BusinessWeek Mindanao (October 29, 2013)

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Tuesday - October 29, 2013

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Probe urged on Sulu oil drill exploration

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Briefly ‘No smoking’ THE Cagayan de Oro City Council on its regular session on Monday has adopted Resolution No. 114952013, returning Barangay Bulua its ordinance which bans the smoking of cigars or cigarettes.

The resolution covers in all enclosed public places owned by the government, private individuals, corporations, partnership or parts thereof such as office, session hall, social hall, conference room, comfort room, lobby, corridor, alley gymnasium and auditorium, whose door and windows are closed for air conditioning whose establishments are within the barangay.

Further, the resolution include public utility vehicles operate by virtue of franchise or certificate of public convenience for passengers such as Public Utility Bus (PUB), Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ), taxi and trisikad, and other passengers vehicles operating within this barangay.

Increased yields STA. MARIA, Davao del Sur – Agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in this town aired out their yearning for an increased production of coconut and cacao to Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes in a recent field visit of the latter in the region.

In a brief but engaging dialogue with Delos Reyes, the officers of three agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) of Sta. Maria, Davao del Sur province, asked the Secretary to help the farmers achieve higher production in coconut and cacao crops being the main produce of the ARBs. Only forty percent (40%) of the total coconut area are planted to cacao as undercrop, bared the officers of the United CARP Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Coop (UNICARB MPC), Southern Davao Multi-Purpose Coop (SDMC) and the PCEC-Kumassie Employees-ARB Multi-Purpose Coop (PMPC).

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HE Chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs is seeking an inquiry into the oil drilling explorations being conducted in Sulu Sea to ensure the active participation of the people of Sulu, and the protection and preservation of the country’s rich biodiversity without sacrificing real contributions to national economic growth and general welfare.

In House Resolut ion 217, Rep. Tupay Loong (1st District, Sulu), sought the inquiry into the drilling being conducted by Exxon Exploration and Production

Ph i l ippi ne s B .V. of it s exploration well in the Sulu Sea under the Department of Energy (DOE) Service Contract-56 (SC-56). which PRobe/PAGE 23

Sarangani town braces for influx of investments

By Mindanews

GENERAL Santos City — T he c oa s t a l tow n of Maasi m i n nea rby Sarangani Province is gearing for the entry of more major investments w it h t he projected completion in two years of the Alcantara-led P13 billion coal-fired power plant.

Maasim Mayor Aniceto Lopez Jr. said a number of investors have started looking at the area’s prime coastal estates for possible business ventures that would complement the operation by 2015 of the Braces/PAGE 23

ORDERLY ELECTIONS. Army soldiers guards the gate to ensure an orderly elections at the Panderanao Primary School in Tugaya town in Lanao del Sur. mindanews photo by froilan gallardo

WB study says liquefied gas PLDT mulls ‘more expensive’ for M’nao buyout of small telcos for T O p u s h f o r f u t u r e that gas or LNG will be twice diversification in Mindanao to thrice more expensive Vis-min expansion

By MYRNA M. VELASCO, Contributor

NEW DAVAO PROVINCE? A tarpaulin opposing the creation of Davao Occidental province is displayed at the junction in Malalag, Davao del Sur going to the towns under the proposed province. A plebiscite on the proposed province is held yesterday simultaneous with the barangay elections. mindanews photo by keith bacongco

grid’s power supply, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is being aligned as an alternative but a study commissioned by the World Bank presented it to be a pricier option.

The simulations presented

by Canadian Gas Services International (CGSI), the entity tapped by the World Bank for the study, indicated

than coal – the latter being anticipated as the major source of Mindanao’s new power supply starting 2015.

However, if compared to diesel or bunker-C fuel with forecast delivered costs of $20 to $36 per MMBTU over 20-year stretch, gas will emerge less expensive. gas/PAGE 23

TELECOMMUNICATION g i a nt Ph i l ippi ne L on g Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is mulling acquisition of small telecom companies both in the Visayas and Mindanao regions to expand its coverage nationwide.

In a press statement, PLDT President Napoleon L. pldt/PAGE 23

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Economy

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DBM kicks off PDAF Solon seeks inquiry into oil drilling exploration in Sulu Sea website’s new features The Chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs is seeking an inquiry into the oil drilling explorations being conducted in Sulu Sea to ensure the active participation of the people of Sulu, and the protection and preservation of the country’s rich biodiversity without sacrificing real contributions to national economic growth and general welfare.

In House Resolution 217, Rep. Tupay Loong (1st District, Sulu), sought the inquiry into the drilling being conducted by Exxon Exploration and Production Ph i l ippi ne s B .V. of it s exploration well in the Sulu Sea under the Department of Energy (DOE) Service Contract-56 (SC-56), which is now on its third phase.

Congressman Loong said

the Sulu Sea is part of the territorial waters and national patrimony of Sulu, which is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (A R M M). He s a id a ny contract entered into by the national government pertaining to the Sulu Sea should be with primar y concern of the people of Sulu.

He sa id t his is even strengthened by Republic Act

9054 on the ARMM creation, wherein the people of the Sulu Archipelago are given the opportunity to participate in decision-making.

“Thus, the province of Sulu and its people clamor for an inquiry whether they have an active involvement in the forging of SC-56 on its implementation,” Loong said.

L oong sa id w it h oi l spills happening in different parts of the world, most recent of which occurred in Rosario, Cavite, in Manila Bay, t he people of Su lu a re apprehensive about the possibility of a similar incident in the South Sulu Sea that can cause irreversible damage to the ecological

The newly opened Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. image credit : zarina fernandes/ gulfnews

Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport up and running DUBAI -- A new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central has been opened for business on Monday.

The new facilit y has capacity for up to 7 million

passengers per year and is serviced by one A380 capable runway, 64 remote aircraft stands and food and beverage facilities.

Today’s opening was marked with the first arrival

of a Wizz Air f light from Budapest, Hungary.

“A l Maktoum International at Dubai World Central will play a vital role in the future development airport/PAGE 21

system t herein a nd t he possible deterioration of the source of income of the people in the area.

“The service contracts of the oil exploration of the Sulu Sea should be scrutinized as to whether or not contingency plans that will prevent such an occurrence are provided therein, and its impact on our ecology and the cost of possible destruction of our biodiversity vis-à-vis its real contribution to the economic growth and general welfare of the country, especially to the people of Sulu,” he said.

Furthermore, Loong said it is necessary to probe into the standards laid down by the DOE on the set-up and inquiry/PAGE 21

MANILA -- In its continuing drive to implement budget innovation and reforms, the Department of Budget and Management has introduced new features on t he electronic Transparency and Accountability Initiative for Lump Sum Funds (e-TAILS) website (http://pdaf.dbm.gov. ph), installing a feedback mechanism to monitor and repor t on t he spending of Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) allocated to lawmakers.

Launched in 2011, e-TAILS keeps track of use of PDAF by showing information on the breakdown of releases to legislators, where and when t he f u nds were released, the projects that a legislator endorsed for PDAF support, as well as the project

beneficiaries.

The DBM said the new features allow citizens to download the yearly report of PDAF releases, post comments and upload photos or videos as feedback on PDAF-funded projects, as well as find key information on how PDAF works.

