BusinessWeek Mindanao (September 24, 2013)

INSIDE LOOK

Technical challenges impede local game development Economy

PAGE 14

Villar group expanding network of one-stio home furnishing shops Corporate World

Bangko Sentral eyes broader Islamic banking system in PH

PAGE 15

Banking & Finance

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Endangered Philippine Eagles seen in Zamboanga del Norte Environment

MINDANAO DAILY NEWS SECOND SECTION

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Briefly Fishing ban DAVAO City -- After a consultation with stakeholders last week, the regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-11) is considering a twoyear ban for all commercial fishing operations in the Davao Gulf to ensure the sustainability of the region’s fishery resources.

The ban would last from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2015.

“All the concerned sectors agree that the fish resources in the Davao Gulf are in danger of being depleted, and we are now faced with a negative 7% fish sufficiency in the region,” BFAR-11 Director Fatma M. Idris said.

The Davao Gulf is southeastern Mindanao’s fishing ground, with an estimated area of 3,087 square kilometers ending at an imaginary line from Don Marcelino, Davao del Sur, to Cape San Agustin, Davao Oriental.

Tour package DAVAO City -- At a fixed cost of P3,900- one can choose to travel comfortably among the top tourism destinations in Mindanao for the weekend.

This as the tour package program Destination Mindanao was launched today (Sept. 19) at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao attended by public and private tourism stakeholders in the region.

Destination Mindanao entitles interested local or foreign tourists to choose their destinations during the weekend. The initially offered packages include Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos, Surigao del Sur (Tinuy-an Falls and Hinatoan island tours) and Dahican Beach in Mati Davao Oriental.

Travellers will ride along the coaster buses of Davao Metro Shuttle, a Tagum City-based bus company which came up with the idea of utilizing its new 18-seater coasters as tourist vehicles.

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By MYRNA VELASCO, Contributor with Philippine News Agency

HE Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM) can now start operating with the recent approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on the petition for provisional authority filed by the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), which will operate the trading floor located in Cagayan de Oro City.

POWER TRADING. The Interim Mindanao Electricity Market trading floor in Cagayan de Oro City aims to address the power supply crunch in Mindanao that has been causing rolling blackouts over the past years.

T he g ra nt i ng of t he provisional authority enables the PEMC, the operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, to proceed with the operation of the

Davao’s vibrant banana industry ushers opening of more banks

DAVAO Cit y -- Pa nabo City Mayor Jose Silvosa Sr. said that new banks and lending institutions have decided to locate in the city in recent years to add to the continued vibrancy of its economy fueled by the banana industry.

Silvosa said that Bangko de Oro (BDO) is one among the new banks that started to locate its branches here after Chinabank, EastWest Bank, and Philippine National Bank. banana/PAGE 23

trading floor for electricity in Mindanao.

The IMEM is designed to act as a day-ahead market where contracted capacities trading/PAGE 23

Simultaneous surfing competitions kick off

By ROEL CATOTO, MindaNews

IT’S SURFING TIME. A surfer enjoys the waves at Cloud 9 in General Luna, Siargao Island yesterday. The Surfing Capital of the Philippines will be hosting two competitions this week: the 19th Annual Siargao International Surfing Cup and the Siargao Girls Surfing Cup. mindanews photo by roel n . catoto

Mindanao Daily NEWS

GENERAL LUNA, Siargao Island– The Surfing Capital of the Philippines will be busy this week as two simultaneous international surfing events take place in this municipality.

Contest proper for the 19th Annual Siargao International Surfing Cup, which is offering a total of $10,000 in prize money, is expected to start Wednesday.

The Siargao Girls Surfing Cup, meanwhile, starts today with a total prize money of P200,000.

Both competitions will end on Sept.

29.

The girls’ competition, which had already been cancelled twice, will have 12 surfers from different countries, surfing/PAGE 23

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

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Economy

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Authorities study re-opening of Zambo port amid standoff ZAMBOANGA CITY – Government authorities are studying the possible resumption of regular boat trips for passengers amid the standoff in this city.

Black smoke billows from the burned houses in barangay Santa Barbara as seen from the Rizal monument in front of the City Hall in Zamboanga City after government troops made their final push against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) positions last week to try to end the standoff. Authorities studying the possibility of re-opening of Zambo port amid the continuing standoff. mindanews photo

The local port has been closed to passenger vessels since the standoff started last September 9 except for arranged cargo vessels’ incoming and outgoing trips to ensure steady flow of food supplies in this city and nearby provinces.

Port Manager Engr. Liberto Dela Rosa said they have discussed a meeting Sunday morning with Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, II and officials of security forces for the possible resumption of regular trips for passengers.

“Kanina nag-meet kami

with Sec. Roxas in preparation na in case ipapa resume na ng CMC (Crisis Management C om m it te e) a ng at i ng passenger trips,” Dela Rosa said.

He disclosed they have discussed several preventive measures to ensure the protection of outgoing and incoming passengers as well as the vessels.

After the preparation meeting, Dela Rosa met Sunday afternoon with the officials of the different shipping lines.

They a rra nged t he schedules of trips for inbound

and outbound passenger vessels during the afternoon meeting.

However, Dela Rosa said it will depend on the decision of the CMC when to resume the regular trips for passenger vessels.

The local port is one of the busiest port in the country since it serves as the transshipment point both for passengers and cargoes in the region as well as the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (ARMM) provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa disclosed that at least 6,000 passengers bound for Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi were affected by the temporary closure of the local port amid the standoff. (PNA)

(meeting business partners; brainstorming together), decide what strateg y to use, choose a catchy website add ress (it w i l l help customers find you), select a bright e-Commerce platform, test your website and promote your site on line (advertise your site in the search engines),” she said.

W hen asked how e-Commerce will propagate, Caragos said t h at e - C om m e rc e w i l l soon involve Mobi le

e-Commerce, Social C om merc e (C om merc e i n s o c i a l me d i a site s), Subscription Commerce, a nd Re- C om merce (reselling commerce).

Syntactics Incorporated is business process outsourcing company in the Philippines that has been servicing clients from around the world for over 12 years now. It specializes i n web de sig n, website development and Search Engine Optimization. (JPG/ PIA-Caraga)

company dealing with game development. He said the Philippines is sharing only a portion of the world’s US$ 68 billion-game development market. ”On the technical side, we are hilariously out gap,” Baluyut said.

