BusinessWeek Mindanao (July 7-8, 2021)

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Volume XII, No. 12

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Agri-loan

THE Mindanao Development 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 Projects for Economic 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, 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.

BTA extension DAVAO City– Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana reiterated his support to extend the term of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority for another three years during the 10th leg of the Kasama sa Pamana: Regional Pre-SONA Series held in Cotabato City recently.

“I support it. Sabi ko nga kay President, under normal circumstances hindi kaya ng tatlong taon lang, Kasi magstart sa zero eh, they started sa zero. Wala silang experience sa governance, everything, wala eh, they were revolutionaries,” Lorenzana said.

He added that the pandemic caused more delays to the transition period. “Eh nagkaroon pa ng COVID, lalong nadelay yung kanilang transition period (With the COVID, the transition period was delayed even more) Kaya I support that the BTA will be extended for another three years.”

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Moro firm eyes gas, oil exploration in BARMM Thank you for trusting us!

By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews

K

MEDOL ISLET. Medol Islet beckons from the shorelines of Medol beach, presently the most visited resort in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. mindanews photo by bong s. sarmiento

ORONADAL City -- A Moroowned company is eyeing to explore and develop the oil and natural gas deposits in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), an official confirmed Tuesday.

Lawyer Ishak Mastura, chair of the BARMM’s Regional Board of Investments (RBOI), said the agency granted a provisional registration to ESMaulana Global Ventures Company, Inc. (ESMaulana) as an investor in the Bangsamoro region.

ESMaulana, which is owned by the family of Cotabato City-based Engr.

Esmael Maulana, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and has paid a non-refundable P2 million to the Department of Energy (DEO) to obtain the service contract, Mastura told MindaNews.

EXPLORATION/PAGE 7

Solar-powered irrigation to boost Lanao farmers’ yield RICE farmers of Taraka, Lanao del Sur, an old town beside the 34,000-hectare Lake Lanao, will be able to plant a second crop in one year with the opening of the first-ever local governmentf u n d e d S o l ar Pow e re d Irrigation System (SPIS) on July 29.

In a statement Sunday, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said the

six units of SPIS, funded through a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), compose the first batch of solarpowered irrigation built in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

It is also the first SPIS to be established under the Mindanao Water Supply BOOST/PAGE 7

ILL-FATED C-130. Critically-wounded passengers of the ill-fated C-130 aircraft that crashed in Patikul, Sulu on Sunday, July 4, were airlifted to Zamboanga City hours after the crash. mindanews photo courtesy of bong serondo

Pacquiao urged to probe Marawi rehab to boost his corruption charges

By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews

KO R O NA DA L C i t y — Residents displaced by the Marawi siege four years ago called on Senator Manny Pacquiao to scrutinize the ongoing rehabilitation of the war-torn city, which allegedly

stinks of corruption, to back up his corruption charges against several government agencies.

Drieza Lininding, chair of the Marawi-based Moro C onsensus Group, said

Monday that Pacquiao could uncover cans of worms in the way the public funds and projects are implemented to restore the country’s lone Islamic city.

“Senator Manny, take a l o o k at t h e Ma r aw i PROBE/PAGE 7

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WED-THU|JULY 7-8, 2021

Parents of young soldier in C-130 crash hope son is alive

T

HE parents of one of the soldiers on board the C-130 that crashed in Patikul, Sulu on Sunday is still holding on to the hope that their son is alive.

Leonardo and Rowena Damole, from Kibawe, Bukidnon, went to the headquarters of the Army's 4th Infantry Division (4ID) on Monday to get information about their 23-year-old son, Private Kevin Damole.

Kevin’s name was not among the list of 47 survivors.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has yet to release the names of survivors and fatalities, although 49 passengers of the ill-fated aircraft were already confirmed dead.

A military police officer showed the initial list of the

survivors to the Damole couple. Kevin was not on it.

His parents are not losing hope though and are awaiting the official communication from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"When he told us he will be deployed in Sulu and they will board that C-130 plane, I told him to take care of himself," Leonardo narrated in the vernacular.

Sulu would have been Kevin's first assignment after graduating from the 4ID Training Unit in Malaybalay City on June 23.

His graduation day was also the last time they spent a long time together.

Kevin, the eldest of the three siblings, stayed almost three years at the 4ID headquarters as a striker, or soldier aspirant waiting for

training. He was admitted to the training camp in December 2020.

Prior to the fateful flight to Sulu, the C-130 landed at the Philippine Air Force's Technical Operations Group-10 in Barangay Lumbia here and at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental.

Most of the passengers were from the Malaybalay training camp.

Commander on board Among those who cheated death was the newly-installed commander of the 4ID, Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. From Villamor Air Base where the plane first took off, Brawner, his wife, and their two children got off at Lumbia Airfield.

"Thank God for the second life he has given to me," he said in an

interview.

Brawner, a Marawi Siege veteran and former superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy, replaced Maj. Gen Andres Centino, who has assumed command of the Philippine Army.

Help from LGU The city government assured cash assistance for residents affected by the crash.

Mayor Oscar Moreno, in a virtual presser, said he already directed officials to identify the exact number, including those who died and got injured.

Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez, in a statement, urged the Department of National Defense and the military to extend all possible

help to the soldiers and the families of those who died.

“My heartfelt and sincere condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and crew and civilians, and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured, all of whom prepared to bravely defend our nation,” he said, pledging to likewise provide assistance. (PNA)

DOLE-10 distributes cash assistance worth P6,000 through the TUPAD program to the beneficiaries of Tangub City.

(LGU Tangub)

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

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

DOLE-10 distributes cash assistance in Tangub City TANGUB CITY, Misamis Occidental (PIA)—The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-10 distributed cash assistance worth P6,000 through Tulong Pangkabuhayan

sa ating mga Displaced Person (TUPAD) program to the beneficiaries of Tangub City.

Governor Philip Tan and Tangub City Mayor Jennifer Tan personally handed over the aid to 370 Tangubans from various barangays in the city at Sinanduloy Cultural Center.

Mayor Tan said she is happy that Tangub City received this assistance from President Rodrigo Duterte's program and even Rep. Loren Legarda also provided allocation for the Tangubanons.

Gov. Tan said they have now arranged the allocation program of DOLE to the province.

