BusinessWeek Mindanao (October 16, 2020)

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Pandemic badly hurts robust banana industry Thank you for trusting us!

By CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO, Correspondent

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DAVAO City — The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) said it signed partnerships with six companies for various agriculture ventures that will showcase the economic potential of the autonomous region.

Former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camps, which are undergoing transformation as part of the peace agreement with the government, are among the sites that will be developed as model farms and learning centers.

“This is our share in the peace building efforts being led by the government,” Antonio S. Peralta, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP)-Southern Mindanao Business Council in an online interview.

UARANTINE protocols imposed by local governments in Mindanao in line with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis have affected the production of some banana export firms in the midst of strong demand for the fresh fruit, a top industry executive said.

Credit access A LAWMAKER at the House of Representatives on Wednesday pushed for more formal bank financing to be accessed by small borrowers, such as microbusinesses and farmers, by making credit standards fairer and more inclusive.

In filing House Bill No. 7863, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said alternative credit scoring mechanisms must be introduced to ensure that borrowers with no previous borrowing history or conventional proof of financial capacity can gain access to bank financing.

“The problem with formal credit scoring is that it excludes those without prior borrowing history, or those without the usual assets or sales to show for. That means farmers, small businesses, and small borrowers have to resort to onerous options such as payday loans that impose interest rates of up to 20 percent a month,” Salceda said.

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BADLY HIT. Fresh bananas being readied for export at the Tagum Agricultural Development Co., Inc.’s facility in Davao del Norte in this 2018 file photo. file photo

Stephen A. Antig, executive director of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, Inc. (PBGEA), said companies are seeing lower output as the movement of people is restricted by lockdowns and curfews.

The demand is high, but movement of the workers is our main concern, said Mr. Antig earlier said.

In Bukidnon, banana farms are not included in the list of

“essential businesses that are allowed to continue operating during the quarantine period in April this year.

Under the guidelines issued by Gov. Jose Maria R. Zubiri, Jr., non-exempt businesses shall be closed during the effectivity of the order.”

In Davao del Norte, the top banana-producing province in the country accounting for about 37% of total exports, BANANA/PAGE 11

UK, UNICEF roll out $1M project to fight COVID-19 in BARMM

By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews

KORONADAL City – The United Kingdom (UK) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched Wednesday a $1-million (about P50

million) project to help combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Bangsamoro PROJECT/PAGE 10

Task Force Bangon Marawi to lead commemoration of ‘Liberation Day’

By RICHEL V. UMEL, MindaNews

ILIGAN City – Task Force Bangon Marawi will lead next week’s third commemoration of the Marawi Liberation Day, which will include the laying of wreaths for the heroes

inside the Army brigade headquarters and the inauguration of the Banggolo Bridge downtown, which was repaired GLORIOUS VIEW. Little egrets, locally called "tulabongs," feed on a after sustaining damage during the newly harvested ricefield in Koronadal City with Mt. Matutum, the landmark peak of South Cotabato, giving a glorious background.

MARAWI/PAGE 9 mindanews photo by bong s . sarmiento

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Local

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

LBP provides P1.2-B loan to 29K farmers in Davao Region

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AVAO City – Some 29,000 farmers in the Davao Region availed of some P1.2 billion

financial assistance from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) as of September this year, an official said

Wednesday.

Jose Enedicto Faune, vice president of LBP Davao Lending Center, said the fund assistance

was coursed through the 119 cooperatives around the region.

"We assist the farmers through

cooperatives and other related organizations," Faune said during a virtual press conference.

Faune said one of the beneficiaries was the Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association in Davao del Sur that received P10 million on October 2.

The assistance, he said, was intended as working capital and at the local public market for the cooperative to and served in some of the buy the products of eateries downtown. their farmer-members Food pass instead of selling their The association slowly produce to outside resumed selling pangi traders. when the Department of Agriculture issued food Periodic evaluation passes two weeks after will be conducted on the enhanced community the association, he quarantine (ECQ) took said, adding that the CASSAVA/PAGE 11 loan may be increased

Zamboanga cassava growers thrive even amid pandemic ZAMBOANGA CITY-The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic may have brought social and economic challenges, but a group of cassava growers here managed to sustain its livelihood and stay afloat.

The Lubigan Cassava Farmers Association, whose members are into the production of grated cassava--locally known as pangi--has 152 members who cultivate some 200 hectares of cassava in the coastal village of Lubigan.

“There are farmers from nearby barangays who supply us cassava, but their harvest is seasonal because they don’t regularly plant cassava unlike our association,” said Abdulhakim Jala, president of the Lubigan Cassava Farmers Association.

Pangi is raw grated cassava, formed into

blocks and wrapped in banana leaves or plastic.

The farm gate price for each block, which weighs between 11 to 13 kilos, is pegged at PHP170.

Jala said that the farm gate price has dropped to P140 apiece when the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic hit this city.

Many residents here consider grated cassava as a staple food, known as shanglag (fried rice) when cooked. The other customers, who are into the buy-and-sell business, cook the grated cassava into different kinds of native kakanin such as puto, bianban, and suman.

The delicacies are sold

depending on its needs and demand.

"But we are encouraging also more cooperatives of other types of agriproduction to venture with us," Faune said, adding that the bank's total loan portfolio for the agri-base sector is worth P26 billion.

Faune said their biggest loan exposure in agriculture is on poultry and feed milling, followed by banana and other crops.

"The farmers really want to pay their loans and we attribute this to our program on financial literacy where we educate and let them understand," Faune said. (PNA)

From Gloomy to a Brighter Day EVELYN A. REGALADO Teacher I Gumbil Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

War, pandemic, crime, unemployment, family problems, your own failures and weaknesses, a friend who hurt your feelings— these are just some examples of life’s problems. How do you respond to it?

Many people experience anxiety and depression esp e ci a l ly dur ing t his pandemic. But the problems mentioned above are already there. Rather than close your eyes to those realities— or fixate on them so that you feel miserable—try to strike a balance. A realistic approach will help you to avoid undue negative thoughts and accept life’s realities without being crushed by them. Like a storm, you can be confident that in time, the sun will reappear. In the same way, life’s problems will never be permanent. You can learn to deal with it.

With regards to your weaknesses, have the proper perspective in facing them.

The fact that you have faults and make mistakes shows that you are human, not that you are a failure. Be realistic, work on your faults, but

don’t expect perfection from yourself. Mistakes are there, learn from them so that you can see ways to improve.

One thing that adds to a person’s gloomy day is comparing his life to that of other person. Looking at social media photos of all those events that happened to others but did not happened to you can make you feel bitter.

Accept the fact that your life is different from others’ life.

Besides, social media posts don’t tell the whole story.

Sometimes, if others will hurt you, you can choose to be peaceable. You can’t fully control the actions of others, but you can control your reaction.

Having an attitude of gratitude is also important.

A grateful spirit will help you to focus on what’s going right in your life rather than on everything that seems to be going wrong. Acknowledge your problems, but don’t be blind to see the good things in your life.

Be sure to have the right people beside you. When the people you spend time are

critical, cynical, or bitter, their negative traits will rub off on you. Some friends will go through hard times, and for a while they may be negative about their life. Support them, but do not be consumed by their problems. Negative people shouldn’t be your only source of association. In math, when you add two negative numbers you just get a bigger negative.

The next time you feel sad, down and depressed, make your day a brighter one by accepting the reality.

Let go of the things that’s b e y on d y ou r c ont ro l and learn to improve.

Open your eyes to see the countless blessings you have right now. Be grateful and enjoy your everyday life because today is a gift, that’s why it’s called present. Be happy and celebrate life!

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

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

Puregold Q1 profit gets boost from panic-buying EARNINGS of Puregold Price Club, Inc. jumped 17% in the first quarter, as consumers began panic-buying before the lockdown was implemented in midMarch.

In a statement on Friday, the listed grocery operator said its consolidated net income in the January-to-March period rose to P1.76 billion from P1.51 billion last year.

Consolidated net sales from Puregold and S&R stores increased 17% to PROFIT/PAGE 11

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CorporateWorld

Globe calls for support to vulnerable communities amid the pandemic

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Support Walang Iwanan Alliance through Globe Rewards points

ESPITE this debilitating COVID-19 pandemic that affects many countries around the world, Globe continues to find ways to empower every Filipino to help provide support to the marginalized and most vulnerable communities in the country, starting with Metro Manila.

Globe has partnered with Walang Iwanan Alliance, a new citizenled initiative that seeks to mitigate the effects of

poverty and hunger among communities amid the current situation. This is part of Globe’s ongoing initiatives to assist those whose means of livelihood were gravely affected by COVID-19.

“We’re already well into the sixth month of community quarantines and still, many don’t see yet the end of this pandemic in sight, thus, Globe does not stop helping the government and the rest of the nation in combating the lack of access to

healthcare, education and livelihood, particularly among disadvantaged communities. More and more Filipinos are in need of support so we hope that those who can still share their points will still do so,” says Joey Kilayko, Head of Globe Rewards.

The most basic problem among the disadvantaged communities when it came to the direct effects of COVID-19 was not just about the threat of the virus but about having food on the table for their family, especially

the children, since many heads of families are unable to work due to the community quarantine.

According to the latest surveys conducted by SWS, hunger incidence doubled in early July to around 20% of the population, particularly in Metro Manila. With a 15 million population, this means about three million are experiencing involuntary hunger.