“The rationale behind the e-TAILS website is to make sure that information on PDAF releases and the projects they support are presented in an accurate and user-friendly platform, so that the public can gain quick access to PDAF information and give feedback on the projects endorsed by legislators.

With its new features, the eTAILS website strengthens the DBM’s commitment to pdaf/PAGE 21

From October 2013 to April 2014, Philippine Airlines (PA L) w i l l r u n reg u la r charter flights every twelve days connecting Vladivostok and the Russian Fareast region to the prime tourist destinations of the country.

On 27 October 2013 at 0930H, PR 761 will touch down at the NAIA Terminal 2 carrying over a hundred Russian tourists raring to explore the tropical islands of the country. This marks the first time a Philippine carrier will fly the friendly Russian skies.

“The fun in the Philippines can now be experienced by more tourists from Fareast Russia. The facilitation of charter programs from this region of Russia, which is only four and a half hours away from Manila, is one of

our key strategies to catalyze growth. Russia is a priority opportunity market of the Department of Tourism (DOT) that is envisioned to contribute to the target of 10 million international visitors by 2016,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. said.

The charter f light is a collaboration between the 60 offices around the region of the Primorsky Agency of Aviation Companies TM Biletur, the biggest travel company in the Far East region which has been in operation for the past 18 years. From September 2012 to April 2013, Biletur was able to sell 1,500 room nights in the Philippines to their clients. Bulk of the tourists for this maiden flight will be visiting Boracay, a trend

destination for many Russian tourists. The partner ground handler for this program is Uniorient Travel, Inc. Visitor arriva ls from Russia reached 28,270 in 2012, growing by 40% and becoming the fastest growing market for the Philippines out of Europe. Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, key cities in Fareast Russia, were ranked second and fourth biggest sources of arrivals from Russia, posting growth rates of 37% and 83%, respectively, from the previous year. For the first eight months of 2013, Russian arrivals reached 21,736 growing by 32.53% over the same period in 2012.

“The charter program is indicative of the steady interest that Russians have for our country. This may pal/PAGE 21

DUBAI -- The United Arab Emirates (UA E) deput y minister of defense and crown prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egypt’s Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi, agreed in Abu Dhabi that the Gulf state would invest 4.9 billion U. S. dollars to support development projects in Egypt.

The agreement was sealed during a three-day official visit to the UAE, a major oil supplier, by the Egyptian prime minister, who is joined by a high-level delegation, the official Emirati news agency WAM reported.

According to the report, the support included “a grant of 1 billion dollars which has been transferred to Egypt last July,” and an additional allocation of more than 1 billion dollars to help provide Egypt with part of its fuel requirements.”

The UAE aimed to ensure

that the most-populous Arab country was able to maintain its economy, industry, trade and transportation during this transitional phase, said the report.

The aid package would also include the construction of 50,000 housing units in Cairo, in addition to 25 wheat and grain storing silos with a capacity of 15,000 tons per silo and the construction of 79 basic healthcare units that would provide Egypt with 80 percent of its vaccination needs. In addition, the UAE promised to complete sewage networks in remote villages in order to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

On July 3, the Egyptian military ousted president Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood after millions of Egyptians took to the streets in Cairo and major cities on June 30, demanding Morsi to step down. uae/PAGE 21

PH welcomes first PAL charter flight from Russia

UAE to invest USD4.9B in projects in Egypt

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CorporateWorld

PLDT expects to track PH economic growth in 2014 PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT) expects to sustain growth next year on the back of a strong domestic economy.

“Next year, we are looking at another growth year for us. The industry grew about five percent in the first half of the year and GDP grew by seven percent. So, we are looking at about the same phenomenon next year,” Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT president told reporters last week.

The government expects the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent in 2014. In the first half of this year, GDP grew 7.6 percent, or well above the government’s goal of 6-7 percent for the entire 2013.

Nazareno said the company is on track to meet its profit guidance of P38.3 billion this year. It closed 2012 with a core net income of P37.3 billion.

PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan had said the company is “beginning to show signs of growth.”

PLDT posted a net income of P19.7 billion in the first six months of the year, up from last year’s P19.3 billion.

In the April to June period alone, the country’s largest telecom company earned P10.53 billion, up from P9.3

billion in the same threemonth period last year.

Consolidated ser v ice revenues inched up two percent to P81.1 billion in the first half of the year from P79.73 billion last year.

PLDT closed the first semester with a subscriber base of 73.4 million. Of that number, flagship mobile brand Smart had 25.5 million while value brand Talk ‘N Text had 31.8 million as a result of 1.3 million net additions for the second quarter. Digitel had 16.1 million subscribers under the Sun Cellular brand.

T h e P L D T g r o u p ’s combined postpaid cellular subscriber base grew by nearly 115,000 in the second quarter, and stood at 2.2 million at endJune, including Sun Cellular’s 1.4 million.

The group’s broadband subscriber base stood at 3.2 million, including 1.8 million wireless broadband subscribers under Smart Broadband, of which 1.25 million are prepaid.

PLDT ’s DSL (dig ita l subscriber line) customers reached 60,000, bringing the six-month count to 920,000, equivalent to 45 percent of the fixed line subscriber base.

For the fixed line businesses of both PLDT and Digitel, the subscriber base remained at 2.1 million.

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

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BPI enters deal for P160-M solar panel BOT project BANK of the Philippine Island (BPI) is set to enter into a P160 million buildoperate-t ra nsfer (BOT) agreement for the installation of solar panels for 400 of its branches nationwide.

BPI executive director Florendo Maranan said that the project with Solarus Partners will be the first of its kind in the country’s banking industry. “ T h i s i s s t i l l i n it s experimental stage but we expect to complete the project in three years. This will be the next step for us after Cofely made a complete change in our chillers and the upgrade in our air handling units at our head office,” Maranan said Already, its branch in Ayala Avenue and another in Cainta have been equipped w it h f ive k ilowatt solar panels. BPI expects to have ha lf its bra nches f it ted with solar panels that can produce 20-kilowatt power or 40 percent of its monthly electricity consumption. “ We re c o g n i z e t h at power is expensive in the Philippines,” Maranan said.

He said that each solar panel that will be placed in their branches nationwide

will cost P400,000 and can withstand a 150 kilometer per hour storm surge.

Meanwhile, Maranan said

its P71 million investment to replace its old chiller plant has yielded savings of P1 million monthly for

the Ayala owned universal bank with full return on investment by 2018 by Cofely BPI/PAGE 21

IN response to growing tourist arrivals from Russia, f lag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) commenced Sunday, October 27, chartered flights between Manila and the Russian city of Vladivostok.

The chartered flights will be carried out in partnership

with Primorsky Agency of Aviation Companies TM Biletur, the biggest tour company in Far East Russia.

According to the Tourism Department, 21,736 Russians visited the Philippines during the first 8 months of the current year. This number

represents a 32.53% increase from the number of Russian tourist arrivals covering the same period last year (2012).

PAL hopes to help the Depar tment of Tourism (DOT) develop this growing market through the launch Flies/PAGE 21

PAL flies to Russia

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AgriBusiness

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Oxfam: Mindanao needs more climate-adaptation investments FUNDING is urgently needed to finance climate-change adaptation initiatives in Mindanao given the increasing vulnerability of the region to extreme weather disturbances.

