BusinessWeek Mindanao (October 15, 2014)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO THE BUSINESSMEN’S NEWSPAPER

2013 ppi’S Best in Business and Economic Reporting

Volume V, No. 56

Market Indicators

As of 5:57 pm oct. 14, 2014 (Tuesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P44.82

6,946.06 points

3 cents

22.03 points

X

X

Briefly Stable rice TANDAG City – The price of rice in Surigao del Sur has remained stable according to National Food Authority (NFA) Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Provincial Manager Gleen Echin.

With the conduct of regular price monitoring, she said that the modal prices of commercial rice here were noted at P39, P41, and P46 per kilo, respectively, for regularmilled rice (RMR), well-milled rice (WMR), and premium variety.

Echin defined modal price as that which appears most often.

Meanwhile, she stressed that the NFA rice stays at P27 per kilo for the RMR and P32 per kilo for the WMR ones.

MUST, MOSCAT merger THE MOVE to merge the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT) into the proposed University of Science and Technology of the Philippines (USTP) is being backed by all members of the 17th City Council headed by Vice Mayor Caesar Ian E. Acenas.

At the regular session Monday presided over by Councilor Ramon Tabor, legislators adopted Resolution No. 11792-2014, supporting House Bill Nos. 4184, 2556 & 4249, “Establishing the USTP, enhancing the composition of its governing board, and expanding industry participation in the university through the amalgamation of the MUST and MOSCAT and appropriating funds for the purpose.”

The bills were filed by Representatives Rufus B. Rodriguez, Maximo B. Rodriguez Jr, Juliette T. Uy and Roman T. Romulo.

Vice Mayor Acenas is the principal author of the resolution with Councilor Lourdes Candy Darimbang and all members as co-authors.

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Web portal launched for RE projects in Mindanao A

By GRACE BEBER, Staff Writer

N online web portal designed to track and monitor renewable energy (RE) projects in Mindanao was launched in Manila on Monday, in line with the goal to achieve a balanced mix of fossil-fueled and RE sources across the island-region.

GRAND MOSQUE. The Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid in Barangay Kalangan II in Cotabato City. Also called the Grand Mosque, the place of worship was constructed by a US$ 43 million donation from Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and is located inside a five-hectare lot owned by the family of former Maguindanao representative Didagen “Digs” Dilangalen. mindanews photo by froilan gallardo

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Department of Energy (DoE) through the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) have of f icially launche d t he One-Stop Facilitation and Monitoring (OSFM) Web Portal, pushing for ward the move to streamline application process for the region’s RE projects.

Speaking before partner agencies and other guests from the power sector, MinDA Chair, Sec. Luwalhati

Antonino emphasized the importance of ensuring that the entry of additional capacities to be introduced in the island-region should put a specific focus on the accelerated deployment of RE sources.

Committed capacities to be positioned starting next year have provided excess net reserves for the island region since 2009, however, most of these projects are centered on fossil-fueled power sources – particularly launched/PAGE 7

Aboitiz bats for ILP implementation

By CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO, Correspondent

ABOITIZ Power Corp.

(AboitizPower) does not support giving the President emergency powers to address the expected energy supply crisis in Luzon next year and instead proposed the implementation of the interruptible load program (ILP) across the entire country.

In a statement released on Monday, the company said it “believes that a nationwide implementation of the Interruptible Load Program and an energy conservation campaign are still the most practical and cost efficient measures to address the power shortage next year.”

ILP involves getting companies to run their generators in exchange for compensation, which is thought

to have the overall effect of reduce their use of power from the grid.

AboitizPower is engaged in both power production and distribution with operations in the country’s all three main island groups -- Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Davao Light and Power Co., an Aboitiz-owned distribution company, started implementing the ILP in 2010 when Mindanao started to experience shortfalls in energy supply.

Earlier last month, two officials of power companies operating in Mindanao also expressed their opposition to proposals to give President Benigno S. C. Aquino III emergency powers to deal with the power crisis. aboitiz/PAGE 7

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES SUNDAY. Young Tagakaolos prepare for a ritual to formally start their Indigenous People’s Sunday celebration in Barangay Pinalpalan, Malita, Davao Occidental on October 12, 2014. Indigenous People’s Sunday started in 1978 with a declaration by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines. mindanews photo by toto lozano

ILP seen last resort on power supply under ‘emergency’

By MYRNA VELASCO, Contributor

With the highly anticipated passage of a joint Congress resolution invoking Section 71 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the Department of Energy’s last resort on additional power

supply procurement might still be the generating sets participating under the interruptible load program.

This was indicated by Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, as he noted

that the lease of gensets from overseas or new suppliers might pose some technical and policy hurdles when it comes to grid interconnection of the facilities.

And given the delays in the deliberations of the power/PAGE 7

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Economy

DTI tells consumers ‘Stand up for your rights!’

By RUTCHIE CABAHUG-AGUHOB

OZAMIZ City -- Consumers have the right to redress or the right to be compensated

for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactor y services.

To exercise this right, consumers are advised to go to the consumers’ welfare desks set up in commercial establishments, where these goods were bought, Delia M. Ayano, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Misamis Occidental, said.

“By shoddy goods, we mean ‘goods that are badlymade, of poor-quality, inferior or second or third rate’ and consumers have the right to ask for compensation, in case, they are unsatisfied with such goods,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ayano said there are eight basic rights of consumers, and the right to redress is only one of them.

On top of the list is the right to basic needs, which means that every consumer has the right to basic goods

and services that guarantee survival, adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education and sanitation.

Another right of the consumer is the right to safety or the right to be protected against the marketing of goods or provision of services that are hazardous to health and life.

Meanwhile, consumers have the right to information or the right to be protected against dishonest or m isl e a d i ng a dve r t is i ng or labeling, and the right to be given the facts and information needed to make an informed choice. “ This is w hy health drinks that claim they can cure certain ailments are required to include in their advertisements the line dti/PAGE 7

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ARMM to replicate Sarangani’s best practices on education MARAWI City -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is hoping to learn from the best practices on education of Sarangani province to help improve the academic performance of students in the region.

ARMM governor Mujiv Hataman and Education Secretary Jamar Kulayan on Monday, October 13, led a delegation composed of officials from the local government of Basilan and ARMM’s Department of Education (DepEd) in an educational visit to Sarangani, which has consistently ranked number one in Region 12 in the National Achievement Test (NAT).

NAT m e a s u r e s t h e performance and competence of students both in elementary and high school. Sarangani has outdone four other provinces and the five cities in Region 12 in terms of NAT result for two consecutive school years.

Hataman said ARMM will try to replicate the lessons learned from the Sarangani experience in fostering quality education. “We will start with Basilan to initially revolutionize the education model. Then, we will replicate all over ARMM.” He said the regional government will be adopting a system to boost education programs that can be sustained through local government support.

The ARMM delegation visited the town of Malungon in the province and discussed with mayor Reynaldo Constantino the best practices that have contributed to the performance of students in the town in the NAT. “Education is a great equalizer, our best weapon against the protracted war on illiteracy and poverty,” Constantino said.

He said it takes political will to improve the quality of education.

Jamar Kulayan, ARMM education secretary, said they want to expose government officials in the ARMM to draw inspiration from the Malungon experience, learn from their interventions and apply their best practices.

Kulayan said they had conducted a similar educational visit involving education officials of Basilan province in the second week of August this year.

M e a n w h i l e , Ta h i r a Ismael, Basilan provincial administrator, is optimistic the experience will inspire local officials to improve interventions for educational advancement.

“I’m glad to be part of this visit. I’m looking forward to the activation of the education cluster in Basilan to address instructional setbacks in our area,” she said.