“Many people are still hungry as their means of livelihood disappeared because of the lockdowns,

Vista Land nets P11.6B in 2019

VISTA Land & Lifescapes, Inc., one of the country’s leading integrated property developers, generated a net income of P11.6 billion in 2019, up by 10 percent from P10.5 billion the previous year, driven by the strong performance of its commercial assets and sustained contribution from its residential business.

Consolidated revenues grew 7 percent to P44.4 billion from P41.5 billion last year.

Leasing income posted an increase of 20 percent to P8.5

billion, while revenues from real estate rose by 3 percent to P32.8 billion.

“We are pleased with the company’s 2019 performance as both our leasing and residential businesses provided steady growth,” Vista Land Chairman Manuel B. Villar, Jr. said in a statement Thursday.

Villar said revenue growth from its existing investment properties of about 1.5 million square meters continued to be strong.

“In terms of our residential business, we have recorded reservations sales of P78.5 billion as well as launched projects mostly outside Metro Manila with an estimated value of P38.5 billion for 2019, composed of affordable housing and CoHo (condo homes) projects, our version of mid-rise buildings,” he added.

The company’s total consolidated assets as of 31 December 2019 stood at P272.5 billion compared to P238.2 billion last year.

Capital expenditures for the year amounted to P38.3 billion.

Manuel Paolo Villar, president and chief executive officer of Vista Land, said the start of 2020 has been challenging with the occurrence of a series of unforeseeable events, especially the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Vista Land will refocus on optimizing its existing portfolio of investment properties as well as utilize its current land bank of VISTA/PAGE 11

and the number is still growing. As many businesses closed shop, it meant lesser chances for employment. No work means no money to buy food, and no food means families go hungry.

It’s a simple and basic equation but a hard and bitter pill to swallow,” Jose Ma. Montelibano, Spokesperson of Walang Iwanan Alliance, pointed out.

The partnership between Globe and Walang Iwanan Alliance does not seek to solve the hunger problem but to mitigate it by empowering every Filipino to contribute in providing food to those who badly need it. The aim is to help 100,000 families with two rounds of meal support.

Walang Iwanan Alliance will take care of identifying the most vulnerable communities within the National Capital Region (NCR) and then coordinate with the local government units and affected barangays for efficient distribution.

Initial target areas SUPPORT/PAGE 11

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Opinion

The BusinessWeek Mindanao is published by BusinessWeek Mindanao Corporation every Monday to Friday with office address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Company Registration No. CS201531633 with BIR Certificate of Registration No. 2RC0000831068, TIN No. 463-826-272-000 – VAT. Reg., and with Business Permit No. 2020-04015. Tel. Nos.: (088)856-3344, (088) 810-100, 0923-432-0687, 0917-7121424 Website: www.businessweekmindanao.com E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com

BUSINESSWEEK MINDANAO CORPORATION Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO ALLAN MARIO MEDIANTE Vice President for Corporate Affairs RUFINO T. MAGBANUA Vice President for Business Development VICENTE C. DELA VICTORIA Vice President for Operations JOE FELICILDA Vice President for Administration JOHN AARON M. DEL BANDO Vice President for Events and Promotions JOE PALABAO Vice President for Marketing ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, PhD Vice President for Finance MIKE BAÑOS Vice President for Digital

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Member: Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

I hope you dance (Pt. 1) Think a minute… Not long ago a couple was taking a holiday in the mountains of California. Day after day they saw the same young man sitting by a bridge near their hotel. At first they thought he was fishing, but after a closer look they realized he was doing nothing but sitting and staring at the sky.

Finally on the last day of their vacation they asked him: “Why do you sit in this same spot every day?” He answered, “I believe in reincarnation. I believe that I’ve lived many different lives before and that I’ll have many more lives after this one. So I’ve decided to sit this life out.”

While it may seem funny, it is actually tragic that this young man does not face the fact that this life is the only one we have, so it is impossible just to “sit it out.”

Each day we are either moving forward or backward, getting stronger or weaker, better or worse as a person. Time does not stop for anyone—which means our “dance of life” will soon be over.

Listen to the words of this popular song entitled, I Hope You Dance: “May you never

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST take one single breath for granted; may love never leave you empty handed. Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens. Promise me you’ll give faith a fighting chance…And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance…

Don’t let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter; when you come close to selling out, reconsider. Give heaven more than just a passing glance.

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”

The best news is it’s never too late to start. We begin each day with a fresh, new choice to change. But life is short, so do what you need DANCE/PAGE 11

from the nearby Bukidnon province.

For a city with a river, Cagayan de Oro is vulnerable to flash floods this time of the year.

History tells us that the name Cagayan de Oro comes from the word kagay which means river and Kagay-an as ‘ a place with a river’.

Widely known today as the site of white-water rafting, Cagayan de Oro River serves as the natural boundary between Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City, and between Bukidnon and Iligan City.

It divides Cagayan de Oro as well into two congressional

districts.

Whi le JICA’s mu lt imillion peso flood control has somehow served its purpose, rampaging waters, most often than not, keep Cagayan de Oro in the limelight — sending signals for a metropolitan city prone to massive urban flooding.

G e o g r ap h i c a l l y, t h e headwaters of Cagayan de Oro River originate in the mountain ranges in the central part of Bukidnon.

It freely flows for about 90 kilometers from the Ka latungan Mount ain Range of Bukidnon down to Cagayan de Oro’s mighty Macajalar Bay.

UNRUFFLED

RUFFY MAGBANUA The river drains approximately 1,521 square kilometers, 80 percent of which is in the province of Bukidnon and the rest through Iligan City and WET/PAGE 11

Rise for resiliency, stand for sustainability Cooperatives celebrate cooperative month KIM'S DREAM

Cell No: 09352379999

CHAINCERLIE SUMALPONG Advertising

PANDEMIC greetings at this time of storms and floods in Cagayan de Oro. As we get nearer in ending year 2020, unwelcome storm guests, one after the other, arrive in the dead of the night to unleash their usual fury of strong winds and flashfloods in all corners of the city.

Expect this rainy season of another round of beatings as storms head toward their ‘normal’ route — the eastern seaboard of Mindanao and other storm-prone areas of the region.

Indeed, urban floodings happen in a city like Cagayan de Oro naturally ringed by mountains and rivers

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

Wet Cagayan de Oro

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ORLAN R. RAVANERA Carrying the theme, “C o o p e r a t i v e s A m i d s t the Pandemic: Stand for Resiliency, Strive for Sustainability,” the 18,4381 active cooperatives nationwide with some 11,600,000 members are joining hands, serving notice to one and all that they have awakened and through their collective efforts, they will win back the future for their children!

October is their month and will therefore carry-out activities to put cooperativism in the public imagination and consciousness, anchored on the truism that cooperativism is the only democratic process

now that can liberate the people from the pangs of hunger and poverty.

October is the month of the poor and the hungry as it reels-off punctuated with important celebrations that put to the fore issues of poverty and hunger and what are being done to resolve these pressing issues by mobilizing their collective potentials, energies and experiences.

Amidst the pandemic, the cooperatives are indeed rising for resiliency and standing for sustainability.

October 16 is World Food Day by virtue of a United Nation’s Resolution while October 17 is the Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty.

October is also the month of the Indigenous Peoples.

By virtue of Presidential Pro cl amat ion No. 493 , October has been declared as Cooperative Month. This was reinforced by a recent law declaring October as the National Cooperative Month Celebration. It is a wonderful coincidence that

all of the above mentioned celebrations fall together in the same month as these events are inextricably linked and the issues they carry are very much inter-related.

This month is the apt time for all of us to pause and reflect on issues of poverty and hunger not only nationally but also globally.

As embodied in the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, all the nations in the world have targeted the eradication of poverty as their number one priority.

This is so because out of the 4.8 billion people in the developing countries, 1.5 billion live on less than $1/day; 2.8 billion on less than $2/day. Close to 821 million people struggle to meet their basic food need requirements on daily basis. Each year, 15 million people die of poverty related causes, most are children.

As stated by development experts, “despite years, efforts and funds to fight it, abject

poverty continues to afflict our country such that it has become second skin to more than a third of our people.”

But this time, social change has come under the Present Dispensation. We are now making significant headways in improving our quality of life to debunk poverty by harnessing the collective power of the people through cooperativism. Poverty is one of the main culprits behind the sad tale that is told too much too often – “the thief to many a child’s dreams.”

We have to reverse the poverty trend which is worse in Mindanao that is suffering high poverty gap ratios than the rest of the country. In fact, 14 of the poorest provinces in the country are found in Mindanao. This is a great paradox in an island that has been described as “food basket,” and where 2/3 of total exports are coming from.

The spirit of cooperativism shines through amidst the darkness of poverty and COOPERATIVE/PAGE 11

Lord and the gavel IRREVOCABLE resignation and the symbolism of mace are now irrelevant. As the last string to cling to the speakership of the House, a faithful subaltern of Rep. Bebot Alvarez quickly took hold of the mace believing he or she who is in possession of the mace is the legitimate speaker.

In a blitzkrieg move by the emerging and strong alliance of regional parties, Alvarez was jettisoned from his post not knowing what happened. He blinked and in a nanosecond, he was no long Spea ker of t he House of Representatives, and Pampanga and former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was on the speaker’s podium.

