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This residential estates sits on a hilltop with an elevation of 220 meters above sea level. Teakwood Hills also offers a 180-degree scenic view of Macajalar Bay and the cascading mountains of Bukidnon. Guarded gated community Parks and Playground Clubhouse Basketball Court Inifinity Pool www.abrown.ph
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Briefly Power supply deal GENERAL Santos City — Distribution utility South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative (Socoteco I) is negotiating with power producer Mapalad Power Corp. (MPC) for a 10-megawatt (MW) supply deal to help offset another looming power shortage in the area. Santiago Tudio, Socoteco I general manager, said Monday they are working for the signing of a power sales agreement with the MPC before its threeyear supply contract with the National Power Corporation (NPC) expires on August 25. He said the Alcantaracontrolled firm, which operates the 100-MW Iligan diesel power plant, initially agreed to provide 10 MW of power to Socoteco I starting September 1.
Land distribution AGUSAN del Sur -- The Depar tment of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed last week Certificates of Land Ownership (CLOAs) to 1,789 beneficiaries in 10 municipalities in this province. DAR Undersecretary Jose Grageda revealed that the distribution of 1,733 CLOAs was one of the biggest he had distributed so far that covers 3,814.052 hectares (ha) to 1,789 beneficiaries. The municipality of Esperanza got the biggest number of CLOAs with 562 but only second biggest hectare of 1,014 hectares. La Paz that followed Esperanza has the biggest number of CLOAs and has the biggest hectares of 1,600 for 433 CLOAs.
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Export sectors brace for Asean integration August 20, 2013
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By DANIELLE VENZ, Contributor
HE Philippines is gearing up to build export industries where it has competitive advantages and will enable the country exploit opportunities arising from Asean integration come 2015.
COWBOY TRADITION. A student cowboy wrestles with a cow during the rodeo competition in Manresa, Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday, Aug. 16, 2013. mindanews photo by froilan gallardo
“It is important to note that the greater majority of our exports today are more and more being influenced by t he dy na mics of t he global value chain,” said PHILEXPORT President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. in recent workshop-discussions on priming Philippine SMEs for the 2015 ASEAN integration. Ortiz-Luis identified bigticket items and winners
such as electronics a nd semiconductors, automotives and machineries and consu mer goods such garments, furniture and some agriculture-based product. He said services, being largely call centers and shared services of multinational companies, are investmentdriven and also form part of the global value chain. brace/PAGE 11
Govt determined to pursue Manila-CDO Ro-Ro project By IRENE DAYO, Reporter
DESPITE mounting doubts on the reliability of the roll-on roll-of f (Ro-Ro) vessels following the recent sea strategy that struck a passenger ship in Cebu, the government is determined to
pursue a Ro-Ro project that promises to cut travel time between Manila and northern Mindanao from two days to 20 hours, the Department of Tr a n sp or t at ion a nd Communications (DOTC)
said. DOTC Undersecretary Rene Limcaoco said t he pr oj e c t i s a l re a d y set for bidding and once operationalized could further boost economic activit y pursue/PAGE 11
M’danao traders urged to support Bangsamoro TH E PR E SIDEN TI A L peace adviser has urged Businessmen to support the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity as it would open the economic potential of Mindanao. support/PAGE 11
RO-RO PROJECT. The government’s roll-on roll-off project is expected to further boost trading between the Mindanao region and other key cities in Luzon and Visayas.
CdO gov’t set to conduct, survey elderly population By BUTCH D. ENERIO, Correspondent
ELDERLY SURVEY. Knowing their number is vital in the effective delivery of basic services for senior citizens.
IN ORDER to effectively deliver the services intended for the elderly here, the city government plans to conduct a massive identification and documentation of its elderly next month. Teddy Sabugaa, City Social
Welfare and Development (CSWD) officer, said the registration process would enable the government to locate and know the conditions, especially the health status, of the city’s elderly. survey/PAGE 11
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DTI-9 SSF beneficiaries get P3.2-M assistance ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-9 officially launched its flagship project called the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) yesterday with nine cooperative beneficiaries from the city receiving P3.268million worth of assistance.
DTI-9 Regional Director Nazrullah B. Manzur said the primary goal of the program is to help micro, small, and med iu m enter pr ises to improve their businesses. “This is the first time that we are doing this. This is to enhance the capability of the organization to produce quality products or deliver quality service,” Manzur said. Aside f rom t he sa id assistance, the DTI is also helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in terms of trainings, product
development, marketing and others. The program aims to address gaps in the value chain of priority clusters by providing processing or manufacturing equipments, tools and machinery. DTI turned-over t he facilities to their nine pilot cooperative beneficiaries i n a s i mple c e re mony attended by its members, w it h Z a m b o a n g a C it y Urban Poor Home Owners Association, which is into slipper-making receiving the biggest amount of assistance
BUTUAN CITY—The Office of the President lauded the local officials here for the city’s growing economic activity due to the multibillion-peso investments that are being poured in all corners of Butuan. Despite the dwindling wood i ndust r y, va r ious invest ments for t he c on s t r uc t ion of m a l l s , subdiv isions, housing proje c t s , a nd bu si ne s s investments worth some P3 billion have been noted in the city. These investments are aside f rom t he ongoing various government infrastructure projects in the city, like sports and other social service facilities.
D i re c t or D io s it a T. Andot, assistant head of the Mindanao Coordinating Committee of the Office of t he P re s id e nt , a l s o ack nowledged t he loca l leadership by promoting public-private partnership (PPP) – considered as a key development strategy of the national government. “Butuan is the first city in the country to formulate the local PPP Code, as an i n novat ive approach to propel and stimulate the local economy, said Andot during a recent “People’s Summit” here. Because of the PPP Code, more loca l a nd foreig n investors poured mu lticites/PAGE 7
worth P633,000 of facilities. Three cooperatives, all into abaca production and fiber processing, received P761,000 in the form of portable abaca stripping machines and other devices. Three women’s organizations were a lso benef iciaries of the SSF which received cooking tools and equipments, sewing machines and fabricated working tables, chest freezer, sta i n less steel work i ng table, and bangus deboning equipment, with a combined amount of P989,280.
The other two beneficiaries were the Agape Human Dev’t Foundation receiving P423,000-worth of equipments for t heir handicraft business and the Mapzacara MP Cooperative which is into coco sugar processing, receiv ing P365,000-worth of facilities. DTI-Zamboanga City Provincial Director Rolando Acuña said there are still 16 other cooperatives or groups that will be extended the same assistance before the year ends. dti/PAGE 7
Palace cites Butuan’s economy Mindanao banana exporters
suffer P1-B losses from Pablo LOSSES to banana exporters due to Typhoon Pablo have exceeded R1 billion as growers have been forced to stop shipments to some areas, the Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association (MBFEA) reported. Bi ng Delos Reyes of MBFEA said in a statement released by USAID-GEM (Growth With Equity in Minda nao) t hat ba na na growers in this once thriving agricultural province of Compostela Valley are still struggling to get back on their feet months after Typhoon Pablo that swept about 40 percent of their production areas and plantations.