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KONNICHIWA EVENT. Filinvest held simultaneous nationwide corporate events last Sep 20, 2014 to highlight the culmination of the Konnichiwa Japan Promo. All projects including One Oasis Cagayan De Oro, Filinvest Homes Butuan and Villa San Ignacio welcomed clients and sellers in their showrooms and project sites to allow guests to experience what it is to live in a Filinvest development. Photo shows the Western Mindanao State University Batch 1986 Engineers who joined our Konnichiwa Event at the VSI Clubhouse – Dolores Ramos, Eleanor Natividad, Vilma Francisco, Lorna Bicoy Canones and others. (Photo Provided)

AboitizPower bats for energy conservation ABOITIZ Power Corp has stepped up efforts to promote energy conservation amid a projected shortage in the summer months next year.

Antonio R . Moraza, AboitizPower president and chief operating officer, said the public can help ease the impending supply deficiency through conservation, which Visayan Electric Co (VECO), the company’s distribution utility in the Visayas, has been campaigning for in Cebu since early this year.

Dubbed as Cebu Unplugged, the program is the Visayas’ response to the threat of a nationwide power shortage.

“Cebu Unplugged is an advocacy that encourages the public to join a collective effort to save energy, and instils an attitude of consciousness and mindfulness towards energ y conser vation. It was successfully launched in Cebu earlier this year, and AboitizPower believes this can easily be replicated nationwide to create energy consciousness in ever y Filipino,” Moraza said.

The program proposes eight simple ways to contribute to energ y conservation: • S w i t c h o f f t h e computer when not in use and use one gadget at a time.

• Take a break from gadgets. Read a book or enjoy the uninterrupted company of family and friends.

• Only watch favourite TV programs and turn off the TV while doing other things.

• Switch off lights when not in use.

• Always keep the refrigerator door closed.

• Wash all clothes in the washing machine in

one go. Also be mindful of clothing usage, and use jeans and sleep wear more than once.

• Use the fan more than the air conditioner.

• Unplug all appliances like fans, TV, and radio when not in use, since plugged appliances still consume electricity.

To launch the program in Cebu, VECO first held talks with various stakeholders starting with the provincial government, which passed a resolution asking all local government units (LGUs) to support the Cebu Unplugged program. A forum was also held to educate the public on the country’s energy supply situation and various ways the public can conserve energy.

Energy Scouts, composed of t he b oy s couts and girl scouts of Cebu, were recruited to promote energy conser vation in their respective communities, schools, and households.

Business establishments that partnered with VECO in the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) were given recognition to encourage others to follow suit. The ILP is an energy saving measure where establishments switch off from the power grid and resort to their gensets during peak hours, thus reducing demand.

Lastly, VECO attached a Cebu Unplugged pledge in every electric bill for each household to fill up as a show of commitment to energy conservation.

“We fully support the Department of Energy’s energy conservation efforts.

We have already been doing it, together with the ILP in the provinces, and we are optimistic that through a

united, nationwide effort, next year’s power shortage can be mitigated,” Moraza said.

According to AboitizPower, a nationwide

ILP and an energy conservation campaign are still the most practical and cost efficient measures to address the power shortage next year. InterAksyon

Honda Phils. bats for auto tax reduction HONDA Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) would prefer that government incentives to the automotive industry be given through the reduction in taxes and duties of cars as a form of subsidy to help more Filipinos afford to buy cars and for car manufacturers become more competitive in their local assembly operations.

HCPI President Toshio Kuwahara told reporters at the launch of the new City variant Honda City E Navi+ that granting incentives through tax deduction is

a more realistic idea than setting the 40,000 unit per model production volume annually for car assemblers to qualify for government incentives.

“I am reluctant to talk about any realistic idea but people in the Philippines are buying cars and paying a lot of tax and duties, VAT and excise tax. If government can think how to reduce such kinds of duties and taxes that could be one way of support,” Kuwahara said. honda/PAGE 6

SEC okays Petron bid to raise P10B from preferred share sale

THE country’s biggest oil refiner and retailer bagged the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) nod to raise as much as P10 billion through an offering of preferred shares.

SEC director Vicente Graciano Felizmenio said the corporate regulator cleared today Petron Corp’s sale of 10 billion preferred shares, including an oversubscription option of 3 billion shares, at an offer price of P1,000 per share.

A preliminary prospectus showed Petron hired BDO Capital and Investments Corp, China Bank, RCBC Capital Corp, SB Capital and

Standard Chartered Bank as joint lead managers for the offering of preferred shares.

Petron is set to complete upgrades on its $2-billion refinery in Bataan.

Expected to be completed by early 2015, the refinery upgrade will allow the oil firm to increase efficiency and production of highmargin fuels from the 180,000 barrel-per-day facility.

Petron nearly tripled its net income to P3 billion in the first half from the P1.1 billion it pocketed in the same period last year fuelled by improved sales from its Philippine and Malaysian operations.

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Switching Price Tags?

T

hink a minute…

Im a g i n e you are i n a store and you see a big new television for only $1.

You look at a t-shirt and the price on it is $1,000.

Next to it is a brand new motorbike that costs only $3. Wouldn’t you wonder if someone had sneaked into the store and changed all the price tags? What you thought was very valuable is now not ver y valuable at all.

Hav e y ou e v e r g on e t h ro u g h a p a i n f u l l o s s or frightening crisis that turned everything in your life upside dow n?

Maybe the doctor told you that you have a serious, life-threatening illness.

S omeone you love died in an accident. Suddenly almost everything in your life was reshuf f le d and changed. Those things t h at s e e m e d i mp or t ant and took much of your time b efore now meant nothing to you. And the things that you took for granted and hardly even noticed now became the most important things to you. It was like someone came and switched all the price tags in your life.

S a d l y, t h e s e p a i n f u l losses and problems in life are sometimes the only things that wake us up to

THINK

A Minute

By Jhan Tiafau Hurst

see what’s truly important in life. Unfortunately for many of us, it’s only when t he problem and stor m hits that we begin to understand there are only 2 things that really matter: our Maker and people. Life is short. Often shorter than we expect! And hopefully before it’s over we learn how valuable ever y day is. Each day is just one more gift from God. So we need to start spending what little time we have lef t on gett ing clos e to Him and the people He’s given to us to share our l i v e s w it h . T h at i s t h e only way we can have no fears or regrets when we die. Some of us are scared and don’t want to think of dying because we’re not sure if we’re ready to face our Maker and Judge.

Think a Minute…

A

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Prepaid SIM cards buyers’ Identity Must Be Recorded?

lawmaker has proposed to record the identity of all buyers of prepaid subscriber identity module (SIM) packs for cellular telephones to aid law enforcement agencies in investigating the illegal activities of criminals.

House Bill 3928, which requires public telecommunication companies to keep a record of these buyers, may be sensible and necessar y, but will it not inf ringe human rights?

There might be some i s o l at e d i n c i d e n c e s o f lawless usage of cellular phone numbers with an unregistered SIM and allow criminals to consummate their nefarious schemes undetected, but majority of users may not also have such illegal design.

“By taking advantage of the facility of cellular phones with unregistered SIM, criminals practically go invisible in carrying out

editorial their malevolent plots of communicating their evil designs to co-conspirators, c om mu n i c at i ng t h re at s or sending SMS messages o f r a n s o m d e m a n d s ,” according to the proponent.

Without user identities, hoax messages on winnings from commercial promos reportedly duped unsuspecting victims of their hard earned money.