Meanwhile, PESO Coordinator Romar Megriño Tangub said they based the list of TUPAD beneficiaries submitted by the barangay captains who are qualified individuals affected by the current pandemic and have not yet received government assistance such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Social Amelioration Program (SAP), and others. (SMRN/PIA Misamis Occidental)

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CorporateWorld Gov't efforts to boost e-commerce in PH cited WED-THU|JULY 7-8, 2021

A

N executive of a logistics integrator has recognized the government’s efforts to boost digitalization of processes that spur businesses’ capacities and increase opportunities amidst the pandemic.

Constantin Robertz, Locad chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder, said recognition by both the government and the private sector of the importance of electronic commerce (e-commerce) not only helps revive the economy post-pandemic but also “create an economy that is structurally more open and has opportunities especially for SMEs (small and medium enterprises).”

“At the same time, the government supports in creating a clear framework, right framework for consumers to build trust and e-commerce framework for businesses to especially digitalize

a lot of services like e-invoicing that can go a long way in helping business be efficient and digitalize their processes,” he said in a virtual briefing on Monday.

Digitalization processes surged during the pandemic after the government implemented movement restrictions.

However, gaps remain and this is what logistics and supply chain management integrator Locad, which was founded in Manila and Singapore in October 2020, wants to address.

Through a USD4.9 million (over P240 million) seed funding from several investors like Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, Antler, Febe Ventures, Foxmont, Global Founders Capital, Gokongwei Family, and Hustle Fund, Robertz said they want to offer domestic e-commerce players, most of which are SMEs, simple yet scalable end-

to-end solutions.

He said providing sellers a fully digital and integrated platform with real-time visibility on orders and inventory movements would help address cost and delivery time.

Robertz said while e-commerce and on-demand delivery has accelerated in the country, many sellers still have issues with logistics to bring their products to consumers.

These are on top of the issues of lack of infrastructure, resources, and experience in managing both their online services and their own supply chain, he added.

He further said local executives aim to level the playing field by helping local businesses increase their opportunities and empower companies that “will play a pivotal role in driving the Philippines’ massive post-pandemic growth opportunity.” (PNA)

PHINMA backs PH vax program, starts inoculation for workers PHINMA Group has started the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) immunization for its employees, supporting the government’s target to achieve population protection before the year ends.

On Monday, the company launched PHINMAVax, its own vaccination program, giving free Covid-19 jabs to its employees across all of its business units in

construction materials, education, hospitality, and property development.

“Vaccinating our employees is part of our shared responsibility in keeping everyone safe from Covid-19. We have secured 26,000 doses for PHINMA Group employees, which we have extended to their dependents, and even to our partners and service providers all over the country,” PHINMA

president and chief executive officer Ramon del Rosario said in a statement.

Del Rosario said the firm has also allotted vaccines for vulnerable sectors in need of additional jabs.

PHINMA secured 20,000 doses of Moderna vaccines and 6,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines.

“The success of our national vaccination program relies heavily on

the cooperation of every Filipino—with at least 70 million of our population getting vaccinated as soon as possible. Through PHINMAVax, we offer a safe and reliable inoculation option as we leverage robust systems developed by our partners in the private and public sector to ensure additional protection for our people all over the country,” del Rosario added.

PROGRAMS/PAGE 7

Dealing with the New Normal Education By: ROBY MAE KRISTINE O. CABARLES

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” ~ B.B. King The Global pandemic has brought great disaster of our lives that no person is exempted of this crisis, everyone is affected. Still all the individual managed the challenged and doing their very best to fight it back. Especially, the department of education in the division of Cagayan de Oro city they have created programmes that helped teachers to be equipped of the new normal education. Prior the official opening of classes’ teachers in the division were provided a free webinars the “tech o clock” to learn the conduct of online classes, modular print modality and a lot more. Teachers were grateful that they have been prepared on how to facilitate class without face to face and the effective strategies to apply in order to reach out the pupils amidst pandemic.

Furthermore, each school was preparing a matrix on in service

training and it was provided twice a year upon opening of classes and before closing the school year. Nowadays, television-based and radio based instruction were the most effective ways to connect to pupils and teach them the lesson, the activities and what performance task to make. The big question is how to use this type of instruction? Well, at Gusa Elementary School during there In Service Training there were speakers that extended their time and effort in sharing the ideas of how to use video editor apps and other educational websites to use for their pupils learning process. It was Roby Mae Kristine O. Cabarles that showcase the compilation of performance tasks made by the kindergarten level teachers during their In-Service training. The video editor app she used was capcut, according to her it was a great app and user friendly. Other speakers shared vn and kinemaster. Thus, this was just an example of other video editor apps to choose from.

The other speakers shared the

gamification ideas to make activity time more fun and interactive through a power point presentation. I myself was entertained of the new trends in teaching. Friday, was a lucky day to all Gusa elementary teachers because Groiler Philippines gave them free booklets, stories and books to teachers’ children and pupils as well. Groiler was a partner in teaching kids how to read using their different materials like talking English for example.

Moreover, in-service training it’s not about professional learning but also mental learning on how to keep your body and mind in good condition to be an efficient teacher in this new normal set-up. The teachers were too blessed to have the school heads ma’am Annabelle J. Lariba, sir Loreto Llaban and sir Elmer N. Pancho to facilitate comprehensive topics that for sure will be of great help for each of them. The five day training enables the teachers to acquire new understanding and instructional skills for them to face new reformation in education.

BORDERLESS EDUCATION IN THESE TRYING TIMES By: HELEN A. BERBESADA Teacher II Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 led to the closure of schools and universities globally. It created an unanticipated halt in the lives of humankind, and has also made an enormous impact in the educational system. It did transform the model of education. As a result, educational leaders and policy makers have to promptly design flexible programs and employ innovative strategies to sustain the continuity of learning.

What really is “Borderless education"?

Mishra (2016) defines it a s s om e t h i ng t h at encompasses an expansive range of methodologies, on-line instruction and technology-assisted teaching. It provides a platform that will take full advantage of the potential and performance of learners through multi-dimensional and multi-level interactions.

It appears that borderless education has emerged in the time of pandemic and has broadened the extent of learning across countries.

B efore the pandemic, many e duc ators were unenthusiastic to embrace change and were not totally ready to modernize their p e d a g o g i e s f rom t h e conventional to the modern approach. However, because of the pandemic, they need to experience a major shift.