“The impact of extreme weather events are particularly severe, especially on the people of Mindanao, a region that is reeling at the same time from conflict and extreme poverty,” Justin Morgan, country director of Oxfam in the Philippines, said during a forum held on Friday.

He said Mindanao has recently been experiencing strong typhoons, believed to be directly connected to climate change, putting the livelihood of the people in the province at risk.

“But we are optimistic, a nd we bel ieve t hat is possible to build resilience of these communities if the national government is able to scale up support, and other development actors invest more in climate-adaptation and risk-reduction initiatives in Mindanao,” Morgan said.

The forum was attended by local executives from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Central Mindanao, Caraga regions,

a nd internat iona l nongovernmental organizations and funding agencies.

“Developed countries must abide by their responsibility to provide much-needed climate-adaptation finance to vulnerable developing countries, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC],” Com missioner Naderev Sano of the Climate Change

C om m ission s a id i n a statement.

Sano, who also heads the Philippine delegation to the Climate Change Commission, said, “UNFCCC negotiations in Warsaw this November must deliver an agreement on a clear global road map for scaling up public climate finance toward meeting the $100-billion commitment by 2020.”

“For the last seven years, Christian Aid has been supporting efforts to finance climate-change adaptation, usually by partnering with science-related private and government agencies, in partnership with the local communities in Mindanao,” said Daphne D. Villanueva, country manager of Christian Aid Act Alliance in the Philippines.

Indian firm eyes PH as fertilizer hub I N DI A N mu lt i nat iona l Prathista Industries Ltd. (PIL) has revealed plans to put up a $12-million environment-friendly 3G fertilizer plant that would make Philippines a hub for fertilizer manufacturing and supply in Southeast Asia.

Initially, PIL has already established a warehouse in Laguna as it has been partnering over the last four years with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on field trials of its bioorganic fer ti lizer products. This is preparation for its bigger plan for the

Philippines as government may be opening up a way for a tie-up with PIL. PI L President K VS S Sairam said in an interview that an initial $12- million i nvest ment ca n employ 100 Filipinos that can have an exposure to high-end biotech nolog y busi ness in India. Given product acceptance, investment will then be stepped up to a total of $34 million, employing 250.

“The Philippines may be the center for Southeast Asia. We want to bring a revolution with eco-friendly

nutrition products that don’t have any negative impact on the environment and also enhances soil health while protecting ground water. It will also meet not only the nutrition requirement for crops but also the nutrition for l ivestock a nd aqu a culture,” said Sairam.

It aims to help Philippines achieve a level of sel fsufficiency in many crops.

“Our target is to help Philippines become selfsustaining and the key leader for Southeast Asia in 3G nutrition technolog y for agriculture. We want small

farmers to study the products in field trials and help them improve their productivity and their standard of living,” said Sairam.

Registered as Prathista Industries Internationa l Corp. in the Philippines, the company has offices in 14 countries including the United States, Canada, Panama, Uganda and other African countries.

“We’re already in Latin America, North America.

We have already covered African countries. Sitting in India, we would like to cover eyes/PAGE 22

The fish cages hit badly by the recent fish kill in Lake Sebu as photographed on Sunday, October 20, 2013, in Lake Sebu town, South Cotabato. mindanews photo by bong sarmiento

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Banking&Finance

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

DOF mulls foreign BSP assures banks can absorb borrowings in 2014 cut in lenders’ return-on-equity EVEN as the local capital market remains very liquid, the national government is not ruling out the possibility of returning to overseas debt markets next year to provide offshore investors with fresh supply of Philippine notes.

Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said in a roundtable discussion with reporters late Friday that the national government needs to maintain some presence in the overseas debt markets despite favorable domestic conditions to keep the country’s access to it.

P u r i s i m a , h ow e v e r, clarif ied t hat t he f isca l authorities have not made any decisions on whether or not the country will pursue commercial borrowings in 2014 after a year of absence.

“The local market is still awash with liquidity so there is no need for us to go to foreign markets. But, one of our goals is to maintain market access and supply investors with fresh Philippine papers,” Purisima said.

As early as April this year, the Philippine government, one of the most aggressive sovereign borrowers in the region, shelved its entire foreign commercial borrowing programmed for 2013 as the state saw a much favorable opportunity in the domestic

market.

Instead, the government shif ted its programmed $2-billion offshore commercial borrowing into the domestic market, raising the domestic component in this year’s financing plan to almost 100 percent.

But National Treasurer Rosalia B. de Leon earlier said that the government plans to return to the foreign debt markets next year with an initial selling of $1 billion worth of notes.

De Leon explained the government needs “flexibility in terms of financing.”

In 2014, t he Aquino administration earmarked $2 . 2 bi l l ion i n foreig n borrowings. Of that amount, $1.2 billion will be in the form of official development assistance (ODA) and the remaining balance will be in commercial borrowings.

De L e on s a id t here was “strong appetite for government securities even in terms of tenor.”

“We will open the door in the early part of [next] year,” she said, adding that the planned borrowing will depend on market appetite and conditions.

Roughly 85 percent of its 2014 borrowings will be sourced locally, she said.

BANKS expect profitability to take a hit from more stringent capital requirements that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will impose starting January next year.

Lorenzo V. Tan, president of the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), last week said the implementation of Basel III will cut local lenders’ return-on-equity (ROE) by one to two percent at the least.

ROE i s pr of it a s a percentage of shareholders’ equity, and so measures how much earnings a company generates with the money shareholders have invested.

The Basel III is the latest international set of standards for bank capital, which the BSP will require of local lenders starting next year.

“We were told that Basel III by January 2014 so a lot of banks made efforts to raise capital for that,” Tan said.

“The regulators are only looking after the safety of the industry whereas our objective is shareholder returns so you got to balance that,” he said.

“Basel III will definitely lower your return on equity but it w i l l cushion you against financial storm so we just have to find other ways to bring it back to the old level of shareholder

return on equity. Initially, probably about one to two percent (reduction in ROE).

For some banks, maybe even more. [For] banks that are reliant on trading gains, it may be more,” said Tan, who is also president of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC).

He said banks would be forced to diversify their sources of revenue, such as expanding their lending to consumers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“You don’t make much on the loans but you can cross sell fifteen other products like foreign exchange, insurance.

Well, there may be banks with still unrealized gains in their portfolio. It varies from bank to bank but in the medium term they will equalize,” Tan said.

BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said local banks could absorb extreme credit shocks, adding that credit exposures are manageable.

“Stress tests, which we conduct every semester, tell us that the balance sheet of banks can absorb extreme credit shocks. Even at a 50

percent write off, capital positions are sufficient to take on the magnitudes of such losses,” he said.

“All of these indicators suggest that Philippine banks manage their credit exposures quite well. They observe a degree of conservatism needed to stay within the so-called discipline of target markets,” Tetangco said.

He said non-performing loans (NPLs) are declining while coverage ratios remain high and credit exposures manageable. The gross NPLs of universal and commercial banks remain low at 2.68 percent of their total loan portfolio (TLP) at end-June, as their soured loans sustain a declining trend amid a rise in lending. This enabled the

banks to keep their gross NPL ratio at or below three percent for the tenth straight month. “ W h at m a k e s t he s e numbers even more impressive is the fact that banks have available liquidity that they can deploy, if they so choose,” Tetangco said.