And thus, to equip law enforcement agencies with the tools necessary to track down such criminals, recording Pre-paid SIMs will enable them to trace us ers of cellu lar phone numbers.

“By recording the identity of all buyers of prepaid SIM and requiring public telecommunications e nt i t i e s ( P T E ) t o k e e p re cord of t hes e buyers,

law enforcement agencies shall be able to hunt down crime perpetrators who take refuge in anonymity,” according to the proponents.

Under the measure, PTE’s are mandated to ensure that the identity of buyers of their prepaid SIM cards is properly recorded and their addresses verified through the presentation o f v a l i d i d e nt i f i c at i o n cards.

If the sale of said SIM cards is done through agents, PTE’s shall ensure that said agents submit to them the verified names and addresses of the buyers within 15 days from date of sale.

The bill directs the PTE’s to submit to the National Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission (NTC) within

30 days from the date of effectivity of this Act, a verified list of their current authorized dealers/agents nationwide.

Moreover, PTE’s shall submit to the NTC an updated list on a quarterly basis.

Under the bill, upon the issuance of a proper court order or a valid request from a government law enforcement agency showing proof that a particular cellular phone number was used in the c om m iss i on of a c r i me or for an illegal purpose, the Telecommunications Ser vice Provider shall b e m a n d at e d t o r e v e a l the identity and personal circumstances of the user of such number.

The bill imposes a penalty of P50,000 to P300,000 and six months imprisonment on any PTE found guilty of violating the provisions of this Act. Shall we allow it?

Is Anyone Really Winning in PCSO Lotto Draws?

L

IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…your eyes and your heart are set only on illgotten wealth… Therefore this is what the Lord says… you will be… disgraced...

As surely as I live, declares the Lord… I would still pull you off. I will deliver you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear…” (Jeremiah 22, the Holy Bible).

-ooo REACTION ON ILLGOT TEN WEALTH OF RP OFFICIALS: New York, US-based Filipino lawyer Mariano Patalinjug reacted to our column entitled “Do our leaders obey command vs. i l l-gotten we a lt h? ”.

Read on: “Attorney Batas Mauricio: Good of you to quote all those verses of the Bible about ill-gotten wealth and `God’s’ warnings to all who go after it.

“It is a safe assumption that probably all of the Filipino officials now holding those high and mighty positions in government--in the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial branches-are Christians. Would you agree?

“As Christians, and highly educated Christians at that who can be assumed to go to Church--whether Catholic or Protestant--every Sunday, they must be aware of those Biblical strictures on ill-

gotten wealth. Would you agree?

-ooo ARE FILIPINOS REAL CHRISTIANS? “Then please tell me why corruption, like a malignant cancer, has metastasized throughout the body politic, starting from the very apex of the bureaucratic pyramid and going right down to the very base. Corruption is one of the two most serious problems aff licting the nation now. The other one is poverty, widespread and chronic poverty afflicting fully around a third of the country’s total population of around 100 million.

“A r e t h e s e p e o p l e Christians in name only?

Show-off Christians?

Heretical Christians, in fact? What has the Roman Catholic Church to say about these corrupt public officials? Is it the case that Catholic priests are in fact in cahoots with these corrupt public officials? If so, it should follow that Catholic pr i e s t s t h e ms e lve s are corrupt. Would you agree?

“President Aquino rode to victory on a solemn pledge to slay the twin dragons of corruption and poverty.

Sadly, after four years of Herculean efforts, he has failed. Mariano Patalinjug MarPatalinjug@aol.com.”

-ooo-

IS ANYONE REALLY WINNING FROM PCSO’S LOTTO? Pat Sosa Sigue, my boss in several news tabloids in times past, complains about the use of thermal paper by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in its lotto tickets.

His complaint, which I translated from Filipino to English: “I have been criticizing for quite some time the use of thermal paper for lotto tickets. The entries in the thermal paper are erased even if the paper is not subjected to a hot flat iron.

“Just expose the paper to sunlight and its contents get erased. Once, I put my ticket inside an organizer which I left in my car’s dashboard.

When I looked at it again, its contents had been totally erased. I feel that this is a tactic of the PCSO to defraud or put one over its bettors.

In the US, the paper used for their lotto is sturdy, not capable of being erased.

Even if you forget it in your pant’s pockets which had been washed, the numbers remain written on it…”

Indeed, Pat is correct. It would seem that PCSO is indulging in hanky-panky here, evidently to prevent lotto winners (if any, indeed, win in any lotto lottery here) from claiming their prices.

Maybe it is time for the

K akampi

Mo A ng Batas

By Atty. Batas Mauricio

Commission on Audit to conduct a full audit of PCSO’s lotto operations to know if there are real winners, how much are the earnings and expenses from it.

-ooo PLEASE LISTEN: “ Ta m b a l a n g B a t a s a t Somintac”, jointly aired at DZEC, 1062 kHz in Manila, 1080 kHz in Dagupan City, 711 kHz in Naga City, 1260 kHz in Lucena City, 1224 kHz in Davao City, and at www. eaglenews.ph, Mondays to Fridays, at 6 a.m.; “Kakampi Mo Ang Batas”, at 103.7 mHz in Don Carlos, Bukidnon, Mondays to Fridays, at 7 a.m.; “Kakampi Mo Ang Batas” at 801 kHz on the AM band (Panay Island), Mondays to Fridays, at 10 a.m.; and “Kakampi Mo Ang Batas” at 107.5 Win FM, Roxas, Isabela (Saturday, 5:30 a.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m.).

-30-

“If you are deliberately trying to create a future that feels safe, you will willfully ignore the future that is likely.” ~seth godin, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

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Banking&Finance 5 FDI inflows surge 56% to $4B – BSP Best in Business and Economic Reporting

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THE central bank on Friday said it has registered $4 billion worth of foreign direct investments (FDI) as of end-July, up 56.1 percent from the same period last year of $2.57 billion.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) show that for the month of July alone, net FDI posted its 13th straight month of inflows to $436 million.

T h e B SP s a i d t h e “c ont i nu e d f avor abl e investor sentiment on

the Philippine economy” is due to the country’s “strong macroeconomic fundamentals.”

During the JanuaryJuly period, inflows of equity capital went up by 46 percent year-on-year to $866 million while net equity capital inflows also posted an increase. The BSP explained that as the 74.8 percent decline in withdrawals to $372 million outweighed the 40.2 percent decrease in placements to $1.2 billion.

Equity capital investments were traced f rom investors based in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan. These funds were invested in financial and insurance; real estate; manufacturing; wholesale and retail trade; and transportation and storage activities.

The BSP also registered a reinvestment of earnings of $458 million in the first seven months, up 61 percent year-on-year.

As for investments in debt instruments issued by local affiliates as loans and debt securities, this rose by 58.8 percent to $2.7 billion.

For the month of July, the net inflows of $436 million is lower by 20.6 p ercent compared to the previous year’s $529 billion.

In July, investments i n d e b t i n s t r u m e nt s amounted to $274 million, down f rom the same period last year by 43.8

percent.

Net e quit y c apit a l inflows went up to $104 million from just $10 million in the previous year.

According to the BSP, the net inflows of equity capital “rose significantly” in July on the back of the 87.8 percent year-onyear increase in equity capital placements to $120 million versus the 69.9 percent drop in equity capital withdrawals to $16 million.

The BSP said majority of equity capital investments came from investors in t he US, Swe den, t he Netherlands, Switzerland and Taiwan.

T h e B S P ’s F D I monitoring covers actual investment inflows and is dif ferent f rom the way other government agencies and investment promotion agencies report FDI data which does not include investments where foreign ownership is at least 10 percent.

