BusinessWeek Mindanao (October 19, 2016)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO CREDIBLE

Volume VII, No. 059

Market Indicators

As of 6:28 pm october 18, 2016 (tuesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P48.367

7,571.15

X X Briefly

15.4

212.94

cents

points

Mindanao investments AN agreement aimed to encourage investments in Mindanao was signed by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and industry (PCCI) during the recently concluded 42nd Philippine Business Conference (PBC) held at the Marriott Hotel’s Grand Ballroom here in this city.

Secretary Datu Abul Khayr Alonto, MinDA chair and PCCI President George Barcelon signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which calls for the two organizations to work together to promote investments and formulate policy agenda that will enhance trade and business in the island-region of Mindanao.

MinDA is a sub-national government agency mandated to promote, coordinate, and facilitate socioeconomic in Mindanao, while the PCCI is the country’s largest business organization.

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Amreco pushes for lower power rates www.businessweekmindanao.com

• AMRECO champions affordable electricity for the poorest of the poor • Industries and systems operated can instead avail of surplus power in Mindanao grid

AMRECO is asking government to make cheaper electricity from the Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plants exclusively available for the use of residential households. File Photo

I

By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

S it still possible to reduce the cost of electricity in today’s regime of s k y ro c k e t i ng p o w er r ate s ? T h e Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives believes this can be done in Mindanao.

AMRECO will ask the Mindanao Development Aut hor it y ( Mi n DA ) to request stakeholders in the Mindanao Grid to allocate the entire output of the Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Power Complex (APHC) for residential consumers.

During a press conference held yesterday at a hotel in Cagayan de Oro to drumbeat lower/PAGE 9

Miss Earth beauties’ visit in Lanao Norte expected to boost tourism industry

By GERRY LEE GORIT, Reporter

Sustainable peace IN a gathering of around 500 peace advocates and practitioners here in the city over the weekend, various government agencies including the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) spearheaded a nationwide dialogue on local governments’ and civil society’s pivotal role in achieving a just and sustainable peace across the country.

“I’d like to convert this now from conversations into actions. I’d like to challenge you to continue doing; seeing to it that there is action in your inputs,” said OPAPP Secretary Jesus G. Dureza during the culmination of the first Peace and Development Agenda Summit, with the goal of building a multisectoral constituency of active peace actors.

The two-day event, held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, is part of the Duterte administration’s commitment to transparency and inclusivity in the peace process.

Dubbed as National Peacebuilding Conversations, the event is a spin-off of the Social Development Initiatives Summit: Malasakit at Pagbabago led by the Office of the Cabinet Secretary months prior to help operationalize President Rodrigo Duterte’s goal of a peoplecentered security program.

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TINAGO FALLS. Ms. Earth 2016 candidates visit the Tinago Falls in Linamon town, Lanao del Norte. PHOTO’S BY GERRY LEE GORIT

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte -- The visit of the 10 of Ms. Earth candidates in this province will promote the area’s tourism industry as it boosts the peace and security in the area once affected by decades-long conflict.

The candidates were here for two days to immerse themselves in the Filipino culture and experience the

country’s beauty.

Visiting were Maja Ana Strnad, Slovenia; Janelle Nicholas, New Zealand; Tatiana Ovcinicova, Maldova; Rashini Khati, Nepal; Carole Kahwagi, Lebanon; Denice Frigo, Italy; Maria Rosta, Cyprus; Ambereen Yasmine, Mauritius; Dimanthi Edirirathne; and Natali tourism/PAGE 9

68.8-MW hydropower set Inclusive solution to refilling of for commissioning in 2017 butane canisters with LPG sought

By MARK FRANCISCO, Staff Writer

THE 68.8-megawatt (MW) Manolo Fortich hydropower project in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon is expected to be

on stream by the third quarter of next year, AboitizPower Corp. subsidiary Hedcor, set/PAGE 9

HEDCOR BUILDS. Hedcor’s first hydropower project in Bukidnon will generate 360 gigawatt hours a year of clean and renewable energy for the Mindanao grid starting the third quarter of 2017. The construction progress now 63% complete. (APC Photo)

By MIKE BAÑOS Editor-at-Large

(Last of a Series) IN a report published in a local broadsheet 27 Sept 2016, a homeowners group in Cebu City opposed a proposed ordinance to ban the use of refilled butane canisters since this would displace most of their members who could only afford butane canisters.

The group told a public hearing that a typical household uses around twenty 200-gram canisters in a month priced at P12.50 butane/PAGE 11

Cheap one burner butane gas stoves are openly sold in department stores around Cogon Market (RMB).

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Economy

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1-M solar power eyed in CDO’s Cogon Market

T

HE City Economic Enterprises Department (CEED) is now reviewing the te chni c a l asp e c t of the proposed solar power project.

City Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya, chairman

of t he c om m itte e on e conomic enter pr is e, said that in the initial study on the viability of the project, the city has the capacity to earn from it based on their consultation with the engineers from the

Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company, Inc. (CEPALCO). “ Pa r e h a s s a i l a n g 1-hectare solar power facility sa Indahag nga income kaayo (Just the same with their 1-hectare solar power facility in

Ind a h ag , t he proj e c t will earn a lot),” Nacaya added.

The project is envisioned not only to provide an additional supply of energy but also to augment the income of the city to about P1

Million per month.

The facility will be placed on the rooftop of Cogon Market that will cover 1.2 hectares. This will then become the very first power facility in the country.

Part of the committee’s

study is the stability of the market’s rooftop as well as the whole building itself to make sure that there will be no problems in the future and ensure the security and safety of the vendors.(ALR-CIO/ PIA10)

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) now shifts its focus on empowering farmers, rural workers, and indigenous people by providing holistic program of support services.

DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Office

Marcos Ris onar in an interview with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) said they have to address the challenge of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in maintaining the land awarded to them.

“Fif te en p ercent of the DAR budget is now

allocated to support ser vices; this will be used to purchase farm implements, construction of farm to market roads, farm capital, and trainings among others,” he said.

To ensure that property remains productive, it is now a policy of the

agenc y to prepare the farmers before handing the certificate of land ownership (CLOA).

Assistant Director for Land Tenure Improvement Engr. Joey Sumatra, at the same time stressed that apart from the support s er vices t here wi ll b e

a d r ast i c change a ls o in the distribution and acquisition of lands.

“As compared before, we w i l l now fo c us i n private agricultural lands, expect resistance from the land owners, that’s why it has to be done with quality instead of

counting on numbers for accomplishment to ensure solid tenurial stability,” Sumatra said.

Land owners likewise will receive just payment for t he va lue of t heir land in accordance to the parameters set by the law.

(JCV/PIA 10)

DAR shifts focus on support services

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Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) OIC Regional Director Carlene C. Collado receives DA banner from outgoing Regional Director Lealyn A. Ramos as symbol of passing the agency’s leadership during a simple turnover ceremony at the regional office on October 6, 2016. (DA-RFO 10)

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Opinion

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The Global Art Market

Businessweek Mindanao Corporation Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO

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What you see is what you get Think a minute…You’ve heard the expression ”What you see is what you get.”

Psychologists tell us that nothing controls our lives more than our self-image.

We live like the person we see in the mirror. We are what we think we are. If you don’t think you’ll be successful, you won’t. You can’t be it if you can’t see it. Your life is limited to your vision. So if you want to change your life, you must change your vision of your life.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was not that famous in 1976 when he met with a n e w s p ap e r r e p o r t e r.

The reporter asked S chw ar z e n e g ge r : “Now that you’ve retired from b o dy bui lding , w hat do you plan to do next?

Schwarzenegger answered very calmly and confidently: “I’m going to be the #1 movie star in Hollywood.” The reporter was shocked and amused at Schwarzenegger’s plan. At that time, it was very hard to imagine how this muscle-bound bodybuilder, who was not a professional actor and who spoke poor English with an Austrian accent, could ever hope to be Hollywood’s #1 movie star!

