BusinessWeek Mindanao (September 20, 2017)

BusinessWeek MINDANAO CREDIBLE

Volume VIII, No. 45

Market Indicators

As of 5:50 pm September 19, 2017 (tuesday)

FOREX

PHISIX

US$1 = P51.036

8,162.7

X Briefly

X

14.1

131.44

cents

points

E-cigar regulation THE CAGAYAN de Oro City Council committee on health and sanitation and health insurance is now working on the enactment of an ordinance regulating e-cigarettes in the city.

During its recent meeting, the committee, chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane, discussed the proposed ordinance implementing the comprehensive anti-vaping ordinance of Cagayan de Oro, prohibiting the use, sale, distribution, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes in certain places within the city.

It may be recalled that the City Legal Office submitted its legal opinion on the creation of the Smoke-Free Task Force, which stated that it is the mandate of executive agencies.

According to the legal office, the e-cigar and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) has no legal basis since it is not covered in Executive Order 26.

Economic backbone PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is optimistic that Mindanao’s abundant resources and dynamic people can contribute to the country’s growth and development.

The President said he believes in Mindanao’s great potential as long as it has the right infrastructure and a sound business environment.

“It is for this reason that the government is aggressively pursuing infrastructure projects in Mindanao,” Duterte said to around 600 business leaders on Saturday, September 9, during the closing ceremony of the three-day Mindanao Business Conference 2017 held at the Xavier Sports and Country Club, Cagayan de Oro city.

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Wednesday | September 20, 2017

AFTER DITCHING BOTTLED WATER BUSINESS

SanMig eyes filtration plant in Mis. Oriental P

By MARK FRANCISCO, Staff Writer

HILIPPINE food giant and conglomerate San Miguel Corporation is set to build a P60 billion water filtration facility in its sprawling 50-hectare property in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano announced this on Monday during the Capitol’s flag raising merely a day after San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang made a shocking announcement of his own – that the conglomerate will stop its bottled water business on its own.

Ang, who released his statement on Sunday, also said that “we are happy to announce that the Purewater brand will live on but not as a plastic water bottle business but through SMC’s investment in filtration technology that will be deployed during calamities to make safe filtration/PAGE 11

BIMP-EAGA’s culture and arts festival opens Church build internet to serve today in Gen. Santos far-flung communities, schools TENT CITY. Children of evacuees from Marawi City spend time playing at the new tent city in Baloi-Lanao del Norte. Close to 200 families staying at the Mahad Abdul Aziz al Islamie Madrasa in Balo-i moved to this site late in August until early September. mindanews photo by h . marcos c . mordeno

By MINDANEWS

By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN, Contributing Editor

BAYUGAN City -- A thriving Christian denomination here has established its own wireless internet broadband services not to lure more church members but to connect the world wide web

far-flung communities and schools not yet served by major telecommunication networks.

To propagate its stateof-the art global Airmax internet/PAGE 11

A2wiser Broadband Internet Corp. executive Geary Barias.

GENERAL Santos City -The diverse and rich culture, heritage and artistr y of peoples within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-E ast As ean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) will take the centerstage in a five-day grand culture and

arts festival that will open here on Wednesday.

Adelina Suemith, acting executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), said Tuesday they are all set for the first-ever Budayaw festival/PAGE 11

Bukidnon Hedcor inks power supply deals with 5 Mindanao distributors

By MARK FRANCISCO, Staff Writer

AB OITIZ Power subsidiar y, Bukidnon Hedcor, Inc., has entered into supply contract agreements with five utilities in Mindanao in preparation for its integration into the Mindanao grid this December.

Bukidnon Hedcor, Inc. assistant sp okesp ers on L loyd Re vi l la identified the five utilities as Zamboanga del Sur I Electric Cooperative, Zamboanga del Sur

II Electric Cooperative, Siargao Electric Cooperative, Misamis Occidental I Electric Cooperative and Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative (Buseco).

Revilla said that the two power plants of Bukidnon Hedcor, Inc. are now 90 percent complete and expected to be onstream by December this year. deals/PAGE 11

HYDRO PLANTS. The turbine pipes (indoor) and penstock (outdoor) power Hedcor’s two hydropower plants in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. photos by mark francisco

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Economy GenSan fish port up Guv: IP welfare at stake for modernization with NCIP P1K budget M

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wednesday|September 20, 2017

By JIGGER JERUSALEM, PNA

ILLIONS of the country’s tribal peoples, including t h e “ l u m a d s” ( n at i v e inhabitants) of Bukidnon and Northern Mindanao, will be at the losing end once the P1,000 budget approved by the House of Representatives for the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for 2018 sees the light of day, said Governor Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. One of the essential ser vices that would be adversely affected is the

processing of titles for cer tif icate of ancestral domain claims (CADC), Zubiri said, pointing out that review of such applications require hefty budget for NCIP due to the technical work.

Bukidnon is home to seven tribal groups namely, the Bukidnon, Higaonon, Ta l a a n d i g , M a n o b o , Matigsalug, Tigwahanon and Umayamnon. These tribes have pending CADC applications, the governor disclosed.

“It saddens me,” the governor said, “because

36 to 37 percent of the 1.4 million people in Bukidnon are lumads and they are the poorest.”

As the chair of the Regional Development Council for Region 10, Zubiri said he will push Congress to “reconsider its decision.”

“I would like to appeal for compassion from the members of Congress. The budget should be appropriated for whatever agency that will receive it,” he added.

The Lower House was supposed to approve the prop os ed P1.13 billion proposed budget for the NCIP.

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To c omp l e m e nt t h e national budget for the province’s Indigenous Peoples, Zubiri said his administration has green-lighted the release of about P10 million to help Bu k i d n on’s i n d i ge n ou s peoples in processing their ancestral domain claims.

“That (P10 million) is not even enough, he said, pointing to the costs such as payment for surveyors, welfare/PAGE 11

GENERAL Santos City -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) is working on another major expansion and upgrade of the city’s fish port complex as it moves to make it at par with other international fish ports.

Engr. Ginalyn Cachuela, manager of the Socsksargen Area Development Project Office (ADPO), said Monday the DA central office has approved the conduct of a feasibility study for the modernization of the General Santos City Fish Port Complex (GSFPC) in

Barangay Tambler here.

She said DA’s Philippine Fisheries and Development Authority (PFDA), which operates the GSFPC, prepared the terms of reference for the study.

“The fish port is nearly two decades old so there is really a need to improve its facilities,” Cachuela said.

She said the DA central office has lined up for this quarter the procurement of consultancy services for the feasibility study, which has a funding of P7 to P9 million. port/PAGE 9

K to 12 Curriculum and Its Implications to our Growing Economy Ma. Roselie A. Genita - MT II, Dalirig Elementary School

The 1987 Philippine C onstitution stated in Article XIV, Section 2(1) states that ‘’ The State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society.’’ Thus, our Philippines government is banking our Educational system to add three years from the number of school years from elementary up to secondary level. One year in preschool level and two years after completing the 4th year high school.

President Duterte actively supports the Department of Education together with his government officials down to the local government units and the active support coming from the private stakeholders have affirmed

their hand in hand supports to this k to 12 curriculum of t he D ep ar t ment of Education.

This is the victory of our country mark that our government is looking forward for the bright future of all Filipino school age children. By bringing these children back to school all together to learn, we could start afresh by forming our children in a new way.

All children will learn the necessary skills after they will complete the Senior High School. They will be choosing the different c ou r s e s l i ke : G e n e r a l Academic Strand, Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Humanities and Social S c i e n c e , Te c h n i c a l Vocational and Livelihood Courses that have

different avenues in Home Economics, Agricultural and Fisheries, Information and Communication and Technology. These ideas were to make equality more achievable through widespread and at the same time to help children realize their potential.

Budget coming from the National Government will be used to purchase the tools and equipment in K to 12 Curriculum. These will equip our senior high school students to become globally competent with their new learned skills and technology.

Then we can say that our g raduates wi l l b e more competitive as they prov ide and help our growing economy heeding for the well-known TIGER ECONOMY OF ASIA.