RCBC stake sale plan gets positive review FITCH RATINGS has backed Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s (RCBC) move to take in a unit of Taiwan’s largest listed financial holding firm as an investor, saying this will improve the Yuchengcoled lender’s liquidity and balance sheet.

The global debt watcher, in a statement on Friday, said the planned transaction -- which will involve Cathay Life Insurance Co. Ltd. buying a 20% stake in RCBC -- would “help RCB C... improve its capitalization, ability and flexibility to expand its balance sheet, and provide cross-selling opportunities.”

Under the proposed deal, the Taiwanese firm would subscribe to 124.3 million new shares of RCBC for P7.96 billion and would acquire s e c ond ar y share s f rom RCBC’s current shareholders Hexagon Investment B.V. -- an entity controlled by CVC Asia Pacific Limited -and International Financial Corp. for another P9.96 billion.

Cathay Life is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay

Financial Holding Co., Ltd., (Cathay Financial), which is the largest publicly-listed financial holding company in Taiwan with assets of $215 billion and a market capitalization of $21 billion.

The deal was announced to the local bourse in a Sept.

30 disclosure, which noted that the parties involved agreed to negotiate until Dec. 31.

Cathay Life’s purchase of newly-issued RCBC shares would give the bank P7.957 billion in new core equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital, or high- quality and lossabsorbent capital, RCBC said in the disclosure. The capital infusion “would, if consummate d, b o ost RCBC’s CET1 ratio from 10.9% to 13.5% as of June 30, 2014 on a pro-forma basis,” well above the 6% CET1 minimum ratio set by the central bank.

“The fresh capital of P8 billion would help RCBC significantly to improve its capitalisation in the near ter m and supp or t lo an growth,” Fitch said. rcbc/PAGE 7

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

CDO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947

DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631

CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491

LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739

CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City

CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd.,Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

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Honda... from page 3

This will not only help Filipinos but also support local assemblers in their tax payments especially the excise tax.

He said the budget for that tax subsidy could be taken from the proposed $600 million automotive fund being floated by Malacañang.

“Maybe part of that can be used by government to stimulate the auto industry,” Kuwahara added.

He noted t hat t he planned 40,000 unit annual pro du c t i on hu rd l e p e r model being proposed by the Board of Investments as not realistic because only three automotive brands in the country can meet such requirement.

“Government should consider the incentives or tax support for domestic manufactured vehicles,” he said.

He, however, said that it is still too early to talk about the exact amount of the support fund for the industry.

“R ather than talk of total amount government will spend we’d rather talk of what kind of support or incentive the government can give to customers and manufacturers to stimulate local production and buying of locally assembled cars rather than foreign products,” he said.

He, however, said that it has been his dream to assemble new models here to support HCPI’s more than 500 workers. Of the 10 Honda car

models being made available locally only one, the City, is assembled locally. All its other products are imported CBUs from Thailand, Japan and the US. Kuw a h ar a , howe ve r, refused to comment if the $600 mi l lion prop os e d automotive fund would suffice or entice them to assemble another car model locally.

“I am willing to consider additional model and more volume,” he said but hastened to add that this will all depend on the outcome of the automotive industry roadmap.

Meantime, Kuwahara expressed confidence to regain its ranking next year as third largest automotive player among 16 local players following the completion of vehicle launches this year that completes a full model vehicle line-up.

HCPI used to rank third

variants are equipped with Audio-Visual Navigation (AVN) system aptly called Honda City E Navi+ variants

which retail at P816,000 for the manual transmission and P856,000 for the CVT respectively.

Notice is hereby given that the intestate estate of the late Spouses JOSE H. ALOPE and PETRA S. ALOPE, who died on July 4, 1994 and May 13, 1977, respectively; That said deceased left no debts and no will but left a parcel more particularly described as follows; “A PARCEL OF LAND, Lot No. 1220, Cad-529 located at Maputi, Naawan, Misamis Oriental.

With an area of THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FORTY NINE (36,149) square meters, more or less, and covered under Tax Declaration No. 22-0006-00237 registered in the name of the late Petra S. Alope.” is the subject of EXTRA-JUDICIAL PARTITION WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE under the notary public of Atty.

IKE L. ROA, As per Doc. No. 84;Page No.17;Book No. 04 series of 2014.

BWM: Oct. 15, 22 & 29, 2014

SHERIFF’S NOTICE OF SALE File No. 2014-235 Upon Extra-Judicial Petition for Sale under Act 3135 as amended, filed by NATIONAL HOME MORTGAGE FINANCE CORPORATION (NHMFC), a government owned and controlled corporation created under P.D. 1267, postal address at 104 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, against CIRILO T. ABACAHIN, single, with postal address Blk, 24, Lot 16, PH2, Villa Trinitas Subd., Bugo , Cagayan de Oro City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of December 15, 2013 amounts to THREE HUNDRED FIFTY NINE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED NINEY NINE PESOS & 32/100 ( P 359,199.32) Philippine Currency as mortgagor’s indebtedness, plus other necessary fees and expenses of expenses of Extra-Judicial Foreclosure and Sale, the undersigned Sheriff-in-charge will SELL at Public Auction on October 27, 2014 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of RTC Branch 40, A. Luna St., Capitol Compound, Cagayan de Oro City, to the Highest Bidder, for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the real property mortgaged together with all existing and future improvements thereon, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T- 82143 Registered in the name of CIRILO T. ABACAHIN “A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot 16, Blk.24, Psd-104305015867, being a portion of Lot 2, (LRC) Psd-157430) situated in the Barrio of Bugo, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao, Bounded on x x x, Beginning at x x x; containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX (126) square meters or less.”

Prospective buyers/bidders may investigate for themselves the title herein- above described and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

In case October 27, 2014 will be declared holiday or nonworking day, the public Auction Sale shall automatically be held on the next working day without further notice, publication and posting.

Cagayan de Oro City, September 23, 2014.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROVINCIAL SHERIFF

By:

BWM: Oct 1, 8 & 15, 2014

position next year, he said.

For its fiscal year April to March, HCPI expects to sell 16,000 units or 10 percent than last year’s sales.

The City, with overall six variants, is expected to contribute over 800 units a month with the Navi+ contributing 100 units a month. The newest City v a r i a nt i s f i t t e d w i t h navigational equipment from the world’s largest producer Garmin.

The new Honda City

EXTRA-JUDICIAL PARTITION WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL 10TH Judicial Region Cagayan de Oro City OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL SHERIFF

among the 17 car firm members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. until it lost recently to Ford Philippines and settled for the fifth slot. All truck assembler Isuzu Philippines Inc. ranked fourth.

“Hopefully, we will be able to regain our ranking next year,” said Kuwahara.

The launch of its fourth variant of Honda City will at least complete its vehicle line up and put them in a better

(Sgd.) ALLAN M. BANAAG Sheriff IV

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY CELEBRATION – VICE GOVERNOR JOEY G. PELAEZ speaks before the teachers of Gingoog City during the culminating activity of the World Teachers’ Day at the Arturo Lugod Gym, Gingoog City. In his message, Vice Governor Pelaez paid tribute to teachers as the most hardworking employees in the country. On the same occasion, Vice Governor Pelaez received a plaque of appreciation from Gingoog City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Myrna Castaños (lower left photo) and met with former Schools Division Superintendent and now Gingoog City Councilor Dr. Myrna Motoomul (lower left photo). Vice Governor Pelaez is the former Executive Director of the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs of the Department of Education.

Republic of the Philippines ) Province of Misamis Oriental) S.c.