However, he noted that Filipino game developers are competitive on the global scale in terms of talent, skill and creativity. ” We a r e a c t u a l l y competitive on the global scale,” he said.

“We have the creativity to create games. What does it take to create a game?

It takes art, you have that programming expertise, (and) you have the design.

Design is basically of concept.

Filipinos are very creative.

We can come up concept for games that’s not a problem,” t he ga me de velopment expert added noting that local talents should go for a certain purpose.

Thus, the country may benefit on foreign companies outsourcing services on the industry. ”Fill the outsourcing core because it helps us build our own expertise everything t hat we do for a not her companies,” Baluyut noted.

“Because we cannot make games the next thing we can do is to service game.”

Aside f rom bu i ld i ng ex per t ise on t he ga me GAME/PAGE 21

Villar corp invests P1B Syntactics Inc. encourages to beef up retail business students to learn, do e-Commerce

MANILA -- MBV Retail Holdings Corp. of the Villar family is going big in retailing as it invests an initial P1 billion to pursue more expansion projects.

“Because we are a housing company, I thought it is very logical for us to go into retailing...We can improve the logical support for the housing group and we are using this as a base,” said company chairman Manuel Villar in a media interview.

Villar said the firm is spending P300 million this year to put up five small AllHome, a one-stop-shop home stores, in Antipolo, Muntinlupa, Starmall Alabang, San Fernando in Pampanga and Starmall in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

AllHome is an affiliate of Vista Land, the country’s largest homebuilder owned by the Villar family.

“We will put up AllHome in our Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon (housing projects) not only to supply our requirements but also to sell to our buyers,” Villar said.

The company will also earmark P1.2 billion to establish next year four home warehouse stores with size of 10,000 square meters, he bared, without disclosing the locations.

Apart from these home stores, Villar said it aims to end the year with 100 All-Day convenience stores rebranded from Finds.

“Right now, we have 80 branches and we will end the year with 100. And hopefully by next year, we want to double the number under the All-Day convenience stores,” he noted. vILLAR/PAGE 21

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY – Syntactics Incorporated President and CEO Stephanie Caragos encouraged the students to learn and do electronic Commerce (e-Commerce), during t he Informat ion Tech nolog y – Bu si ne s s Process Management (ITBPM) and ITPreneurship Road Show in the Next Wave Cities held at the Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort, this city.

C a r a go s s h a re d he r knowledge on Enabling Small

and Medium Enterprises to do e-Commerce. “IT plays a key role in all the thrust areas of any business cycle,” she said.

Caragos a lso said t hat st udents c a n do e-Commerce even if they are still studying. “Students can earn, do business online whi le study ing t hrough e-Commerce,” she added.

S he a l s o me nt ione d some tips in starting up doing e-Commerce. “You should create a business plan

MANILA -- The gaming development in t he Philippines still lags in the global market because of technical aspects that challenge this segment of the Information Technology-

Business Processing Ma na gement (I T-BPM) industry.

This is according to A n d r o B a lu y u t , C h i e f Executive Of f icer of GameOps Inc. which is a BPO

Technical challenges impede local game development

Filipino video game developers team up to promote game industry.

photo by loqal . ph

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CorporateWorld

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

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

UK companies keep eye Villar group expanding network in PHL power sector of one-stop home furnishing shops SI X Un ite d K i ngdombased f irms are visiting the Philippines this week t o l o o k i nt o bu s i n e s s oppor tunities in t he p ow e r a n d r e n e w a b l e e n e r g y, t h e B r i t i s h Embassy in Manila said Monday.

I n a s t atement , t he embassy said the trade delegation – from Arup, CiDR A Corporate Services, Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon, Lloyd’s Register, Luc y Sw itchgea r a nd T S OR S L i m i t e d – i s participating in a trade m ission on September 25 to 27.

“This initiative w ill showcase UK capabilities in these sectors, aiming to make the UK a partner of choice in projects that w i l l h e lp a d d r e s s t h e c o u n t r y ’s i n c r e a s i n g demand for power,” the statement read.

They will participate in PowerTrends, an energ y and ex hibition event at t he SM X C onvent ion Center in Pasay City. It is part of the four-day trade mission organized by the British Embassy with UK Tr ade a nd I nve st ment (UKTI).

On September 27, a UK Business Forum on power a nd rene w a ble energ y will allow local industry players to explore the UK technolog y and services on of fer.

UKTI has also arranged various business meetings and activ ities for the delegates to know more about long-ter m Philippine energy needs and projects.

“The Philippines has been stead i ly g row i ng and ma k ing its mark in t he internationa l scene including in energy,” Iain Mansfield, UKTI Manila director, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Mansf ield noted the trade mission is part of a series of engagements bet ween t he UK a nd t he Phi l ippi nes. T he initiatives form part of moves to double t rade w it h t he Phi l ippi nes within f ive years.

Major British companies in the country include Unilever, Shel l, HSBC , Sta nda rd Chartered, Pru Life, De La Rue, GSK, AstraZeneca, Diageo, G4S, Arup, and Ha lcrow.

THE Villar group is expanding its retail operations, the latest of which is All Homes, a one-stop shop for home furnishings that will complement its housing business.

M a n u e l B . V i l l a r, chairman of MBV Retail Holdings Cor p, told reporters over the weekend t hat t he compa ny w i l l have a network of five All Homes stores by yearend in Antipolo, Muntinlupa, Alabang, Pampanga and Bulacan.

On Saturday, MBV Retail opened its fourth All Homes outlet in the P1-billion Paseo de Andalusia, Vista Land & Lifescapes’ lifestyle center on a 30,000 square meter property within Camella Andalusia in San Fernando, Pampanga.

The first five All Homes

outlets have an average size of 3,000 square meters and are mostly located inside malls. The cost for each store is pegged at P60 million.

“Next year, we would be opening at least four big ones,” Villar said. These bigger store formats cost P100 million each and have an average size of 10,000 square meters.

“Clearly, because we are a housing company, it is very logical for us to go here. We want to go big into retailing as well,” Villar said.

The newly incorporated MBV Retail is the holding compa ny for t he ret a i l

businesses of the former senator. Apar t from A ll Homes, the firm also has convenience store chain All Day and department stores, which will be renamed to feature t he “A ll ” brand, under its umbrella.

