BusinessWeek Mindanao (October 18, 2013)

MINDANAO DAILY NEWS SECOND SECTION

Friday - October 18, 2013

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As of 6:12 pm Oct. 17, 2013 (Thursday)

FOREX

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US$1 = P43.06

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77.31 points

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Briefly Tagum port DAVAO City -- International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) is set to build a P4billion port in Madaum, Tagum City starting next year. “[The project] will start next year, but I am not sure if it will be built under the public-private partnership system,” Tagum City Mayor Ronnel L. Rellon said in a recent interview here.

The proposed location is the 10.3-hectare private commercial por t in Barangay Madaum owned by Hijo International Port Services, Inc. Mr. Rellon said the Hijo port development plan shows the need for one-kilometer-wide warehouses, which in turn require a reclamation project that will also start next year.

T h e ex i s t i n g t w o - l a n e Madaum-San Isidro highway is also set to be expanded to a four-lane highway to meet the port’s demands.

Beef sharing ZAMBOANGA City— The ICAD Foundation-administered FilipinoTurkish Tolerance School (FTTS) is sharing beef to the public, and to the less fortunate in line with the celebration Tuesday of the Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice.

The Integrated Center for Alternative Development (ICAD) Foundation, Incorporated is a private, nonprofit, non-stock organization established under the Securities Exchange Commission on April 16, 1996, and administers the FTTS, which was established the following year.

FTTS Director Mehmet Biter said they slaughtered more than 300 cows, and the meat was given for free to identified beneficiaries for this year’s celebration.

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IN-DEPTH

Page 13

Six years after:

Better days for Sumilao farmers

By WALTER I. BALANE, MindaNews

SUMILAO, Bukidnon -Leonora Lumala, 33, owns a portion of the 147 hectares (ha) of land obtained by the Sumilao farmers after their historic 1,700-kilometer “walk for land, walk for justice” to Manila in 2007.

Every time the Panaw Su mi lao Mu lt i-Pu r pose Cooperative (PSMPC) holds a gathering since the land was awarded to them in 2008 after their gruelling protest walk a year earlier, the mother of six is among those assigned to cook for

members and guests.

Hesitant at first as the dishes may not taste good, Lumala now beams with confidence, mastering how to cook pancit guisado, afritada, chopsuey and other viands for their guests and other cooperative members. For the farm tour and PSMPC board meeting on October 11 as part of their threed ay c elebr at ion of t he sixth anniversary of their 1,700-kilometer “walk for land, walk for justice,” she cooked fish in soy sauce and

vinegar that tasted like it is served in restaurants.

“I’ve got use to cooking for guests. I think this is part of our new skills,” she said, adding their lives have generally improved although clarifying “that economically we are still tight.”

For every cropping of their almost one hectare corn farm, Lumala said the family earns P70, 000 gross and pays half of it for farm inputs, the rest going to payments for loans made for their daily sustenance.

“Even if we loan our daily farmers/PAGE 23

STRUGGLE FOR LAND. Six years ago, carrying squash on their women, farmer-women from Bukidnon, Davao del Oriental, Negros Island and Batangas reached Mendiola on their way to marching to Malacanang.

The march was aimed to press President Aquino to pursue the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms. file photo by jimmy domingo/ tfm mapalad

Power coops brace for full IMEM system

By IRENE DAYO Reporter

P

O W E R d i s t r i butor s in Mindanao will be getting the assistance of t he Nationa l Electrification Administration (NEA) in preparing for the full commercial operations of the electricity trading system in Mindanao next month.

The Department of Energy (DOE), in its circular released on Wednesday, has directed NEA to “assist Mindanao power/PAGE 23

SHALLOW FISHING. Fishermen spread their net to trap a school of fish in the shallow waters of Initao in Misamis Oriental early morning Wednesday.

Mindanao Daily NEWS

mindanews photo by bobby timonera

DOE conducts consumer confab in Gingoog City

THE Department of EnergyM i nd a nao Field Of f ice (DOE-MFO) will spearhead the conduct of an energy forum today at Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental.

Dubbed as the “Consumer Aw a r e n e s s F o r u m o n Energy Conservation and Downstream Oil Industry”, the activity will highlight discussions on the various e n e r g y e f f i c i e nc y a n d conservation programs of t he government a nd on the basic framework of the downstream oil industry, pa r t ic u la rly t he l iqu id petroleum products (LPP) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industries.

As the energy sector’s contribution in the celebration of the Consumer Month, the DOE-MFO has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the City of Gingoog in the conduct of this forum to confab/PAGE 23

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Economy

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Aquino asks Boholanons to avoid panic buying TAGBILARAN CITY -- President Benigno S. Aquino III appealed for calm particularly with regards to supply of food in Bohol warning people not to overreact saying there is enough supply of food in the province.

“Ku ng mag tata kuta n tayo dito, gagawa tayo ng problema s a sit w a s yon na wa la ng problema, magpapanic buying tayong big la na na nd iya n la ng pala lahat ng supply,” the President said in a briefing with government agencies here on Wednesday.

Panicking may induce shortages because people may buy four or five times of their normal consumption.

The public will lose control of the present situation if they panic, he said. It will not only asks/PAGE 21

DOE monitors energy situation amid Visayan quake

MANILA -- The Department of Energy (DOE) continues to monitor and address the power and fuel situation in Central Visayas, especially in Bohol and Cebu, in the wake of the 15 October 2013 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

In an emergency meeting this morning at the DOE, officials from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, Nationa l Electrif ication Administration, National Power Corporation, and the Philippine Electricity Market monitors/PAGE 21

SNV Laos Renewable Energy Advisor Mr Bounthavy Sengtakoun (right) visits Mr Loth (left) in his cookstove workshop at Oudomphone village, Vientiane. mindanews photo by lorie ann cascaro

PHL to benefit from US$ 20M loan to a private energy services company MANILA -- The Philippines will benefit from the US$ 2 0 m i l l ion t h at A s i a n Development Bank (ADB) will extend to Cofely South East Asia.

Cofely Phi lippines General Manager Raymond A. Marquez, in a briefing Wednesday, said around 6 0 percent of t he loa n a m ou nt i n g t o US $ 12 million will be allocated for Thailand, US$ 5 million for t he Phi lippines a nd the remaining amount for Malaysia.

A mong t he proje c t s

that will be financed by the loan are the retrofitting of the chiller plant of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, US$ 2 million; and the air conditioning system of the Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel & Casino, US$ 1 million.

The loan to Cofely, an energy services company, w ill be forma lized next week, according to Dr. Peter du Pont, vice president of Nexant Asia who is focused on government and clean energy consulting.

Du Pont, during t he

same briefing at the office of First Sumiden Circuits, Inc. (FSCI) inside the Light Industry and Science Part of the Philippines in Cabuyao, Laguna, said innovations on energy conservation is among the priority of the ADB, which is pushing for clean energy in the region.

He said the US$ 20 million multicurrency loan t hat the multilateral lender will extend to Cofely is first of its kind since ADB normally lends to governments and not to a private company. benefit/PAGE 21

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CorporateWorld

Mindanao Daily 15 NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Editor : Neslon Constantino , e-mail- nelconstant@gmail.com

Go Hotels to open Butuan branch, 2 more in 2014 GO Hotels, Robinsons Land Corporation’s value hotel chain, will open three new branches until next year as part of its expansion program, riding on the country’s tourism boom.

Go Hotels general manager Elizabeth D. Gregorio, said the three branches with a total of 467 rooms will be located in Ortigas central business district, Iloilo and Butuan.

The 198-room Go Hotels Ortigas Center will open this quarter, the 167-room Iloilo branch in the first quarter of next year and the 102-room Butuan branch in the fourth quarter of 2014.

“These are exciting times for the Philippine tourism as the hospitality business opens more outlets, especially in Metro Manila, in anticipation

of the arrival of more tourists because of the government’s focus on t he industr y,” Gregorio said.

However, she noted that Go Hotels’ expansion is carefully being carried out with the needs of the travellers as its top priority.

Thus, Go Hotels Iloilo and Butuan are located within a Robinsons Malls complex while the Ortigas branch is near Robinsons Galleria.

“Go Hotels Ortigas Center will serve the growing number of business travellers and tourists visiting the central

business district and the malls in the area,” said Gregorio.

On the other hand, the Iloilo branch beefs-up the chain’s presence in the Visayas which already has branches in Bacolod, Dumag uete and in Tacloban; while the Butuan branch will serve businessmen going to the progressive Caraga regional center.

The new branches will bring the total number of rooms for the Go Hotels chain to over 1,200.

There are already over 700 rooms now available in the six existing branches: EDSAMandaluyong, Tacloban, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and Otis-Manila.

(PNA)

AUS T R A L I A N m i n i n g firm Indophil Resources expressed support for the Philippine government’s move for a total ban on the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), calling it a huge victory for the environment and the community. “ We s a lu t e t h e government’s strong stance against the use of mercury in a ny form of mining as this would result to a healthier environment and the community as well,”

said Indophil vice president for corporate affairs Gavan Collery.