Si ng h & T hu r m an (2019), as cited by Dhawan (2020) in his article entitled “Online learning: The Panacea in the Time of Covid-19 Crisis” emphasized online learning which is synonymous to b ord e r l e s s e du c at i on ( ot he r w is e k now n as open learning, webbased learning, computermediated learning, blended learning, or e-learning) is considered a tool that can make the teaching-learning process more studentcentered, more innovative, and even more flexible; thus, making learners independent to learn and interact with instructors and other learners. As accentuated also in the said article, online learning offers the opportunity for students around the globe to “learn anywhere, anytime, in any rhythm and with any means”.

Borderless education relatively, has advantages and disadvantages. Dhawan (2020) emphasized arg ume nt s ass o ci ate d w it h it. Thes e issues i n c lu d e a c c e s s i bi l it y, affordability, flexibility, learning pedagogy, lifelong learning, and policies.

For learners, the biggest challenge of online learning is the struggle with focusing

on the screen causing health hazards considering that students need to stay online most of the time. Another ch a l l e nge i s i nte r n e t connectivity. Without stable and good connectivity, online learning will be a cause of frustration. Some small cities and towns in our country nowadays don’t even have a decent speed of internet connectivity.

Additionally, in online learning, there is a minimal physical interaction between the teacher and students and these often result in isolation.

Gautam (2020), in the eLearning industry journal, postulated several advantages. According to her, online learning can of fer educators other ways to present their lessons aside from doing the customary textbook teaching style. Teachers of this time become more innovative and flexible as to how they are going to execute their lessons. A variety of online tools are also available which can assist teachers to facilitate classes. Moreover, educators can employ interactive videos in their lessons, use different platforms and innovate schemes to reach out to the students in this time of crisis. This can create a collaborative and interactive learning environment where students can ask questions and g ive t heir dire c t feedback. Second, online learning gives students the chance to attend classes from any location of their choice. They are not being restricted by geographical boundaries for learning can take place anywhere and anytime, hence increasing new skills and knowledge even within the comforts of their homes.

Third, online learning is less costly than the faceto-face mode of learning for it eliminates costs for transportation, student meals, study materials, and other expenses. It creates paperless learning which is good for our environment.

O n l i n e l e ar n i ng a l s o develops problem-solving skills, critical thinking abilities, and adaptability a m o n g t h e s t u d e nt s .

Students of any age can access the online tools and reap the benefits of time and location flexibility associated with online learning.

With the pros and cons of online learning, it is our accountability as educators to turn every challenge into an opportunity. It is about time to open our perspectives on how we can find ways to reengineer our educational system.

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Opinion

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Early this year I did a series of training for two hotel chains owner by a Thai company on Customer Experience.

The number of Google s e arches of t he phras e ‘customer experience’ has almost tripled in the last ten years. What’s more, customer experience statistics tell us that businesses leading the way in customer experience design are outperforming late-movers by up to 80 per cent.

For some, these figures are enough to inspire action.

For others, something more tangible, more human, more poetic is needed.

If you fall into the latter camp, here are 21 customer experience quotes to guide you toward service excellence in 2021 and beyond: 1. “If you are not taking care of your customers, your competitor will.” – Bob Hooey 2. “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises; he is not dependent

MINDFUL

JAY LEDESMA

Oro Chamber

School in session Think a minute… These are the names of some of the most famous lawyers in U.S. history. Only one of them dropped out of law school. See if you can guess which one?

J o h n Ja y b e c a m e a successful lawyer and later the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the highest judge in the land.

William Wirt was barely 20-years-old when he passed his law exams in Virginia.

He later became the United States Attorney General.

Remember, one of these famous lawyers was a law school dropout.

Roger Taney started as a lawyer and worked his way up to become the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Daniel Webster became a lawyer in Boston where he built a great legal record and reputation. He then became a highly respected Senator and was later appointed Secretary of State.

Salmon Chase became well known as a defense attorney helping slaves. Later he became a U.S. Senator

THINK A MINUTE

on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him.

He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.” – Mahatma Gandhi 3. “Customer experience better be at the top of your list when it comes to priorities in your organisation. Customer e x p e r i e nc e i s t he ne w marketing.” – Steve Cannon 4 . “ T h e c u s t o m e r ’s perception is your reality.”

– Kate Zabriskie 5. “Innovation needs to be part of your culture.

Customers are transforming faster than we are, and if we don’t catch up, we’re in trouble.” – Ian Schafer 6. “When the customer comes first, the customer will last.” – Robert Half 7. “Successful people are always lo oking for opportunities to help others.

Unsuccessful people are

always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ – Brian Tracy 8. “If we consistently exceed the expectations of employees, they will consistently exceed the expectations of our customers.” – Shep Hyken 9. “It is not the employer who pays the wages.

Employers only handle the money … It is the customer who pays the wages.” – Henry Ford 10. “Customers don’t expect you to be perfect.

They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.”

– Donald Porter 1 1 . “ T h e w ay t o a customer’s heart is much more than a loyalty program.

Making customer evangelists is about creating experiences worth talking about.” – Valeria Maltoni 12. “Customer service s h o u l d n’ t j u s t b e a department; it should be the entire company.” Tony Hsieh 13. “Your most unhappy

NUTS & BOLTS

JEROME DE LA FUENTE

customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates 14. “Customer service is part of a holistic customer experience that is capable of providing a cr it ica l c omp e t it i v e a d v a nt a g e in to day’s incre asing ly cluttered and commoditised marketplace.” – Joseph Jaffe 15. “Attention is a main asset in marketing.” – Toba Beta 16. “ The future of communicating with customers rests in engaging QUOTES/PAGE 7

This girl Is on FIRE… and you can be, too

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21 customer experience quotes to inspire you in 2021

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THERE’S no doubt that the past 15 months have prompted many to take a serious look not only at their health status but at their financial standing, as well.

The surge in the number of searches and researches on life and medical insurance, i nve s t m e nt , an d ot h e r financial programs over the internet and the growth experienced by the local life insurance industry, were proofs of this growing public interest and appreciation.

When given the chance, w h o wou l d n’t w ant to experience financial independence and not wait for age 60 or 65 to enjoy re t i re me nt ? S a d ly, n ot everyone who desires it, achieves it. The challenge is always on setting and acting on the “hows" to achieve and staying on track.