T he Vi l l a r g roup i s not closing its doors on embarking on new retail formats. The former senator said the group is “open” to venture into the pharmaceutical business but Shops/PAGE 21

Vitarich board okays debt to equity conversion VITARICH Corp’s board has approved a plan to issue shares to a creditor, thereby converting a portion of its debt into shares in the listed feeds maker.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Vita rich sa id its boa rd approved last Friday the conversion of P2.38 billion in debt owed to Kormasinc

Inc into equity at a ratio of one common share for every P1 debt.

Vitarich will issue 90.03 million shares out of the company’s existing unissued shares and an additional 2.29 billion new shares out of the increase in the company’s authorized capital stock, The increase is awaiting the go-signal of the Securities

and Exchange Commission.

Last year, Vitarch bagged board approval to increase its authorized capital stock from P1.5 billion to P3.5 bilion.

Once a leading poultry and feeds producer, Vitarich has been under corporate rehabilitation since 2006 due to difficulty in paying off P3.23 billion in debt to

various creditors. The Asian financial crisis and the avian flu outbreak in 2003 weighed heavily on the company’s finances.

Vitarich is engaged in the production and distribution of various poultry products such as live and dressed chicken, day-old chicks and animal and aqua feeds, among others.

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

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

8 NGOs, 1 car dealer bag BSP nod to extend credit EIGHT non-government organizations (NGOs) and one car dealer have been given permits to extend credit through instalment or deferred payment sales.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it has registered an initial batch of nine creditgranting entities (CGEs) that have been recognized as well by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry.

The NGO’s include Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc in Baguio City, ASA Philippines Foundation Inc in Pasig City, Center for Agriculture and Rura l Development Inc (CARD) in San Pablo, Laguna, Lingap Pangkbataan Inc in Cubao, Quezon City,

Rantay sa Pagrang-ay Inc in Baguio City, Kabalikat para sa Maunlad na Buhay Inc (KMBI) in Valenzuela City, Aakay ang Milmdec Microfinance Foundation Inc in Cagayan de Oro City, and the Aalay sa Kaunlaran Inc (ASKI) in Cabanatun City.

The lone car dealer is Hyundai Alabang Inc in Las Pinas City.

The registration of CGEs is a i med at promot i ng disclosure to clients of the true cost of credit under the requirements of Republic Act No. 3765 or the Truth in Lending Act. An entity registered with the BSP as a CGE demonstrates its commitment to corporate social responsibility and extend/PAGE 21

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Banking&Finance

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Bangko Sentral eyes broader Islamic banking system in PH THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is asking lawmakers for an amendment of its charter to be allowed, among others, to develop regulations for an Islamic ba n k i ng s ystem i n t he Philippines.

“This will pave the facility in developing an Islamic banking system, not just individual operation,” BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said.

Currently, there is only one Islamic bank in the

country – the Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines (AAIIBP), which t he Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) acquired in 2008 in

a bid to fast-track socioeconomic development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Under the Islamic banking system, loans, for one, do

not have interest unlike in conventional banking.

Espenilla said the BSP wants “to create an inclusive banking system including not just the unbanked but also to deliver financial services to Muslim communities.”

He explained that this is also part of the Framework Agreement t hat t he government forged with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in October 2012. banking/PAGE 21

PH current account surplus surges in Q2 THE Philippine current account surplus widened on higher remittances and robust revenues from the business process outsourcing sector in the second quarter, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday.

A component of t he balance of payments position, which measures Philippine transactions with the rest

of the world, the current account is expected to register a wider surplus in the fourth quarter as speculative money heads back to emerging markets after the US Federal Reserve kept its bond-buying program intact.

At a press br ief i ng , Rosabel Guerrero, Bangko Sentral Economic Statistics director, said the current

account recorded a $2.5 billion surplus in April to June, or 9.1 percent wider year-on-year.

“The current account surplus improved mainly on account of increased net receipts in secondary income and services account,” she said.

The latest figure placed the first half surplus at 5.6

billion – below the $7-billion central bank’s projection.

Bangko Sentral noted that receipts from secondary income account were mainly personal transfers of overseas Filipinos that increased by 4.8 percent annually in the second quarter.

Diwa Guingundo, Bangko Sentral deputy governor, said the wider surplus buoyed the balance of payments (BOP) position despite volatility in financial markets caused by previous uncertainty over the magnitude and schedule of the scale back the Fed was planning for its economic stimulus program.

“Through all of those volatile movements, t he BOP was in surplus due the strong current account, which speaks of the ability of the Philippines to market its product and itself,” he said at the same briefing.

On the impact the Fed decision to keep its stimulus package intact, Guinigundo said outflows – particularly in specu lative por tfolio money – may be seen in the third quarter amid lingering surges/PAGE 21

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Environment

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

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

Feature

Endangered Philippine Eagles seen in Zamboanga del Norte

By Cheng Ordonez, Executive Editor, MDN

BA LIGU I A N, Z a mboa nga de Nor te – Environment authorities recently spotted a pair of rare and critically endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga Jefferyi) in Linay, a mountainous barangay in the Municipality of Baliguian, Province of Zamboanga del Norte.

A for m of “aer ia l courtship display” over a forested ridge was witnessed at a rou nd 9 : 3 0 i n t he morning on September 9 by researchers from the Regional Eagle Watch Team (REWT-9) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region-9 led by Mr. Al Caabay and the Provincial Environment Management Off ice (PEMO), formerly known as Zamboanga del Norte Environment Management Office (ZaNEMO), headed

by Atty. Liza Jane B. Estaño.

The group went to the area of sighting purposely to document and confirm reports from local residents of t he pre s enc e of t he Philippine Eagle in their area.

From t he ju mp of f point in Dipolog City, the capital city of the province of Zamboanga del Norte, the group travelled more than five hours by car to Baliguian town proper and then hiked for three hours up the mountain before they reached the camp site on the evening of September 8.

Early the next morning, PE MO p er s on nel L e v y L a g ut i n, Jr., Von Ba si l Lambo and photojournalists Sa mmy A matong a nd Dave Magdayao, went to the adjacent hilly ridge to take pictures and monitor the behavior of the mighty monkey-eating-eagles, along with the two local guides, Mang Fernando Mendoza and his son Fernando, Jr.