A s id e f r om a s a fe r env ironment for t he community, Collery said “the ban on mercury will create a healthier environment for miners, especially smallscale mining workers who fall innocent victims to its uncontrolled use.”

“Under this Philippine government initiative, now they don’t have to risk their health and life to earn a living,” Collery added.

The government, through the Department of Environment and Natural R e s ou rc e s (DE N R), i s expected to sign the historic Minamata Convention on Mercury that calls for a total ban on the use of the heavy metal.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje has been given the aut hor it y by Pre sident Benigno Aquino to sign in behalf of the Philippine government. About 130 countries are expected to adopt the convention.

Indophil backs mercury ban for gold mining Passenger car line-up boosts Hyundai PH sales in September SALES of Hyundai vehicles in the country slightly went up in September even as the nine-month figure lagged that of last year.

In a statement, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) said sales last month rose six percent to 1,507 units from 1,421 in the same month last year. September sales however were slower than last August’s 1,877 units.

Pa s s e n ge r c a r s a le s

jumped 44.1 percent to 1,026 from 712 last year, boosted by double-digit increases for Accent, Elantra and Eon, HARI said.

“The month was marked by a big recovery for the brand’s passenger cars, with supply levels giving the room for growth,” the company said.

Sales of Hyundai light commercial vehicles last month however dropped 32.2

percent to 481 from 709 last year.

During the first nine months, 16,220 Hyundai vehicles were sold, down 5.5 percent from the 17,156 sold last year, as both passenger cars and light commercial vehicles saw end-September sales dipping 7 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

“Hyundai’s second half offensive is definitely in full hyundai/PAGE 21

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AgriBusiness

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Lower rice import saves PH $1.8B THE country stands to gain a whopping $1.8 billion in foreign exchange savings f rom t he steep d rop i n rice importation this year, posting a huge 482,859ton difference between the 2012 and the 2013 levels, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The prospect of gaining such savings surfaced as the Department of Agriculture ruled out any addition to the total 208,600-mt rice importation recorded as of last July 18, when the private sector posted for the first time zero importation during that 7-month period.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said this puts this year’s total at 205,700 mt in actua l arriva ls as i mpor ted solely by t he government through the National Food Authority (NFA), or 482,859 mt lesser than the 688,559 mt in fullyear 2012 when rice imports decl i ned by more t ha n 360,000 mt from 1,063,985 mt in 2011 and posted a huge $1.4 billion in foreign exchange savings.

Those figures, except for that in 2013, include both NFA a nd private sector importation.

Still, rice importation by

the NFA has also been on the decline from 2,149,096 mt in 2010 to only 251,300 mt in 2011, and 119,776 mt in 2012.

This developed as the DA projected the country to maintain or even exceed in 2013 its last year’s palay production that reached a historic high of 18.03 million mt, or 8.0 percent more than the 2011 volume.

The same is expected for corn af ter posting a six-percent year-on-year increase in total volume to a record high of 7.41 million mt in 2012, Alcala added.

Such developments put the DA on track of its Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) target of zero rice importation after 2013.

T he 2011-2016 FSSP, according to DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, ensures food staples suf f icienc y and affordability through buffer stocking, community seed banking, starter seed packs, early repla nting, farm mechanization, crop insurance and production credit.

Nonetheless, traders may import up to 350,000 mt after 2013 in keeping with

t he countr y’s Minimum Ac c e s s Volu me (M AV ) commitment to the World Tr ad e O r ga n i z at ion a s provided in the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade.

T h e M AV i s t h e quantitative restriction on the volume of rice allowed to enter the country at a 40-percent duty. Imports outside the MAV are levied 50 percent.

DA Undersecretary for Field Operat ions Da nte Delima has already ruled out any importation outside the MAV.

DA says aquaculture production in Davao Region increases in 2012 DAVAO C i t y - - T h e Department of Agriculture (DA) has noted an increase in the production of bangus and tilapia in Region XI last year compared to the total production in 2011.

“The country’s fisheries production in both aquaculture and municipal f i s her ie s for 2 012 w a s slightly lower than 2011 but aquaculture performed better in Region XI last year,” DA XI Chief of Livestock Dr. Rafael T. Mercado said.

Bureau of Agricultural Statistic (BAS) records show t hat bang us and ti lapia performed better with a regional output of 25,822 metric tons for bangus and 2,733 metric tons for tilapia in 2012. Production during the previous year was only 21,234 MTs for bangus and 1,780 MTs for tilapia.

M e r c a d o , h o w e v e r, reported a decrease in the production of seaweeds in 2012 from 2,067 MTs in 2011 to 1,937 MTs in 2012.

“But there is no doubt that with the present increase in

the demand for seaweed in the international market, local production of this important commodity will perk up,” he said.

BFAR XI Regional Director Fatma M. Idris said that while the good performance of the aquaculture sector is welcome, they are still concerned about t he decrease in the production of commercial fishing in the region.

“The negative 7 percent produc t ion last yea r is enough to get us worried

since it shows we have a negative fish sufficiency already,” she said.

This has paved the way for the recommendation of BFAR XI along with the region’s commercial fishing operators and local government units for a closed fishing season in the Davao Gulf between June to September every year beginning 2014.

Idris said the recommendation has been endorsed to the Central Office for further technical deliberation by the Fisheries

a nd Aqu at ic R e s ou rc e Ma nagement Cou nci l (FAR MC). The previous recommendation was for a total fishing ban in the Gulf for two years plus a yearly closed season.

However, the consultation held last month showed that it would not be feasible for the fishing sector.

Meanwhile, the Region’s bangus production is further beefed up by the harvest of the Panabo Mariculture Park in Panabo, Davao del Norte, which recorded a production of 1,418.20 MT and an income of P123.624 million as of October 2012.

The park was established in 2006 with a 1,075-hectare area but which was reduced to only 618 hectares as the city needed more area for its port expansion project.

“The park was established not only to provide livelihood for the local fishermen but also to accelerate the area’s e c on o m i c g r ow t h a n d contribute to the country’s food security program,” increases/PAGE 21

Policies needed to boost agri productivity – PIDS

The Phi lippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) has underscored the need for evidencebased policies to boost agricultural productivity and help reduce the ranks of the poor.

A new PIDS study showed that with tepid output growth over the years, the agricultural sector now accounts for just above a tenth of

gross domestic product.

About 32 percent of the ranks of the employed work in agriculture, forestry and hunting, and fishing.

The study noted that the poor can mostly be found in the rural areas working in these low-skilled, low-productivity, and low-income jobs.

PIDS has done extensive work

in agricultural policy research, in support of the government’s goal of making growth more inclusive.

A recent paper by PIDS Senior Research Fellow Roehlano Briones arg ues t hat t he agricu ltura l and r u ra l economy shou ld be at t he “forefront, rather than periphery, of the country’s strategy for quality employment generation.”

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Banking&Finance

DBM releases P1.6B for military veterans THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P1.59 billion for the regular pension requirements of military veterans for the October to December period.

Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said that 206,154 pensioners — whose identities have been certified and validated by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) — will benefit from the latest release. The fund was charged against the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF).

“Aside from the P7.94 billion we have released so far this year, this latest release supports the well-being of our military veterans and t heir families, ensuring t hat t heir pensions a re well-provided for in the last quarter of the year,” Abad said.

“This is in line w it h the President’s continuing support to our veterans and their families who have demonstrated great bravery and loyalty to the country,” he added.

T he p ensioners’ l i st

Mindanao Daily 17 NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Editor : Nelson Constantino , e-mail- nelconstant@gmail.com

SCHEDULED POWER INTERRUPTION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013 DUE TO LOAD TRANSFERS INVOLVING CEPALCO’S 69KV LINES/SUBSTATION. SEE DETAILS BELOW. CAGAYAN ELECTRIC POWER & LIGHT CO., INC Important Notice to CEPALCO Customers Subject: Scheduled Power Interruption on Sunday, October 20, 2013 The Cagayan Electric Power & Light Co., Inc. (CEPALCO) would like to inform all customers that power supply will be interrupted on October 20, 2013 as shown below: REASONS : TO FACILITATE LOAD TRANSFERS INVOLVING CEPALCO’s 69KV LINES / SUBSTATION IN TAGOLOAN, MISAMIS ORIENTAL AND CONDUCT LINE MAINTENANCE WORKS. DATE : Sunday, October 20, 2013 A.) INTERRUPTION TIME : 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM (12 hours)

submitted by PVAO was compared against the records of Government Servicing Banks/Loan Associations, which ma i nta i ns t he Automated Teller Machine (ATM) individual accounts of pensioners as part of the validation and cleansing process.

Out of the 211,913 cleansed list of pensioners as of June 2012, 174,279 matched with names both appearing in the PVAO and bank lists, while 37,634 accounts were classified “doubtful” because of the duplication of names and discrepancies in the account numbers assigned to some names.