He disappeared from the limelight and licked his wounds in Siargao, so we heard, and then later in Davao del Norte in the 1st District which he represents. While he is down, Alvarez was not out and plotted what is to be

the most expensive political dogfight in the election saga in the province. Bebot and his team emerged as victors but then again he remained to be an inconsequential member of Congress.

The case of Alan Peter Cayetano and Alan Lord Ve l a s c o d i f fe re d f r om Alvarez in that that they had a gentleman’s agreement -- a term sharing they both hatched and claimed was w it nessed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

On the day of reckoning, however, Peter engaged in some maneuverings with his colleagues in Congress to cling to his post. Malacanang may not have been pleased but recognized the independence of the lower chamber. The biggest mistake of Peter, moreover, was to suspend the session and therefore placed the proposed Budget for 2021 in jeopardy.

During normal times, a reenacted budget may suffice.

Peter forgot that we are in

the midst of a pandemic and the 2020 budget definitely will place the country at risk since not an item in the 2020 budget had anything to do with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Peter forgot too that the reenacted budget will impact on every local government unit, which, in battling the threats of Covid-19 and in extending varied assistance to their constituents depend largely on the help of the national government. Peter t herefore u nnecessa ri ly created enemies of the local government units that in many parts of the country have forged regional parties and had come up with a formidable alliance.

A reenacted budget would render Pres. Rodrigo Duterte inutile thus, when Peter suspended the congressional session that’s when he broke the camel’s back. Duterte, f re s h f rom ge t t i n g a n unprecedented Trust and Approval ratings, made a special TV appearance with a

LETTERS FROM DAVAO

JUN LEDESMA phalanx of men in uniform.

He roared like the lion king: “Pass the 2021 budget or I will do it for you!’.

That sea led the fates of Peter and Lord. Peter had ignored the urgency of the 2021 budget that will not only respond to health exigencies but also to revive a moribund economy. Lord need not belabor the issue because the congressmen will gravitate towards him after that stern message from the President. Peter need not deliver another oratory GAVEL/PAGE 11

Banking&Finance 5 Monthly auto sales recover in Sep. Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

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IVE month-onmonth sales of local assemblers recovered in September as the government eased lockdown measures in Metro Manila.

Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the

Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) reported Monday that the industry group’s sales in September jumped by 37 percent to 24,523 units from 17,906 units in August.

“CAMPI remains optimistic that the automotive sector will

recover until the end of the year amid the new normal environment as the industry posted double-digit growth of 37 percent in September,” CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said.

Both passenger cars and commercial vehicle

segments grew monthon-month by 56.9 percent and 28.2 percent in September, respectively.

“Demands for new cars posted double-digits growth on all vehicle categories except trucks and buses. But we are still cautious that consumer

Petron warns consumers of illegal LPG refilling PETRON Corp., the country’s largest oil company, has called on consumers to deal only with authorized dealers and legitimate retailers for their own safety and protection.

In a statement on Monday, it said Petron Gasul cylinders were being replicated and sold by unauthorized refillers and sellers without undergoing the proper safety and quality checks.

“There are very serious dangers to illegal refilling which is why it has to stop.

It puts at risk the lives of consumers because illegally refilled tanks do not undergo proper safety checks nor do they undergo weight inspections, so these are also often underfilled,” said

BWM: October 9, 16 & 23, 2020

Petron President and CEO Ramon S. Ang. It said in a span of three months, two separate raids were conducted by the Philippine National PoliceCriminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG) in Cavite, capturing millions worth of Petron liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products.

It said in June, illegally refilled Petron Gasul tanks worth P4.6 million were seized in Imus, while 180 tanks were captured in Bacoor valued at around P500,000.

Petron said the police also confiscated fake and illegally refilled LPG tanks in an entrapment operation in Valenzuela City, after a joint complaint filed by Petron

and Isla Gas. The owner of the illegal outlet was arrested and jailed.

“Our law enforcers are doing a commendable job in keeping an eye on illegal LPG outlets. If the LPG Bill will be passed, they can do even more in suppressing illegal trade practices in the LPG sector,” Mr. Ang said.

spending is below prepandemic levels due to the evident shifts to essential goods and services,” Gutierrez added.

However, compared to 2019 figures, September 2020 sales declined by 22.9 percent from 31,820 units last year.

The year-to-date sales also decreased by 44.6 percent from 267,364 units from January to September 2019 from this year’s 148,012 units.

Current market leaders remain to be Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki, and Ford. (PNA)

Globe says upgraded cell sites up 26.4% GLOBE TELECOM, Inc. said it had upgraded 7,780 cell sites to 4G/LTE last month, 26.4% higher than the cell sites upgraded last year.

“As of September this year, Globe has exceeded its performance of cell site upgrades with 7,780 or a 26.4% increase compared to the number of cell sites upgraded last year. The cell sites are now 4G LTE ready to give customers faster connectivity and better mobile experience,” Globe said in an e-mailed statement.

Globe said it has put up 593 new towers since January.

“In terms of bringing connectivity to challenged areas, the company has installed more cell sites in parts of Davao Oriental, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Bukidnon, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Davao Oriental, Isabela. Ilocos Sur, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Southern Leyte, Capiz, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Metro Manila,

and Rizal with no or weak signal,” the listed mobile network operator said.

“This effectively expands the coverage of Globe to more locations nationwide,” it added.

Joel R. Agustin, Globe senior vice president for program delivery, network technical group, said: “We are committed to fulfilling our network upgrades and expansion program to improve the connectivity in the country and bring better data experience to our customers. We have regarded the various community lockdowns, not as concerns but challenges to deliver more and make the best of the opportunities given to us.”

Telcos are hoping to improve connectivity in remote areas soon in response to the “new normal” caused by the pandemic.

Telcos have said the goal is achievable with the stimulus GLOBE/PAGE 11

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Feature

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

LGUs, civil society groups reject BFAR-proposed contraction of municipal waters MORE than 30 mayors from different coastal towns in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are opposing a proposal from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to use the coast of the mainland as reference point in the delineation of municipal waters instead of the farthest offshore island of a town.

“We believe that delineating the municipal waters of coastal LGUs with offshore islands should start from the farthest island of the municipality. Using the mainland as reference of delineation—and as proposed by the BFAR— will drastically reduce the area of our municipal waters and open these to commercial fishers. This would negatively affect our small fisherfolk and their livelihood, especially now that they have become even more vulnerable than they were before the COVID19 pandemic hit all of us,” said Mayor Mary Jean Te of

Libertad, Antique.

The resolution opposing the draft guidelines was passed by 32 mayors from different parts of the country in an online forum organized by different civil society groups under the PANAGAT (Pangingisda Natin Gawing Tama (PaNaGaT) network. The resolution was submitted to the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) which is deliberating the proposed rules of delineation of the municipal waters.

In a study conducted by nongovernment group Oceana, almost 30 local government units stand to lose more than 50 percent of their municipal waters (Top 50 coastal towns to lose municipal waters), leaving offshore island communities at the mercy of commercial fishing.

Cuyo, Palawan tops the list with 85 percent of its municipal waters to

Money – Is it the Problem?

GLADYS A. GUIGUE Teacher I Gumbil Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

Envy, distrust, conflict, crime, corruption—all boils down for one reason: money. Throughout the y e ar s , p e op l e a l w ay s talk about money. And it had destroyed many relationships. It even caused other people’s demise.

Why? Is money really the problem?

When used, money can be beneficial because it adds a measure of security. It is important to sustain lifeto buy necessities such as food, shelter and clothing.

It also provides for our family’s basic needs. Also, money can add happiness a n d f u l f i l l m e nt , l i k e spending time somewhere for a family vacation and being generous in giving monetary gifts to help other people. When an illness strikes, money is very useful to pay for treatment and medication. Many people recover from a disease because they have the best doctors and being taken care of in the most trusted hospitals. Yes, money is for protection. It is necessary.

However, money is not the most important thing in life. There are lots of things in this world that are more important than money. Love, unity, respect and loyalty are qualities that cannot be bought by money. If these qualities are present in the family, though they have less, they are even happier than those families who are focused in acquiring wealth but

were full of conflict and distrust. Money in itself is not wrong. But people who love money—who make it their main focus in life—bring problem on themselves, such as broken families and poor health from overwork. Also, those who wants to have it all— the greedy persons--will never be happy. They will not be contented of what they have and will try to desire for more and more.

The lesson is to keep money in its place. Instead, we should aim to be content with the things we really need, such as food, clothing, and shelter. We are wiser if we are satisfied with what we have than pursue wealth at all costs. The Bible does not say that money is evil, nor does it identify money as the underlying cause of all bad things.

It actually says that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” If we do not compromise our moral and spiritual values for the sake of money, we will have self-respect and genuine happiness along with God’s favor and support.

be considered as national waters, allowing commercial fishing to exploit its critical marine resources. This is followed by Culasi, Antique that will lose 84 percent of its municipal waters, and the third is Vinzons, Camarines Norte with 82 percent loss.

Eight coastal towns of the

top 28 municipalities losing 50 percent and more of their municipal waters are in Palawan.

The local chief executives urged the Department of Agriculture and BFAR to allow them to treat their waters between their islands as one management unit,

Manners Matter HERYCRISTY M. SUMILE Teacher I Cahayag Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

Almost everything in this world has a price but there are things that cannot be bought with money.

These are just free but will definitely make you happy.

What are these? Kindness and manners!

In this fast-paced world, people are even more worried about their career, day-to-day tasks, bills to pay and other stuff which made them forget about showing kindness to others.