(who knows how to whistle the eagle’s sound).

T he g roup pat ient ly waited for about three hours after which a lone wild adult eagle was spotted emerging from the canopy and glided towards a huge dead tree, where it dried itself off for a few minutes. A second eagle f lew in shortly and joined the first one.

The group was treated to a rare visual “f light of romance” by the pair before they f lew back to the main tree where they nested.

Mr. Lagutin then noticed in his telescope that the

eagles were mating beside their nest and it was repeated a few minutes later in flight during a “mutual soaring display” on a clear sunny day.

Fernando Mendoza, an official of Barangay Linay, said that he first noticed the wild Philippine eagles some t ime in 20 03 a nd that they were breeding, as later on, an eaglet was discovered. But, then, they f lew away from the area a couple of years after. Lately, the residents of Barangay Linay began naming the adult eagle “Fernando” in

honor of their official who gave notice of the discovery to government authorities.

Mr. Caabay of the DENRRegion 9 said they will be decla ring t he a rea as a Philippine Eagle “critical habitat” pursuant to the Philippine Wildlife Act. He also said that they are now working with the local officials of Barangay Linay and the Local Government of Baliguian for the protection and safety of the eagles.

For her part, PEMO chief Att y. Estaño said: “We a re advocat ing for t he de c l a r at ion of t he

Linay Mountain Ranges as Protected Habitat of the Philippine Eagle and we would ask the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to adopt and implement an ordinance declaring Barangay Linay, Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte, as “Eagle National Park of Za mboa nga del Nor te” to ensu re t he protection and safety not only of our national bird but also of the tarsier, wild pig, deer, squirrel and other rare and endangered wildlife, which we now know to exist in this area. (With inputs from Sammy B. Amatong)

2,000 volunteers join Subic Bay Freeport coastal clean-up Senator Loren Legarda (left on rostrum), chairperson of the Senate Committees on Climate Change and Environment, urged the government to intensify the campaign against Climate Change in “We Battle New Norm” during her privilege speech on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, at the Plenary Session Hall, Senate in Pasay City. Also in photo (right) are some senators listening to the Powerpoint presentation of Senator Legarda. pna photos by jess m . escaros jr .

House approves DENR’s P23.65B budget for 2014

S ome 2 ,0 0 0 volu nteers consist i ng of st udent s , work e r s f rom lo c atorcompanies in this free port, and employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) participated in a clean-up activity along the shoreline of Subic Bay over the weekend.

Other volunteers also cleaned up key areas in t he dif ferent bara ngays of neighboring Olongapo

City under the Shore It Up! International Coastal Cleanup program sponsored by the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF).

The clean-up program was part of the International Coastal Clean-up Day, which was locally organized by The Lighthouse Marina Resort, and Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit advocacy group that promotes healthy and diverse ecosystems.

Prior to the activity, the SBMA signed a memorandum of understanding with MPIF for the Shore It Up! program, agreeing to be par tnerorganizers for this year’s clean-up.

SBMA chairman Roberto V. Garcia said that the SBMA supports the activity because it is in line with the agency’s mandate of protecting the environment. clean-up/PAGE 21

P80M for Climate Change Commission

The House of Representatives has approved the budget to be used to finance programs against the disastrous effects of g loba l wa rmi ng a nd climate change.

Bu laca n 1st Dist r ic t Rep. Ma. Victoria R. SyAlvarado said the Committee on Appropriation of the House of Representatives has approved the budget of the Department of Environment a nd Nat u ra l Resou rces (DENR) and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) for fiscal year 2014 after eight hours of marathon d e l ib e r at ion s over t he

weekend.

Sy-Alvarado, vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriation for DENR, said that the committee has approved P 23.65 billion for DENR while P80 million was approved for the CCC. The Bulacan lawmaker said she successf u lly defended the budget for the two agencies involved in the protection and conservation of env i ron ment a nd i n addressing the effects of global warming and climate change.

She said that the two agencies needed substantial

budget to boost government programs in the conservation of env ironment a nd mitigation plans to counter the ill effects of climate change.

“We all know that the effects of global warming and climate change is already being felt worldwide and governments in developed cou nt r ie s have a l re ady e a r m a r k e d bi l l i o n s o f dol la rs to protect t heir cities and states from the disastrous effects such as heavy f looding and strong typhoons,” Sy- Alvarado stressed. (PNA)

FINE WEATHER. The Tan siblings -- Kimberly, Kathleen and Kyra -- enjoy the splashing of the waves with their aunt Lyn Sunday, at a beach resort in Jasaan to celebrate Kathleen’s birthday.

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

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

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ala ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ mode

by Owen Jaen

by Irene Joy B. Dayo of the BWM Group of Publications

T

he Xavier Stage (TXS), the repertory theatre company of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, presented its pre-Islamic Maranao version of William Shakespeare’s creation, A Midsummer Night’s Dream which Premiered, September 21 at the XU Little Theatre.

The play was directed by Hobart P. Savior of Xavier Center for Culture and Arts. He said that the play intends to bring modern audiences back to the classics with its deeper truths which William Shakespeare had captured in his tragedies and comedies.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is considered as the most popular comedy written by Shakespeare. It was written in the middle of 1594 to 1595.

Taking place in a mythical place and an enchanted forest, it portrays the adventures of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors, their interactions with woodland fairies and a duke and duchess.

The story evolves in melodramatic and comedy form, bringing out an unusual story of love and magic.

This artistic show is a new engagement of TXS towards artistic form to make theatre an expression and a philosophy of life for its audience.

Originally, this play contains Greek settings and TXS presented it in a pre-Islamic Maranao sort through the adaptation from the Sining Kambayoka Ensemble of Mindanao State University - Marawi.

According to Savior, the play combines the local lure among the Maranaos and the masterful plot of Shakespeare which made the play exciting.

It is a combination of presentational theatre art form, movement, lofty Cebuano language, music and sensitivity culture making A Midsummer Night’s Dream an ambitious work and an accomplishment of a young theatre company whose identity and art form are continuously challenged.

He also said that mounting A Midsummer Night’s Dream entailed careful handling of both the Shakespearean material and the Maranao culture and folklore in its ancient times.

