BusinessWeek Mindanao (October 7, 2020) by Mindanao Daily News

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Energy efficiency THE Department of Energy (DoE) is seeking to promote energy efficiency investment in remote areas, specifically for agriculture and the so-called “last mile” of power service delivery to rural communities. The new initiative hopes to achieve the full implementation of Republic Act No. 11285, or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Act. “The DoE has been looking into the last-mile access projects for electricity and we have been engaging with the agriculture preand post-harvest facilities that are RE (renewable energy) own-use and are very energy efficient,” Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella revealed in a recent webinar.

Rural agro project NESTLÉ Philippines, the country’s biggest buyer of coffee, and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Tuesday (Oct. 6) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help implement the P4.781 billion Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) Project which aims to develop the full potential of the country’s high value crops and improve rural farmer households mostly located in the Mindanao regions. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez (right), and Nestlé Philippines Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki at the virtual MOU signing ceremony in support of the RAPID Growth Project. This project aims to implement the Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) Project which aims to foster agricultural development in the country by extending various forms of assistance including financing to farmers in various sectors.

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IN-DEPTH

Wednesday|October 7, 2020

P15.00

Oro’s real estate boom stirs ravaged economy T

Thank you for trusting us!

By MARK FRANCISCO, Reporter

EN development permits approved within two months. Twenty thousand workers in construction and allied sectors. You’d think this occurred sometime in the rosy past before COVID-19 struck.

READY FOR NEW NORMAL Teachers from Sambulawan National High School get ready to hold classes over the air at Savior Radio in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental, as part of the compliance of non-physical learning set by DepEd during the Covid-19 pandemic. photo by gerry lee gorit

B ut t h e s e f a c t s a re happening right now and right here in Cagayan de Oro City in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. Councilor Edgar Cabanlas, chair of the City Council’s committee on landed estate and subdivision, said in

an exclusive interview that the coronavirus-hit local economy was cushioned by continuing operations in the real estate sector, which has never stopped even through the dark days of general community quarantine in ECONOMY/PAGE 10

Metro CDO’s Water Falling Behind the Curve For all its lofty ambitions to become the Philippines next metropolis, it looks like Metro Cagayan de Oro is slipping behind the curve in providing that most essential of ingredients for a booming megalopolis: water.

Challenges’ resulting from increasing population growth foresees a n e e d for s u s t ai n a b l e infrastructure that is high performing, cost-effective, resource-efficient and environmentally-friendly. WATER/PAGE 11 Mindanao Regional Governors of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry with PCCI President Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico (4th from left) and Mindanao AVP Ghaye Alegrio (4th from right). photo supplied

5 Mindanao chapters finalists as Most Outstanding Chamber By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

Rising water demand due to a growing population has forced COWD to keep its deep wells operating despite the dirty brown water these bring to end consumers.

FIVE local chambers of commerce and industries of Mindanao have been chosen

as Finalists in the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries search for the 2020

Most Outstanding Chamber in the Philippines. “The fact that we have 5 Local Chambers ( Iligan , FINALISTS/PAGE 10

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MinDA to lead 'Tienda’ caravan in Manila

AVAO City – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will lead a caravan of trucks and vehicles bringing various products from Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro Region, to be displayed and marketed in the "MinDA Tienda sa Manila" slated on Oct. 23 to 25. Supported by Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso, the marketing caravan will include leaders of farmers and fishermen, handicrafts makers, and indigenous textile weavers who are expected to engage with institutional buyers in Metro Manila. In a statement Monday, MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Mindanao

products such as fruits, sea products, organic rice, and handicrafts produced by the indigenous tribes of Mindanao will be on display at the Kartilya Ng Katipunan Park in Manila for three days. “Cultural presentations reflecting the rich culture and traditions of the people of Mindanao will also be featured nightly during the activity. A business matching booth will also be established in the display area to facilitate the engagement between prospective institutional buyers and the farmers and fishermen's groups,” Piñol said. A send-off ceremony is set to be held at the Port of Lipata in Surigao del Norte on Oct. 19, where the caravan will cross the Surigao Strait

and travel through Leyte, Samar, Bicol, and straight into Manila. “The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has pledged all-out participation in the program along with

CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631 LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739 CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

own expense with MinDA only acting as a coordinating agency,” Piñol said. On the other hand, Moreno said the program is expected to provide Manila residents access to fresh

products sold at very low prices. Moreno has earlier placed an advance order of 600 tons of Mindanao's organic black and red rice for the senior citizens of the city. (PNA)

Lanao Sur fight vs. Covid-19 improving: officials COTABATO City – The Lanao del Sur InterAgency Task Force (IATF) on coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) said on Monday that the number of infections in the province has slowed down in the past two days, weeks after the National IAFT agreed to halt the return of locally-stranded individuals. Dr. Alinader Minalang, Lanao del Sur provincial health chief,

several provinces and local government units. In a classic display of self-reliance in promoting Mindanao, each agency and even the farmers and fishermen's groups will shoulder their