After the global financial crisis of 2008, when my own job and financial securities were put at risk, I really took a serious look at how we are preparing for life’s risks and uncertainties. Soon after, I came across the FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early) movement, a lifestyle movement which promotes extreme savings and investment program to allow one to retire much earlier. This was very popular among the millennials at that time (I wasn’t a part of this generation). Though I did not

subscribe to all the “hows" it was promoting, I still gave it serious consideration as it aligns with my personal goals… to become financially independent and be able to retire early.

In this issue, I will be sharing how this girl is now on FIRE, in the hope that my own personal narratives on this important subject matter may be able to help you achieve your own.

Set financial goals, both short and long-term, and act on them. Setting one's financial goals is the easiest part. But having a clear idea of what you will do to achieve it, acting on it, and sticking to it, are entirely different stories. In our case, we made sure that regardless of the size of our income, a percentage was earmarked and allocated for our savings, emergency funds, educational plans, and retirement plans. The right

percentage for each depends on your personal needs and wants. During the earlier years, a bigger percentage went to savings, emergency, and educational funds. Later on, it’s heavier on investment and retirement (though as we get older, it's more on lesserrisk portfolios). We only did major projects such as house construction and travels when we were already confident that we have enough funds for our above priorities and we can fund the projects without needing to take out a loan.

Always pay credit cards in full. Just like most of you, the first time I had my credit card (cc), I was also paying it in installments. But when I computed the interests I was paying, I realized how the credit card companies were making such a huge profit from me. From then on, I FIRE/PAGE 7

When in a special need LIFE can find us in many

transcend our human and

of them so special and extraordinary that we can find ourselves helpless. In these cases, we should never forget that the first thing we have to do is to go to Christ, asking always for help. He always listens to our pleas, and gives us what is best for us.

We h ave to e nt r u st ou r s e l ve s t o t h e m o s t compassionate divine prov idence and to t he workings of the spiritual and supernatural realities that also govern our life.

We have to remember that we are not ruled simply by biological laws or physical, chemical, social, political, economic laws. There is a higher law that governs us and that would enable us to

This is the law of grace, a law that is spiritual and supernatural in nature. It is the law that enables us to go beyond our human limitations without, of course, compromising our humanity.

It is the law that enables us to enter into the very life of God who created us to be his image and likeness.

We have to learn to feel at home with this particular condition of our earthly life. We have to acquire the relevant attitude and skills to be able to live with this condition. It is when we seem to reach our human and earthly limitations that we have to abandon ourselves to the more powerful and merciful dynamic of God’s providence over us.

JHAN TIAFAU HURST different situations, some earthly limitations. and then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, actually started as a lawyer, which helped prepare him for his exceptionally wise and diplomatic leadership that kept the States of America united through its terribly divisive and devastating Civil War. Clarence Darrow became possibly the most famous lawyer of all, particularly for his case of the Scopes or so-called Monkey trial of 1925.

Of these seven successful and famous lawyers, which one do you think was the law school dropout? It was SCHOOL/PAGE 7

We should try to avoid wasting time lamenting over this condition, or feeling confused and lost. Let us enter into a divine adventure that God is tracing for us.

He knows everything and can only mean good for all of us in spite of the many c ont r a d i c t i ons we c an encounter in life.

We should not hesitate to God to ask for miracles.

But for miracles to happen, especially the most important one which is our own salvation that involves the forgiveness of our sins, faith is needed.

This was dramatized in that gospel episode where Christ was presented with a paralytic lying on a stretcher. (cfr. Mt 9,1-8) “When Jesus saw their faith,” the gospel narrates, “he said to the paralytic,

HINTS AND TRACES

ROY CIMAGALA ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.’” Christ said this before he went to cure the man of his paralysis. He cured the man to prove to the unbelieving Jews that he was truly the Redeemer, and as such can do extraordinary cures. And he cured the man precisely because of their faith, that is, their belief that Christ was truly the expected SPECIAL/PAGE 7

5 P998-M petroleum investment registered in BARMM Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

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COTABATO City – The Regional Board of InvestmentsBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBOI-BARMM) has provisionally registered the P998-million petroleum project by the Esmaulana Global Ventures Company Inc. (EMGVCI) in the region under the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP).

RBOI-BARMM chairman Ishak Mastura revealed this in a statement Tuesday following a recent zoom meeting with DOE and EMGVCI

representatives.

“The proposed investment project covers the Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao and the Sulu Sea but the areas that fall within the BARMM jurisdiction are subject to the joint determination by the BARMM regional government and the national government,” Mastura, a lawyer, said.

He said the EMGVCI participated in the PCECP of the DOE and purchased the appropriate data package for predetermined areas in the BARMM – the Cotabato Basin and Sulu Basin-amounting to over P2 million.

“As such, the DOE informed EMGVCI that the awarding of the service contracts for BARMM areas were held in abeyance since the modality of processing and awarding of such contracts in the BARMM for petroleum investments still have to be worked out in the Intergovernmental Relations Body, as established under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL),” Mastura said.

He said the EMGVCI registered with the RBOIBARMM subject to the final approval of a service contract by President Rodrigo Duterte so they can

prepare, recruit, and train manpower as well as obtain capital equipment for future exploration, utilization, and development of their target areas in the BARMM. Mastura said the registration of the investment project does not mean that EMGVCI can proceed with their study, but rather the latter is only recognized as a firm operating in the BARMM area since the BOI provides preference to BARMM residents in the exploitation of its natural resources, particularly oil and gas reserves if any.

He said no financial incentives were

JASMIN Canunayon (right), eighth topnotcher of the February 2021 licensure exam for social workers, receives her P10,000 token of gratitude and certificate of commendation from the city government of Cagayan de Oro represented by Mayor Oscar Moreno (left) during a recent courtesy call. CIO

Serbisyong Pampubliko GES in Aksyon, Rekorida 2021 By: ROBY MAE KRISTINE O. CABARLES

Nagsugod na ug arangkada ang tibook pwersa sa mga magtutudlo sa Gusa Elementary School para masugdan na ang Early Registration Enrolment 20212022 sa pagpangulo ni ma’am Annabelle J. Lariba, sir Loreto Llaban ug sir Elmer N. Pancho adtong milabay na Marso 26, 2021. Samtang kini nga kalihokan kay pamaagi sa Department of Education aron masigurong makapalista ug mas sayo ang mga ginikanan, nagsugod kini adtong Marso 26 hangtud Abril 30. Aron usab mahilikay sa pagtipoktipok ang mga ginikanan kung sa abre sa klase pa sila magpa enrol.

