poultry and hog breeder and production farms, including the cattle fattening feedlots, will be located in corn production are as w here MinDA is proposing the establishment of grain silos to ensure the steady supply of feed grains year-round,” he added.

According to Mr. Piñol, the initiative was presented

by MinDA Investments and Promotions Office Director Helen G. De Castro to DBP President Emmanuel G. Herbosa during a meeting in Makati City on June 30.

Mr. Herbosa expressed his support for the program and said the bank is now awaiting project proposals from Mindanao’s private sector for loan approval.

Mr. Piñol noted a shortage of broiler chick farms in Mindanao, where the industry has to import chicks from Luzon, raising costs. Hog breeder farms are intended to address the effects of African Swine Fever (ASF) on the

hog population. “ The lack of beef in the countr y is expected to be addressed by the establishment cattle feed lots using locally procured cattle or steers and cows from Australia and (elsewhere),” Mr. Piñol said.

He added that MinDA will help private sector investors draft their feasibility and financial studies to be presented to DBP. “The programs are aimed at contributing to food security, provide jobs and employment opportunities a n d b o o s t M i n d a n a o’s economic recovery in two to three years,” Mr. Piñol said.

Mall...

from page 1 -- SM Downtown Premier, Limketkai Center Robinsons, and Centrio Ayala Mall.

"We thank them for ma k ing avai l able t heir malls for our vaccination sites," Moreno said during his Facebook Live talk on Thursday.

Moreno said they plan to administer as many as 5,000 doses per day but they can only average 1,000 for now because of the limited supply.

A l s o o n T h u r s d a y, Department of Health-Region 10 received 32,000 doses of

TITLED FARM LAND FOR SALE Location: Talakag, Bukidnon Price: P800,000/hectare only Details: * Along barangay road * Around 600 meters from national highway * Slope type land * Total area: 17.2 hectares For more details pls contact the Owner @ * 0926-823-3766 * 0949-134-6078

Sinovac, with 15,000 doses to be allocated here.

The new delivery will be deployed next week while remaining Sputnik V jabs will be used up until Sunday.

As of June 30, the City Health Office (CHO) has inoculated 63,261, with 12,071 already fully vaccinated.

The city government is catering to health care workers, senior citizens, and adults with comorbidities.

CHO resident epidemiologist, Dr. Teodulfo Joselito Retuya, said the city still has 1,069 active Covid-19 cases. (PNA)

Cars... from page 1

discovery of the shipment as 'misdeclared items',” he said.

A military jeep, Valiente said, was also thrown in inside the container van – an item that needed a separate special permit.

“Our hunch was correct that the shipment contained other items other than what was declared in the documents,” he said.

Before the examination, Valiente said he requested lawyer Elvira Cruz, newly installed BOC-10 district collector, to issue an alert order.

He said his office also reported their findings to deputy commissioner Raniel Ramiro and CIIS director

Jeoffrey Tacio for appropriate action.

It can be recalled that the BOC-10 has destroyed P21 million worth of imported jeeps on June 18, the day Cruz was installed as the district collector for the region.

Me anw hi le, B O C-10 announced that for the month of June this year, the agency collected P2.87 billion, surpassing its P2.82 target.

(PNA)

Microchips...

from page 1 ongoing. This negotiation is dependent now on the degree of patent protection," he said in an interview.

The microchip is a 3.5year funded project with a P34 million budget from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) under the IC program.

The project aimed to fully capacitate MSU-IIT's Microelectronics Laboratory in Digital Integrated Circuit Design, produce the final research on a System-on-aChip (SoC) Microcontroller with Energy Harvesting and Power Management Unit, and applied the designed chip to the developed working IoT Device prototype.

Introduction to 'ILIGANiCE'

Once the patent process is complete, Vequizo said the power-saving microchip would be presented to the newly launched Innovation through Leveraging, Industry, Government, Academe Networks and inclusive Community Engagements (ILIGANiCE), a collaborative program that aims to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of local enterprises through the adoption of scientifically developed technologies.

"KTTO is one of three clusters in the implementation of ILIGANiCE. Once this technology is commercialized, this will be presented by ILIGANiCE," he said.