Exporters are having difficulty meeting delivery com m it ment s to pr i me markets and have delayed banana shipments to the U.S. for almost half a year, the statement said. Banana is the country’s second largest agricultural expor t industr y and C o m p o s t e l a Va l l e y i s responsible for about 14 percent of total production. In the last quarterly assessment released by the Bureau of Ag r ic u lt u r a l St at ist ic s , banana production, which had steadily risen in recent yea rs, posted declining figures owing significantly to losses/PAGE 7
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Smart offers libreng tawag for survivors of Cebu sea mishap Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has set up a libreng tawag booth in one of the passenger terminals in Pier 4, Cebu City, to help out the survivors of the sea mishap when a passenger and cargo ship collided near the Port of Cebu late on Friday. St r a nded pa s sengers availed of the free call service from Smart since Saturday morning to tell their loved ones that they are safe. The service will still be available on Sunday, August 18, 2013. The telco also extended communications support to the Operations Center located at the Talisay City Fi sh Por t , S out h Road Properties through National Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission Regiona l Director Jess Laureno. A second Libreng Tawag station
was placed in the area on Sunday. Hundreds of passengers have been rescued through col laborated ef for t of the shipping companies, the Coast Guard and the fishermen of Cebu even as the death toll has risen to over 30, and rescue efforts are ongoing for those who
are still missing. Smart has been providing libreng tawag as a public service in places h it by d i s a s ter s w here communications is vital. Having the most extensive and resilient network all over the country, Smart has proven to be the most reliable partner in these situations.
LANDBANK, Smart launch breakthrough mobile savings and livelihood partnership for 4Ps T he L a nd Ba n k of t he Philippines (LANDBANK) a n d S m a r t e - M o n e y, Inc. (SEM I), a whol lyowned mobile f inancia l s e r v ic e s s u b s id i a r y of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), have jointly launched today a pioneering partnership for a mobilebased incentivized credit, voluntary savings, insurance and livelihood program that will benefit over four million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries and more than five million small farmers and fisherfolks in the agricultural sector. Dubbed Panalo SIKAP (short for Sa Ipon at Kabu haya n Aa hon ka Pinoy, which roughly t r a nslate s to “t h rou g h c re d it a nd l i ve l i ho o d , Filipinos will grow”), the program is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the PLDTSmart Foundation (PSF), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Agriculture(DA), making it the largest public-private partnership for inclusive growth, financial inclusion and financial literacy in the mobile arena and a world’s-first out of the over 40 conditional cash transfer deployments worldwide. Panalo SIKAP aims to address savings mobilization a nd m icro enter pr ise development to generate micro savings across the country especially within the basic sector, which largely remains underbanked. The program seeks to reduce vulnerability of the poor through financial literacy, promot ion of cu lt u re of s av i ngs , a nd m ic ro entrepreneurship. The program highlights an innovative social protection enhancer with a socialized
interest of only 5 percent per annum from the usual 20- to 35-percent annual interest from other micro-finance institutions. “This is another milestone for concretizing financial inclusion efforts through a sustainable and scalable program targeting the base of the pyramid. As a bank, it gives us the opportunity to create and develop credit profile and credit score among the poor by enabling them to transition from being u nba n ked to becomi ng fully banked segment,” said Gilda E. Pico, LANDBANK president and CEO. “Financia l inclusion, pover t y a l lev iation and livelihood is ever yone’s business. While the issues concerning development as a whole are complex, this program is a foothold in scaling up opportunities for m ic ro s av i ngs a nd entrepreneurship for our cou nt r y men w ho ne e d to break out the cycle of hardship. We support this initiative and we’re very keen on working closely with all partners to make sure that it makes an impact,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of the PLDT-Smart Foundation as well as PLDT and Smart. “We’re excited over this breakthrough service that will benefit those who need it most. It’s an example of how mobile technology can be used in public-private partnership programs in support of social good. With our partners, we expect Panalo SIKAP to further narrow the digital financial access divide in our country and to create sustainable livelihood for the 4Ps and agriculture sector beneficiaries,” said Orlando B. Vea, chief wireless advisor, Smart. “USAID is proud to be a strategic program partner in ensuring an effective
a nd comprehensive onground financial literacy and education campaign plan in coordination with the DSWD. We need these beneficiaries to fully understand the value and opportunity of credit, livelihood and savings and how it could change their lives and make this as an initial step towards economic empowerment,” said Gloria D. Steele, USAID mission director in the Philippines. Under t he prog ra m, recipients of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Prog ra m ca n volu nta r y participate by authorizing LANDBANK to auto-deduct from cash grants for their auto-savings. The amount can vary from P50 to a maximum of P100 per month or P100 or P20 0 per bi mont h ly payout depending on the beneficiary’s choice. The autosavings will be the basis for loan availment. LANDBANK, in turn, can provide 50 percent of the total accumulated future savings of the beneficiary as loanable amount. Based on the beneficiary payout, the amount can either be P1,500 or P3,000. This credit facility can be used to avail of a Panalo SIKAP livelihood package that includes a startup phone, a free retailer SIM, merchandising material, selling guide, and an initial P2,500 initial load inventory. Aside from their autosavings, beneficiaries who voluntary participate will pay a maximum amount of P56.61 a month which is just 4 percent applied to loan repayment of the total deduction. The rest goes into savings. They will also be required to set aside a minimum of 20 percent from their gross revenues per month from the Panalo SIKAP livelihood business as additional savings build up. launch/PAGE 10
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Romancing the Rafflesia: More fun in the Philippines! THE Rafflesia flower seems like something straight out of Plants vs. Zombies: One of the largest f lowers in the world—it’s a big tourist attraction in nearby Malaysia and Borneo—this strange plant is called the “corpse flower” because of its foul odor, which some say smells like rotting flesh. This smell is for attracting flies because, unlike its sweet-smelling cousins that attract bees, flies function as the Rafflesia’s pollinators. As University of Brooklyn botanist Dr. Jeanmaire Molina explained, there’s much more than meets the eye—and nose—when it comes to the Rafflesia. Capable of achieving sizes of up to three feet in diameter, the Rafflesia is a giant
among flowers and can only be found in Southeast Asia. Only in the Philippines: Of the 28 species of Rafflesia in the world, ten are found only in the Philippines. This makes the Philippines the world’s Raff lesia biodiversity hub as it has the most number of species. They can be found in the provinces of Quezon, Laguna, Antique, South Cotabato, Panay, Kalinga, and Quirino. The also thrive in the Compostela Valley and the Bicol region. Malaysia’s Raff lesia arnoldii is the biggest species of the corpse flower, which can grow up to three feet. The second largest species is Rafflesia schadenbergiana located in Mount Apo in Davao. Of the ten known Raff lesia species
endemic to the Philippines, eight have been discovered in the last decade alone—and there may be more out there. According to Dr. Molina, another scientist is verifying if there was yet another new species of Rafflesia in Luzon. She said that there might be many other species of Rafflesia in the Philippines given that there are still many unexplored areas in the country. Unusual survival capability: Molina, who is the principal investigator of the Evolution Genomics of the Philippine Rafflesia study, said that this huge flower has been around since the Age of Dinosaurs some 60 million years ago. This testifies to the flower’s near-heroic ability to adapt rafflesia/PAGE 10
Australian investors eye Glan for cocoa production GENER AL SANTOS CITY—A group of Australian and Filipino investors are planning to develop parts of the coastal town of Glan in Sarangani Province as production area for export-quality cocoa. G l a n M ay or V i c t or James Yap Sr. said officials of PlantAsian Agro-Forestry Systems Inc. (PlantAsian) are presently assessing the area to finalize their plans for coconut and cacao (cocoa) inter-cropping investments. Yap said the proposed cocoa venture will mainly focus on exports or the global market. PlantAsian is a Philippine incorporated consulting and services management company that was established to ident i f y a nd c re ate bu si ne s s oppor t u n it ie s that are underdeveloped, undervalued, or unknown w it hin t he ag ricu ltura l sector.