Gamit ang sakyanan ni sir Loreto gituyok sa mga magtutudlo ang mga purok sa Barangay Gusa nagpahibalo unsay angay dalhon sa pag registrar sa ilang mga anak. Para sa mag Kindergarten ug Grade One magdala

lang ug usa ka photocopy sa birth certificate ug i-fill in ang mga detalye sa enrolment form nga makuha sa gate tapad sa drop boxes. Ug kadtong gihatag sa maestra nga enrolment form. Abre ang eskwelahan sa sugod Lunes hantod Biyernes duol lang kamo sa mga maestra sa kindergarten ug sa kung unsa na nga grado inyong anak kung aduna kamoy bakante na oras. Para sa gatrabaho nga mga ginikanan pwede kamo maka enrol sa inyong anak sa adlaw’ng Sabado mag fill in sa detalye sa inyong anak ug ihulog kini sa drop box sa kung unsa na grado sya inig abre sa klasi uban ang photocopy sa birth certificate. Aduna sab gipang pikit na mga tarpaulin sa kada purok dugang inpormasyon sa wala nakadungog adtong nagpahibalo ang mga magtutudlo. Mihitag sa inpormasyon sa early registration

ang mga magtutudlo pinaagi sa text message ug isig group chat sa mga ginikanan aron mas daghan makabalo sa kalihokan sa eskwelahan.

Dugang pahibalo sab nga magsuot sa face mask, face shield, mag social distancing ug pagdala sa ballpen aron malikayan ang pagkakuha sa Covid Virus. Gisiguro pud sa sa eskwelahan ug magtutudlo nga nagasunod sila sa health protocols sa IATF sa pag dawat sa mga bago na enrolees. Sa pag sulod sa eskwelahan, magpa thermal scanner sila ug mag alcohol. Pag abot sa room mag social distancing sa pag fill in sa form. Inig kahuman ug fill in itext sa maestra/maestro ug kanus-a ang opisyal na pag abre ang klase sa tuig 2020 - 2021 ug tungod niana nahuman kana ug paenrol sa imong anak. Oh, diba dali ra?!

given to EMGVCI by the RBOI-BARMM because petroleum companies have their own terms and conditions under a service contract.

“However, EMGVCI can apply in the future for reduced duties and taxes for the importation of capital equipment should their oil and gas venture progress during their

talks with the BARMM regional government and the national government,” he said.

The EMGVCI is a registered Filipino company with 40-percent foreign equity engaged in the business of oil/gas petroleum minerals, mining exploration, extraction, refinery, import, and export of its by-products. (PNA)

MANAGING WORKPLACE AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC CARMELA M. BACONG

While people are struggling between life and death for the surge of COVID-19 pandemic across the world, nation’s economy are also on the peak of agony as the work force are cascading to erode due to health issues brought with the recent outbreak of COVID-19.

Many workers have lost their jobs since most of the prominent industries are enforced a total lockdown.

This pandemic made a huge impact in most private and government institutions with regards to Human Resource Management P r a c t i c e s . E mp l oy e e s have faced new standard operating procedures and restrictions to protect the health and well-being of workers and customers.

This pandemic has created a challenging environment for human resource management as they strive to help their workforce adapt to and cope with the changes occurring in the work and social environment. Human resource needs to adjust new and current employees such as shifting of work environment implementing new workplace policies and procedures to limit human contact. Face-to-face collaboration is replaced with email and video conferencing. Organization combat productivity through virtual cultural activities as part of the new work environment.

As organization continue to navigate the challenges brought by COVID-19 they still need to be attentive to employees who might affected by current alterations of the work environment.

Human resource needs to adapt more practices amidst of C OVID-19, as they give impact for the future organization’s values and culture, it gives rebalance and rebuilding of what has been lost in the organization. The best thing the organization can do is lean in. In every crisis, organization should always establish a crisis team, create a contingency plan, ensure

safety of employees, and communicate effectively.

Organizational leaders should establish feelings of trust with employees by communicating clear information continuously.

Listen to your employees, e mp at h i z e w it h t h e i r greatest concerns, communicate frequently and confidently, and be flexible and supportive to meet their needs. No matter how challenging, we must listen, respond, and act on our employees’ concerns and anxieties with empathy. Employee’s trust is leadership’s greatest asset especially during times of uncertainty, crisis, and panic. For employees still on the job, human resource managers are trying to keep their workers productive, motivated, engaged and connected.

Although this pandemic leave a massive crisis all over the world, virtually affected every individual in unprecedented ways, p e r s o n a l l y, s o c i a l l y, emotionally, psychologically, e c o n o m i c a l l y, a n d professiona l ly, it a ls o provided opportunities for col l ab orat ion and extended different level of care among private and government institutions resulting to innovation and creativity in every aspects including the use of digital and telecommunication technology in new ways to ensure continued human services in an environment that promote safe and quality care to employees.

In this era of pandemic, as leaders and managers, everyone must play an active role in protecting everyone’s life and mobilize appropriate resources in new ways to ensure the provision of safe, quality, necessary, timely, compassionate, and patientcentered services. A lot of creativity and learning has been taking place as well.

People are created to lead people. No matter how big the challenges are, victory awaits us when people are working together hand by hand.

6

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WED-THU|JULY 7-8, 2021

Exploration... from page 1

According to ESMaulana’s briefer, it has acquired Block 10 of the Cotabato Basin straddling 384,000 hectares, including the Liguasan Marsh, and Sulu Sea Basin Block 6 covering about 1.3 million hectares.

“ESMaulana’s lifework includes the exploration and development of the natural gas deposits in the Liguasan Marsh,” Mastura said.