A thorough study on content and form was employed to deconstruct the text and a meticulous semiological dramaturgy was thought of and applied to come up with an adequate performance text rendered

by TXS. Thus, layers of elements, thought processes, significant details and truths are considered so to simplify the complex experience that the material inherently processes.

There are 22 persons comprising the cast of the play who are, at the same time, students, faculty, staff and alumni of XU. Another play (Gala) is scheduled on 7:30pm of September 23 and 24. Theatrical performances (Gala) would also be held on 10:00am (Morning Matinee), 3:00pm (Matinee) and 7:30pm (Gala) of September 25.

Tickets are available at The XU Bookstore. For Gala and Matinee, ticket price is at P75.00 only.

As They Move

Photos courtesy of The XAVIER STAGE

Just last Friday, Next Moves of Liceo de Cagayan University finally had their moment to own the Rodelsa Hall stage.

Armed with a strong repertoire of modern and pop fusion dance pieces, the premiere dance company showcased their dancing prowess to a mixed audience of young students and professionals.

The hour and a half long concert took the spectators to varied worlds and experiences.

From heartaches of star-crossed lovers, the plight of Typoon Sendong's survivors to the most recent controversies that the country is facing, Next Moves shared to the viewers facets of the Filipino psyche.

In the middle of the program, a merry mixture of hip-hop dances were interspersed to the delight of the younger set.

The usually quiet atmosphere felt during concerts at Rodelsa were noticeably absent that evening as their young fans sighed, laughed, squealed and praised to the impressive numbers.

Choreographed by no less than the main man of dance in Liceo U, Roger Odron, The concert was indeed a well-deserved moment for the group after four years in existence.

It was their first major concert and a good one at that.

They have been to places and have received countless accolades and having the opportunity to cap their four years via a grand spectacle right at their home turf is truly milestone to remember.

As I watched them move to many rhythms that night, I cannot help but smile and become proud that this school-based dance company have really gotten far and they have so much more to offer as they continue to explore new elements, new dance pieces and new themes to share to their audiences in the coming months.

Without batting an eyelash, I can say this group is not just Liceo U's pride but the entire City as well.

Kudos to the young and passionate performers whose energies reverberated the walls of Rodelsa.

I hope they will continue to hone their craft and inspire more young people to join the bandwagon of artistic expression and channel their passion to fuel other people to do the same.

If you missed them last Friday, you may still catch Next Moves Dance Company live onstage at the Rodelsa Hall on September 24, 4pm. Admission is free.

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

TESDA X Holds Free Assessment and Certification across the Region Cagayan de Oro City – Good News! The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA-10) is holding a series of competency assessment and certification across the region which started August 19, 2013 and will end up on December 15, 2013.

The National TVET Competency Assessment and Certification (NATCAC) is a synchronized conduct of competency assessment and certification in identified key qualifications. It will be offered FREE OF CHARGE funded by the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP). This is certainly an avenue that provides opportunity to those who wanted to upgrade their level of skills competency and ensure better delivery of services.

NATCAC Program targets to benefit 3,795 individuals in Region X coming from the ranks of trainers of public and private technical vocational institutions, public utility drivers, workers and other industry practitioners who want to undergo competency assessment, returning overseas Filipino workers and Filipino expatriates with relevant TVET experience and industry practitioners who are prospective competency assessors.

The qualifications offered in this program are based on the market demand per province. For the list of qualifications and other concerns, please contact or visit your nearest TESDA Provincial Office or Assessment Centers.

Interested applicants may download the NATCAC application form and the self-assessment guides for various qualifications at the TESDA website (www.tesda.gov.ph).

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

MW Peter U. Lim Lo Suy and the Masons pose with one of the prizes, a Toyota Sedan, for the “MW Peter U. Lim Lo Suy Open Golf Tournament” at the Pueblo Golf and Country Club, photo taken during the ceremonial tee-off, September 20. Lim Lo Suy is the Grand Master of Cagayan de Oro City’s The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines since 2009. (BWM Photo)

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

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Mindanao Daily 21 NEWS

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Villar... from page 14

“There is consumer boom now and I can see it in our communities that really are growing fast...We saw the needs of our communities for these kinds of store.

Subdivisions are looking for these (stores). Results were good,” he added.

Villar said the company is starting a capitalization of P1 billion and will put more funding in the future.

“By the end of the year, we will have fully used up (the P1 billion). We will be putting more capital as we go along. We will continue to expand as needed,” he further said.

Meanwhile, the Vista Land and Lifestyle Inc. has opened Paseo de Andalucia, a v i l lage center w it h i n Camella Andalucia in San Fernando, Pampanga.

AllHome and Puregold stores were also opened in the village center.

“We will already start the opening of the phase two.

We are finalizing the plan, we should start before the end of the year,” said Villar.

The second phase of the lifestyle center to cost about P750 mi l lion comprises dining, retail and cinema projects.

Other Vista Land shopping centers are: the L a kef ront W ha r f a nd the Lakefront Boardwalk in Sucat, Evia in Daang Hari, Vista Town Center in Antipolo, Vista Town C e nt e r i n C a g ay a n d e Oro and Savannah, Vista Land’s f lagship project in the Visayas. (PNA)

offices for business process out sou rci ng f i r ms , w i l l f i n ish t he const r uc t ion of seven malls in Daang Ha r i, C e bu , St a . Ro s a , Taguig, Davao and Cavite by next year. These will add a gross f loor area of 290,000 square meters to its existing 340,000 square meters from five existing malls.

Vista Land is a lso building five strip malls to service its communities in Sucat, Daang Hari Pa mpa nga , C a gay a n de Oro a nd A nt ipolo. T he construction of its sixth Vista Mall in Iloilo will commence in January.

Banking... from page 16

The Agreement, sig ned la st Oc tober 15 in Malacanang by MILF Peace Panel chair Mohager Iqbal and the Philippine government represented

by Dean Marvic Leonen, paved for the creation of the Bangsamoro region, which will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Espenilla said foreign players will be allowed to invest in Islamic banks just like in universal, commercial and rural banks.

“It’s not a bad idea for an experienced foreign Islamic bank to be invested in such a bank. It makes a lot of sense for that to happen,” he said.

(PNA)

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

Extend...