He said the country’s credit-to-GDP ratio does not show any sign of unwarranted expansion.

“In fact, within ASEAN-5, we remain at the low end of the spectrum on this measure, suggesting that there is room to grow within the tenets of sound credit standards,” Tetangco said.

The BSP is reviewing the capital levels of banks assures/PAGE 22

k e e W s BM IuNsDiAnNeAsO

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YOUR LOCAL ON

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

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The

CAGAYANTIMES de Oro

LIFESTYLE

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F

lights of Fantasy. Ms. Keena Dacubor, Dr. Mavy Cooper De Leon, Atty. Sam Tan, Benjie Manuel pose with the models in a recent fashion show at the Limketkai Mall, October 27. Photo by Glenn Palacio Ms. Keena Dacubor poses with a gown made by Sir Benjie Manuel during the Flights of Fantasy event at Limketkai Mall, October 27. The gown and designer will be featured in a national magazine.

Photo by Glenn Palacio

The beauty queens help organize the donated goods for Cebu-Bohol quake victims during the 9am to 8pm donation drive, October 27.

The top 5 winners of Ms.Cagayan de Oro 2013 with Ms. Gilda Go, Ms. Merbee Ocaya Dela Torre and Ms. Grace Gift Chua, who were there to support the Bohol - Cebu Help Drive at the Cagayan de Oro's City Hall, October 27, 2013.

acub or, M s. Ke en a D of th e even t, y M ikae la s es cc su e A fte r th M s. M ar fro nt of Lu ci a Pi at ti, m a po se in M s. A m ad ea y Joy O bs io ar Ha ll.

M ity s.

C M e d id M on ta lb an an was ha ng ed rig ht ou ts ch hi w rp ta th ei r

Photos by GLENN PALACIO

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The

CAGAYANTIMES de Oro

BILLBOARD

[Above]

Senior Manager Marvin Sevilla, BFB Product Head for Visayas and Mindanao, shares some insights on investment opportunities in Cagayan de Oro City at the Business and Investment Forum hosted by BPI Family Bank and Primavera Residences 17 October at the Primavera Residences Salone, Pueblo de Oro Business Park, Cagayan de Oro City.

[Top Right]

Ms. Ma. Kristine Tomita of Rock & Style Builders receives a gift certificate for a 2-night stay for four at Primavera Residences from ITPI’s executives, Arch. Romolo V. Nati, Executive Chairman and CEO, and Dr. Joey P. Leviste, Jr., Non-Executive Chairman during the Business & Investment Forum hosted by BPI Family Bank and Primavera Residences 17 October at the Primavera Residences Salone, Pueblo de Oro Business Pari in Cagayan de Oro City.

[Right]

Ms. Ma. Kristine Tomita of Rock & Style Builders shows her gift certificate for a 2-night stay for four at Primavera Residences tshe won in a raflle during the Business & Investment Forum hosted by BPI and Primavera Residences 17 Oct. 17) at the Primavera Residences Salone, Pueblo de Oro Business Park, Cagayan de Oro City.

Photos by Mike Baños, NPN

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

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

24 gov’t agencies plant 500 Narra seedlings in Leyte TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – Around 150 government employees coming from 24 national government agencies in the region have joined the Tree Planting Activity conducted in Brgy. Bahay San Miguel Leyte Friday.

The tree planting activity is one of the highlights of the celebration of the National Statistics Month in Eastern Visayas.

Ms. Eva ngel i ne M. Paran, Regional Head of t he Nat iona l Stat ist ica l Coordination Board (NSCB) in the region said, the interagency tree planting has been institutionalized every NSM celebration in support of the National Greening Program of the government through the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 8 and CENRO-Palo Leyte in coordinat ion w it h t he of f ic ia l s a nd loc a l com mu nit ies i n sa id barangay.

“At le a s t 5 0 0 na r r a seedlings were planted by the participants in said barangay with a hope that the local communities would take care of the seedlings until it grows.” Paran said.

NSCB re g ion 8 a nd its partners agencies will conduct its closing ceremony of the month-long celebration of the National Statistics Month on October 30, 2013 at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas bulding located at Barangay San Jose Tacloban City.

(PIA-8)

Environment

tuesday | October 29, 2013 Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

Floods due to strong rains before dawn submerge parts of Koronadal City that hampered voting during the 2013 Barangay Elections on Monday, October 28. mindanews photo by bong s. sarmiento

the aquarium life DENR bats for garbage-free Regulate collecting industry – solons barangay polls, ‘Undas’ QUEZON CITY -- In anticipation of the barangay elections and “Undas”, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has urged the public to keep schools and cemeteries garbage-free during the upcoming holidays.

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said that just like any other public holidays, the village polls scheduled on Oct. 28 and the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 1 and 2, respectively, are expected to significantly increase waste generation.

“Bot h occasions w ill undoubtedly have a festive atmosphere, with a lot of w a s t e f r o m c a mp a i g n materials, food containers and the like,” Paje said. “We remind Filipinos to be more creative with their needs and use materials that are reusable or recyclable so that we generate less solid waste,” Paje said.

The environment chief added: “The easiest thing to remember about reducing

waste is to utilize reusable or recyclable materials or containers especially when packing food and drinks, and to take time to throw trash in bins coded to segregate them accordingly.”

An estimated 30,000 tons of garbage is generated in the country every day, with 8,000 tons produced in Metro Manila alone. The volume shoots up during public events.

For the barangay polls, Paje called on governors and mayors to ensure that the candidates observe a litterfree election and oversee the cleanup operations in schools and other polling precincts immediately after the polls.

He reminded that local government units have the

“primary task” of enforcing the provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 9003 or the E colog ic a l Sol id Wa ste Management Act of 2000.

Under the law, a person caught littering could be fined from P300 to P1,000, or render community service.

At the same time, Paje encouraged voters to “watch out for candidates who opt for an environment-friendly campaign and who will assist in cleanup activities afterwards, as these are good signs that they will make good on their duty to keep your community clean and green.”

He said immediate cleanup activities after the elections would prevent trash from clogging waterways and cause floods during rains.

Paje a l so u rged t he candidates to revisit the joint memorandum circular issued by the DENR, Commission on Elections and the Department of the Interior and Local

Government for the national and local elections held last May. The circular was issued to make sure that local officials, political parties, party-list organizations, candidates, and their supporters would adhere to the provisions of RA 9003 during the campaign period.

For the succeeding long weekend of Undas, where Filipinos are expected to troop to cemeteries to commemorate their departed loved ones, Paje gave the following tips to make the occasion garbage-free: • Abide by local ordinances regarding the use of plastic bags • Reduce wastage by bringing only a sufficient amount of food • Use fresh flowers and small potted plants • Lessen air pollution by ensuring that vehicles are well-maintained, observing carpooling, or using public transportation.(DENR)

In a bid to ensure protecting the health of the country’s coral reefs and aquatic life, two House solons have filed a bill seeking to regulate the aquarium aquatic life collecting industry.

Reps. Diosdado Arroyo (2nd District, Camarines Sur) and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga) filed House Bill 2803, which mandates the implementation of prohibitions and a system of fines for violators.