THINK

A Minute

Jhan Tiafau Hurst When the reporter asked Schwarzenegger how he planned to make his dream come true, Schwarzenneger re pl i e d : “I’ l l d o it t he same way I became the #1 bodybuilder in the world.

First I create a vision of who I want to be, then I start living like that person as if it were already true.” Sounds almost childishly simple, doesn’t it? But it worked!

Schwarzenegger DID become the #1 highest paid movie star in Hollywood!

Remember: “If you can see it, you can be it.”

A successful businessman I know wears a shirt with these words on it: “Don’t pursue your dreams. Chase ‘em down and tackle ‘em!”

You only get one life to live, so why not live the best hurst/PAGE 9

I did not use to lecture about the contemporary art market while I was mentoring marketing subjects, but the subject is very interesting especially to those who play in such market.

There are common traits we need to understand about the millennial capitalism at work to understand the strategies of the global art market.First, it tends to rapidly concentrate the flow of capital towards centers.

S e c on d, t h e org an i z e d economic fields operate in the logics of gambling as market form for auction houses, and glamour for art fair structure. Third, transnational networks are imperatives for large-scale transactions. In addition, the work of art becomes both a means of investment and an object of cultural value, while collectors are heterogeneous individuals who are financially successful.

The lack of correlation between the boom of the art market and the financial crises in 2008 is noteworthy.

This is evident in the auction sale of Damian Hirst in September 2008. During the day of Lehman Brother’s bankruptcy, Hirst sold his annual artwork for 144 million euros at Sotheby’ s in London—one not yet reached by a living artist.

The art market was slightly affected during the crisis but only for a short period with a decline from US$5 billion to US$3 billion in revenue from 2008 to 2009. The market, however, recovered from 2009 to 2012 when auction sales came close to US$5 billion.

The trend is informed by new system of diversity: it is a combinat ion of g e o p o l i t i c a l s t r at e g i e s with the proliferation of potential buyers and the assortment of the works of art. Geopolitically speaking, the market focuses on a few metropolises around t he worl d w h i ch of fe r favourable conditions for the accumulation of capital, favour transactions with these luxur y products—

those that are often centers of art world institutions.

Network building is also a dominant strategy: auction houses are expanding their sales rooms globally, the annual art fairs strategically orient potential buyers and gallery dealers, and galleries are either globally operating or cooperate transnationally in selling and promoting artists’ careers.

Are we curious who the collectors of paintings and sculptures are? They range from speculators to connoisseurs, from hedge f unds to multinational corporations, and can come from state or private cultural organizations. Strategies are made to stimulate their interest and patronage of art.

Wo r k s of art possess multifaceted characteristics—a means of investment, a gauge of economic success (what do people think of those who acquire a Vincent Van Gogh?), a luxury good, a cultural product.

lucell larawan The global art market has developed a system that includes and marginalizes in an unanticipated way art centers. These combine institutions of both the art world and the art market and are advanced by neoliberal politics and fiscal laws such as acquisition and possession of artworks and custom regulation. Most of such elements such as branded museums, intensive exhibits, branded auction houses, high-end galleries, and prestigious art fairs are put together in New York and London.

Antidotes vs. typhoon wrath LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD…” (Psalm 27:14, the Holy Bible).

-ooo ANTID OTES VS. TYPHOON WRATH: Bible reading and intense prayers are what I am prescribing for our countrymen in the areas where Typhoon Lawin, touted to be a truly strong cyclone with maximum winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 230 kilometers per hour, is expected to pass through starting Thursday, October 20, 2016.

Of course, it would be of great help to undertake the usual preparations when very strong typhoons are expected to hit the country, like preemptive evacuation, stocking up on food and water and other basic necessities, and making sure our houses would be able to withstand strong rains, surging floods,

and howling winds.

The greater and more relevant part of preparations however should be making s u re ou r f am i l i e s an d ourselves are truly close to Jesus, our God and Savior, for it is He who is our rock and our refuge at all times.

This we can do by reading His Bible daily, studying its verses day and night, and by carefully obeying the commands that have been written, all they days of our lives.

-ooo STOP CALLING MARCOS FUNERAL A “HEROE’S BURIAL”: I believe we can all avoid much of the contentious discussions the country is having right now on the burial of President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, by not calling it a “hero’s burial” or a “state funeral”. I suggest we can just call the burial just that---a burial.

After all, even the slogan

that Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos displayed in her black shirt during the vigil of Marcos loyalist at the Supreme Court starting on Monday, October 17, 2016, said just that---“ilibing na”, which means, in all candor, “just bury the remains”.

Yes, just bury the remains!

Bury those remains according to the law that mandates the burial of former presidents in the Libingan, and according to whatever the procedure, if any, of burial that may have been outlined in the law. That way, arguments will wane and cease. Unless, of course, someone doesn’t want to bury not just the remains, but even the issue of whether or not Marcos is a hero.

-ooo DOGS MAY YET FIND A BETTER SOLUTION TO TRAFFIC WOES? If traffic authorities in Metro Manila would really want to have a traffic-free EDSA and other

K akampi

Mo A ng Batas

Atty. Batas Mauricio major thoroughfares in the National Capital Region, they should not just remove the “no window” option where vehicles were still allowed to travel previously, despite the color-coding (or numbercoding) ban, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This maybe outlandish to some, but officials should now also consider banning vehicles altogether, one or two days in a week. That way, Department of Transportation Secretary batas/PAGE 9

Stewards of God’s creation This might be too big or too abstract an issue for a newspaper column to tackle, but I think it is worthwhile to bring it out if only to remind ourselves of our responsibility as stewards of God’s creation whose integrity we have to uphold, enhance and defend.

T he worl d to d ay i s developing very fast, and we just have to get a handle on these developments that clearly are not all that right.

There are many questionable things taking place, like the issue of climate change etc.

That’s why we now have a graver concern over how we are taking care of our environment, with Pope Francis, for example, issuing

an encyclical on it entitled, ‘Laudato si.’

As God’s image and likeness and redeemed children of his through Christ, we are tasked to take care of God’s creation.

“Be fruitful and increase in number. Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1,28) That was God’s clear mandate to our first parents. It continues to be ours too, till the end of time.

The world has been given to us by God as the place for us to do our life’s test of whether to love him in

return or not. As such, it comes to us with a certain order, direction and unity. It comes to us with laws that we try to discover and follow.

As the masterpiece of that creation, we are made its stewards who have to take care of it, always with the mind of God and never just with our own ideas. That’s why we need to always be in God’s presence, asking for his guidance. We can never overemphasize our need for prayer, for studying the doctrine of our faith, so we can discern God’s will and ways as we go through our earthly affairs.

Offhand, the catechism tells us some basic indications

HINTS

and

Traces

Fr. Roy Cimagala of how we can respect the integrity of creation.

“Animals, like plants and inanimate beings,” it says, “are by nature destined for the common good of past, cimagala/PAGE 9

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CorporateWorld

NPK, Zamcelco seek ERC approval for agreement G N P O W E R Kau s w a g an Ltd .

Co. (GNPK), the company behind the biggest ongoing power project in Mindanao, has sought regulatory approval of the power purchase and sale agreement (PPSA) it has forged with Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Zamcelco).

In their filing before t he Energ y Regu lator y Commission (ERC), GNPK and Zamcelco have agreed the power supply deal, which will be sourced from the $740-million coalfired power being built in barangays Libertad and Tacub in Kauswagan town, Lanao del Norte province. “ T h e C o m m i s s i o n’s provisional approval of the instant Application is a vital requirement for the continuous release of the loan proceeds which will then ensure stability in flow of funds and timely construction of the generation facility, and the implementation of the PPSA as contemplated by the Applicants,” GNPK and Zamcelco said in their application.