T h e r e a f t e r, 31 , 8 7 5

addit iona l pensioners were validated by PVAO as active and valid, making the total number of validated pensioners to 206,154.

“Through our evaluation and validation process and the subsequent enrollment of all eligible pensioners to ATM accounts, we have successfully cleansed our beneficiary list of invalid, duplicate and ghost entries,” Abad said.

“In addition, the implementation of electronic payments in the delivery of pensions has ensured the timely and transparent release of benefits straight to our pensioners’ individual accounts,” he added.

Insurance firm eyes wider market through RCBC IN A BID to expand its market, Sun Life Grepa Financial Inc. plans to tap the credit card client base of its bancassurance partner, a top company official said.

“We are in the process of establishing our Affinity Ma rket i ng Depa r t ment that will tap into the Rizal Commercia l Ba n k ing Cor p. (RCBC) Ba n k a rd Credit Card client base.

We are in the process of preparing the business plan for execution early 2014,” Sun Life Grepa President and Chief Executive Officer

Naresh Krishnan said in an e-mail yesterday. “We work with the RCBC in developing the strategy, product idea, as well as execution.”

Sun Life Grepa Financial is a joint venture of the Yu c h e n g c o G r o u p o f Companies and Sun Life Financial-Philippines. The dea l, signed in October 2011, gave Sun Life access to RCBC’s sales network of over 350 branches and over 2.5 million customers nationwide. Sun Life Grepa Financial operates separately from Sun Life Financial-

Philippines.

Tapping RCBC’s credit card base will allow the Sun Life Grepa Financial to diversify its distribution and product mix, Mr. Krishnan said.

“In the last two years, we have only garnered 20,000 clients from the bank and they have more than four to five million customers, so we’re still nibbling the tip of the iceberg,” Mr. Krishnan said. “They have almost half a million credit card holders so we are preparing ourselves for that particular segment.”

WASHINGTON - The US Congress on Wednesday approved an 11th-hour deal to end a partial government shutdow n a nd pu l l t he world ’s biggest economy back from the brink of a historic debt default that c ou ld h ave t h re atene d financial calamity.

Capping weeks of pol it ic a l br i n k ma nsh ip that had unnerved global markets, President Barack Obama quickly signed the spending measure, which passed the Senate and House of Representatives af ter Republicans dropped efforts to use the legislation to force changes in his signature healthcare law.

The White House budget

of f ice told hundreds of thousands of federal workers, the bulk of whom had been idle for the past 16 days, to be ready to return to work on Thursday.

The down-to-the-wire deal, however, offers only a temporary fix and does not resolve the fundamental issues of spending and deficits that divide Republicans and Democrats. It funds the government until Jan. 15 and raises the debt ceiling until Feb. 7, so Americans face the possibility of another bitter budget fight and another government shutdown early next year.

With the deadlock broken just a day before the US Treasu r y sa id it wou ld

exhaust its ability to borrow new funds, US stocks surged on Wednesday, nearing an all-time high. Share markets in Asia also cheered the deal.

Taking the podium in the White House briefing room on Wednesday night, Obama said that with final congressional passage, “We can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people.”

“Hopefully next time it won’t be i n t he 11t h hour. We’ve got to get out of the habit of governing by crisis,” Obama said. He outmaneuvered Republicans by holding firm in defense of “Oba maca re” to w in bill/PAGE 22

US Congress ends default threat, Obama signs debt bill

AFFECTED AREAS : M3 – 69-KV Customers: 1. HCH Corporation, Tagoloan 2. Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Bugo 3. Cagayan de Oro Oil Company, Tablon 4. Cagayan Corn Products, Tablon 5. Nestle Philippines, Inc., Tablon 6. Mitimco, Baloy 7. Alwana, Cugman 8. Lim Ket Kai Mall, Lapasan 9. Gaisano City, Recto Ave. 10. Lim Ket Kai Plant, Puntod TAGOLOAN to LAPASAN to OSMEÑA 1. Portion of Natumulan old road from El Mundo down to Casinglot, Tagoloan up to bridge boundary of Tagoloan and Bugo.

2. All of Barangay Bugo down to Puerto, including Upper Puerto up to Alae.

3. All the Barangays of Tin-ao, Agusan, Tablon, Baloy, Cugman, Gusa.

4. Greater portion of Barangay Lapasan including Agora area.

5. Upper Gusa, Indahag, Malasag, FS Catanico and Balubal.

6. DMPI plantation, MENZI Agri, Firstgen etc.

7. Lapasan-Camaman-an road to Grand Caprice Restaurant and LKKS drive up to corner Osmeña St., Roxas St. up to corner JR Borja St. 8. Portion of Cogon Market Area along Yacapin Ext and JR Borja.

9. All of Osmeña St. from JR Borja to corner C.M.Recto.

JULIO PACANA ST., LICOAN to AGORA MARKET 1. Julio Pacana St. from Recto Avenue towards all of Macabalan area.

2. Corrales Ext. from Gaabucayan St. towards most of PPA area.

3. Agora Market area including Gaabucayan ext. and Sto.Niño.

B.) INTERRUPTION TIME : 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM (3 hours); and again at 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM (2 hours and 30 minutes) AFFECTED AREAS : CHARLIE FEEDER 1: 1. Greater portion of the City Poblacion along and bounded by Hayes St., including S. Daumar St. up to corner JR. Borja St., Mortola St., JR Borja St. up to corner Corrales St. , Aguinaldo St. up to corner Justo Ramonal St., 2. Along Pabayo St.; including portions of C. Pacana St., JR Borja St., Gomez St., Cruz Taal St., T. Neri St., Abejuela St., Hayes St. and Gaerlan St. from Pabayo St..

3. Portions of T. Chavez St. from Corrales Ave. up to Tiano Bros. St. including portions of A. Velez St from Hayes St..

4. Along Corrales Ave. towards FICCO, Nazareth, including Yacapin Street towards corner Capistrano St., MACASANDIG FEEDER 1: 1. Hayes St. from corner A. Velez St. towards City Hall area & Burgos St., along T. Chavez St. from Burgos St. up to Tiano Bros. St. - including portions of Tiano Bros. St., Rizal St., Capistrano St. from Hayes St. up to Mabini St.; and; Fernandez St..

2. Along Burgos St. from T. Chavez St. up to corner Gomez St. including portions of Abejuela St., T. Neri St., Cruz Taal St. and Gomez St. from Burgos St..

3. Surroundings along Mabini St. from corner A. Velez St. towards Capistrano St. up to corner Gomez St. including portions of Tiano Bros. St. from Mabini St.; Yacapin St. from Capistrano St. towards Burgos St.; and; C.Pacana St., JR Borja St. and Gomez St. from Capistrano St. 4. Along Pabayo and T. Saco Streets from Fernandez St. towards Clementino Chaves St. up to 15th26th St., Nazareth.

5. Greater portion of Macasandig, all of Tibasak, all the way to Taguanao.

CHARLIE FEEDER 2: 1. Along Hayes St. from Camaman-an towards Capt. Vicente Roa St. up to corner Ramonal Ext., including Pinikitan, Adela, Balangiao area, Quirino St. and Yacapin Ext.; portions of Macasandig, XU Grade School areas.

2. Along Ramonal Ext. from Sto. Niño, Cogon towards V.Roa St., R.Chavez St. up to Corrales Ave. corner A. Luna St.; D. Velez St & Yacapin St., JR Borja Sts. between V. Roa St. and Mortola St.(PNB/ Everbest) towards Daumar Sts. To Yacapin Ext. up to Doña Nieves St. 3. Greater portion of Nazareth; greater portion of Ramonal Village. From Hayes-12th Sts up to T.Saco-14th Sts. ,T.Saco-6th Sts.,14th-21st Sts., and 15th-21st Sts. CHARLIE FEEDER 3: 1. Portions of Camaman-an along JR Borja Extension from junction of Macajalar-JR Borja Extension up to Cronin Village including James Way Hatchery.

CHARLIE FEEDER 4: 1. Portions of Camaman-an near and including towards Manto to the San Jose and St. Vianney Seminaries, greater portion of Camaman-an proper towards Bontong, Bolonsori up to Upper Camamanan and Hayes Subdivision including Tipolohon.

2. Part of Limketkai Center, Lapasan including McDonalds, PNB, Allied Bank, Dew Foam, Malberry and Discovery Hotels.

3. Along Recto Ave. from corner Agora Road towards Maharlika Bridge including Coca-Cola Plant Portion of A. Luna St. towards all of Mabulay Subdivision including portion of the Provincial Capitol, Provincial Hospital Area and Centrio.

4. Medical Center area along and bounded by Capistrano St., Echem St. up to corner Akut St., A.Velez St., and Recto Ave.(UCCP side), including all of Consolacion.

5. All of RER Subdivision Phases I & 2 including Dolores compound; towards Fortune Express Shop along Maharlika Highway; including all of NHA-KSS Subdivision and portion of Bayabas near Manila Broadcasting Radio Station to Capisnon area.

