BusinessWeek Mindanao (May 1, 2020)

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Friday | May 1, 2020

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has issued the revenue regulations extending t h e d e a d l i n e s fo r f i l i n g o f tax retur ns, submission of documents, and the payment of taxes, pursuant to Republic Act 11469, otherwise known as “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.” According to Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 7-2020 dated March 30, 2020, the extension aims to relieve Filipino taxpayers who will not be able to prepare, let alone file, the necessar y documents under the Tax Code because of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and other restrictions on the personal movement being implemented by the national and local governments to prevent community transmission of the coronavirus disease.

Section 4(z) of the Bayanihan Act, which placed the Philippines in a state of national emergency, grants the President the authority to “move statutor y deadlines and timelines for the filing and submission of any document, the payment of taxes, fees, and other charges required by law.”

P15.00

MinDA seeks wage hike, perks for businesses Thank you for trusting us!

By PREXX MARNIE KATE TROZO, PNA HE Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has recommended increasing wage rates in rural areas to levels at par with urban rates and providing incentives to companies relocating their processing facilities in the provinces.

T

HOLCIM Philippines Inc. reported that it has suspended operations in its Davao City plant in compliance with the City government’s order imposing an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

In a disclosure to the P h i l i p p i n e S t o ck E x c h a n g e, Holcim said the suspension in operations will be from April 4, 2020 until April 19, 2020, or until the ECQ is lifted or withdrawn.

“Our Lugait Plant in Misamis Oriential will continue to operate and serve the requirements of our business partners and customers in Northern Mindanao and the Visayas,” the firm said.

Tax payment extended

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

VIETNAM RICE. Workers at the port in Iligan City unload rice from Vietnam on Tuesday.

A total of 392,000 25-kilo bags arrived in Iligan Tuesday and Wednesday aboard two separate vessels. Although consigned to a private rice trader, Philippine Ports Authority officials said part of the cargo will go to local government units in Northern Mindanao who purchased bulk for distribution to residents who are forced to stay at home because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. MindaNews photo by RICHEL V. UMEL

DSWD-10 warns gov't cash aid abusers

By ERCEL MAANDIG, Reporter THE Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 10 (DSWD-10) has appealed to the beneficiaries of the government's various cash aid programs to spend the money only for essential needs.

Oliver Inodeo, DSWD10 information officer, said the agency has received

reports that beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and Listahanan--the basis for the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) recipients affected by quarantine--were caught buying liquors or illegal drugs.

Inodeo said that 4Ps beneficiaries can be reported to their office if found to have misused their cash assistance as part of

their "grievance system."

"Anyone can file a report to our office, and anyone who misuses their money will undergo a due process of investigation," he said.

He said 4Ps beneficiaries who violate the arrangements set under the program will be given fair warnings, and be subjected to a case management protocol ABUSERS/PAGE 6

The measures would ensure the success of the "Balik Probinsya" initiative being advocated by Senator C h r i s t o p h e r L aw r e n c e "Bong" Go, said MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

“S er iously, I cannot understand why rural workers should receive lower salaries

than those who work in the cities. Personally, I see this discriminatory wage rates (whose constitutionality could be challenged) as one of the reasons why many job seekers flock to the urban centers,” Piñol said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

BUSINESSES/PAGE 6

392,000 bags of Vietnam rice arrive in Iligan port

By RICHEL V. UMEL MindaNews ILIGAN City – Some 392,000 bags of Vietnam rice aboard two cargo vessels arrived

at the port here almost simultaneously, first on Tuesday and then Wednesday.

Workers at the port in PORT/PAGE 6

VCO seen as cure for COVID-19

By ANTONIO L. COLINA IV, MindaNews

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 30 April) – A Department of Science and Technology official expressed optimism t h at c l i n i c a l t r i a l s on

virgin coconut oil or VCO as a p ossible c ure for coronavirus disease could yield positive results, as it has proved effective against other types of viruses.

In a vir tual press er CURE/PAGE 6

BARANGAY EXIT PASS. Policemen check for the barangay exit pass of motorcyle riders at the Rotunda in Cagayan de Oro City Wednesday. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

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2

Local

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FRIDAY | MAY 1, 2020

NFA-Caraga stops supplying retailers to ensure sufficiency

BUTUAN City – The National Food Authority in Caraga Region (NFA-13) has stopped supplying rice to accredited retailers to ensure the availability of supply throughout the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.

NFA-13 information officer Amelou Jane Mendoza told the Philippine News Agency Tuesday the move would ensure that the agency meets the rice requirements of government institutional buyers amid the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

“We need to prioritize the local government units (LGUs) and the different reliefgiving agencies

as they continue their relief food operations,” Mendoza said.

She was referring to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), local government units (LGUs), and other entities involved in the government Covid-19 response.

“With the implementation of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tarrification Law (RTL), the primary mandate of DANFA is to secure the buffer stock to be distributed in times of emergency or calamities,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said that from March up to April 24, 2020, around 37,340 bags of rice

have already been released by NFA13 to LGUs and the DSWD in the area.

Based on the 2 percent market participation of NFA rice from daily consumption rate, she said NFA's supply in

the region could still last for up to two months.

However, she said that if the market participation of NFA rice would increase up to 25 percent due to high demand from SUFFICIENCY/PAGE 7

Seafarer in MisOcc tests positive for Covid-19

By DIVINA SUSON, Correspondent

ILIGAN City -- One of the five seafarers who arrived at Ozamiz City port Tuesday night tested positive for the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19), an official

said Wednesday.