The launch of ILIGANiCE was held online on June 30 through the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the DOST 10 (Northern Mindanao), Department of Trade and Industry 10, and MSU-IIT; together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation of Iligan, Inc., and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (Stride) program.

Dr. Jinky Bornales, MSUIIT's Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension and ILIGANiCE project leader, said the program would serve as a channel for micro, small, and medium enterprises to improve and enhance their goods or services, particularly in the areas

of research and development, technology upgrading, and other innovation-related needs.

She added that the program aims to assist startups and aspiring entrepreneurs by developing innovation policies that would facilitate more dynamic economic activity, and by promoting a sustainable innovation system through community engagements and partnerships.

“It’s a program that is based on the principle of collaboration between the academe and the community because we believe that the greater the scope of collaboration, the bigger the impact it will have to the entire community. Through ILIGANiCE, we will strategically connect and engage the academe and the community through our various activities,” Bornales said.

DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña commended MSUIIT and its partners from the government and private sector for setting up ILIGANiCE, saying the program is timely, necessary, and would benefit not just Iligan City but also Northern Mindanao and the whole country.

“There are now two innovation hubs in Northern Mindanao, the OroBest in Cagayan de Oro, and we have now ILIGANiCE that is trying to create an ecosystem that will generate the innovations for economic and social benefits not only for the people in this region but for the whole country,” he said. (PNA)

Teaching Priorities and Solutions in the Pandemic OPONITA ARIZO ELACO, T-I, Kalangahan ES

In acer.org’s Discover article, it is highligted how prioritising teaching ove r te ch nol o g y is ne e d e d to minimise the educational disruption for disadvantaged children during C OV I D - 1 9 . Ac c ord i n g t o t h e recent findings from 48 countries in the OECD’s Teacher and Learning International Survey, only 60 per cent of teachers have received professional development in the use of internet and communication technology, while close to 20 per cent of teachers reported a high need for development in this area. These results suggest that many teachers around the world are ill-equipped to deal with the sudden shift in educational delivery as a result of COVID-19.

There is an urgent need for professional learning initiatives to support teachers to better use technology and blended methods of teaching and learning. By building the capacity of teachers now, these methods can become a sustained part of practice that supports differentiated approaches to learning into the future.

Teachers, particularly those working with disadvantaged students or without

extensive access to resources, need guidance to adapt curricula and assessment without depending on internet, devices, or a dedicated place to study. This requires support and ongoing training for staff at both a school and system level.

For those with access to appropriate technology, there are a number of possibilities for leveraging existing teacher practice and supporting students during school closures.

However, regardless of the mode of delivery, teachers must be trained to support students and to ultimately encourage them to engage in learning.

Support and professional learning opportunities for teachers will help to reduce educational disruption for children in low and middle income regions and create new possibilities for teaching and learning in the future.

In the lo cal f ront howe ver, particularly in schools of far-flung barangays, teachers have to contend with remote learning hence. the full adoption to or full use of modular instruction. As much as the teachers would love to choose to adjust to the massive shift to technology-

based teaching, relevant trainings are few and since the onset of the pandemic, less personalized. Teachers have to pay or have to search for such trainings in order to acquire the skills prerequisite to tech-based education. Trainings endorsed by the department themselves are there but the competition is large, Only those with fast connections, who are ‘politically positioned,’ and have quick moves can ever get a slot. In short only the very lucky and very few teachers can avail.

Teaching priorities are plenty but the solutions may cost quiet a price.

Teachers in the public sector just make do with what is available. For one, it would be downright unfair for them to shoulder the expenses of a tech-base instruction, for the internet connectivity of parents and learners. Another factor is school funding. It may just be enough for basic supplies but not for teacher trainings in technology applications.

Of course the world is round and we always hope for certain miracles to happen like good 21st century instruction in a third world country.

7

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

MON-TUE|JULY 5-6, 2021

Yuan... from page 2

and playful.

MONETARY HELP CONTINUES Netizens responded to the appeal for monetary help made by the immediate family and supported by this paper to support the medication of baby Yuan. The netizens send money to the Gcash account provided by the family to receive financial help.

