BusinessWeek MINDANAO THE BUSINESSMEN’S NEWSPAPER
2013 ppi’S Best in Business and Economic Reporting
Volume V, No. 64
Market Indicators As of 6:15 pm Oct. 31, 2014 (FRIDAY)
FOREX
PHISIX
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Briefly Organic trade fair “ORGANIC agriculture is not just about farming but it equates with life. Considering that we are immersed in an era of synthetics, this farming system should not be reduced into just an option, but as a choice for everyone.” Thus said Lealyn A. Ramos, regional director of the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) during the opening of the 1st Regional Organic Trade Fair at SM Cagayan de Oro on October 25, 2014. The Organic Trade Fair is spearheaded by DA-10 through the Marketing Assistance Division and the Organic Agriculture Program. It is participated by 29 exhibitors from all over the region displaying their organic products such as rice, peanut, coffee, coco sugar, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, and livestock products such as chicken meat and eggs as well as organic inputs such as vermicast, organic pesticides, and concoctions.
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Malaysian companies eye Bangsamoro investment D
By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews
avao City -- Malaysian companies are looking to invest in oil palm and rubber plantations in the envisioned Bangsamoro region as part of Kuala Lumpur’s continuing support to the peace process, officials said. Malaysia brokered the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The parties signed last March the Comprehensive Agreement
on the Bangsamoro (CAB), their final peace deal after 17 years of negotiations. The Bangsamoro region will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindan-
ao as envisioned by the CAB. Har Man Ahmad, senior manager for ASEAN unit and former Embassy of Manila Trade Office (MATRADE Manila) commissioner, said the potential Malaysian investments in the Bangsamoro would help alleviate the plight of its people. “Peace is a very important factor [in putting up an investment],” he said in a
press conference. Ahmad said that Malaysian investors are eyeing a joint venture scheme with their Filipino counterparts in the possible development of more oil palm and rubber plantations in the Bangsamoro and other parts of Mindanao. According to the oil palm industry profile prepared by the Mindanao Development Authority in October 2011,
the country has about 55,000 hectares of land planted with oil palm, 80 per cent or 44,000 hectares of them in Mindanao. For rubber, the island reportedly has 137,000 hectares as of 2011. A joint Filipino-Malaysian venture in the palm oil industry has existed in Mindanao through the Agumil Philippines Inc. At least 51 Malaysian MALAYSIAN /PAGE 7
Holcim PH to buy Lafarge’ assets in M’danao, Manila HOLCIM Philippines Inc has identified key assets of Lafarge Republic Inc (LRI) that will be acquired as part of the merger of their parent firms. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Holcim Philippines said it
Roads conversion BUTUAN City -- Agusan del Norte First District representative Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun seeks the conversion of five local roads into national roads, believing these could generate huge economic movements for the city. It can be recalled that Fortun have long expressed his intention to have these local roads converted into national roads. August 2012, a Resolution was passed by then Fortunled Sanggunian Panlungsod of Butuan, endorsing to the Department of Public Works and Highways, through its regional office the conversion of said roads into national roads. “Efficient road networks form part of the lifeblood of trade and commerce. These roads provide vital link for efficient transportation of goods and services to strategic destinations to and from the City of Butuan, the Province of Agusan del Norte and other parts of the Caraga Region, more particularly ports of embarkation and disembarkation and the provincial and city centers. The whole stretch of the road encompasses a number of local government units,” says Rep. Fortun.
P15.00
Mon-Tuesday | November 3-4, 2014
will offer to purchase LRI's investments in Lafarge Iligan Inc, Lafarge Mindanao Inc, Lafarge Republic Aggregates Inc and Star Terminal at the Harbour Centre in Manila. Holcim Philipines may also acquire other LRI asHOLCIM/PAGE 7
SEMESTRAL BREAK. Thanks to the semestral break, these students find time to practice some skating tricks at Rizal Park in Malaybalay City. MindaNews photo by H. Marcos C. Mordeno
Agus-Pulangi operations may be turned over to private sector THE government is tapping the private sector to run the Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power complex in Mindanao.
Emmanuel R. Ledesdma, Jr., Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp (Psalm) president and chief executive officer, told
InterAksyon.com that the agency plans to procure an operations and management agreement (OMA) for the AGUS /PAGE 7
CEMETERY ARTIST. An artisan carves on a marble tombstone at the city public cemetery in Bolonsiri, Cagayan de Oro City. Flowers and tombstone carvers are in demand during the two-day observance of the Kalag-kalag, practiced during All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day, as families clean the graves and place flowers for their departed relatives. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo
Tourism execs: Safety, security always a concern By MINDANEWS
ZAMBOANGA City – Safety and security are always a concern for tourism industry stakeholders, tourism officials from the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and
the Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) said in a meeting here early this week. Datu Ik Pahon Anak Joyik, 11th BIMP-EAGA
Joint Tourism Development Cluster chairman, said tourists should be security-conscious every time they tour to places. TOURISM /PAGE 5
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