The five seafarers on board the St. Michael the Archangel of 2GO Shipping were coming from Manila with more than 300 other seafarers repatriated from other countries following the POSITIVE/PAGE 7

General Community Quarantine sa MisOr, extended taman May 15 GILUGWAYAN p a ni G ov. Bambi Emano ang general community quarantine (GC Q) dinhi

sa Misamis Oriental hangtud sa Mayo 15, 2020, o hangtud nga molurang na ang hu lga

sa coronav ir us dis eas e 2019 (C OVID-19) sa tibuok Pi lipinas. Kini, human gi-rekomendar sa mga mayores ug Prov incial Task Force for C OVID-19 ang GC Q extension aron masiguro nga walay mahitab ong lo c al transmission sa k i l ler v ir us. Ap an, dunay pipi la k a isyu sa kwarentinas nga giusab.

Gawas nga mahimo nang maka-angkas sa motorsik lo ang miyembro sa pamilya ub os sa bagong Executive Order GY VBE No. 2020-216, lakip sa kasugoan ang proto col rep or ting nga sundon sa matag lungs o d kalab ot sa “probable,” “susp ect,” o “p ositive” nga dili pwede i-rep or t sa silingang lungs o d.

Susama pananglit dunay susp ected COVID-19 infected resident sa El Salvador City, dili pwede ang C agayan de Oro lo cal government maoy magrep or t o magpahibalo sa katawhan kalab ot niini, susama sa nahitab o ning bag-o nga nagresulta sa kagub ot ug kaguliyang sa Misamisnons.

Nalakip kini sa bagong kasugoan human si G ov. Emano ug Task Force chief Dr. Jerie C alingasan mihang yo sa consultative meeting kauban ang 25 ka mayores sa tibuok lalawigan kalab ot na kung angay paba i-extend ang general community quarantine dinhi sa Misamis Oriental.

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

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3

CorporateWorld

Imported vehicle sales drop 34% in Q1 2020

THE Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) reported a 34-percent decline in sales for January to March this year, the group reported Tuesday.

AVID said vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2020 reached 14,404 units, lower than the 21,949 units sold in the same period of 2019.

The drop in sales of imported vehicles in the country is mainly

due to the closure of dealership networks since the quarantine measure was implemented by the government to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak.

“The industry is no

SAN Miguel Corporation (SMC) has committed to grant full-time pay to all its employees and extended workforce as the ECQ remains in effect, even as it works round the clock mobilizing resources to help address the larger societal and economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.

In a news release, SMC also announced that it has set aside P11.67 billion in tax, concession and contractual payments throughout the quarantine period to make available funds needed to respond effectively to the challenges of the pandemic.

Of the amount, SMC said it already paid government

P8.77 billion, while the remaining balance will be remitted before the end of the ECQ. Meanwhile, it has released full compensation with benefits amounting to over P3 billion for all its 66,557 employees, consultants and contract workers.

“These are trying times and while we, as a company, are not immune to the challenges of this crisis, the safety and security of our workforce will always come first.

We do not want them worrying about their jobs,” SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang said.

Ang said told SMC employees that he is “truly proud of the hard work that you, most especially our front-

liners, have been doing in the midst of the challenges: delivering essential goods and services that are critical in this battle.”

To date, SMC and the businesses under it, have provided assistance of over P1 billion in the form of cash, food, flour, disinfectant alcohol, fuel, free toll and personal protective equipment (PPE) donations to vulnerable communities and front liners.

It has also built emergency quarantine facilities together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to help ease the pressure on health facilities flooded by patients needing intensive medical treatment resulting from the pandemic. (PR)

SMC gives workers full pay

stranger to adversity but this pandemic will be our toughest challenge yet. We estimate that it would take at least 12 months for the local industry to recover once the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) is completely lifted. There will be a ‘new normal’ and we must be quick to adapt since Filipino consumers will be even more prudent

and looking for more value in their purchases,” AVID President Ma. Fe PerezAgudo said.

Sales of passenger cars in the first quarter of 2020 plunged by 43 percent to 4,506 units from 7,848 units sold in the first three months of last year.

Light commercial vehicles’ sales also dipped by 29 percent to 9,806

units in January to March 2020 from 13,862 unit sales during the same period last year.

“Demand has likewise declined as consumers spend on more urgent needs. With this disruption, we estimate that car sales may drop by around 40 percent for the year,” Perez-Agudo added.

(PNA)

Pryce posts 9.4% rise in income at P396 M LIQUEFIED petroleum gas (LPG) industry player Pryce Corporation has posted 9.4 percent income jump to P396.36 million in the first quarter of this year versus year-ago level of P362.35 million.

On a consolidated revenue basis, the company was able to inch that up by 24.2 percent to P3.18 billion from last year’s P2.56 billion.

“The company’s net income of P396.36 million represents 12.5 percent return on sales,” the Escanoled firm noted.

The upturn in the company’s financial performance, as noted, has been due to higher sales of its LPG cooking gas,

along with its cylinders and accessories, as well as LPG gensets.

“LPG products accounted for 95.3 percent of total revenues, while the balance was covered by sales of industrial gases, real estate and pharmaceutical products,” the company said.

It added that “the rise in revenue is mainly due to the 15.1 percent growth in LPG sales volume,” which reached 58,745 metric tons (MT) in the first three months of the year versus 51,047 MT in the same period in 2019. Revenues had likewise been buoyed by higher average international LPG contract price of US$572 per metric ton

within the January-March stretch as against last year’s US$465 per metric ton on a comparative period.