Many are not mindful about what’s happening in their surroundings, that when they accidentally bump you, they don’t even say sorry. But do manners really matter?

Good manners can improve some areas of your life such as your reputation.

How you treat people makes an impression, for good or for bad. If you are mannerly, people will likely view you as mature and responsible—and they’ll treat you accordingly. If you are rude, however, people will conclude that you are interested only in yourself, and you could end up being bypassed for employment and other opportunities.

Second, good manners can also affect your social life especially when it comes to friendship. People are drawn to those who are mannerly and who treat them well. After all, who would want to be in the company of someone who is rude or obnoxious?

Lastly, having good manners will also affect the way people treat you.

If you are always polite, through time, you may see improvement in the way even the most consistently rude people respond to you.

Of course, if you are rude, you may get the opposite response. Yes, showing kindness and good manners only means that you have respect to yourself and to other people.

How can you improve your manners? You can start by conducting a selfevaluation. How often do I say “please”, “thank you”, “excuse me” and “I’m sorry”? Do I interrupt when others are talking? You may write down the things that you could improve and work on it. Start by being a good listener. You can also maintain an eye-to-eye contact while others are talking and avoid looking into your mobile phones.

By setting these goals, you can slowly make a progress of improving yourself, thus creating better relationships to family and friends.

Social interaction is indeed a part of daily life.

How you handle it can affect how people view you and treat you. Put simply, your manners really matter!

where their fish sanctuaries, marine reserves and managed access areas form as integral parts of their jurisdiction.

“We would also like to reiterate our concern over the lack of consultation with local chief executives on the existing draft guidelines on municipal water delineation.

The draft policy that adheres to the mainland principle could dramatically alter our territorial jurisdictions. It would also affect current local government initiatives and policy issuances in managing our municipal waters, as accorded to us by the Local Government Code. We strongly urge that the DA-BFAR initiate a more transparent and participatory consultation, in coordination with the League of Cities and Municipalities, and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),” the resolution stated.

The draft guidelines for Delineating/Delimiting Municipal Waters for Municipalities and Cities with Offshore Islands was circulated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in a recent meeting of the NFARMC. An online copy is accessible here: BFAR Proposed Guidelines on Municipal Water Delineation “DA-BFAR cannot abandon the municipal archipelagic baselines in delineating municipal waters. The archipelagic principle is consistent with the legislative intent to adopt this principle in defining municipal waters under the Philippine Fisheries Code as well as its legislative history of our fisheries laws and regulation. It is also consistent with the policy objectives of the State to ensure local autonomy of LGUs over their municipal waters and preferential treatment to municipal fisherfolk as expressed in the Constitution and the Fisheries Code, as amended,” explained Atty. Liza EismaOsorio, Managing Trustee of the Philippine Earth Justice

Center.

Aside from having no legal basis, the mayors agree that the BFAR’s espousal of the mainland principle of delineating municipal water is contrary to the constitutionally mandated preferential rights to access municipal waters by municipal fisherfolk.

The local governments admitted the challenge they face of not having enough resources to effectively monitor and enforce the law in their territorial waters. However, the mayors invoke the amended Fisheries Code’s provisions for monitoring, control and surveillance using technology as effective tools to run after illegal commercial fishing operations in the municipal waters.

“The implementation of the amended Fisheries Code is critical to ensure that our municipal and national waters are adequately protected from the negative impacts of illegal fishing. The longoverdue implementation of the vessel monitoring requirement especially for small and medium-sized commercial fishing vessels is an important provision of the law that will equip our government and local government units with the ability to monitor the activities of commercial fishing vessels and ensure they don’t encroach in municipal waters,” said Dinna Umengan, Coordinator of the PaNaGaT Network.

The mayors are also asking BFAR to provide access to the information generated from vessel monitoring measures as this would help them monitor and enforce the ban on commercial fishing in the municipal waters and protect the rights of their municipal fishers. “We owe it to the people. We owe it to fishers who ensure our food security and who are our food frontliners in this pandemic,” the local government leaders added.

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

Philhealth Iligan calls for responsible sharing of information ILIGAN CITY -Philhealth Local Health Insurance Office Iligan chief Christine Mae Magno appealed to the public to be responsible in sharing information amidst the coronavirus disease pandemic.

“Let us be responsible individuals. When we say, we heal as one, we help one another. Dili ta mahimong [We should not become the] source of wrong information,” said Magno in a COVID-19 virtual presser Tuesday.

Magno also urged the public to take part in curbing the spread of the virus. She said that

misinformation can affect the mental health of individuals.

“Let’s help each other kasi we can only fight COVID-19 by doing our part in this community.

Sharing the wrong information is definitely not the right solution,” she emphasized.

Magno also clarified that Philhealth Iligan Branch does not have access to information or data on numbers for those who availed claims for COVID since the data are being managed by the hospitals and submitted electronically to their regional office.

This is also in response to misinformation circulating online about the manipulation of claims for COVID-19 cases.

“Wala mi direct access sa info (we don’t have direct access to such information) unless you get feedback. Our office is designated to cater to member registration, accept and collection of payments, and make sure that members avail their benefits,” Magno added.

Magno also hoped that the information she shared will minimize the spread of wrong information. She also encouraged the public SHARING/PAGE 11

ENSURING PREVENTION AND SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN SCHOOL PREMISES

By EMELITA SABANAL

COVID-19 has seriously affected our dayto-day life, including our work, especially in the Department of Education (DepEd), as we need to adapt our usual ways to the new normal in education delivery and evaluation.

In preparation for the opening of classes particularly in basic education, teaching, and non-teaching staff, parents and other guests will be staying or visiting schools for distribution and retrieval of teaching-learning resources like modules, individual learning plan, and books needed by the learners for their home-based learning, schools must ensure everyone's safety.

As per observation, most schools have foot baths in their gates and classroom doors, prepared handwashing facilities in designated areas, used thermal guns to ensure that people who visited the school are in their normal temperature, there are also specified entrance and exit ways so that people will not cross paths when entering and leaving the school. Most schools have also prepared schedules for parents to collect and return the learning resources to prevent overcrowding and maintain social distancing.

For all times, no one is allowed to enter the school if not following the Government's basic COVID-19 protocol such as the wearing of specified face mask and face shield and be always observant of the minimum social distancing requisite, and every school personnel must be vigilant in keeping this basic protocol.

General cleaning and sanitizing of classrooms and school pathwa COVID-19 has seriously affected our

day-to-day life, including our work, especially in the Department of Education (DepEd), as we need to adapt our usual ways to the new normal in education delivery and evaluation. In preparation for the opening of classes particularly in basic education, teaching, and nonteaching staff, parents and other guests will be staying or visiting schools for distribution and retrieval of teachinglearning resources like modules, individual learning plan, and books needed by the learners for their home-based learning, schools must ensure everyone's safety.

As per observation, most schools have foot baths in their gates and classroom doors, prepared handwashing facilities in designated areas, used thermal guns to ensure that people who visited the school are in their normal temperature, there are also specified entrance and exit ways so that people will not cross paths when entering and leaving the school. Most schools have also prepared schedules for parents to collect and return the learning resources to prevent overcrowding and maintain social distancing.

For all times, no one is allowed to enter the school if not following the Government's basic COVID-19 protocol such as the wearing of specified face mask and face shield and be always observant of the minimum social distancing requisite, and ever y school personnel must be vigilant in keeping this basic protocol.

General cleaning and sanitizing of classrooms and school pathways should also be the concern of all teaching staff and administration personnel while the public was duly informed and guided of their part in keeping the school safe from COVID-19.

BWM: October 16, 2020

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Reconstruction of mosques in Marawi City commences M ARAWI CITY — The rebuilding of three mosques destroyed during the 2017 Marawi City siege will begin soon as Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) revealed that funding has already been released for their construction.

“We (TFBM) already issued the checks for mobilization of the three contractors for the three mosques,” Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Chief of Staff Zyril Carlos said during his recent visit to the Islamic City.

“So it’s not just a Memorandum of Agreement. Now, it’s already a project,” the DHSUD chief of staff said.

The DHSUD official visited Marawi to personally inspect the development of each

project in Marawi’s Most Affected Area (MAA).

After a thorough assessment of the sites, he assured that the rebuilding process remains well within the government’s

Taking Criticisms Positively CRISTY F. BARQUILLA Teacher I Gumbil Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

At some point in time, we all need constructive criticism, meaningful advice that can help us improve in our work or attitude. But many are so fragile that they shatter even at the smallest dose of constructive criticism.

They burst into anger and attack the one who gave the advice.

But why do we need constructive criticisms?

Simply because we are not perfect. We all make mistakes many times.

For this reason, everyone need a constructive feedback. When we receive corrections and accept it, we can learn from it and avoid repeating the same mistakes. Criticisms won’t make us look bad. It helps us improve and do better.

What if we tried so hard and we just got a counsel in return? It would likely be disappointing. However, we can try to accept and face constructive criticisms in a positive perspective.

How? First is by listening.

If someone is talking, we should not interrupt or react impulsively by saying something that we will later regret. A wise person is the one who will remain calm even in challenging situations. Trying to defend ourselves will just block our chance to grow and learn from the correction. Next, we can focus on the content of what the correction is all about, and not focus on the one who gave the correction. We might be tempted to point out the

flaws of our critic. But in reality, there is usually some truth to criticism.