Municipality of Balingasag ) AFFIDAVIT OF LOSS I, ARCHIE S. GITGITIN of legal age, single, Filipino Citizen and a resident of Hermano, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, after having been duly sworn to an oath in accordance with law, hereby depose and say: 1. That after complying with and upon submission of all the necessary requirements the DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA), issued a PASSPORT with Number EB4906731 in my favor last March 8,2012; 2. That the said Passport was kept for future use; 3. That last June 18, 2014, I brought my Passport with me when I went to Balingasag Public Market and placed it inside the U-BOX Compartment of my motor vehicle; 4. That when I pulled out a cellophane from the U-BOC Compartment the said Passport could have fell unnoticed; 5. That upon discovery of the loss, I immediately traced the possible places where it could have fallen. However, despite efforts made to locate my wallet and PASSPORT, the same could no longer be found.

Hence, the same is considered irretrievably lost.

6. That I am executing this sworn statement as required, to attest to the truth of the above facts and to support my request for the issuance of another in lieu of the lost one with the Office of the DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Cagayan de Oro City.

IN TRUTH WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name below, this October 14, 2014 at Balingasag.

(SGD)ARCHIE S. GITGITIN Affiant SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this October 14, 2014, by the affiant. I hereby certify that I personally examined the herein affiant and I am morally convinced and satisfied that he voluntarily executed this affidavit and have understood the contents of the same.

DOC 479 PAGE No. 096 BOOK No. LXI SERIES OF 2014

BWM: October 15,2014

(SGD) CRISTINA TERESA A. MORENO-OCIONES Notary Public Until December 31, 2014 PTR No. 5603473. 01.02.14 Balingasag IBP No. 945259. 01.02.14. CDO TIN 928-431-240 Roll No. 47874. 03.20.03 MCLE Compliance No. IV: 002871

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL 10TH Judicial Region Cagayan de Oro City OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL SHERIFF NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE EJF File No. 2014-232

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act No. 3135 as amended

by Act No. 4118 filed by PAG-IBIG FUND with branch Office at Pagibig Fund Bldg., J.R. Borja St., Cagayan de Oro City against TESSIE B. ADAJAR married to SEGUNDO B. ADAJAR, with postal address at 190 Gumamela St., Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of August 14, 2014 amounts to THREE HUNDRED TWENTY NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED NINETY FOUR & 43/100 PESOS (P 329,5 94.43), inclusive of interest, and penalty charges, the undersigned will sell at public auction on November 26, 2014,at 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Regional Trial Court, Office of the Clerk of Court, Hall of Justice, Hayes-Mortola Streets, Cagayan de Oro City, to the highest bidder, for cash or manager check and in Philippine Currency, the following property described below including all existing improvements found thereon, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO.T- 162855 A PARCEL OF LAND Lot 29, Block 8, Pcs-10-002718 being a portion of Lots 29-FF, 29-GG,29-HH, 29-II, 29-JJ, 29-KK, 29-LL, 29-MM, 29-NN, 29-00, 29-PP, 29-QQ, 29-RR, 29-SS, 29-TT, 29UU, 29-VV, 29-WW & 29-XX all of (LRC) Psd-270920 and Lot 2832-A (LRC) Psd 45561,including all improvements existing thereon situated in the Barrio of Macasandig, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao. Containing an area of EIGHTY (80) SQUARE METERS more or less x x x.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above time and place.

In the event auction sale cannot take place for whatever legal reason , the same will proceed on the following working day without further notice, posting and publication.

Prospective buyers may investigate for themselves the title herein aboved described and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Cagayan de Oro City, October 7, 2014.

(Sgd.) ANTONIO A. CAGULANG, JR.

Sheriff IV BWM: October 15, 22 & 29,2014

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Launched...

Aboitiz...

coal-fired power plants.

“While we welcome a regime of reliable power supply in Mindanao with the installation of baseload plants, it behooves upon us to also undertake deliberate and purposive efforts to accelerate the deployment of RE c ap acit ies,” s aid Antonino.

Antonino further stressed that the development of RE sources in the island-region is imperative in the thrust of substantial investment and trade opportunities for Mindanao.

“This is in line with the Mindanao Development Corridors, one of MinDA’s flagship programs which is concent rated on t he expansion of logistical, infrastructural, and conne c t iv ity ende avors within the island-region,” she said.

Antonino added that reliable, affordable, and sustainable power through RE projects is essential in the full realization of the said strategy. “ It i s i mp o r t a nt t o stress that RE development plays a huge part in aggressive and effective investment programming and promotions that will c o m p l e m e n t M i n D A’s Growth Corridors and help us achieve a balanced and inclusive growth among our regions in Mindanao,” she said.

The OSFM web portal is established to allow fasttrack processing of RE power project applications through a monitoring system that includes facilitative t rack ing and re a l-t ime status updates for partner government agencies and project stakeholders.

During the web portal’s launch, a ceremonial turnover of computer certificates took place, while stakeholders were shown a demonstration of how the facility can be used in tracking and monitoring ongoing RE project applications.

R ome o Monte ne g ro, M i n DA’s d i r e c t o r f o r Investment Promotions and Public Affairs and the head of the MPMC’s technical working group stressed that the OSFM web portal is just an initial phase in the vision of the MPMC towards RE development, which is also in line with the Mindanao 2020 development strategy. “ T h e O n e - Stop we b portal is but a first step towards achieving the goal of a streamlined application process for RE development, which is also consistent with the Mindanao 2020 strategy on the diversification of energy mix for the island region,” said Montenegro.

E st abl ishe d t h rou g h Executive Order No. 81, MPMC plays an ac t ive part in spearheading and co ordinating ef for ts to address and improve the overall power situation and concerns in Mindanao.

Manuel M. Orig, AboitizPower first vicepresident for Mindanao, and Walter W. Brown, chair of A. Brown Company, Inc. whose subsidiary Peak Power, Inc. is setting up a 20-megawatt (MW) diesel plant in General Santos City, both asserted that Mr. Aquino does not need emergency powers to address the impending crisis.

“What the government must do is to collaborate with the industry stakeholders to address the issue,” said Mr. Orig.

“Besides, the government does not know how to run the power business,” added Mr. Brown.

Based on government data, Luzon is expected to need between 800 MW and 900 MW of new generating capacity by next year to avoid a major power deficiency in the country’s biggest island.

Mindanao business leaders are also pointing out the failure of the government to seek emergency powers during the Mindanao power crisis.

“When we brought the power problem of Mindanao to its attention, what it did was ignore the problem,” said Vicente T. Lao, chair of the Mindanao Business Council.

Ab o i t i z Po w e r ’s distribution subsidiary in the Visayas recently launched a program aimed at educating consumers on how to reduce power consumption.

Anton i o R . Mor a z a , president and chief operating officer, said the company’s subsidiary, Visayan Electric C o., st ar te d an energ y conservation program that is expected to help manage power resources.

Mr. Moraza said local government units in its franchise area as well as business groups and the public have thrown their support behind a program called “Cebu Unplugged.”

“Cebu Unplugged is an advocacy that encourages the public to join a collective effort to save energ y, and inst i l ls an attitude of consciousness and mindfulness towards energ y conser vation. It was successfully launched in Cebu earlier this year, and AboitizPower believes this can easily be replicated

from page 1

from page 1

nationwide to create energy cons ciousness in e ver y Filipino,” said Mr. Moraza.

Visayan Electric also implements ILP in its service area.

“We fully support the Department of Energ y’s energy conservation efforts.

We have already been doing it, together with the ILP in the provinces, and we are optimistic that through a united, nationwide effort, next year’s power shortage can be mitigated,” said Mr. Moraza.