In an exploratory meeting with local officials earlier this week, PlantAsian chair Tim Collver said that they initially created a technical working group to handle the initial preparations for the venture. He said the group was tasked to look at the project’s immediate concerns and related plans on the ground. “We’re also looking at the longer term structural issues regarding the positioning of a municipal-wide cooperative (as a production scheme),” Collver said in a statement. He said their technical team is set to conduct a mapping of the pilot sites for the cacao plantation within
the area. The barangays that will be covered by the plantation sites will be presented formally by the company to the local government before the end of the month, he said. Glan has total land area of about 70,000 hectares where more or less 40,000 hectares are coconut farms. The coastal town is a leading copra producer in
Region 12 and coconut is considered t he primar y source of income of most local residents. Based on PlantAsian’s projections, cacao or cocoa production in the area could begin in about two years after the planting. As the venture progresses, he sa id t hey w i l l ma ke a r ra ngements for t he cocoa/PAGE 10
DA turns over corn postharvest facility to Zambo Norte farmers
ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned over a Village-Type Corn Postharvest Processing Center (VTCPPC) aimed to boost corn production in Zamboanga del Norte province. The DA said that the facility would benefit thousands of corn farmers from the different parts of Zamboanga del Norte province, comprising of two cities and 25 towns. The VTCPPC is located in Barangay Sianib, Polanco municipality, where there are more than 60 farmers, who formed a cooperative that is into corn farming. The facility is one of the projects of DA which aims to increase production of dried quality corn grains, trim down losses, and enable cooperatives to engage in trading of corn grains to feed millers and other corn buyers. “Corn has a very high potential in the market so think of how to earn from this commodity. We are here at all times to support you,” DA officer-in-charge regional director Constancio Alama told the farmers. Alama said the agency “is always here to help our farmers” to give them the needed facility to lighten their workload and to increase their income. Zamboanga del Norte Gov. Roberto Uy has expressed his gratitude to DA, saying they are very happy to have such kind of facility “because it will help not just Barangay Sianib but also the neighboring barangays.” Meanwhile, Regional Corn Coordinator Felizardo Salomes explained that to be able to avail the service of the facility, the proponents must submit the following requirements to the DA: Letter of Intent; Board Resolution from Cooperative, Barangay, Municipal and Provincial Board, authorizing the cooperator to enter into contract with DA-RFU; Certification on the availability of funds turns/PAGE 10
World over-using underground water reserves for agriculture
NorCot to host reg’l rubber forum
DAVAO CITY—A Regional Rubber Forum will be hosted by the provincial government of North Cotabato yesterday (August 20) to consult stakeholders of the rubber industry in the province on issues that directly affects the industry. North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza said the forum will discuss leading issues that confront the rubber industry in the province, including its price, and other related concerns in marketing. The forum will also highlight the presentation of speakers from Manila, particularly from the High-Value Crops Development Program, and the Technical Working Group for Rubber Production in the province that will focus on the updates on the rubber industry, and the latest rubber technologies, the governor added. Taliño-Mendoza said doable programs that the provincial government can provide to the stakeholders will also be emphasized during the forum to find solutions to the existing low buying price of rubber cup lumps despite the large scale production of raw rubber in the province. host/PAGE 10
L ON D ON —T he world i s d e ple t i n g underground water reserves faster than they can be replenished due to over-exploitation, according to scientists in Canada and the Netherlands. The researchers, from McGill University in Montreal and Utrecht University in the Netherlands, combined groundwater usage data from around the globe with computer models of underground water resources to come up with a measure of water usage relative to supply. That measure shows the groundwater footprint - the area above ground that relies on water from underground sources - is about 3.5 times bigger than the aquifers themselves. The research suggests about 1.7 billion people, mostly in Asia, are living in areas where underground water reserves and the ecosystems that rely on them are under threat, they said. Tom Gleeson from McGill, who led the study, said the results are “sobering,” showing that people are over-using groundwater in a number of regions in Asia and North America. Over 99 percent of the world’s fresh and unfrozen water sits underground, and he suggests this huge reservoir that could be crucial for the world’s growing population,
if managed properly. The study, published in the journal Nature, found that 80 percent of the world’s aquifers are being used sustainably but this is offset by heavy over-exploitation in a few key areas. Those areas included western Mexico, the High Plains and California’s Central Valley in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, northern India and parts of northern China. Critical to agriculture: “The relatively few aquifers that are being heavily exploited are unfortunately critical to agriculture in a number of different countries,” Gleeson told Reuters. “So even though the number is relatively small, these are critical resources that need better management.” Previous research has shown that it takes about 140 liters of water to grow the beans that go into one cup of coffee, whether they are cultivated in arid Ethiopia or the Colombian rain forest. “The effect of this water use on the supply of available water will be very different,” the researchers wrote. “Until now, there has been no way of quantifying the impact of such agricultural groundwater use in any consistent, global way.” over-using/PAGE 10
AgSur LGU mobilizes farmers for corn prod’n
PATIN-AY, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur—Aiming to have a sufficient back up for the “Food Security” program in the province of Agusan del Su r, t he prov i ncia l government has star ted mobilizing the farmers for the massive corn production in their respective farmlands. Gov. Adolph Edward G. Plaza ordered provincial agriculturist Jessica Unson to closely coordinate with the Agri-Pinoy Regional-13 office of the Department of Agriculture and the center director of the Agricultural Training Institute, to achieve the massive corn production program. “There is a need to have a joint effort between the DA-RFU-13, ATI, and LGUs in responding to the goals of the present administration to attain food sufficiency and security,” said Plaza. The DA-RFU 13, ATI center director, the provincial mobilizes/PAGE 10
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Reforms lift PHL’s competitiveness
THE government is stepping up its reforms to further improve the competitive distortions that arise from Philippines’ global competitiveness in response to the increasingly sectoral regulators’ attempt to preserve their jurisdiction and that lead to misallocation international and regional nature of trade and commerce.