Relative to the persisting enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Pryce noted that this “only slightly affected the company’s first quarter performance since the ECQ was implemented near the end of the quarter (specifically on March 16, 2020).”

Nevertheless, it indicated that it is expecting the succeeding quarters “to be adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.” It has to be noted that ECQs are still prevailing in many parts of the country until May 15 this year.

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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

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Successful business plan (Part 2) Think a minute . . . ”The reason some people are successful is that they put their plan and work together for a plan that works.”

Yesterday we started a plan for success both in our job and career, as well as in our personal life, so today we will complete the course.

Rule number three: Be productive. This means we learn to use our time and talents efficiently and e f fe c t i v e l y t o pro du c e something others think is worth having. It may be a good product or service or both. But to do this we must maintain our high standard of quality in our work. The world-famous musician Paderewski said: “When I miss a week of practice, my audience knows it. When I miss a day, I know it.”

This takes daily discipline and commitment to improving ourselves and our service to others. We must keep sharpening our skills, learning to use new and better technology, even learning

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST f rom ou r c omp e t itors .

Remember: “The enemy of the best is second best.”

“Good enough” rarely is!

This leads to rule number four: Be motivated by a passion and purpose that gets you up every morning.

“Fire in your heart will melt the lead in your feet.” Without this desire and drive, your best plans will never happen.

There is a deep satisfaction t h at on l y c om e s f rom knowing you are fully using your abilities and training to become the best you can be.

Yet, even if we did all PLAN/PAGE 7

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FRIDAY | MAY 1, 2020

Drink Now, Die Later

What could be a more pitiful sight than a newly born baby, having been bestowed with the blessing of life but whose first salvo on earth is to live with physical deformities.

Babies being born without fingers, without eyes and even without anus seems to be the new normal in Mindanao.

In my sorties around this beautiful but broken island, birth of deformed babies loomed and the latest of this happened a month ago in Ticalaan, Talakag. I met Mr. Tommy Linggian known as Datu Bando and he narrated to me the birth of his grandchild without anus. The baby has to be operated to create a gateway for his wastes. Datu Bando, poor as they are, has no money for that and the baby is now in the brink of dying.

Why is this happening? It is because all the watersheds are now contaminated with so much chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

In a research done, the

two hundred thousands of hectares of plantations are using these poisonous chemicals that as if they are dumping to water tables some 2,000 dump trucks of poison daily. If you are poor pregnant woman and drink from the watersheds, the fetus will be deformed. In fact, according to studies, of the 8 kinds of chemicals being used by these plantations, 7 are already banned in other countries. Two corporations operating in Mindanao were already kicked-out from Puerto Rico as these corporations have caused so much cancer in that country.

Let us protect our watersheds as water is life. Of the four (4) elements of nature (fire, water, wind and earth), it is water that symbolizes life simply because there could be no life anywhere else in the cosmos without water. Water is so essential, so precious that we sometimes can’t help but be poetic about it. Indeed, “the passion of

the heart burns so hot that without the cooling breath of the lungs, the flames of the heart would devour not only itself but also the entire world. Thus, next time you drink a glass of water, or bathe, or shower, or wash your hands, next time you pass a river or a stream, a lake, or an ocean, think of the healing merciful powers of water.”

For those who are residing in Mindanao, those poetic lines may not apply as water may not have a healing power at all but may in fact, mean sickness or perhaps, slow death. Why is this so?

We l l , a g r i c u l t u r a l companies operating thousands of hectares of vast plantations on top of the eight sub-watersheds in Bukidnon which comprise the Cagayan de Oro watershed are heavily using chemicals as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to mass produce fruits. This method of farming called “conventional agriculture” that relies on the massive

Navigating the Perfect Storm What’s with procrastinating business owners? In a recent sur ve y made by IC ON Executive Search covering emerging economies in Southeast Asia, a whopping 84% of founders and Gen 2 le aders have put of f succession planning — to the detriment of family, employees, and the business itself. Perhaps they do not realize that the two most significant risks to the future of any business is one that is often ignored: Ownership a n d Su c c e s s i on R i s k s .

Ignoring ownership issues aggravated by leadership changes and together you have the perfect storm to

take out the family business!

In one of my recent governance and succession talks with business owners in Singapore, I was asked by a founder regarding succession and leadership, "I'm 69 years old, contemplating retirement for the past 5 years but worried for the future of my enterprise.

I started working at 13 and here I am still mulling retirement but still unsure with the second generation.

They don't have the drive to go the extra mile, make sacrifices, unlike our generation where we would always instinctively think about survival because we

were poor. My siblings and I never had formal schooling so we vowed that our children will have the best education money can buy. Sadly, in terms of work ethic and performance, they have fallen short. Does it necessarily have to be my children that will succeed me? Can you share other succession options?

For every owner that wants to pass the business to the next generation, succession planning should be your top priority. When you own a family business, retirement isn't just a matter of deciding not to report for work anymore. Beyond wealth preservation, the

Let’s be properly occupied With all this restricted life we are having these days, let’s see to it that we are properly occupied. Let us, of course, avoid idleness, but even if we fill ourselves with activities, let’s see to it that we are properly occupied.

The most important thing to remember is that whatever we are doing should be done with love for God and for others. This, we can say, is what can be considered as the subjective requirement of how we ought to occupy ourselves properly these days.

Without this requirement, our activities would be practically worthless and can even pose as a danger, even if these activities appear to be impressive in human terms. But with it, even our smallest and most hidden act of service would acquire tremendous value for all of us. Let’s do all we can to see to it that it is love that inspires and moves us to do whatever we may be doing.