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

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

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

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

CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City

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

said the local IATF only recorded eight persons added to their Covid-19 list of patients over the weekend. “A single-digit list had been recorded in the past two days. We are improving but no reason to celebrate yet,” Minalang said in a radio interview here Monday. Also, he said that the number of Covid-19 recoveries in Lanao del Sur had improved with the healing of 18 patients as of Sunday. “Our health workers and contact tracers alike should be credited for the improved Covid-19 trend in the province, that is an increase in recoveries and decrease in positive cases because

they have been working round-the-clock,” Minalang said. Currently, 577 out of the cumulative 726 patients in the province have recovered from the disease, corresponding to a 79 percent recovery rate. Minalang said Lanao del Sur and the city therein of Marawi City have a combined number of 119 active cases with 30 deaths. “All the active cases are at the isolation facility of the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City,” he said. Meanwhile, across the BARMM, the Ministry of Health has recorded six new cases of Covid-19 positive,

raising the total number of infections to 1,213 on the same day. Dr. Amirel Usman, the acting health minister, said the new cases were from Lanao del Sur with five, and one in Basilan. Usman said 14 patients have recovered in the region as of Sunday night, raising the total number of recovered patients to 914 for a 75 percent recovery rate. Currently, the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi have a total of 253 active cases, with 46 deaths since the pandemic began in March. (PNA)

Hamon sa edukasyon AILEEN P. MATUNDAN

Taong 2019 kumalat ang is ang s a k it na t inawag na Coronavirus o Covid 19. Dahil sa mabilisang paglaganap ng virus, ang COVID 19 ay nag dulot ng matinding paghihirap sa sanlibutan. Maraming mga negosyong na apektuhan gaya ng pagsara at pag tigil ng iba’t-ibang operasyon na kalaunan ay nag deklara na ng bankruptcy na naging re s u lt a ng k aw a l an ng trabaho. Nililimita na rin ang paggalaw ng tao sa pagbili sa pamilihan, sa mall at sa maging sa mga liwasan na pinaglalaruan ng mga bata. Kapag dumami naman ang taong nahawa ng sakit sa isang lugar agad itong i localized focused containment. Bukod dito, ang mamamayan ay obligado na rin na magsuot ng facemask at faceshield kung lalabas ng kani-kanilang b a h a y. Ng a y o n , h i n d i maikubli na pangyayaring

ito ay isang pagsubok na kinakailangan ng agarang solusyon at ibayong pagaaral ng ating mga experto sa larangan ng medisina. A n g p a g l a g a n ap n g virus ay nagkaroon din ng epekto sa pag-aaral ng mga kabataan. Paano na ngayon ang pag-aaral ng ating mga munting Juan – ang hinirang na pag-asa ng bayan ika nga ng ating bayani na si Dr. Jose Rizal. Paano sila makakakuha ng sapat na edukasyon kung limitado naman lahat ng galaw ng isang tao? Paano magiging isang ganap na huwaran ang ating mga kabataan kung gayon naman ay hindi sila magiging epektibo sa kani-kanilang larangan na tatahakin? Kaya’t ang Kagawaran ng Edukasyon ay nagkaroon ng malawakang pagsisiyasat ng mga alternatibong paraan upang magbigyang tulay ng ating mga guro ang edukasyon

na kinakailangan ng ating mga kabataan. Sa kanilang nabuong pananaliksik at ibayong pag-aaral, ang na implementa ng opisyales ng DepEd ay ang “online class” o “modular” na kung saan ang isang mag-aaral ay malayang pumili ng kanilang pamamaraan sa pag-aaral. Ang ganitong paraan ng pag-aaral ngayong “new normal” ay makapagbibigay sa ating mga mag-aaral ng kaalaman kahit maraming mga balakid na kinakaharap sa pagbabago ng takbo ng edukasyon. Makakakuha pa rin ng sapat na edukasyon dahil sa tulong na ginawa ng DepEd at maging sa ating mga guro. Nakasalalay pa din sa ating mga guro ang kinabukasan ng mga magaaral. Ngayon, hindi maiwari ang matinding hirap ang dinanas ng bawat isa lalunglalo na sa ating mga guro dahil alam nila na kinakailangan ng mga kabataan ngayon ang edukasyon na magbibigay linaw sa kanilang mga isipan. Maraming mga agam-agam na nadarama di lamang sa mga mag-aaral pati na din sa kanilang mga magulang kung papaano makakapagaral ang kanilang mga anak ngayong may pandemya. Kaya marahil ngayon hindi oras para mag puna ng mga pagbabago bagkus dapat mag tulungan ang bawat isa upang ang layunin ay matagumpay na makakamit.

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CorporateWorld

SHARP PLASMACLUSTER ION TECHNOLOGY REACHES 90MILLION IN SALES GLOBALLY AND RELEASES NEW STUDIES IN REDUCING AIRBORNE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (SARS-CoV-2)

SHARP Philippines Corporation (SPC), with its goal of bringing convenience, protection, and lifestyle evolution to every Filipino household, recently launched its campaign “Stay Home, Stay Sharp”. It features products that are designed

for the new normal setting — and one of its key features is Sharp's exclusive technology, the Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) Technology. In this time of global health crisis, this is SHARP’s way of keeping our homes free from viruses and bacteria.

