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Briefly Quo vadis, Fr. Jun C O TA B AT O C i t y – Prominent Mindanao peace advocate Fr. Eliseo Mercado, Jr. of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) who recently died of cardiac arrest will be laid to rest on Saturday, his congregation said. His remains now lie in state at the Archbishop Mongeau chapel inside the Notre Dame University here. Wa ke m a s s e s a r e exclusive for the family of Mercado and the Oblates but it is live streamed through the NDU Facebook page at 7 p.m. nightly.

IN-DEPTH

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By FROILAN GALLARDO, MindaNews

AGAYAN de Oro City would likely revert to general community quarantine (GCQ) following a spike in COVID-19 cases that has threatened to overwhelm local hospitals.

Mayor Oscar Moreno said he wrote to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to raise the city’s quarantine status to GCQ. “I have no choice but to ask the IATF to raise the quarantine level following the recent increase of COVID-19 cases here,” Moreno told reporters during the daily press briefing here. He said he expects the IATF to grant his GCQ/PAGE 9

SUNRISE. Sunrise in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.

mindanews photo by h . marcos c . mordeno

DOE to issue RE capacity auction rules next month

Hydro plant IN line with its investment shift to renewable energy, Alcantara-led Alsons Consolidated Resources I n c . ( A C R) s a i d t h e commercial operation of its first 14.5-megawatt Siguil hydropower project is on track. During the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting on May 20, ACR Executive Vice President Tirso G. Santillan noted that “work is ongoing…and Siguil hydro is on-track to commence commercial operations in early 2022 to provide a source of renewable, reliable and affordable power to key areas of Mindanao.” The run-of-river Siguil hydropower plant in Sarangani is the company’s first foray in that technology development space. The c apit al out lay for t he project had been pegged at P4.5 billion.

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Oca wants GCQ after rise in Covid-19 cases Fri-Sat|May 28-29, 2021

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By MYRNA M. VELASCO, Contributor

FEWER CATCH. Tamban (sardines) abound in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. Fisherfolk, however, say their catch has declined in recent years forcing some of them to fish in the waters of neighboring towns. photo by h . marcos c . mordeno / mindanews

THE rules for the targeted g reen energ y auct ion program (GEAP) will be laid down next month, according to the Department of Energy (DOE), but the actual bidding for renewable energy (RE) capacity installations will likely be undertaken second half of the year yet.

Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor E. Delola said the rules on the RE auction is still up for approval by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi – primarily on the definitive schedule for the bidding and the volume to be offered in the auction process. AUCTION/PAGE 9

Smoking risks due to combustion – expert To address the confusion over the difference between smoking and nicotine consumption, a London professor and smoking cessation expert said combustion or the process of burning tobacco, not nicotine, is what causes smokingrelated diseases and death. “Practically all risks to health from smoking are due to combustion products that are released from burning tobacco,” Peter Hajek,

professor of clinical psychology and director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine’s Tobacco Dependence Research Unit at Queen Mary University of London. Studies have found that tar and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke cause the death and disease associated with smoking, and not nicotine. “Outside pregnancy and some rare vascular diseases, using nicotine

on its own does not pose much risks to physical health. If smokers switch from smoking to using nicotine on its own, they avoid practically all risks of smoking,” he said. Hajek said by eliminating combustion from nicotine consumption, such as using products like e-cigarette, health risks will be significantly reduced. E-cigarettes or vapes, heated tobacco products and snus are among the non-combustible

alternatives to smoking. There is a mounting scientific evidence from around the world confirming that smoke-free nicotine products are significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Public Health England, an operationally autonomous executive agency of the UK Department of Health, said that e-cigarettes are at least 95-percent less harmful to humans than RISKS/PAGE 9

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DavSur coffee farmers win big in nat’l tilt D AVAO City– Specialty Arabica coffee farmers from Davao del Sur have cornered five top awards at the 2021 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) during the virtual Philippine Coffee Expo on Wednesday. In a statement Thursday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 11 or Davao Region said that out of the 103 farmers who joined the search for growers of the best Arabica coffee, Marites Sevilla Arellano won the top award followed by Lendilou Flores Loon in second place. Also making it to the list of awardees for the same category were Justine Dubria (third place), Marefil dela Cerna (fourth place), and Ma. Luz Dubria (sixth place). The five winners are all from Bansalan town,

DA-11 Coffee Rejuvenation Project focal person John Paul Matuguinas told the Philippine News Agency. Sevilla attributed her achievement to the new technologies in coffee farming, harvesting, and processing introduced to them by the DA. “If you see coffee farming as a business, there should always be that eagerness to learn and expose yourself to various technologies from the experts,” she said. Sevilla is just one of the many coffee farmers who sought the assistance of various agencies to improve their coffee production. The PCQC is a competition for the best coffee of Philippine origin participated in by farmers and entities engaged. It seeks to increase the consciousness of Filipino farmers on coffee quality and enhance their competitiveness in the

domestic and international markets. Based on PCQC standards, coffee beans must have at least a grade of 80 percent to be considered a specialty coffee. The closer to 100 a coffee sample gets, the more likely it will command a higher price and increased demand from specialty roasters. Through the DA11 High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Coffee Rejuvenation Project, which started on October

5, 2016, the agency has provided a package of assistance that includes close release fertilizer, pruning shears and pruning saw for coffee rejuvenation and postharvest and processing facilities such as tramline system, dryers, a roasting facility, hauling truck, and mini-storage. "It would be difficult for us to adhere to the standards required by our buyers was it not for DA's assistance," Sevilla said. Meanwhile, DA11 Regional Executive Director Ricardo M.

Oñate thanked the coffee farmers in the region for being active partners of the agency in improving product quality through strengthened partnerships. “I would like to congratulate our coffee farmers for making it big not just in the local but in the international markets. Your dedication and commitment to supporting the agency’s programs and projects have inspired us to do more for the benefit of our farming communities,” Oñate said. Matuguinas said they are currently working to

increase the yield of the world-renowned Arabica coffee nestled at the foothills of Mt. Apo. "When trees used to be old and rundown, making spraying, pruning and harvesting more laborious and expensive. Most of the trees were also badly damaged by pests and diseases including natural calamities," he said. Matuguinas said coffee trees should undergo rejuvenation to replace damaged branches so that they will bear berries in commercial quantities. (PNA)

DepEd-10 bats for nationalism, patriotism among youth vs insurgency CAGAYAN DE ORO-In consonance with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Executive

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

Order (EO) 70, institutionalizing a whole-of-nation approach in ending

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

local communist armed conflict, the Department of Education (DepEd)-10 reaffirms its commitment to attaining a lasting peace by instilling nationalism in the minds of the young in Northern Mindanao. “It is really against the principle of the DepEd to go against the government. That is why in many lessons that are developed by DepEd, we always integrate patriotism and nationalism, because we want to make sure that our children will be in the best shape when we are preparing for the future,” DepEd-10

Regional Director Arturo Bayocot said during Talakyan sa PIA. With the youth as the most susceptible demographic for CTGNPA recruitment and brainwashing, Bayocot, however, got no official reports of students being recruited inside learning institutions in Northern Mindanao. Nonetheless, DepEd-10 remains cautious after hearing rumors of recruitment by communist terrorist group in schools in other regions. Bayocot said they have made it a priority to establish integrated schools in areas where people feel they are not being served in coordination with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)10. “In those areas where they have issues on infiltrations and recruitment, we make sure that we open public schools there to counter illegitimate and unrecognized 'private schools' that are not compliant,” he shared. Duterte’s free education program In adherence to Republic Act 10931 or the” Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act,” DepEd-10 offers P17,500 or P20,000 for highly urbanized cities such as Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City for public secondary students who are interested in going to private schools for their tertiary education through the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) voucher program. “Private schools are becoming stronger partners for our public schools because of the voucher system. But then PATRIOTISM/PAGE 10

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CorporateWorld

Aboitiz unit completes fourth Davao terminal berth

BOITIZ Construction, Inc. has finished building its fourth station on the Davao International Container Terminal (DICT) berth in Panabo City. The 33-meter wide and 177-meter long structure

is intended to improve the turnaround time for vessel loading, the company said in a press release on Wednesday. “With the design and construction of Berths, DICT is now the biggest modern container terminal in Mindanao,” Aboitiz

PEZA bullish on Japanese firms investments in ecozones

AN official of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said the agency remains optimistic on investments from Japanese companies despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. In his personal social media account, PEZA deputy director general Tereso Panga shared that Japanese firms invested P716.22 billion from 1995 to April 2021, accounting for 27 percent of the total P2.63-trillion investment approvals in PEZA for the past 26 years. “When it comes to ecozone FDI (foreign

direct investment), the Japanese have always been ‘ichi-ban’ or number one investor of PEZA,” Panga said. “Given the current 27-percent share and steady increase of Japanese ecozone investments even amid pandemic, we remain bullish that the Japanese will continue to be our number one investor in PEZA, not only this year but for many years to come.” He said Japanese investments to the country can be further boosted by tapping more into the Philippine-Japan Economic Partnership BULLISH/PAGE 11

Contruction Director, President and Chairman Anton Mari G. Perdices said. The length of the container terminal berth totals around 600 meters, and it can moor up to three Post-Panamax vessels. “More vessels can now

dock at the terminal to bring more produce and agricultural products in and out of the region, potentially creating demand,” Aboitiz Construction said. The company hired 121 workers for the project, with 72% hired locally.