Obviously, this subjective requirement of how to be

properly occupied has its objective counterpart. And this means that we have to have the proper sense of priority over the many options we can have in spending our time during these stay-home dispensation.

In the end, things depend on what in our conscience God is telling us to do.

We j u s t c a n n o t d o anything to fill up our time.

Of course, we have already said that as long as there is love, anything can be pleasing to God. But again, we can also say that if there is real love, we also would have a keen sense of order as to which activity has greater importance over another. We would not just be doing things simply for the sake of doing.

In o t h e r w o r d s , i n choosing the things to do out of love, there has to be a certain order of priority.

That’s because not everything has the same value. Obviously, the things that relate directly to God and others have priority over the things that

simply are related to our own legitimate personal interests.

Thus, spiritual activities and the acts of piety have priority over our mundane and secular activities. Also, those activities that have more impact on others have priority over those that simply benefit us more.

It’s important that we plan our day well so that we can really say that we are occupying ourselves properly. We should not just be whiling away our time by filling ourselves with all sorts of random activities that simply do not reflect true love for God and for others.

In this, of course, we have to expect things that may not be to our liking. This is when we can show the genuineness of our love as motive for doing things. This is where we can live out those words of Christ: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mt 16,24) We can project the same drama Christ underwent in

HAVE MY SAY

KLAUS DORING use of chemicals is still the mode of production in our country even such has already been banned in neighboring Asian countries for the harm done to the environment and to the health of the people.

There are even chemicals already banned abroad but are still being used in our country. How’s this? What is bad for the Japanese or Koreans is good for the Filipinos? That smacks of discrimination, isn’t it? Before I be accused of sounding a false alarm, it is but proper to raise this point scientifically LATER/PAGE 7

FAMILY BUSINESS COACH

PROF. ENRIQUE SORIANO whole question of what will happen to the business becomes paramount long after you are gone. Nagging questions like who's going to manage the business?

How will ownership be transferred? Will there still be family harmony after I retire?

STORM/PAGE 7

HINTS AND TRACES

ROY CIMAGALA his passion, especially during his agony in the garden when he “bargained” with his Father by saying, “Father, if it is your will, let this cup pass by me, but not my will but yours be done.” (Mt 26,39) So you see, we don’t need extraordinary situations to live out the passion of Christ. We can practically do it while cooking, doing laundry, cleaning house, doing repairs, etc., as long as we do them with love and with the proper sense of priority and spirit of sacrifice.

Let’s take advantage BEHIND/PAGE 7

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FRIDAY | MAY 1, 2020

5

Banking&Finance

GSIS raises emergency loan amount to P40K GOVERNMENT workers can now avail of emergency loans from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) up to P40,000.

During the #Laging Handa PH briefing aired over the state-owned television network, PTV, GSIS president Rolando Macasaet said the agency’s Board of Trustees have decided to increase the loanable amount after noting that some of those who applied for emergency loans have existing

loans.

Under GSIS rules, the outstanding loan amount of a member will be deducted from the proceeds of the emergency loan once the application has been approved.

Emergency loans may be availed of within three months after the declaration of a state of calamity in an area.

GSIS members may apply for emergency loans after Malacanang declared a state of calamity nationwide since March 16 and the

declaration will last for six months “unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant” due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Macasaet said they are accepting online loan applications because of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) declared over Luzon, among other areas.

He said the system has yielded good results, with total loan applications reaching nearly 40,000 with payout almost reaching

THE Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has approved the suspension of charging of filing, processing, and licensing/ registration fees for

applications to provide electronic payment and financial services (EPFS).

This is an additional relief to BSP Supervised Financial Institutions (BSFIs) affected by the

coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the BSP said in a statement Tuesday.

The relief shall be

The Bayanihan spirit is alive and well in the City of Golden Friendship as Italpinas Development Corporation through its Cagayan de Oro's Primavera Sales Office, activated a number of CSR activities in response to Covid 19 pandemic.

From assistance to Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) medical front liners, partnership with volunteers of OPLAN NorthMin Front Liners, IDC has donated various types of protective pieces of equipment, sanitation needs, and meals to both Cagayan de Oro and

Bukidnon front-liners.

“Our community service program is the heart of IDC, and it has always been our goal to reach out to serve communities to which we are part of. During this time of crisis, we would like to express our gratitude to the Kagay-anon community by walking an extra mile in terms of service” expressed Jose D. Leviste III President of IDC. Last March 20 & 24 Primavera Sales Office began its CSR activities through providing Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) medical front-liners

BSP waives fees to digital financial services apps

APPS/PAGE 7

P4 billion.

He said GSIS members who are medical front-liners will get additional life insurance if they die of the virus.

He said GSIS members are

automatically given a life insurance coverage amounting to 150 percent of their salary multiplied by 12.

He, however, said that because of the pandemic, GSIS officials decided to give medical front-liners

who are GSIS members additional insurance amounting to P500,000.

He said they have been received reports that eight GSIS members who are medical frontliners have died because of Covid-19. (PNA)

THE Philippines and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed Tuesday an agreement for a USD200-million loan on additional financing for the government’s efforts to provide unconditional emergency cash assistance to poor and vulnerable households that have been adversely affected by the quarantine measures imposed to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

This loan accord is the second additional

financing provided by the ADB under the Social Protection Support Project (SPSP), which supports the government's conditional cash transfer (CCT) program or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III signed the loan agreement on behalf of the Philippine government, while ADB Country Director for the

Philippines Kelly Bird signed it on behalf of the bank.