BIR collection pushes past P100-B threshold
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the main collection arm of the government, collected in July this year a tad more than it did last year, totalling P100.1 billion, the Department of Finance (DOF) said. According to the DOF, the agency under Kim Henares actually set out to collect at least P100.72 billion but fell P626-million short of this goal. This 0.62-percent shortfall versus target was attributed to Viewed against last year’s actual collection, the BIR performed quite well this year, the July performance having been P16.58 billion or 19.85-percent above the year ago level. This developed in a month when the BIR, pushed to collect far more than it had been pushed in recent years, started a collection drive to include some of the more problematic sectors that historically evaded paying the correct tax such as practitioners of the various professions and the manufacturers of alcohol and cigarettes. Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima issued a call for the professionals to do their civic duty and file income-tax returns more in keeping with what the various professionals actually report at the end of the year to the BIR. Purisima had said such practitioners as doctors and lawyers do not report the actual income they generate in a year because the BIR is now able to cross check the tax returns they file from so-called third parties. He noted for instance that while there are more or less 1.8 million professionals listed as such by the Professional Regulatory Commission, only some 400,000 actually filed income- tax returns. He also said the immediate goal is to make at least 1.5 million professionals pay what is due the government. The BIR also reported having actually collected P94.94 billion in July this year alone, which was P15.82 billion or 20 percent more than collections last year. It was also noted the July collection was P1.06 billion or 1.1 percent less the collection goal of P96 billion. Collections from non-BIR operations amounted to P5.16 billion, P761 million or 17.3 percent more than collections made in July 2012. BIR/PAGE 10
Assistant Secretary Geronimo Sy of the Department of Justice (DOJ) told a recent briefing on competition reforms that the country aims to bring down its corruption perception index ranking to 59 in three years’ time, from 134 in 2010, 129 in 2011, and 105 in 2012. Doing business in the Philippines should be much better for foreign investors in the near future as well, with the government targeting a ranking of 62 in 2016 from 134 in 2010, 136 in 2011, and 138 last year, said Sy. The government hopes to raise its ranking from 85 in 2010, 75 in 2011, and 65 in 2012 to 48 in 2016. Sy said that these targets can be achieved with an effective combination of
competition policy and competition law that upholds fair and transparent rules, combats corruption in governance, and cuts through red tape. Among the prominent elements of the competition policy are the promotion of the dual role of regulators and the imposition of regulatory reforms. Sy explained that regulators should not just be regulating industries but also promoting healthy competition and social objectives. “Competition regulations must define the jurisdictional boundaries of sectoral regulators to avoid uncertainty over which rules apply to firms operating in several distinct markets.” There should also be efforts to remove
of resources. Sy also said that new and existing rules on competition are to be reviewed regularly to ensure that economic regulations stimulate competition and efficiency. On the other hand, those that restrict entry, access, exit, pricing, and output, among others, will be reviewed periodically to ensure that their benefits outweigh the costs. Sy said a competition bill is currently being updated by the Office for Competition (OFC) of the DOJ and will have for its major features prohibiting and defining anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and anticompetitive mergers, providing penalties, administrative measures, a leniency program and the creation of a Competition Commission. (MB)
MBC, Church join calls to scrap ‘pork barrel’ Gov’t debt rises BIG businesses, the Catholic Church and other sectoral groups have backed calls to scrap the socalled pork barrel allocated to each senator and congressman after legislators were implicated in the alleged P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam supposedly operated by Janet Lim-Napoles. The Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said while the PDAF may directly address local needs, “it provided opportunities for corruption to take root and even blossom in various levels of [Philippine] society.” “The current scandal shows just how vulnerable the PDAF is to manipulation and corruption, and exposes the utter lack of accountability among its many proponents. As such, we strongly support initiatives seeking to do away with the PDAF,” their statement read. Sectoral groups urged the Aquino administration to strengthen existing safeguards to ensure the judicious use of other sources of public funds that finance or subsidize minor and big-ticket projects. The MBC and the CBCP, along with the BishopsBusinessmen’s Conference for Human Development, the Citizens’ Congress for Good Governance and the Transparency and Accountability Network also called for an “impartial” and “comprehensive” investigation into the diversion of public funds to phantom organizations. “We fervently believe in the constitutional principle that public office is a public trust, and that [public] funds should be used with utmost prudence. Amid the earnest efforts of the government to bolster the national coffers through increased tax compliance, the people’s money has been allegedly misused by conniving individuals, both inside and outside of government,” their statement said. “We condemn this systemic diversion of public funds for private aggrandizement, much more into phantom organizations. We thus strongly support the conduct of an impartial and comprehensive investigation into the issue, and call on those connected to this scam, whether a private citizen or a public figure, to submit themselves to such a probe,” it added. scrap/PAGE 10
Sustainable growth at 7% possible — analysts THAT period of economic boom for the Philippines in one year quickly followed by a bust the following year is considered over, the chief executive officer and managing director at BPI Securities Corp. said. Michaelangelo Oyson, a chartered financial analyst who works for BPI Securities, said sustainable growth is possible down the line even in the absence of the multibillion-peso Public Private Partnership Program designed by government planners to support growth not just for now but for the long haul. Oyson said sustainable growth averaging 7 percent is expected as long as the PPP comes on stream but that even if Malacañang continues to drag its foot and nothing was done in the infrastructure buildup space, growth should still be possible at around 4.8 percent to 5 percent in terms of the gross domestic product.