Aboitiz Construction is the construction arm of the Aboitiz group. Listed holding firm Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. posted a P7.6-billion consolidated net income for the first quarter, or a 275% jump from the previous year.

Number of closed stores decline as lockdown measures ease DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the number of businesses that closed their operations due to community quarantine restrictions has declined as the government gradually reopened economic activities. In a speaking engagement Wednesday, Lopez estimated that 8 percent of enterprises remain closed as the NCR Plus -- National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal -- is under general community quarantine.

He said the number of businesses that stopped their operations were lower from 16 percent when NCR Plus was reverted to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in March due to the surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases. When the government relaxed lockdown measures to modified ECQ, the number of enterprises that remained closed went down to 12 percent, he added. The trade chief said the current numbers were better than last year when

ECQ was first imposed. Businesses that halted their operations then were at 38 percent, he added. “Ngayon nasa GCQ tayo with restrictions, inaasahan natin ngayon maganda ang mga numero (Now that we are under GCQ but with restrictions, we expect that the numbers are good), we can still extend the GCQ. We can continue the GCQ starting June,” Lopez said. He said the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATFEID) aims to gradually reopen economic activities

to bring back jobs at the same time ensuring there will be no surge again in Covid-19 cases. “Inaasahan din natin na palakasin, dagdagan ang mga operating capacity moving forward. (We expect to augment, increase the operating capacity moving forward),” Lopez said He said the DTI is also pushing for the expansion of the definition of A4 list to get more jobs back in the labor market. Earlier, the top trade official said 1.5 million jobs were lost when the STORES/PAGE 11

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Hong Kong may soon have to throw away millions of coronav ir us vaccine dos es b ecaus e the y are approaching their expiry date and not enough people have signed up for the jabs, an official has warned. Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world fortunate enough to have secured more than enough doses to inoculate its entire population of 7.5 million people. But swirling distrust of the government as it stamps out dissent – combined with online misinformation and a lack of urgency in the comparatively virus-free city – has led to entrenched vaccine hesitancy and a dismal inoculation drive. On Tuesday, a member of the government’s vaccine task force warned that Hong Kongers “only have a threemonth window” before the city’s first batch of PfizerBioNTech vaccines go out of date. “The vaccines all have e x pi r y d at e s ,” T h om a s

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Recognizing royalty Think a minute… Successful country singer Lonzo Green was visiting his relatives. His teenage nephew, Jim, and all his friends gathered in Jim’s house to meet his famous uncle. But there was one quiet 15-year-old boy whom Jim’s parents would not allow to come inside their house. Simply because this kid was poor, they treated him as an inferior, lowerclass person, even calling him “white trash.” When Jim told Uncle Lonzo that this boy outside had a guitar but did not know how to tune it, Lonzo gladly offered to show the boy how. Since he was not allowed inside the house, they arranged to meet outside by the street. It was obvious to Lonzo that this teenage boy was embarrassed and felt out of place in this upper class neighborhood. The boy’s guitar was old, cheap, and hung around his neck with just a piece of string. After L on z o showe d t he shy teenager how to tune his guitar, he offered to teach him some songs. The boy was so surprised and happy

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST that Lonzo would spend two whole hours playing and singing with him, he actually started feeling confident in his own ability to play and sing. Lonzo never met that boy again, at least not face to face. For that same boy who was not allowed to come inside the house, became the King of Rock n’ Roll: Elvis Presley. There is a similar true story about another king who was not allowed to come inside people’s homes and hearts. In fact, He is the King of all kings. Yet even though He is the Maker of the universe, He chose 2,000 years ago to humiliate ROYALTY/PAGE 11

Tsang, a former controller of the Centre for Health Prote c t ion, told RTHK radio. “They cannot be used after the expiry date and the community vaccination c e n t r e s f o r B i o N Te c h will, according to present plans, cease operating after September.” Tsang said it was “just not right” that Hong Kong was sitting on a pile of unused doses while the rest of the world “is scrambling for vaccines”. And he warned that new doses were unlikely to be delivered. “What we have is probably all we have for the rest of the year,” he said. Hong Kong bought 7.5 million doses each of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and China’s Sinovac. The latter has yet to be approved by the World Health Organization, but was fast-tracked for use by city health regulators. It also pre-ordered 7.5 million doses of AstraZeneca

jabs but scrapped that deal earlier in the year, with aut hor ities s aying t he y planned to use the money for second-generation vaccines next year. So far, just 19 percent of the population has received one dose of either vaccine, while 14 percent has received two doses. Hesitancy is common e v e n a m o n g t h e c i t y ’s medical workers. Earlier this month, the city’s Hospital Authority revealed that only a third of its staff had taken vaccinate. T h e re are c u r re nt l y millions of unused PfizerBioNTech shots, w hich must be stored at ultra-low temperatures and have a six-month shelf life. A total of 3,263,000 doses of the Pf izer-BioNTech vaccines have been shipped to Hong Kong so far but only 1,231,600 have been administered. Hong Kong’s vaccine hesitancy comes as many nearby countries scramble to secure enough doses.

NUTS & BOLTS

JEROME DE LA FUENTE

In recent weeks, some Hong Kong politicians have suggested the city could look to send unused vaccines overseas if take-up does not improve. Public trust in the Hong Kong government has been at historic lows since Beijing and local authorities cracked down on dissent to end huge and often violent democracy protests that broke out in 2019. Officials have also struggled to come up with incentives to encourage vaccination in a city where long quarantine measures THROW/PAGE 11

The younger, the better

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“ THE best thing about growing up is you get to manage your own life”. -Anonymous I always look forward to being invited to speak before students on life insurance and investment. Have done this several times for both high school and college graduate students. Though these subjects are yet to be a part of the course curriculum, it’s good enough that some teachers have included them as mandatory topics for their

graduating students. Perhaps they thought that having one or two sessions on the subjects will prepare the students on how to manage their money once they start earning. Though we know that this is not the ideal way to prepare the youth, it’s much better than having nothing at all. I have also observed a marked difference in the way college students are now appreciating the subject. In the past, very few showed interest in discussing money management. They’re just there for compliance. Sure they are excited to talk about earning and having their own income but not on the savings and insurance part. The latter is much farther on their priority list. I usually ask them the question, “On what will you spend your 1st-year salary?” Buy the latest phone or laptop, downpayment for a car and travel with friends

are the usual top 3 answers. I can count with my right hand those who answered save, invest or buy life insurance. But of late, young people have a different appreciation of f i n an c i a l pl an n i ng / management. They are more open and knowledgeable about it. Some are even into investing and already own their own insurance policy. It’s now part of the “adulting”, as the Gen Ys and Zs put it. This can be attributed to the fact that youth of today have more access to this kind of information via google and social media. Their increasing awareness of health and wellness, especially during this pandemic, also increased awareness and appreciation of the investment and protection products. This was confirmed by IC Commissioner Dennis Funa, when he said during an interview that Google had a study showing more

and more people are now searching/researching on life and medical insurance. Why does it matter to start young? When you’re young, your insurance premiums are still lower. Getting life insurance at a younger age locks in lower premiums. That low premium remains the same throughout the duration of your policy. It will never change unless you add coverage. Until it went self-support last 2008, I was just paying P 7456/annually for the P1M coverage I got when I was 25 years old. The first policy I got for myself. Nothing compares to the insurance rates you enjoy in your 20s and 30s. Aside from your age, your health is another factor considered when you get yourself insured. When you’re young, chances are you are much healthier and in good fit. It makes getting covered YOUNGER/PAGE 11

From distraction to destruction THE two words can look and sound almost the same, and the reality behind them are just as much. That’s why we need to be most careful. It’s very easy to slip from a passing distraction to a total wreck of a destruction in ourselves. There is a good distraction and a bad one, a healthy distraction and a sick one that can lead us to our perdition. We have to be most discerning with the way we handle things nowadays, because they can either give us good openings and opportunities or lead us to take sweet poisons. And the secret is always to be closely united with Christ with whom we can put ourselves properly guarded.