We don’t have to reject what we need to hear, just because we don’t want to hear it. Feedback helps us to improve and get better results.

It’s also important that we have a balanced view of ourselves. Receiving constructive criticisms doesn’t mean that we fail.

It simply means that we have flaws, like everyone else. Even the person who gave us correction needs constructive criticism every now and then. Lastly, we have to set a goal to improve. If we accept it, eventually we can bypass any hurt feelings and we can focus on improving the area that was pointed to us. Acceptance requires honesty, since we have to be honest to admit our mistakes, apologize and learn how to improve. It would be better to create an action plan to monitor our progress.

We can learn from each other. Constructive criticism is a tool that can sharpen us, so we must take it positively and grow.

December 2021 timeline despite heightened restrictions imposed within the city due to the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine.

“We are closely monitoring the progress to make sure that they are within the timetable,”

Carlos stressed.

DHSUD Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario, who leads the interagency TFBM, has continuously affirmed that the rehabilitation of the country’s only Islamic city remains on track and MOSQUES/PAGE 9

FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

Community in Salvador town, LDN receives classrooms, hanging bridge

ILIGAN CITY – In support of the socioeconomic development in far-flung villages in Lanao del Norte, the GMA Kapuso Foundation (KF) together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) turned over a two-classroom school building and a 40-meter concrete, steel hanging bridge in Barangay Pansur in Salvador town.

Alex Adumping, a resident, thanked the project implementers now that his family has a safe bridge to cross over for their livelihood in Barangay Buntong, and his children to study in a comfortable and conducive classroom nearby.

"Malaki po ang aming pasasalamat sa GMA na nakakarating po sa amin itong tulong na mula sa kanila. Sa mga sundalo

po na nag-tiyaga dito sa aming lugar upang mabantayan kami at mapadali ang paggawa ng tulay at paaralan.

Maraming maraming salamat po," Adumping expressed.

(I greatly thanked GMA for bringing here the help we needed. To the diligent soldiers who secure us and worked hard so that the bridge and school would be finished immediately, thank you very much.)

GMA KF in partnership with the municipal government of Salvador and the menin-uniform finished the projects in just three months.

Recognizing the vital role of the military troops in implementing the projects, GMA KF Executive Vice President and Chief Operating RECEIVES/PAGE 9

Managing Time RECHIE S. GUIGUE Teacher I Barra Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

If you were to choose between money and time, which would you prefer?

Many say that time is more valuable than money. You can have more money but you cannot get more time.

On another perspective, time is also like money.

If you waste it, you won’t have it when you need it.

But if you budget your time, you will have some left over to do the things you enjoy.

Managing your time will give you more freedom, not less. Time management is a valuable skill. It can even make the difference between your holding down a job and being fired. The ability to manage time says something about the kind of person you are.

Admittedly, though, time management isn’t easy. There are obstacles along the way that could waste our time if not managed properly.

These are time spent with barkadas, distractions such as our gadgets and procrastination. Surely, if you encounter any of these, you will most likely have poor time management if you’re not cautious enough.

How can you do better in managing time? Making a schedule or a to-do-list is very helpful. It would be wise if you write down how much time you need to complete each task in a typical week. Even during free time, you can be more organized by listing the activities that you like to

(From left) AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gilbert I. Gapay with GMA KF EVP & COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog and municipality of Salvador Mayor Farhanie Tawantawan inaugurate the cable-suspended steel hanging bridge.

do. This could include such activities as social networking and watching TV. You may write down how many hours you spend on each activity. When you make a daily to-do list, you can also check off each item whenever it is already finished.

Sometimes, when there are conflicts of schedule, you may identify which is more important and get things done. You might have to turn down a social invitation now just to finish your tasks. Overall, however, you will find that you have more free time—and you will enjoy it more. And when things are done, you should not forget to reward yourself.

View recreation as a reward for completing your tasks— not as an automatic part of your day.

By doing these steps, you can be more organized in managing time. Time wasted will never come back again, but when time is spent well, it helps you become productive and thus helping you grow as a responsible and successful person.

CHALLENGES IN MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING

By EMELITA SABANAL

Department of Education (DepEd) has been seriously affected by COVID- 19 as we need to adapt our usual ways to the new normal in the delivery and evaluation of education.

T he u su a l f a c e - to face delivery of learning to school children was changed to modular distance learning in most schools to keep everyone safe from COVID- 19, and it brought many challenges not only among teachers and administrators but also to parents and children.

Mo st p are nt s we nt out of their homes to go to work to support their families, some of them leave their home while their children are sleeping and go home when children are already asleep while some have home chores and babies to take care of and so assisting and guiding small children of age 5-8 specifically Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade becomes

a problem to them.

There are also instances w hen p arents are not familiar with the lesson in the modules, so they must seek assistance from the teacher so that they will be able to explain it clearly to their children.

The objective of developing self-learning ability among small children provide a great challenge among teachers, administrators, and parents.

Mo dular distance learning is a necessary element in the continuing e d u c at i o n p r o c e s s o f children, yet it creates eyeopeners to many, and most particularly to parents and children, where it needs extra efforts on their part.

With this new learning delivery, parents must give enough effort to help their children in their studies, for small children cannot do the modular requirements without parental guidance and assistance.

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

Marawi...

Receives...

Marawi Siege in 2017.

Assistant S ecretar y Felix C astro Jr., TFBM Field Office Manager, said wreaths will be offered at a heroes’ landmark inside the headquarters of the Army’s 103rd Infantr y Brigade, known locally as the Kampo Ranao.

Castro said Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, TFBM chair, will be visiting Marawi to check on ongoing housing and other infrastructure projects. He was referring to the inauguration of the Banggolo Bridge, which was severely damaged during the siege owing to its strategic location in the heart of the city, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Bato Ali Mosque, site of fierce battles between the ISIS-inspired Maute Group and government troops.

The Maute group attacked downtown Marawi on May 23, 2017, occupied most of the downtown area and engaged government troops in the countr y’s longest battle since World War II. President Rodrigo Duterte declared Marawi to be “liberated from the terrorist influence” almost five months later, on October 17.

The siege had resulted in more than 1,100 fatalities, including at least 47 civilians.

Me anw h i l e, G e n e r a l Gilbert I. Gapay, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said ove r t he we eke nd t hat the government is ver y much concerned on the rehabilitation of Marawi as it saw that “terrorism is really a clear and present danger that threatens the way of life” of all Filipinos.

“The way forward now is for us to work together to rehabilitate Marawi and to bring it back to how it used to be, or even better,” he added. (Richel V. Umel / MindaNews)

Officer Rikki EscuderoCatibog lauded the enabling units in the area.

"To us, the AFP is not really a military force, but it's more of a humanitarian force," Catibog remarked.

The 55th Engineering Brigade was tasked to facilitate the construction of classrooms and its designated comfort ro om s bu i lt w it h pu re concrete mixture and can withstand an intensity seven earthquake.

Principal Hanifah R adiab said that the provision of the classrooms and the augmentation of two additional school teachers are essential for them to b ecome an elementary school. It will eventually have all six grade levels that could cater to around 200 learners from the community.

Mo r e ov e r, t h e 2 0 1 7 typhoon-Vinta-damaged culvert bridge connecting barangay Pansur and barangay Buntong is now replaced by a cablesuspended steel hanging bridge, reinforced with concrete towers and installed solar-powered panel lights.

Giving GMA KF a helping hand for the construction of the bridge are troops from the 54th Engineering Brigade.

Municipal Mayor F a r h a n i e Ta w a n t a w a n expressed gratitude to the donors and laborers of the said project.

"Napakalaking tulong po nito dahil itong mga additional classrooms at bagong tulay ang isa sa mga pangunahing kailangan ng mga residente dito sa b a r a n g ay Pa n s u r, " s h e pointed out.

(This is such a big help because these classrooms and bridge are the primary needs of our residents here in barangay Pansur.)

Me a nw h i l e , t h e 5 t h Mechanized Infantr y Battalion of the 2nd Mechanized Infantr y Brigade did not just ensure t he p e a c e and s e c ur it y situation in town but also acted as a liaison between the community and agencies to address the needs of the people especially in identified geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of the province.

“It is the desire of the AFP to promote peace and development in all parts of the country. Projects like these are of signif icant help i n t he att ai n me nt of our mandated task to protect the best interest of the Filipino people and secure the sovereignty of the state,” said General Gilbert I. Gapay, AFP’s Chief of Staff. (CLGV/PIA ICIC)

from page 1

from page 8

Mosques... from page 8

that it will be completed by December 2021 as promised

by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Among the projects that will be rebuilt in Marawi’s MAA are the Masjid Darussalam in Barangay R aya Madaya, Masjid Disomangcop in Barangay Daguduban and the White Mosque in Barangay Lumbac Madaya.

In August, Secretar y Del Rosario spearheaded the signing of three Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) that enabled the repairs of the three mosques using donated funds from private developers.

It would be the first time that TFBM will be using donated funds from private developers intended for socialized housing development and rehabilitation of calamitystricken areas like Marawi City. (DHSUD/PIA ICIC) 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

PCCI asks landlords to give rent relief to MSMEs

By KRIS CRISMUNDO, PNA

MANILA – To help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) continue their operations amid the challenging business environment, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) appeals to landlords to provide rent relief for stall and store lessees.

