BusinessWeek MINDANAO
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Volume IV, No. 73
Market Indicators
As of 6:01 pm mar. 6, 2014 (Thursday)
FOREX
PHISIX
US$1 = P44.53
6,456.14 points
23 cents
X X Briefly 61.54 points
Competitive town MAMBAJAO has been ranked highly by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), Philippines in the 2013 Overall Competitiveness Rankings as the 24th most competitive among the 163 municipalities in the whole Philippines. In the Index Ranking per Factor, Mambajao also emerged in the Top 10 municipalities under the Infrastructure category on Selected Specific Indicators being in the 4th place in having the Fastest Time Going to the Airport from the Central Business District (CBD); 2nd place in the Fastest Time Going to the Seaports; and is in the 14th place in the highest Ratio of Hospital Beds over Total Population. The rankings of NCC were made on the basis of an annual survey conducted to the simplified Business Permit and Licensing System (BPLS) compliant municipalities/ cities in the country where the data collected of standard competitiveness indicators were focused on economic dynamism, government efficiency and infrastructure.
Poverty reduction THE government remains focused on attaining inclusive growth and bringing poor Filipinos out of poverty, the Palace said on Wednesday. “Ang thrust ng ating pamahalaan is for inclusive growth. We want to bring people out of poverty. Ang thrust ng ating Philippine Development Plan is really to emphasize inclusive growth and the reduction of poverty,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing in Malacanang. The administration has set goals on the government’s anti-poverty action plans, he said noting this will be carried out on a specific and targeted approach. For instance if a province belongs to a certain category, the government will carry out a particular strategy in addressing poverty in that area.
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Friday|March 7, 2014
Crafting of dev’t plan for Bangsamoro starts D
By MINDANEWS
AVAO City -- Another milestone was achieved for the Mindanao peace process with the launching Wednesday of the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) here, the roadmap for shortand medium-term development strategy for Bangsamoro areas.
IMEM HEARING: House Committee on Energy chair Rep. Reynaldo V. Umali explains to reporters the impact of the implementation of the Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM) to Mindanao consumers at the sidelines of the committee hearing held yesterday at Mallberry Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City. The public hearing will move to Marawi City today to be hosted by Lanao del Sur Rep. Ansarrudin Adiong.
3 new coal plants to beef up power supply in M’danao
photo by sony sudaria
The BDP will identify investments and programs to promote inclusive growth, stability, and help create jobs in the Bangsamoro from 2014 until 2020. The planning process i s sp e arhe a d e d by t he Bangsamoro Development Agenc y (BDA), MILF ’s development arm created under the Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and Development Aspects of the Government of the Philippines-MILF Tripoli Agreement of June 22, 2001.
By AZER N. PARROCHA Philippine News Agency
THREE new coal-fired plants are expected to increase the power supply in Mindanao by 2016, Malacanang said T hu r s d ay, n o t i n g t h at some areas on the island still experience rotational blackouts until now.
P r e s i d e n t i a l Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said in a Palace media briefing that these plants attest to the government’s commitment coal/PAGE 11
BEATING THE SUMMER HEAT. A teen makes a back flip off the shoulders of his friend along the banks of the Agusan River in Butuan City. mindanews photo by erwin mascarinas
D r. S a f f r u l l a h M . Dipatuan, BDA chair, said the Bangsamoro plan will play a crucial role in the establishment and success of the Bangsamoro. He said planning for rehabilitation, recovery and development is being conducted with peace-building among the key objectives. “ T h rou g h e x t e n s i v e consultations, the BDP will set the strategic direction for the new Bangsamoro government by identifying potential areas crafting/PAGE 11
Bayan urges P-Noy to solve M’danao power crisis now
SAVING the remaining power generation assets still in government hands instead of privatizing it as dictated by the failing Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) should be the government’s priority now in addressing the power situation, particularly in Mindanao, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said. “While we in Mindanao are suffering from long hours of rotating brownouts, e v e n b l a c kout s , it i s unacceptable that the Aquino administration will just tell us to expect even more power outages until 2015 while it is still aggressively pushing its failed privatization policy,” Rep. Zarate said. “ Wi t h t h e g r o w i n g evidence now that the EPIRAdictated privatization policy is a failure, all the more that we save and preserve the state’s remaining generation crisis/PAGE 11
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