The plant, w hich is scheduled for commercial operation in March 2018,

will initially have three units each with a capacity of 135 megawatts (MW), with a fourth unit to come online months after.

Zamcelco said it solicited proposals for power supply to ensure the reliable and lowcost delivery of electricity to its customers. It said it factored in increasing demand as against a decreasing supply trend from its lowest-priced power sources.

It said it had received GNPK’s proposal along with other generators and found the offer “to be the most competitive among all the coal-fired power plants and consistent with its mandate to procure its power supply requirement on a least cost manner and on the terms most advantageous” to the electric cooperative.

The PPSA was forged on Dec. 15, 2015 for the supply of baseload power equivalent to 18 MW for a period of 240 months from 2018 with the option to start delivery earlier than the power plant’s target commercial operations.

The contracting parties used in their assumptions the Department of Energy’s peak demand outlook for the Mindanao grid in 2016

at 1,742 MW, and an annual average growth rate of 5.9%.

“Therefore, Mindanao’s peak demand is expected to increase to 2,008 MW in 2018, and to 3,693 MW by the year 2030,” their application stated.

In their application, GNPK and Zamcelco said Mindanao

had been experiencing undergeneration since 2010, with no large baseload power plant built since 2006. The existing capacity in the region is composed of more than 50% hydroelectric power plants, which are dependent on the availability of water. approval/PAGE 11

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Alsons Group to issue P2.5-B in short-term commercial papers A L S ON S C on s o l i d at e d Resources, Inc. is issuing P2.5 billion in short-term commercial papers in several tranches between this year and 2018, t he holding company of the Alcantara group said on Friday.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, Alsons said the proceeds of the issuance

will be used to fund the company’s “working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes including operations of the company’s power projects in Mindanao.”

The initial tranche will be for P500 million, and will be issued within this year or Alsons/PAGE 11

Two Japanese visitors perform kendo kata last Monday (October 17, 2016) as Cagayan de Oro City schools division superintendent Elena Borcillo looks on. PHOTO BY Mark Doña Francisco

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Banking&Finance

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Excise-tax hike on cars eyed to raise revenue, ease traffic

A

S a revenuegenerating measure and one solution to help e as e tr affi c in major thoroughfares, the House of Representatives is studying the passage of the proposal to raise the excise tax on automobiles.

“It s e e m s l i k e t h e proposal is worth studying, w e w i l l d i s c u s s t h i s ,” Quirino Representative Dakila Cua, chairman of the ways and means committee, said in a news conference.

“The proposal to increase the excise tax on vehicles is in part a reaction to the traffic crisis. It’s better to purchase a vehicle before it passes,” he added.

When passed, Cua said the government expects

P40 billion to P50 billion additional revenue from the higher prices of brand-new vehicles.

He said his committee will carefully look into the proposal, which is part of a comprehensive tax reform package being pitched by the Department of Finance to shore up revenues.

Although asked about his views on it, he said he was not 100 percent for the proposed measure, as the traffic congestion affects only several urban areas.

“I don’t subscribe 100 p e rc e nt to t h at not i on because this issue is limited to the urban areas. In Quirino or Mindoro for example, traffic is not so much a problem,” he said.

“We would like also for people in our provinces to have t hat opt i on to purchas e a vehicle,” he added.

As included in its tax reform package, the Depar tment of Finance eyes to increase excise tax of automobiles: • priced at P600,000

and above to 5.0 percent from the current rate of 2.0 percent; while imposing tax rates of • 20 percent for cars selling above P600,000 to P1.1 million, • 40 percent for those selling over P1.1 million to P2.1 million, and • 60 percent for cars with

prices over P2.1 million.

Bus es, t r ucks, cargo vans, jeepneys, jeepney s u b s t itut e s , s i n g l e c a b chassis, and special purpose vehicles are exempted from the proposed tax hike.

Deputy Speaker Rolando Andaya Jr., which raised the issue of the tax increase in the news conference, said

that for example, a Toyota Innova would be priced by P400,000 more when the tax bill is passed, while a Mitsubishi Montero will be P600,000 higher than its current price.

“May b e , t h i s i s t h e right time to buy a new car considering tax reform package?” he said.

IMF backs overhaul of PHL’s tax system THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed support for a major overhaul of the Philippine tax system, including the comprehensive tax reform plan of the Department of Finance (DOF) and the proposed relaxation of the country’s bank secrecy law.

In a country assessment report prepared by the IMF Executive Board’s staff team, the multilateral financial institution gave its nod to the DOF’s tax policy reform for

being “net revenue positive with due attention paid to equity.”

It also backed the DOF’s efforts to amend the bank secrecy law after consultations with Philippine authorities on economic policies and developments under the new government. This would allow tax authorities “access to individual bank account information and make tax evasion a predicate crime for money laundering in order to improve the efficiency and

equity of revenue collection.”

The IMF report said the DOF has come up with “a package of reform measures t hat includes lower ing personal and corporate income taxes and simplifying tax processes. The revenue erosion from the lowering of income tax rates would be offset by reform initiatives.”

With these measures, the staff team said the government aimed to increase total revenue effort to about 18 percent of gross domestic

product (GDP) by 2022. It supports the government’s target to “increase public infrastructure spending to at least 5 percent of GDP over the medium term.”

Not ing t hat income inequality and unemployment persisted in recent years d e s p i t e t h e c o u n t r y ’s favorable macroeconomic performance, the report also cited the government’s objective of rapidly reducing poverty under its 10-point socioeconomic agenda.

THE non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of rural and cooperative banks improved during the second quarter even as these entities ramped up their lending activities, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Non-performing loans, or debts left unpaid at least 30 days past due date, made up just 11.48% of smaller banks’ total debts at end-June, improving from an 11.58% share at endMarch and the 11.9% seen during the comparable year-ago period.

The amount of soured debts remained steady even as the banks handed out more credit at end-June.

Bad loans reached P14.473 billion for the first semester, almost steady from the P14.215 billion recorded at end-March and just 1.5% higher than the

P14.254 billion tallied in June 2015.

Meanwhile, the banks’ total loan portfolio rose by 5.3% to P126.088 billion, well above the year-ago level of P119.78 billion, according to central bank data.

Non-performing assets, which represent seized properties and other assets from defaulting borrowers, also stood at P24.146 billion as of June, a tad higher than the P23.884 billion seen a year prior.

Still, the rural and cooperative lenders worked to hike their buffers against potential defaults, able to cover 70.32% of total NPLs, rising from a 68.51% ratio seen the previous quarter and 62.51% from a year ago.

In particular, total allowance for credit losses stood at P10.178 billion, up by 14.2% from P8.91

billion in June 2015. This drove a higher share of loan loss reserves to 8.07% from 7.44%, data showed.

The BSP tracks the NPL ratios of banks and financial entities to monitor asset quality, in keeping with its mandate of keeping a sound and stable banking system.

Rural and cooperative banks also managed to remain liquid while raking in profits during the first half.

The lenders raked in a cumulative net profit of P1.908 billion as of end-June, growing from a P1.636-billion income seen during the comparable year-ago period.

On the other hand, banks held more liquid assets during the quarter at 43.99% of total deposits, higher than the 43.08% share seen the year prior. Cash and collectibles from other banks,

as well as other financial assets amounted to P65.358 billion, rising from P58.062 billion.

However, the rural and cooperative banks slipped in terms of capital buffers, but still remained well above the BSP’s minimum requirement.

The lenders saw a 17.72% capital adequacy ratio (CAR) as of the second quarter, slipping from 17.85% seen a year ago on solo basis. The CAR computed in a consolidated basis likewise dropped to 18.79% from 18.76% previously, but still met the central bank’s 10% standard.