In a statement Thursday, PCCI president Benedicto Yujuico urged landlords and MSME lessees to negotiate on rents that will not negatively affect the capital expenditure of the property owners.

“While we understand all businesses are experiencing financial difficulties, for MSMEs, these difficulties could be insurmountable,” Yujuico said.

He proposed that lessors

can reduce rental rates “in exchange for a percentage of sales of their MSME tenants” until the time that tenants are able to meet their contractual obligations.

Aside from helping struggling MSMEs to become viable again, Yujuico said their spaces will not be vacant and they can still earn from a trusted tenant rather than taking new tenants “who have not proven themselves”.

“Sales have plunged to their worst in decades. There has been a cascade of store closures and jobs losses. The persistence of low consumer confidence and limited public transportation and mobility is making it difficult for enterprises to recoup their operational costs to be able

Procrastination Leads to Frustration!

CRISTY F. BARQUILLA Teacher I Gumbil Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

Tomorrow, tomorrow and you’ll die with sorrow. Yes, procrastination is the thief of time. Despite this fact, still, procrastination has been so common not only by the students at school but also to adults at work.

Some feel that the tasks are overwhelming or they don’t even feel like doing it.

Many are thinking that delaying a certain task is a good escape. Possessing this attitude causes one to later feel bombarded with the many tasks which piled up, resulting to stress and frustration. The Bible describes a sad consequence of procrastination. It states: “He that is watching the wind will not sow seed; and he that is looking at the clouds will not reap.”

Of course, procrastination will just waste our time, leaving us empty and unproductive.

How can we combat procrastination and get things done on time? We can break up a major task into smaller segments.

Doing things one thing at a time will help rather than always putting in mind the major task and not starting anything. Begin immediately, as soon as we get the task, even if that means simply adding it to our to-do list or jotting down a couple of ideas before forgetting it. Making a schedule is very helpful.

This means we have to be organized and determined to follow through it.

What if the task is not appealing? It’s still great to think of a reason why to finish it and how great we feel when we’re done. That

feeling when we’ve done something on time or when we’re ahead of schedule and we can finally relax.

When we delay, we just add stress to ourselves and take away from our chances of success. It would also be helpful if we move the due date closer on our minds so we can have a spare time.

It’s all about mind-set. If we say things will get done, then it happens. By making a schedule, we are able to control our time rather than allowing our time to control us. Having a plan can calm us down and put things into perspective.

Also, it is important that we focus on doing something and eliminate distractions. Checking on e-mails and messages on phone can derail our tasks.

Whatever we’re supposed to do won’t go away until we actually do it. Rather than have it hanging over our heads, we just have to get it done. That way we can relax for the rest of the day.

We shou l d not b e d r ow n e d by o u r o l d habits, strive to conquer procrastination and be ready to embrace success!

By doing so, we will feel more productive, fulfilled and happy.

to pay the rent on top of the utilities and their workers,” he added.

Although the government has prioritized MSME lenders in governmentowned financial institutions like Small Business Corp. and Philippine Guarantee Corp. while relaxing banking rules for MSMEs, the PCCI chief said “more effort is needed to nurse MSMEs back to health”.

With this, more businesses will survive and more jobs will be saved, he

added.

“To be effective in alleviating the difficulties of our small enterprises and to sustain their recovery in the medium and long terms, we need a wholeof-society approach. It is in this regard that we are appealing to mall owners and commercial building landlords under the Bayanihan spirit as embodied by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act,” Yujuico said. (PNA)

Work Hard and Work Smart!

GLADYS A. GUIGUE Teacher I Gumbil Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

“Why am I stuck in this job?”

“This job is so tiring, it would be better if I do not have any job at all!”

“I’m so tired of doing this work after all these years!”

Yes, many people today do not enjoy working hard.

Why do many feel this way?

Perhaps they have been influenced by the media, which often portrays an “ideal” life as one of luxury and ease. People think nowadays that the harder you have to work to make a living, the less successful you are. A full day’s work for a full day’s wage is something that people simply do not do anymore.

On the other hand, many successful people actually enjoy hard work.

Hard work is extremely re w ard i ng , e sp e c i a l ly when it’s directed toward worthwhile goals. Knowing you r go a ls g ive s you direction and purpose why are you doing that certain task. It will then keep you going even when challenges come. If you are lazy, and thus there is less work and activity, it is not a venture that will lead to long-term happiness—only long-term boredom.

Working hard gives us positive feeling within ourselves. Work is an honorable way to care for our responsibilities. Hard work helps us to pay for our needs and provide for our family. Moreover, it also contributes self-respect.

When we discipline ourselves to stick with our work—even if it seems boring or difficult—we can have the satisfaction of knowing that we held ourselves to a high standard. We have won a victory over the inclination to take the easy way out. It gives us an intense feeling of satisfaction.

Enjoying our work is one factor to not feel tired

and exhausted in it. One way to find joy in our job is when we become masters of it. Of course, a person does not become skillful automatically. And few of us enjoy doing things that we are not good at. Perhaps that is why many do not enjoy their work; they simply have not put forth enough effort to become good at it. In reality, a person can learn to enjoy almost any kind of work if he approaches it with the right mind-set—that is, if he focuses on learning how to do the job well.

It is important though that we make sure that our work is being put in its proper place. We must keep our balance and work smart. Diligence and perseverance are essential to enjoy our work. Hard work is admirable, yet we do well to remember that there is more to life than work. A workaholic may never enjoy the fruitage of his labor if his work consumes all his time and energy. In effect, his work becomes as pointless as “chasing after the wind.” If we keep our lives balanced, we are likely to enjoy their work even more.

We give our best at work, but at the end of the day, when the job is done, we should know how to leave work behind and focus on our family and other more important things such as personal growth, relationships and giving time for our spirituality.

In doing this, we not only work hard, but we also work smart!

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

Basics in accounting

By DENNIS P. WAMINAL

ACCOUNTING or accountancy is the measurement, processing and communication of f inancia l infor mat ion about economic entities.

The modern field was established by the Italian mathematician Luca Pacioli in 1494. Account ing , which has been called the language of business, measures the results of an organization’s economic activities and conveys this information to a variety of users including investors, creditors, management and regulators. Practitioners of accounting are known as accountants. The terms accounting and financial reporting are often used as synonyms.

Accounting can be d i v i d e d i nt o s e v e r a l fields including financial accounting, management accounting, auditing and tax accounting. Accounting information systems are designed to support a c c ou nt i ng f u nc t i ons

and related activities.

F i n an c i a l a c c ou nt i ng focuses on the reporting of an organization’s financial information incuding the preparation of financial statements. To external users of the information such as investors, regulators and suppliers. Management accounting focuses on the measurement, analysis and reporting of information for internal use by management. The recording of financial transactions so that summaries of the financials may be presented in financial reports is known as bookkeeping of which double entry bookkeeping is a common system.

Accounting is facilitated by accounting organizations such as standard setters, accounting f irms and professional bodies.

F i n a n c i a l s t at e m e nt s are usually audited by accounting firms and are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Plant a Beautiful Garden of Optimism EVELYN A. REGALADO Teacher I Gumbil Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your success.

- Zig Ziglar What determines your happiness? Is it your current situation, such as having lots of money? Or having a great marriage? Or better health?

In reality, when it comes to happiness, your attitude matters most than your circumstances or genes.

And that is good news.

Why? Because unlike any other external factors—over which you have little or no control—you can control your attitude. A Bible proverb states: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit saps one’s strength.” In other words, your attitude makes a difference! It can affect whether you attain a goal or give up or whether a tragic event brings out the best in you or the worst.

Pessimism will sap you of the strength you need to improve your situation or to help you deal with it.

Keeping a positive outlook in life is necessary despite of the challenging situations you may sometimes face. If you see everything negatively, you will feel afflicted and every day will appear bad or gloomy. But if you focus on positive things, you’ll have “a cheerful heart” and even feel joyful. The choice is yours.

Feeding your mind with positive thoughts, setting smaller and realistic goals on a daily basis and being with the people you love—these

will help conquer pessimism during down moments. The hurdles you face may not be a dead end but merely a roadblock that surely you can get through. Learn to keep negative thoughts out by concentrating on something constructive.

Another factor that may add to your joy is by being generous. Unselfish giving brings deep satisfaction to the giver. Why? Because we were created to do more than simply look after our own needs. Experiencing the joy of giving can do much to help us cope with negative circumstances in life. You can be selfsacrificing by helping others such as by simply preparing a meal for a sick neighbor or doing groceries for an elderly family member.

Care for your attitude in the same way you would cultivate a garden. Root out the poisonous weeds of pessimism and negativity.

Sow seeds of realistic optimism, and fertilize your life with actions that produce positive emotions.

You will reap an emotional crop that will make your life much more rewarding. And it will confirm the fact that attitude makes a difference!

Project... from page 1

Autonomou s R e g i on i n Mu s l i m M i n d a n a o (BARMM).

Last month, UNICEF received the grant from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office of the United Kingdom Government to support the COVID-19 response in the Bangsamoro region. The partnership between the UK and UNICEF will strengthen the capacity in the region to respond to the pandemic.

The grant will be utilized for risk communication and community engagement to re a ch arou nd t h re e million vulnerable people with important lifesaving COVID-19 messages in their own languages.

It will also be used to continue essential nutrition and vaccination for around 130,000 vulnerable children and 25,000 infants in 20 municipalities in the BARMM as well as provide emergency

relief support to Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan provinces for 5,000 returnees from Sabah, Malaysia.