“We thank the ADB for its swift and continuing support for the Duterte administration's efforts to blunt the impact of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak on our people and the economy," Dominguez said.

"This SPSP loan will help the government achieve the No. 1 priority set by President Duterte in

PH, ADB sign $200-M loan pact for cash aid project

PROJECT/PAGE 7

Healing as One: A Call for Volunteerism

IDC donation to volunteers of OPLAN NorthMin Front Liners on materials for making face shields

Primavera Sales Office donates the 2nd batch of PPEs and Sanitation Equipments at Northern Mindanao Medical Center

IDC partnered with Bukidnon Medical Society representatives Dr. and Dra. Winston and Marife Abrena to distribute sanitary equipment to Provincial Hospitals in Bukidnon.

Donation of protective suits for the city garbage collectors (Photo by Jeloy Julmaixan Magallanes)

with meals for lunch, alternative PPEs, and sanitation equipment as a simple appreciation to the medical front liners.

In the following weeks, Primavera Sales Office expanded its community service in the province of Bukidnon by

sending out sanitation equipment to several hospitals in the region, including Bukidnon Provincial Hospitals in Kibawe, Malaybalay and Maramag areas.

And for this month, they provided protective suits for the city

basureros which they call "the silent front-liners".

Partnerships were also forged with OPLAN NorthMin Front Liners in making face shields for the city's front-liners.

“Together, we will get through this, and emerge even stronger, with more

courage and resilience” expressed Frances Mae Galvez, Brand Manager of IDC who heads the CSR activities of the company.

IDC Primavera Sales Office encourages everyone to reach out to local charities.

6

Businesses... from page 1

Go said the government shou ld le ar n f rom t he experiences being encountered in the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis, and provide long-ter m s olut i ons to re c u r r i ng problems in urban areas, especially Metro Manila.

The senator said these recurring problems accelerate the spread of diseases due to denselypopulated communities in urban growth centers.

If the government increases wage rates and incentives for companies to establish processing facilities in the provinces, Go said there will be massive reverse migration to the rural areas.

Piñol agreed, saying workers will be earning more because they could do some food production activities on the side while processing companies would realize more profit because they no longer have to haul raw materials from the rural production areas to their factories.

MinDA also proposed an action plan supported by legislation to ensure the sustainability of the "Balik Probinsya" program.

Pending the passage of legislative action, Piñol said an executive order directing the preparation of a national framework for the Balik Probinsya program and direct the cooperation of all agencies and sectors involved to jumpstart the initiative.

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FRIDAY | MAY 1, 2020

He added that MinDA may be tapped for the implementation of this directive for Mindanao as prov i d e d for u nd e r Republic Act 9996. (PNA)

Port... from page 1

Iligan City unload rice from Vientam on Tuesday (28 April 2020). A total of 392,000 25-kilo bags arrived in Iligan Tuesday and Wednesday aboard two separate vessels.

Although consigned to a private rice trader, Philippine Ports Authority officials said part of the cargo will go to local government units in Nor thern Mindanao who purchased bulk for distribution to residents who are forced to stay at home because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) p and e m i c . Mi nd a Ne w s photo by RICHEL V. UMEL Me d ard o S o s o br a d o Jr., acting manager of the Philippine Ports Authority in Iligan, told MindaNews Wednesday the first vessel, MV Hai Ha 58, arrived 7:29 a.m. Tuesday and started unloading the rice cargo at 1 p.m., after a five-hour cargo compartment cooling, for Soda Enterprises as consignee.

He said part of the cargo will go to local government units, through Soda, in Nor thern Mindanao who purchased bulk for distribution to residents who are forced to stay at home because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Dr. Andrew Marcella, of

the Bureau of Quarantine, boarded the two vessels and checked the health conditions of the crew before they were allowed to dock, Sosobrado said.

The MV Hai Ha 58 contained 152,000 bags of Princess Bea rice at 25 kilos per bag, or a total of 3,800 metric tons.

The second vessel, MV Viethaisun, arrived a t 7 a . m . We d n e s d a y containing 240,000 25-kilo bags, or 6,000 metric tons.

Both vessels are still unloading their cargo as of pre s s t i m e. ( R i ch e l V. Umel / MindaNews)

Abusers... from page 1

b y a s o c i a l w o r k e r.

"The final consequence if they found guilty will be delisting of their names," he said.

As for the ListahananSAP beneficiaries, he said the budget for the program was given to the respective local government units for distribution du r i ng t h e qu ar ant i n e.

While no specific guidelines on how SAP beneficiaries should us e t he mone y, Ino d e o said the agency has advised recipients to prioritize essential needs.

Arrests Various police units in the region have recorded erring 4 Ps a n d L i s t a h a n - S A P beneficiaries for violating quarantine protocols and certain laws.

O n Apr i l 2 8 , t he C ag ay an d e O ro Pol ic e Office (Cocpo) arrested D ani lo R aza lo, 44; and Criselo Baguinat, 40 for allegedly having shabu pot session.

Police said R azalo is a 4Ps beneficiar y while Baguinat was a recipient of SAP aid. Charges related to the C omprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act will be filed against them.

O n Ap r i l 2 4 , p o l i c e also apprehended Claver Lomongo, 39; and Archer Bacala, 40, for violation of the liquor ban. B oth are SAP beneficiaries and will face charges.

In Bukidnon province, t h e Ta l a k a g mu n i c i p a l police also arrested on Apr i l 2 7 t w o 4 Ps beneficiaries for violating the liquor ban.