In late 1990s and early 2000s, both government and business leaders in Mindanao lobbied before the national government to persuade power generating companies to invest in Mindanao, the country’s second largest island.

At that time, the island was sourcing about 70% of its power from the governmentrun hydroelectric plants in the Agus and Pulangi power complexes.

D u r i ng t ho s e ye ars , power companies shied away from Mindanao because the rates of power being drawn from the government power complexes were too low for the private sector to compete against.

Only Steag State Power, Inc. decided to test the market when it star ted building its 210-MW power p ro j e c t i n Vi l l a nu e v a , Misamis Oriental in 1995.

When the national government pass ed the Electric Power Industr y Reform Act of 2001, several power companies started looking at Mindanao as potential investment area.

Among the early investors were t he Alcant ara-le d Conal Holdings Corp. in 2009 and AboitizPower in 2010.

These two companies are expected to start running their projects early next year.

AboitizPower is building a 300-MW coal-fired power plant at the boundary of Davao City and Davao del Sur, while the Alcantara-led company, since renamed Sarangani Energy Corp., has a 200-MW project in Sarangani.

Several other companies including SMC Global Power Holdings, Inc.; the Ayalaled GN Power Ltd. Co.; and FDC Utilities, Inc. of the Gotianun group have also set up power projects here.

Power... from page 1

proposed emergency powers for President Aquino to solve the countr y’s electricity supply dilemmas next year, the energy chief noted that the suppliers may already confront time constraint in bringing and installing the targeted gensets.

Petilla has qualified that “the authority we’re asking for is always purchasing or renting…we are also asking to purchase from ILP (interruptible load program), but unfortunately, that is not being highlighted.”

The energy chief further s t i p u l at e d t h at “ w h e n everything is not possible anymore, then we will have the ILPs.” “For example, if there is a 50-MW ILP which would not want to join the program, perhaps, we can go out there and negotiate not only on pricing but also on specific terms by which they will run,” Petilla asserted.

He stressed that based on their initial discussion with prospective ILP participants, “there are those who are saying, we will run but we want it for three days – we can’t be on-and-off.”

Petilla thus emphasized that with several conditions being set on the table by ILP candidates, “that is also the authority that we want to have to be able to actually contract ILPs as well as those on certain specifications.”

The what we’re telling the genset suppliers is to go out there and see if they can do it in three months or four months, because in the end,

it might not be feasible.”

The biggest challenge for Petilla at this point, however, is justifying his department’s numbers as to the actual level of any supply shortfall

by March-May next year and how much contracted capacity shall the State underwrite to cover that.

(MMV)

RCBC... from page 5

“ F i t c h e x p e c t s t h at RCBC’s capitalisation to be managed down over the medium term, as it did after receiving a capital injection from International Finance Corporation and various i n s t i t u t i o n a l i nv e s t o r s in 1H13. We also expect RCBC’s loan book growth to continue to be high at around 20% over the medium term,” it added.

F i t c h c u r r e nt l y h a s RCBC tagged with a ‘BB’ rating -- two notches below investment grade -- with a ‘stable’ outlook.

Last Monday, Moody’s Investors Service also said RCBC’s planned stake sale to Cathay Life is “credit positive.”

RCB C President and CEO Lorenzo V. Tan, on the sidelines of the Philippine Midyear Economic Briefing last Sept. 30, told reporters that “there were several interested [parties], but we chose them (Cathay Life) because they can add value to our business.”

Mr. Tan pointed to the significant size of Cathay Financial, noting its chosen partner is a Fortune 500 company.

7

With the nearly P8-billion capital infusion, Mr. Tan said RCBC “will have enough capital to last us until 2018, given our [annual] growth rate of 15-20% in terms of loans.”

But more opportunities are in t he pip eline for RCBC with this prospective partnership, Mr. Tan said citing the company’s panAsian presence.

The RCBC-Cathay alliance would be one of the first of an expected string of deals after Manila relaxed rules for investment in the banking sector.

Philippine banks are att rac t ing overs e as investment after President Benigno S.C. Aquino III enacted a law allowing foreign groups to take full control of local banks. At the same time, Taiwan’s financial regulators are encouraging banks to expand in Asia as the home market is overcrowded.

DTI... from page 2

‘No approved therapeutic claims,’ so that it’s up to the consumers to make the choice to buy them or not,” Ayano said.

Again, consumers have the right of representation or the right to express interest in the making of government policies and the right to consumer education or the right to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to be an informed consumer.

Most of all, consumers have the right of environment or the right to live and work in an environment, which is neither threatening nor dangerous and which permits a life of dignity and well-being, Ayano added.

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Primavera invites you to join Pre-Halloween Open House, offers discounts and prizes

C

agayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental – Do you want to experience fun and excitement through a carnival-themed event in a multi-awarded ecofriendly condominium?

This month, Primavera Residences offers guests with food, games, discounts and prizes in one exciting day.

As the Halloween season approaches, Primavera Residences will hold its preHalloween open house on October 25, Saturday, from 10am to 6pm.

The green building invites guests to drop October.

Guests will also get by and enjoy fun-filled activities and huge a chance to avail of discount offerings for Primavera Residences’

OCTOBER FEVER promo that entitles buyers to get savings of up to P100,000. For

a limited period, the few remaining units at Primavera Residences Towers 1 & 2 will

be equipped with a FREE kitchen modular system.

P r i m a v e r a Residences’ developer, Italpinas Euroasian Design and Ecod e v e l o p m e n t Corporation (ITPI), an Italian-Filipino real estate firm, specializes in green architecture and design which brought the company’s CEO and architect to represent the Philippines in this year’s World Architecture Festival in Singapore.

The 10-storey twin towers are equipped with energy-saving features such as cantilevers that protect the units from direct

sunlight, thereby reducing temperature inside the building, and an indoor courtyard that maximizes natural ventilation and lighting.

Solar panels will also be installed at the roof deck by June 2015 to power the building’s common areas. The green building is also designed to withstand earthquakes and extreme weather conditions.

For inquiries about the Pre-Halloween Open House event and about Primavera Residences, visit www. primaveraresidences. com or call (088) 8805002 or 0917-7942221.

Smart Bro Gadget Expo 2014 invades Oro Story by MARK FRANCISCO

VARIOUS gadget brands were presented and offered to the public during the CDO leg of the Smart Bro Gadget Expo 2014 last October 10 to 12 at the spacious Limketkai Rotunda.

During the event, there was an abundance of goodies raffled off to lucky Limketkai shoppers coupled with 50 percent off on gadgets which are bundled with a Smart Bro device. Consider this – from P22,490, a Samsung Galaxy S4 trimmed down to only P17,590.

Participating brands include Samsung, LG, Acer, Huawei, ZTE, Starmobile, Coby, Sony, Kata, Alcatel OneTouch, Lenovo, Cherry Mobile PlayStation and Windows Phone.

Excited Cagayanons milled about as the discounted gadgets were made available to everyone who bought a Smart Bro mobile broadband device or prepaid load. All gadgets purchased also came with a Smart Bro prepaid SIM so users could instantly experience blazing-fast mobile surfing speeds on the country’s largest broadband network.

Techie geeks were in awe as they toyed around latest models such as the Starmobile Hit, the ZTE 36 Pocket WiFi, the PlayStation Vita TV and the Smart Bro LTE Pocket WiFi, among others.

Smart also set up booths where consumers could quickly and conveniently sign up for affordable Smart Bro postpaid plans that are bundled with high-end and powerhouse devices like the iPad Mini.

All in all, the event was a success.

Visit The SM Store Cagayan de Oro's biggest sale in the city.