With him we would know what really comes from God and what comes from something else. Let’s always remember that evil cannot stand on its own. It will always need the cover of something good to inject us with its toxin. We need to be clever, as Christ himself told us, without losing our innocence. (cfr. Mt 10,16) We should not be naïve. That is why we have to be most discerning of the spirit behind each thing that we handle and each event that can take place in our life. There is a good spirit and a bad one. When we are with Christ, we would always be prudent in the use of things in general.

There is always an element of detachment and of keeping distance even as we immerse ourselves in the things of the world. This detachment is for us to see if we are doing things according to God’s will and not being swallowed by the dynamics of worldly forces that can be very engaging and irresistible. For us to be prudent, it is indeed advisable that we pause from time to time to check on how we are taking things in general, on how things are developing and on how our intentions are. We know quite well that things can change in the process. What may be good at the beginning can start to stray somewhere along the way.

HINTS AND TRACES

ROY CIMAGALA Indeed, we may start by looking for God in the things that we do, giving him glory and conforming ourselves to his will and ways. But along the way, we can start giving in to our own desires, our own will and ways. From DISTRACTION/PAGE 11

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Bangko Sentral bats for financial -literate Filipinos FINANCIAL education (FinEd) in the country needs an additional push to help more Filipinos be prepared and literate financially. In a virtual briefing on Thursday, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said the results of the World Bank’s 2015 financial literacy survey and the Central Bank’s 2019 financial inclusion survey showed that “about half of Filipino adults were unable to correctly answer questions that test their knowledge on the impact of inflation on their purchasing power.” Both surveys showed that “two-thirds of Filipino adults were also unable to answer questions on simple and compound interest rates,” Diokno said. “The concept of compound interest must be fully appreciated in order for consumers to use credit responsibly and pay the loans in full and on time.” Simple interest is calculated based on the principal amount of a loan while compound interest is calculated using the BATS/PAGE 11

Banking&Finance

S&P flags possible ratings risk from cyberattack on banks

&P GLOBAL RATINGS warned of emerging risks to banks’ credit ratings caused by the rise of cyberattacks during the pandemic. The ratings agency in a note titled “Cyber Risk In A New Era: The Effect on Bank Ratings” said it would gauge the cyber risks of a financial institution both at the system-wide and entityspecific level. “Cyber attacks have the potential to harm credit ratings through reputational damage as well as monetary loss. Nevertheless, in the event of a large-scale attack on a systemic bank or several large institutions we could foresee governments taking measures to stabilize the sector,” S&P said in a report. Based on data from S&P and US based Guidewire Software, Inc., financial institutions (26%) received the most frequent cyberattacks from 2016 to 2020, followed

by other sectors such as public administration (13%) and healthcare (11%). From a system-wide banking analysis, events including repeated, serious breaches of security in a given country, or a sense of a more reactive than proactive response from financial institutions in strengthening cybersecurity frameworks could be a risk to bank ratings. Meanwhile, bankspecific factors that may have an impact on assessment of bank ratings include impaired business stability due to loss of confidence from an attack and material losses that could hurt lenders’ capitalization due to cyber events. S&P said cyber risks may also be exposed through structural weakness of banks’ risk management and reputational damage caused by a cyber event that could lead to sudden outflows of clients’ funds

in an extreme scenario. “In our view, the key to cyber resilience lies in risk management action, both before and after an attack,” the ratings agency said. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said earlier this month that a major cyberattack could affect the stability of the financial system. He vowed that the central bank would remain vigilant against new cyberthreats. In April, the central bank required its supervised financial institutions to report within five calendar days from determination of an incident events that affect banks’ reputation. A study by the AntiMoney Laundering Council on financial crime trend during the early part of the pandemic showed cases such as skimming, phishing, and unauthorized transactions made up 49% of suspicious transaction reports in the first few months of the pandemic.

Fund manager eyes 2021 PH GDP growth at 3.9%-7.1% AN executive of Sun Life Asset Management Company Inc. (SLAMCI) is projecting a growth of between 3.9 to 7.1 percent for the Philippine economy this year, with the upper end in line with the government’s target. “The midpoint is about (a) 5.5-percent GDP (gross domestic product) forecast for 2021,” SLAMCI chief investment officer Mike

Enriquez said in a virtual briefing Wednesday. Enriquez said he expects the second-quarter print to be 10 to 15 percent due to base effects of the decades-low -16.9 percent in the second quarter of 2020. The third-quarter growth projection is 6.5 to 10 percent while the fourth-quarter forecast is 3 to 7 percent.

AMLC tweaks rules for registration of covered persons THE ANTI-MONEY Laundering Council (AMLC) is revising its guidelines for covered persons under the amended Anti-Money Laundering Act to let more developers and brokers register with the regulator. “Once the deadline has been set, appropriate penalties pursuant to existing regulations will be imposed for those who fail to register on time,” AMLC Executive Director Mel Georgie B. Racela said in a Viber message. He said the draft guidelines set the new deadline on June 30. The AMLC has extended the registration period

from the initial March 16 deadline to allow more covered persons to register and amid several proposals from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and stakeholders for tweaks in the revised AntiMoney Laundering/ Counter-Terrorism Financing Guidelines for Designated NonFinancial Businesses and Professions. The revised guidelines will also outline the documentary requirements for the registration process with the AMLC and enforcement actions that could be faced by covered persons that fail RULES/PAGE 11

GDP in the first quarter this year stood at -4.2 percent, an improvement from the -8.3 percent in the last quarter of 2020. Enriquez said there is a clamor for additional fiscal stimulus to boost programs targeted to help the economy recover from the pandemic, citing that existing measures are below expectations. He said the Bayanihan

to Heal as One Act and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act “are not enough to help absorb all the unemployment, the displaced workers.” Enriquez acknowledged the “aggressive monetary policy” of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) that really helped in curbing the impact of the pandemic on the economy. (PNA)

BSP set to release second phase of sustainable finance regulation THE central bank will unveil the secondphase regulation for sustainable financing, which will take into account climate change risk in the assessment of credit and operational risk management of the banking industry. “This issuance will provide granular expectations on the integration of climate change and other environmental and social risks in banks’ credit and operational risk management frameworks,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said at the Investment Forum on Energy Transition held on May 20. The upcoming regulation is anchored on

expectations for banks to gear towards sustainability principles through pushing for strategic, concrete, and progressive actions to address climate change. “The framework safeguards the stability of the financial system against potentially significant and protracted impact of climate change and other environment related risks,” Mr. Diokno said. In April last year, the central bank launched its sustainable finance framework and gave banks a three-year transition period to adopt its provisions. The regulation includes directing banks to adopt sustainability RELEASE/PAGE 11

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BILLBOARD IN-DEPTH

Fri-Sat|May 28-29, 2021

CLI to rise above industry trends in 2021 with 25 projects in the pipeline

EADING developer in VisMin Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) aims to buck industry trends once again in 2021 with 25 projects in the pipeline–15 of which target the economic and mid-market residential segments in the region and are collectively valued at Php 19 Billion, according to Jose Soberano III, CLI chairman, president and CEO at the firm’s annual stockholders meeting in Cebu City. The company has set aside P12 billion for its capital expenditures for the year. CLI is setting its sights on a 15%-20% increase in revenues from the P8.3 billion in consolidated revenues it registered in 2020, closely matching 2019’s P8.5 billion. Parent NIAT in 2020 was at P1.85 billion. “Our 2021 projects will expand our VisMin footprint to cities like Ormoc, Bohol, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Iloilo and other key

Casa Mira Homes Dumaguete

cities in the region while further strengthening our market share in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro where we have established a strong presence,” according to Soberano. At the same time,

the firm is confident it will complete ongoing residential and other projects totaling 33 including mixed-use developments, hotels and townships. A significant number of these will

mature for greater revenue recognition before the year ends. As of Q1 2021, CLI posted a 25% year-onyear increase in net income attributable to CLI shareholders from P572

million to P714 million. Consolidated net income likewise grew 12%. This was due to strong sales take-up of its residential projects and unhampered construction activity bolstered by CLI’s financial

assistance totaling P12.5 million to its 5,000 thirdparty construction workers in 2020. As CLI prepares to further strengthen its capital base, the Company CLI/PAGE 10

Yes, There is an Inverter Electric Fan! Beat the summer heat while saving big on electricity.