"Nagpasalamat jud mi sir sa mga tabang sa netizens.

Kung wala sila motabang asa kaha mig kwarta para masuportahan ang mga reseta ni Baby Yuan. Ang ginoo nay mag igo mobalos sa ila ug kapid-an pa nga mga blessings," Jessa said.

Two days before Baby Yuan died and joined his Creator in Heaven, the family's Gcash account were flooded with small amounts of monetary help which also made it easier for them to buy medical prescriptions.

But now that Yuan was gone, some of the money would be used for his wake and burial.

REMARKABLE EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTELEMENT OF ESTATE OF AMONG HEIRS KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late RAMONITA CAARE and ELENO N. CAARE, who died on August 16, 2002 and December 2, 2009 all at Molugan, El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, died intestate leaving two (2) parcels of land with TCT No. T-46590 situated at Molugan, El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of THREE HUNDRED NINETEEN (319) SQUARE METERS, more or less, and TCT No. T-46591 situated at Molugan, El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY SIX (726) SQUARE METERS, more or less and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTELEMENT OF ESTATE OF AMONG HEIRS, filed by the heirs of RAMONITA CAARE and ELENO N. CAARE, per DOC #99; PAGE #20; BOOK #LXVII; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. LYNN AMOR L. PACLARPANULAYA. BWM: June 28, July 5 & 12, 2021

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late MANUEL SABANAL and BERNARDA ADINO SABANAL, who died on January 21, 1975 and April 3, 2016 at Cagayan de Oro City, without any will, that said decedents died intestate, without Will or Testament, and without any outstanding debts in favor of any person or entity; that the said decedents, at the time of their death, left certain conjugal real properties with Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-14138 situated in the District of Carmen, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY (250) SQUARE METERS, more or less, and Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-14139 situated in the District of Carmen, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY (250) SQUARE METERS, more or less, and Transfer Certificate of Title No. P-5604 situated at Barrio Carmen, City of Cagayan de Oro, Province of Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) square meters, more or less and has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE, filed by the heirs of MANUEL SABANAL and BERNARDA ADINO SABANAL and BERNARDA ADINO SABANAL, per DOC #431; PAGE #87; BOOK #CXXVII; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. DALE BRYAN D. MORDENO. BWM: June 28, July 5 & 12, 2021

HOSPITAL Meanwhile Angel, Yuan's mother also thanked the hospital for their kindness and understanding allowing the family to discharge even with only a little money left from their pocket.

Angel said Bethel Baptist Hospital was very kind to them and they hope all private hospitals in the province would be kind enough to do so, for people who has less in life.

Pioneer... from page 8

Head start Luchangco described how Cagayan de Oro is in a unique position to take advantage of this trend because it is already known as a regional center, with good facilities, an international airport, a major container port, a shipping p or t t h at s e r ve s m ore tonnage than Davao, many educational institutions and a thriving business community, all within reach of rolling mountains and hills, scenic landscape and the sea.

“And we must not forget one of its major assets, a lively and friendly population. No wonder it is called the City of Golden Friendship. Not every regional city in the Philippines can claim such attractions!” he exclaimed.

Increasing the Value Proposition “And to put my money where my mouth is, I wish to tell you that, in addition to the billions of pesos Pueblo de Oro has already poured into Cagayan de Oro, we will now invest at least P6-7 billion more!” Luchangco disclosed.

“But while we will search for new areas to develop, we will not just do that. We will also seek to re-develop the area we are already in, in order to increase the value proposition for those who invested with us earlier. By upgrading the present area of Pueblo de Oro, the land and asset values here will also rise,” he added.

The Makati of CDO In addition to additional investments and redevelopment of Pueblo de Oro, Luchangco also revealed how from “Marlboro Country”, he would be leading the charge to further develop the uptown area of Pueblo de Oro township into the “Makati of Cagayan de Oro”.

“Many of you will recall that in the 1950s, Makati was just a barren field, with the old Nielson tower which

previously ser ved as an airport terminal, one small apartment building along Ayala Avenue, then Rizal Theater and a supermarket.