The Plasmacluster Ion Technology Sharp’s revolutionary technology, the Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) Technology will help Filipino households achieve a safe sanctuary. It has been proven to be effective against suspended

airborne viruses and microbes that contaminate our air, leaving it cleaner and healthier. This exclusive technology is a unique air purifying solution to eliminate diseasecausing bacteria and viruses from poor air quality and it has been proven safe to humans regardless of the amount of ion concentration released in the air. The Plasmacluster Ions, which are the same type of positive and negative ions that is present in nature, come in contact with the airborne threats in the air, undergoing chemical reactions on their surfaces to form OH radicals. These OH radicals decompose the proteins on the surface membrane of the airborne threats by taking the hydrogen. Without protein, the airborne threats are disabled and in effect, deactivated. The hydrogen then combines with OH radicals, and together they transform to water which is released into the air. Tested by Over 30 Institutions and Organizations Since 2000, Sharp is developing and improving Plasmacluster

Ion Technology and with collaboration with over thirty (30) independent third-party research institutions and organizations across the globe, Sharp has been continuously promoting academic marketing to demonstrate the effectiveness of its Plasmacluster Ion Technology. In fact, there are numerous independent research organizations that have proven its clinical efficacy in suppressing the activity of harmful substances including influenza viruses, drugresistant bacteria, and mite allergens, as well as in reducing bronchial inflammation levels in children with asthma. Above all, product safety, which is one of the biggest concerns of consumers before buying a product, has also been confirmed through research and studies. Rest assured, Sharp will continue to contribute to society by conducting a wide range of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of Plasmacluster Ion Technology. On the effectiveness of Plasmacluster Ion Technology in Reducing Airborne Novel

Coronavirus Disease (SARS-CoV-2) In recent joint research conducted with Professor Jiro Yasuda of the National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases/Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan, Professor Asuka Nanbo, a Board member of the Japanese Society for Virology of the same institution, and Professor Hironori Yoshiyama of the Department of Microbiology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, and in cooperation with Nagasaki University, an internationally respected authority on infectious disease research, Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion Technology was able to reduce floating novel coronavirus particles in the air, claiming it as a world first. Viruses present on the surface are much easier to eliminate with simple disinfectant,s unlike airborne viruses. In the said study, Plasmacluster Ion Technology, which emits positive hydrogen ions and negative oxygen ions through a plasma SHARP/PAGE 11

Opinion

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

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

(Editor’s note: This is a reprint of the author’s piece published January 18, 2017. We edited some lines to suit last Monday’s water surge in Cagayan de Oro – street flooding happening again, and again. Street flooding in the city is not considered ‘new normal’. It’s an old, bad normal to well-meaning Cagay-anons) THERE’s an old buzzword circulating fast and furious these days of pandemic -street flooding in the City of Golden Friendship. Flooding in urban areas can be caused by flash floods like Tuesday’s sudden surge,

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School in session Think a minute… These are the names of some of the most famous lawyers in U.S. history. Only one of them dropped out of law school. See if you can guess which one? Jo h n Jay b e c a m e a successful lawyer and later the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the highest judge in the land. William Wirt was barely 20-years-old when he passed his law exams in Virginia. He later became the United States Attorney General. Remember, one of these famous lawyers was a law school dropout. Roger Taney started as a lawyer and worked his way up to become the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Daniel Webster became a lawyer in Boston where he built a great legal record and reputation. He then became a highly respected Senator and was later appointed Secretary of State. Salmon Chase became well known as a defense attorney helping slaves. Later he became a U.S. Senator and

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, actually started as a lawyer, which helped prepare him for his exceptionally wise and diplomatic leadership that kept the States of America united through its terribly divisive and devastating Civil War. Clarence Darrow became possibly the most famous lawyer of all, particularly for his case of the Scopes or socalled Monkey trial of 1925. Of these seven successful and famous lawyers, which one do you think was the law school dropout? It was Clarence Darrow: the one SESSION/PAGE 11

or coastal floods, or river floods, but there is also a specific flood type called urban flooding so endemic in the city. Urban flooding is the inundation of land or property in a developed environment, particularly in more densely populated areas like Cagayan de Oro. Basically, it is caused by massive rainfall overwhelming the capacity of drainage systems, such as storm sewers. Urban flooding is specific in the fact that the cause is simply the lack of adequate drainage in an urban area and Cagayan de Oro is no

exception to that. L ast Tu e s d ay ’s h i g h intensity rainfall had caused the flooding of low-lying areas of the city, and the absence of a dedicated sewage system and drainage canals had forced large amounts of rain to swell into the city’s open spaces including streets, hallways parks and even malls. Flood waters may enter existing sewage system but then it get deposited somewhere else in the city particularly on the streets. And most often than not, drain covers dance freely, indicating that the city’s drainage is undersized and