52°C—this has been the highest heat index recorded this year in the Philippines so far.[1] Metro Manila heat index is also expected to reach 39 to 41°C according to PAGASA. [2] So it is no surprise that many are searching for ways to beat the heat and make their summer cooler and more comfortable. Beating the Heat On top of causing uncomfortable sweating, excessive heat can lead to dehydration, headache and even heatstroke, which may lead to health complications. That’s why it is important to care take of our bodies. Here are

some tips on how to beat the heat and stay cool at home: 1. Add curtains to your windows. This will help lessen the outdoor heat from passing through and reaching your space. 2. Keep yourself and your family hydrated. Being hydrated reduces fatigue and improves your endurance. It is recommended to drink at least 1 glass of water every 15 to 20 minutes as drinking smaller amounts of water in shorter intervals is more effective than drinking larger amounts less frequently. 3. Fill your home with plants. Plants help keep your

space cool, calm, and they even freshen it up. 4. Invest in an appliance that can help you stay cool. One that doesn’t break the bank is an electric fan that can keep you company all summer long. The Greatest Fan of Your Life Did you know that there’s actually an electric fan that has an inverter system? An inverter system powered by a DC motor that saves big on energy. Worldwide appliance leader Panasonic brings you an extraordinary electric fan to add to your summer needs—the Panasonic DC efan. The Panasonic DC efan saves up to 50% in energy compared to regular AC fans.[3] It also has a DC socket adapter that allows more power but with less electricity cost. Plus, its rotary dial knob allows smooth, continuous control to generate precise levels of speed based on your need or preference. Panasonic has also proven that its Japan Quality appliances are worth your purchase. Built to be durable, the Panasonic DC efan makes sure that you get the best value for your money. You can count on this electric fan to cool your home this summer and for years to come. With lower electricity costs and proven durability, the Panasonic DC efan is definitely a smart investment because you will be saving more in the long run. So, what are you waiting for? Check out the Panasonic website for the greatest fan of your life and beat this summer heat! Follow Panasonic on Facebook at Panasonic Philippines and Instagram @panasonic_ph to stay updated with their latest innovations. References: [1] https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1431013/highest-heat-index-so-far-this-year-at-52crecorded-in-dagupan [2] https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432629/pagasa-metro-manila-heat-index-mayreach-39-to-41-degrees-celsius [3] https://www.panasonic.com/ph/consumer/household-appliances/fans-andventilation/living-fan/f-409ls.html

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FEATURE

IN-DEPTH

Fri-Sat|May 28-29, 2021

The APC Bridal Car

APC ferries brides to their wedding in Lanao del Norte village By RICHEL V. UMEL

MUNAI, Lanao del NorteFour young brides were ferried by an M113A2 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) fitted with Remote Controlled Weapons Stations (RCWS) to their wedding venue Tuesday May 18 inside a military camp of the 43rd Mechanized Armor Company, 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion in the hinterland village of Cadulawan in Munai town, Lanao del Norte. The wedding ceremony was officiated by Reverend Father Ramon Torres, Vicar General of the Diocese of Marawi, and witnessed by military officers, government officials and stakeholders. The new type of APC was first utilized as a bridal car on December 12, 2020, at 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion Headquarters at Nangka, Baloi town, during the stint of Colonel Domingo Dulay Jr., former Commanding Officer. Major General Efren Baluyot, Division Commander of Armor "Pambato" Division said Wednesday, “These APCS with RCWS were acquired from Israel as part of the military modernization program.” Baluyot said “the

A M113A2 APCs fitted with Remote Controlled Weapons Stations (RCWS) of the 43rd Mechanized Infantry Company - Fourth Mechanized Infantry Battalion Philippine Army ferries four pretty brides to their wedding venue Tuesday May 18 in the hinterland village camp of Cadulawan, in the once war-torn town of Munai, Lanao del Norte. (Photo by: Richel V. Umel, Mindanao Daily News)

M113A2 APCs fitted with Remote Controlled Weapons Stations (RCWS) were a vital support to the military infantry operations that liberated Marawi City from the Maute - ISIS terrorist group during the fivemonth long Marawi Siege on May 23 to October 2017, and the recent joint military operations against the Bangsamoro Freedom Fighters - Dawlah Islamiya in Maguindanao province."

1st Lieutenant Julieto Jakosalem, Company Commander said the four couples include Corporal Benitez and Edna Ermac, Private First Class Sonnie Bantas and Chiara Hermosilla, Pfc. Frank Limjuco and Claire Velle Bariga , and PFC Kim Son Tabada and Jennifer Ventura. One of the grooms, Corporal Helrod Benitez, 32 years old , a high school graduate from

M'lang North Cotabato currently assigned at 43rd Mechanized Company in Cadulawan , Munai town this province was one of the troops who fought against ISIS -Maute terrorist group in Marawi City with his buddy Private First Class Limjuco and were both promoted one rank higher. Benitez said he first met his wife Edna Ermac 24, a resident of sitio Pindugangan, Tipanoy in

Iligan City on November 2019 when he went to Wet Market in Poblacion Iligan City where she manages a stall. “I asked her number and we had a constant communication until we established our relationship. I asked permission from her parents to bring her a shopping to Gaisano Mall where I bought her a life size pink teddy bear and that’s how our relationship began." “Helrod told me we would be brought by a bridal tank from the camp to the venue where our wedding would be solemnized,” his wife Edna Ermac -Benitez said. “When I wore my bridal gown I felt t\so happy that at last our dream would be fulfilled.” "When I boarded the bridal tank protected by a full metal shield, I felt very safe and secure being married to a military man. At least our family with our three-month old baby boy would have a secure future . I shed tears when I walked through the red carpet towards the altar,” she added. "How I wish we would have five children in the future. Helrod passed my test before we became committed to each other until we decided to get married and I trusted

him." Edna Ermac -Benitez is the youngest of six siblings and is a graduate of Business Administration Major in Business Operations Management. from St. Petters College. “Unom pa ka tuig akong edad nag tabang na ko sa akong ginikanan diin 32 years na mi namaligya isip vendor hangtud ko nag graduate sa college.” Lieutenant Colonel Rommel Pereña, commanding officer of 4th Mech said married life is about compromises. "Yung ma- asawa should talk and learn how to compromise. Ang mag-asawa may time na may conflict." "What you should do ay hindi dapat ma putol ang komunikasyon at mag usap, huwag ninyong patagalin and treat each other with respect,” he noted. "Troops have rest and recreation privileges and they have to spend such opportunities with their family. This is a longdistance relationship (LDR),” he added. "When they are at home for a vacation, they have to spend the quality of time with their family.” Not the least, Pereña advised the four couples, “You should agree on how to manage your financial matters, and manage your funds."

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Camiguin local ELCAC task forces join leveling session with NTF chaos and problem in our communities. This is also good since the national government urges all stakeholders to really provide a budget and to unite for such cause) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe, as the Head Secretariat of the RTFELCAC, explained the importance of the leveling off with the local task forces. “Ang Provincial Levelling Session ang pagpakaylap ngadto sa mga kabarangayan ang kinatibuk-an nga programa sa EO 70. Ug dugang pa niana nga ang atong pagpanglantaw magkahiusa sa kanunay aron nga pareho kitang tanan sa dagan sa pagpatuman sa pagsugpo sa mga terorista sa atong komunidad ilabina sa

intensified call to action against the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs). Romualdo thanked the national and regional task forces for their effort in institutionalizing and enacting Executive Order No. 70, or the “Wholeof-Nation” Approach to end local communist armed conflict. “Pasalamat ko aning EO 70 kay nakatabang jud ni siya sa amoa sa Probinsya sa Camiguin kay mao na ning importante nga wala ta'y kagubot ug problema sa atong mga komunidad. Nindot pud ni kay giawhag tanan nasyonal nga panggagamhanan nga naa jud budget para ani nga magkahiusa ta,” Romualdo said. (I am thankful of this EO 70 because it really helped us in the Province of Camiguin since this is important in avoiding