Mastura said that EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE AMONG HEIRS KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late SPS. CIPRIANO MUGOT and PACIANA MUGOT, who died last SEPTEMBER 24, 1999 and JULY 10, 2004 at Mauswagon, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, and intestate which has his residence at the time of their demise, leaving certain real property with TAX DECLARATION NO. 08-18-0003-01205, situated at Gasi, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, containing an area of ELEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED THIRTYTWO (11,132) square meters, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE AMONG HEIRS, filed by the heirs of SPS. CIPRIANO MUGOT and PACIANA MUGOT, per DOC #135; PAGE #27; BOOK #157; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. TIBURCIO M. PALASAN, JR. BWM: July 7, 14 & 21, 2021

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

That the late ULYSSES CASERES TAAL, died without leaving any will, left no debt, that upon his death he left a real property described with Tax Declaration No. 08-18-0001-00937 situated at Poblacion, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, containing an area of 13,288 square meters more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE, filed by the heirs of ULYSSES CASERES TAAL, per DOC #275; PAGE #56; BOOK #140; Series of 2016 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. EMMANUEL A. AKUT. BWM: July 7, 14 & 21, 2021

ESMaulana was the only proponent that applied to explore and develop the predetermined areas for Block 10 of the Cotabato Basin and Block 6 of the Sulu Sea Basin.

In a separate statement, Mastura said that ESMaulana’s proposed petroleum investment in the BARMM was lodged under DOE’s Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program.

Mastura said the proposed investment of ESMaulana for the Cotabato and Sulu basins would amount to nearly P1 billion.

However, the DOE has yet to award the service contracts for the proposed petroleum projects in the Bangsamoro region, the official said.

The proposed investment project of ESMaulana in the Liguasan Marsh and the Sulu Sea are subject to the joint determination by the BARMM government and the national government, through the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB).

The cre at ion of t he IGRB is provided for under Section 2, Article VI of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to coordinate and resolve issues between the two parties through regular consultation and continuing negotiation.

The awarding of the service

contract for ESMaulana was held in abeyance by the DOE pending the discussions at t he IG RB involv ing petroleum investments in the Bangsamoro region, Mastura said.

The Office of the President will issue the final approval of the service contract, he added.

Mastura explained that EsMaulana registered with the RBOI-BARMM so that they can already prepare, recruit and train manpower, as well as obtain capital equipment for future exploration, utilization and development of their target areas in the BARMM. The registration of the investment project does not mean that ESMaulana can already proceed with their exploration, development and utilization, but the registration of their investment project could mean that they are recognized as a company operating in the BARMM area, he said.

Mastura said the BOL prov ides preference to BARMM residents in the exploitation of its natural re s ou rc e s , p ar t i c u l ar ly petroleum like oil and gas.

No fiscal incentives were given to ESMaulana by the RB OI-BARMM because petroleum companies have their own terms and

TITLED FARM LAND FOR SALE Location: Talakag, Bukidnon Price: P800,000/hectare only

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the late spouses CRISOLOGO R. REYES and BERNARDA D. REYES who died intestate on August 29, 2006 and February 9, 2014, respectively, in Cagayan de Oro City, left a parcel of land known as Lot 22182 CAD 237(Lot 29 CSD-12558) consisting of Sixty Five Thousand One Hundred Forty Nine (65,149) sq. m. situated in Indahag, Cag de Oro City and covered

by Katibayan ng Orihinal na Titulo Blg. P-4113 is the subject of Extrajudicial Settlement With Sale of a Portion of A parcel of Land excuted by their heirs in favor of JE Hydro and Bio-energy Corporation registered in the Notarial Registry of Atty. Hannah L. Mabayo as Doc. No. 300; page No. 60; Book No. II;Series of 2020.

BWM: June 23, 30 & July 7, 2021

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

conditions under a service contract.

However, ESMaulana can, in the future, apply for reduced duties and taxes for importation of capital equipment should their oil and gas venture progress during their talks with the BARMM government and the national government, Mastura said.

Probe... from page 1

rehabilitation and you will discover many anomalies, the reason why four years after the siege, residents have yet to return to their homes,” he said in a statement in Filipino.

The Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), which is composed of various government agencies, has been tasked to rehabilitate Marawi, scene of a fivemonth fierce urban warfare between government forces and the Islamic State-aligned Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups in 2017.

The Marawi siege displaced at least 350,000 civilians and destroyed the core of the city, which to date remained off-limits to residents due to the ongoing construction works.

Lininding said Pacquiao could uncover many irregularities “if he will investigate each agency” under the TFBM, which is headed by Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, the country’s housing czar.

For instance, a government agency whose mandate is on

housing is implementing a road project, said Lininding, apparently referring to the National Housing Authority.

Lininding alleged that a single contractor, which he did not identify, had been favored to implement a billion-peso worth of project for the rehabilitation of Marawi.

“These are just the tip of the iceberg. You will discover many more anomalies in Marawi. Even if you wake up late to the truth, we believe that you can be a big help to fight corruption,” he told Pacquiao.

The boxing icon and lawmaker recently claimed that corruption has worsened under the current administration, earning for him the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte challenged Pa c qu i a o to prove h i s allegations.

Pacquiao identified the alleged “corrupt agencies” a s t he d e p ar t me nt s of

Health, Social Welfare and Development, Energy, and the Environment and Natural Resources.

Pacquaio said he was informed that up to P10.4 billion in aid to the poor affected by the COVID-19 pandemic had gone missing from the DSWD, which denied the allegation.

The Duterte camp d ow npl aye d Pa c qu ai o’s exposes as “politicking”.

Pa c q u a i o d i s m i s s e d insinuations his exposes we re c on ne c te d to h is rumored plans to run in the 2022 presidential elections.

He cl e are d D ute r te of involvement in the alleged irregularities.

Pacquaio, who had a falling out with the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, flew to the United States to train for his upcoming fight against welterweight champion Errol Spence in August in Las Vegas. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

21st Century Skills for Young Learners By: ELMA T. DELOPERE T-III BangonBangon ES Claveria West District

Twenty-first century skills are a hot topic in education today; some even call them new building blocks for learning. Our children will need to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive global landscape, and at the same time be able to collaborate with others from all over the world.

Creativity and innovation will be highly prized, both for developing technology and new media, and for solving challenges with more limited resources.

While schools are beginning to make the shift toward 21st century standards, there’s a lot that you can do as a parent to

foster these skills at home.

When children play together, offer them a collective set of play materials (such as bin of crayons) rather than individual sets to encourage sharing, turntaking and social skills.

Introduce phrase from different languages around the world, such as the words for “please” and “thankyou” and expose your child to ways of thinking that come from different culture. The goal is to show your child that there are many ways to think, speak, eat and celebrate, all worthy of respect.