The CAR is among the measures of financial health, and is imposed as part of the international Basel 3 framework that seeks to improve risk management among financial entities in order to prevent a repeat of the 2008 global financial crisis.

REGIONAL TRAINING HELD: INTERDISIPLINARY CONTEXTUALIZATION FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION Rural, cooperative banks’ NPL ratio down

By Eva D. Aranggo, MT-1 Kitaotao National High School Kitaotao, Bukidnon

The Science Education Institute under the Department of Science a n d Te c h n o l o g y i n cooperation with Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology and Department of Education Region X held Regional Training for Interdisciplinar y C onte x tu a l i z at i on for Science and Mathematics Education at MSU – IIT, Iligan City last October 11-13, 2016.

The training was attended by science teachers w it h t h e i r re s p e c t ive science supervisors from all divisions of region X. The training aims to develop among teachers – participants the ability to

contextualize the learning of science. Develop a research lesson. And implement a research lesson/ lesson study. Different topics and activities were discussed headed by Deped Regional Office X, EPS- Mariano O. Dal, and trainers from MSU-IIT. The Science teachers learned approaches in teaching science through contextualize the learning that involves a process of developing a research lesson or study lesson. To make these approaches effective, the science teachers must use these new integration of the innovations introduced in the training by writing the contextualized research lesson in teaching science.

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wednesday|october 19, 2016

Lower... from page 1

the forthcoming AMRECO Summit on November 2526, AMRECO President Sergio Dagooc said the association will formally request the Mindanao Power Monitor ing C ommitte e (MPMC) Technical Working Group meeting on November 15 to implement measures which will make available to distribution utilities the remaining capacity of the APHC for distribution exclusively to residential consumers.

The MPMC was created through Executive Order No. 81 as an attached special body of the MinDA to spearhead and coordinate efforts of the national, regional, and local governments, and power industry stakeholders to improve the power situation in Mindanao.

“Instead of being allocated to industries and the systems operator, the cheap power from the APHC should be allocated to the distribution utilities (DUs), whether electric utilities or private, because the DUs are the ones serving the poorest of the poor, who are the targets of this administration for the reduction of electricity rates,” Dagooc stressed.

“Industries can easily absorb any additional cost this may entail since power constitutes but a fraction of their production cost,” he explained. “This is less than 20% of their generation mix since they have had a diminishing allocation for Agus and Pulangi.”

However, if you allocate even 1MW from Agus-Pulangi to a distribution utility like Moresco or Cepalco, this can already service thousands of households. That’s the basic idea behind this initiative, he added.

In addition, AMRECO will also ask the MPMC to ask systems operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to source its ancillary requirements elsewhere to free up the allocation it is now getting from the hydros.

At present, Engr. Glen Jay Reston, MPMC officer-incharge, said only the Agus IV and Pulangi IV hydroelectric plants can only supply the regulating reserve needed

by NGCP. “Howe ver, t his on ly requires 55 megawatts (MW),” Reston explained. “ The 300MW ancillary reserve the system operator is required to maintain doesn’t necessarily have to be contracted from Agus-Pulangi and can now be easily sourced from other sources given the surplus in supply in Mindanao grid.”

“Under the Philippine Grid Code, the NGCP as grid operator is responsible for procuring the ancillary reser ve for a particular grid. So instead of going to consumers, a big portion of the power mix coming from the Agus-Pulangi goes to NGCP as regulating reserve,” Dagooc explained.

“Now that there’s a surplus of power in the grid, we

will ask NGCP to get their ancillary reserves elsewhere, so the cheap power coming from Agus-Pulangi can be allocated to the coops and private utilities ser ving households.”

Tourism...

from page 1 Rantisi.

Gov. Imelda QuibranzaDimaporo said the visit of the Ms. Earth 2016 beauties coincides wih the thrust of the province which packaged itself as “the land of beauty and bounty.”

“We are honored 10 of the Ms. Earth 2016 candidates took the time out to visit us. I hope that this is just the start of putting Lanao del Norte on the map (as a prime tourist destination),” Dimaporo said.

She said this visit will help Lanao del Norte shed off the tag of being a conflict-ridden area because of incidents of fighting in the past.

The province, she added, has many tourist spots that it can be proud of.

During their two-day stay here, the candidates dropped by some of province’s interesting sites such as Tinago Falls and helped local government officials plant trees in Mt. Torong-torong.

The ladies also joined the coastal cleanup in the town of Sultan Naga Dimaporo.

Aside from hosting the 10 Ms. Earth 2016 candidates, Dimaporo said Lanao del Norte will also be named home of the PBA in Mindanao.

Lanao del Norte boasts of being the motocross capital of the Philippines for hosting a number of motocross events in the past.

Set...

from page 1 Inc. said yesterday.

In a press statement, Rene B. Ronquillo, Hedcor’s president and chief operating officer, said the project has now reached 3.7 million man-hours without time lost on incidents resulting in injuries on personnel.

Ronquillo said this is a major achievement as the plant is now 63% complete.

“Our team has shown a strong regard to our commitments to health, environment, and safety,” he said in a statement as the team reached the milestone in man-hours with no lost time on incidents resulting in injuries on personnel.

Hedcor described the achievement as a “milestone” considering the project’s scope -- 74 hectares and a work force of about 2,000.

“Hedcor commenced the construction in May 2015.

The hydropower generation facility is expected to be commissioned by the third quarter of 2017,” Hedcor said.

The first of the two c a s c a d i ng r u n - of - r ive r hydropower plants in the Manolo Fortich project is contracted to JV Angeles Construction. Work on the second power plant is done

by Sta. Clara International C or p. The projec t will provide additional clean

and renewable energy to the Mindanao grid.

Ahead of the project’s commissioning, Hedcor has signed power supply agreements with Mindanao c o op e r at ive s i nclu d i ng Zamboanga del Sur Electric C ooperatives 1 and 2, Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Misamis Occidental I Electric Cooperative and Siargao Electric Cooperative.

Hedcor is AboitizPower’s unit specializing in generating renewable energy from runof-river hydropower systems.

As of its last count, Hedcor owns and operates 22 of these plants in the country, half of which are in Benguet. Its power plants have a combined capacity of 185 MW. In Mindanao, it has nine plants with a total capacity of 60 MW.

Hurst... from page 4

life possible? And doesn’t it make sense that the One Who invented it is the One Who knows the best way to live it? So ask Jesus Christ to forgive you for living your own way, and to take charge of your life every day.

He’ll help you start seeing and being the success He created you to be—so you can be fully satisfied with what you see and get in life.

Just Think a Minute…

Batas...

Cimagala...

Arthur Tugade, we will all be witnessing a truly traffic-free metropolis! I mean, with a total vehicle ban, nothing is going to be running on the road anymore.

Never mind that business and ever ything else will ground to a halt during the days this total vehicle ban would be in effect. Much business and other aspects of d ai ly lives of Met ro Man i l an s h av e a l re a d y grounded to a halt, not only with the lifting of the “no windows” option, but more so because of the unmoving flow of traffic daily. My barber is saying, let’s just throw Metro Manila to the dogs, who may yet solve this daily mess ahead of their human masters!

-ooo PLEASE LISTEN: “Ang Tanging Daan” (The Sole Way): a Bible study and prayer session online could now be heard, 24 H O U R S a d a y, i n t h e Philippines and the world at w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / angtangingdaan or www. facebook.com/ANDKNK (and look for “Ang Tanging Daan” broadcasts). Phone: 0922 833 43 96, 0918 574 0193, 0977 805 9058. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com.

present, and future h u m a n i t y. Us e o f t h e m i ne r a l, ve ge t abl e and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced f rom resp e c t for mora l imperatives.” (CCC 2415) It continues by saying t h a t “m a n’s d o m i n i o n over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the equality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.”