CAMIGUIN--The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) in coordination with the Joint Regional Task Force (JRTF) conducted the Provincial Leveling Session that includes all the local ELCAC task forces of the province, May 26 via Zoom Platform. The Provincial TFELCAC, chaired by Gov. Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo, along with the Municipal TFELCAC and the Barangay TF-ELCAC headed by the municipal mayors and punong barangays, respectively, were in attendance for the activity. The Provincial Levelling Session aims to harmonize the efforts of the national task force with the local task forces down to the barangay level, towards a more

Social Mobilization partnership and networking in DepEd By: BRIDE JOY MONERA-CANDANO Education Program Specialist II Division of Tangub City

The Department of Education has recognized the importance of community stakeholders in delivering quality basic education to our learners. The Social Mobilization and Networking program seeks the voice of schoolcommunity stakeholders to envision a sustainable school-community partnership. Educators should inspire school and community stakeholders to fully understand the importance on how and why stakeholders should readily help schools. They should validate and clarify some key issues through a focus group discussion. Stakeholders should promote the school image, and its reputation in immediate community: such as the results of the National Achievement Test (NAT), positive attitude and behaviour of students, hospitality and openness of teachers and school administrators towards stakeholders. On the other hand, the greatest hindering factor for stakeholders is miscommunication. DepEd Order no. 40, s. 2015 says that all Schools Division need to enter into partnerships with different groups in the fields of work immersion opportunities for public Senior High School (SHS) learners, use of facilities and equipment, additional teacher training opportunities, and

additional resources in the form of donations to achieve the goals of the K to 12 Program. In line with this, each S c h o o l He a d ( i n t h e elementary, secondary, and stand-alone senior high school) as Partnership Focal Person for the school is instructed to designate a teacher who will be the SCHO OL SO CIAL MOBILIZ ATION AND NETWORKING (SOCMOB) COORDINATOR whose duties and responsibilities are spelled out below. The School Head may adjust the teaching load of the designated teacher to comply with the requirements of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers. Each Public Schools District Supervisor (PSDS) is likewise instructed to designate a D I ST R IC T S O C IA L MOBILIZ ATION AND NETWORKING (SOBMOB) COORDINATOR whose duties and responsibilities are spelled out below. For secondary schools with senior high school (There is one School Head for the Junior and Senior High School), they should designate two coordinators – one for JHS and one for SHS. For integrated schools, they should designate one coordinator who will assist in all levels – elementary, Junior and Senior High School. T h e S c h o o l He a d /

PSDS shall designate a SCHOOL/DISTRICT SOCIAL MOBILIZATION A N D N E T WO R K I N G C O O R D I NAT O R w h o manages Situational Analysis on K to 12 p ar t n e rs h ip re s ou rc e s and conduct internal and external assessments. He/ she recommends actions based on evaluation. The School SocMob Coordinator is also the School Brigada Eskwela C o ord i n ator w it h t h e following duties and responsibilities: He/She shall serve as Co-Chair in The Brigada Eskwela Steering Committee who will spearhead the implementation of the Brigada Eskwela Program and shall oversee the various efforts to be undertaken for the program such as marketing and advocacy, resource mobilization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. He/She shall keep all records of school partnership documentary requirements. He/She shall summarize and consolidate Brigada Eskwela BE forms and submit the School Brigada Eskwela Accomplishment Report to the District SocMob Coordinator. The School SocMob Coordinator is also the Adopt-a-School Coordinator. Thus, he/ she shall submit Adopt-aSchool Quarterly Reports to the District SocMob Coordinator.

"I am thankful of this EO 70 because it really helped us in the Province of Camiguin since this is important in avoiding chaos and problem in our communities. This is also good since the national government urges all stakeholders to really provide a budget and to unite for such cause," Gov. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo says during the Provincial Levelling Session, May 26. (DILG Camiguin)

inyohang level pinaagi sa mga programa nga gilatad sa atong gobyerno,” said Agabe. (The Provincial Levelling Session is the means to disseminate EO 70. We are also looking forward to attain unity

so we can become one in fighting terrorists in our communities especially on your [provincial] level through the programs offered by the government) In addition, Agabe encouraged the local task

forces to continue and at the same time improve the current efforts they have been providing to their constituents. “Padayunon nato ang atong mga nasugdan na ug palambuon pa CAMIGUIN/PAGE 10

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GCQ...

‘The volume is dependent on the proposed hike by NREB (National Renewable

Energy Board) of the RPS (Renewable Por t fol io Standard) requirement,” he stated. The initial simulation that both the energy department and NREB came up with had been 2,000 megawatts; but they forthrightly stipulated that the final number may still change. For the auction schedule, most of the players in the RE sector are expecting that it will happen by June this year, but given the pace of approvals still to be rendered by the DOE, timelines will likely be pushed back. At the recent 5th Financial E xec ut ives I nst it ute of the Philippines (FINEX) Genera l Membership Meeting, Cusi indicated that “the government can introduce policies and laws to make the country a haven for investments and even out the playing field for stakeholders.” He f u r t her a s s er te d “we can only achieve our aspirations if the titans of the industry – both local and foreign – will stand with us side by side.” The investors though have been eager to inject fresh capital into the RE sector since last year or even earlier, but they have been waiting for clear and definitive policy enforcements from the DOE – especially on the targeted auction of RE capacities for the RPS because that will be the main driver for the next round of green energy installations in the country. They have been sounding off to government p ol ic y m a k e r s t h at t he Philippines is already losing out against competitors – including to neighbors in Southeast Asia like Vietnam, Thailand and even Cambodia — but the DOE has not been picking up the pace on actual policy implementations. Cusi still promised the investors though that “the government will continue to craft proactive policies to help the Philippines attain energy security, equity and sustainability.” The energ y chief

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

RURAL TRANSIT OF MINDANAO, INC. CASE NO. R10-EV-PUB 2021-05-1871 (2016-10-326)

RURAL TRANSIT OF MINDANAO, INC. CASE NO. R10-EV-PUB 2021-05-1870 (2016-10-323)

from page 1

request and declare the city under GCQ on its next announcement on June 1. T he a c t ive c as e s i n Cagayan de Oro reached 1,085 as of May 27 with 111 new infections recorded by the City Health Office. Health officials monitored 11 deaths in the past 24 hours including prominent residents like Barangay Macasandig Chair Aaron Neri and lawyer Mateo Deligencia who died of complications from COVID-19 on Thursday morning. This brought the number of deaths in the city to 296 since the pandemic began last year. Dr. Joselito Retuya, the city’s chief epidemiologist said some 300 patients are now confined at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center and other hospitals in the city. At the JR Borja General Hospital, COVID-19 patients waiting for admission were staying in tents in the parking lot. Under a GCQ, elderly persons aged 60 years old and above and persons below 20 years old are no longer allowed to go outside their residences, enter shopping malls, go to beaches and parks. Non-contact sports like golf and tennis and going to fitness gyms are also prohibited. Gatherings are strictly limited to only 10 persons. Public transport are allowed but with strict health protocol requirements for passengers, who should wear facemasks and face shields. Travel to and outside Cagayan de Oro are still allowed provided strict protocols are followed. Employers are encouraged to allow their employees to work from home.

Auction... from page 1

NOTICE OF HEARING

APPLICANT(s)/ PETITIONER(s) request/s authority to Extend the Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate PUB SERVICE on the route: CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY TO DAVAO CITY and vice versa with the use of SIX (6) unit/s. This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on June 21, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. at this board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/their evidence. The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least TEN (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao. Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/their written opposition with supporting documents, unless this Board deems it necessary to require additional documentary evidence and/or his/her/ their oral testimony(s). WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 27th day of May 2021 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

APPLICANT(s)/ PETITIONER(s) request/s authority to Extend the Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate PUB SERVICE on the route: CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY TO BANISILAN (LANAO DEL SUR) via WAO and vice versa with the use of TEN (10) unit/s. This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on June 21, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. at this board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/their evidence. The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least TEN (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao. Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/their written opposition with supporting documents, unless this Board deems it necessary to require additional documentary evidence and/or his/her/ their oral testimony(s). WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 27th day of May 2021 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

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

BWM: May 28, 2021

conveyed that “way before this pandemic even came into play, the Philippines has always been aspiring for power supply sufficiently as a pre-requisite for an effective competitive spot market, and for bridging the logistics requirements of the country’s archipelagic layout.” Cusi nevertheless acknowledged that “energizing and connecting of f-g r id , u nser ved a nd underser ved a reas have proved to be challenging, now that the nation still continues to battle against Covid-19 pandemic.” The overall target cast by the DOE in the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) is to ramp up the share of RE in the power mix by 35-percent until year 2030; and that entails additional installations of up to 34,000 megawatts.