Clean-up...

a d h e r e n c e t o t h e l aw advocating truth in lending.

It also declares its competitive edge and builds long-term value, accountability and transparency, making the reg istered ent it y more valued by its clients and stakeholders.

For the protection of clients, the BSP enjoins all borrowers to deal only with banks, financial institutions, and CGEs that are compliant with the Truth in Lending Act.

Garcia noted that the SBMA, through its Ecology Center, has initiated similar a n nu a l c le a n-up d r i ve s yea rs before pa r t ner i ng with private organizations for a bigger clean-up effort.

“We have followed this up with other measures to protect t he vast nat u ra l forest and coastline located within the Freeport, particularly with the ‘No P l a s t i c Po l i c y ’ t o h e l p control pollution of both land and bodies of water here,” he said. “ We h o p e t h a t t h i s clea n-up ac t iv it y wou ld encourage people not just f rom t he Subic Bay Fre e p or t but a l s o f rom other areas to commit in protecting Mother Nature,” he added.

For t hei r pa r t, M PIF vice president for corporate communications Melody del Rosario said they are “ver y happy to have t he SBMA as partner” for this activity.

The Internationa l Coastal Clean-up Day is a n a n nu a l e vent , wh ich began in 1986 through the ef for ts of former Ocea n C o n s e r v a n c y e mp l oy e e Linda Maraniss.

Si nc e t hen, over 15 0 cou nt ries a rou nd t he wor l d h ave j oi n e d t h i s activity, which is observed e ver y t h i rd Sat u rd ay of September. (PNA)

from page 16

Surges... from page 16

uncertainty over the fate of the Fed program.

Strong remittance flows and reversal of speculative investments back to the Philippines may follow in the fourth quarter after the Fed kept its program untouched on Thursday.

“The market uncertainties that we saw in the second quarter will continue in the third quarter,” Guinigundo said, but noted a likely inflow of portfolio money as fund managers “rethink their portfolio placements.”

On Thursday, PHL time, the Fed announced it won’t scale back its $85-billion bond-buying stimulus to keep t he momentum of US economic recovery in check, a move that surprised markets around the world.

– VS, GMA News

from page 17

KIMBERLITE PAWNSHOP MALAYBALAY BRANCH

Kimberlite Pawnshop will be having an AUCTION SALE on all items that expired on July 2013 AUCTION DATE: September 19, 2013 Estrada Bldg., Fortich-Don Carlos Sts., Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

www.johndprovoice.com

Game... from page 14

development, local talents will also be able to prepare funds for their own research and development to soon create a game. ” We rea l ly need t he expertise in programming or on lot of areas to really catch up to the level that we can create games on the global scale,” he said. (PNA)

Shops... from page 15

it is “not inclined” to enter the supermarket business, citing tight competition. “ We ’r e b e e f i n g u p our retail capability. We assigned topnotch senior officers to the company.

We will be putting more capital as we move along,” Villar said.

M BV Reta i l has a starting capitalization of P1 bil lion and t his may i ncrea se i n t r a nches of P250 million. Eventually, it may take on fresh debt to finance its expansion, he said.

“By the end of the year, fully used up na ang P1 billion,” Villar said.

V i l l a r ’s t w o l i s t e d companies, Starmalls Inc and Vista Land, are also beefing up their respective retail businesses.

Starmalls, which develops a nd operates shoppi ng centers a nd

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Fun Page Jake Cuenca: ‘Natotorpe ako kay Jessy’ 22 Mindanao Daily NEWS

tuesday | september 24, 2013

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

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

MANILA – Jake Cuenca said he and Sam Milby remain good friends despite their unspoken “competition” to win Jessy Mendiola’s heart.

In an interview with “The Buzz” on Sunday, Cuenca said it just so happened that he and Milby have different styles when wooing a woman.

“Iba-ibang manligaw ang mga lalaki. Hindi ko rin naman masisisi si Sam na nanliligaw siya kay Jessy kasi kung sa ‘Maria Mercedes’ nga na show, pinag-aagawan siya ng mga lalaki. Wala namang pinagkaiba eh. Jessy is Maria Mercedes and wala akong

maisip na lalaki na hindi magkakagusto sa kanya ngayon,” she said.

While Milby announced on national television that he intends to court the actress, Cuenca, for his part, said he chooses to keep his personal life private.

“No offense meant to Sam, he’s my friend. But iba lang talaga ako manligaw. When it comes to my personal life, I want to keep that to myself.

I like building a world na kaming dalawa lang nung nililigawan ko or nung girlfriend ko,” he said.

Asked if he also considers

Daily

HOROSCOPE AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) -You dig up an old picture or email or other reminder of a past event that triggers a wave of enlightenment within you. It may be too late to change the past, but you can certainly change today’s behavior.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) - Art makes you whole, and on a day like today, you need to soak up more than usual. You feel good, but something deep within you is driving you to experience life as others see it.

ARIES (March 21 – April 19) - You may wrap yourself up in old memories or objects today -- shopping for antiques, poring over old photo albums or just lost in reverie. It’s a good time for just hanging out and reminiscing.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) - Your amazing personal energy helps you pull off a major coup: proving your loyalty to someone who doubts you, without having to get your hands dirty. It’s a big win, so be sure to enjoy it.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21) - Today is all about secrets -- can you count on yourself? It’s one of those days when you may be better off avoiding the people who need to be kept in the dark, but how long can that last?

CANCER (June 22 – July 22) - You may not notice it right away, but people are paying more attention to you and your ideas. It’s a really good time to brainstorm and to share your most private thoughts with the group.

“Wala naman akong sinabi talaga na may aayusin ako with Mel. Although for me, kung meron man kaming aayusin, mas okay na kaming dalawa lang ang mag-usap.

Mas madali kasi pareho kaming Star Magic so maaayos naman na makakapag-usap kami na kaming dalawa lang para maayos na once and for all,” he said.

Cuenca said he has yet to talk to Ricks privately following their break up in 2011.

“Never pa kaming nag-usap na privately. Nung naghiwalay kami, naghiwalay kami. May

Mendiola special, Cuenca said: “Super. Para sa akin, Jessy is one of the prettiest girls in showbiz. Nasa wish list ko talaga to work with her and salamat sa ABS-CBN na naka-work ko si Jessy.”