UNRUFFLED

RUFFY MAGBANUA more so, inadequate. Elsewhere in developed and developing countries, urban flooding may happen frequently and surprisingly. The same sort of thing can FLOODING/PAGE 11

Gap in the Davao-Samal bridge project

MIKE BAÑOS Vice President for Digital

GILBERT Y. CHAO

WEDNESDAY|OCTOBER 7, 2020

Street flooding

ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, PhD Vice President for Finance

Editor-in-Chief

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THE proposed DavaoSamal Bridge still remains to be an elusive dream. The groundbreaking ceremony scheduled in September hit a snag and the problem seemed to have compounded. Let’s rewind the narratives years back. The first viable feasibility study was done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). There were inaudible objections among stakeholders especially from resort operators in the Samal Island side but weighing the impact on them in terms of losing vital real estate assets as against the increase of domestic and foreign tourists that would patronize their resorts they acquiesced to the plan as conceptualized by JICA. The estimate then was that about 25,000 vehicles will cross the bridge daily and not a few of these are tourists. The FS then considered an area where the huge columns of the bridge skirts away from rich marine resources. The

bridge was supposed to land in an abandoned shipyard in Samal which is also the shortest distance from Davao City. Not much objection was aired in Davao City's side. What was intriguing later was a new twist in the plan. Along the way, when the National Economic Development Authority gave a green light for the P23.04billion project to be part of the "Build, Build, Build" program (listed as No. 42 in DPWH list) the Asian Development Bank came into the picture and conducted detailed engineering design and projected that by December 2020 the Department of Public Works and Highways may start with the bidding process tapping China ODA ( O f f i c i a l D e v e l opm e nt Assistance). It looks like ADB or DPWH hired a Hong Kong-based designer called ARUP which in turn did not take into consideration the environmental impact of the project by virtually rejecting

the more rational idea of landing the bridge adjacent to the old shipyard and land being offered for free by a stakeholder. I can only make a guess but I surmis e that the stakeholders on the Samal side were not consulted by ADB when they conducted a detailed engineering design. This time they were aghast to learn that the four-lane span will land right smack into their resorts and veered away from the old shipyard where JICA had proposed in their FS. Among those seriously affected by the ADB plan are the Rodriguez family which owns Paradise Resort and another family who owns Costa Marina Beach Resort whose property the bridge will run through. Rodriguez, who pioneered the resort development of Samal in the early 1960s offered an adjacent property to the government for free but DPWH is not accepting the donation. This intransigence

LETTERS FROM DAVAO

JUN LEDESMA can prompt Rodriguez and the rest of the resort operators to invoke the Writ of Kalikasan and who knows when can this be resolved. Already Atty. Ramon Edison Batacan of the Batacan, Montejo & Vicencio law office had made overtures of possible legal remedies not only on behalf of the affected stakeholders but of the environment. In a way, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara DuterteCarpio is correct in saying that groundbreaking ceremonies are not important. What BRIDGE/PAGE 11

Stringent rules for staycations in GCQ areas flak from Philippine hoteliers Philippine hoteliers are baulking at the stringent staycation guidelines for properties located in metro Manila and other destinations under general c om mu n it y qu ar ant i n e (GCQ), including restricting accommodations to fourand five-star hotels, limiting guests to those residing within the destination, and mandatory antigen testing for all guests. C h rom a Ho s pit a l it y countr y manager, James Montenegro, questioned the point of subjecting every family member living in one household to antigen testing. He also pointed out that while families are required to take antigen tests in GCQ hotels, masses are allowed to roam freely without Covid testing in malls, where the transmission risk is higher, especially on weekends when thousands throng the malls.

Montenegro said fourand five-star hotels have strict implementation of health and hygiene protocols that are similar to those in hospitals. While he welcomed the authorities’ move to allow the resumption of staycations in GCQ areas, Montenegro also saw the need “to strike a balance” between public health measures and economic recovery, noting that hotels have been closed for at least six months now. Cyndy Tan Jarabata, president of Tajara Leisure and Hospitality Group, and co-organiser of the Hotel Owners for Tomorrow, an action group made up of independent and MSME hotel owners and operators, agreed that certain staycation restrictions “don’t make sense to hotel owners, much less staycationers”. Noting how families make up a key segment for the

staycation market, she cited the example of how the costs of antigen tests for a family of four booking a staycation may amount to the same as the promotional room rate, deterring domestic travellers from taking staycations. Another problem, she added, is the limitation on the number of occupants, based on the room size. “It’s too much hassle for a staycation in the city where we have been stuck since March. The domestic market would prefer to have some breathing space outside of the metro,” Jarabata explained. As per other staycation requirements laid down by t h e D e p a r t m e nt of Tourism, all accommodation establishments in GCQ areas must also first secure a DoT Certificate of Authority to Operate for Staycations before accommodating any guests for a staycation. They are also required to have

NUTS & BOLTS

JEROME DE LA FUENTE

contactless booking and payment systems in place. As well, the maximum number of guests allowed per room will be determined by the floor area – for example, a 49m2 room will be allowed to house a maximum of four guests. Accommodations which were previously used as quarantine or isolation facilities or had Covid-19 positive guests are also required to present a proof of sanitation and disinfection of their facilities.