But look at it now! Rizal Theater has been transformed into the Shangri-la Hotel, Ayala Avenue is full of highrise buildings, and land in the area is worth around P1 million per square meter!” he exclaimed.

“Now look at Cagayan de Oro’s uptown area. When I first visited here, it was a barren field. Today, it is a booming location, with SM Mall on its north side, and the new Gaisano Mall on its southern rim. SM will be developing a five-hectare condo area close to its mall, as well as expanding the mall itself. Cebu Landmasters and Portofino are also in the uptown locale. And Pueblo de Oro township sits in the middle of all this!”

Beyond the pandemic horizon In t h e n e ar f utu re , Luchangco said Pueblo de Oro Township would not be merely building more of the same types of structures.

“Just like when I started our project years ago, and told a group of prominent Kagay-anons that I would give their city a township that they could be proud of, even if they traveled to the cities of Europe, Pueblo will now go beyond the current types of developments you see dotted around the city and build bigger, better and/or more state of the art projects!” he revealed.

Besides further raising the city’s profile a cut above the rest of the country’s highly urbanized cities and increasing its footprint as a unique destination point, Luchangco foresees how this would result in greater economic benefit to the city and increase revenues for the local government.

The City of Cagayan de Oro maintained its ranking in 2020 as the 7th Overall Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City (HUC) in the 2020 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index. The city has consistently been in the top 10 since 2013, and is one of only two cities outside the National Capital Region (NCR) to make it to the top 10 in 2020.

The Cities and M u n i c i p a l i t i e s Competitiveness Index is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National

Kagay-an Festival 1st Oro Lechoneros Encuentro Champion

for Orders, Contact Yoyong:

09354145759 09169249371

Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development.

The ranking is based on overall competitiveness scores, the sum of scores on four (4) main pillars: economic dynamism, gove r n me nt e f f icie nc y, infrastructure, and resiliency.

Cagayan de Oro ranked 5th among HUCs in infrastructure, 6th in resiliency, 9th in government efficiency, 12th in economic dynamism.

Guillermo D. Luchangco Hall Dedication “I can definitely say that this is indeed one of the proudest moments of my life as I am being honored with honorar y lifetime membership by the Oro Chamb er and with the naming of the Guillermo D. Luchangco hall in its building within the Pueblo de Oro Township. I am truly thankful to all of you for this award and recognition! And it is indeed gratifying that I am receiving it from the business community of Cagayan de Oro.” “Believe in the future of t he Cit y of G olden Friendship, and thank you, my friends, for the honor you have bestowed upon me.”

Free... from page 4

they do! Remember: “You can’t put in what God left out.”

So don’t waste your life trying to succeed at something you were not made to do.

There’s a saying: “The best psychologist is the one inside you.” But that is only true if the One Who created you is the One living inside you. Only He can help you know and become the person He designed you to be. So won’t you ask Jesus to help you break out of the prison of your wrong thinking and sinful living? If you ask Him to forgive and free you, He can help you to start seeing and being all that He created you to be. Just think a minute.

BPI...

from page 4

improved versus previous year. All told, we have provided over 750 billion in loans over the last 36 years and now we release on the

average 90 to 100 loans a day!”

Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas @ 28 The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas turned 28 last July 3 as it continued to grapple with the effects of the pandemic.

July 3, 1993 marks the passage of Republic Act No 7653 or the New Central Bank Act. Personally, it is not too difficult to remember the date. I assumed office as a member of the policy-making monetary board on July 3, 2008 – which coincided with the BSP’s 15th anniversary.

The new law clearly defined the bank’s new primary goal focused on maintaining price stability – an objective only implied in the old Central Bank charter.

The new law also gave the BSP fiscal and administrative autonomy which the old Central Bank did not enjoy.

The BSP has been led at various periods by Gabriel C. Singson (my former law professor at Ateneo), Rafael B. Buenaventura, Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., (under whom I served as MBM) Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr., and currently

by Benjamin E. Diokno.