SAP distribution Me anw h i l e, of f i c i a ls said the distribution of SAP funds to the beneficiaries continued on Wednesday in the Bukidnon town of Cabanglasan with the assistance of the p o l i c e a n d m i l i t a r y.

Lt. C ol. Edgardo V Talaroc Jr., commander of the Army's 8th Infantr y Battalion, commended the constituents for the orderly distribution of SAP aid.

“We are always ready to provide security and other necessary assistance to deliver the muchneeded emergenc y cash assistance and other government services to the people," he said. (PNA)

Cure... from page 1

on We d n e s d ay, D O STDavao director Anthony Sales said previous studies showed that VCO could kill other types of viruses by destroying their cellular coating, raising hopes that it could also work with patients infected with COVID-19. “ The VCO, based on previous studies, has b een shown to degrade or denature the cellular coating of t he vir us or the viral envelope. Once destroyed, the virus will die as its components will be exposed,” he explained.

He added that lauric acid and monolaurin, which are synthesized by the b o dy w hen VC O is taken, could inhibit the replication of the viruses.

He said the DOST has provided funding support to the efforts of renowned scientist and VCO advocate Dr. Fabrian Dayrit of Ateneo de Manila University and Duke-NUS University of Singapore to determine the mechanism how the VCO could work against the virus.

“The next step of Ateneo is to do clinical trials. It will be tested on humans because before it was only done on animal models. It was proven effective for animals because it has been used commercially for animals like chicken to prevent avian influenza virus,” he added.

Once completed, he said the VCO might require approval from the Food and

Drug Administration as a “supplement” once clinical trials prove the product’s efficacy in battling the virus.

In “ The Potential of C o conut Oil and its Derivatives as Effective and Safe Antiviral Agents Against the Novel C o r o n a v i r u s ( n C o V2019) published on Ateneo’s website, Dayrit a n d a n o t h e r s c i e nt i s t , D r. Ma r y T. Ne w p o r t , explained “that lauric and monolaurin, its derivative, have been known for many years to have significant a n t i v i r a l a c t i v i t y .”

“Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid which makes up about 50% of coconut oil; monolaurin i s a m e t ab ol ite t h at i s naturally produced by the body’s own enzymes upon ingestion of coconut oil and is also available in pure form as a supplement.

Sodium laur yl sulfate, a common surfactant that is made from lauric acid, has been shown to have potent antiviral properties.

Lauric acid, monolaurin, and sodium lauryl sulfate (which is also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate) are used in a wide range of products for their antiviral properties,” the study reads.

A s o f We d n e s d a y, D ep ar t ment of He a lt hDavao reported that COVID-19 cases in the region remained at 129 while another patient recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 74. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

7

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Positive... from page 2

Covid-19 pandemic.

They were tested at the pier station using a rapid test kit provided by the provincial government of Misamis Occidental.

The one who tested positive was brought by the local government unit to an isolation area.

Misamis Occidental Governor Philip Tan, on a Facebook post, said the male seafarer will still have to undergo a swab test “as recommended by our doctors to confirm the result of the rapid test”.

“He is now in one of our holding centers alone in one room but he is okay.

We hope in the swab test, it will be negative,” Tan said.

On Monday, the provincial government received backlash from residents over a Facebook post announcing that the seafarers would not be allowed to disembark because their arrival did not have proper coordination.

“We were also not informed of their arrival if we did not ask to confirm it, we would not know,” Tan said on Facebook post on April 27.

Residents tagged the move as “discrimination."

Tan changed his mind on Tuesday afternoon, saying the provincial government has decided to allow the seafarers to disembark after proper health protocols.

He said the decision was made upon consultation with the provincial health office and other local government officials, as well as the management of the General Medical Center (MHARSG MC), the Department of Healthaccredited hospital in the province for Covid-19 cases.

“We will send a medical officer who will conduct a health check and rapid test to all five passengers, check their documents and after clearance, we will send them directly to their LGU (local government) holding facilities,” Tan said. (PNA)

Sufficiency... from page 2

institutional buyers, the NFA supply could only last for a month.

“There is no need to be alarmed; so far, we have enough supply of NFA rice,” Mendoza said.

She added that a recent report from the Department of Agriculture in the Caraga Region (DA13) also assured enough supply based on the current harvest season in the area.

Mendoza said Caraga Region is expected to produce 315,947 metric tons or an equivalent of 134 percent rice

sufficiency by the end of the first semester based on the consolidated planting report of the LGUs. She added that NFA-13 is currently buying dry and clean palay from farmers at the price of PHP19 per kilo. (PNA)

Project... from page 5

dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, which is to save lives and extend a lifeline to millions of poor and low-income Filipinos who lost their incomes and livelihoods following the pandemic-driven work stoppage," he added.

For his part, ADB Vice President Ahmed Saeed said, “We commend the Philippine government for rolling out the emergency subsidy program aimed at helping poor and vulnerable Filipinos get through this health and economic crisis, as the pandemic curve is flattened. This USD200 million loan to assist the government in financing Covid-19 cash grants to poor households under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will help achieve this purpose.”

The SPSP aims to provide cash grants to beneficiary-families under the 4Ps covered by the emergency subsidies under Republic Act 11469 or the" Bayanihan To Heal As One Act".

This budget-support loan will help bridge the immediate financing requirements of the government's response to this coronavirus crisis through the distribution via cash cards of cash grants to beneficiaries of the 4Ps. The loan for the project, which carries a maturity period of 29 years inclusive of an eight-year grace period, is expected to be disbursed by June this year.