In following these indications with prudence, I imagine that aside from prayer and study, a lot of c ons u lt at i on am ong concerned parties should be done. This is especially so when dealing with legitimate interests and values that compete and collide against each other.

L e t ’s h o p e t h a t w e develop the appropriate attitudes, skills and st r uc tures to put t hes e ideals into practice. Leaders from various sectorschurch, politics, business, culture, etc. - should come together to develop this greater sensitivity toward our duty to respect the

from page 4

from page 4

9

integrity of creation.

St. John Paul II once re m ar ke d : “It i s t h e Creator’s will that humans should treat nature not as a ruthless exploiter, but as an intelligent and responsible administrator.” We need to have a clear idea of what would comprise keeping and enhancing the integrity of God’s creation and what would harm it.

In this regard, the C hu rch is of fe r i ng he r social doctrine to give some guidance. “ The Church receives from the Gospel the full revelation of the truth about man. When she fulfills her mission of proclaiming the Gospel, she bears witness to man, in the name of Christ, to his dignity and his vocation to the communion of persons.

She te aches him t he demands of justice and peace in conformity with d i v i n e w i s d om .” ( C C C 2419) It i s i mp or t ant t h at the voice of the Church be heard and considered with utmost respect. While hu m a n i d e o l o g i e s w i l l a lway s have s ome t h i ng valid to offer, it is our Godgiven faith that at the end of the day contains all the truth about how we have to carry out our duty toward the integrity of creation. roycimagala@gmail.com.

10

Billboard

Change is Coming, Make way for CD-R King LED Light Tube

D

isruption i n technology has changed the way we live.

As the cliché goes “Nothing is permanent except change”.

What seemed to be a harmless household product, later on proved to be harmful in the long run. Years after fluorescent was discovered, it was found that fluorescent gives off a small amount of ultraviolet light and that 8 hours of exposure under a fluorescent light is already equivalent to an hour of sun exposure.

Further studies also associate conditions like migraine, stress, mood swings and eye strain to prolonged exposure to florescent

light.

Environment issues on fluorescent is also a great concern.

Fluorescent contains a small amount of mercury. Careless disposal can affect the ecological system.

T h e s e s t u d i e s has prompted most household to switching into CFL during the last few decades which was considered less harmful but still contains fluorescent, thus mercury is still present.

T h e i n v e n t i o n o f L ED h a s s a v e d u s from the long term use of fluorescent.

Nowadays, you will rarely see a household which still uses fluorescent light.

Luminosity factor If household were

very susceptible to changing from f l u o r e s c e n t t o L ED light, commercial offices proved to be less flexible since they question the luminosity of the proposed light.

Larger commercial space requires high luminosity that gives a higher light output.

If broken down to lumens versus floor s pace, fl uores cent will boil down to be a cheaper source.

LED light tube Recent innovation has given a solution to the luminosity factor as it introduces the LED Light Tube, giving commercial offices the lumens they require minus the toxins.

LED light tube gives the same high light output of fluorescent

with the benefits of LED technology.

CD - R K i n g , y o u r one-stop media provider with its effort to help protect the environment brings this innovation closer to the general public as they offer the technology at a very affordable price.

CD-R King LED light tubes are available in T-8 10watts (php120), T-5 18watts (Php150) and T-5 20watts (Php200), all of which can last up to 50,000 hours. LED light tubes can be purchase with casing or as a replacement tube.

A v a i l a b l e i n a l l CD-R King branches nationwide. For more updates, Like/ follow them on FB: / cdrkingph.

Is Child Labor an Excuse to Absenteeism in School?

By Emie Reloba Aligato, Teacher -l Bersheba Elementary School

We h a v e t h e s o ca l le d accept able and unacceptable reason for student abs ences, but speaking of child labor it did not belonged. So, if parents would say that my son/daughter is absent from the class because of work is not a valid excuse.

Pa r e nt s / g u a r d i a n s , let’s not lost sight of the fact, that attendance is an important factor in school success among children and youth. Studies show that better attendance is related to higher academic achievement for students of all backgrounds, but particularly for children with lower socio-economic status. B eginning in kindergarten, students who attend school regularly s core hig her on tests than their peers who are frequently absent.

Chronic truancy (frequent unexcused absence) is a strong predictor of undesirable outcomes in adolescence, including academic failure, dropping out of school, substance abuse, gang involvement, and criminal activity. However, chronic absence (regardless

of reason) is increasingly identified as an important “early warning sign” that a student is at risk for school failure and early dropout.

Chronic absenteeism is usually defined as missing ten precents or more of school days. Unfortunately, few school districts currently have the capacity to analyse or shall I say maybe fails or wasn’t able to analyse attendance data to identify those students who are chronically absent.

Many factors can cont r ibute to student absenteeism. Family health or financial concerns, poor school climate, drug and alcohol use, transportation problems, and differing community attitudes towards education are among the conditions that are often associated with a child’s frequent absence from school.

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wednesday|october 19, 2016

DG Jing’s End Polio Fun Walk Speech Acknowledgment: PDGs, AGs, district officers, PAGs, All Star Presidents, Rotaractors, Interactors, Inner wheel, Rotakids and family of Rotary, partners in service, participants in this fun walk, friends of Rotarya wonderful and good morning to all of you!

It is inspiring to see you all gathered together here to raise awareness about a dreaded and debilitating disease named Polio that is about to be removed completely from the face of the earth.

For more than 30 years, Rotary and its partners have been working for Global Polio Eradication and with the support of partners from governments and private entities throughout the world, we are Very, very CLOSE to ending polio.

Rotary launched the global fight against polio in 1985 and since then has helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children in the world. It started in the Philippines in 1979 when Rotary released a grant to purchase vaccines for the Filipino children.

The success of this project, plus the fact that the vaccine is very easy to administer and can be done even by non-medical volunteersled to its adoption by RI to expand its reach worldwide with the ultimate goal to make a polio-free world.

The number of polio cases worldwide has decreased from 350,000 in 1988 to less than 425 cases in 2014.

Since January 2016, after India was declared poliofree, only two countries were endemic for polio Pakistan and Afghanistanuntil the shocking news came on August 6, 2016 that Nigeria, which had been declared much earlier to be polio-free, had three cases of WPV1. As of the past week, however, these three cases in Nigeria have not increased. They are doing their best to contain the virus. In Pakistan there were 14 cases this year, the last case was seen on July 27, and in Afghanistan there were 9 cases, the last case was seen on August 11. We have a total of 26 polio cases in 2016 as compared to 425 in 2014. Isn’t it amazing?

Yes, the future looks very hopeful and positive. There is no doubt that we will win this fight against polio.

So what is the role of Rotary in Polio Eradication?

Rotary’s major role is to be the catalyst in the effort to eliminate this disease completely from the world.

Polio eradication is our top philanthropic goal. As the volunteer arm of the Global Polio Eradication Initiatives, Rotary’s chief role is fundraising, advocacy, raising awareness, and mobilizing volunteers.

As far as fundraising is

concerned, Rotary members all over the world have gone to great lengths and heights to raise money for polio eradication. Some have organized triathlons like my DG Classmate in district 3860; others in the US and Canada organized a pair of skydives, jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet strapped in tandem with a professional skydiver to raise pledges to end polio.

Some are holding million dollar dinner fundraisers, and many more. We have an exhibit going on for a week now at LimKetKai center at the hallway across the events center. It’s about history and milestones in our End Polio campaign, telling people what we have done, where we are now, and where we are going. I encourage you to visit the exhibit which will be there until today only.

This advocacy takes billions of dollars to bring to completion and Rotarians cannot do it alone. We need a concerted effort of everybody to finish this fight. We have partners like WHO, UNICEF, CDC, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, governments and private organizations, and all of our friends like you.