Risks...

from page 1 combustible tobacco. According to Hajek, nicotine is poorly understood globally including in the Philippines. “Nicotine seems addictive when combined with other tobacco chemicals, but much less so when on its own. Adolescent non-smokers who try cigarettes have over 50-percent probability that they will progress to daily smoking, but adolescent nonsmokers who try e-cigarettes very rarely progress to daily vaping,” he said. “People do not get hooked on nicotine gum or patches. But while nicotine on its own seems unattractive to nonsmokers, it can be rewarding to smokers who are already habituated to it. In this way, such products help smokers quit,” he said. Hajek said the problem with smoking is not nicotine, but the smoke that causes cancer, heart disease and lung disease. “We have no problems with

almost everyone drinking coffee, even if such use is daily, compulsive, and in many people could be labeled as ‘addictive’. In the same way, there is no issue with some smokers continuing to use nicotine, if health risks of such use are small,” he said. To reduce the health risks from smoking, authorities in the Philippines and other countries should encourage smokers to switch to less harmful, smoke-free nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and snus, Hajek recommended. “As long as cigarettes are freely available, Philippine legislators should try to make the less harmful nicotine products as attractive to smokers as possible, so that more smokers are encouraged to switch. Such products should be cheaper, more easily available, and accompanied by less restrictions and stigma,” he said. A February 2019 clinical t r i a l by UK’s Nat iona l Institute for Health Research found that e-cigarette was twice as effective as nicotine replacement treatments such as patches and gum at helping smokers quit. Hajek said questions about the safety of e-cigarettes emerged last year with acute lung injuries reported among users of e-cigarettes in the USA. This however turned out to be due to contaminants in illegal marijuana products, and not related to nicotine vaping.

DIRECTORY

MR. SEUNGHO KIM. A Korean citizen, desire to apply as a Sales Associate in our "J-Korean Mart" located at Gusa, National Highway Phase 1 Subd., Villa Ernesto Cagayan de Oro City. JOB DESCRIPTION: • Ensuring that all customers receive excellent service. • Assisting customers with questions, needs and purchases. • Cultivating successful relationships with retail customers. • Completing each transaction in a quick and efficient manner. • Identifying customer requirements. • Preparing merchandise for display. • Assisting in physical inventory counts. • Implementing all visual merchandising standards. QUALIFICATION: • At least College graduate / College level (business course related) • Experience is an Advantage • Has excellent verbal communication skills • Ages 25-55 years old, Male only. SALARY: • Php. 15K monthly

NOTICE: Any local person in Cagayan de Oro City, who is competent, able and willing to perform the job/position, may file an objection at the DOLE-RO within thirty (30) days after publication.

A PUBLIC SERVICE BY:

Rules... from page 5

to register within the deadline. Mr. Racela said AMLC data as of April 30 showed 2,272 real estate brokers have registered so far. Meanwhile, some 501 real estate developers and 72 Philippine offshore gaming operator service providers also completed their registration as covered persons of the AMLC. A certificate of registration with the AMLC is part of the Know Your Customer mandate for banks when dealing with real estate brokers and developers, Mr. Racela said. “If the latter fail to submit this, then banks may be cited for violation of its Know Your Customer obligations. But because the deadline to register has not yet been set, Banks may be liberal to give EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF DECEASED PERSON KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late DANILO S. GALVEZ who died on April 20, 2020, while on the Sea, at the time of his death left a portion parcel of land with OCT/ TCT: T-16391 situated at Barangay Mindulian, Bakid-bakid, Gingoog City, Province of Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of SEVEN HECTARES AND NINE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY SQUARE METERS (7.9880 HAS), more or less and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF DECEASED PERSON, filed by the heirs of DANILO S. GALVEZ, per DOC #61; PAGE #12; BOOK #36; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. ROWELL B. VALLEDOR. BWM: May 14, 21 & 28, 2021

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FRI-SAT|MAY 28-29, 2021

them until the deadline has lapsed,” he said. Real estate brokers and developers became covered p e r s ons of t h e A M L A through the passage of the Republic Act 11521 earlier this year. The measure tightened the country’s rules to battle dirty money and terrorism financing in view of recommendations set by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF). While the country passed the law before the Feb. 1 deadline set by the global “dirty money” watchdog, the country still needs to prove it is implementing tangible, stricter rules against money laundering and terrorism financing. “The Philippines now needs to demonstrate that our anti-money laundering/ counter-terrorism financing l e g a l and i nst itut i ona l framework is producing the expected results over a sustained period,” Mr. Racela said. In April, an assessment by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank stated the country could still be back to the FATF’s “gray list” of countries with serious deficiencies on anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing “without EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION/ SETTLEMENT OVER A PARCEL OF LAND AMONG HEIRS WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE (PORTION ONLY) KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late FORTUNATO PAYAPAYA NACUA, JR., who died single without any children and died intestate on May 11, 2019 at Zone 1 Dicklum, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, the said deceased left TWO (2) UNITS CONDOMINIUM covered by Condominium Certificate of Title No. 137-2018000063 situated at Building 1, Fifth (5th) Floor Unit No. 1519, One Oasis, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City with an area of TWENTY EIGHT POINT FORTY TWO (28.42) Square Meters and Condominium Certificate of Title No. 088-2011003045 situated at TWENTY NINTH FLOOR OF SOHO CENTRAL CONDOMINIUM, Mandaluyong City with an area of THIRTY TWO POINT FORTY SEVEN (32.47) square meters and has been the subject of an EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE, filed by the heirs of FORTUNATO PAYAPAYA NACUA, JR., in favor of CHRISTINE DEO SABINAY SESEH, per DOC #97; PAGE #20; BOOK #20; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. ALMIRA B. VALDEZ.

That the late DANILO D. DABLIO, who died on October 3, 2018 at Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines, That the said deceased died intestate without leaving any known debt which has remained unpaid or unsettled up to the present, and all the obligations incurred during her death were all paid and/ or settled; at the time of his death left the following described parcel of land with TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-136-2020000982 situated Liberty, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FIFTY (2,350) SQUARE METERS, more or less, herein HEIRS/ VENDORS do hereby SELL, DISPOSE and CONVEY as they actually SOLD, DISPOSED and CONVEYED the PORTION of the above-mentioned PARCEL OF LAND with an area of THREE HUNDRED (300) SQUARE METERS, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION/SETTLEMENT OVER A PARCEL OF LAND AMONG HEIRS WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE (PORTION ONLY), filed by the heirs of DANILO D. DABLIO, in favor of SHIELA MAE NERI CABUDOY, per DOC #376; PAGE #76; BOOK #50; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. EDGARDO Y. RAAGAS.

BWM: May 14, 21 & 28, 2021

BWM: May 21, 28 & June 4, 2021

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

major reforms by June 2021.” The report cited the need to ease the country’s Bank Secrecy Law as another measure to boost the country’s guard against “dirty money.”

CLI...

from page 6

applie d to incre as e its authorized capital stock to P10 billion, and subsequently will issue a 123% stock dividend. Last May 21, the company received SEC’s approval for the increase in authorized capital which will be the source of the stock dividends. And yesterday (May 26), the SEC has approved the issuance of such shares to pay the stock dividends. The record date will be on June 18 and payment date will be no later than July 14, 2021. Even at the height of COVID 19, CLI maintained its position that VisMin – w he re C OV I D c as e s have been relatively low – would easily bounce back e conomica l ly f rom t he pandemic. It avoided layoffs, maintained its workforce and even increased its headcount to over 600 employees by the end of the year, said Soberano. Soberano observed: “2020 was a very challenging year. But we at CLI chose to look at opportunities and focus on the brighter side when we could.” He cited the firm’s heavy investment early on during the pandemic in establishing a strong digital presence that would allow clients here and abroad to select units all the way to

making reservation payments. Its online platforms and flexible payment terms were largely responsible for the company’s record reservation sales of P14.25 billion in 2020. Project planning likewise continued e ven dur ing lockdown periods with CLI personnel in the key cities of VisMin following up on the close to 30 permits and other requirements needed to launch a project. Thus, CLI was able to launch three of the 25 projects in Q1 2021 with more in the pipeline. “We have deep roots in VisMin. We are homegrown and make the most of this u n i qu e a d v a nt a g e a n d expertise,” said Soberano. Meanwhile, opportunities continue to abound in VisMin where the housing backlog has been estimated at 800,000 units a year. Industry studies estimate that only 200,000 units are produced annually. “We truly look forward to a better year. We hope to see even stronger buyer confidence as the vaccines continue to rollout,” he said.