The International Monetary Fund previously said a 7-percent growth for the Philippines was possible around 2016 based on the policy and structural reforms done thus far and the realities now on the ground. But Oyson argued sustainable growth is possible even earlier than 2016 for the Philippines no matter the government failure to pursue its PPP Program as it should. “Even without the PPP, we’ll probably grow by 4.8 percent to 5 percent assuming everything is zero,” Oyson said of a government too inept to pursue its own growth plans. His optimism is based on the view that the Philippines has entered a phase known as the “super cycle” where local output is sustained on the basis of consumption activities fed by revenues from the business-process outsourcing growth/PAGE 10
to P5.45-T
PNoy urged to abolish SPF BUDGET activists have reiterated the call for the abolition of the special purpose funds (SPFs), which account for 22 percent of the proposed 2014 national budget. The call was made by the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) a day after a group of professors from the University of the Philippines called for the abolition of the “pork barrel” fund in the wake of the latest scandal involving the release of the Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). “SPFs are lump-sum funds which are included as part of the General Appropriations Act [GAA]. These are not as detailed and specific as the budget proposals of regular agencies. Once these are approved, they are vulnerable to reductions, transfers and ‘adjustments’ since these are lump sums,” SWP Lead Convener and former National Treasurer Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones said. The internationally recognized ABI has been calling for the abolition of the SPF as part of its campaigns. Briones earlier reiterated the call for the abolition of the pork- barrel fund, which she described as “unconstitutional.” It has been widely perceived that if unchecked, the funds could be used for “ghost projects,” if not projects “in aid of re-election” of corrupt politicians. Magtolis said it is important to give attention to the SPFs because these are not normally debated in Congress and are less scrutinized by the public. SPFs account for 22 percent of the proposed 2014 GAA of P1.4 trillion, which Congress will approve. These are funds managed directly by the Department of Budget and Management with the approval of President Aquino. Mr. Aquino is allowed by the Constitution to transfer funds in his office. The current interpretation of the word “office” is that it covers the entire national government, Briones said. “Not only that SPFs have always been problematic, but since these are not as detailed as regular appropriations, they tend to be vulnerable to abuse. Accountability is sometimes difficult to establish and documentation, likewise, is difficult,” she added. For 2014, P310.1 billion has been proposed as SPFs along with P139.9 billion as unprogrammed abolish/PAGE 7
THE Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) repor ted t hat t he government’s outstanding debt has increased by P87 billion, or 1.6 percent, to P5.451 t r i l l ion i n Ju ne compared to the previous month. The BTr sa id P1.950 trillion, or 35.8 percent of the total debt, was from foreign cred itors, whi le P3.502 trillion, or 64.2 percent, was sourced from domestic creditors. T he BTr added t hat domestic debt rose by 1.2 percent, or P40 billion, from the recorded end-May level due to the combined effect of the P42-billion net issuance of government securities, the P1-billion impact on multicurrency retail Treasury bonds of the peso depreciation against the dollar and euro, and a P2-billion reversion of government-assumed domestic liabilities that have been inactive for 25 years. A rise in peso va lue over the last two months, according to the BTr, lowered the external debt by 1 percent since end-December 2012. On a year-on-year basis, the BTr said domestic debt expanded by 14.8 percent, while external debt fell by 4.9 percent. In comparison, the year-on-year debt growth in June 2012 was 10.6 percent for domestic and f lat for external obligations. On ex terna l debts, National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said disbursement from official development a s si st a nc e sou rc e s wa s e x p e c te d f rom forei g n mu lt i latera ls. “Be t hat as it may, domestic debt, however, will still be higher than external debt,” de Leon said in a text message. The BTr said external debt s i ncrea sed by 2 . 5 percent, or P47 billion, over the previous month due to the depreciation of the local currency against the dollar, which raised the peso value of debt by P52 billion on top of the net appreciation of the third currencies against the dollar. The BTr added the net appreciation of third rises/PAGE 7
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“Estrada crusade vs. ‘pork’ resulted in ouster”
Make excuses or make money
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THINK
hink a minute…A very successful business has A Minute this as their motto: “You By Jhan Tiafau Hurst can make excuses, or you can make money, but you can’t do both!” It’s true. Ma ny t i mes we ma ke excuses because we’re afraid. We’re afraid to fail, and of what people might think. We’re afraid to change and do something new and different. Or we’re afraid that we don’t have what it takes to be successful. We think we’re not smart enough. But it’s only after you push past these fears and excuses that you can be confident to go for it! That’s the only way to start being successful in your life. You see, successful people are human just like you and me. They have to face the same fears and excuses we all do. But the difference is in what they do with their fears and excuses. Even though they feel afraid just like us, they simply discipline and force themselves to go for it anyway. That’s the only way any new successful career or business got started. Remember, successful people were also unsuccessful, until they chose to exchange their habit of making excuses for the better habit of making the most of their abilities. It just makes sense it’s the One Who made you Who knows all of your abilities and potential He gave you. So if you ask Him to be your personal life manager, He’ll help you become all that He planned for you to be. And the first thing He’ll do is get you to stop making excuses and to start being a success by being your best. So why not ask Jesus Christ to forgive you and to take charge of your life today? Then, you can get started down your road to success. Just Think a Minute…
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IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out…” (Proverbs 24:19-20, the Holy Bible). -ooo “ESTR ADA CRUSADE VS. `POR K’ R ESULTED IN OUSTER”: Here is a Facebook entry by a cousin of mine, Renato Mauricio, or Rey to us his relatives, on the attempt of then President Estrada to abolish pork barrel. The attempt apparently was one of the reasons why Estrada was impeached by the House of Representatives, and why he was later on ousted from the presidency. Read on: “In 1999, t hen President Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada tried to abolish or stop the pork barrel allocated for congressmen. In return, the House of Representatives voted on November 13, 2000 to impeach President Erap, and the case was elevated to the Senate. “Alam na ni Pangulong Erap na maraming anomalya sa ‘pork barrel’ noong araw pa, kung kaya’t nais nya itong ipahinto, subalit hindi pumayag ang mga mambabatas ng Kongreso (President Erap knew the many anomalies involving pork barrel ever since, so he worked to have it scrapped. The members of Congress however did not agree). -ooo ERAP WANTED `PORK’ SCRAPPED IN 1998: Rey then quoted a news release: “Manila, July 1999. When President Joseph `Erap’ Estrada f irst delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July last year, he vowed to get rid of the so-called pork barrel of lawmakers and implement other drastic steps to make the government more responsive to the needs of the people, especially the poor. “… `I believe that Congress shares my conviction that we have to abolish the pork barrel. In the face of our f iscal position, our people ask no less,’ the President told a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives. True to his promise, the President submitted a `pork-less’ `999 General Appropriations Act...” Rey then concluded his Facebook post: “I remember the day when President Erap was impeached by Congress because it was my birthday, November 13 and my
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cousin, Atty. Melanio Lazo akampi Mauricio Jr., visited me in Mo A ng Batas our residence in San Juan to By Atty. Batas Mauricio greet me, and he informed me that Congress has just impeached President Erap…” -ooo AU G U S T 2 6 , 2 0 1 3 , ANTI-PORK BARREL DAY: T here is now a f ren zied attempt to gather at least one million people at the Luneta Gra ndsta nd on August 26, 2013, to make a public display of the Filipino nation’s nauseated indignation and contempt against lawmakers who not only allowed their pork barrel to be used by non-ex istent organizations (NGOs) linked to Janet Lim Napoles and her family, but who are continuing to refuse to give up their pork barrel allocations altogether. I think that if one million people would really show up on that day, our lawmakers maybe compelled to give up their pork barrel altogether. On the other hand, if only a few will attend that gathering, it would be “tuloy ang ligaya” for all of them, on the thought that the anger of our countrymen has not yet reached boiling point. Then, our people will have no one else to blame for the continuing misuse of pork barrel funds but themselves. -ooo SO LONG, FERDIE FUENTES: I am condoling with the family of Rotary International Past District 3800 Governor Ferdie Fuentes, who passed away last Sunday, August 18, 2013, after a lingering illness. Ferdie and his beauteous wife, Minda, were classmates of mine and my wife, Angie, at a Marriage Encounter class in 1987 whose other members included the late Aurelio Periquet Jr. and his late wife, Mary Anne. Ferdie’s remains are at the Christ the King Church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City. -ooo REACTIONS? Please call me at 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0922 833 43 96. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo. com, mmauriciojr111@gmail.com.