It's The SM Store's BIG CDO SALE on October 17, 18 , 19.

Save up to 50% off on great selections storewide.

What's more?

All SM Advantage Card / Prestige or BDO Rewards Cardholders can avail of the following 3- Day promos: One : 10% discount on P1,500 minimum purchase Two : Free Eco Bag on a P3,000 minimum purchase Enjoy these exciting offers for members only.

BIG CDO SALE is happening only at The SM Store.

BusinessWeek MINDANAO WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 15, 2014

www.businessweekmindanao.com editor: ShAuN AlEjANDRAE YAp uY

The Night Stalker:

Irresistible Weekday Deals at Italianni’s Italianni's is treating Kagay-anons to weekday lunch deals this October: for only P245, Italian food lovers can savor a complete meal combination of pasta andItalianni's main dish best-sellers.

Take your pick from the following delectable weekday lunch deals: Grilled Steak and Spaghetti Pomodoro, Baby Back Ribs with Bourbon Sauce, Herb Chicken and Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Roast Beef with Vegetables and Rice, and Seafood Vegetables and Rice.

Panna cotta for dessert and iced tea for refreshments may be added to your selected meal at a separate discounted price. This promo is available from Monday to Friday for the whole month of October.

VIBE B1

American-Italian cuisine, coupled with a shared style dining concept known as ‘Amore de Merrier,’ has made Italianni’s an instant hit among Filipinos.Italianni’s gives their guests the ambience of an Italian family-owned restaurant.

Every meal starts with complimentary homebaked Tuscan and Foccacia bread served with olive oil and aged vinegar.

In the Philippines, Italianni’s first opened in 1996 in Makati City and now has branches in Cebu, Davao, Angeles and Laguna.

Seafood Vegetables & Rice

In Cagayan de Oro, Italianni’s is located at the ground level of Ayala Centrio, beside Centrio Garden. For updates on Italianni’s latest offers, like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ italiannisph.

Besides Italianni’s, the Bistro Group has also introduced TGIFriday’s and Tonkatsu by Terazawa in Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao. Bistro Grilled Steak & Spaghetti Pomodoro has also brought brands such as Village Tavern, Bulgogi Brothers, Fish and Co., Watami, Modern Shanghai, and other homegrown concepts such as Herb Chicken & Spaghetti Aglio Olio Flapjacks and Krazy Garlik to the Philippines.

Cine Europa is back!

E

xperience another spectacular cinematic fare as Cine Europa is back in Cagayan de Oro this coming November 13-16 at the Rodelsa Hall.

21 films from 16 countries are featured for this year. This is the sixth time that the premiere European film festival is being showcased in the city through the partnership of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and Liceo de Cagayan University.

The 4-day film fest is free to the public.

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FFeature eature

Primavera invites you to join Pre-Halloween TOYM Open House, offers discounts and prizes nominations

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o you want to experience fun and excitement through a carnivalthemed event in a multi-awarded eco-friendly condominium?

This month, Primavera Residences offers guests with food, games, discounts and prizes in one exciting day.

As the Halloween season approaches, Primavera Residences will hold its preHalloween open house on October 25, Saturday, from 10am to 6pm. The green building invites guests to drop by and enjoy fun-filled activities and huge discount offerings for October.

Guests will also get a chance

to avail of Primavera Residences’ OCTOBER FEVER promo that entitles buyers to get savings of up to P100,000. For a limited period, the few remaining units at Primavera Residences Towers 1 & 2 will be equipped with a FREE kitchen modular system.

Primavera Residences’ developer, Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-development Corporation (ITPI), an ItalianFilipino real estate firm, specializes in green architecture and design which brought the company’s CEO and architect to represent the Philippines in this year’s World Architecture Festival in Singapore.

The 10-storey twin towers

are equipped with energy-saving features such as cantilevers that protect the units from direct sunlight, thereby reducing temperature inside the building, and an indoor courtyard that maximizes natural ventilation and lighting. Solar panels will also be installed at the roof deck by June 2015 to power the building’s common areas. The green building is also designed to withstand earthquakes and extreme weather conditions.

For inquiries about the PreHalloween Open House event and about Primavera Residences, visit www.primaveraresidences. com or call (088) 880-5002 or 0917-794-2221.

until October 15 only

by ApIpA p. BAGuMBARAN

T

he country’s most prestigious award search for outstanding young Filipinos is still accepting nominations for “The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awards for 2014.

Lawyer Mark Lester G. Manalo, national chairman of 2014 TOYM search committee, said the deadline of nominations is until October 15, 2014 only.

The search, which is spearheaded by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines, is open to Filipino citizens, including naturalized citizens, between the ages of 18 and 40, whose selfless dedication to their profession or vocation has resulted in significant contributions to the welfare of their countrymen and to the advancement of their fields of endeavours.

Manalo said nomination forms can be downloaded at www.toym.ph. Interested party may also contact the JCIP Secretariat at telephone numbers (02) 373790809 or fax number 3744138 for more information.

Meanwhile, JCI is encouraging Mindanaoans to nominate and join the search.

Only few nominate individuals from Mindanao, thus, there have only been few Mindanaoan honorees since its inception in 1959.

JCI has partnered with Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to increase the number of TOYM nominations from Mindanao.

MinDA hopes one of the honorees will come from Mindanao and will serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Mindanaoan leaders.

Now on its 55th year, this year’s search for TOYM is anchored on the theme “Changing the Future Through Excellence.” It is co-presented by PLDT in cooperation with TOYM Foundation and Gerry Roxas Foundation. (APB/PIA-10)

Licean joins JENESYS 2.0 in Japan for Disaster Risk Reduction Course the Government of Japan geared towards educating the youth leaders and A lone representative building mutual respect and of Region X and fourth amity between and among year AB-International Japanese and Filipino leaders. The program Studies student of Liceo de Cagayan University, includes site visits related Gayle T. Salalima, joins to the theme, attendance to the Philippine contingent lectures, interaction with the of thirty-five Youth local youths, two-day homeAmbassadors to Japan for stay with local family and a JENESYS 2.0: Disaster visit to historic sites around Course, Batch 2, September Japan.

30 to October 8, 2014.

Ms. Salalima finds JENESYS 2.0 is an annual this a great blessing and all-expense paid ten-day opportunity to practice study visit to sponsored by her lessons learned in

by ANGElIE SERIñA AzCuNA

International Studies at the same time establish amity with the local youths of Japan, notwithstanding her privilege to represent our Country.

In 2012, Liceo U sent two representatives—Youth Ambassador Mariel Igot, AB-MassComm student and, Contingent Supervisor Angelie S. Azcuna (the writer), Faculty of International Studies—to the first wave of JENESYS under the theme Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776 Editor: Cheng Ordoñez

Feature:

Safe water now flows in Bukidnon’s faraway communities

By Jay M. Rosas

IMPASUGONG, Bukidnon — ‘Ebenezer’ is a longtime farmer and resident of a faraway Rocha sub-village in Impasugong town in Bukidnon who used to worry every time he fetches gallons of water from a far local water source, but feels so blissful and secured now because safe and clean water has reached their community.

“For decades, we struggled with the distance of water source from our village and the health risks that come with drinking from it. Since the water is stagnant, it invites bacteria that caused amoebiasis cases due to the contaminated water,” Ebenezer Jumalon said.

Collecting water was very difficult then, especially when it rains. The slippery, muddy and grassy trails worsen the situation as we sometimes fetch water at nighttime, with fear of being bitten by snakes, he said.

“This area is sparsely populated then due to the absence of water source.