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

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wednesday|September 20, 2017

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Opinion

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wednesday|September 20, 2017

Writings on the wall

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Ruffy magbanua AFTER a year in office, his detractors tagged him as corrupt and murderer.

Further, they charged him of crimes against humanity for his war on drugs.

They labelled the President as a fascist, a dictator and a leader who murdered his own people, claiming that the country is heading toward dictatorship akin to that of the Marcos dictatorship.

But obviously, these allegations are not shared

Lucell larawan

Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

Stick Out Your Tongue think a minute

jhan tiafau hurst Think a minute…Have you noticed that one of the first things a doctor does when he examines you is ask you to stick out your tongue.

It’s sometimes possible to know what’s wrong inside a person’s body just by looking inside a person’s mouth. Some diseases and sicknesses can actually be seen on a person’s tongue.

In fact, our tongue gives away many other things about us. Our accent and way we talk shows where we’re from. Our tongue also reveals what’s inside our heart and mind. We usually talk about the things we really care about, such as money, status, food, gossip about others, or sports.

But even more than our words and actions, it’s our reactions that show what kind of person we really

are inside. Most of the time we can be good actors and control our tongue, especially when we want to impress and look good in front of others. So we carefully choose our words before we say them. But then if somebody suddenly wrongs and hurts us, we may react quickly out of anger and try to hurt them back with unkind words. It’s in those unexpected pressure times that you and I show what is really in our heart by what comes out in the words on our tongue. We show our true feelings of anger, pride, prejudice, or unforgiveness, which we usually hide under the nice mask or act we put on in front of others.

But Jesus Christ loves us and knows we cannot clean and change our talking until we’ve first cleaned and changed our heart inside. Just like clean water cannot come out of a water tank that’s dirty inside, Jesus already sees what we are inside our heart and mind. He also knows that we are not able to change our heart by ourselves. So why not ask Him to take control of your life, so He can start cleaning and changing your heart today and for the rest of your life? Just Think a Minute…

Trillanes deserves a close scrutiny and debate if only to educate the proponents of such a preposterous claim.

Another good for nothing publi c s e r v ant is R i z a Hontiveros. Her constant attacks against Duterte’s drug war is a monotonous media hype, as if it has done nothing good at all for the country.

Agot Isi d ro, a s elf styled celebrity has called the President a psychopath.

Likewise, Jim Paredes, who got the ire of not sitting beside an airline co-passenger wearing a DU30 shirt never said anything good for the President.

Where are they now?

Agot and Jim Paredes are still artists and have continued to exercise their constitutional right to be idiots and enjoyed their freedom to be stupid.

And you call the President a dictator?

Detained Senator and sex-

starved De Lima had claimed to be the fiercest political enemy of the President.

Calling the President a cold blood killer of his own people, De Lima hurled insults against Duterte and accused him of being behind the EJK’s in the country.

But where is De Lima now? De Lima enjoys by her lonesome at the PNP Custodial Center for drug charges but continues to badmouth the President even behind bars.

And here comes the religious sector which has been using school children to mock and ridicule the President carrying placards with words like murderer, plunderer, corrupt -- a display of arrogance and defiance.

This so-called bastion of Christianity have the balls to brand the Duterte writings/PAGE 9

Brands Precede Everyone’s Credibility

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by the overwhelming majority of the Filipinos. Reason?

The President still enjoys an approval rating of 84 percent with less than 10 percent dissatisfied.

And who are those who belong to the 10 percent and currently in the forefront of all these dirty political maneuvers?

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, is a political idiot for his rubbish exposes using g o v e r n m e nt r e s o u r c e s for his nonsense political grandstanding delivered in the halls of Congress!

With nothing but his swollen balls, Trillanes continues to attack the President’s family by accusing them of various anomalies, to the extent of ordering the presidential son Pulong to undress in front of him, all because of that controversial Triad tattoo.

Such stupid assertion by

Brands can be several times more valuable than one’s business. Companies like McDonald’s and Starbucks are unarguably successful brands. Their brands are worth more than all their equipment, capital goods and buildings.

The armed services like the US Army, Navy, or Air Force make sure their people make their brand physically, mentally and spiritually. This is true in one of the most

elite fighting units in the world—the Navy SEALs (which means sea, air and land). In selecting Navy SEALs, the aspirants undergo an extremely arduous twoyear training where 75 to 90 percent cannot usually make it into the list of SEALs. Every SEAL wannabe undergoes “drown proofing” where they are bound hand and foot, thrown into deep water and should get into the surface, somehow while holding their breath. Then they must swim 50 meters while still bound.

The worst challenge for the SEAL aspirants might be the “Hell Week”—a period where hopefuls are kept awake for 20 hours a day, doing punishing drills, while constantly invited to quit. At the conclusion of Hell Week, aspirants who do not quit face a hose of freezing cold water to induce hypothermia; then they swim for miles through

the ocean. After swimming, their instructors hand them a mug of hot chocolate, but can only drink it if they admit failure and drop out—the hardest many SEALs have ever done.

When the SEAL Team Six killed Osama Bin Laden, their brand reverberated throughout the world. Their code of silence even made their brand more powerful.

Another legend of all times in terms of brandbuilding was Attila the Hun. His reputation preceded him so powerfully that opposing armies often bow out before fighting him. Although his leadership spanned from 434 to 453 A.D., people still speak of Attila. This is brand power.

Even criminal minds or organizations have brands.

They strike fear everywhere— Yakuza of Japan, Cali cartel and Medellin car tel of

Columbia, Bernie Madoff and Charles Ponzi.

What do these examples say about companies that merely provide a barrage of meaningless and loud advertising? They are not building brands and are just becoming a nuisance.

I am touring you to the stories of brands because we are facing brand-challenged political parties and their henchmen.

When Congress approved the P1,000 budget for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the naïve made a noise. But what everyone must see is what or who is behind Chito Gascon, its chief. Gascon used to be the 2009 leader of the Liberal Party (LP) and also suborned vice president Leni Robredo towards speaking what a political party thinks about the Philippine scenario before credibility/PAGE 9

What RP needs is a revolutionary gov’t Kakampi mo ang batas

Batas Mauricio LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…

Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of IsraeL and turned their backs on him…” (Isaiah 1:4, the Holy Bible).

-ooo MARTIAL LAW WON’T BRING ANY GOOD TO RP: Talk is rife nowadays that President Duterte will declare martial law come Thursday, September 21,

2017. Whether this is true or not, my two cents’ worth of an opinion is that, nothing good is going to happen to us anyway, even if he does this.

The fact is that, as the Philippine Constitution stands today, too many Freudian limitations against martial law have been written in our basic Charter which would only work to frustrate the objectives why martial law is being declared in the first place. For example, there is the requirement for the President to report to Congress within 48 hours from the declaration, and the power as well of the legislature to set aside what the President had done.

Now, since we have been made painfully aware of the gravity of the drug problem facing the country at present, of the continuing invasion of Mindanao by terrorists whose mission is to remove Mindanao

from the Philippines and make it instead as the Asian base of an international terrorist organization, and the unrelenting criminality and anarchy almost every w he re, w hat Pre s i d e nt Duterte should declare is a revolutionary government.

-ooo WHAT RP NEEDS IS A R E V O LU T I O N A RY GOVERNMENT: Under a revolutionary government, the existing Constitution of the country shall be set aside and a new one can be promulgated. All agencies of government that were created under that Constitution shall be abolished, like for example the judiciary, the legislature, and all the agencies and offices under the executive branch. The only one who is going to be left standing, as it were, as government, would be the President.

All authority and power to run the government would be concentrated in

the hands of the President of the revolutionary government alone, just like what then President Corazon Aquino did in 1986, after she was installed as president by the combined effort of the United States and its cohorts in the Philippines.

And because all offices and agencies of government have been dissolved under a revolutionary government, as it were, the President would then have the right to form new agencies or, perhaps, install new officials in agencies that will be retained or allowed to continue to operate, who are, from his perception, able to help him in effectively running the affairs of governance.