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BSP: The power of communication
he month-long anniversary celebration of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ended on a high note last week with yet another recognition for BSP Governor and Monetary Board Chairman Amando M. Tetangco Jr. Tetangco, last year’s “Central Banker of the Year for Asia” according to The Banker and Emerging Markets, was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Association of Business Communicators – Philippines at the 2013 CEO Excel Awards last July 26. The CEO Excel Awards recognizes top-level executives who have led their organizations towards achieving their objectives in business, environment, or social development, through the skillful use of communication strategies and tools. BSP’s beloved “Gov. Say” was chosen as this year’s Top Awardee for taking the lead in creating and communicating monetary policies that have strengthened confidence in our economy and have led us to our first-ever investment grade rating. In his acceptance speech, Tetangco emphasized the important role of communication in the BSP’s job of promoting monetary, financial, and price stability. He said a two-way communication between the BSP and its various constituents is essential not only in formulating and implementing policies but also in pursuing common goals or advocacies. This award from IABC Philippines actually came at very opportune time as communication and collaboration with stakeholders were the focal points of BSP’s very own recognition program. Last July 16, the BSP held its 10th Stakeholders Awards Ceremony and Appreciation Lunch, where it gave away 71 awards to institutions that have contributed and supported its statistical undertakings, information requirements, and advocacy programs. These are banks, corporations, government institutions, and organizations that consistently and efficiently responded to the studies and activities that the BSP conducts. Among these studies were the quarterly Consumer
Ex pectat ions Sur vey a nd Business Expectations O ut Survey among thousands of By Ignacio Bunye households and companies. Tetangco revealed that results of these informationintensive studies are factored in when the Monetary Board sets policy rates and inflation targets. Communication is also key in the implementation of BSP’s guidelines and policies for the banking community. Examiners are strategically designated among the thousands of banks and nonbank financial institutions under BSP’s jurisdiction to ensure compliance. The BSP also immediately posts its issuances, publications, and other announcements on its website www.bsp.gov.ph for the benefit of the banks and also of the media and other concerned parties. Finally, communication plays an important role in finding common grounds and collaborating in advocacy efforts. Among BSP’s causes that have immensely benefitted from keeping an open line with our stakeholders are the microfinance program to reach the “unbanked,” the coin recirculation and clean banknotes program, the fight against counterfeit money and financial scams, and finally, its financial literacy program. Truly, we can say that the excellent communication between BSP and its stakeholders has helped a lot in attaining our strong economic growth. After all, as we have stated time and again, the task of growing our economy is a team effort. Meanwhile, these awards received by Tetangco and BSP’s outstanding stakeholder-respondents will serve as reminders of how communication and working hand in hand can bring us far and through any challenge or uncertainty.
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DTI... from page 2
“In Za mboanga Cit y alone, we are targeting 25 beneficiaries for the SSF. We will meet this target before the end of this year,” Acuña said. Acu ña sa id u n li ke other government-initiated assistance to MSMEs, SSF is free. “We are extending this assistance for free. All we are asking is for all the beneficiaries to take good care of it, put these into proper use and make sure that it will help you improve your business. This is your counterpart,” he explained. However, Acuña said DTI has the right to take back the equipments if the beneficiaries fail to use it properly. DTI-9 is targeting 67 SSF projects all over Region 9 with an allocation of P27 million. “There will also be the same activities that we will be conducting in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay in the coming days. We have an initial budget of P27 million for this year,” Director Manzur said. M a n z u r a d d e d t h at next year, more would-bebeneficiaries can avail of the program as “next year’s budget will be almost double from this year with P49 million allocation. Any organization can avail of this program for as long as they are legitimate and registered with appropriate
organizations.” The turnover ceremony of the equipment was finalized with the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) by DTI-9 and the respective presidents of the nine coop-beneficiaries. (PIA)
Cites... from page 2
billion-peso investments in this city. “This city is a thriving commercial and economic hub, and as gateway to the Caraga Region,” Andot added. “The city is clearly on track to achieve its goal of becoming one of the competitive cities globally, as defined in its Butuan 2020 Plan,” she said. Local business analysts also cited the current local leadership under Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante Jr. for the city’s good governance and transparency. In a related development, the mining industry in the Caraga Region also boomed due to the rising production of nickel ore and gold for the global market. The Chamber of Mines in Caraga Region, an association of 28 large-scale mining companies, is targeting to export at least 840 shipments of nickel ore and gold this year. For the first half of 2013 alone, these mining firms were able to come up with some 470 shipments of mineral resources from the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, and
Agusan del Sur, said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGBDENR). In 2012, the large-scale mining companies in the region were able to export at least 608 shipments of nickel ore alone to Japan, Australia, China, Korea, and Canada, while gold bullions were also exported to Switzerland by two gold mining firms in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Norte. “ T hese big mi ni ng companies also extended a big help to local coffers and local government units in terms of revenues and employment generation,” the MGB officials added. (MB)
Losses... from page 2
the 16 percent drop in Davao Region’s output following Typhoon Pablo. U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development Mission Director Gloria D. Steele sa id, “Closer coordination among industry leaders, government and donor agencies, is important to accelerate the rehabilitation of banana production areas and restore livelihoods in the area.” “Helpi ng fa rmers i n Compostela Valley regain t rac t ion a nd prepa r i ng the local industry for the potential effects of climate change will directly impact the country’s overall export competitiveness,” Steele added.