Fetching water from wells built near riverbanks and from springs usually take us about 30 minutes of hiking in hazardous trails,” Romeo Abunda Sr, village chief of Barangay Impalutao, likewise, said.

MRDP’s Potable Water Supply Sitio Rocha, however, got access to clean and accessible water only when the local government unit (LGU) identified the community to be a recipient of Mindanao Rural Development Program’s (MRDP’s) potable water supply (PWS) system.

The P3.46 million PWS rehabilitation subproject is financed through MRDP under its rural infrastructure component.

Stressing on the safety of water, the LGU also consulted the villagers on the design of tap stands to suit the communities’ needs.

“We even made use of our indigenous “banga (jar),” a traditional vessel used for storing water, as water reservoirs, aside from the tap stands constructed by

the project. We also made the villagers understand that safety should come first,” said Ruel Gomez of the municipal engineering office.

The tap stand has a circular tub designed to serve as a safe receptacle for water surplus so that the community could also use it for other purposes, such as agricultural activities.

The water source, a lt h ou g h i nte n d e d for drinking and household use, has already benefited the farmers during dry season when they needed additional water supply for their fields.

Community Mobilization “We have an ordinance now that allows farmers to make use of the water surplus. They collect at night time. The LGU also allocated P50, 000 for annual maintenance of said water system. However, if there are immediate repairs that need to be made, we do it ourselves,” said Impalutao village chief Romeo Abunda Sr. He said the community b e n e f i c i a r i e s c ont i nu e to work hand in hand to maintain the finest condition of their water source, which now serves 300 households in four communities in Impasugong town.

“Fetching water has now become more convenient. The water source accessible and safe,” said Joamar Macapaz, a village councilor of Sitio Rocha.

Farmer Ebenezer Jumalon, meanwhile, said “we could never be able to express our gratitude that this basic need for water in our households has been addressed through this water system.”

Implemented by the Department of Agriculture and jointly funded by World B ank and t he national government, MRDP is a long term poverty alleviation initiative, catering various municipalities mostly the poor towns of Mindanao.

The program is one of the DA’s contributions to the government’s agenda of inclusive growth. (Jay M. Rosas, DA-MRDP/RLRB, PIA Bukidnon)

Environment

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Coastal areas urged to plant bamboos to mitigate disasters

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AVAO CITY – Coastal communities should plant bamb o os along shorelines to lessen the impact of storm surges and sea swells, an official said Monday.

Speaking at Monday’s weekly Kapehan sa SM, Regional Agriculture and Fisheries C ouncil chair Armando Angsinco said bamboos support the soil as well as provide alternative construction materials.

The official said the b amb o o’s ro ot s y ste ms can withstand soil erosion caused by water as well as filter heavy metals.

“We’re pushing for the planting of bamboo along the tributaries from the

mining areas in Compostela Valley,” Angsinco said. “This way, any contaminated water would not reach the sea.”

Angsinco said communities could access funding from the Department of Environment and Natura l R es ources (DENR)’s National Greening Program, adding that even plantation owners should take advantage of bamboo as a crop.

He said provinces such as Davao del Norte

and Surigao already host bamboo plantations.

The call to plant bamboos came after a sea swell reportedly battered homes along Davao City’s coastlines last Thursday and Friday.

Last October 10, fire-hit Barangay 23C was told to evacuate to their nearest covered court by members of the city’s Central 911 service.

The same covered court served as their temporary home after a fire that hit 8.8 hectares of the densely populated barangay on April 4 this year.

“It’s like we were affected by fire again,” one resident told reporters last Friday.

Barangay 23C is part of an area known more popularly as Isla Verde.

Central 911 ordered a preventive evacuation for residents of the Aroma beach area, Barpa, Leon Garcia, Bucana, Isla Verde, Dumoy Coastal Area and Punta Dumalag after sea swells hit the areas.

“Residents in the danger zones were already advised to seek temporary shelter away from dangerous zones,” a government advisory said in a Facebook post and text message.

Barangay responders conducted assessment of damage as early as October 9, when the sea swell first hit. (MindaNews)

European Union, WFP help 62T families in C. Mindanao NORTH COTABATO – Families displaced by conflict in Central Mindanao have made significant gains in rebuilding their livelihoods through a two-year peacebuilding project implemented by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

The €5.9 million (PHP 312 million) EU grant under the Aid to Uprooted People Programme supported more than 62,000 families from Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, North C o t a b a t o, a n d S u l t a n

Kudarat in asset creation and livelihood training.

The projects helped uprooted families normalise their lives by providing livelihood opportunities that aim to not only increase household incomes but also contribute to overall food security. Projects include the construction of inland fishponds, tree-planting and building dikes for flood control.

EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux commended the communities and local government partners for

their achievements. “The European Union has provided opportunities for livelihood and we are pleased that the project has shown concrete manifestations of peacebuilding and community development at work as people have managed to maximise their resources and skills,” he said.

“To witness families living in peace and working together to improve their lives is a tribute both to the European Union and to the people here in Central Mindanao,” said WFP Representative Praveen

Agrawal. “It is important that we continue to strengthen and consolidate the work done here. We see the EU as a strategic partner in these efforts as we move forward.”

In addition to the €5.9 million grant to the Aid to Uprooted People Programme, the EU has also previously supported people displaced from their homes by conflict in Mindanao with a €6.4 million (PHP 364 million) grant for the Food Facility programme to similarly support food-for-assets activities.

Photo 02. Lanao del Norte Bacolod mayor Joselito Miquibas (2nd r-l) joins the record-breaking attempt for the Guinness World Record, TreeVolution event held last September 26, 2014. (PIOLDN)

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WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 15, 2014

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editor: ShAuN AlEjANDRAE YAp uY

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Liceo U Dragonoids Team Launched T

The finale song "IISANG BANKA" rendered by the Licean Rhapsody Concert Chorus, a fitting unity song for the debut of the Liceo Dragonoids last September 26, Liceo University Grounds.

The Liceo U Dragonoids in an exhibition race against FSUU of Butuan City and Team Bakunawa of Iligan City

he Liceo U Dragonoids, the official dragon boat team of the university, was formally introduced to the university community, the media, and the public during a brief ceremony held on September 26 at the university grounds fronting the Rodelsa Hall.

The ceremony was graced by the school executive officials headed by the Chairman of the Board Dr. Rafaelita Pelaez, University President Dr. Mariano Lerin, VP for Academic Affairs Dr. Ma. Florecilla Cinches, VP for Student Personnel Services Dr. Jose Vicente Noble, and VP for Finance Rolex Ratilla.

Also gracing the event was FSUU’s VP for Academic Affairs Fr. Chito Butardo who headed the delegation of FSUU’s Blue Dragons.

Staged on the same day were a river parade and an exhibition race participated by Liceo’s Dragonoids, Father Urios’ Blue Dragons, and Team Bakunawa of Iligan City.

The Liceo Dragonoids is the first dragon boat team in Cagayan de Oro and the entire Misamis Oriental and the second university team in Mindanao. The team of 30 crews is trained by Ms. Priscilla Pinky Castillo, an International Dragon Boat Federation Certified Level 2 Coach.

An invitational race in Cagayan de Oro Liceo de Cagayan University President Dr. Mariano M. Lerin formally welcomes the Liceo U Dragonoids, sometime in December is being planned and Cagayan de Oro’s first dragon boat team. which will be the first official race for the Dragonoids.

All Photos by To know more about the team, log on to ShAuN AlEjANDRAE YAp uY Facebook and like its official fan page: & GlENN pAlACIO www.fb.com/LiceoDragonoids

The Liceo U Dragonoids