“There is an urgent need to regulate the country’s a q u a r iu m a q u a t i c l i f e c ol le c t i n g i ndu s t r y t o ensure the health of our country’s coral reefs and aquatic life. The industry of harvesting fish and other marine creatures for home and commercial aquariums remains largely unregulated, t hus ra isi ng va r ious environmental concerns,” the Arroyo’s said.

The bill, to be known as the “Aquarium Aquatic Life Act of 2013,” is in consonance with the declared policy of the State to give highest

priority to the protection of the environment, particularly marine life.

“Article II, Section 16, of the Constitution provides that the State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature,” said Rep. Gloria Arroyo, former President of the Philippines.

It is prohibited under the bill to sell, trade or distribute aquarium aquatic life for aquarium purposes without seeking a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The DENR shall develop and maintain an approved aquarium collecting list of aquatic species. No aquatic species shall be collected or sold for aquarium purposes unless the species appears on the approved aquarium collecting list.

Under t he me a su re , the approved aquariumcollecting list shall only aquarium/PAGE 23

Oil sheen, not oil spill --PCG

A liba-liba fishing boat docks at the Cantilan River in Surigao del Sur in this file photo taken Oct. 26, 2013.

Authorities have banned liba-liba, or Danish seine fishing method, because Òit destroys coral reefs, sea grass beds and other fishery marine habitats.Ó But the practice continues in the Caraga Region. mindanews photo by roel n . catoto

BOHOL -- Bohol Philippine Coast Guard Commander clarified that the observed rainbow sheen in the waters off Tangnan in Panglao is not an oil spill but an oil sheen.

PCG-Bohol chief Agapito Bibat repor ted this during the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management (PDRRMC) coordination meeting, Thursday (October 24).

Bibat said his team recorded the sighting of possible oil spill on October 19, but that the rainbow sheen evaporated with the sunlight.

Bibat explained that the oil sheen is said to have come from the sunken M/V Wilcon back in 1994, which submerged 150m deep and could not be salvaged at that time. The cargo ship with a gross tonnage of 4,210 sank off Panglao Island after it caught fire.

The October 15 earthquake must have caused the fuel to

leak out of the shipwreck.

Bibat said that the 20x10m oil sheen is not headed towards the direction of Panglao. However, the Coast Guard is closely monitoring the situation and has on hand oil spill dispersants on standby.

Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto earlier ordered the Philippine Coast Guard to bring the matter to the level of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Chatto, during PDRRMC meeting informed the body that he already discussed the matter with Coast Guard and DENR officials on bringing in deep see divers to inspect the sunken ship.

The joint Coast Guard and DENR divers were the same team that retrieved the body of the late DILG Sec. Robredo off the waters of Masbate. (mbcn/ PIA7 & reports from Bohol Provl.

EffCom)

Mindanao Daily 21 NEWS

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Inquiry...

PDAF...

implementation of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Plan by service contractors of the drilling exploration of the Sulu Sea. “Hence it is necessary to inquire into the oil drilling explorations conducted in the Sulu Sea to ensure active participation of the people of Sulu, and protect and preserve our rich biodiversity without sacrificing real contributions to our economic growth and general welfare,” said Loong.

The DOE earlier said that SC-56 is par t of the g o v e r n m e n t ’s e f f o r t s t o encourage investments in the energy sector leading to energy security for the country.

The exploration phase will be undertaken at no cost to the country, with all the risks borne by the contractors, ExxonMobil, Mitra and BHB Billiton.

The DOE fur ther said that SC-56 contractors are committed to conduct operations that are environmentally and socially sound, and that these contractors will take into account the environmental and social costs of the project to the host communities.

Loong said based on a study of A.C. Alcala on the ecological importance of the coral reefs in the Sulu Sea, extensive coral reefs in the middle of the Sulu Sea, which may well be the last remaining good reefs in the country have evoked much interest among various sectors of the population.

Furthermore, it cited that scientists, especially biologists, oceanographers and geologists, have been fascinated by the manner of their information in the geologic past and by the high biodiversity in terms of species numbers and habitat types. They consider these reefs, which are associated either with emergent islands or islets or with structures as prime research and experimental sites. Fishermen generally see their potential as a direct source of fishery and other marine products for humankind, the study said.

The House leader said Section 2, Article Xll of the C o nst itut i o n o n N at i o nal Economy and Patrimony clearly provides that “The exploration, development and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. The State may directly undertake such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least 60 per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens.”

Loong said this constitutional provision further provides that “The President may enter into agreements with foreign-owned corporations involving either technical or financial assistance for large-scale exploration, development and utilization of minerals, petroleum and other mineral oils according to the general terms and conditions provided by law, based on real contributions to the economic growth and general welfare of the country.” (PNA)

increase citizen awareness and engagement, specifically with respect to PDAF use a n d m a n ag e m e nt ,” D B M Undersecretary and Chief Information Officer Richard Moya said.

“Although the new features are already up and running, we’re continually improving the site post-launch so it better responds to the needs of those who visit it,” he added.

According to Moya, citizens can now click on a specific project and post a comment using their Facebook account, or post a photo or video to show the implementation status and result of ;PDAF-supportec projects. The homepage also leads site visitors to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on PDAF, besides featuring a stepby-step guide in navigating the new features on the website.

“We’re keeping pace with an audience that uses the internet as their main information resource.

More important, however, is the fact that we’re also giving concerned citizens an interactive online venue where they can give honest feedback on PDAF projects,” Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said.

“Altogether, e-TAILS has been improved to empower the Filipino people by giving them easier access to information. This is also a very well-timed development, given the growing clamor for better transparency and accountability in government, a call that the Aquino administration is responding to by creating spaces for dialogue and public participation in the budget process,” he added. (PNA)

from page 14

from page 14

Airport... from page 14

of Dubai as a centre for trade, commerce, transpor t and logistics and tourism. I am impressed by the efficiency and convenience of this new terminal,” said Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Dubai Airports.

“The opening of this facility signals the historic beginning of a long-term plan to build the largest airport in the world to accommodate the tremendous passenger growth and contribute to the continued economic and social development of Dubai,” he said.

“The location, convenience and compact nature of DWC are compelling attributes,” said Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports.

“Airline and customer interest in this airport continues to grow and we hope to announce additional services in the near future,” he said. (KSinclair@ thenational.ae)

PAL...

from page 14

be attributed to our healthy relationships with travel trade counterparts in Russia, our consumer marketing efforts, as well as word-of-mouth marketing from the many satisfied visitors who have come back for either more or longer holiday and business trips. We enjoin our travel partners and hosts to sustain this interest through our unique brand of fun and

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

service excellence,” the tourism chief added.

From October 2013 to April 2014, Philippine Airlines (PAL) will run regular charter flights every twelve days connecting Vladivostok and the Russian Fareast region to the prime tourist destinations of the country. On 27 October 2013 at 0930H, PR 761 will touch down at the NAIA Terminal 2 carrying over a hundred Russian tourists raring to explore the tropical islands of the country.

This marks the first time a Philippine carrier will fly the friendly Russian skies.

“The fun in the Philippines can now be experienced by more tourists from Fareast Russia. The facilitation of charter programs from this region of Russia, which is only four and a half hours away from Manila, is one of our key strategies to catalyze growth. Russia is a priority opportunity market of the Department of Tourism (DOT) that is envisioned to contribute to the target of 10 million international visitors by 2016,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. said.