To this end, USAID, in partnership with the provincial and municipal governments of Compostela Valley and the Department of Agriculture (DA), organized a provincewide banana industry forum to harmonize rehabilitation efforts, showcase alternative crops, and promote climate change-adaptive farming systems and technologies. The activity is part of the U.S. Government’s P201 million (US$5 million) Typhoon Pablo disaster recover y assistance, implemented by USAID in partnership with the Mindanao Development Authority. The U.S. Government’s ongoing disaster recovery assistance also includes the establishment of technodemo farms in the hardest hit municipalities in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. These farms will showcase short-term cash crops such as corn a nd vegetables t hat c a n help i ncrea se food sufficiency, augment incomes and strengthen the climate resilience of affected communities. Other climate change adaptive technologies such as protective cropping, integrated pest management and vermi-composting will also be featured as alternatives to minimizing the effects of u nfavorable weat her conditions and reducing overall production costs among farmers Major banana exporters oper at i ng i n t he a rea , including Dole, SumiFru,
D i z on Fa r m s a nd t he Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association (MBFEA), presented their plantation rehabilitation plans and discussed related concerns with farmers and contract growers. (MB)
Abolish... from page 5
funds, for a total of P499 billion. The biggest items are Pension and Gratuity Fund of P120.5 billion; Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund for P80.7 billion, Budgetary Support to Government Cor porat ions for P46.7 billion; and Allocation to Local Government Units for P19.7 billion. The PDAF budget level of P25.240 billion is just around 8 percent of the SPF, which is proposed at P310 billion. SWP and ABI believe there is more reason to scrutinize these funds because these are not detailed and these can be transferred easily; and power to transfer funds is gravely abused during the previous administration. That is why it is important to continuously campaign for the fulfillment of promises in public finance and budget reforms. “The Commission on Audit [COA] has already spoken that the SPFs should be removed.... The [Aquino administration] should follow the COA’s advice and, for prudence’s sake, to re-channel the funds and integrate them with the agencies. There should be no
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room for budgets with only general assumptions and vague details,” Briones said. “As citizens, we should also monitor the other larger lump sums. It is high time we expanded the scope of our advocacy from a small portion of the SPF, which is the pork barrel, to the whole SPF itself. In other words why not target the ‘queen bee’ and not just some soldiers and workers?” she said. (BM)
Rises... from page 5
currencies against the dollar further raised the peso value of external debt by P5 billion, which was, however, partially offset by the P10-billion net repayment. The BTr also said domestic debt rose by l percent as of end-June, slower than the 6.1-percent growth for January to June 2012. The BTr said the total guaranteed debt of the National Government increased to P491 billion as of June 2013, 2.5-percent, or P11 billion, higher. The BTr attributed the increase to the depreciation of the local currency and third currency appreciation against the dollar, which increased the peso value of debt by P10 billion and P4 billion, respectively. E x ter na l g ua ra nteed debt fell by P2 billion due to net repayments. Domestic guaranteed debt remained unchanged for the period. (BM)
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Centrio Mall’s Seda Centrio conducts feeding program fiesta sale for kids at Shell-GK Village in Calaanan by Irene Joy B. Dayo of The BWM Group of Newspapers
In participation of the upcoming fiesta celebration, Centrio mall will have its Kagay-an Festival sale this August 24-28 and will give out up to 80% off, Marketing Supervisor Justine Tiro said. This very first mall-wide sale is a kick off also for their first fiesta celebration together with the city of Cagayan de Oro. Merchants of theirs will also participate even though some of these had already piloted seasonal sales earlier this year. Aside from the sale, Centrio also participated and sponsored Kagay-an Festival Marathon, a core event of the fiesta. This marathon will be held on August 18, 2013. To hype up the fiesta, the sale would be followed by a Kagay-an Adventure Fair on the week of the fiesta. They will be inviting top companies which are offering adventure activities such as Dahilayan Adventure Park and Kagay Whitewater Rafting. This sale would also be a venue for the tourists that would be coming for the fiesta in a sense that there would be a one-stop shop to do the bookings for these adventure venues. In addition, there would also pasalubong stalls that would be put up which will display local products. According to Tiro, these mall activities are planned in order to promote and boost the tourism in the city. “From the recent report that Cagayan de Oro is a competent city, it is one proof that the lined up activities will still push through,” she added, stating that whatever bad that happened in the city recently, Cagayan de Oro will still push through the fiesta events which will prove and show other cities that this city is really competitive.
Seda Centrio Feeding Program
Seda Centrio employees led by Genera l Ma nager Lorenzo Tang conducted a feeding program for children of the Shell-Gawad Kalinga Village at PN Roa Subdivision, Calaanan last August 10, 2013. Some 150 ch i ld ren f rom t he approx i mately 200 households residing in the village benefitted from the program conducted as part of the corporate social responsibility program of Seda Centrio, one of the three Seda hotels nationwide of
AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corporation. “This is our way of giving back to the community for the warm welcome it has given Seda Centrio, said Mr. Tang. “We wish to help those less fortunate who suffered in the Sendong tragedy our little share in alleviating their hardship.” Aside from Mr. Tang, other Seda Centrio officers who joi ned t he ac t iv it y included Ms. Fe Macion, assistant financial controller;
Mr. Noah Bubod, engineering manager; and Ms. Amelita Gutierrez, sales manager. Besides t he food ,t he children also received simple tokens l i ke penc i ls a nd ballpens, as well as cholodates and candies as prizes for the games prepared by the donors. Seda Centrio worked on the project in partnership with Gawad Kalinga Cagayan de Oro Chapter through Mr. Tootsie Besinga, Shell-GK project manager. Mr. Besinga said the initial
batch of 122 GK houses in the village were turned over to the Cagayan de Oro City government represented by Vice Mayor Caesar Ian E. Acenas on December 19, 2012 by Mr. Edgar Chua, country manager of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation which provided funds for the project. In addition, Shell has also donated a multipurpose hall and an additional 78 houses by June, 2013 to bring to 200 the number of houses in the village.
rest and disciplining oneself helped him a lot in the pageant, for he is also a fitness trainer. “The Man of Himologan today is a person who possesses major characteristics that made him a true well-rounded individual,” Banaag said when asked on what it takes to be a Man of Himologan. He t hen enu mer ate d t he characteristics of t his generation’s Man of
Himologan. He said that this man has charisma and possess leadership skills, intelligent, mature, confident and flexible. He also that he has TLC – tender lov ing care and h ave a bi g s t ron g he a r t for his people especia l ly during trying times where sacrif ices are inevitable. A Man of Himologan is also someone who follows
t he basic principles of hea lt h a nd wel lness t hat he impar ts to his people ever yday. Banaag has several plans af ter the pageant. Aside f rom accept i ng va rious projec ts, he is preparing himself to ta ke t he Nu rsi ng Licensu re Examination this December in order pursue and put into use what he has studied for.
The Man of Himologan, Ramon N. Banaag II, poses during the funwear competition. Photo courtesy of PVP Studios
Banaag crowned as Man of Himologan 2013 by Grace Mae L. Beber and Irene Joy B. Dayo of The BWM Group of Newspapers
R a mon N. Ba na a g I I of Barangay Lumbia, this city, was crow ned as Ma n of Himologan 2013 during its pageant proper and coronation night last August 11 at Centrio Mall. He i s a 27-y e a r o l d Bachelor of Science in Nursing
graduate of Liceo de Cagayan University. He was also a male winner of the first CDO Bikini Summit last 2012. In an interview conducted, he said that his girlfriend, who is bearing his child right now, inspired him to win the pageant. He also admitted that basic principles of health and wellness, proper nutrition, regular exercise, adequate
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All the income will be stored in mobile savings build-up account enabled by the Smart e-Money platform and linked to the beneficiary’s LANDBANK ATM cash card. Through the program, beneficiaries will not only enjoy t he auto -s av i ngs features but at the same time have the opportunity to have immediate access to a credit facility for livelihood and in the process, providing them access to financial services and capital. Those who avail of the loan can also enjoy a mortgage redemption insurance that covers death or total disability of the borrower while the loan is outstanding. This program is on top of the existing P250-billion credit facility of LANDBANK set aside annually for its ma nd ated a nd pr ior it y sectors, and focuses on the provision of a retailer load micro-enterprise in the countryside and among the bottom of the pyramid segment. Smart, through Smart e-Money, Inc. (formerly Smart Hub, Inc.), has been a pioneer in mobile financial services with world-first services such as Smart Money and Smart Load. For its growing inclusive business strategy, Smart is the only Philippine telco that has been recognized by t he Un ited Nat ions Development Program with a World Business Development Award in 2008.