Our very own TRF is the lifeblood through which all humanitarian projects of Rotary, including global polio eradication, gets funding. This foundation is 100 years old this year - a century of doing good in the world. This year, in order to finish off the fight against polio, we need to raise 300 million dollars for TRF. I am very happy that many Rotarians in zone 1 have responded to the call. I know that many of you out there will likewise respond pretty soon. Donations from anybody, even nonRotarians, are very much welcome and appreciated.

Your effort at waking up very early this morning to join us in this polio awareness walk is a big plus in our advocacy and we surely appreciate it.

Raising awareness in our global fight against polio is also a responsibility of Rotary. Some people question w hy we still hold end polio awareness campaigns in the Philippines when polio no longer exists here? They say it’s irrelevant when there are other more pressing concerns like dengue and Zika virus. My answer is this: we are a global community and we are doing speech/PAGE 11

11

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wednesday|october 19, 2016

Butane... from page 1

each which is only 25 percent of the price of a typical 11-kg.

LPG tank. In fact, the group said the 11-kg LPG tank poses a bigger fire hazard than the small canister. (Bunachita, 2016) H o w e v e r, t h i s w a s debunked by the Cebu City Council Committee on Public Order and Safety which cited figures showing at least 44-butane related fires have been recorded in Cebu City since 2010, with over half happening in 2015 alone.

Stakeholders in the Cebu butane refilling industry have similarly renewed their call for government to set standards and regulate it considering it serves low income households.

The group cited how a typical 250-gram canister refilled with LPG retails for as low as P18 compared to P600 or more for the standard 11kg LPG tank. An estimated 1.2 million people in Cebu would be adversely affected if the refilling of butane canisters with LPG is curtailed.

The Cebu LPG Budget Gas Industry Players Association contends that curtailing refilling operations would only drive the industr y underground leading to the proliferation of sub-standard backyard operations which would mushroom to fill the demand estimated at 150,000 canisters a day.

The association estimates that demand for LPG-refilled canisters in 2015 exceeded 1,000 metric tons a month in Metro Cebu, serving the C-D-E market segments in urban poor areas. It said each household uses at least 200 to 250 grams of LPG a day, or the equivalent of one canister.

The association also challenged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to subject their products to standards testing such as ‘burst’ or ‘pressure’ tests to legitimize the industry and debunk the 2014 Department of Energy (DOE) circular on rules and regulations of the LPG industry which prohibits the refilling of LPG into “single trip and/or tin canisters or cartridges not designed or intended for LPG.” The association’s nine member companies claim they have complied with government regulations and have business permits and Standard Compliance Certificate (SCC) from the DOE as legitimate LPG Tank refillers.

DTI – Misamis Oriental Provincial Office, which cochairs the CPCC, said the Bureau of Product Standards (DTI-BPS) has repeatedly warned consumers against the hazards of refilling butane canisters with LPG. “We still receive reports especially from the regions of rampant unsafe use of butane canisters for storage and refilling of LPG. We would like to caution consumers once again of the danger that these butane canisters pose, which are not intended

and designed to be used for LPG storage,” warned DTI - Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation Group (DTI-CWBRG) Undersecretar y Zenaida Maglaya.

“These canisters cannot properly and durably store LPG and can lead to gas leaks and explosions,” Maglaya added.

Disposable butane canisters, commonly used for outdoor activities and c a mp i n g , a r e s m a l l e r, lightweight and have a thinner metal body than LPG tanks, and are intended for only one use and then disposed.

Philippine National Standard (PNS) 03-01:2000 allows only welded steel cylinders with a water capacity of 1 liter to 100 liters for the storage and transport of LPG. “Improp e r u s a ge of chemi c a l cont ainers is highly risky for harmful gas exposure, explosions and fires. More so, these containers did not undergo appropriate quality and safety tests and inspections meant for LPG cylinders,” said Engr.

Gerardo Maglalang, Officerin-Charge of the DTI- Bureau of Product Standards (DTIBPS).

The LPG cylinder is one of the critical products required to undergo the BPS Product Certification Scheme for product safety and reliability.

Un d e r t h i s s c h e m e , manufacturers and importers of t he pro duc ts under mandator y certification are required to apply for the Philippine Standard (PS) license and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate, before their products may be distributed and sold in the market.

Only manufacturers and importers whose products have passed the Philippine National Standard (PNS) r e q u i r e m e nt s r e l e v a nt to their product will be issued a PS license and ICC certificate. BPS requires the manufacturers and importers to place the PS and ICC marks on the products prior to distribution to their retailers for sale.

Manufacturers, importers and ret ai lers found in violation of the scheme will be charged administratively for violating DTI Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2:2007, Republic Act (RA) 7394, (the Consumer Act of the Philippines) and RA 4109 (the Standards Law).

If found g ui lt y, t he owners/operators of erring e st abl ish me nt s w i l l b e imposed monetary fines up to P300,000 and cancellation of any DTI-issued permit or license.

T h e D e p a r t m e nt of Energy’s Circular NO. 201401-0001 similarly prohibits the refilling of thin, singleuse butane canisters with LPG because of the risk of explosions. The circular also imposes a fine of P60, 000 for violators who may also face criminal charges.

On top of this, Batas Pambansa (BP) Blg. 33, amended by Presidential D e c re e No. 1 8 6 5 , a ls o prohibits the refilling of

LPG in cylinders that are not appropriate for LPG, like butane canisters. Violators will be penalized with fines and imprisonment between two to five years or both.

The DTI urges the public to refrain from the refilling butane canisters with LPG and relay any violations to DTI Direct 751.3330 or at the nearest DTI Regional/ Provincial Office.

Speech... from page 10

this end polio campaign not just for the Philippines but for the whole world. If polio virus is not completely wiped out, it can strike again anytime, like what happened to Nigeria. Why do we still immunize our children now long after the Philippines was declared polio-free? Because while the virus is lurking in some other parts of the world, we are not totally safe. Infection can occur anytime that there is contact with the virus if our children do not have the antibodies to fight it off. Moreover, the virus can mutate, gets even stronger than it used to be and lash back to us with an even greater force that we may not be able to counter it. It may come back again to the Philippines. Do you want our children to suffer?

That is why we have to thank the DOH for its continuing effort to ward off infection by immunizing our children.

We need to cooperate with them in this effort.

Mother Theresa said, and I quote “Not all of us can do great things; but all of us can do small things with great love.”

The littlest thing that we

do counts, even just walking around Divisoria today to make people aware that polio virus still exists in three countries of the world and we need to join the battle to wipe it out completely from the face of the earth, or it may come back to haunt us and destroy our children’s lives.

We have to make a unified stand to protect, by all means, our children, our country and the whole world from polio, one life at a time, one day at a time.

Rotary International is committed to eradicating polio from the world. We are almost there. Toward eliminating a debilitating childhood disease that affects children and their future. Let us continue to join together to win this fight. We are not only this close to ending polio. We are looking at the juncture of a polio-free world.

Zero polio in 2017!

Alsons... from page 5

early 2017. It will have tenors of 90, 180, and 360 days.

The succeeding tranches will be set in 2017 and 2018 with values of up to P1 billion a year, the company said.

Alsons’ board, which has authorized the issuance, has also approved the tapping of Multinational Investment Bancorporation as sole underwriter, and AB Capital and Investment Corp.’s trust investments division as facility agent.