CARMEN FEEDER 3: 1. Greater part of Patag from Calamansi Drive including Camp Evangelista, Apovel subdivision, Terry Hills and Anhawon, Bulua area.

2. Along 6th Division Road from PNP Regional Training School up to Bulua Rotunda 3. Greater part of Bulua from Bulua Rotunda towards all of Iponan.

PUEBLO FEEDER 1: 1. Portions of Carmen: along vicinities of Villarin St. towards portion of Canitoan-Pagatpat Road; including St. Mary’s Academy (formerly Cathedral School of Technology), Golden Village, City HospitalDOH Area, COWD reservoir and Seriña St. from Villarin St. down to Madonna and Child Hospital.

2. Max Suniel St. from Villarin St. down towards portion of Mabolo St.; including Matilde Neri St., Dabatian St. and Cagayan de Oro College area; and; portion of Lirio St. area.

3. Portions of Upper Carmen towards Dagong including SM CITY; PRYCE HOTEL; SPUM & SEARSOLIN. PUEBLO FEEDER 2: 1. Portion of Upper Carmen, Upper Balulang and all of Brgy. Lumbia including; PNR Sawmill, Shop and transmitter; Pueblo de Oro, Camella Homes, Xavier Estates, Xavier Heights, Xavier High School, all of Gran Europa including La Buena Vida, Frontiera and Montana subdivisions; CAA-BAT Lumbia Airport & Rio Verde.

Power will however be restored immediately without further notice when the Cepalco line works are completed earlier than scheduled.

We hope the affected customers and the public in general will be guided by this announcement.

Thank you.

Released by:

Ms. Marilyn A. Chavez Senior Manager Customer & Community Relations Dept.

18 Mindanao Daily NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Editor : Shaun Uy, E-mail: shaun_alejandrae_uy@yahoo.com

The

CAGAYANTIMES de Oro

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

friday | October 18, 2013 Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

The Basics of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

I

n one’s lifetime, I believe most of us must have had the unfortunate experience of having that most difficult hard and so dry cough, that it kind of embarrasses us, particularly if we are in a crowd!

Yes, an upper respiratory tract infection can present as a dry cough (which is so bothersome that it disturbs even the most basic of needs, which is sleeping), and in all likelihood, accompanied with hoarseness.

Other symptoms include sneezing and a runny nose, nasal congestion, difficulty in swallowing and even breathing.

Fever and that general feeling of weakness and tiredness.

It is not uncommon also for patients to complain of diarrhea, body aches, nausea and vomiting.

An URTI , is one of the most common reasons for those Out Patient visits , as well as being absent from school or work.

The infection can affect anywhere from the sinuses, the nasal passages, pharynx, larynx.

Air that one breathes in from the outside passes through these passages on its way to the trachea and eventually to the lungs.

Thus, the infection may even be specific like if it is the sinuses, then it is called as

smoking are likewise more prone to develop an URTI. Although the illness in most cases are self limiting, meaning, it resolves on its own, and it can last only from3 – 14 days, and requires no hospitalization, there certain instances health IN focus are where the patient may

by Dr. Mary Jean Loreche need to be admitted for management.

When the symptoms sinusitis. last for more than 2 The incubation weeks, or when the period, meaning the URTI is recurring, or, time as to manifesting when there is difficulty the disease after of breathing, then, it exposure to a person with the illness, actually is to the best interest depends on the infecting of the patient to be hospitalized. micro-organism.

Rest and plenty of In most cases, URTI f luid intake are the is caused by a virus, mainstay of treatment and it may take 1-5 in uncomplicated URTI days before one gets to present with the disease. cases.

Simple measures that If it is bacterial, may be considered as depending also on the helpful when aff licted type of bacteria, the incubation period varies with URTI: steaming in order to loosen up the from 1 – 10 days. mucus, having adequate URTI can affect hydration through water anyone, anytime of the intake. day or year. But this is The use of salt water more common when the gurgles, lozenges and humidity is high.

Persons who are more sleeping in a semiupright position can help at risk of developing one through the episode. an URTI are those Antibiotics should with close physical be used when indicated contact with affected only and not routinely. individuals, and those Hand-washing and living in closed and the covering of one’s crowded quarters like mouth when sneezing nursing homes, prisons, or coughing, are simple and even in evacuation yet life saving measures, centres. that, we each can easily Patients who are do in order to contain immune-compromised the micro-organisms, like Diabetics, or preventing their further those with the Big C, spread.... and those exposed to

Ms. Grace Gift Chua with kids from the Badjao community of Agora, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City who are falling in line for her birthday celebration feeding project in the area. This is one of the many advocacies of Ms. Chua who was also one of the candidates of Ms CdeO 2013. Photo by GLENN PALACIO

Ms.Grace Gift Chua with her close friends and mother distributed clothes and slippers to the crowd during her birthday celebration feeding project to the Badjao community at Agora, Lapasan, this city. Ms. Chua was one of the candidates of Ms CdeO 2013.

Photo by GLENN PALACIO

My Role In Breast Cancer Awareness There is no price that’s too extravagant to pay in exchange for a healthy life. This was the important lesson that a family friend of ours learned when a lump in her breast was found a couple of years ago.

After her sister got diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, she realized that she was also at risk because of her family history.

When her mammogram gave positive results, she flew immediately to the States for treatment.

Thanks to that single mammogram, she is now cancerfree and healthy, though she still receives treatment to keep the cancer away permanently.

Breast Cancer is a prevalent disease that targets women all across the globe, regardless of the race or stature. The breasts are composed of a kind of fat which makes it an easy target spot for cancer cells to develop.

The symptoms of breast cancer include abnormalities or masses found in the breast area or

chest region. Women who started menstruation before age twelve as well as mothers and those women in the stage of menopause are susceptible to breast cancer.

Many children are left motherless because of the taint left by breast cancer in society at present.

The task that we are faced with today as part of the youth is to raise breast cancer awareness; not only for the sake of ourselves, but also for the love we bear to the women in our lives.

Knowing that breast cancer exists is not nearly enough – just ask the thousands of families whose lives are forever altered because of losing their loved ones to breast cancer.

Wearing pink and organizing concerts or rallies alone are not enough to truly educate the women of our present society since this reduces the idea of breast cancer as an abstract, intangible concept.

What we need to advocate for is to actively pursue the reduction –

or even the complete eradication – of breast cancer. The question that needs to be answered now is “how”?

How do we prevent breast cancer from taking our beloved mothers, sisters, daughters and friends? The answer is simple: through early detection and lifestyle changes.

Like many other types of cancer that plague humanity, the ultimate protection against breast cancer is early detection.

One way to detect breast cancer is by getting a mammogram.

Mammograms are breast exams available to women who are thirtyfive years old or older.

Through this exam, lumps or mass formations can easily be detected and treated. Mammograms increase your chances of getting a good prognosis, and ultimately, abetter and healthier, cancer-free life.

For those of us who are in the 35 and above category, there are still some measures that we can

take to prevent breast cancer. We can stay cancer-free by living a healthy lifestyle, by drinking less alcohol and stealing away from meat and processed foods.

I know that these might seem like such difficult things to sacrifice, but your body will thank you for it, believe me.

A woman’s body is a majestic, beautiful thing.

Not only can it produce and carry another human being for nine months, but it can also sustain that child through breast feeding.

Since we’ve established that the female body is important, then it is only right that women should protect and pay attention to their breasts and ensure that they are healthy.

We should not only treasure our breasts by size – A, B, C, D or all other letters in the alphabet that are relevant – but also by their state of health.

Remember that one in eight women is likely to get breast cancer in their life; that woman can be

you. Worse, that woman can be somebody you love.

By getting mammograms and committing to a healthier lifestyle, you and your loved ones can be part of the seven who remain cancerfree.

Encourage your family members to get mammograms.

Drag them into a clinic if you have to because indeed, the best protection is early detection.

All the chemotherapy or mastectomies in the world are irrelevant (sic) if it comes too late.

Do it for the women who have lost the fight; more so, do it for the women who won’t give up the fight.

(Winning Piece by Krishna Celine Magallanes, St. Mary’s School, Entry No. 9 with an average rating of 92 for Thrive’s CDO 1st Breast Cancer Awareness On-The-Spot Essay Writing Contest held September 28, 2013 in SM City CDO in in partnership with the Association of Private Secondary Schools in Cagayan de Oro and SM City – CdO)

friday | October 18, 2013 Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

The

CAGAYANTIMES de Oro

FEATURE

Mindanao Daily 19 NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Editor : Shaun Uy, E-mail: shaun_alejandrae_uy@yahoo.com

XU-XCCA, NCCA to host talk on culture based education

X

avier University through its Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will hold YAMUG 6: Culture Based Education Symposium on October 19, 8 am to 4:30 pm at the XU Little Theater.