Patriotism... from page 2

again, public schools are a lw ay s f re e. Eve n w it h t he p andemic, we have increased in enrolment,” Bayocot said. Bayocot disclosed that in response to the coronavirus (COVID)-19 pandemic, at least 38 radio stations and 14 local TV networks have partnered in the delivery of education on their

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

ORO RICH TRUCKING SERVICES Rep. by: LORD GENA P. PANIS CASE NO. R10-NC-PA-TH 2021-05-1868

RURAL TRANSIT OF MINDANAO, INC. CASE NO. R10-EV-PUB 2021-05-1872 (2016-10-327)

NOTICE OF HEARING

APPLICANT(s)/ PETITIONER(s) request/s authority for the Issuance of Certificate of Public Convenience to operate TH FREIGHT SERVICE on the route: WITHIN CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY AND FROM SAID PLACE TO ANY POINT IN REGION X ACCESSIBLE TO MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC and vice versa with the use of FOUR (4) unit/s. This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on June 7, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. at this Board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/its evidence. The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least FIVE (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of local circulation. Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/its written opposition with supporting documents, unless this Board deems it necessary to require additional documentary evidence and/or his/her/ its oral testimony(s). WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 27th day of February 2021 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

APPLICANT(s)/ PETITIONER(s) request/s authority to Extend the Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate PUB SERVICE on the route: CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY TO TACURONG CITY and vice versa with the use of NINE (9) unit/s. This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on June 21, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. at this board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/their evidence. The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least TEN (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao. Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/their written opposition with supporting documents, unless this Board deems it necessary to require additional documentary evidence and/or his/her/ their oral testimony(s). WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 27th day of May 2021 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

(Sgd.) ATTY. MOHAMAD FAHDEL S. PIMPING HEARING OFFICER BWM: May 28, 2021

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

BWM: May 28, 2021

respective platforms. Despite the challenges of delivering educational services in the new normal, he reported that 96 percent of the students enrolled in distance learning modality have passed quarter one of School Year 2021-2022. “ We a re c on f ront e d with so many hardships in attaining our goals to the maximum, but to a certain extent we have achieved our goals," he said. (VPSB/ PIA10)

Camiguin... from page 8

n at o p a g - ay o a n g m g a program sa atong gobyerno. Paninguhaon nato nga kamo

sa inyong mga barangay mismo ang mangulo sa pagsugpo sa insurgency aron magpuyo kita sa malinawon nga palibot,” added Agabe. (Let us continue what we have started and develop the programs of t he gover nment. We will really try to have the barangays take charge in ending insurgency so we can live peacefully) Executive Order No. 70 was signed by President Duterte in December 2018, as the Philippine’s roadmap for peace and development by institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach. (DILG Camiguin/PIA10)

Tertiary schools can be 'creative' in flexible learning: CHED By NEF LUCZON, PNA

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY-Colleges and universities in the country are allowed to have their own interpretation on how to implement the flexible learning system in the next school year amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the chief of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said Thursday. Dr. J. Prospero E. de Vera III, the CHED chairperson, said there are no standard guidelines for the flexible learning policy because "it depends on the situation on the ground in every region." "You look into the (tertiary) schools and universities and you will be surprised how creative they can (implement) do with flexible learning,” he said. De Vera said the online learning method is only one of the many approaches under the flexible learning setup. EXTRA-JUDICIAL PARTITION WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late MODESTO M. JUMARITO, who died without leaving any will; that the deceased, at the time of his death, left a parcel of land with Original Certificate of Title No. P-15547 situated in the Barangay of Aposkahoy, Claveria, Province of Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of FORTY THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SEVEN (43,127) square meters, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, filed by the heirs of MODESTO M. JUMARITO, in favor of KRISTOPHERSON A. OGATIS and EVELYN MESIASOGATIS, per DOC #303; PAGE #61; BOOK #51; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. EDGARDO Y. RAAGAS. BWM: May 21, 28 & June 4, 2021

He said flexible learning should allow tertiary schools to "mix and match" the methods in delivering their lessons to the students. For instance, a flexible arrangement can be a combination of modular and limited face-to-face sessions in which students would go to the schools to obtain guidance from teachers on the activities contained in the modules. Colleges and universities should look at the students and working staff, including the faculty, as well as their capacity to see whether or not they can adjust to a given flexible learning arrangement, the CHED chief said. De Vera was in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental, to check on the local government's community college. Northern Mindanao, he said, is the second region he visited to look for participating schools to "retrofit" into becoming vaccination centers. (PNA) EXTRA-JUDICIAL PARTITION WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late MODESTO M. JUMARITO, who died without leaving any will; that the deceased, at the time of his death, left a parcel of land with Original Certificate of Title No. P-10680 situated in the Barangay of Aposkahoy, Claveria, Province of Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of FORTY NINE THOUSAND SIXTEEN (49,016) square meters, more or less, filed by the heirs of MODESTO M. JUMARITO, in favor of KRISTOPHERSON A. OGATIS and EVELYN MESIASOGATIS, per DOC #302; PAGE #61; BOOK #51; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. EDGARDO Y. RAAGAS. BWM: May 21, 28 & June 4, 2021

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FRI-SAT|MAY 28-29, 2021

Throw... from page 4

and economically painful social distancing rules have kept infections low. Instead, officials have largely put the onus on businesses to push employees into vaccinating. E arlier this year the government announced vouchers of HKD 5,000 (USD 640) for all residents to spend as a way to boost the economy. Some critics suggested the government should either link those vouchers to vaccination certificates – or provide further cash handouts for the inoculated. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam rejected that suggestion, however. “ To o f f e r c a s h o r s om e t h i n g p hy s i c a l t o e n c o u r a g e v a c c i n at i o n shouldn’t be done by the government and may even cause the opposite effect,” she said.

Royalty... from page 4

Himself by becoming a human being born into a poor, working-class family. Most people did not even recognize Him. In fact, not only was He rejected by His own people then, but by most of us today. Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING & REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No.10, Apovel, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City ARCHIE S. TAN CASE NO. R10-NC-PA-TH 2021-05-1843

NOTICE OF HEARING APPLICANT(s)/PETITIONER(s) request/s authority for the Issuance of Certificate of Public Convenience to operate TH FREIGHT SERVICE on the route: WITHIN CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY AND FROM SAID PLACE TO ANY POINT IN THE ISLAND OF MINDANAO ACCESSIBLE TO MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC and vice versa with the use of FIVE (5) unit/s. This application/petition shall be considered by this Board on June 7, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. at this Board on which date Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall formally submit his/her/its evidence. The Applicant(s)/Petitioner(s) shall publish said notice at least TEN (10) DAYS prior to the date of hearing once in a newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao. Party(s) opposed to the approval/granting of the application/petition must file his/her/its written opposition with supporting documents, unless this Board deems it necessary to require additional documentary evidence and/or his/ her/its oral testimony(s). WITNESS, AMINODEN D. GURO, Regional Director, LTFRB-Region X, this 26th day of May 2021 at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

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

BWM: May 28, 2021

Remember, Jesus never said He was only a good man, teacher, or prophet. He absolutely claimed that He is God Himself. God the Son Who came to save us, and will also come again to judge the entire world for all of our wrong, sinful living. So either Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord of everyone, whom He clearly proved to be. No other religious leader in history claimed to be God, except Jesus. He desperately wants to forgive us for all our wrongs, so He can give us His full and everlasting life. He has done everything He possibly can, to the point of sacrificing His own life for our sins, to make the way for us to come home to Him. But it is our choice! Will you recognize your King today? Won’t you ask Him to forgive you and take full charge of every area of your life? Until you do, you can never have His true, full life of love, satisfaction, and peace of mind He created y o u t o h av e n ow a n d forever. Remember, Jesus Himself said: If you refuse to recognize Him daily as your personal Lord now, by free choice, you will be forced to later after it’s too late, and will suffer everlasting separation from Him and His true family of followers who chose to wholeheartedly love and live for Him. Just think a minute..