Ebrahim lauded the UK government and the UNICEF for their continued assistance to the new Bangsamoro region.

“With the ever-changing realities now, I remain optimistic that not only can we stand again from the public health crisis but ultimately, as the redefined Bangsamoro, [which is] harnessed through the challenges of its decadeslong struggle and the birth pains of its bureaucratic transition,” he said.

Ebrahim described the COVID-19 pandemic “as the biggest crisis that humanity is facing this century.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to children and their families in BARMM, according to the event’s press release.

“Even before the pandemic, the region has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, as well

Superglue of Life: Apology HERYCRISTY M. SUMILE Teacher I Cahayag Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

An apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything.

- Lynn Johnston Sorry seems to be the hardest word. You might be familiar of this song.

Most people find it hard to apologize especially when they are the one who made the mistake. But in reality, broken relationships can be glued together through a sincere apology.

Why should you apologize? Apologizing shows maturity. When you take responsibility for something you said or did, it only means that you have the essential qualities needed for a mature adult.

Humility and patience can help us to apologize and then listen to what the other person has to say.

Apologizing allows you to make amends. People who say “I’m sorry” show that they are more concerned about making peace than about proving themselves right and proving the other person wrong. Even if you think that it’s not your fault, making peace should be the priority. It doesn’t cost anything to say ‘I’m sorry,’ but it can restore a friendship.

You feel better when you apologize. Regret over hurting someone by word or action is a heavy load to carry. Once you apologize, that burden is lifted off your shoulders. Though it’s hard to apologize, if we still do so, peace in the relationship can be restored.

How can you do a sincere apology? You can do it personally. A faceto-face apology allows the other person to see

the genuineness of your remorse. Text apologies, by comparison, may fall flat.

Even when accompanied by a sad-faced emoji, they can seem impersonal and insincere. If you can’t ap ol o g i z e i n p e r s on , consider calling on the phone or writing a card.

Whichever method you choose, plan your words carefully. It is best to do the apology the soonest time possible. The longer an issue remains unresolved, the more serious the wrong will seem and the more awkward things will be b etween you and the person you hurt. If you are sincere, you take the full responsibility for what you did. If you just say, “I’m sorry if you feel that way”, that is not an apology.

Making the apology is unconditional. Don’t say, in effect, “I’ll apologize for my part of the problem if you’ll apologize for your part.”

Yes, it takes humility to sincerely apologize to someone. And apologizing doesn’t mean that it is our fault. The goal is to put out the fire, not to add more fuel to it. It may not be that easy but making the effort is all worth it. Apologizing repairs broken relationships thus gives us peace of mind and happiness.

as one of the lowest outcomes in terms of child health, nutrition and education. The pandemic has driven many families deeper into poverty and has overwhelmed an already weak health system,” it added.

“We are delighted to partner with the BARMM Government and UNICEF to help strengthen capacity to deal with the challenges posed

by COVID-19. Children are the future of the BARMM and they deserve to be given every chance to help shape its destiny,” Totty said.

“The UK Government will continue to be a committed partner in achieving lasting peace and prosperity in Mindanao for the benefit of all its citizens, but especially the most vulnerable children and families,” he added.

The support bolsters UNICEF’s response, through

its Mindanao Field Office, providing supplies, training and technical support to the Bangsamoro government, Dendevnorov said.

Supplies procured by U N IC E F i n clu d e te nt s for hospit a ls, p ers ona l protective equipment for health and cleaning staff, and handwashing stations, she said.

UNICEF also trained health workers in infection and prevention control, translated and disseminated health messages to various dialects, and engaged children and youth to share their experiences of the pandemic as a way to inform future action, Dendevnorov said.

Working with religious leaders, UNICEF helped incor p orate C OVID-19 messages in their sermons, she said. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

Protect Yourself from Diseases RECHIE S. GUIGUE Teacher I Barra Elementary School Division of Misamis Occidental

Who wants to get sick? Of course, nobody. No matter how much you try to work hard for your dreams, you can’t enjoy your wealth if you’re not in good health.

Aside from the emotional burden in the family, getting sick can even deplete our savings. For instance, some people who tested positive in COVID-19 shares about their hospital bills which soared up to 6 digits!

How can you prevent yourself and your family from getting sick, especially during this pandemic?

Basically, it is essential to keep yourself clean. “Hand washing is the single most important thing that you can do to help prevent the spread of infection and to stay healthy and well,” reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as 80 percent of infections are said to be passed on by unclean hands. So wash them often throughout the day. Do so especially before eating, preparing food, or dressing or even touching a wound, and do so after touching an animal or using the toilet.

Washing with soap and water is more effective than using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Bathing every day and keeping your clothes and bed linens fresh and clean also contribute to better health. It is also important to keep yourself away from a sick person.

Avoi d c l o s e phy s i c a l contact or the sharing of eating utensils with any who have a cold or the flu. Their saliva and nasal secretions can pass the illness on to you. Though vaccination can help to prevent some infections, but a wise person must still take necessary precautions when with someone who has an infectious disease.

Another step to prevent yourself from disease is to keep your home clean.

Make whatever extra effort is needed to keep your home tidy and clean, inside and out. Eliminate any places where water can collect and mosquitoes can breed.

Litter, filth, and uncovered foods and garbage attract insects which can bring in microbes and cause disease.

Although these steps are simple and basic, maintaining and keeping it a habit will definitely pay off. Prevention is always better than cure. Taking simple protective steps can help you avoid much sickness and misery, as well as loss of time and money.

11

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FRIDAY|OCTOBER 16, 2020

Dance... from page 4

to do today! Jesus made it clear: the way we live now determines where we live forever after we die—with Him or without Him. Only the Creator of life knows the “right steps” to the dance of life. Won’t you ask Him to take full charge of your heart and daily way of living? He will lead and teach you how to “dance,” that is, fully live each day the right, satisfying way He designed you to live both now and forever. Just think a minute…

Wet...

from page 4

Cagayan de Oro. That said, massive planting of bamboos and other tree sp ecies like mangroves along the banks of Cagayan de Oro may become a sort of mitigating measure the natural way, and perhaps a practical solution than building more concrete walls on both sides of the river.

This could be a kind of healing the wounds of ailing Mother Nature brought about by man’s insatiable greed – that of continuously exploiting the environment.

Like they always say, excess of everything is bad.

If we do not stop exploiting our ecosystem now, and eventually fail to institute environmental reforms, the swath of Mother Nature may fall on us constantly – and endlessly.

In the end, the biggest sufferers in this case is no other than the human race since it is the human race that is dependent on forests for its simplest to most complex needs.

Summing up, Cagayan de Oro River is both beauty and the beast.

Beauty when cared, and beast when abused to the hilt.

Keep safe and stay healthy this time of pandemic — and flashfloods. (ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo.com)

Gavel... from page 4

to tender his irrevocable resignation. He knew that the mace does not matter anymore and neither the venue.

All that Lord really has to do is to learn how to handle that gavel.

Cooperative... from page 4

social inequities at the time of the pandemic. Where people are poor because they are powerless to craft their destiny, where hunger looms because of social injustice as the mode of production and basic utilities are controlled by a few, where people are in dire economic difficulties because of lack of opportunities, skills and capabilities, it is during this time when cooperatives thrive best.

No less than the amazing Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has recognized the significant contribution of t he c o op erat ives i n countryside development and nation-building. He

said that, “cooperatives are not only empowering their members but their respective communities as well in combatting poverty.”

Indeed, the cooperatives nation-wide are now standing as one development force not only to counter poverty and social inequities but have become transformational to effect the much needed shift in paradigm to be a countervailing force against climate change and violent extremism. Cooperativism is now the empowering path to draw those in the margins into the mainstream of development processes.

As the spirit of compassion and love shines through amidst the darkness of the pandemic, the cooperatives are serving notice to one and all that the genuine call is not just against COVID-19 but against the contemporaneous economic paradigm that has put Mother Earth now is the state of cataclysmic emergency as the earth is now facing its 6th extinction due to climate change. Thus, while we now rise for resiliency, we must stand for sustainability which is the urgent call of the times. MABUHAY ANG KOOPERATIBA!

Profit... from page 3

P40.95 billion. Puregold stores accounted for 77% of total sales, while S&R shopping warehouses and pizza stores made up the remainder.

The company said its same-store sales growth, or the growth in sales for its existing stores, unexpectedly rose to 14.4% for Puregold and 5.1% for S&R. “(The growth in sales) in this period is driven by higher consumer spending and pantry loading prior to the (lockdown) as well as the low inflation environment in 2020,” it said.

Luzon island was placed under strict home quarantine in mid-March due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This prompted shoppers to buy items in bulk to limit the frequency of their grocery runs.

Operating income of Puregold stood at P2.97 billion during the period, up 15% from in the same three months last year.

The company has 443 stores in its portfolio at the end of March, consisting of 384 Puregold stores, 20 S&R shopping warehouses and 39 S&R pizza stores.

Support... from page 3

in NCR are mostly the densely populated ones with identified vulnerable and underserved communities, which includes, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Quezon City, Pasig (plus adjacent portions of Marikina City), Pateros, Caloocan and Manila.