“Sobrang confident ko bilang lalaki pero pagdating kay Jessy, natotorpe talaga ako.

For the first time sa buong buhay ko, ngayon pa,” he added.

Past with Melissa Meanwhile, Cuenca also addressed controversies surrou nding his past relationship with actress Melissa Ricks.

Mindanao Daily News’ If you like to greet your friends or just wanted to have some text mates through our publications, just text this number : 09269919077 or you can message it to our FB Fan Page ( Mindanao Daily Fan Page )

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-- Good morning MDN just wnt to greet octagon computeer superstore staff. Pati po sa officer namin na si mr.AL dagoc, love reading your paper tlaga, thank you and more power.

-- Gud murneng MDN.., hanap nyo po aqo ng txtm8 na girl 20above kanAng wlai bf, kay wla man pud q gf ito pala # q. 09177890097

-- . haie great lang co sa aku bb. DETSIE ANGEL VILLEGAS. ug sa co bana c dEODITO VILLEGAS.. Tnx poh GOD BLESS ! :)

-- Hai mDn ! Gud eves sa tanan. ‘knxa gusto mkg frnd nko ? ,, text meh ane na # oh 09269539103 - kna lang mka’dawat. xa kng pgka ta0’tambuk kuh ha. .ayaw ng mga Judgemental .. tnx.. imçhuby_me sw8 16.

-- Hi mdn gudpm pls publish ds # 09155162760 james po ung name nya naghahanap xa ng gurl txtmate 20 to 25yrs old po. Tnx

CIRCLE A WORD vegetables

marrow artichoke asparagus beans beetroot broccoli

cabbage carrots cauliflower mushroom onion parsnip

closure there. Kung meron ding makakapag-ayos ng kung ano man ang problema namin,

oras lang ‘yun. Time heals all wounds,” he said.

-abs-cbn showbiz news-

GAMERS’ Treat

Social Section

-- i need txtm8 23pataas yung english boy hers my number 09051584256.

“Maria Mercedes” lead stars Jessy Mendiola and Jake Cuenca

peas potato spinach sprouts swede turnip

Officially for GAMERS, by GAMERS

GTA V

For all of those who are into the Grand Theft Auto fever, GTA V was already released last September 17, 2013 but sadly, for Playstations and XBox only. But wait, there’s no need for you to be sad because this November 22, 2013, GTA V for PC will be released.

NVidia is already testing GTA V for PC, and they are posting screenshots on the internet. So great isn’t it? :) That’s not the only thing to be excited about, because this Grand Theft Auto is way more different than the other versions of the game. MUST__WAIT!!

SUDOKU How to play the game?

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

of the same digit.

Yesterday’s Answer

LEO (July 23 – August 22) - A supervisor (at work or anywhere else) is causing some problems for you today, but you should be able to get them to see reason soon. Your life is better with that person in it, though it may not feel like it.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) - Your energy is still flowing forcefully -- and you can get quite a lot done if you put your mind to it. See if your people are ready for whatever you’ve got planned. If not, shake things up!

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) - You’re facing a food-related challenge, like a potential allergy or a lifestyle change. It should be positive once you resolve it, but it could be really tough to make it through the first few steps.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) - Do you know the meaning of the word ‘compromise’? Your left brain might, but the rest of you would rather dominate or run away. Get that side back in line with your best interests.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) You need to force yourself into something like discipline today -- otherwise, you’re never going to get anything done, and then tomorrow will just be more of the same. Do what you must.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) You’re in the middle of something big and fun and wonderful -- and you should just relax and let it wash over you. Things are good for now, and it’s not the time to work yourself to death.

Amazing Facts!

Did you KNOW?? ..

Each night of Hanukkah, an additional candle is placed in the Menorah from right to left, and then lit from left to right. On the last night, all the candles are lit.

CROSSWORD puzzle across 1. Grad dress 5. Boards 11. Love in Spain 12. US state 13. Ray fish 15. On 16. Rejection 17. Of London’s land: abbr.

18. Quick punch 20. Self 21. Office machine 22. Tot’s school 23. Biscuit 26. Exhausted 27. Land measure 28. Take a seat 29. 24 hours 30. Musical note 31. Everyone 34. Computer component 35. Cobalt’s symbol

36. Search engine 38. Ms. Kidman 41. Oceanic flight’s series 42. Profited 43. Looks at DOWN 1. Not wild 2. Mideast nation 3. Percussion instrument 4. Craft 5. Italian river 6. Mideast man 7. Not gross 8. For example: abbr.

9. Having more distance 10. Brown’s dog 14. Slightly open 19. Chop 20. Stage

21. Charge 22. Favorite 23. Like a water bird 24. Big tree 25. Cook in lard 26. Crafty 28. Extremely 30. Single 31. Sailor’s shout 32. Misplace 33. Many 35. Fool 37. Beverage 39. 101 in Roman 40. Past tense suffix

Yesterday’s Answer

Mindanao Daily 23 NEWS

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Trading... from page 13

are traded. The day-ahead price is market driven and will be subject to an offer cap to be agreed by t he regulators.

The proposed price cap for energ y supply to be traded in the IMEM has been set at P36 per kilowatt hour (kwh), according to Energ y Secretar y Carlos Jericho Petilla.

Such decision, he said, had been ba sed on t he outcome of d iscussions that the IMEM operator held with stakeholders in the grid.

The petition for the price cap was lodged with the ERC for its approval. Basically, that cap is lower than the P62 per kilowatt hour enforced for the Luzon and Visayas Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

During the IMEM launch at t he SM X Convention C e nt e r i n D av a o C it y, ERC Commissioner Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc noted that “we will soon have a meeting to come up with an agreement. Afterwards, this will be deliberated by the Commission for us to come up with a stand.”

The preliminary commercial operation of t he IMEM w i l l k ick of f t h is S eptember 26 , but PEMC president Melinda L. Ocampo said “no settlements will happen yet… perhaps in the next two months.”

She stressed that the next seven days will be devoted to registration and data collection; while the next two months will focus on sorting out concerns on centra l scheduling and dispatch w it h system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

The interim spot market for the grid was designed as a “ day-a head ma rket a nd w i l l a d d re s s on l y the supply def iciency in the grid.” It leans on the capacities that must be freed up by embedded facilities as well as on voluntary load curtailments of end-users with generating assets.