-ooo MORE EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE COMES WITH A REVOLUTIONARY GOV’T: I am of the firm belief that it is only through a revolutionary government batas/PAGE 9

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CorporateWorld

Car sales grow 8.7% wednesday|September 20, 2017

A

UTOMOTIVE vehicle sales in August has increased by 8.7 percent year-on-year reaching 35,309 units this year from 32,472 units in 2016.

In the joint report of Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) released Friday, CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez said sales last month remained stable with the good sales performance of key models from major manufacturers.

Sales of both segments of passenger cars and

commercial vehicles grew last month. Sales of passenger cars inched up by 1.1 percent to 11,258 units in August 2017 from 11,136 units in the previous year.

Sales of commercial vehicles rose 12.7 percent year-on-year in August 2017 despite declinein the sales of trucks and buses sub-segments by double digit.

Asian utility vehicle (AUV) and light commercial vehicle (LCV) sales buoyed the performance of commercial vehicles.

AUV sales last month increased by 19.7 percent to 6,874 units this year from 5,734 units in 2016.

LCV sales, on the other hand, went up by 18.1 percent to 15,499 units in August 2017 from 13,127 units in the same month last year.

Sales of light trucks declined 31.8 percent to 1,041 units, while category four and five of trucks and buses had a negative growth of 36.8 percent and 21.4 percent, respectively.

Despite a slowdown in growth in August, sales for the period of January to August this year increased by 16.7 percent to 268,424 units compared to the 229,919 unit sales in the same period a year ago.

Commercial vehicle sales led the growth,

increasing sales by 22.3 percent year-on-year for the said period with total sales of 177,285 units.

Passenger car sales

improved by 7.3 percent in January to August this year to 91,139 units from 84,926 units in the same period in 2016.

Leading car companies for the first eight months of the year were Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, Isuzu, and Honda. (PNA)

Cebu Pacific to launch Davao-Tagbilaran route Emirates hopeful of new CEBU PACIFIC will start operating direct flights between Davao City and Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Oct. 21.

The budget carrier said in a statement that its wholly owned subsidiary, Cebgo, will have four times weekly flights (Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays, and Sundays) between Davao and

Tagbilaran.

“As part of our efforts to improve the overall customer experience for everyJuan, we have been taking to heart the suggestions and feedback from our guests. We’ve looked at the feasibility of the Davao-Tagbilaran route and are optimistic that this new air link will not only answer

the clamor from the local communities, but stimulate trade and tourism in both destinations,” Alexander G. Lao, President and CEO of Cebgo, was quoted as saying in a statement.

Davao serves as the Gokongwei-led airine’s hub in Mindanao. From Davao, Cebu Pacific flies directly to Bacolod,

Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Manila, Tacloban and Zamboanga, and Singapore.

In July, Cebu Pacific expanded its coverage in Visayas and Mindanao, launching commercial operations of new routes. Cebgo began flying three times weekly between Cebu and launch/PAGE 9

Philippines-UAE air talks EMIRATES is hoping the Philippines and United Arab Emirates (UAE) will restart talks to revise the air service agreement between the two countries.

“We’re hoping for the talks to happen again… soon and we will take it forward from there,” Sathish Sethi, Emirates

country manager for the Philippines, said during a roundtable discussion on Thursday.

In April, air talks between the Philippines and UAE ended in a stalemate, as Philippine carriers opposed the request of UAE airlines to emirates/PAGE 9

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Environment DENR joins International Coastal Clean-up 2017 wednesday|September 20, 2017

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 10 Assistant Regional Director for Management Services Paquito D. Melicor, Jr. (right) together with DENR employees join in the International Coastal Clean-up 2017 in Brgy. Macabalan on September 16, 2017.

The International Coastal Clean-up is celebrated every 3rd Saturday of September.

This year’s theme is “Sama-sama para sa malinis na Karagatan.” Ana Mae Sumalinog RSCIS No. 09-315-2017

Employees of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region 10 (DENR 10) join other national government agencies and civil society organizations in the International Coastal Clean-up 2017. This is part of a simultaneous coastal clean-up held on September 16, 2017 in different coastal areas in Cagayan de Oro City.

The International Coastal Clean-up is celebrated every 3rd Saturday of September.

This year’s theme is “Sama-sama para sa malinis na Karagatan.” Ana Mae Sumalinog RSCIS No. 09-314-2017

Hunt on for climate-friendly HFC alternatives

By Catherine Teves

MANILA – The government is searching for possible alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the man-made compound that has replaced ozonedepleting substances (ODS), which were previously used mainly as refrigerants.

HFCs have minimal impact on the ozone layer, which protects Earth from ultraviolet solar radiation, but the government will freeze the import of these compounds beginning 2024 because these greatly contribute to climate change, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

"Those are dangerous greenhouse gases

(GHGs) with high global warming potential," Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said in a message delivered by his chief of staff, Undersecretary Rodolfo Garcia, during a press conference Thursday.

Cimatu noted that HFCs are spreading fast in the atmosphere, worsening global warming.

The United Nations Environment Programme has warned that HFCs are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) in contributing to climate change. CO2 is among the climate change-driving GHGs. According to experts, GHGs accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat, raising

temperatures and resulting in global warming, thus leading to climate change.

Climate change's impacts on the Philippines are the increasing onslaught of extreme weather events, as well as the rise in sea level and temperatures, they said.

The Philippines has been identified as among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed Sept. 16 as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date in 1987 when countries signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The Montreal Protocol's 30th

anniversary this year will carry the theme, “Caring for all life under the sun.”

The Montreal Protocol is the international treaty adopted by countries to reduce and eventually phase out the production and consumption of ODS worldwide so the ozone layer could be protected from further harm.

Among the treaty's achievements are the elimination of ODS, the progressive healing of the ozone layer, and health benefits, such as avoiding millions of potential skin cancer cases, DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones said during the press conference.

He noted that parties to the Montreal Protocol came up last year with the Kigali Amendment to

this treaty so global production and use of HFCs could be phased down.

The Kigali Amendment, which aims to avoid nearly 0.5°C of warming by the end of the century, is targeted to enter into force on Jan. 1, 2019, he said.

According to the DENR, the Philippines' HFC phasedown targets after freezing importation in 2024 are 10 percent by 2029, 30 percent by 2035, 50 percent by 2040, and 80 percent by 2045.

"There's still time to look for alternatives to HFCs," DENR Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna said during the press conference, noting that such alternatives must be affordable and readily available.

Philippine Ozone Desk program

manager, Elvira Pausing, said parties with alternatives to HFCs can bring samples to the DENR and other government agencies that will screen them and determine whether or not they comply with national standards.

Results of the screening will show if such alternatives can be marketed locally, she noted.

Cimatu sought the Philippine refrigeration and air conditioning sector's cooperation on the gradual phasedown of HFCs nationwide.

"The focus now is on climate-friendly alternatives to HFCs," he said, adding that failure to phase down HFCs will negate benefits reaped from implementing the Montreal Protocol.

(PNA)

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Banking&Finance Economist doubts BSP rate hike next week wednesday|September 20, 2017

A

N economist of DBS Bank Ltd. on Friday expressed doubt that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP will raise its key rates when the Monetary Board meets on Sept.

21, 2017.

DBS Group Research economist Gundi Cahyadi, however, said a hike is possible in the last quarter this year and the first quarter of 2018.

Cahyadi said the BSP has maintained its key rates, so far this year and this will likely be the case this month.

Rate of the BSP’s reverse repurchase (RRP) facility is now at three percent; repurchase (RP) facility at 3.5 percent, and 2.5 percent for the

special deposit account (SDA). The three facilities represent the central bank’s Interest Rate Corridor (IRC), put in place in June 2016.

Cahyadi said Philippine monetary officials may maintain key rates next week even as he considers the BSP to be “slightly behind the curve in policy tightening.”

“While a move is still unlikely next week, we reckon there is a good chance for a 25 bps (basis points) rate hike each in both 4Q17 and 1Q18,”he said.

The economist said rate of price increases last June and July, at 2.7 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively, gave the BSP

leeway to maintain its key rates.

Last August, inflation further rose to 3.1 percent, bringing the year-to-date average to 3.1 percent.