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Economy... from page 1

March and April. “If you look at it, wala g ’y u d n a a p e k t a h i a n g construction sector. And that includes huge subdivisions, condominiums, even low-cost housing,” Cabanlas said. Things even got better in August and September when the city government was able to issue ten more development permits due to the concurrence of the City Council upon recommendation by the Cabanlas-led body. Ál l in al l, C ab an las estimated that there are at least 20,000 workers who are currently working in the construction industry in Cagayan de Oro City. “ T his is go o d ne w s because even if we are still in pandemic, these people are bringing food to their families. And that’s what’s keeping the whole economy afloat – the purchasing power of the people to sustain businesses,” he said. Corollary to this are the equally growing number of companies and their employees which rely on the real estate sector – suppliers of construction materials, heavy equipment, interiors and the like. Cabanlas credited the bullish real estate sector of the city to the sound policy of the administration of Mayor Oscar Moreno in balancing its approach to both combat COVID-19 and at the same time caring for the economy. “The mayor has seen to it that our economy continues to grind despite the persistence of the pandemic. Developers, brokers and the investing public have all taken notice of this. That’s why real estate has kept on growing and has never slowed down,” he said. Here in Cagayan de Oro, horizontal real estate development is classified into three: socialized housing, economic housing and highend subdivision. Of the three, socialized

housing is more urgent since it reintegrates displaced residents in the city which now number around 80,000. One of the developers w h i c h a re f o c u s e d on socialized housing is Ecoverde Homes Corporation. Formed and incorporated in 2013, Ecoverde Homes builds homes with quality that is at par with expansive housing units. Having been in the industry for a good three decades, Ecoverde Homes is committed to continuously and consistently develop quality housing units keeping in mind that all Filipinos deserve to own a decent home with dignity and quality of life. The latest addition of Ecoverde Homes’ folio is Kaiyo which is located at sitio Macapaya, barangay Camaman-an. Kaiyo offers three choices – the modern twin unit, t he mo der n townhouse inner unit and the modern townhouse end unit. For more information, v i s i t E c ov e r d e Ho m e s Corporation, G/F Insular Life Building, Don Apolinario Velez corner Akut Street, Cagayan de Oro City.

Finalists... from page 1

Zamboanga, General S a n t o s , Ta n d a g a n d Surigao ) who are finalists as the Most Outstanding C h amb e r g ive s u s t h e inspiration to see through the awarding ceremony on October 8,” said Ma. Teresa R. Alegrio, PCCI Area Vice President for Mindanao. PCCI Mindanao has the most number of finalists with 5 among the 17 finalists for the Most Outstanding Chamber in the Philippines award. T h e re are ab out 4 5 PCCI local Chambers of Commerce (LCCIs ) in Mindanao, around 90% belong to MSMEs whose capitalization range from P3M-100 million while large companies comprise about 10% of the chamber

members,” Alegrio added. The Most Outstanding Chamber Award (MOCA) is a project of the PCCI that seeks to recognize a local chamber whose leadership and dynamism contributed to the growth of business and community development. The MOCA’s criteria focuses on elements like leadership, implementation of programs and projects, partnership with the local government unit, nongovernment organizations and development p ar t n e r s , an d h o s t i ng of conferences, among others. Winners will b e announced on October 8, 2020 during the virtual 46th Philippine Business Conference. The virtual 46th Philippine Business C on f e re n c e a n d E x p o will be conducted on October 7-8, 2020 with the theme innovation@ ph that seeks to provide a roadmap for businesses to ef fec tively navigate uncharted territories and to chart a more sustainable and secure f u t u re f o r t h e m s e l v e s and for the countr y. It will scrutinize into the country’s innovation ecosystem and deep dive into how executives in government and across i ndust r i e s are l e a d i ng dig it a l t ransfor mat ion across different aspects of government and business operations. Mindanao chambers have already previously prominently figured a s t h e P C C I ’s M o s t Outstanding Chamber. Oro Chamber was recognized in 1993 and 1994 under the leadership of President Jesus Emmanuel M. Paras and became the PCCI’s First Chamber Hall of Fame Awardee in 1995 during the tenure of President Eduardo F. Pelaez.