Last April 24, the ADB and the Philippines signed another loan agreement that would let the Duterte administration access up to USD1.5 billion in budgetary support from the Manila-headquartered lender to augment funds for its stepped-up efforts to contain the global health crisis.

This loan for the Covid-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) program is the largest budget support ever extended to the Philippines by the ADB, according to ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa.

The CARES program loan is under the ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility Pandemic Response Option, which is a quick-disbursing budget-support facility to aid countries like the Philippines in mitigating the severe economic shocks caused by the

Covid-19 pandemic and bankrolling measures to prevent the further spread of this highly contagious virus.

Asakawa said ADB’s financing for the CARES program loan “is part of a well-sequenced support package that will provide financial and technical advice to help the [Philippines] meet the challenges posed by a crisis that is wreaking havoc both globally and nationally.”

The ADB president has commended the Philippine government for “its strong leadership and decisive actions to halt the spread of Covid-19 and quickly implementing financial assistance packages to families and small businesses to address the economic downturn.”

The ADB was among the first multilateral development institutions to provide assistance to the Philippines’ Covid-19 response efforts with its delivery of a USD3-million grant for the government’s purchase of medical supplies for its front line health workers. (PR)

Apps... from page 5

effective for a period of six months from 8 March 2020, the date of declaration of the President of the state of public health emergency under Presidential Proclamation No. 922.

This period may be extended depending on the development of the Covid-19 situation.

Digital channels have enabled continued access to basic financial services, such as payments, fund transfers, and loan availment, and minimized the physical presence of clients at BSFI premises.

These channels include online banking facilities and electronic money platform that support critical payment use cases such as social benefit transfers, payments to merchants or billers, including the government, payments to suppliers, and remittances.

This effectively contributes to the physical distancing measures implemented by the government during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

(PR)

Later... from page 4

scientifically and categorically.

There is a law of nature that says, “Everything goes somewhere else.” Based on that principle, it is my contention that all these non-biodegradable toxic chemicals, while vanishing from our sights, are finding their way in the air, into our water-table, and ultimately,

into our b o dies. Don’t you know that the more than 200,000 hectares of plantations in Mindanao are using toxic chemicals heavily that as if 2,000 dump-trucks of toxics are being poured to the watersheds daily?

Some chemicals don’t just seep down unnoticed to the watershed; these are washed down the river then, to the sea, particularly Mercury used to extract gold in the uplands of Cagayan de Oro. Mercury is ingested by small fish and the small fish is ingested by big ones. In each food chain, mercury is bio-magnified; when the big fish with biomagnified mercury is made as “kinilaw” “singuba” or “sinigang,” again, there is biomagnification in our bodies that would cause cancer or heart attack. I wonder how many have gotten cancer or died of stroke not knowing that these carcinogenic chemicals are the culprit.

Our watersheds, rivers, air and soils are already contaminated with toxic chemicals. In fact, it is already in the news lately that in Davao, “eight kinds of pesticides, seven of which are banned internationally, were found in the air and water samples obtained from the rivers and the communities of Tawantawan, Ma nu e l Gu a i a n g a a n d Daliaon Plantations, all of w h i c h a re s it u at e d near banana plantations” Water s amples have been checked and found to b e cont aminate d in Davao. Cagayan de Oro is similarly situated like or even worse than Davao, being surrounded by thousands of hectares of plantations using chemicals intensively.

The only difference is that water examinat ion has been conducted there, we have yet to do that in our beloved City to check on how contaminated our water is.

As you know, many are now af f l i c te d w it h a l l kinds of cancer and many babies are now being born deformed, without fingers, or arms or legs. It is my contention that a pregnant woman must avoid drinking from the contaminated watershed. This means that even with an iota of doubt or suspicion on whether the water is contaminated with toxic chemicals or not, we must not waste a single minute and act with sense of urgency to demand to the concerned agencies to check on the quality of water.

Just in case the water has some toxic elements, God forbids! Counter measures can be had to protect the health and life of hundreds of thousands of people in the city. Water is life; if it is contaminated, it becomes a poison, a harbinger of death.

Thus, next time you drink a glass of water, or bathe, or shower, or wash your hands, next time you pass a river or a stream or lake or Macajalar Bay, be wary but this time, let us join the advocacy of cooperatives, imbued with a firm collective intent to f ight for our

inherent and constitutionally guarante e d r ig ht for a healthful and balanced ecology. Only then can we think of the healing power of water and not anymore, drink now and die later.

Storm... from page 4

How will the business fund my retirement? What will happen to my grandchildren?

In my work c o a ch i ng family owned businesses in Asia, the longer you get to spend on succession planning, the smoother the transition process is likely to be. If you’re preparing to handover the family business and you have reservations on your successors capability, you may want to first reflect on some possible options so transition can move forward with fewer bumps on the road. Hereunder are some key decisions covering a time frame of at least five years to get your succession plan moving: 1) Assessment of Current status with Governance Tools in Place · Collective definition of shared vision, mission, values · Facilitate next-generational communication via Constitution · Activation of family c ou nc i l b as e d on ag re e d upon family governance rules 2) Clarifying and Articulating t h e Tr a n s i t i o n P r o c e s s A transition plan must be developed between the business leader and the next generation successors. The process should specify in unequivocal terms the transition date, performance expectations with well-defined Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s). It is also important to clarify the level of involvement o f t h e r e t i r i n g l e a d e r.