During the two-month transition, Ocampo ex pla ined t hat on ly t he contracted capacities will be traded in the market.

The volume from i nter r upt ible loads a nd embedded facilities will on ly be accom mod ated once t he IMEM reaches full commercial operation and when settlements begin.

“We w ill recommend to the Secretary when the full commercial operation wou ld be depending on t he outcome of NGCP’s execution of dispatch … we are eyeing that it will be before the end of the year,” she stressed.

At last week ’s IMEM debut, PEMC noted that it a l re ady c or nere d 22 registrants, mostly electric c o op er at ive s . O c a mp o, however, noted that such turnout is still considerably low.

The energy secretary, for

his part, emphasized that there will likely be sudden i ncrease i n reg ist rat ion with the IMEM following discussions w it h t he Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives (A MR ECO) to clear out some issues that have been rendering them fidgety over the operations of a spot market in Mindanao.

The IMEM, which the market operator describes to have a simpler trading platform, is a precursor to the planned setting up of a full-f ledged WESM in the grid.

Power coop worries H o w e v e r, c i t i n g i t will only usher in higher power rates for Mindanao consumers, distribution ut i l it y S out h C ot a bato I E le c t r ic C o op e r at i ve (Socoteco I) has opposed the national government’s move to enter the area’s electricity spot market.

Santiago Tudio, Socoteco I genera l ma nager, sa id Mond ay t hat wh i le t he IM EM cou ld help solve the current power shortage in the Mindanao grid, it will not be able to regulate the increases in the area’s power rates.

“Wit h t his k ind of initiative, the consumers w i l l suf fer much. There is no regulation on power generation so there is a big possibility that they would play with the power charges later,” he said.

Tudio said that under the system, all businesses in Minda nao li ke ma l ls a nd fac tor ies t hat have embedded generators will not be using their allotted supplies from the Mindanao grid but instead operate their generators.

The unused supplies will then be sold out areas that are experiencing deficits through the spot market, he said.

During a recent gathering of Mindanao electric c o op e r at i ve s i n D av a o City, Tudio said the ERC announced the granting of a provisional authority to the PEMC for the pricing and cost recovery methodology for the Mindanao electricity spot market.

T he e le c t r ic it y s p ot ma rket is schedu led to s t a r t l at e r t h i s m ont h using their proposed price determination methodology (PDM), he said.

Tudio disclosed that the system has worked on a scheme that makes the final price of power generation as the price during its closing time.

“Meaning, t he power generator has the ultimate say on its price,” he pointed out.

Based on their simulation, the official said they expect the power rates sold t hrough t he IMEM to be around 250 percent higher t han t he current average charges. “ I d o n’t t h i n k o u r consumers can afford to pay that kind of rate,” he said.

Instead of act ivat ing

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

t he I M E M, he sa id t he government should have allowed power providers to directly link up with the electric cooperatives.

According to ERC, the IMEM PDM sets forth the spe c i f ic pr i nc iple s a nd formu la in determining the prices and settlement amounts for the system’s charges.

The IMEM aims to prov ide a venue for transparent and efficient use of excess energ y to address the supply shortfall in Minda nao t hrough a market driven environment.

The national government has mandated the ERC to work hand in hand with the Department of Energy and the PEMC to ensure the success of the IMEM.

Banana... from page 13

Early locators in t he city are Land Bank of the Philippines, Security Bank and the One Network Bank, he said.

Silvosa also said that du r i ng h is t h ree ter ms in office he took note of major lending institutions that located to offer their financial ser vices to the c i t y ’s b u s i n e s s e s a n d individuals.

“The decision of t he ba n k s a nd lend i ng institutions is cer tainly one of the manifestations of the continued economic development of Pa nabo City,” he said.

He said that although the economy of the city depends on the banana industry, there is also parallel production of other agricultural products as a result of the efforts of the city government such as the cacao, rubber and fruit trees.

“We have encouraged p e o p l e t o p l a nt o t h e r crops t h rou g h t he cit y government’s “plant now pay later program,” and they responded. In fact, cacao production alone covers 80 hectares and it’s now bearing fruits,” he said.

Silvosa added that just like the export-quality cavendish bananas, other agricultural products can easily take the Anf locor-owned state-ofthe-art container terminal a nd w h a r f, t h e D av a o Internationa l Container Terminal (DICT) located in the city’s sealanes. The P2.7-billion modern wharf just operated this year.

DIC T i s ow ne d a nd

managed by San Vicente Te r m i n a l B r o k e r a g e Services, Inc., a member of the ANFLOCOR Group of Companies, which has TA DE C O, t h e w o r l d ’s biggest banana plantation, as its f lagship business.

Panabo Cit y is home to Ta g u m Ag r ic u lt u r a l De velopment C ompa ny ( TA DE C O), w h ic h h a s more than 6,900 hectares of banana fields producing at least 31 million boxes of Class A Del Monte bananas annually. TADECO exports its fresh cavendish bananas to Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Russia, China and the Middle East. (PNA)

Surfing... from page 13

according to Gerry Deagan, the contest director.

Genera l Lu na Mayor Ja i me P. Ru si l lon s a id that this is the first time the women’s competition will be held in September.

“We usually hold it every summer. But because of some circumstances, we opted to hold it this month,” he said, adding that it is now surfing season.

He said t his event is sanctioned by the Asian Su r f i ng Cha mpionships (ASC).

Deagan said ASC made Siargao as part of its 2013 Tour Season.

He said ASC brings the best surfers from Australia, Indonesia, Japan and other places for this competition Effie Vrakas, a surfer f rom Greece, ex pressed her excitement for t h is competition. “I will try my best. I know I’m not the best compared to others surfers who are really great surfers,” she told MindaNews.

Nilbie Blancada, a surfer from General Luna, said she is ready for the competition.

“I practiced a lot because my compatriot expects so much from me,” she said.

Blancada has won several competitions in and outside the country. She bested other Asian surfers during last year’s competition in Cimaja, Indonesia.

“I can’t say that I would get the crown. I will just do all my best for this competition,” she told MindaNews early morning today after her final practice at Cloud Nine.

La Union surfer Daisy Valdez, who has consistently been in t he top f ive in competitions she joined, will also be in Cloud Nine.

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

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