The Davao City Chamber of Commerce a n d I n d u s t r y, I n c . (DCCCII) has been cited as the Most Outstanding Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines in 1997, 2003 and 2005, and Best Local Chamber in Asia Pacific, also in 2005. It was a ls o s ele c te d as a finalist in the 2005 Best Chamber of the World by the International Chamber of Commerce ( I C C ) a n d t h e Wo r l d C h a m b e r s Fe d e r at i o n (WCF). Mo r e r e c e n t l y, t h e Bangon Marawi Chamber of Commerce and Industr y (BMCCI) was recognized as the Most O utst anding C hamb er - Yo u n g C h a m b e r Categor y during the 45th Philippine Business Conference and Expo on October 17, 2019. Anot her t hre e-t ime w inner, PC CI-Q ue zon City won the award in 2000, 2002, and 2004 and t he Mo st O ut st and i ng Chamber Award -NCR in 2019 and instrumental in making Quezon City a P C C I Ha l l o f Fa m e Aw a r d e e a s t h e Mo s t Business-Friendly City i n t h e P h i l i p p i n e s . It was also cited the Most Outstanding Local C hamb e r i n t he As i a Pa c i f i c R e g i on by t h e Confederation of AsiaPacific of Commerce and Industr y in 2004. PCCI Mindanao is h e a d e d b y A r e a Vi c e President Maria Teresa R . Alegrio, with PCCI Regional Governors Arturo Milan (South Eastern Mindanao), Roderico R. Bioco (Nor thern Mindanao), Paul Gudmalin (Western Mindanao), Pete Marquez (Central Mindanao), Aldrin Ibbo (BARMM), Julie S enense (E astern (CARAGA) Mindanao) a n d L o re t a Sy ( S o u t h We s t e r n M i n d a n a o ) . (PCCI Mindanao)

How education can emerge stronger By GRACE B. SINGSING Senior High School Teacher III Lantapan National High School Lantapan, Bukidnon

THE COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in at least one positive thing: a much greater appreciation for the importance of public schools. As parents struggle to work with their children at home due to school closures, public recognition of the essential caretaking role schools play in society has skyrocketed. As young people struggle to learn f r o m h o m e , p a r e n t s’ gratitude for teachers, their skills and their invaluable role in student well being has risen. As communities struggle to take care of their vulnerable children and youth, decision makers are having to devise new mechanisms for delivering

essential services from food to education to health care. We believe it is also valuable to look beyond these immediate concerns to what may be possible for education on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is hard to imagine there will b e another moment in history when the central role of education in the economic, social and political prosperity and stability of nations is so obvious and well understood by the general population. Now is the time to chart a vision for how education can emerge stronger from this global crisis than ever before.

MISSING BONGGO Pls contact Ms Veni

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Session...

Sharp...

name which is so often associated with the practice of law. Clarence Darrow attended law school for only one year and then dropped out to study law on his own. But what is more amazing is those other six successful lawyers could not drop out because they never even went to law school! They all studied law on their own. Actually, for every one of us the school of life is always in session. We are designed never to stop learning our Creator’s laws and ways of life. In fact, the word disciple means a “lifelong learner” or “lifetime student” of Jesus, the Maker and Master of life. Once and for all, won’t you ask Him to become the Maker and Master Teacher of your completely new life with Him today? Just think a minute…

discharge, demonstrated that the virus infectious titer was reduced by more than 90%. A solution containing the novel coronavirus was released into a three-liter apparatus equipped with a Plasmacluster Ion device. The device discharged 10 million ions per cubic centimeter (cm3). Results claimed that the infectious titer in the retrieved solution was reduced by 91.3 percent in just 30 seconds compared with one that was not being exposed to Plasmacluster Ion. Shar p’s C or p or at i on Masahiro Okitsu, Senior Executive Managing Officer, S m a r t Ap p l i a n c e , a n d Business Solution assured that the brand will continue to provide effective solutions in lowering the risk of infection. “Based on the result of this experiment, we will consider and provide effective uses of the Plasmacluster Ion Technology to mitigate the risk of coronavirus infection.” 90 Million Sales Mark Globally Currently, Sharp equips their appliances with Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) Technology to make them suitable for your home’s needs in this new normal. These are the appliances for cleaner and safer air: Refrigerators, Air Conditioner, Air Purifier (with mosquito catcher, w i t h hu m i d i f i e r, w i t h dehumidifier), Ion Generator, and Mite Catcher. In fact, the brand is now working to incorporate this technology to their Electric Fan products for the local market and it will be launched soon. As of April 2020, Sharp announced that it has reached the 90 million sales mark of products equipped with the Plasmacluster Ion Technology through its collaborations with different global businesses and industries such as hotels, hospitals, health clinics, restaurants, trains, vehicles, offices, banks, schools, training center, and supermarkets to name a few. Sharp will continue to expand the application of Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) Technology on its current industrial field of expertise and will seek new ways to apply it to other fields especially on medical devices.

from page 4

Bridge... from page 4

is important is seeing the Davao-Samal Bridge project come to fruition. “To see is to believe”, she was quoted as saying. That is a strong message to Sec. Mark Villar and ADB to better bridge the gap they had with the stakeholders in Samal. You cannot proceed with the construction of the bridge if you assert your authority over the rest like a raging bull in a China shop. Presently we are seeing a bridge too far.