Governor Diokno and the Monetary Board have been praised by the business community for BSP’s timely and decisive response to the pandemic. The BSP provided ample monetary stimulus to mitigate tightening liquidity conditions, thus boosting consumer confidence and ensuring the continued orderly functioning of the financial system.

Note: You may wish to share the foregoing article via Facebook, Twitter or Linked-In.

Beware...

from page 4 not anymore made by God, but by us. We are now in the world of subjectivism.

Everything is now based on our views and opinions, our preferences and current understanding of things. If we can manage to have some kind of consensus, then that’s it!

We can now consider as good what actually is inherently bad, and we make a world of make-believe that sooner or later will burst.

People now follow their own light, a very beguiling and unreliable light. They have forgotten what Christ said: “I am the light of the

world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

(Jn 8,12) Self-righteousness is precisely when one derives his goodness from his own self, and not from God. It shows itself in many ways: quick to judge, brand people and condemn, slow to understand others and to forgive, not wanting to be corrected, being highly opinionated and wanting to have the last word always, to dominate others, etc.

We need to be vitally united with God through p r a y e r, s a c r i f i c e , t h e sacraments, deepening in the doctrine of our faith, development of virtues, etc.— all of these together—to make our reason and truth share in the very wisdom and life of God and avoid that vicious self-righteousness.

Email: roycimagala@ gmail.com

Ecozone... from page 3

marketing tool which will help gain the trust of foreign investors. It will also tell the workers and all other stakeholders that it’s safe to visit and work in and transact with these companies,” she said.

Last June 23, DOLE, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Tourism (DOT) started awarding safety seal certificates to the following: Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway project by Cebu Link Joint Venture (DOLE); The Marketplace Robinsons Galleria Cebu and Brunos Barbers (DTI); and Bai Hotel (DOT).

Companies covered by DOLE are urged to submit their application for the issuance of a safety seal via online through https:// reports.dole.gov.ph or in person and the application shall be assisted by the regional office.

They may also visit ro7. dole.gov.ph and check the department’s safety seal certification process. (PNA)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO CREDIBLE

RELIABLE

FEATURE

IN-DEPTH

Mon-Tue|July 5-6, 2021

8

PUEBLO DE ORO TO INVEST P6-7B MORE, REDEVELOP TOWNSHIP

T

By MIKE BAÑOS

HE man who went where angels feared to tread and almost singlehandedly willed the creation of what has now become the booming Uptown Cagayan de Oro, recently shared his vision for what lies beyond the post-pandemic horizon.

Guillermo D. Luchangco, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation (PDO), perked up the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc.’s (Oro Chamber) 2nd General Membership Meeting and Induction of New Members on June 22nd, in his response to the unveiling and dedication

of the Guillermo D. Luchangco Hall at the Oro Chamber building along P.N. Roa Sr. Avenue in Upper Carmen, and the granting of his lifetime membership in the city’s leading business organization.

“When I first started coming here more than 25 years ago, I was struck by the beauty of the landscape, and I used to tell my associates it was “Marlboro Country”, with rolling hills framed by the mountains in the background, winding rivers and the sea. It was indeed a jewel of an urban community set in the countryside, which meant you could achieve a great combination of business

The Pueblo de Oro Business Park is both a PEZA and IT registered park. (PDO)

and leisure without leaving home,” Luchangco said.

“Mark my words. This type of life will be the future of the Philippines, the style of community to

which many will migrate post-covid. People will look for smaller, less crowded developments but those which have complete facilities to offer,

like smaller commercial areas or malls, spaced out leisure and lifestyle areas, green residential villages, all far from the overcrowded public areas

and congested streets and traffic jams of places like Metro Manila,” he stressed.

Luchangco described how the covid pandemic unveiled a ‘silver lining’ by thrusting the country into the new age of technology, with employers and employees realizing how it was possible for some to work from home, and how the internet made it all possible.

“Thus, in Luzon, you will see booming communities rising up outside of NCR, going both southward and now, especially with the construction of the skyway above Metro Manila that cuts travel time to the north, also towards Bulacan, Pampanga and further,” he noted.

PIONEER/PAGE 7