Another positive factor for keeping the key rates steady is the liquidity situation in the banking system, he said.

Central bank data shows that outstanding loans of commercial banks, net of placements with the BSP’s reverse repurchase (RRP) facility, rose by 19.7 percent last July from the previous month’s 19 percent.

Domestic liquidity during the same period increased by 13.5 percent from month-ago’s 13.3 percent.

“More importantly, the upward pressure on global rates may also gain dominance going into 2018,” the study said.

Cahyadi said the upward interest rate pressure around the world “may put pressure on the peso to weaken further.”

He said the local currency, which ended Thursday at 51.165 to a greenback, has weakened by around 2.8 percent to the US dollar to date making it the weakest in the region.

“We don’t expect the BSP to stay tolerant of further peso weakness, amid the potential negative impact on investment-related import demand,” he added. (PNA)

$600-M current account deficit ‘doable’ : BSP

MANILA -- A ranking official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the USD600- million current account (CA) deficit assumption for 2017 is “quite doable.”

Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that in the first half of the year, the country registered a CA deficit of USD234 million, about 0.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The latest figure is lower than the USD424 million deficit same period in 2016.

The country has enjoyed CA surpluses for more than a decade but is now experiencing CA deficits following the strong growth of imports

on back of the rising domestic demand.

In the second quarter alone, CA registered a surplus of USD15 million, a turn-around from the USD1.3 billion deficit same period last year.

This transpired after the country registered higher net receipts in trade-in-services and the primary and secondary income accounts.

With this development, BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo is optimistic that full year CA will not go beyond the latest assumption.

He cited the seeming stabilization of imports.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that as of last July,

Equities market seen to improve further PHILIPPINE equities market is seen to post further improvements this September 2017 and next month as foreign investors look for additional options in emerging markets.

In a joint monthly publication called The Market Call, economists from First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said positive earnings reports in the second quarter of the year buoyed the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) above the minor support level of 7,850-level.

This, as earnings level during the quarter

averaged at +6.5 percent year-on-year, higher than market projections.

It noted that this increase was achieved even as the market entered the “ghost month”, which started last Aug. 22 and will last until Sept. 19.

For one, shares of Energy Development Corp. (EDC) rose on news that consortium Philippines Renewable Energy Holdings Corp.

(PREHC) offered to buy 31.7 percent stake in EDC for PHP64.525 billion.

The consortium is considering to acquire 6.6 billion to 8.9 billion common shares of the equities/PAGE 9

imports registered a 3.2 percent decline while exports grew by 10.4 percent.

These results made Guinigundo hope for the

sustained rise of exports.

“Exports are recovering in a bigger way so I think the current account position is quite doable,” he added. (PNA)

WARNING SIGNS OF BULLYING IN SCHOOL Ma. Roselie A. Genita - MT II, Dalirig Elementary School

It can be upsetting when your child is being bullied.

Being a parent of the victim of bullying will lead to unproductive and can create stress. Therefore, you need to focus on identifying a solution with the problem.

Being a parent continue to believe that positive outlook and resilient appearance can stop bullying from continuing. Provide more enough time with your kids and talk to them that might interest them to tell their problems. Some of the early signs that your kids are bullied in schools are the following: • Your kids refuse to talk about what is wrong.

- The y are more to hide their feelings and emotions and sometimes they are aloof to share their sentiments, • T h e y have unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches, particularly those appearing after recess or lunch.

- T his is du e to braw ling or f ist f ig ht happened in the school, • Have missing or damaged belongings or clothes - M a y b e t h e i r classmates are keeping the personal belongings of your kids,

• Have falling school grades - They lose interest in going to school and lost their passion in going to school.

• Be alone often or excluded from friendship groups at school - This student are not welcomed by their peer group and mostly they want to keep secret alone.

• Be a frequent target for teasing, mimicking or ridicule.

- Talk to your kids and provide an extra time to listen to their stories.

Provide enough time and do visit the school and talk the adviser. You need to talk with the teacher or school principal, you do not need to ask your child’s permission to talk with the school personnel. A consistent and co-operative approach by both the home and school is important.

As parents you can always let your child know later what actions you have taken. Let the school take responsibility for helping students who are bullying to change their ways.

Understandably, children who are being bullied are often fearful and worry that any action will worsen the problem.

OROBANKERS DIRECTORIES CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

A PUBLIC SERVICE BY:

AMANAH/ISLAMIC BANK V. Neri Street Carmen, Cdoc 858988/8587965 / 722274

METRO BANK- COGON Osmeña Hayes St. Cdoc | 726438/8572057

ASIA UNITED BANK Cor.Camp Alagar Road Lapasan, Cdoc 729678 / 8568893

METRO BANK- CARMEN Max Suniel St. Carmen, Cdoc 8581722/ 8585162

BDO – VELEZ Velez-Rn Abejuela Street, Cdoc 2314246/8572075

METRO BANK- LAPASAN CM Recto Lapasan HW, Cdoc 724461/8561721

BDO – SM G/F SM City, Master Son’s Avenue Upper Carmen Cdoc | 8592623/8592637

METRO BANK- OSMEÑA Brgy Osmeña St. Cdoc | 722014 /8800924

BDO – XU XU Lib. Annex Corrales St. Cdoc 8574108 / 8573796

METRO BANK- CORRALES Corrales Avenue, Cdoc | 8572635/728731

BDO – CDO HAYES Trendline Bldg.,Hayes Street, 8568151/727405

METRO BANK- GAISANO 8561720

BDO – COGON Sky hi Bldg JR Borja St. Cogon, Cdoc 8577963/ 725209/ 725203 BDO – OSMEÑA Osmeña corner Ramon Chavez St. Cdoc 724567/8563727 BDO – LAPASAN Lapasan Highway Cdoc 8563233 /8563234 / 725178 BDO – RN- PELAEZ George Town CyberMall Rn Pelaez Blvd Kauswagan Cdoc | 8562617/729052 BDO – CARMEN Maxsuniel cor.V Neri St. Carmen, .Cdoc 8584854 /8581133 BANK OF COMMERCE- VELEZ Akut- Velez St.Cdoc | 8564371 / 726880 BANK OF COMMERCE- LAPASAN

CM Recto Ave. Lapasan, Cdoc, 8563991/727731

BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK RER kauswagan,HW Cdoc 8573733 /722519 BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK Gaston Park Cdoc | 8801518 BPI – LAPASAN Cm Recto HW Lapasan Cdoc 724076/ 8524602 BPI- VELEZ Velez-JR Borja St.Cdoc 8564213/722406 BPI – CAPISTRANO Capistrano St. Cdoc 8574264/8574263 BPI- COGON Osmeña St. Cdoc 8571297/8571298 CHINA BANK –GAISANO 745887/745880 CHINA BANK- JR BORJA JR Borja St. Cdoc 8572212/8573274 CHINA BANK- LAPASAN CM Recto Lapasan HW Cdoc 8561325 /722240 CHINA BANK – CARMEN Max Suniel, Cor. Yakal St. Cdoc 8583903/723091 CHINA BANK – DIVISORIA RN Abejuela St. Divosoria Cdoc 8575759/722641 CITY SAVINGS BANK TS Fashion Ave.Justo Ramonal Corner St.Cdoc 2316060/ 2316059 CHINATRUST Suite U&5 G/LGateway Tower Lapasan Lkk Cdoc 8521846/8521844 D’ASIAN HILLS BANK HW. Lapasan Cdoc | 8564201/ 8564201 D’ASIAN HILLS BANK Vamenta Carmen Sts. Cdoc | 8585366 DBP – CORRALES Corrales Ave., St. Cdoc | 8572087/722649 DBP – CAPISTRANO JR Borja Capistrano St. Cdoc 8567776/722819

PBCOM Tiano-HayesSt. Cdoc | 726519/8571558 PLANTERS DEVELOPMENT BANK

Tiano Bros St. Cdoc | 727083 /727082 PHILTRUST BANK Ramonal OsmeñaSt. CDO 8807234/2316694/2316695 PNB- CORRALES Corrales Avenue Cdoc | 729500 / 729723