This year’s Yamug focuses on Philippine Culture and the Arts as bases for effective and quality education. Topics and speakers include Philippine Culture and the Arts – Effective Tool for Teaching and Learning by Prof Ricamela Palis (Letran); Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines

by Dr Jovy M Peregrino (UP Diliman) and Mindanao Folk Literature a Cultural Wealth and Knowledge by Dr Christine GodinezOrtega (MSU-IIT).

Yamug 6 is part of the Cultural Education Program of XCCA. It is open to all. Registration fees are Php 100.00 for professionals and Php 50.00 for students. A certificate of participation will be given to those who finish the symposium.

Interested individuals may contact the XCCA for more details at 858 3116 loc 2059.

Ms.Grace Gift Chua poses with her friends, mother and the Badjao children whom she celebrated with in the outskirts of Agora Cagayan de Oro City.

Photo by GLENN PALACIO

Ang “HULAGWAY” sa Pagbantog – HIV and AIDS

By Arlyn May Baqui – Bongay, Pagbantog Kagayan

“Hulagway”, is now not only a local word for face, imagery, or scenery. It will also be one of the landmark sub-projects of Pagbantog Kagay-an’s recent advocacy, Pagbantog-HIV. “Buntugon ta ang HIV” is Pagbantog Kagay-an’s hopeful battlecry against the rising number of HIV and AIDS. This is a joint effort with Project Oxygen, an HIV& AIDS support group that propagates yoga as an Art of Living and healthy lifestyle contra HIV & AIDS. Two teams come together as one, aptly named, Pagbantog-HIV, a movement that not only aims to promote awareness of HIV& AIDS to men and women of all ages. It also means to artfully dictate the

taboos surrounding HIV& AIDS that have long been shrugged off or snobbed by the locals of Mindanao.

The photo exhibit “HULAGWAY” was conceptualized to break through inhibitions of the mind.

The photo exhibit may not necessarily be exposing positives listed in the HIV & AIDS statistics but it will involve three categories of advocates.

These are Professionals, Artists, and Pageant/ Celebrities, accordingly voicing out their support for the campaign against HIV/AIDS through the photographic visions of Glenn Palacio, Ed Abella and Jessie Villegas.

Maquillage will be in the care of Dandy Roa and

styling by Seven Qu, all of whom are some of the artistadvocates of Pagbantog-HIV. “We are inviting professionals, artists and celebrities to join HULAGWAY and speak out for the campaign.

Your small effort to reach out will be visible if not globally right now then at least nationally and locally, directed to everyone who CAN BE infected and who already ARE suffering. With a minimum donation of Php 200, you will be styled, made up and photographed to your story that answers the question ‘What is your advocacy for HIV/AIDS?’.

While your proceeds will help fund Project Oxygen, your photos will be exhibited during the Pagbantog-HIV activity day

set on Decemeber 1, 2013,” says a representative of the Pagbantog Kagay-an.

Cagayan de Oro City, capital of Mindanao, is about to be painted red with a whole-day advocacy programme come December 1, 2013.

A solidarity parade is set to kick off the mood in the morning, aligned with an opening ceremony and the unveiling of the “HULAGWAY” photo exhibit at the Limketkai Rotunda, Limketkai Mall. Among the many highlights of the day would be the launching of Project Oxygen, a free concert, and a closing salvo tailored with music and monologues that would leave a lasting impression only expected from Pagbantog Kagay-an.

Pagbantog Kagay-an is a freelance, nonprofit group, collectively Kagay-anons.

It was born from the recent tragedy that shook Kagay-anons last July 27, 2013. Sam Tan, originator of Pagbantog Kagay-an, quickly sought the help of friends established and active in media and local show business.

The small round-up expanded into a network of artists and professionals willing to help send out a message against the July 2013 bombing.

From there, Pagbantog Kagay-an, now a bigger team, is set to continually use its manpower of talents and skills to espouse and disseminate socially responsible concepts.

20 Mindanao Daily NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Editor : Cheng Ordoñez, E-mail: cheng.ordonez@gmail.com

Environment

friday | October 18, 2013 Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

Death toll from quake at 158 – NDRRMC

Camiguin and Boracay Island

Cooperative links Boracay, Camiguin for climate change adaptation project BORACAY ISLAND --The Sangkalikasan Producers Cooperative (SPC) is linking two tourism destinations in the country for their advocacy on mitigating and adapting climate change.

Jojo Rodriguez of the SPC said t heir group is currently advocating for climate change adaptation strategy both in the islandprovince of Camiguin in northern Mindanao and this resort-island in the Visayas.

He said t hat SPC, in c o ord i n at ion w it h t he municipal government of

Mambajao in Camiguin, safely removed 16 illegally set fish traps in the island’s marine protected areas.

Fish traps are dropped on top of the coral reef or beside it. To recover the traps, these are towed by fishermen using long ropes across the coral reefs causing massive damage.

In Boracay, t he SPC

also partnered with Globe Telecom which donated a mu lt i- c a b veh ic le to be used for mobilization in promoting the environmental sustainability of this resort-island.

“We are offering free use of the multi-cab for individuals or groups implementing environmental projects in Boracay,” Rodriguez said.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez defended t hei r g roup’s stance on the criticism of several sectors questioning their refusal to fully utilize the epoxy provided by the

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pa mpa nga -- T he c it y government has planted a total of 12,201 fruit bearing trees within 100 days as part of an effort to make San Fernando a “green city.”

Mayor Edwin Santiago, during his state of the city address delivered Wednesday at the mini-convention center of the Heroes’ Hall here, said they exceeded their target of planting 10,000 trees in his

first 100 days in office.

Santiago said the trees were planted along river channels, the megadike and other open public areas.

He said his administration started tree planting activities

Department of Science and Technolog y (DOST) for the coral reef conservation efforts. “ We a r e c u r r e n t l y preparing for the DOST asexua l reproduction program. We drilled holes on the reefbuds to accommodate c or a l f r a g ment s . Wit h concrete nails and cable ties plus pre-drilled holes, there was no need for epoxy at all,” he said.

He added that it was decided that the epoxy would be used in the next planting season.(PNA)

last July 6 in every barangay, even reaching up to Bamban, Tarlac.

He also said that the tree planting activity is one of his administration’s thrusts to planted/PAGE 21

12,000 fruit trees planted to make S. Fernando green city

MANILA -- The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Thursday announced that the death toll for the 7.2 magnitude e a r t hqu a ke i n C ent r a l Visayas has now climbed to 158.

The two latest fatalities were from Bohol who were previously reported missing.

Of the 158, the NDRRMC said 146 were from Bohol, 11 from Cebu and one from

Siquijor.

Of the 374 injured, 188 were from Bohol, 182 from Cebu, three from Siquijor a n d on e f r om Ne g r o s Oriental.

The number of people affected also went up to 671,967 families or 3,406,227 people.

At least 72 evacuation centers have been set up i n C ebu a nd B ohol to accommodate 12,976 families or 65,274 people. (PNA)

H O N G KO N G - - A n e a r t hqu a k e me a s u r i n g 5.2 has hit of f t he west coast of New Zea la nd ’s Stewart Island on Thursday morning.

There were no reports of casualty or damage.

The quake, which had a depth of 13 km, struck just

before 8.30 a.m. on Thursday (1930 GMT Wednesday), according New Zea land gover n ment ge olog ic a l agency website GeoNet. There were a handful of reports of it being felt in South Island’s southern city of Invercargill. (PNA/ Xinhua)

5.2-magnitude quake hits near New Zealand’s Stewart Island

UN chief to attend Climate Financing Meeting in Denmark

UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will depart New York on Monday for the Climate Finance Meeting in Denmark, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here Wednesday.

Next Wednesday, the secretary-general will deliver the keynote speech at the Copenhagen Climate Finance Meeting, Nesirky said at a daily news briefing here, adding Ban will also meet with Danish Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal and Minister of Climate, Energy and Building Martin Lidegaard.

Ministers and officials from developed and developing countries, UN officials, institutional investors and banks will meet in Copenhagen on Oct. 23-24 to discuss ways to increase climate related investments in developing countries.

During the 2009 UN climate conference in Copenhagen, developed countries agreed to jointly mobilize 100 billion U.S. dollars a year from 2020 to address the climate related meeting/PAGE 21

NOAH Executive Director Alfredo Mahar A. Lagmay discussing the project Nationwide Operational Assessment Hazards(NOAH) and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) flood models and flood hazard maps in a forum Thursday (October 17), held at the U.P. Engineering Center, Diliman, Quezon City. The NOAH project under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) aims to generate high resolution detailed and up to date flood models for the country’s 18 river system in order to create a country-wide Integrated flood early warning device system. DREAM, on the other hand, has also completed the LIDAR base 3D flood hazard maps for Cagayan de Oro and Compostela Valley that were affected flooding during tropical storm “Sendong” and “Pablo.” pna photos by marvie a . lloren

Mindanao Daily 21 NEWS

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Asks... from page 14

disrupt the market but also the farming sector since it may affect the prices.

“Yung merkado, pati ang farming sector apektado rin sa fluctuation ng prices,” he said.