The char ter flight is a collaboration between the 60 offices around the region of the Primorsky Agency of Aviation Companies TM Biletur, the biggest travel company in the Far East region which has been in operation for the past 18 years. From September 2012 to April 2013, Biletur was able to sell 1,500 room nights in the Philippines to their clients. Bulk of the tourists for this maiden flight will be visiting Boracay, a trend destination for many Russian tourists. The partner ground handler for this program is Uniorient Travel, Inc. Visitor arrivals from Russia reached 28,270 in 2012, growing by 40% and becoming the fastest growing market for the Philippines out of Europe.

Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, key cities in Fareast Russia, were ranked second and fourth biggest sources of arrivals from Russia, posting growth rates of 37% and 83%, respectively, from the previous year. For the first eight months of 2013, Russian arrivals reached 21,736 growing by 32.53% over the same period in 2012.

“The charter program is indicative of the steady interest that Russians have for our country. This may be attributed to our healthy relationships with travel trade counterparts in Russia, our consumer marketing efforts, as well as word-ofmouth marketing from the many satisfied visitors who have come back for either more or longer holiday and business trips. We enjoin our travel partners and hosts to sustain this interest through our unique brand of fun and service excellence,” the tourism chief added.

UAE... from page 14

The military installed an interim-government under Pr e s i d e nt Ad l i M a n s o ur, the former head of Egypt’s c onstitutional c our t, and promised new elections in early 2014.

After Morsi was removed from power, the UAE pledged to Egypt a total of 3 billion dollars as part of a 12 billion dollar aid

package granted by the Gulf Arab states. On Sept. 3, the UAE transferred an additional 2 billion dollars to Egypt.

Egypt has been suffering from ongoing turmoil, economic hardship, a currency slump and constant braindrain since 2011 unrest that toppled president Hosni Mubarak who was a close ally of the UAE. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), youth unemployment in Egypt stood at 18 percent as of June 2013, while the economy’s growth rate of expected 2 percent for this year would not be sufficient to reduce the high jobless rate.

Relations between Morsi and Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, remained tensed, as the UAE accused the Muslim brotherhood of steering “secret terror cells” in UAE to create unrest and a coup d’etat. (PNA/Xinhua)

www.johndprovoice.com

BPI...

from page 15

thru an energy efficiency performance contract.

Cofely, one of the leading companies in energy and e nv ir o n m e nt al ef fi c i e n c y services, in 2010 replaced the aging chiller plant at BPI’s head office in Makati City and setup a building management system.

“More than 60 percent of our energy use was due to our air-conditioning system. If not for the fluctuating Meralco rates, savings would have been a lot higher,” Maranan said while adding that before the change, BPI was spending P62 million annually on electricity.

BPI’s has more than 2,000 employees in its head office. The 20-storey building uses the new chiller plant from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with three operations related floors heavy on its use.

BPI’s agreement will be until 2015 and will also include a P91 million total makeover of the chiller plant for its Card Center building and Buendia Center in Makati City.

Flies...

from page 15

of chartered flights.

“We recognize the growing demand from Russian tourists for a direct air link to the Philippines.

Through this service, we hope to be able to serve this market and more importantly, help our government’s efforts to boost tourism,” said PAL President Ramon S. Ang. The first flight from Vladivostok depar ted the Russian City at 8a.m. local time, arrived Manila at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, October 27. Its return flight leaves Manila at 11p.m. on November 7, arriving Vladivostok 6:30 a.m. Chartered flights to and from the two cities will be scheduled throughout the year.

From Manila, Russian visitors will be able to fly out to PAL’s domestic destinations including Caticlan (Boracay), Cebu, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Puerto Princesa, and Legazpi. They can also connect to the carrier’s regional and international hubs.

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

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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.

GROUP DISCOUNT PROMO (FOR INSTALLMENT TERM): 1.) 7% OFF, if you refer 1 friend for the same course 2.) 10% OFF, if you refer 2 friends for the same course 3.) 20% OFF, if you refer 3 friends for the same course 4.) 25% OFF, if you refer 4 friends for the same course 5.) 50% OFF, if you bring 5 friends for the same course

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Fun Page

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

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

Eyes...

from page 16

five countries — Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Thailand,” said Sairam.

Sairam estimated that the market domestically for sophisticated fermentation technolog y that replaces non-biodegradable chemicals may amount to $3 billion.

The Department o f A g r i c u l t u r e l e d by Undersecretary Dante S. Delima has recently visited PIL’s plant in Choutuppal, Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh. DA has been in a search for a supplier that can provide Philippines with a type of fertilizer that not only enhances yield but

also preserves soil fertility, Delima said. Any agreement with PIL may provide for that need.

First generation organic fer t i l i z ers a re compost fer ti lizers, inorganic fertilizers that use chicken or other animals’ dung or vermicompost type manures, urea, MoP (muriate of potash) and DAP (diammonium phosphate).

Second generation products are bio-fertilizers and effective microorganisms w h ic h c a n not prov id e nutritional requirements and act only as facilitators to improve soil health.

PIL’s 3G (third generation) bio or g a n ic nut r it ion a l produc t st ap i n novat ive molecules. These substitute

clifford’s

Daily HOROSCOPE AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) - You may be fixated on one big idea -- but now is not the time to be single-minded! You need to make sure that you’re as flexible as can be when it comes to work or family issues.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) - You have got to mind your own business today -- but that should be fairly easy. With one exception, your people are mostly lying low, so you don’t have too much drama to deal with.

ARIES (March 21 – April 19) - If you’ve got kids, today is all about them -- even more so than usual. The good news is that your energy is in sync with little ones. If you don’t have any, find a friend who does and offer to babysit.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) - Your self-confidence is blowing up out of proportion in others’ eyes, so try to just calm down and let others sing your praises -- even if it takes them too long to get tuned up.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21) - Your idea of fun today is debating hot topics and trying to get deep inside the minds of those who disagree with you. It’s all a good time to you, but at least one other person may not feel that way.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22) - It’s time for an upgrade! Maybe you need a new phone, maybe you need a new love life -- but in either case, you know just where to go to make the right selection. It’s easy to move on up!

chemical fertilizers, biofertilizers, effective microorganism, and other nutritional inputs.

Government may also use such organic fertilizer supply for a program on “Bhoochetana,” an Indian word for soil rejuvenation.

DA’s Bureau of Agricultural Research Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar just signed last October 8 a memorandum of agreement with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Director General William D. Dar. “Our Bhoocheta na prog ra m may i nvolve primary crops like coconut in Region 4 (Quezon), jack fruit as a f lagship crop in Region 8 (Samar-Leyte), and

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rubber in Zamboanga,” said Eleazar.

Delima said government needs the technical expertise that can be provided by PIL. The Indian MNC has a certification on International Ser v ice Organization (ISO) 9 0 01, 14 0 01, a nd Occupational Health and Safety 18001.

ICR ISAT, a lso Indiabased, has also proposed for the expansion of Bhoochetana to a P3-billion program since P27 million is “very small,” according to Dar.

Assures... from page 17

to ensure their buffers are commensurate with the risks they take. Under BSP rules, a universal bank should have a

capital of at least P5.4 billion, while a commercial bank, P2.8 billion.

For thrif t banks, the requirement ranges from P64 million to P400 million depending on the location.