The company said the initial P500-million tranche has been assigned

by Philippine Rating Services Corp. (PhilRatings) with an issuer credit rating of PRS Aa, or the second-highest

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL 10th Judicial Region Cagayan de Oro City OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL SHERIFF NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE File No. EJF-2016-463

Upon Extra-Judicial Petition for Sale under Act 3135 as amended, filed by HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (Pag-IBIG Fund) with branch office at Pag-IBIG Fund Bldg., J.R. Borja St., Cagayan de Oro City, against ALLAN F. BUNA, with postal address c/o at seablings Restaurant, Opol, Misamis Oriental, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of August 22, 2016, amounts to FOUR HUNDRED NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED ONE PESOS & 35/100 (P409,501.35) Philippine Currency, as mortgagor’s total indebtedness inclusive of interest and penalty charges, excluding other necessary fees and expenses of Extra-Judicial Foreclosure and Sale, the undersigned Sheriff-in-charge will SELL at Public Auction on NOVEMBER 7, 2016 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter, at the Tourism Hall, City Hall Compound, Cagayan de Oro City, to the highest bidder for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the real property mortgaged together with all existing and future improvements thereon, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 136-2013001010 Registered in the name of ALLAN F. BUNA ‘’A PARCEL OF LAND (Lot 12, Block 9, PSD-10-059077, being a portion of Lot 2, PCS-10-003972).Situated in the Barrio of Malanang, Municipality of Opol, Province of Misamis Oriental, Island of Mindanao.

Bounded on the x x x. Beginning at x x x; containing an area of One Hundred Ten (110) Square meters, more or less’’ Prospective Buyers/Bidders may investigate for themselves the title herein above described and encumbrance thereof, if any there be.

In case November 7, 2016 will be declared holiday or non-working day, the Public Auction Sale shall be held on November 11, 2016 without further notice, publication and posting.

Cagayan de Oro City, October 3, 2016.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROVINCIAL SHERIFF By: (Sgd.) JOSEPH C. MAAGAD Sheriff IV

BWM: October 12, 19 & 26, 2016

rating category under the firm’s credit rating scale.

PhilRatings cited as a basis Alsons’ “robust revenue generating capability” and its “ability to establish joint ventures with strong partners for particular projects.”

Alsons said it is “Mindanao’s first and most experienced independent p ower pro ducer and it has played a pivotal role in helping end the power crisis in the country’s second largest island.”

It s p o w e r f a c i l i t i e s generate 363 megawatts (MW) and serves more than 8 million people in 13 cities and eight provinces. These service area include urban centers Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iligan, and Zamboanga City.

The latest addition to its portfolio is the 105-MW first section of the 210-MW coalfired power plant Maasim, Sarangani under Sarangani Energ y C or p. A ls ons described the $570-million power plant as “the single largest power investment in Sarangani province and the entire Region 12.”

S a r a n g a n i E n e r g y ’s second unit of 105 MW is set to begin the initial stages of construction later this year and stepped up by early 2017.

“In t he s e c ond ha l f of 2017, the group will commence construction of the 105 MW San Ramon Power, Inc. baseload coalf ire d p ower faci lit y in Zamboanga City,” Alsons said.

Approval... from page 5

“While lower price from hydro source contributed in countering the effect of the diesel plants in the blended price of power for Mindanao, such lower price is only temporar y and will ultimately increase due to the increasing demand and with limited capacity from hydro power plants, additional supply of electricity will be sourced from other more expensive power plants like any oil based power plants,” GNPK and Zamcelco said.

They added that the construction of large scale hydro projects in Mindanao is not feasible at this time.

Zamcelco said it had conducted a rate impact analysis, which resulted in a lower effective rate of P3.9202 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) with supply coming from GNPK, compared to a rate of P3.9268 per kWh without GNPK. The ERC is set to start hearing the proposed PPSA next week.

ERRATUM In Connection with the NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE of HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUNDS a petition against KAREN B. MECLAT married to EDUARDO I. MECLAT published last September 7, 14 & 21, 2016 the correct entry in amount should be SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY SEVEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIVE PESOS & 30/100 (P 777,605.30) not as Published.

OUR APOLOGIES.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL 10th Judicial Region BRANCH 38 Cagayan de Oro City SHERIFF’S NOTICE OF AUCTION SALE EJF File Number 2016-404 Upon EXTRA-JUDICIAL PETITION FOR SALE under Act 3135 as amended, filed by HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (Pag-IBIG Fund), mortgagee, with branch office at Pag-IBIG Fund, J.R. Borja Street, Cagayan de Oro City, against BIBIANA LYN T. AGUHA, married to Ismael C. Aguha, with postal address at 460 R-3ZP De Guzman Street, Quaipo, Manila, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of August 5, 2016, amounts to Four Hundred Nineteen Thousand Eight Hundred Forty Two Pesos & 66/100 (Php419,842.66), Philippine Currency, inclusive of interest and penalty charges, excluding other necessary fees and expenses of extra-judicial foreclosure and sale, the undersigned Sheriff or his deputies will sell at public auction on November 15, 2016, at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter, at Regional Trial Court, Branch 38, temporarily holding office at the City Tourism Hall, City Hall Compound, City Hall, Cagayan de Oro City, to the highest bidder, for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the real property described herein-below, with all its improvements found thereon, viz: ‘’TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 136-2013001387 (Registered in the name of Bibiana Lyn T. Aguha, married to Ismael C. Aguha) LOT: LOT 38, BLOCK 6, PCS-10-004225 CONSOLIDATION-SUBD.: LOT 6, PCS-10-003972 AND LOT 1, BLOCK 24, PSD-10-059077 AS SURVEYED FOR: JOHNDORF VENTURES CORPORATION (PAGIBIG CITI HOMES) PHASE 3LAND USE: RESIDENTIAL: LOCATION: MALANANG, OPOL, MISAMIS ORIENTAL BOUNDARIES: LINE 2-3

BY ROAD LOT 7 (8.00 M. WIDE) SW.,LINE 3-4 BY LOT 36; XXX, CONTAINING AN AREA OF NINETY FIVE (95) SQ. MTRS. MORE OR LESS.’’ Prospective buyers/bidders may investigate for themselves the Title of the property above-described and all encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

In the event that said scheduled auction sale on November 15, 2016 will be declared holiday or non-working day, the same will continue on the next working day without need of further notice, publication and posting.

Cagayan de Oro City, October 4, 2016.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROVINCIAL SHERIFF:

(Sgd.) REYNALDO L. SALCEDA Sheriff IV

BWM: October 12, 19 & 26, 2016

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wednesday|october 19, 2016

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Wednesday | October 19, 2016

REYNA ELENA:

Daughter brings back Mom’s Award-Winning Play

T

he daughter of one of Cagayan de Oro’s award winning playwright is bringing back her mother’s awardwinning stage play.

Maia Poblete, daughter of Ma. Soledad Chic Reyes Nery-Fortich, will be staging the full-length play Reyna Elena which won 2nd place in the 1983 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature when she was but a 3rd year high school student. Originally, play was a project for a playwriting workshop facilitated by Kagay-anon director and writer Nestor U. Torre.

“The staging of Reyna Elena is my tribute to mommy. It is my way of thanking her for everything she taught my sister and I,” writes Maia in her blog Maiascribbles.

“It is the best way to acknowledge the person that she was; not only to me, my sister, my husband, my niece, and my dad; but to the many others who she helped in one way or another as well.”

Maia has been staging benefit one act plays but it would be her first time since 2005 to direct and stage a full-length play “The reason why I admired/admire my mom is because she didn’t let her disability stop her from fulfilling her goals. She kept writing even when she

couldn’t see the typewriter or the keyboard anymore.

She always found a way to make things work. She was quite aggressive, but this only helped her do her tasks better.”

PlayFestival Following her award, Chic devoted more time to writing and the theatre arts. One of the projects she did as a member of

the Bai Lawanen Jaycees was the Inter-School Playfestival.

“I remember the Playfestival because it formally introduced me to theater arts. I was in 3rd year high school when it was established. Our school, Liceo de Cagayan, was one of the participants.

We competed against other high schools in all the

categories of the event.”

However, although the Playfestival lasted only three years, it left a lasting impression on Maia.

“The Playfestival is one of the reasons why I am staging Reyna Elena. I hope it will inspire local theater groups to stage more original plays. I believe that CDO is overflowing with talent; in fact, I know some

About Chic Fortich

Ma. Soledad Chic Reyes Ner y-Fortich was the youngest of six siblings.