The President also warned those who will seize the opportunity to overprice basic commodities, saying that once a state of calamity is declared, there will be price controls.

“You mark it up, you are in violation, and there will be sanctions. And I assure you we will be monitoring everybody’s compliance with the said law,” the President said.

The chief executive also said he wants government agencies to assure the people that there are sufficient funds available, enough items, goods, and materials for all of those who have evacuated.

The President arrived in Bohol Wednesday morning to assess the quake devastation in the province. He also led the distribution of relief goods to affected families.

(PNA)

Monitors... from page 14

Corporation discussed the measures being implemented by all energy agencies to restore power and fuel supply in t he disaster stricken provinces at the soonest possible time.

As discussed by NEA, the power in the distribution lines in Tagbilaran City, all towns being served by Bohol II Electric Cooperative (BOHECO II), and Cebu province have already been restored yesterday afternoon.

In addition, the towns of Loay, Lila, Dimiao, Loboc, Sevilla, Panglao, and parts of Dauis and Albuquerque being served by Bohol I Electric Cooperative (BOHECO I) have been energized as of 10 am today.

PEMC likewise reported that the WESM has been operating business as usual since there was no market intervention made due to the unfortunate event.

Mea nwhi le, Tra nsCo indicated that they will also conduct ground assessment of the transmission facilities in the area by tomorrow.

NGCP reported that the Tagbilaran-Corella 69-kV Line has been restored as of 4:13 PM. The only remaining transmission facilit y undergoing restoration is the Corella-Catigbian-Carmen 69 KV line.

NEA f ur t her cited t hat BOHECO I is now work ing on restoring power in the remaining towns. Corella, Sikatuna, Baclayon, Ma ribojoc, Antequera, Cortez, Carmen, Sagbayan, Batuan, Bilar, and parts of Albuquerque and Dauis is expected to have power within the day after completing some repairs and technical inspections.

The towns of Tubugon, Calape, Loon, Inabanga, Clarin, Catigbian, Balilihan,

and San Isidro, meanwhile, are expected to have power within 2 to 3 days, as NGCP is still conducting restoration of the two 69kv poles in the area.

“Hopefully we can address the power situation in these provinces within the day.

Worst case scenario would be 2 to 3 days of no power, depending on the assessment of our people on the ground.

We still have to continue monitoring the situation there; aftershocks are still imminent da nger,” said DOE Undersecretary Raul B. Aguilos.

The DOE is also studying how to deploy small generator sets to temporarily provide power to critical facilities and communication services while assessment of the safety of the buildings and other structures are still being undertaken.

“We are just ma k ing final deliberations on how to deploy the 2 to 3 KW capacity gensets to secure power in calamity stricken a reas, especia l ly in t he hospitals and other offices providing basic services,” Usec. Aguilos said.

In terms of petroleum supply, there were no reports of problems in Cebu facilities.

Fu r t her more, a lter nate supply source is in Mandaue City in Cebu.

However, DOE is still closely coordinating with oil companies that have operations in the provinces affected to assess the impact of the earthquake in their gasoline stations a nd facilities.

Initial reports showed that one oil depot in Tagbilaran is undergoing inspection after suffering a minor damage; while 14 gasoline stations in Bohol were closed due to damages and tsunami scare.

Reg u la r updates a nd a nnou ncements w i l l be ava i lable to t he publ ic through the DOE’s Facebook account (www.facebook.com/ doe.gov.ph), Twitter account (@DOE_PH), and the DOE website (www.doe.gov.ph), as well as in various social networking site accounts of the said energy agencies.

(PNA)

Benefit...

from page 14 He said the loan will be formally signed on October 24, 2013 in Singapore, where Cofely South East Asia is headquartered.

It will be used to finance tech n ic a l a s si st a nc e to design energy conservation progra ms and trainings among others.

FSCI is a mong t he Philippine companies that Cofely inked partnerships with. The other companies include the Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Island (BPI) and ceramic company Mariwasa.

It’s tie-up with Cofely involves the optimization of its centralized chilled water system.

Using the new system, the company’s savings on electricit y from 2010-12 reached nearly US$ 300,000

northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

while the projected savings t h is yea r is about US$ 128,000, PSCI President Hisahiro Miyake said.

Miyake said they really benefited from the retrofitting of their chilled water system because it is already more than a decade old.

Also, FSCI vice president Tim Batac said that share of their air conditioning units to total electricity cost is about 20-30 percent, thus, the use of the new chilling system is a big help.

He said these savings were not left unused as this is invested for additional capacity of the company, which manufactures f lipchip and circuits for cellular phones among others. (PNA)

Hyundai... from page 15

swing. With four consecutive months of growth, the brand is a mere 5-percent off its mark a year ago through the first nine months of 2013,” HARI president and chief executive Maria Fe PerezAgudo said.

“Wit h t he season of giving fast approaching, the Hyundai family is thrilled to continue providing Filipinos exciting and compelling offerings to share with the family this blessed season,” Agudo said.

At the end of the third quarter, HARI was the thirdlargest vehicle seller, tailing Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation’s 53,570 units, a nd M it subish i Motors Philippines Corporation’s 31,306.

Increases... from page 16

Regional Fisheries Training Center director Andrew Ventura said.

He said the Mariculture Park’s growth is undeniable consider i ng t hat it ha s almost tripled its incomeseed money of only P235.8 million in 2006 to P601.65 million as of 2012.

The park, which is a joint project of the local government of Panabo City and the DA-BFAR XI, had a tot a l f ish produc t ion of 6,998.80 met ric tons i n a spa n of si x yea rs , sig nif ica nt ly increasing every year from 2.9 metric tons in 2006 to a high of 1,919 MT in 2009.

Un k n o w n t o m a n y foreigners who enjoy eating t he delicious fatt y belly bangus in the United States, China and the Middle East, the fish they are eating could have been sourced from Panabo City’s Mariculture Park. Companies like Alsons and Century Tuna source their bangus products from the Mariculture Park and export them.

“These companies process the bangus products into value-added products like bottled bangus, deboned bangus and belly bangus which are highly in-demand i n f o r e i g n c o u nt r i e s ,” Ventura said.

Century Tuna alone gets 30 to 40 tons of fresh bangus from the Mariculture Park a nd pro c e s s e s t hem i n General Santos City. While Alsons has its own fish cages in Malita and Malalag in Davao del Sur, it purchases 500 to 600 grams bangus as well as baby bangus from the Park.

The park’s bangus is sold

by Alsons and Century Tuna under their own brands so people are not even aware that some of the bottled and marinated bangus they are buying here and abroad are products of Panabo City.

(PNA)

www.johndprovoice.com

Planted... from page 20

prevent flooding.

“We are proud to tell everybody that we were able to reach and even exceeded our goal in the first 100 days of our administration. Our next step is to ensure that all those which we have planted will grow properly,” he said.

(PNA)

Meeting... from page 20

related investment needs of developing countries.

The intention is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing economies and to help the world’s poorest countries respond to the impact of climate change by way of innovative solutions, such as drought-resistant crops.

N e x t Tu e s d a y, t h e secretary-general will address the Global Green Growth For u m i n C open hagen, Nesirky said. “He will then meet with Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Sp e a k er of Pa rl i a ment Mogens Ly k kekof t a nd Chairperson of the Foreign Policy Committee Mette Gjerskov of Denmark. He will also attend a meeting hosted by Minister of Finance Bjarne Corydon of Denmark, with institutional investors.”

“The secretary-general will then participate in the launch of the Efficient Energy Hub, which aims to serve as the center of global efforts to double energy efficiency by 2013, under the umbrella of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative,” Nesirky added.

Ban will also take part in a town hall meeting, where he will interact with a large group of yout hs, before returning to New York on Oct. 23, t he spokesman noted. (PNA/Xinhua)

DATS TECHNICAL UNLI PROMO From September-October 2013 (TUITION ONLY)

15% DISCOUNT will be given if you enroll two or three of any of the above courses, or if you bring a friend and both of you enrolled, both of you will be given 15% DISCOUNT. The offer is applicable to cash term payment only. For installment term payment, it will be 5% DISCOUNT only.

20% DISCOUNT will be given to those who will enroll and pay 2 months before the course date.

10% DISCOUNT will be given to those who will enroll and pay 1 month before the course date.

GROUP DISCOUNT PROMO (CASH TERM ONLY): 1. 15% OFF, if you refer 1 friend for the same course 2. 20% OFF, if you refer 2 friends for the same course 3. 40% OFF,if you refer 3 friends for the same course 4. 50% OFF, if you refer 4 friends for the same course 5. YOUR TRAINING TUITION IS FREE, if you bring 5 friends for the same course.

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22 Mindanao Daily NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Editor : Clifford Santillan, E-mail: santillan.clifford@yahoo.com

Bill...

from page 17

agreement, with few strings attached, to end the 16-day shutdown.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said “the global economy dodged a potential catastrophe” with congressional approval of the deal to raise the $16.7 trillion US debt ceiling.