The BSP is also reviewing the capital requirement for foreign lenders.

The review may lead to an increase in the 10 percent minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR) required of banks. In the first quarter of the year, universal and commercial banks registered

an average CAR of 17.75 p erc ent on s olo ba si s .

Including their subsidiaries, the country’s biggest lenders had an average CAR of 18.89 percent.

Both ratios are higher than the end-2012 figures of 17.28 percent and 18.35 percent, respectively.

A strong capital position promotes financial stability by providing individual banks and the industry with an adequate buffer against unexpected losses that may arise during times of stress.

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CIRCLE A WORD what a gem

amber amethyst aquamarine bloodstone chrysoprase citrine corAL

CORDIERITE DIOPSIDE EMERALD GARNET JADE JASPER LAPIS

MOONSTONE OBSIDIAN ONYX OPAL PEARL RUBY SARDONYX

SCAPOLITE SPINEL TOPAZ TOURMALINE TURQUOISE ZAIRCON

HERO REVIEW T r a x ex t he Drow R a nger is a ranged agility hero whose greatest assets are her incredible damage and ability to keep threats at bay. Traxex is a carry who, though lacking survivability, provides a worthwhile contribution through her damage alone. The Drow Ranger can be extremely powerful at any given point in the game.

As an agility hero, Traxex's damage is based largely off her auto attacks and is among the greatest largely due to the massive amounts of agility she gains from her passive ultimate, Marksmanship. The Drow Ranger also adds ranged damage to teammates with her global Precision Aura. Despite her lack of escape spells, Drow Ranger can keep herself relatively safe from enemy spellcasters and melee heroes using her Silence and her Frost Arrows, respectively. Frost Arrows infuses her attacks with ice cold, greatly slowing down her enemies. Since it can be manually

RANGED - CARRY

cast, Frost Arrows can be used to harass her foes in the early game without drawing the creeps' attention. Silence is a great counter to enemy spellcasters who might threaten her life in battles. Position is of utmost importance as Traxex is quite vulnerable in close combat and the agility bonus from Marksmanship is removed when enemies come near her. This means she struggles against melee dps heroes with high mobility, such as Anti-Mage and Faceless Void.

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) - Your self-confidence is a shining beacon in the night -- so light the way for those who are too timid or doubting to make a move. You can make almost anything happen if you believe in it.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) - Your people are pushing too hard today -- and that can make you cranky. Your energy just isn’t up to the task of keeping them all in line, and you may have to tell someone close to take a hike.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) - You need to become even more socially active -- and yes, that is possible. Your people need you more than ever, but it shouldn’t feel like work as you help them. Build up that karma!

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) - You’ve got an ego -- but who doesn’t?

Today brings out all kinds of challenges to your own sense of self, but also to other’s feelings. Try not to escalate any delicate situations.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) - Is this your lucky day? It depends on what you need -- and what you count as luck. If you’re single, you may bump into your next flame; if you need work, you may discover a hidden talent.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) - Your people may be extra sneaky today -- and at least one of them is making claims they almost certainly can’t back up. You don’t have to ferret out every falsehood, but you do need to be skeptical.

Amazing Facts!

Did you KNOW?? ..

Elephants can smell water up to 3 miles away. They are also one of the three mammals that undergo menopause – the other two being humpback whales and human females.

CROSSWORD puzzle across 1. Very 3. LRT stops 10. Hole in one 12. Past 13. Container 14. Cracker dish 16. Reject 17. Unpaid 18. Marshland 19. Library item 21. Type of fruit flakes 22. Atlanta’s state: abbr.

24. Uncooked 25. Mongrel 26. Useful set 27. Either’s partner 28. Total 29. Harvard’s competitor 30. Take 31. Auto 32. Whitish

34. Whimper 37. Utilize 38. Bogota’s country: abbr.

39. Land measure 40. Outbursts 41. Commercial DOWN 1. Body pouch 2. Mr. Orbos 4. Recording medium 5. Ripen 6. Enroute for 7. Unwrap 8. Negative prefix 9. Pen 11. Give 15. Sea bird 16. Moisture 18. Distant 19. Male title: abbr.

20. Paddle

21. Buzzing sound 22. Rosemarie of film 23. Consumed 25. Slice 26. Fate 28. Church district 29. Gabi in English 30. Campbell or Capacio 31. Tranquil 32. Place 33. Film speed letters 34. Pronoun 35. Stage 36. Carmine 38. Chromium’s symbol Yesterday’s Answer

Mindanao Daily 23 NEWS

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Probe... from page 13

is now on its third phase.

Congressman Loong said the Sulu Sea is part of the territorial waters and national patrimony of Sulu, which is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). He said any contract entered into by the national government pertaining to the Sulu Sea should be with primary concern of the people of Sulu.

H e s a i d t h i s i s eve n strengthened by Republic Act 9054 on the ARMM creation, wherein the people of the Sulu Archipelago are given the opportunity to participate in decision-making.

“Thus, the province of Sulu and its people clamor for an inquiry whether they have an active involvement in the forging of SC-56 on its implementation,” Loong said.

Loong said with oil spills happening in different parts of the world, most recent of which occurred in Rosario, Cavite, in Manila Bay, the people of Sulu are apprehensive about the possibility of a similar incident in the South Sulu Sea that can cause irreversible damage to the ecological system therein and the possible deterioration of the source of income of the people in the area.

“The service contracts of the oil exploration of the Sulu Sea should be scrutinized as to whether or not contingency plans that will prevent such an occurrence are provided therein, and its impact on our ecology and the cost of possible destruction of our biodiversity vis-à-vis its real contribution to the economic growth and general welfare of the country, especially to the people of Sulu,” he said.

Furthermore, Loong said it is necessary to probe into the standards laid down by the DOE on the set-up and implementation of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Plan by service contractors of the drilling exploration of the Sulu Sea. “Hence it is necessary to inquire into the oil drilling explorations conducted in the Sulu Sea to ensure active participation of the people of Sulu, and protect and preserve our rich biodiversity without sacrificing real contributions to our economic growth and general welfare,” said Loong.

The DOE earlier said that SC-56 is part of the government’s efforts to encourage investments in the energy sector leading to energy security for the country.

The exploration phase will be undertaken at no cost to the country, with all the risks borne by the contractors, ExxonMobil, Mitra and BHB Billiton.

The DOE fur ther said that SC-56 contractors are committed to conduct operations that are environmentally and socially sound, and that these contractors will take into account the environmental and social costs of the project to the host communities.

Loong said based on a study of A.C. Alcala on the ecological importance of the coral reefs in the Sulu Sea, extensive coral reefs in the middle of the Sulu Sea, which may well be the

last remaining good reefs in the country have evoked much interest among various sectors of the population.

Furthermore, it cited that scientists, especially biologists, oceanographers and geologists, have been fascinated by the manner of their information in the geologic past and by the high biodiversity in terms of species numbers and habitat types. They consider these reefs, which are associated either with emergent islands or islets or with structures as prime research and experimental sites. Fishermen generally see their potential as a direct source of fishery and other marine products for humankind, the study said.

The House leader said Section 2, Article Xll of the Constitution on National Economy and Patrimony clearly provides that “The exploration, development and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. The State may directly undertake such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or productionsharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least 60 per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens.”