PNB- LKK MALL NORTH CONCOURSE

LKK Mall N.Concourse Cdoc 8574149/8575682

PNB- CARMEN Elipe Bldg.Carmen, Cdoc | 8583158/ 8584203 PNB- LKK LKK Lapasan, Cdoc | 8564347/722872 PNB CDO– DIVISORIA Tiano Bros.Cruz Taal St., Cdoc 722861 /722816 PNB CDO– LAPASAN LKK Center Lapasan, Cdoc | 8564732 / 723992 PNB CDO– COGON LKK Center Lapasan, Cdoc 8571991/ 723992 PHILIPPINE POSTAL SAVINGS BANK, INC. bels_domingo@yahoo.com.ph Rizal Chavez Cdoc 8572194/725438 PS BANK Velez Corner A. Mabini St., Cdoc 8574183/725184 PHILIPPINE VETERANS BANK Tiano-Abejuela St. Cdoc 722644/8573386 QUEEN CITY DEVELOPMENT BANK, INC. Sacred Heart Mont. Cm RectoAve., Cdoc 8562390 RCBC- VELEZ Velez-Borja St. Cdoc | 8564982/8568888 RCBC- COGON Simplex Bldg. Osmeña St. Cdoc 8562888/725863/8521329 RCBC- LAPASAN Cm. Recto Lapasan HW. Cdoc 8561888/722449 RCBC- LKK Gateway, Tower 1 LkkCenter, Cdoc 8563707/722449 RCBC SAVINGS- CARMEN Walingwaling St.,Carmen St. Cdoc 8585793/ 8586248 RCBC SAVINGS- VELEZ Velez St. Cdoc | 729083/8562460 RCBC SAVINGS- AGORA 8807891/8807892 RURAL BANK OF CABADBARAN, Inc.

#58 Tiano FernandezSt.CDO 727215/ 8563552 *805

SECURITY BANK- OSMEÑA Osmeña St. Cdoc | 8563965/ 723411/728774 SECURITY BANK- LKK Limketkai | 8801258/8801625

EAST WEST BANK #5 Juan Sia Bldg. Apolinar Velez St.Cdoc 8578801/720081

SECURITY BANK- VELEZ Velez Montalvan St., Cdoc | 728334/856632

EAST WEST BANK Cogon De Oro Constraction Bldg. LKK Drive 8500339/8500331

STERLING BANK OF ASIA Tiano Velez St. CDO | 8528171/8528168

ENTERPRISE BANK INC. Centro Mariano Bldg Osmeña St. Cdoc 723869/ 3093395 FIRST CONSOLIDATED BANK CM Recto Ave., Cor.Agudo Road Cdoc 8565360/2316678 LBP – CAPISTRANO Capsitrano St. Cdoc | 8565515/727678 LBP – VELEZ LunaVelez St. | 723549/8563198 LBP – PUERTO Puerto Cdoc | 8558858 MAYBANK JR Borja Tiano Cor. Bldg. Cdoc 8574439/726060 METRO BANK- DIVISORIA Pabayo Abejuela St. Divisoria Park, Cdoc 724783/8576999 METRO BANK- VELEZ A. Velez St. Cdoc | 8561724/726054 METRO BANK- JR BORJA JR Borja St. Cdoc | 8572999/724415

UCPB BANK- LAPASAN Osmeña Corner Lkk Drive, Cdoc 85771842/ 725135 UCPB BANK- VELEZ Velez Corner C. Pacana St. CDO 8564474/8564527 UCPB BANK SAVINGS-CAPISTRANO

Capistrano Corner CruzTaal St. CDO 8524099/722695

UCPB BANK SAVINGS- OPOL Gf forever Books Bldg.Bulua National CDO 754519/8588063 UNION BANK Lapasan Cm.Recto Cdoc | 8566847/8563805 WEALTHBANK Velez Gomez St. Cdoc | 8568942/722174 1ST VALLEY BANK Vamenta Blvd. CornerLirio St. Carmen, Cdoc 8501871/ 8584146 OROBANKERS CLUB Inc. Pnb Carmen | 09151850242

8

Billboard

Enfagrow A+ Four reveals its biggest breakthrough with MFGM Pro

T

he first five years of life is the most exciting, because 90% of brain development happens in this stage. That’s why parents invest so much time, effort, and nutrition to carefully nurture their children, yet still wonder if they can do more. Now the latest innovation in pediatric nutrition may be the help parents need.

Mead Johnson Nutrition announced its biggest breakthrough today: the introduction of MFGM, or Milk Fat Globule Membrane, in the new and improved Enfagrow A+ Four.

Recent studies demonstrate that MFGM plays an important role in supporting cognitive development, immunity and gut health.

Moreover, a clinical study1 suggests that MFGM supplementation in children’s milk can positively impact behavioral regulation — EQ development, in parent speak — in young children.

“Indeed, this is our biggest breakthrough since we first introduced DHA into our products in the early 2000s. With MFGM, we are bringing pediatric nutrition to a whole new level,” said Chris Ritchie, General

Manager of Mead Johnson Nutrition, Philippines.

“This allows us to help parents prepare their children, particularly in the aspect of IQ and EQ development, for the demands that the future may bring.”

With this innovation, Enfagrow A+ Four is now the first and only children’s milk that contains the breakthrough ingredient MFGM Pro. Parents can now rely even more on Enfagrow A+ Four as their partner in developing their children’s IQ and EQ, for the challenges that the future holds.

Celebrating a breakthrough. Mead Johnson Nutrition in the Philippines celebrated the introduction of MFGM or Milk Fat Globule Membrane in Enfagrow A+ Four. MFGM Pro is the company’s biggest breakthrough since it introduced DHA in pediatric nutrition during the early 2000s. Leading the celebration are (third from left) Mead Johnson Nutrition Global Clinical Innovation Director Dr. Carol Lynn Berseth, and (fourth from left) Mead Johnson Nutrition in the Philippines General Manager Chris Ritchie. They are joined by (from left to right) Human Resource Director Matthew Quigley, Regulatory Affairs Director Atty. Ricky Salvador, Marketing Director Andres Giraldo, and Corporate Affairs Director Mila Llorin.

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

wednesday|September 20, 2017

DTI rolls out Kapatid Mentor Me Program in Ilocos Norte. True to its thrust to propel micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) towards innovative and competitive business environment, the Department of Trade and Industry Region 1 in partnership with Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) last September 15, launched the Kapatid Mentor Me Program (KMME) in Ilocos Norte, to guide micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) scale up their businesses through 10 weeks of 1-on-1 consultations with business experts from the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship - Go Negosyo. The KMME Program is part of the DTI – PCE partnership NegosyoKapatid Project to help MSMEs scale up their businesses and become globally competitive enterprises through coaching and mentoring sessions. DTI Ilocos Region Regional Director Florante Leal said the KMME program is a “big brother-small brother” concept, which is a perfect tool to motivate the entrepreneurial spirit of the Ilocanos and Pangasinenses.” END

Wikang Filipino, Patuloy na Umuunlad at Nagbabago Ni Anna Grace M. Candole Teacher III Initao National Comprehensive High School

Marami sa mga mag-aaral ang nagsasabing kailangan pa bang matutunan ang wikang Filipino maging sa Grades 11 at 12 sa ilalim ng K to 12 Program na ipinapatupad ng ating pamahalaan sa kasalukuyan.

Ito ay dahil na rin sa mga panukalang iwawaglit na ang asignaturang ito sa mga kolehiyo’t unibersidad lalo na’t inihahanda natin ang ating mga kabataan sa global na kompetisyon.

Bakit pa natin hahasain ang mga kab at aan s a kasalukuyan sa paggamit ng wikang Filipino gayong Ingles naman ang unibersal na wika?

Huwag sana nating kalimutan na ang wika pinakamagandang regalo ng Maykapal sa kanyang mga nilalang. Ito ang tanging kasangkapan ng tao sa pakikipag-ugnayan niya sa kapwa at kahit sa anumang larangan o pangkat na kanyang kinabibilangan.