The standoff between Republicans and the White House over funding the government forced the temporary lay-off of hundreds of thousands of federal workers from Oct. 1 and created concern that crisis-driven politics was the “new normal” in Washington.

While essential functions like defense and air traffic control continued during the crisis, national parks and agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency have been largely closed.

Senator John McCain, whose fellow Re pu bli c ans tr ig g ere d

the crisis with demands that the Democratic president’s “Obamacare” healthcare reform law be defunded, said earlier on Wednesday the deal marked the “end of an agonizing odyssey” for Americans.

“It is one of the most shameful chapters I have seen in the years I’ve spent in the Senate,” said McCain, who had warned Republicans not to link their demands for Obamacare changes to the debt limit or government spending bill. Polls showed Republicans took a hit in public opinion over the standoff.

In the end, the Democratic-led Senate overwhelmingly passed the measure on a 81-18 vote, and the Republican-controlled House followed suit 285 to 144. Obama signed the 35-page bill just after midnight.

Political dysfunction Although the deal would only extend US borrowing authority until the first week of February, the Treasury Department would

clifford’s

Daily HOROSCOPE AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) - Your plans may be a bit too futuristic for your coworkers or friends to understand-- but try to get them to see the light! Keep pushing and eventually they will come around to your way of thinking.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) - You feel totally wrapped up in something that makes you feel a bit crazy -- but don’t let go! This is a sign that you are on the right track, and enlightenment isn’t far behind. Keep going!

ARIES (March 21 – April 19) - Try something -anything -- because your energy is driving you to experience all that life has to offer. Your great spirit demands action, and you just can’t let it down. Go for it!

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) - This isn’t a good time for shopping -- or even for looking at making purchases. Focus on spirituality, romance or any other aspect of life, as materialism just doesn’t work for you right now.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21) - You’ve got to listen carefully when people tell you what’s really going on -- they’re close to right, but you’ve got to fill in some blanks before you can be sure you know what to do next.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22) - You can think on your feet today and catch an important mistake that saves you time and money. Your mood may not be as giddy as it could be, but practically speaking, you’re doing great!

have tools to temporarily extend its borrowing capacity beyond that date if Congress failed to act early next year. But such techniques eventually run out.

In addition to lifting the federal debt limit, the deal calls for creating a House-Senate bipartisan commission to try to come up with long-term deficit-reduction ideas that would have to be approved by the full Congress. Their work would have to be completed by Dec. 13, but some lawmakers say the panel faces an extremely difficult task.

The agreement also includes some income verification procedures for those seeking subsidies under the 2010 healthcare law. But it was only a modest concession to Republicans, who surrendered on their latest attempt to delay or gut the healthcare package or include major changes, including the elimination of a medical device tax.

The congressional vote signaled

friday | October 18, 2013 Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

a temporary ceasefire between Republicans and the White House in the latest struggle over spending and deficits that has at times paralyzed both decision-making and basic functions of government.

The political dysfunction has worried US allies and creditors such as China, the biggest foreign holder of US debt, and raised questions about the impact on America’s prestige. The Treasury has said it risks hurting the country’s reputation as a safe haven and stable financial center.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced the fiscal agreement on the Senate floor earlier on Wednesday, and its passage was eased when the main Republican critic of the deal, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, said he would not use procedural moves to delay a vote.

The agreement stacked up as a political achievement for Obama, who refused to negotiate on changes

Mindanao Daily News’

-MovieWatch-

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Schumer. “This is not a happy day, it is a somber day.”

The fight over Obamacare rapidly grew into a brawl over the debt ceiling, threatening a default that global financial organizations warned could throw the United States back into recession and cause a global economic disaster.

Fitch Ratings had warned on Tuesday that it could cut the US sovereign credit rating from AAA, citing the political brinkmanship over raising the debt ceiling.

A resolution to the crisis cannot come soon enough for many companies. American consumers have put away their wallets, at least temporarily, instead of spending on big-ticket items like cars and recreational vehicles.

“We’re sort of ‘crises-ed’ out,” said Tammy Darvish, vice president of DARCARS Automotive Group, a family-run company that owns 21 auto dealerships in the greater Washington area. –Reuters

to the healthcare law, and a defeat for Republicans, who were driven

by Tea Party conservatives in their ranks and suffered a backlash in public opinion polls.

There was no immediate sign that House Speaker John Boehner’s leadership position was at risk despite having conceded defeat in the budget battle.

Several Republican lawmakers suggested he may have strengthened his standing among the rank-and-file, who gave him a standing ovation at an afternoon meeting.

But Cruz, a Tea Party-backed senator with 2016 presidential aspirations, denounced the fiscal accord as a “terrible deal” and accused fellow Republicans of giving in too easily in their bid to derail Obamacare.

Obama’s Democrats avoided claims of victory. “The bottom line is, millions suffered, millions didn’t get pay checks, the economy was dragged down,” said Senator Charles

publish readers report sport tabloid tvand radio weather

Jackass 4: Bad Grandpas is a big screen spinoff of the Jackass TV show and theatrical movies. But more in the line of Borat than Jackass.

Jackass 4 has elements of a plot with alleged real life captive audience members reacting to the antics of Bad Grandpa.

The Bad Grandpa movie features Johnny Knoxville dressing up as old man, Irving Zisman, who shocks people with his wildly inappropriate behavior.

The Latino big screen version of Paranormal Activity was supposed to arrive in theaters on October 25, 2013 but was pushed back to Januar y 3, 2014 to make room for Bad Grandpa.

BAD GRANDPA release date : october

25, 2013

SUDOKU How to play the game?

Fill in completely every rows, columns and diagonals of each puzzle without repitition

of the same digit.

Yesterday’s Answer

LEO (July 23 – August 22) - You overhear a tidbit that stops you in your tracks -- in a good way!

Sometimes good news takes us by surprise, and that’s just how today goes for you. Have a good time working through the consequences!

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) - You feel a renewed sense of purpose as you turn to face a new chapter of your life. It’s a good time to put old, immature habits to rest and work toward something much better.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) - Today is all about relationships, so do your best to focus on those people who are most important to you. It’s a good time for you to deal with any lingering issues from old fights.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) - When the call comes, be sure to heed it -without considering your own needs. Today is all about the community and service, and you can score some serious karma if you go for it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) You are a powerhouse today! Your amazing energy helps you start new things, surprise the hotties with smooth moves and even get yourself that raise or promotion you’ve been wanting.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) - You have a hard choice to make today: Please your family or please your boss. The good news is that there shouldn’t be any permanent consequences, but the bad news is that someone’s going to be upset.

Amazing Facts!

Did you KNOW?? ..

When you think you’re standing still remember this fact. Even though you don’t feel it, our entire local group of galaxies is moving at about one million miles per hour toward another galaxy group called the Virgo Cluster.

CROSSWORD puzzle across 1. Get smaller 5. Duplicates 11. Angry 13. Respect 14. Canine 15. Climbing plant 17. _Dorado 18. Printing measure 19. Spice 20. Movie medium 21. Home 23. Reject 25. Exercise 26. Karate grade 27. Orient 29. Advances 31. Insect egg 32. Whet 33. What?

35. Iridium’s symbol

36. Primitive plant 37. Hat 38. Grade 40. Bring to mind 42. Reworked 43. Female sheep DOWN 1. Broad 2. Smell 3. Henpeck 4. cetera 6. Alley 7. Poem 8. Negative 9. Build 10. Rare 12. Escape 16. Frost 19. Greatest 20. Sell 22. Break

23. Weather_ 24. Of old age 26. .Compact 28. Freshened 29. _Angeles 30. Tremble 32. Puncture 34. Orangutans 36. Congregated 37. Bull’s partner 39. 6 in Roman 41. Odin’s raven Yesterday’s Answer

Mindanao Daily 23 NEWS

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Farmers... from page 13

needs, at least we have the farm now as our guarantee,” she stressed.

Individually and c o l l e c t i ve l y, t h e r e a r e improvements but there is still a lot of work to be done, said Yoyong Merida, founding chair of the cooperative.

He stressed t hey are proud, however, to count their blessings.

“Of course, we are very far away from our situation back when we started the walk,” he said.

Far different When they went out of Sitio Fatima, their hamlet, last October 12, the Sumilao farmers were far different from six years ago—they rode on the cooperative’s vehicles and their own motorcycles for a caravan around Barangay San Vicente and the rest of Sumilao town.

In parade were about 30 members riding on their own motorcycles. The rest of the members and their families rode in a forward truck vehicle, an elf cargo vehicle, and a multi-cab, all owned by the cooperative.

The forward truck vehicle and multi-cab were part of the P2.5 million grant from Senator Francis Pangilinan’s Sagip Saka program through the Cooperative Development A u t h o r i t y. T h e g r a n t also came with training, pro duc t ion, m a rk e t i ng and other project start up components.

The caravan from Sitio Fatima to the town proper of Sumilao and back was among the highlights of the anniversary celebration.