Younger...

from page 4 much easier, no hassle, and cheaper. There is no need to undergo those rigid medical and lab exams, no need to submit those medical records, and no additional premium rates due to medical conditions. Once you get those medical “hits”, which are often developed as you age, getting insured will not be that “too friendly”. Sometimes, you cannot be insured at all even if you want to. My friend who got her first endowment insurance plan when she was 28 was paying around P 29,000 per year. After two years, she decided to upgrade her policy when she learned that she’s already diabetic. She was still insured but her premium increased to P 35,000 due to her current age and mainly because of the additional premium rating imposed due to her diabetes. The best time to get insured is when you’re healthy and you still don’t need it.

Getting a life or investment insurance plan allows you to put protection in place for the future. Indeed, you may not have dependents now, but that will most likely change in a few years. Making that investment now means you’re setting up that protection in place when your spouse, children, or aging parents rely on your income. A former colleague got a P 500,000 policy when he was still single. Never did he imagine back then, that he was already preparing for his “future family”. He passed away a little over 1 year after getting married, due to a vehicular accident. He left his very young pregnant wife with the insurance proceeds which can help her and their child start a life without him. Insurance is created for these unexpected risks and losses. If you wait, it may be more difficult and expensive to get coverage. Or it might already be too late. Investing early and young means having more time in the market. Whether you invest in stock markets or mutual funds or investmentladen insurance products, time is your greatest ally. As they say, it’s not about timing the market but it’s having more time in the market. It’s about the power of compounding interest that one gets the longer they stay invested. To better understand the power of compounding interest, let’s use the “snowball effect” analogy, showing a small ball of snow builds upon itself to form a much bigger snowball as it rolls down a slope. The longer the snowball rolls, the bigger it gets. Imagine how much your retirement fund will be by age 60 when you start setting it up when you’re 25 years old compared to when you’re 40. This may even get you to your retirement goals faster so no need to wait for age 60... you can retire sooner. I was able to retire at age 53 because the savings and investments I made much earlier allowed me to do so. When you're young and just starting, life insurance and money management, in general, may not be your priority. But it should be! Many who have lost years in life have regretted not paying attention to these early on. Let’s be mindful that being young has its own perks and advantages. But we will only be young once. You have the choice to live it the YOLO way or the Adulting way. The choice is yours!

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Distraction... from page 4

loving God, we can easily slide to loving self. We are very notorious in this tendency. That’s why we really need to pause and check ourselves often. We have to see to it that we manage to keep our proper spiritual and supernatural bearing. In other words, we have to realize that whatever we do, whatever the situation is, we somehow would still be in contact with God. Somehow everything should be a form of prayer. For this to take place, we certainly need a kind of plan or program to keep our spiritual life alive and vibrant even as we go through the drudgery of the routine things or the excitement of new and challenging things. But we need to discipline ourselves to follow that plan, knowing that no matter how good that plan is, if we fail to deny ourselves and carry the cross, as Christ himself told us, (cfr. Mt 16,24) we cannot keep our proper spiritual and supernatural bearing, and thus become prone to a distraction that can lead us to our destruction!

Stores... from page 3

NCR Plus was reverted to ECQ. From the said number, Lopez said 500,000 jobs were restored during MECQ and additional 200,000 to 300,000 jobs were brought back in the labor market during the GCQ. He added the two-week ECQ shed P180 billion in the gross domestic product and another P120 billion during the two-week MECQ. (PNA)

Bullish... from page 3

Ag re e me nt ( P J E PA ) to improve market access to Japan. Another prospect for the Philippines in getting more Japanese investors is the policy of the Japanese government to subsidize its China-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large export manufacturers to exit the Chinese market, he added. Panga said with the enactment of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprise (CREATE) into

law, the Philippines becomes competitive in attracting new FDI with the reduction of corporate income tax to 25 percent from the previous rate of 30 percent. “But this will have to be complemented by better governance, more stable economic policymaking, quality labor, adequate infrastructure, and overall ease of doing business in order for the Philippines to improve its FDI performance and keep up with competition for FDI attraction vis-a-vis Asean top 5 economies,” he said. (PNA)

Bats... from page 5

principal amount of the loan and the interest that has accumulated from the previous period. Diokno said it is “crucial for Filipinos to understand the value of savings in banks and choosing prudent investment instruments.” “ T he su r ve y re su lt s indicate a clear need to intensify our FinEd programs with special focus on these concepts and encouraging good learning values,” he said. FinEd usually involves managing personal finance and knowledge on savings, i ns u r an c e , re a l e s t at e , payments, budgeting, retirement, tax planning, and the like. The BSP intends to upgrade financial literacy by partnering with groups over the medium term. “We will continue to measure and monitor (the) progress of our programs as we move forward,” Diokno said. He said the importance of FinEd was highlighted since the pandemic began because of the need to be “financially prepared for contingencies and external shocks.” Because of the pandemic, Diok no s aid, Fi lipinos are now more motivated t o l e ar n an d e a ge r t o apply personal financial management principles, “such as prioritizing needs over wants, living below one’s means, looking for additional income stream, and saving regularly when they can.” He said Filipinos have become more serious in protecting their money against scams.

“The BSP and its financial partners are also taking advantage of this opportunity to disseminate finlit (financial literacy) messages to our target audiences and the public. We have a full work program consisting of several training of trainers, webinars, and learning sessions for this year,” he added. (PNA)

Release... from page 5

principles through environmental and social risk management systems as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerat ions i n t hei r governance frameworks, risk management systems, strategies and operations. Part of the sustainability drive is launching instruments to boost financing for sectors affected by the crisis such as micro-, small- and mediumsized enterprises (MSMEs), health, education and food security. The centra l ba n k gover nor s t re s s e d t hat reducing greenhouse gas concentrations by shifting from fossil fuels to renewable sources is crucial to the climate change mitigation goal. “We should note, however, that a successful transition is not just a matter of isolated changes in the energy sector. We must also consider the potential risks associated with this transition given the interplay among economic activities,” he said.

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late JULIANO D. DEMATA, who died in Cagayan de Oro City on 29 July 2019 that the said deceased at the time of his death, left a certain real property with Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-33522 situated in the Barrio of Kiliog, Municipality of Libona, Province of Bukidnon, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of FORTY THOUSAND (40,000) square meters, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE, filed by the heirs of JULIANO D. DEMATA, per DOC #229; PAGE #46; BOOK #30; Series of 2021 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. DOREEN G. DELEGENCIA. BWM: May 28, June 4 & 11, 2021

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DOTR, SM LAUNCH BIKE MANUAL A

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade with the English and Filipino version of the DOTr-SM bike manual. The manual aims to promote safety, courtesy and etiquette on the road among cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians.

S PART of its ongoing commitment to promote a cycling culture and support the growing bike-riding public, SM Cares, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), recently launched the very first DOTrSM Bike Manual. Through this public-private partnership, the DOTr-SM bike manual aims to promote safety, courtesy and etiquette on the road among cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. It is based on the Active Transport Guidelines, spearheaded by the DOTr, with the support of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and Move as One Coalition. Copies of the passport-sized manual have been published by

SM Cares in English and Filipino, and will be distributed for free in all SM Malls nationwide. DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade led the virtual launch together with MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos, DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, DILG Assistant Secretary Odilon Pasaraba, DOH Director Beverly Ho, and Move as One Coalition Lead Convener Dr Robert Siy. They were joined by SM Engineering, Development, and Design President Hans Sy Jr. and SM Retail Assistant Vice President Mara Sy Coson, and SM Supermalls President Steven Tan. The biker’s manual, which provides biking basics and safety tips for cyclists, forms part of SM’s information campaign to complement the roll out of bike-friendly infrastructure and facilities in SM Malls nationwide. This includes the production of video materials to promote road safety for cyclists and the importance of supporting a cycling culture.

Since the launch of SM’s BikeFriendly initiative at the Mall of Asia in September 2020, SM has rolled out more than 500 bike racks and over 80 repair stations across its malls nationwide to provide a convenient, safe, and enjoyable experience for the bike-riding public. Highlights of the initiative include: SM Mall of Asia’s bike lanes covering 18 kilometers, SM Seaside Cebu’s 1.6 kilometers of bike lanes, a 2.1-hectare bike trail at SM Center Pulilan, SM City Marikina’s bike lanes and free vehicle parking for customers with bikes, and SM City Iloilo’s partnership with its local government unit. The Bike-Friendly SM initiative is SM Cares' community-based advocacy to support inclusive and safe mobility and promote a culture of cycling. The project is part of a comprehensive plan to make communities where SM malls are located, more inclusive, livable, and sustainable.