Encourage t hem to out-of-the-box thinking

by asking your child to come up with one or two new rules to a familiar game. (Make sure the rules are still fair). This helps kids learn how to evaluate their ideas, and problem solve in a group. Invite your child to help you solve common household problems by engineering new solutions. Encourage your child to participate in family decisions and problem solving and then praise your child’s effort to reason through different situ at i ons. O nce your children understand that all ideas are welcome, they may feel more confident in contributing their own.

7

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WED-THU|JULY 7-8, 2021

School... from page 4

Clarence Darrow: the one name which is so often associated with the practice of law. Clarence Darrow attended law school for only one year and then dropped out to study law on his own.

But what is more amazing is those other six successful lawyers could not drop out because they never even went to law school! They all studied law on their own.

Actually, for every one of us the school of life is always in session. We are designed never to stop learning our Creator’s laws and ways of life. In fact, the word disciple means a “lifelong learner” or “lifetime student” of Jesus, the Maker and Master of life. Once and for all, won’t you ask Him to become the Maker and Master Teacher of your completely new life with Him today? Just think a minute.

Quotes... from page 4

with them through every possible channel: phone, email, chat, Web, and social networks. Customers are discussing a company’s products and brand in real time. Companies need to join the conversation.” – Marc Benioff 17. “If you don’t care, your customer never will.”

– Marlene Blaszczyk 18. “Exceptional customer experiences are the only sustainable platform for competitive differentiation.”

— Kerry Bodine 19. “Make the customer the hero of your story.” – Ann Handley 20. “Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the customer gets out of it.” – Peter Drucker 21. “ The key is to set realistic customer expectations, and then not to just meet them, but to exceed them—preferably in unexpected and helpful ways.” – Richard Branson

Special... from page 4

Redeemer.

Nowadays, many people claim that miracles do not happen anymore. They say miracles only took place in the distant past, the time of the gospel when Christ went around in the land of Judea and Galilee. But now, miracles are considered obsolete, if not an anomaly.

This is like saying that Christ, the son of God who became man, has ceased intervening in our lives, that he was purely a historical man, subject to time and space, and that after death, he is simply no more, completely wrapped in the spiritual world, if ever that exists, and that he has no immediate and tangible impact in our lives.

The problem we have is that we lack faith. It is this deficiency that disables us to see a deeper and richer reality that is beyond what we simply see, touch and understand.

It is this deficiency that

prevents us from asking for some miracles in some difficult situations we can find ourselves in, and from experiencing them.

Email: roycimagala@ gmail.com

Fire...

from page 4 only charge to my credit card the amount which I know I can pay in full come due date. Basic to owning a credit card is knowing your own spending habits. I love to shop especially when traveling abroad. I have the tendency to be an impulse buyer too.

Knowing this, allowed me to control myself. How? I rarely charge my overseas purchases to my credit card.

Since there’s no money out in cc, we sometimes have this false belief that we have not spent as much. The horror and shock will come once you receive the bills. For others, bringing cash is not practical. But it worked for me. I have a specific budget of cash when we travel. That way, I would know if we are within or spending out of our budget. Plus I don’t have to worry about the currency conversion when it’s pay time (which is usually much higher than the regular conversion).

That saved me a few bucks. I still bring my credit card in case of emergencies. But as I become a mature spender, I use my cc more often now as I did before. But still, I pay my bills always in full.

Ta k e a l o n g - t e r m investment outlook and plans. Coming from my bad experience during the Asian Financial crisis in 1997, when as a newbie investor, I panicked and withdrew some of our investment placements, I learned to view my investments long term. B eing clear with my investment goals and timelines, helped me to make more objective and rational decisions and actions when faced with market volatilities.

Instead of panicking and b eing emot iona l ab out the performance of our investment whenever the market drops, we take this as an opportunity to get into the market at a discount.

Our biggest investment win was when the market recovered 2-3 years after the 2008 global financial crisis.

When most people were scared and getting out of the market in 2008, we invested.

That decision gave us a very good yield. We all had a similar opportunity last year.

Just ask anyone who went into the market at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and you will be amazed at how their investment has grown since even at this time when the market has not fully recovered. Aside from creating and growing our funds, our investments afforded us some windfalls that we used to finance our major travels and purchases.

That’s what we call making our money work for us.

Create regular automatic savings via salary deduction.

Sometimes, though our intent is there, we still overlook making our regular savings.

Either you got busy or you spent the money on something else. To avoid falling into this trap, I requested our HR to make an automatic deduction from my monthly payroll a specific amount and deposit the same to my mutual fund account. This went on for years without me noticing it anymore. When I had my early retirement in 2017, I was surprised that I had a substantial additional retirement fund f rom t hat auto-p ay rol l deduction savings scheme that I created years ago. I know some have created a separate bank account where they also requested their HR Dept to credit to a certain amount from their payroll.

Until we have developed the discipline, it’s okay to look for our enablers. Again, the amount is not important. It’s the consistency that matters.

Live within and even below our means. It’s an everyday temptation to splurge and indulge in things within or beyond one’s means. After all, we all work very hard to have comfort and convenience in life. We work hard to reward ourselves with simple luxury and indulgence. But these are the same reasons why some people are still not able to save properly even if their income size improved. For these people, a 20% income increase equals a 20% increase in their expense also (for some even higher).

Remember, it’s not how much you earn that matters, it’s how much you’re able to save. My husband and I made sure we have just enough… we live comfortably, our children get the best education, we take our annual family travel, etc… all within and even below what we can afford.

This mindset allowed us to have the extra funds to save and invest. Always find a way to bring your expenses

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down. Being clear with what you really need versus what you want is a big help. It’s not a mortal sin to give in to your wants once in a while.

But always make sure to do it not at the expense of what you really need. We can actually live life to the fullest with less.

That is something we have discovered and experienced.

The above has helped me achieve the FIRE that I am experiencing now. It may not fully guarantee your own but they may help you develop some healthy habits that can lead you to make your own FIRE. I proudly say that I was able to retire at the age of 55 and am enjoying my financial independence! This girl is on FIRE… and I’m loving it! Guess what? You can too!

PHINMA... from page 8

management skills.”