Si x yea rs a f ter t heir historic 1,700-k ilometer “walk for land, walk for justice” to Manila in 2007, the Sumilao farmers’ cooperative reported improved “economic status” and “better quality of life” with total assets of P52.54 million as of this month, including about P2.26 million in current account.

Starting this year, they have paid a total of P400, 000 to the Land Bank of the Philippines as installment for 97 ha of land transferred to them in 2010 by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) They also paid a total of P47, 000 for real property taxes for 50 ha, which SMC turned over to them through a deed of donation.

Merida, the cooperative’s founding chair, said the c h a l lenge now for t he farmers is how to sustain and develop their lands in accordance with the 10-year development plan laid out for the cooperative’s 163 members.

In his presentation at the program highlighting the October 10-12 celebrations at the San Vicente Barangay Plaza, Merida cited t he farmers’ plan to diversify their products.

T he celebrat ion wa s themed “Panaw: Naghugpong a ron Pag paga hu m ug Pagpalambu sa Kumunidad” or “united to empower and develop the community.”

According to the farmers’ plan, they would plant coffee, cacao, citronella and durian, among other high-va lue crops, aside from corn and vegetables.

Merida noted t he cooperative members have gone a long way from their situation six years ago.

“Our members can now afford to send their children to school and have better quality of life,” he added.

Merida said t hey are lo ok i ng at s u s t a i n a ble agriculture in the 50-ha area and looking for financing for the 97 ha spread across eight non-contiguous areas.

He cited that only 32 ha of the 97-ha area had been planted, mostly to corn.

For t he cooperat ive, it earns by renting farm production equipment and trucks and through interest payments from loans by members.

Grants for development Among the highlights of the anniversary program wa s t he sig n i ng of t he Memorandum of Agreement between the cooperative a nd t he Depa r t ment of Agrarian Reform for a P2.5 million grant, which was previously released to the cooperative as a conditional grant. The money was loaned to members for their farm inputs.

The cooperative a lso received a P2.4 mi l lion tractor from the Department of Agriculture in July 2012, which they rent to members and other farmers in the town, along with their elf and forward truck vehicles.

Merida said the cooperative was also able to obtain another grant worth P1.3 million to put up a warehouse and for their communal production.

The group also received a building from Akbayan, which it uses as people’s center and offices for the cooperative and its support groups. It also served as a tulugan or tribal hall.

Through the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (Pakisama), the cooperative also availed of another P2.5 million grant for capability building initiatives to include agriculture cluster formation and commodity trainings for cacao, rubber and coffee.

There are now a total of four vegetable clusters in the cooperative covering 50 members and another 50 members for the corn cluster that directly connect with the industry supply chain.

Targets The cooperative intends to have an enterprise for women, set up an Agricultural Field School, and venture into vermin-culture and enzyme compost production.

Merida cited t hat additional support services such as mechanical dryers and corn mills can further improve the cooperative’s economic condition.

One of the streng ths of the cooperative, Merida said, is its group of support organizations that helped them through the years.

northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

The Sumilao farmers hogged the headlines in 2007 when they marched from this town to Manila to press their land claim under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

They first rose to national prominence earlier in 2007 after they staged a 28-day hunger strike in Quezon and Cagayan de Oro cities to dramatize their demand to get back 144 ha of their ancestral land.

Their a ncest ra l la nd area, around 243 ha of flat agricultural lands, used to be the seat of the Higaonon tribe until a big landowner came in the 1930s and allegedly drove them away.

Ownership of the land, which is bou nd by Mt. Sayawan and Mt. Palaopao, c h a n ge d s e ve r a l t i me s through the years until it was divided into two lots.

O ne lot , a rou nd 9 9 ha , went to Sa lvador Ca rlos, a Ma ni la-based businessman and Norberto Quisumbing, owner of the Cebu-based Yamaha Norkis manufacturing. The land was eventually sold to SMC. Carlos, however, declared in his will that 66 ha be given back to the farmers.

Power...

from page 13 electric cooperatives in ensuring compliance with the prudential requirements in the Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM).”

T he t r a d i n g s y s t e m mandates power generators to sell their excess capacity via a trading platform in a bid to address the power supply deficiency in the island.

The DOE has established that the electric cooperatives (ECs) in Mindanao — whose operations are overseen by NEA — “may not have the means at present to provide t he pr udent ia l secu r it y requirements in the IMEM.” “ T he NEA is hereby directed to prov ide t he necessa r y g ua ra ntee or f i na nc ia l a s si st a nc e to qualified grid connected ECs in Mindanao on their purchases and transactions as required under the IMEM rules, until such time that the regulator has considered the prudential requirements in the ECs’ rates,” the circular read.

“For this purpose, the NEA may impose the necessary fee or interest charges in the provision of such guarantee or f i na nc ia l a s si st a nc e consistent with existing laws and regulations,” it added.

The Energy department also directed the ECs to “act in judicious and prudent manner in procuring its power supply, including entering into necessary power supply contracts to ensure the adequacy and continuity of electricity services and stability of prices…”

All grid-connected ECs were also required to submit a monthly update of their power demand and level of contracted quantities within 10 days of the end of each IMEM billing month.

At t he sa me t i me,

Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) — which serves as IMEM operator — was tasked to submit to the Energy department a report on the declared bilateral quantities of each EC ten days from the end of every billing month.

The IMEM started initial com merc ia l op er at ions on Sept. 26 to familiarize participants with how the system works. However, actual electricity trading will only start on Nov. 26.

PEMC President Melinda L. Ocampo had said last mont h t hat t he i n it ia l operat ions involve “t he completion of registration” and a “dispatch protocol”.

“The full commercial operations will mark the start of the trading of electricity in the market,” Ms. Ocampo added.

The IMEM is expected t o d r aw i n s o m e 2 0 0 megawatts of power by using the embedded capacity of generators that previously refused to sell excess capacity because payments were not guaranteed.--InterAksyon

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Confab... from page 13

empower energy consumers with the basic knowledge and understanding of the different energy products and services, including practical tips on its efficient and safe handling, transport, storage and utilization.

Likew ise, t he said activity was crafted towards en ha nci ng t he le vel of aw a re ne s s of i ndu s t r y players and stakeholders regarding their roles and responsibilities and on the various energ y laws and regulations governing the energy industry.

Officials and representatives from the local government units, academe, business sector, consumer g roups, a nd indust r y stakeholders, down to the barangay and household level are expected to participate in the forum.

D OE -M FO D i re c t or Manuel Llaneza said that making the people more aware of energy efficiency and safety practices can i nd i re c t l y a f fe c t t he i r behavior and consumption pattern that may help address the current problems in the energy sector, specifically in Mindanao. (PNA)

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

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24 Mindanao Daily NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

EDITOR: Shaun Uy , e-mail: shaun_alejandrae_uy@yahoo.com

Feature

friday | October 18, 2013 Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

Seda Hotels Pioneers ‘Guest Service Gold’ in the Philippine Hospitality Industry

T

he Ayala-managed hotel chain is the 1st in the country to undergo accreditation for Certified Guest Service Professionals (CGSP) from the American Hotels and Lodging Educational Institute October 2013, Manila.

Seda hotels, recognizing the impact of service excellence in the industry, is the first group in the Philippines and one of the first in Asia, to undergo training and accreditation for a new program of the American Hotels and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), Guest Service Gold.

Group Director of Human Resources Wilma Estaura introduced the program to Seda employees upon earning her pin as a Certified Guest Service Professional in Chicago, Illinois, the only Filipino among an international group of hoteliers.

Guest Service Gold underscores the most important values in guest service based on extensive industry research by the American Hotels and Lodging Educational Institute. AHLEI is the global leader in hospitality training and hotel management certifications, certifying and validating competencies in conjunction with academia and industry experts.

Estaura states, “Training that aims for customer satisfaction is de rigueur in the hospitality industry. Seda takes service to a higher level with its culture of generosity of spirit and humility.

We aim for selfless service, dedication and commitment. These all give rise to a genuine concern for our guests which makes the big difference.”

Guest Service Gold affirms the highest international standard of service for all hotel employees. To get this seal of approval, Seda’s participants underwent a test run and conducted by an official representative of the American Hotels and Lodging Educational Institute.

Seda’s Group General Manager Andrea Mastellone remarks: “The objective is not just to

satisfy, but to “delight” a guest. To do this, a staff member must constantly seek ways to surprise a guest. After all, what guests remember most about a hotel is not so much the furnishings but the stories of their memorable experiences during their stay.”

Seda “urban lifestyle hotels”, which opened in December 2012, are located in Bonifacio Global City, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. The brand is owned and managed by AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corporation.

Photo shows Guest Service Gold training participants with Seda hotels’ Group Director of Human Resources and Certified Guest Service Professional Wilma Estaura (center), AHLEI-accredited Hospitality Management Trainer Colby Hutchinson; and Hotel Manager of Seda Centrio in Cagayan de Oro, Lorenzo Tang.