Malaki ang nagagawa ng wika sa pagkakaroon ng mag and ang u naw a an , ug nayan at mabut ing pagsasamahan.

Ang wikang Filipino ang nagsisilbing instrumento para sa pambansang pagkakaunawaan at tulay sa magandang ugnayan.

Huwag nating kalimutan na kahit sa ating bansa, m a h i r ap k a mt i n a n g pagkakaunawaan dahil marami tayong wikain at diyalekto. May mga termino tayong magkakapareho ang baybay at bigkas ngunit magkaiba ng kahulugan.

May i b a n g s a l i t a n a maganda ang epekto sa isang pangkat ngunit nakakasama pala sa iba. Kaya nga sinikap ng Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) na magkaroon tayo ng pambansang wika upang magkaroon ng kaisahan ang ating mga diwa at makakasabay tayo sa pagunlad ng lipunan.

Pe ro b a k it p ar an g ikinahihiya ito ng iba sa atin at sinisikap na huwag nang ilakip sa bagong kurikulum at parang kinunan na ito ng kahalagahan?

Bilang isang mamamayan ng bansang Pilipinas at matatag na Pilipino, ang ating wika ang regalong dapat pakaingatan para sa susunod na henerasyon. Ugaliing gamitin ito at ipagmalaki saan man tayo mapadpad dahil sumisimbolo ito sa ating pagka-Pilipino Kung napapansin natin, marami nang pagbabago ang nagaganap sa ating wika.

May mga naidagdag na sa ating bokabularyo taontaon. Kabilang na diyan ang salitang tumutukoy sa mga imbensyon at gadgets tulad ng Laptop at IPhone, millenial word gaya ng pak ganern, beh, don’t me at hugot. May mga salita pang hiram mula sa lokal at internasyunal na wika na patuloy nating niyayakap imbes na iwaglit dahil kinikilala natin na ito ay bunga ng maraming pagbabago at pag-unlad sa ating lipunan. May mga salitang naibaon na sa limot, may ibang salita na hindi na maunawaan ng nakararami, may umuusbong, may bumabalik ngunit may iba nang pakahulugan.

S a p a g - u s b ong ng modernong teknolohiya at makabagong paraan ng komunikasyon tulad ng text messaging at social media gayundin ng jejemon at ilang terminong pangmilenyal, hindi maikukubli na masasalamin pa rin ang pagiging malikhain ng mga Pilipino at pagsabay sa daloy ng pag-unlad upang hindi tayo mapag-iwanan ng panahon.

Paliwanag ng Liguistic Society of Amerika, ang wika saan man sa mundo ay patuloy na nagbabago at umuunlad kaalinsabay sa pangangailangan ng mga gumagamit nito.

9

Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

wednesday|September 20, 2017

Port... from page 2

The official said they expect the awarding of the contract before the end of the year to facilitate the start of the six-month study by January next year.

The city government and local tuna industr y st a kehol d e rs ha d b e e n pushing for the rehabilitation and modernization of the city fish port complex.

Cachuela said industry players noted that although considered as the country’s most modern, the city fish port is “not yet at par” with those of the neighboring countries.

She said their office has been regularly engaging with tuna industry players to address concerns and recommendations regarding the fish port’s operations.

Soccsksargen ADPO, a special project unit of the DA, mainly coordinates, implements and monitors programs and projects in the area that are in support of the DA’s food security program.

It a l s o c o o r d i n at e s t he imple ment at i on of development plans and initiatives that complement the government’s peace efforts.

GSFPC, which is one of the biggest fish ports in the country, started operating in 1999 and has since become a major fish landing and trading hub in southern and central Mindanao.

The national government completed its initial expansion in 2008 that included the construction of processing and refrigeration facilities, as well as a deep-water docking facility to facilitate the accommodation of large fishing vessels.

The expansion, which was supervised by the China National Construction and Agricultural Machiner y Export/Import Corp., was funded through a USD $26 million loan with the Chinese government. (PNA)

Credibility... from page 4

the UN. Gascon’s actions are clearly not reflecting the mandate of CHR which is to protect the rights of everyone, regardless of party affiliation.

Gascon just made his office an extension of LP. Since he obviously made CHR as an attack dog for the Liberal Party—even destroying the country’s image before the international community— Gascon must first look at the mirror and see for himself whether he is still valuable to society with his political biases using CHR. He and CHR lost the brand: the P1,000 budget for 2018 might even be too much for his betrayal of the public’s trust.

In order to redeem the real value of CHR, it must be rid of all political ISIS and vicious mercenaries from any party. It needs apolitical public servants with nonselective hearts.

And what about the brand of the Liberal Party and senator Antonio Trillanes?

The Liberal Party nose dived

when former president Benigno Aquino III tolerated his cousin at NAIA and the talim-bala. The LP lost its magnet when people heard about how the previous administration turned a blind eye to Vitangcol who made MRT and LRT experience miserable (The government could not use those trains they purchased under Vitangcol’s leadership.) The party lose its savor when members become apologetic about the Mamasapano debacle.

We cannot miss the stark reality: that corrupt allies are prospering, thus creating an image that spurns a sense of integrity among their ranks. We cannot avoid what really happened: that social services were too slow during calamities—thanks to their constant sloganeering that advertise otherwise.

The only virtue that Senator Trillanes seems to prove is being a political assassin. No wonder he needs to create a good brand first before wasting time, saying he gets rid of the anomaly that is called Duterte. If the senate allows Trillanes’ brand to erode the credibility of the institution, it is because they allow it. Why insist on using the senate as a platform for political assassination attempts that most netizens cannot accept using taxpayers’ money? Why would a mere political mercenary win in the Philippine society?

Writings... from page 4

administration as immoral.

They keep on ringing church bells as if this country is possessed with evil spirits.

Really?

Those who plan to oust the President clearly undermines the will of the majority of the Filipino people. Such act threatens the very foundation of democracy for which our country is built upon.

From a distance, the writings on the wall are clear.

What is going on in this country is part of the grand design to oust a Mindanaoan President.

To the political nemesis of the President, good luck! (ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo. com)

Batas... from page 4

that is unshackled or not burdened by a Constitution and a set of laws that have been proven to be useless anyway can the problem on illegal drugs be ultimately licked after it was allowed to rampage through the four corners of the country under the previous administration.

Too, it is only through a revolutionary government t h at d i s c ipl i ne c an b e imposed on hardened and other criminals, whether they come from the private sector or from the government, uniformed or otherwise.

Because a revolutionar y gover nment c an e asi ly move against these criminals to freeze them in their malevolent plans, or to make them instantly answerable for their misdeeds, we can be assured that either they will

be forced to stop altogether, or they will lie low, somehow, in the meantime.

On the issue of terrorists who recognize no law in p e r p e t r at i n g m ay h e m , violence, murder and other dastardly crimes in the country, fighting them would become a lot easier since decisions, tactical or otherwise, on how to confront and run after them will come from only one authority.

On account of all these, I believe that it would be better if the President declares a revolutionary government on September 21.

-ooo WATCH “ANG TANGING DAAN” AT FACEBOOK: “Ang Tanging Daan” is a Bible exposition and prayer session for everyone, in English and Filipino, 24/7, worldwide, that can be viewed at w w w. f a c e b o o k . c om / angtangingdaan. Reactions: 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0977 805 9058. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com.

Launch... from page 5

Masbate; Zamboanga and Cotabato; and Davao and Dumaguete. Cebgo also started flying four times a week between Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga; and Davao and Tacloban.

Cebu Pacific in July also began operating evening flights to and from the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport.

It now also operates three additional round-trip flights weekly between Manila and Dumaguete.

Emirates... from page 5

expand flights to Manila.

Emirates had wanted to add more flights to Manila, and expressed its intention to

fly the A380 aircraft from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Mr. Sethi said Emirates has reached its full capacity in Manila, and that the new points of Clark and Cebu will also be “almost running on full capacity.”

Emirates operates 25 flights a week from the Philippines, 18 from Manila, and seven flights (one per day) which takes the DubaiCebu-Clark-Dubai trip. “ We h a v e s o m u c h demand we can easily take four flights a day,” Mr. Sethi said. “It was unfortunate that we could not come to a decision, but it’s still not a closed door. We understand the point of view of the transportation department…

We’re willing to work with them [until we] reach a level when it’s ready.”