Pandemic... from page 4

happen in rural areas and is then called ponding. Urban flood is indeed a gre at disturbance. It dislocates people and destroys properties including vehicles. Case in point: hundreds were stranded and vehicles were seen half-submerged in the city’s main streets and highways last Tuesday, and it may happen again in the next days ahead following Pag-asa’s official declaration of the rainy season. Such flooding is now a ‘normal’ occurrence in this city being groomed into a metropolitan urban center. That said, street floods happ e n i n a rel at ively short period of time and can inundate an area with rampaging waters in minutes, or even in seconds. As areas become 'urbanized' or go through the process of urbanization like Cagayan de Oro, increased flood risks go with it as well. Further, the problem with urban flooding is the fact that they occur in highly in populated urban centers, seldom in sparsely populated areas of the city. As more and more land areas are converted into residential and industrial zones, the amount of surface area available for water infiltration into the soils decreases. Clearly enough, a city with no urban planning, urban flooding takes over. (ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo. com)

from page 3

Water... from page 1

(UCD, 2015) In the construction and physical and organizational structures that enable cities to function, meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the capabilities of the future generations is paramount. (Tiwari, 2016). The cash-strapped COWD previously acknowledged the Mt. Everest it had to climb just to keep up with the booming demand for water in the rapidly expanding capital city of Northern Mindanao which is further expected to become a metropolis in the next five years. Metropolitan Cagayan de

Oro is envisioned to be the Philippines’ 4th Metropolitan Center by 2025 as a major gateway & trans-shipment hub, and key educational center with potential growth in the banana industr y, rubber, bamboo, cacao, coco coir, coffee, agribusiness, and tourism under the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan. With a total population of 1, 219, 005 as of 2015 and total land area of 2,221, 13 square kilometers, Metro CDO includes Cagayan de Oro and El Salvador cities in Misamis Oriental, 11 municipalities in Misamis Oriental (Initao, Gitagum, Libertad, Laguindingan, Alubijid, Opol, Tagoloan, Villanueva, Jasaan, Claveria, and B a lingas ag) and 6 municipalities in Bukidnon (Manolo Fortich, Baungon, Sumilao, Malitbog, Libona, and Talakag). COWD relies on its water sales to fund its operations and implement improvements and expansion projects, and does not receive any subsidy from local or national government. Even an extension of service to a barangay like Indahag requires a capital outlay of P300-million, which is just beyond its means since COWD still has outstanding loans with the Development Bank of the Philippines. White Knight To address these issues, COWD entered into a joint venture company, Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Inc. (COBI) with MetroPac Water Investments Corporation (MWIC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation to undertake the supply of bulk treated water to address the increasing demand of Cagayan de Oro City. The P2.8-Billion project involves the construction of new water transmission lines and rehab of the Camaman-an Reservoir, the delivery of 40 MLD of treated bulk water to Cagayan de Oro’s east service area within a year, and later to the western service area which at the time exclusively relied on deep wells for its water supply. A 3-stage road map stressing the importance of constructing and maintaining a sustainable water supply was presented by MPW during the JV signing, Stage 1 covers the delivery of 60MLD to the Western Sector, and putting COWD’s Cala-anan production deep wells on standby, and its Balulang wells and booster pumping st at ion to b e operated intermittently. For Stage 2, 60MLD would be delivered to the Western Sector and 20MLD to the East. Some of COWD’s wells and booster pumps in Macasandig will be placed on an intermittent operation, while bringing water to Upper Gusa and Upper Carmen, and elevated subdivisions like Alegria Hills by installing additional transmission lines and starting service to Indahag through a subsystem. By Stage 3, with 60MLD is being delivered to the

West and 40MLD to the east, ground water extraction would be reduced further by placing COWD’s wells in Agusan and Tablon on standby, and further dialing down op erations at its Macasandig wells and booster station. And how has things gone since then? COBI is so far supplying an additional 60 MLD to the West Service Area and 20 MLD to the East/Central Areas. COWD requested a deferment of the next 20MLD since its finances are adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. COWD has 4 deep wells in Calaanan producing 9.1 MLD and another 7 in the Balulang area producing 33.45 MLD for a total of 42.55 MLD that would have been placed on ice once the 60 MLD of treated bulk water is sustained. However, recent COWD production reports actual volume from these wells actually declined from 34 to 33 MLD. For its Central Service Area, COWD has 11 deep wells in Macasandig producing 63 MLD so it’s feasible to put these on intermittent operation since 60 MLD of treated bulk water would be coming to the Western Sector and another 20 MLD to the east, leaving a quite substantial buffer to serve the new areas and improve service to existing ones. Not the least, the 114 MLD water demand in the East Service Area is barely covered by its 17 production wells in Barangays Bugo, Agusan, Tablon, Macasandig and Nazareth. Facility improvements have enabled the COWD to increase its bulk water supply to its East Service Area from zero to 20MLD and supply from production wells from 86 to 91MLD. With the commissioning of a new pipeline, total supply has risen 40 MLD to date. In toto, bulk water supply to the entire service area increased from 40 to 80MLD while production wells volume similarly rose from 120 to 124MLD, resulting in a net gain of 44MLD (+27.5%) to 204MLD. These improvements have enabled COWD to increase its current number of concessionaires to over 100,000, Despite this however, this stage would only place 3 of COWD’s deep wells in Tablon and Agusan with a total maximum production of 25 MLD on standby and still keep another six of its deep wells in Bugo, with a total extraction of 26 MLD operating. All told, the 3-stage plans to shut down or minimize operations for 130MLD of COWD’s 155 MLD maximum deep well production capacity over the period or 84% of the current capacity of its 32 deep wells. Wel l and go o d! But it doesn’t speak well of COWD’s commitment to a sustainable water supply with the imminent rise of Metro CDO. Metro CDO Population