Her father, Vicente Ner y was a musician.

She suffered from two eye diseases: Retinitis Pigmentosa and Optic Atrophy. RP is a genetic disease, which caused her to slowly lose her eyesight. When she passed in 2006, she was already 98% blind.

Chic was a prolific writer and had a regular column Outtasight! in the Philippine Daily Inquirer featuring ever y day stories about her experiences as a blind person. She also wrote Tagalog and English novels under different pseudonyms; like Sol Reyes.

Besides Reyna Elena, Chic was also the writer, lyricist, and director of the original Binisaya musical Ay Kasing Kasing Ko, staged at the Manila Metropolitan Theater Dalubdulaan in 1987; and the XU Little Theater in 1989. She co-wrote

La baw sa Bulawan: A Mu sical Tribute to Visayan Songs and Songwriters,” a musical variety show directed by Nestor U. Torre staged at the City Tourism Hall and Grand Caprice in the early 1990s;, and wrote and directed

Salangsang, which was staged at SM City CDO in the early 2000s.

Chic Fortich was recognized by ABS-CBN and the City Historical and Cultural Commission as this year’s Tsada Awards Awardee for Literature.

German lawmakers supportive of Duterte’s peace, dev’t agenda

Deputy Head of Mission (German Embassy) Michael Hasper (left) and Mindanao Daily columnist Mr. Klaus Doring.

MEMBERS of the German Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, has expressed their full support to peace and development initiatives being espoused by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The German lawmakers expressed this during a courtesy call at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) early last week.

“We wish you all the success, because it could be a very good time, not just for the Philippines, but for the reason to sit together; and this can be a positive sign that could help end conflict,”

German parliamentarian Dr. Thomas Gambke said. He also lauded and expressed at Bundestag’s support for the Philippine government’s transparent and inclusive approach on the peace process.

Gambke, who is the Parliamentary Friendship Group of Relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states chair, was joined by other German lawmakers Petra Ernstberger, Caren Lay, Elvira Drobinski-Weiss, Erwin Rueddel (photo above), Gordon Kricke, and Deputy german/PAGE B2

of them. All that we need is someone or something to start the ball rolling. I hope Reyna Elena can do that.”

Rehearsals are now ongoing and the troupe is about halfway through the script. “ Even when we don’t have a venue yet; even when we still need to look for sponsors, I am pushing through with this. I know

Mommy will want me to.

I know she’s rooting for me and the team. Because that’s just the kind of person she is; always believing in the people she loves.”

“Thank you for everything, Mommy. I hope I’ll do justice to Reyna Elena. This one is for you.

I love you! (By the Night Stalker)

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wednesday|october 19, 2016

The Night Stalker:

Miss Corpus Christi School 2016 from the heart Pictures by Armand AnsalDo Photography

W

hat are the qualities of a Corpus Christian?

“A true Corpus Christian is someone who is God-fearing, selfless and strives to be the best person she can possibly be,” answered Xantia Mikeaela Paras-Victorio, the eventual choice of the Board of Judges for Miss Corpus Christi 2016-Grade School Macasandig Campus.

Like their most illustrious alumna Pia Wurtzbach, the reigning Miss Universe, this reply most probably sealed it for the winner of the competition which had “Education with a heart” as its theme.

The pageant held last Friday, 14 October 2016 at the air-conditioned (thank God!) Corpus Christi Gym at its Macasandig Campus selected winners from the grade schools and high schools of its two campuses in Macasandig and Pueblo de Oro. Joining Tia in her court for Miss CCS Grade School (Macasandig Campus) 2016 are Cleeshave Jhames Revamonte Baviera (First Princess); Kristine Joy Imperio Hengania (Second

Princess), and Ashley Jea Batausa Llubit (Third Princess).

Besides being chosen Miss CCS Grade School (Macasandig) 2016, Tia also won three special awards: Miss Photogenic (Grade School); Best in Talent (Grade School- Macasandig Campus): and Miss Avon (Grade School- Macasandig Campus).

Jem Hryssa Alcantara Mejias was chosen Miss CCS Grade School (Pueblo Campus) and joining her in her court are Samantha Grace Daolo Purto (First Princess) and Kate Olano Cultura (Second Princess).

The winner also won special awards for Best in Ethnic Attire (Grade School), and Best in Talent (Grade School- Pueblo Campus).

Kamyll Migueyl Garcia Pla is the Miss CCS High School (Macasandig) 2016.

Joining her in her court were Francine Murshieda Abueva (First Princess), Marielle Aubrey Go (Second Princess), Mary Therese Lasanas (Third Princess) and Jenealle Micah Llubit (Fourth Princess).

In addition to her crown, Ms. Pla also won five special awards: Best in

Ethnic Attire (High School); Best in Filipiniana Attire (High School); Campus Choice (High SchoolMacasandig Campus); Best in Talent (High SchoolMacasandig Campus), and Miss Avon (High SchoolMacasandig Campus).

Clarizel Z. De Leon is the 2016 Miss CCS High School (Pueblo) and her court includes Cher Salcedo Dandasan (First Princess), Dana Shane Salao (Second Princess), Chloe Miguelle Borja (Third Princess) and

Richell Loraine Tugonon (Fourth Princess).

Ms. De Leon also won special awards for Miss Photogenic (High School); Best in Talent (High SchoolPueblo Campus), and Miss Avon (High School- Pueblo Campus).

Other special awardees included Kristine Joy Imperio Hengania (Best in Filipiniana Attire (Grade School); Samantha Grace Daolo Purto (Miss Congeniality-Grade School); Chloe Miguelle N.

Borja ( Miss CongenialityHigh School); Dana Shane M. Salao (Campus Choice -High School- Pueblo Campus) and Samantha Grace Daolo Purto (Miss Avon-Grade School- Pueblo Campus).

The panel of judges for Ethnic and Filipiniana attire included Gwen Asuncion, Jamie Joy Bantigue, and Boogie Musni Rivera.

Judging the grade school competition for both campuses were Trisha

Tamparong, Philip Rubi, and Nathalie Mariano. On the other hand, sitting in for the panel of judges for the high school competition were Ana Lucia Dela Paz, Eileen San Juan and Mike Baños.

Saludos to Corpus Christi School for a pageant with a heart!

Congratulations to all the winners and competitors, and kudos to all parents and other family members for their support and enthusiasm. God bless you!

German...

the Duterte administration’s Peace and Development Ro admap, fo c using on plans to implement massive socio-economic interventions and the continued and full implementation of already signed peace agreements with various rebel groups. “ T h e Pre s i d e nt h a s

expressed strong will to honor peace agreements and reduce level of violence so that the poverty-alleviation and development programs can be implemented while talks are there,” Tan explained.

W h i l e t h e O PA P P executive expressed high opt i m i s m for p o s it ive

results within the year on the negotiations with the communist groups, he also told the German parliamentarians that there is a need to manage expectations. “(P)ease process is not a destination as to when we can conclude, but it is a journey,” he added.

OPAPP Secretary Jesus G. Dureza was in Oslo, Norway, for another round of formal talks with the Communist Party of the PhilippinesNew Peoples Army-National Democratic Front.

Part of the agenda of the second round of peace talks held from October 6-10,

involved discussions on the Comprehensive Agreement for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law; the Comprehensive A g r e e m e nt o n S o c i o Economic Reforms; and the Comprehensive Agreement on the End of Hostilities and Disposition of Forces.

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Head of Mission (German Embassy), H.E. Michael Hasper.

They were received by OPAPP Undersecretary for Peace Accords Nabil A. Tan who discussed with them

Ms CCS 2016 Grade School-Macasandig & Pueblo Campuses and their courts.

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Monday|october 3, 2016

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