“A teacher once told us in our group chat that ‘no one should be left behind,’ Niño Olandio Bela-ong fondly recounts how vital remote teaching was for his first year in college. “The teachers helped me feel that I am still a student and that education can be done in different ways as long as we are learning.”

A freshman taking up Civil Engineering at PHINMAC ollege of Cagayan De Oro, Niño further expresses appreciation for the flexibility the program’s Block System affords, saying that “having four blocks in one semester gives efficient time for students to focus on every subject. For me, it is very helpful for us, especially for the working students.”

“I’ve encountered a lot of struggles in life, especially with my studies,” recalls PHINMA-University of Iloilo freshman Mylene Ongonion, who lives far from school and usually has poor internet connection. The Hawak Kamay scholar credits the school and its system for bettering herself: “Because of RAD Learning, I learned to study on my own, to manage my time and to improve my critical thinking skills. It made me more motivated and responsible as a student.” #MakingLivesBetter with RAD Learning We a n t i c i p a t e t h a t blended learning or a mix of both distance and face-

to-face learning will be the new normal in the years to come. Alternatives like RAD Learning have extended possibilities to Filipinos everywhere, allowing students to gain access to PHINMA Education and continue their schooling despite distance and financial constraints.

Whatever the distance or limitations, PHINMA Education aims to continue #Ma k ingL ivesB etter by providing quality education that is accessible to every Filipino.

Programs... from page 3

PHINMA is also partnering with local government units of Manila, Makati City, Mandaluyong City, Pasay City, Quezon C it y, C ab an atu an C it y, Dagupan City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, C agayan de Oro City, and the regional office of the Department of Health in Region 7 for the vaccine rollout of PHINMA employees who are part of the A4 priority group.

“Here at PHINMA, protecting our people i s a pr i or it y e sp e c i a l ly under these extraordinary circumstances. It has been said by medical experts that the best protection against Covid is the vaccine in the arm. We want our e mp l oy e e s t o m a k e a n informed decision as soon as the vaccination option becomes available to them,” PHINMA chief op erating of f icer Chito Salazar added.

Earlier, Trade Secretary R a m on L op e z s a i d t h e vaccination of the A4 group, or the economic front-liners, was the muchawaited “shot in the arm” for economic recovery.

“We are really giving support to the backbone of our economy, our workers.

So this is really a shot in the

arm to the economic frontliners, a shot in the arm to our economy. And this is really what we need as we are trying to continuously reopen,” Lopez said. (PNA)

Boost... from page 1

Program launched by MinDA, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and DBP, t he agencies involved in the crafting of the MinDAWater Program.

MinDA S ecretar y Emmanuel Piñol said Taraka Mayor Nashiba Sumagayan an d Vi c e Mayor O d i n Sumagayan will lead the opening of the water pipes from the SPIS units designed to irrigate between 600 to 1,000 hectares of farmlands.

“Mayor Sumagayan is also building a Solar-Powered Water Supply System to provide potable water for the 25,000 population of the town which had relied on their water needs from the Taraka River which meanders through the town proper and dislodges in Lake Lanao,” he added.

Farmers had relied only on rainwater to irrigate their rice farms, resulting in low productivity.

“For the rice farmers of Taraka, this will be a historic event as they had traditionally planted only once a year even if the water of Lake Lanao is just a few kilometers away,” Piñol added.

MinDA is also introducing a complete value chain concept for the Rice Industry of Taraka, where the farmers will plant, process, and market the rice they will produce.

M i n DA w i l l i n v i t e BARMM Chief Minister A ho d Murad Ebra him, BARMM-MAFAR Minister Mohamad Yacob, and DBP officials led by its president, Emmanuel Herbosa, to attend the ceremonial opening of the irrigation valves. (PNA)

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PHINMA Education Brings Education Closer to Filipinos through RAD Learning More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipinos are growing more and more accustomed to distance education and studying from home to pursue their schooling.

PHINMA Education is more committed than ever to bring to life its mission of Making Lives Better through providing accessible quality education. 2020 saw PHINMA Education pilot two remote learning models, Flex Learning and Remote and Distance (RAD) Learning, to respond to the needs of different sectors of the market during the pandemic. Flex Learning offers a blended means of studying with distance learning and face-to-face sessions (when allowed by the government).

Meanwhile, RAD Learning is a home-based distance learning program that allows students to study and complete only 2 or 3 subjects per month unlike many of the modular learning programs offered by other schools.

What is RAD Learning?

RAD Learning is a

distance learning program of PHINMA Education that is designed to serve students who are unable to regularly go to school.

This largely homebased set-up makes use of printed learning modules supported with remote teacher coaching. These modules are physically sent to students, making quality education more accessible than ever regardless of their location.

To ensure that students are given guidance and support in their lessons, teachers are available via social media.

The program offers a friendly and flexible schedule giving students more control over their study time. RAD Learning students take only 2-3 subjects per month. On top of this, PHINMA Education also offers all students with a free SIM card with a monthly allocation of 10GB data to ensure that students get the virtual coaching support they need. This also gives them access to additional educational resources online, and the ability to connect socially

RAD Learning enables students to gain access to quality education despite distance and financial constraints.

with their peers for group performance tasks.

Moreover, RAD Learning students living in distant areas stand to save about Php 2,000 to 3,000 per month on transportation cost and food expenses given the home-based learning program.

What students say about RAD Learning Students from PHINMA Education’s network of schools share that despite the challenges brought about

PHINMA Education offers a free SIM card with a monthly allocation of 10GB data to ensure that students get support by virtual coaching

by the pandemic, quality education was still made possible and accessible through PHINMA Education’s RAD Learning program.

Civil Engineering freshman Lovely-Lynn

Javier Evangelista from PHINMA-Araullo University shares her appreciation for how RAD Learning allows her to save on time and money alongside being able to study and review materials

at her own pace. “[It] offers flexibility for our study routines, saving time and costs since commuting to and from campus is no longer needed.”

The program has also equipped these two PHINMA-Araullo University third year Education students to pursue things that matter to them.

Shaina A. Mandia shares that with RAD Learning, “[there’s no] hindrance to continue my dream and reach my goal of becoming a teacher.”

While Jenina Anne Abasta shares how the program allowed her to balance work and home life: “I have been able to continue my studies while taking care of my child, or while doing some housework.

It enhanced my timePHINMA/PAGE 7