Boom With a total population of 1, 219, 005 as of 2015 and total land area of 2,221, 13 square kilometers, the COWD-COBI partnership will be hard pressed to keep up with the increasing demand for water in Metro CDO . Population trends indicate Metro CDO will have a total population of 1,382,574 on 2.73 growth rate by 2020, to grow further to a populace of 1,559,475 on 1.28 growth rate by 2025. At p r e s e nt , C O W D provides water services to only 64 of Cagayan de Oro’s 80 barangays, 7 of Opol, Misamis Oriental’s 14 barangays, and Barangay, Casinglot in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. Dirty and intermittent water for the Pandemic The problem with this ambitious plan is the actual scenario where rising demand has precluded COWD’s gradual phase-out of its deep wells. Even if COBI were already delivering at its full capacity of 100MLD, it would still have to undergo regular and unscheduled maintenance shutdowns, further aggravating an already tenuous supply situation. Kagay-anons continue to receive intermittent and often dirty brown water from their taps due to the confluence of the rising demand and maintenance shutdowns in its main bulk water plant that prevents COWD from shutting down its deep wells permanently. This will not do given the constantly rising number of COVID-19 cases in Cagayan d e O ro a n d Nor t h e r n Mindanao. The situation calls for an immediate and urgent solution for a safer and more reliable water supply to help curb the pandemic surge. EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late ESPERLITO MANGUBAT AGUITON, died intestate in Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, leaving a certain residential building with Tax Declaration No. G-368118, situated at #283 Everlasting Street, Zone 5, Ilaya, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE, filed by the heirs of ESPERLITO MANGUBAT AGUITON, per DOC #325; PAGE #65; BOOK #216; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI.

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

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH A DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE OF A PARCEL OF LAND KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late LULLIO T. YAÑEZ, who died on March 18, 2013 died at J.R. Borja General Hospital, J.V. Seriña st., Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, that the said deceased left a parcel of land with TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. P-3034 COVERED BY TAX DECLARATION NO. G-170924, situated in the Barrio of San Simon, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of EIGHT THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY (8,280) square meters, and has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH A DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE OF A PARCEL OF LAND, filed by the heirs of LULLIO T. YAÑEZ, in favor of NYLL MAINIT PAOURIS AND STEPHEN JAMES PAOURIS, per DOC #15; PAGE #03; BOOK #XIX; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry of EMELITO J. MARQUIÑO. BWM: Oct. 7, 14 & 21, 2020

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late CACO ALI and EDDY MINGOL, who died intestate without a will on September 09, 2011 and December 06, 2007, respectively at Dagumbaan, Talakag, Bukidnon, That the deceased at the time of his death left a certain parcel of land situated in the Municipality of Talakag, bukidnon, more particularly described as follows with transfer Certificate of title No. T-18345, containing an area of ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED SIXTYTWO (134,662) Square Meters more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE, filed by the heirs of CACO ALI and EDDY MINGOL, per DOC #269; PAGE #54; BOOK #11; Series of 2020, under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. ISIDRO Q. LICO. BWM: Sept. 30, Oct. 7 & 14, 2020

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late LOURDES GOMEZ FIGURA, who died on February 4, 2019 in Cagayan de Oro City, that the deceased died intestate, without will or testament, and without any outstanding debts in favor of any person or entity; that the deceased left among others a parcel of land with TCT No. T-190538 situated in the Barrio of Macasandig, City of Cagayan de Oro, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of FIFTY (50) Square Meters more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT, filed by the heirs of LOURDES GOMEZ FIGURA, per DOC #342; PAGE #80; BOOK #91; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. QUINTILIANITO S. BABARIN, JR.

That the late MERCY DOMINICE NAMOCATCAT, died intestate without will and testament leaving a certain parcel of land located in Brgy. Danatag, Baungon, Bukidnon on September 4, 2007 at Cagayan de Oro City, at the time of her death left a parcel of land with ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. AO-11282, situated in the Barangay of Danatag, Municipality of Baungon, Province of Bukidnon, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of EIGHTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY FIVE (18,695) square meters, more or less and that the deceased died intestate without leaving no debts to any person or entity the following property to wit, and has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, filed by the heirs of MERCY DOMINICE NAMOCATCAT, in favor of MERIAM NAMOCATCAT OLAMIT, per DOC #369; PAGE #75; BOOK #XXXIV; Series of 2019, under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. CARLO ANTONIO BLALMIRANTE.

BWM: Sept. 30, Oct. 7 & 14, 2020

EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

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