Emirates is seeing doubledigit growth year-on-year, Mr. Sethi said.

Online bookings have also increased, accounting for a third of the business. Mr. Sethi said this is a “massive growth versus last year.”

Equities... from page 7

listed geothermal energy producer for PHP7.25 apiece.

The study also noted that foreign investors withdrew from the local equities market by about 9.2 percent last August “but still remained net buyers for PHP2.3 billion.

However, it pointed out that foreign investors will remain interested on local equities as they look at emerging market assets.

“Considering the PSEi has entered the ghost month, this may push the PSEi towards a more decisive consolidation in September and October,” it added. (PNA)

l

7

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IN-DEPTH

Wednesday | September 20, 2017

10

Bird’s eye view of the Valley of the Latte River Valley Capt. Andy Fairfield funny informative spiels had everyone in stitches.

Visit Guam:

The Valley of the Latte Adventure Park M

By Mike Banos With additional photos by Joros Razon

ost of the visitors to Guam come to shop at its wide range of shops, boutiques and malls offering prices you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere but there’s definitely more to Guam than shops and the military bases that made it headline news a few weeks back.

One of those is the Valley of the Latte Adventure Park at Talafofo which celebrates Guam’s rich heritage for visitors of all ages.

“We showcase our island at the Valley of the Latte Adventure Park every day, but some days

we are lucky to be able to reach out to all at different locations around the island.”

We were lucky to be part of a recent famtour of the island organized

by Cebu Pacific with the Guam Visitors Bureau of which the Valley of the

Ancient latte stones in the Ulitao village, Valley of the Latte Adventure Park

Latte Adventure River Cruise was one of the highlights.

“The Adventure River Cruise is a component part of the larger experience we brand as the “Valley of the Latte Adventure Park,” said Managing Director David Tydingco during a briefing he conducted for our group prior to our cruise and introduced us the crew who would accompany us on this adventure.

“The Valley of the Latte offers a number of ways to enjoy the area, including Adventure Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle Boarding in addition to the Adventure River Cruise.

We also have a mini hiking

tour through the Latte site that will take you to our pineapple and banana plantation.”

Not to mention fire starting, basket weaving, and the mouth-watering fiesta plate of barbecue spareribs, chicken, potatoes, Daigo Salad, and Rice!

Riverboat captain and guide Andy Fairfield is Coast Guard certified as well as his crew. He does not only have an intimate knowledge of the topography, history and environment of the Valley of the Latte but also has his humorous spiels pat down to perfection, and should give stand up comics at Downtown

Keef introduces us to Chamoru basket weaving

Managing Director David Tydingco briefs us on the Adventure River Cruise which traverses the Talafofo and Ugum Rivers

Tumon a run for the their money.

After the safety briefing where to find and use the life jackets, paddles, and kayaks in the boat in case of emergency, we were off !

The river was chocolate brown as a result of the previous days rains but Capt. Andy told us it is usually clearer and offers a clearer view of the cat fish as they swam alongside while the crew threw the bread crumbs.

The River Cruise brought us past fruit plantations, where we saw land crabs come out of their holes in the mud to feed on bread crumbs

scattered by the crew, baby deer, monitor lizards, coconut crabs, friendly water buffalo, and more of the island’s indigenous flora and fauna not accessible elsewhere.

We were also accompanied on the tour

by Vlogger Keith “Keef ” Dueñas Manglona ( https://www.youtube.com/ results?search_query = keith + duenas + manglona) and Brazilian guide Rose Busbee who startled me by giving three Japanese tourists touring with us a running interpretation of Capt. Andy’s spiels in impeccable Nihoggo, latte/PAGE 11

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wednesday|September 20, 2017

Filtration... from page 1

drinking water available to displaced and affected families in lieu of environmentally unsustainable bottled water.”

During the weekly flag raising, Emano said that filtration facility that Ang alluded to will be constructed i n b ar ang ay St a . A n a , Tagoloan – the hometown of the governor.

In the earlier part of this year, San Miguel Corporation started constructing two facilities in said property.

In April, the company broke ground its new brewery with a capacity of 1.5 hectoliters.

In August, its subsidiary Purefoods Hormel Company followed suit and laid capsule on a meat processing plant with all packaging of its line of hotdogs, ham, bacon, chicken nuggets and canned beef to be transferred there once it begins operations.

In the same area will rise an expansion of the existing Petron depot, Emano further reported.

San Miguel Corporation owns the majority stakes of Petron Corporation, the largest oil refining firm in the country.

According to Emano, the combined investments of the four facilities – brewery, meat processing plant, filtration plant and oil depot – will total P60 billion.

Internet... from page 1

network, the A2wiser Broadband Corporation operated by the United Pentecostal Church (UPC) in this city has already tapped at least five public schools that benefits mostly junior and high school students who are now enjoying fast internet connections in their school campus and in their electronic libraries.

Interestingly, the A2wiser wireless internet services was first introduced in Mamapasano town in Maguindanao a few months before the infamous Mamapasano massacre on January 25, 2015 but the unstable peace and order situation there prompted the company to pull out and transferred it to this city.

Bayugan City Senior High School, located along the national highway some five kilometers from the city, was the recent recipient of the internet connection when some three new desktop computers were activated at their e-library during the inauguration rites over the weekend.

Jessie Esmad, school principal, said availability of internet connection in their new e-library would be helpful on the research studies of the students who can access it anytime considering that the school do not have enough textbooks to cater about 1,069 students.

“It is convenient since students would no longer commute to the city to do research work,” Esma said.

The three new computers provided by A2wiser to the e-library have included

printers for students to print their research works with a minimal fee of P5 per page.

Pastor Jo cim Ga los, A2wiser chief operation officer, said they would set up internet kiosks in the schools furnished with tablet mobile phones and PCs to augment the services of the library making internet connection more accessible inside the school campus.

Apart from these services, A2wider has been selling internet cards to students and teachers with an affordable rate at P5 per hour so that they could also access internet on their own mobile phones and laptops.

As part of their corporate social responsibility, five percent of the profits gained from monthly internet bills and internet cards will go to the funds of Parent-Teacher Association and student government bodies.

Esmad said more PCs allocated for their school from the central office of the Department of Education will be coming and will be connected to the Internet to complete the computer sets needed at the e-library.

Ev e n t h e c o mp u t e r laboratory of the school used only for instructional purposes and the workshops o f d i f f e r e nt t e c h n i c a l vocational subjects will be also connected with internet to enhance the learning capabilities of the students.

Except Bayugan Comprehensive National High School, other schools are mostly located outside of the heart of the city which were already connected with A2wiser internet are Marcelina National High School, Salvacion National Hi g h S cho ol and Nol i National High School.

Galos said their company is bent on covering the entire 68 schools in the city within this year and hopes that could cover the entire Caraga region in the next five years.

According to Diomedes H i n a c a y, n e t w o r k administrator, A2wiser has invested P3 million to set up its state-of-the-art equipment and its towers erected in the schools using the Airmax network technology or what techies would describe as the global standard for last mile connectivity which already connected hundreds of millions of people even in the remote areas of the world.

Hinacay said they are tapping the internet services of major telecommunication networks like Globe, Bayantel, PLDT , and Smart that subscribers are assured of uninterrupted internet connection since they could transfer to another network when one would be down.

He said Globe Telecom has allocated them 300 megabytes per second (Mbps) for a 2-3 years contract but so far they only utilized Mbps to cater their subscribers in the city.

A2wiser is working on its expansion activities as they are assured of another P5 million loan capital from retired Deputy Police Director General Chief Superintendent Geary Barias, who is now

chief security and boad of director of Platinum Group Metals Corporation in Claver, Surigao del Norte.

Barias who was guest of honor during the launching event lauded the efforts of the church leaders saying the company guided by the blessings of God could go a long way.” What man proposes, God will definitely dispose,” Barias said in his speech.