To provide exit mechanisms for the successor, an employment contract indicating the terms of the engagement must be highlighted. When there is a shared vision and values as well as clarity in the roles of active

and non-active family members, there exists their willingness to discuss transition issues openly.

This means that they can now appreciate and enjoy each other and move forward together.

3) Make an honest a n d re a l i s t i c a s s e s s m e nt of your gene (family) pool You may want your firstborn son to run the business, but does he have what it takes to run the business. Does he have the commitment or even the interest to do it?

Behind... from page 4

of our stay-home time to cultivate, polish if not perfect the way we can occupy our time properly. This present disp ensation can s er ve as a basic school to train ourselves in that department.

Pa r t o f t h i s a r t o f occupying ourselves properly is the development of skills of resilience and quick adaptation, since there will always be surprises and plans may have to be modified and revised as we go along.

Plan... from page 4

this, we still need a purpose bigger than just our own personal desires and dreams. Something that is truly worth giving our life and time to. This brings us back to where we started: you find success and happiness as you help others find it. That is the greatest success a human can achieve, because it is the true, satisfying success our Maker designed us to have.

Remember, when we know that God Himself is with us, we cannot lose, since He works everything together for good when we live for Him and His purpose. Won’t you ask Jesus to forgive you for living your wrong way and to take charge of your life every day? Then, He can help you start living His plan and principles for your success in this great business called life. Just think a minute .

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Oro Fil-Chinese Community extends aid to other frontliners www.businessweekmindanao.com

T

he Filipino-Chinese Community of Cagayan de Oro continues to extend its support with nearly a million pesos worth of rice and face masks donated to key law enforcement agencies policing the community quarantine mandated by the city government.

The Road and Traffic Administration (RTA), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Cagayan de Oro Police Office (COCPO) were the beneficiaries of the extended support turned over in separate occasions on Saturday, April 25, in Cagayan de Oro City.

The RTA represented by Engr. Nonito Oclarit received 50 sacks of rice and 5,000 pieces of face masks together worth P225, 000.00 while 25 sacks of rice and 2,500 pieces of face masks worth P112, 500 were received by Col. Allan Cabot in behalf of the BFP. Some 120 sacks of rice and 12,000 pieces of face masks worth P480,000.00 were turned over to the COCPO headed by City

Police Director Col. Henry Dampal.

The donations were turned over by community representative including Jeffrey Ang, Tomas Sia, Benjamin Chan, Jr., Steven Tan and others.

The P817,500.00 is on top of the P4.3-million earlier extended by the community to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).

On April 7, the group headed by President Sonny Choi and COVID-19 Response Committee Chairman Efren Uy turned over to NMMC Chief Dr. Jose Chan 1,980 sets of PPEs each worth P1,500 with a total value of P 2,970,000.00 and 500 pieces of N95 face masks each worth P130.00 valued at P65,000.00 for a total

Friday | May 1, 2020

donation of P3,035,000.00.

With this, the community’s collective donations to NMMC now totals P4,304,000.00, excluding donations also made to the city owned and operated J.R. Borja General Hospital (JRBGH).

The NMMC is the only hospital in Region X with the capability to test and treat CONVID-19 Patients Under Investigation (PUI).

Under the strategy adopted by the Regional and City Health offices, COVID-19 patients are

exclusively referred to NMMC, while JRBGH and other private hospitals take in as many non-COVID cases as they can accommodate to give NMMC’s personnel and facilities as much slack as possible to deal with the outbreak.

From March 23 to April 6, the CDO Filipino-Chinese Community had previously donated to NMMC on four separate occasions urgently needed PPEs and medical supplies collectively valued at P1, 269,000.00.

The Filipino-Chinese

The CDO Filipino-Chinese Community donated 25 sacks of rice and 2,500 pieces of face masks to the BFP on April 25. (photo by Jeffrey Ang)

120 sacks of rice & 12,000 pieces of face masks were received on April 25 by Col. Henry Dampal in behalf of the COCPO from the CDO Filipino-Chinese Community. (photo courtesy of Jeffrey Ang)

The RTA represented by Engr. Nonito Oclarit received 50 sacks of rice and 5,000 pieces of surgical masks from the CDO Filipino-Chinese Community on April 25. (photo by Jeffrey Ang) Community of Cagayan de Oro includes 21 community organizations, including family associations, chambers of commerce, schools, martial arts, civic and religious fraternities.

These including the following: Misamis Oriental Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc.; Mindanao Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China in the Philippines; Cagayan de Oro Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce &

Industry, Inc.; Cagayan de Oro You We Tong Civic & Religious Fraternity, Inc.; Oro Christian Grace School; Misamis Oriental Liong Tek Fraternity Association, Inc.; Sejo-Lim Family AssociationNorthern Mindanao Chapter; Cagayan de Oro Bell Church Foundation, Inc.; Kong Hua School; Cagayan de Oro Volunteer Fire Brigade, Inc.; Phil.

Wushu Federation-Cagayan de Oro Chapter; Phil. Kim Mun Association-Misamis Oriental Chapter ; Cagayan

Gospel Church ; Cagayan de Oro Filipino-Chinese Amity Club; Cagayan de Oro San Lorenzo Filipino-Chinese Catholic Community; Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.-Misamis Oriental Chapter; Philippine Chinese High School Alumni Association-Cagayan de Oro Chapter; Misamis Oriental Progressive Mason Temple, Inc.; Kong Hua School, Inc.; and the Chee Kung Tong Chinese Free Mason Misamis Oriental Branch. (RMB)