Globe will support 5,000 families starting with Mandaluyong and Parañaque - two of the seven identified areas by Walang Iwanan Alliance. Globe also enjoins its subscribers to donate

their Globe Rewards points to Walang Iwanan Alliance star ting S eptemb er 17, 2020. Each point donated is equivalent to Php1. The amount collected will then be used to buy meals worth approximately Php25 each or PhP875 per family of five, good for 1 week of meal support. To donate, open or download the Globe Rewards App through this link http:// glbe.co/GRewardsApp and click on the Walang Iwanan Alliance badge to redeem with points.

Walang Iwanan Alliance is more than just a simple feeding program but a platform that supports and expands existing efforts, including distribution by barangays. By optimizing existing networks and consolidating inputs (donations) and outputs ( fe e d i ng of v u l ne r abl e communities), the Alliance can reach economies of scale to give it a fighting chance to mitigate the hunger that the 3 million people currently feel.

As a purpose-led organization, Globe combines innovation with the power of collaboration to achieve inclusive and sustainable development for all. The company commits to contribute to ten (10) UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSD Gs) www. globe.com.ph/about-us/ sustainability.html.

For more about Globe Telecom, visit www.globe. com.ph.

Vista... from page 3

about 3,000 hectares.

We saw that demand for affordable housing persists and homebuyers, most of which are end users, remain committed to completing payments. Vista Land also is taking advantage of its geographic reach. We have a presence in 147 cities and municipalities across the country and generate over 50 percent of our revenue outside Metro Manila,” he said.

Vista Land intends to focus on the development o f C o m mu n i c i t i e s , a n integrated urban development combining lifestyle retail, prime office space, university town, healthcare, themed residential developments and leisure components. (PR)

Cassava... from page 2

effect.

“We had no production when the ECQ was imposed; we had no income,” Jala said, adding the association's members resor ted to a "bayanihan" system to help each other with their daily needs.

“In terms of food, if you’re used to each cassava, you will survive,” Jala said. “We cook vegetables, grown in our backyard, as our viand.”

When the y resumed producing pangi, the volume of production and sale was not as much as compared prior to the pandemic.

“There’s nothing we can do; it was better than no income at all,” Jala said.

Jala said that previously, they transport every evening three truckloads of pangi, which is around 1,500 blocks, to their customers at the local public market.

Occasionally, Jala said the group would supply pangi to the provinces of Basilan and Sulu through motorboats.

Cosechas de Zamboanga The Agri-Trade Fair, dubbed as Cosechas de Zamboanga (Zamboanga’s Har vest), is part of the yearly Zamboanga Hermosa Festival, the highlight of which is the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, this city's patron saint.

Carmencita Sanchez, the city agriculturist, said the activity will run until October 15 and aims to showcase the locally-produced products of the different agricultural districts and fishery organizations in this city.

“Through this event, the farmers can showcase their products as well as have the opportunity to establish a new market,” Sanchez said.

Jala said the Cosechas de Zamboanga has been a blessing for the association, helping them cushion the effect of the pandemic.

For this year’s Agri-Trade Fair, Jala's group is also selling peanut butter as well as dried fish.

Jala said with the way things are happening, the members of the association are with high spirits they can recover the market for pangi they lost due to the pandemic.

“With perseverance and patience, we are optimistic we can recover. Our livelihood will be the same as it was before the health pandemic,” Jala said. (PNA)

Globe... from page 5

legislation that reduces the requirements for permits needed to put up and operate cellular towers.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte recently signed Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan II), an economic stimulus program that grants the government the power to simplify the permit process for building cell towers.

Banana... from page 1

Gov. Edwin I. Jubahib ordered the reduction of the number of agricultural workers and directed them to observe two-meter distancing.

Provincial lockdowns have also been preventing workers from crossing borders if their residence is not within the same locality as the farms.

The farms could have maximized productivity now that the market has improved, but these orders have become a big challenge (to meet), said Mr. Antig.

He added that the initial problem on cargo movement has b e en res olve d and shipments are now operating smoothly again.

February 2020 export data released earlier this month by the Philippine Statistics

Authority (PSA) showed fresh bananas were among the bright spots with a 29.6% growth rate.

In 2019, the value of exported Cavendish bananas stood at $1.93 billion, 40% higher than the 2018’s $1.38 billion. Bananas accounted for 38.77% of the agro-based exports last year, and 2.75% of total exports.

PBGEA President Victor S. Mercado, in a press briefing in February, noted that while the export value has increased, production actually fell to 195 million metric tons (MT) in 2019 from 207 million MT in 2018 due mainly to a mild drought, which is expected to continue this year.

The Federation of Cooperatives in Mindanao (FEDCO), which is composed of small banana growers, is looking for funding to irrigate more farms in M’lang, North Cotabato to maintain production despite the dry spell.

“There had been no rain in North Cotabato since January this year, FEDCO founder and Chief Executive Officer Ireneo D. Dalayon said in a text message.

He said they have already set up irrigation systems in at least 20 hectares of banana

farms since last year and they need to source capital to cover another 20 hectares.

Mr. Dalayon said an investment of about P500,000 is needed to irrigate one h e c t are, i n clu d i ng t h e procurement of water pumps.

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT/ ADJUDICATION WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late SPOUSES EDUARDO UGSOD BAGUIO and JUANITA MUGOT BAGUIO, who both died intestate and without leaving a will on December 2, 1958 and October 12, 1972 at Lugait, Manticao, Misamis Oriental, that to the best knowledge of the herein PARTIES, the decedent left to known debts whatsoever; that at the time of his death of the above decedents they were declared owner and possessor of a parcel of land with Tax Declaration No. 08.24.0001.00075 situated at Jampasan, Poblacion, Lugait, Misamis Oriental, containing an area of FOUR THOUSAND SEVENTY SIX (4,076) Square Meters, more or less and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT/ ADJUDICATIONWITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS, filed by the heirs of SPOUSES EDUARDO UGSOD BAGUIO and JUANITA MUGOT BAGUIO, per DOC #175; PAGE #36; BOOK #57; Series of 2019 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. AUDIE G. PADUGANAN. BWM: Oct. 2, 9 & 16, 2020

EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION/ SETTLEMENT OVER A PARCEL OF LAND

Sharing... from page 7

to coordinate with their agency for their concerns or inquiries.

“Philhealth is here to serve you, if you have questions feel free to contact us and we are very happy to assist you,” she said.

For inquiries and concerns, Philhealth can be reached through their hotline 223, 3018, or Philhealth Iligan Facebook page, or email lhioiligan.pro10@gmail.com.

(LELA/ PIA ICIC)

DEED OF SALE OF MOTOR VEHICLE

I, GASPAR D. BADELIC, Filipino, of legal age, married, and a resident of San Miguel Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, hereinafter referred to as VENDOR; that Vendor the owner of a motor vehicle with MAKE/SERIES: ISUZU ELF; TYPE OF BODY: FLAT BED;PLATE NUMBER:KBD456; ENGINE NUMBER: 4BEI309480; SERIAL/CHASSIS NUMBER:TLD54BOF20533;CR NUMBER:14248766-0 dated 5/24/2012; OR NUMBER: 177220595 dated 5/24/2012, and has been the subject of an DEED OF SALE OF MOTOR VEHICLE, in favor of SILVESTA M. PIQUERO, per DOC #247;PAGE #50;BOOK #122; Series of 2019 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. MARIO N. C. ALBARECE, C.P.A. BWM: October 9, 16 & 23, 2020

EXTRA-JUDICIAL PARTITION OF ESTATE AMONG THE HEIRS OF BIENVENIDO A. RIVAS KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late PONCIANO DAAYATA who died on ___________ at ___________, Philippines and died without issues; that the said deceased above-mentioned died intestate without leaving any known debt which has remained unpaid or unsettled up to the present, and all the obligations incurred during his death were all paid and/or settled, that the deceased at the time of his death left a parcel of land with ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. E-3928, situated in the Barangay of Malanang, Municipality of Opol, Province of Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN (986,397) SQUARE METERS, more or less and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION/SETTLEMENT OVER A PARCEL OF LAND, filed by the heirs of PONCIANO DAAYATA, per DOC #160; PAGE #32; BOOK #50; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. EDGARDO Y. RAAGAS.

That we, HEIRS OF BIENVENIDO A. RIVAS, namely; LUZ G. RIVAS, of legal age, widow, Filipino; ANNE LLORAINE R. GOLEZ, of legal age, married, Filipino, and RICHARD G. RIVAS, of legal age, single/married, Filipino and residents of Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, after being duly sworn, hereby declare and, MANIFEST: That the late BIENVENIDO A. RIVAS, who died intestate on May 14, 2020 at Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, that to the best of our knowledge and information the deceased left no will and no known debts which remain unpaid whatsoever; that the deceased at the time of his death left a Residential Land, located at Bulua, (Zone 1) Cagayan de Oro City, and covered

by TCT No. T-176511, containing an area of TWO HUNDRED (200) Square Meters, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL PARTITION OF ESTATE AMONG THE HEIRS OF BIENVENIDO A. RIVAS, filed by the heirs of BIENVENIDO A. RIVAS, per DOC #437; PAGE #87; BOOK #XVIII; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. EMELITO J. MARQUIÑO.

BWM: Oct. 2, 9 & 16, 2020

BWM: Oct. 2, 9 & 16, 2020

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

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WORK OUT IN STYLE WITH SURPLUS

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ITH good health as a top priority today, keeping yourself active is one way to keep fit and to boost your immune system. And whether you want to hit the new opened gym, or exercise in favorite

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