Rene Rojas, a pioneer in the establishment of the company, said A2wiser was established as a crusade of UPC to build more churches in the hinterland communities , provide internet services to the lumads at affordable cost and send more scholars to Bible colleges.

Charlie Misagi, business consultant of the company, said money has not been a priority but serving people with no access to internet technology is the main focus.

“Our main concern for this company is to serve the unserved.”

Festival... from page 1

Festival, which is dubbed as BIMP-EAGA’s “festival of festivals.”

She said more than 300 contemporary artists and indigenous cultural masters from parts of the sub-region are joining various showcases slated until Sunday, Sept. 24.

These include cultural performances, visual arts exhibitions, young chorale concerts, “Ikat” weaving s h ow c a s e s , i n d i g e n ou s traditional music exchanges, culture and history colloquium, and tourism exhibition.

“We are ready and very excited with the lined up activities. We’re inviting everyone to witness this festival, which is not just of our country, but of the four nations of the BIMP-EAGA,” Suemith said.

The festivity will start on Wednesday morning with the opening of four Budayaw exhibitions at the city’s three shopping malls – the KCC Veranza, Gaisano and SM City General Santos.

These are the “Muslims in the Philippines Culture and History” exhibition, Budayaw Tourism Roadshow, Travel and Trade Fair, “Under One Sky” visual arts exhibition, and “Tapestry of Dreams: I K AT Ma s t e r We av e r s Pavilion.”

The festival’s formal opening ceremony is scheduled in the afternoon at the Greenleaf Hotel here, and will be followed by the Budayaw grand public performance at the SM Mall atrium.

An outdo or concer t dubbed “Budayaw Konsierto sa Kahapunon” featuring Joey Ayala is slated in the evening.

The Budayaw colloquium on “Cultural Exchanges in the EAGA” and the “Tanghalang Bantugan: Budayaw Country Performances” will highlight the second day of the festivity.

On Friday, Sept. 22, participating artists and cultural performers will join the special outreach

performances and creative interactions cum cultural exchanges in the municipalities of Maitum, Alabel and Malungon in Sarangani.

The famed traditional woven cloths of various Mindanao tribes will be showcased in a special fashion show dubbed “Southern Weaves Fashion Fair” spearheaded by popular designer Renee Salud.

The exhibitions, concerts, colloquium, countr y performances and features performances will continue at the three shopping malls until the closing of the festival on Sunday.

Budayaw is a combination of Bahasa term “budaya” for culture and Filipino term “dayaw” that means “something beautiful or something good.”

Sp e arhe a d e d by t he NCCA, Budayaw Festival is a banner project of the BIMP-EAGA cooperating countries to advance culture and development in the subregional grouping.

It w a s d e s i g n e d t o showcase the diverse creative expressions of the people in t he EAGA; advance opportunities for cultural exchanges among peoples, communities, artists and cultural workers; and forge collaboration between public and private sector in support for the festival.

The first Budayaw Festival is supported by the city government of General Santos, Mindanao State UniversityGeneral Santos, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Department of Tourism, Sarangani provincial government and the Mindanao Development Authority. (MindaNews)

Deals...

from page 1 The two hydro plants has a total capacity of 68.8MW which can power up to 20,000 households on average consumption.

The two run-of-river plants was built in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon bringing t he comp any’s numb er of hydro plants to 11 in Mindanao alone, and its 24th nationwide.

Revilla said the eight turbines running the power plant will be utilizing the water from three tributaries – Guihean River, Amosig River and Tanaon River, all flowing towards the larger Tagoloan River which spans the provinces of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental.

Latte... from page 10

until she told me later her mother was Japanese. Ah, so desu!

“We are constantly looking at ways to improve the visitor experience by creating a variety of options for people to choose from in order to enjoy the natural beauty of this part of our island,” David added.

Our group of travel photographers, writers and bloggers from the Visayas and Mindanao in the Philippines thoroughly enjoyed the tour

which wound through the Talofofo and Ugum Rivers, with a stopover at the home of the Ulitao, the seafaring group of CHamoru (Guam’s indigenous people) which seeks to restore the seafaring ways and culture of their ancestors.

This v i l l age is over 3,000-years-old and surrounded by botanical gardens, an ancient latte site, and fresh water springs.

At the center of the village is the traditional CHamoru hut built years ago by Ulitao Inc. founder Ron Acfalle, and restored when the group moved in to make the Valley of the Latte their permanent home just last July. Visitors can observe how the house sits on the latte stones which have become an icon of the CHamoru and Guam.

“Here you can experience storytelling, fire-making demonstrations, coconut leaf/ basket weaving exhibitions, and canoe building sessions,” explained Miget Maguadog, a mestisu from Long Beach, California, who with Jordan, welcomed us at the village dock with the traditional kulu shell horn. “You can also visit the surrounding caves, where you’ll learn about and latte stones.”

Besides the adventure tours, Valley of the Latte Adventure Park has also positioned itself as the ‘Perfect Destination’ for weddings, birthdays, retreats, getaways, and other special occasions and events.

“The Valley provides a backdrop that is filled with beauty, culture, and an air of magic that cannot be found anywhere else on Guam.”

And that’s not all: with its Back-to-School Summer Program, the company has given back to the community by br ing ing k ids f rom elementary schools all over Guam to the Valley of the Latte Adventure Park.

“Nature hikes, adventure fishing, pineapple tasting, walks through farm fields, learning about the culture and history of Guam, and experiencing first-hand what it was like to live as an Ancient Chamorro were some of the great experiences shared by the participants.”

Visitors wanting to visit the Valley of the Latte have the option of either being picked up at their accommodation or drive to the venue which is about a 30 minute scenic drive through the Guam countryside from downtown Tumon. After lunch, you will be dropped back at your hotel, or can spend time at your leisure if you chose the self-drive option.

A good time to come visit would be during the annual Valley of the Latte River Festival usually held during the first week of April.

The second edition of the festival held last April 1 and 2 featured a culinary competition with the Guam C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e’s ProStart culinary students from various high schools called the Cha’chak Culinary Championship where students used local ingredients, local entertainers performing at

the latte site, and food trucks from all over the valley.

David said the event gives the island community an opportunity to come down and experience the area, visit the ancient Chamorro latte site, and take a cruise on the Talofofo River. “It has to be good enough for our people, for us to be able to share it with the rest of the world,” he said.

If local residents can appre ci ate it, t hen it’s something the island can be proud to show to tourists, he added.

There also will be local Guam products sold at the site, as well as farmers and artists showcasing their goods.

The price of admission gets residents a boat ride through the river, a visit to the ancient Chamorro latte site, animal sanctuary, botanical garden and weaving class. For a nominal fee, residents can try stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, buy food and beverages, ride a carabao or go fishing.

The Valley of the Latte Adventure Park is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year from 0900 to 1600 hours. Call 1 (671) 789 - 3342 or email Info@valleyofthelatte.com for information.

Cebu Pacific flies three times weekly to Guam (Tue/ Thu/Sat) departing NAIA III at 4:10AM and arriving in Guam 9:50AM (Guam is two hours ahead of Manila).

Return flights depart for Manila on the same dates 12:00NN and arrives Manila at 1:55PM.

Welfare... from page 2

processing of pertinent documents, among others.

Zubiri considered the move of the House of Representatives as inappropriate since he knew how Congress works, having served as congressman for 11 years.

Zubiri said if the NCIP cannot fulfill its mandate due to budgetary constraints, it may lead to more discontent among the IP groups not just in Mindanao but in other parts of the country.

In Bukidnon, for instance, most of the members of the New People’s Army (NPA) belong to the lumad communities, and if the budget of the NCIP will be slashed, it might lead to more lumads joining the Communist guerrilla movement.

He said the last thing that the government needs now is the further escalation of hostilities between the insurgents and government forces.

“I am sure that President Duterte will never allow it.

I am sure he will veto it,” he said.

Meanwhile, lawyer Pinky Grace Pabelic, NCIP-10 regional director, refused to comment on the controversial budgetary allocation, but said she will leave it to NCIP chair Leonor Quintayo to make the necessary moves to ensure the P1.13 billion budget for the agency to be realized.

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