Loong said this constitutional provision further provides that “The President may enter into agreements with foreign-owned corporations involving either technical or financial assistance for large-scale exploration, development and utilization of minerals, petroleum and other mineral oils according to the general terms and conditions provided by law, based on real contributions to the economic growth and general welfare of the country.” (PNA)

Braces... from page 13

coal plant being built by the Sarangani Energy Corp. (SEC) in Barangay Kamanga.

The company has started the construction of the 210-megawatt coal plant, with the first phase targeted to run in 2015 with a capacity of 105 MW. SEC, which is controlled

by Conal Holdings Corp., is a subsidiary of the Alcantara Group’s Alsons Consolidated Resources, Inc. “There has been a consistent rise in employment in the area due to the influx of investors,” the mayor said in a statement.

He said they expect that such developments will not only uplift the living condition of their poor constituents but also boost the local economy.

Citing the SEC project, Lopez said around 500 town-based skilled workers and laborers have been hired and it resulted to an increase of 120 percent in their local revenue collection so far.

“This is a great indication that our town will soon be in place as one of the leaders of progress in Sarangani,” said Lopez.

Aside from the coal-fired power plant project, he said that another group of businessmen recently visited his town to explore the potential of putting up a P30 million aggregate crushing plant.

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

Larry Asparin, Sarangani tourism officer, earlier disclosed that a resort based in Barangay Tinoto in Maasim is also planning to invest around P30 million for a major expansion.

Such move was mainly aimed to complement the projected influx of visitors to the area due to the operationalization of the nearby coal-fired power plant, he said.

The coal power plant, which is located near a world-class scuba diving spot, is strongly opposed by environmental and religious groups on concerns over the environment and human health.

Parts of Barangays Tinoto and Siguel in Maasim have thrived in the past several months also due to the identification of the area as a world-class paragliding spot.

The area recently hosted a fun paraglide that was joined by enthusiasts from Japan, Korea and Indonesia.

The provincial government is set to host in March next year an international paragliding c o m pet it io n in t he area .

(MindaNews)

Gas...

from page 13

The size of the anchor power plant for proposed LNG storage facilities should be in the range of 300 to 450 megawatts, the study noted.

In particular, the planned LNG facility at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Cagayan de Oro will have a delivered gas cost of $13.80 per million BTU in year one and increasing to $18.30 by year 20. The projected average gas price for the duration will be $13.27 per MMBTU. “Of this total, approximately $12.95 is attributable to the commodity, while the remaining $0.32 is allocated to the cost of the distribution infrastructure,” the study has emphasized.

Comparatively, the cost of coal-based generation will be roughly twice lower at $4.19 per million BTU equivalent at year1 (which is reckoned at year 2013); and will just climb to $4.78 by year 20 (or in 2032). Looking at the numbers crunched in the study, the escalation in coal prices is also seen happening very slightly.

For the proposed gas plant in Iligan, the delivered cost is seen kicking off at an even higher level of $15.37 per million BTU and will increase further to $20.90 in year 20. The estimated average will be $14.67 per MMBTU. Gas plant installation in General Santos, on the other hand, will have delivered cost of $16.43 per MMBTU for year one and inching up to $21.97 until year 20.

When it comes to bringing the gas supply in Mindanao region, the business model propounded by the study is for government to allow the entry of “gas aggregator” to meet the demand of end-users, including industries intending to do fuel shift.

On the sphere of regulating gas prices, the proposal will be to bestow such powerful function to the Department of Energy (DOE) – a diversion from earlier proposals that such must be given as added role for the Energy Regulatory

Commission.

The study said, the “DOE would be entitled to adjust prices, issue fines or in the extreme, suspend or revoke a license.”

But if pricing will be given to other entities, it was proposed that “the DOE should retain either an oversight and review function, or at the very least an enforcement function in the event that some independent body or party is put in place to arbitrate disputes as to prices or service levels.”

PLDT... from page 13

Nazareno said they are taking due diligence in exploring possibilities of taking the operations of small telcos ourside Metro Manila.

“I think in Mindanao we are still open and other parts of Visayas and Luzon,” Nazareno said.

“Right now we are not looking, but we are open to discuss with Paptelco where it is reasonable for us, “ he said, referring to the Philippine Association of Private Telephone Companies.

Paptelco is composed of small telcos, mostly in urban areas outside of Metro Manila.

PLDT earlier entered into an agreement with the Durano family-owned Danao Telecom (Datelco) for the acquisition of the latter’s landline subscribers.

Under the agreement, the two companies agreed to embark on joint marketing and promotions of PLDT’s products and services in Cebu’s fifth district. After more than 20 years of operations, Datelco is winding down its local exchange business as the cost of upgrading its network became untenable.

Ramon Isberto, spokesperson of PLDT, had said 3,000 to 4,000 Datelco landline subscribers would be transferred to PLDT starting this month.

Besides acquisition of subscribers, PLDT will also roll out infrastructure to improve service, he said.

PLDT has in the past acquired local telephone companies such as SubicTel and Clarktel in Central Luzon, as well as Maranao Telecoms, CruzTelco Cluster 3 and Philcom in Mindanao.—with InterAksyon

Aquarium... from page 20

inc lud e s pe c ies t hat c an sur vive capture, transpor t and be in captivity for at least 180 days.

Historical evidence should show that the species is part of a stable or increasing population trend in the area where the species is being collected and the species’ removal does not negatively impact the reef ecosystem.

Likewi se, t he s p e c i e s should not be endemic to the Philippines and not endangered or vulnerable as classified by the DENR in ac cordance with laws, international conventions or rules and regulations and such other criteria as may be prescribed by the DENR. The DENR is mandated to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the objectives of this Act. (PNA)

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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

The

CAGAYANTIMES de Oro

FEATURE

tuesday | October 29, 2013 Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

Coral R esort Estates A Brown Company, Inc., developer of Xavier Estates, Teakwood Hills, and Ventura Residences in Cagayan de Oro City, launches its premiere residential development in Pagahan, Initao, Misamis Oriental, the Coral Resort Estates, October 26, 2013. This photo shows the gates of the resort estates situated along the highway of Initao, Misamis Oriental.

BWM Group Publisher Dante M. Sudaria (2nd from left), MDN marketing staff Mercy Peconada (left) and BWM Group editor-at-large Mike Baños (3rd from left) pose with A Brown Company, Inc., Chief Executive Officer, President and Director Robertino E. Pizarro (seated 2nd from right) and (standing-right) Mr. Ruffy Magbanua during the soft launching of ABrown’s newest develepment, its premiere residential development in Pagahan, Initao, Misamis Oriental, the Coral Resort Estates, October 26, 2013. This photo shows the gates of the resort estates situated along the highway of Initao, Misamis Oriental.

Future residents and guests can enjoy the beauty of the beaches of Initao through leisure activities like a jetski ride or simply marvel at nature’s beauty by walking along the shores of the Coral Resort Estates.

A Brown Company, Inc., Chief Executive Officer, President and Director Robertino E. Pizarro presents computer sets to the Pagahan Elementary School, in Initao, Misamis Oriental. In his speech, Mr. Pizarro said that this venture will not only let residents and guests enjoy the resort estates but also helps in developing and maintaining nature’s beauty.

Photos by SHAUN ALEJANDRAE YAP UY, MDN Lifestyle Editor