Rafflesia... from page 4
and survive. “[It] may be the first plant not to have a chloroplast genome,” Molina added. In layman’s terms, this means that it may be the first plant not to use photosynthesis it does not use sunlight to make food. So how does this flower, without leaves, trunk or any other part of a normal flowering plant, survive? Rafflesia has a parasitic relationship with a particular vine called Tetrastigma, which is distantly related to ordinary table grapes. And this relationship, according to Dr. Molina’s research, dates back more than 100 million years. However, Dr. Molina said that there were still many questions surrounding the life cycle of Raff lesia. For example, scientists have yet to determine how the flower seed is transferred to other parts of the forest. Flower patches: Dr. Molina’s friendly lectures for the botanychallenged was one thing. E nc ou nt e r i n g t he re a l f ive-peta l f lower i n its environment was something else entirely. A trek up Mount Banahaw together with Dr. Molina, Mary Ann Cajano, museum technician at the University of the Philippines Los Baños’ H e r b a r iu m , a n d l o c a l guide Mang Jerry brought
the famous flower, and its infamous stink, up close and personal. The climb up t he mysterious and sacred Mt. Banahaw in Quezon province was short. It took about 30 to 45 minutes and the terrain was moderate. It had rained the night before, but the mud was dried out by the warm morning sunshine. Eventually, a clutch of f lowers of t he Raf f lesia philippensis varieity was located. But the f lowers’ location was steep. To get close required hanging onto a tree branch or leaning against a trunk. The six-inch-diameter f lowers were about t wo days old and not yet in full bloom. Their thick petals looked and felt like it was made out of plastic while its spots looked embossed with a rough texture. Interestingly, the flowers live near each other. There were about eight rotten Rafflesia and two flower buds in the same area. Another spot near the first location had three adjacent flowers, which were just starting to decay. The Rafflesia flowers that were not yet in full bloom did not yet smell. According to Cajano, Raff lesias start to smell upon maturity, when they are ready to pollinate. Usually, she said, the flower emits its odor at the same time that it starts to rot. Rafflesia philippensis is one of the small species of Rafflesia, the smallest being Rafflesia manillana, which is also found in the island of Luzon. If you conserve them, they will come: Southeast Asian countries have used the Rafflesia as an icon of plant conservation, hence, the term “panda of the plant world.” The enormous f lower is the state f lower of Sabah in Malaysia and of Surat Thani Province in Thailand. But unlike its neighbors, the Philippine has yet to re c og n i z e t he ne e d to c on s er ve muc h le s s to promote Rafflesia as a tourist attraction. According to Dr. Molina, the prospect for Raff lesiapopulated areas becoming tourist attractions is huge. “[May] lack of awareness ang mga tao kaya [minsan] pinaglalaruan lang ng mga bata… [Baka nga] hindi nila alam na tayo na ang hub ng Raff lesia diversity samantalang sa ibang bansa, in comparison, napakalaking simbolo ng conservation sa kanila ang Raff lesia,” the University of Boston botanist noted. “Hindi sikat [ang Rafflesia sa bansa] kasi lahat ng sikat sa atin mabango at saka may economic importance o ‘yung mapagkakakitaan ng pera. Kasi hangga’t hindi nacucultivate sa botanical garden or nalalaman as a tourist attraction, hindi siya magiging sikat dito.” Apart from awareness, developing areas as tourist attractions may also increase
people’s appreciation for the flower. Thus, their drive to conserve the flower will be much bigger. “Ku ng mapopromote nga ‘yung idea na ginagawa sa Ma laysia [na tou rist attraction ang Raff lesia] talagang I bet yung mga farmers na nakatira malapit sa forest ay pangangalagaan nila talaga ‘yung bulaklak kasi dadayuhin sila ng mga turista para lang makita ‘ y u n ,” s h e e x p l a i n e d . (GMANews)
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from page 4 constr uct ion of t heir processing, fermenting and drying facilities in the area. “The right soil, right climate and dependability of people are very important in putting up this investment and found Glan as highly feasible so far,” Collver added. (PNA)
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warehouse. Salomes added that the proponent (LGU or people’s organization) must provide warehouse with a minimum dimension of 18x15x9 meters including a lot area of at least 500 square meters while DA provides the VTCPPC. (PNA)
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Nor t h Cotabato is considered t he lead i ng rubber producing province in Region-12 with about 55,000 hectares of its land devoted to rubber. (MB)
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Gleeson said limits on water ex t rac t ion, more efficient irrigation and the promotion of different diets, with less or no meat, could make these water resources more sustainable. Wa t e r s i t t i n g i n underground aquifers was the subject of research by British researchers published in April that mapped huge reserves sitting under large parts of Africa that could provide a buffer against the effects of climate change, if used sustainably. A team from the British G e olog ic a l Su r ve y a nd University College London est i mated t hat reser ves of g rou ndw ater ac ro s s Africa are about 100 times the amount found on the continent’s surface. S ome of t he la rge st reserves are under the driest North African countries like Libya, Algeria, Egypt, and Sudan, but some schemes to exploit t hem are not sustainable. The biggest is Libya’s $25 billion Great Manmade River project, built by the regime of slain dictator Moammar Gaddaf i to supply cities including Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sirte with an estimated 6.5 million cubic meters of water a day. The network of pipes and boreholes is sucking water out of the ground that was deposited in the
rocks under the Sahara an estimated 40,000 years ago, but is not being replenished. It is unclear how long this water source will last, with estimates ranging between 60 and 100 years. (Interaksyon. com)
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government, and the LGU of Esperanza town conducted a corn production training and seminar, where at least 150 farmers participated in the activity held at the municipal gymnasium. (MB)
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Collections by the regional offices amounted to P33.48 billion, or P4.02 billion or 13.66 percent more than the collections made in July 2012. Collections by the Large Taxpayer Service amounted to P61.46 billion, P11.80 billion or 23.76 percent more than collections made in July 2012. Or P2.11 billion or 3.56 percent more than the goal set for July 2012. (BM)
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The groups reiterated t heir ca l l for t he sw i f t passage of the Freedom of Information bill, a landmark legislation, which they view as an effective deterrent to abuses perpetrated by corrupt officials. They also reminded the President that in May 2010, the Filipino people made a collective decision to place the country on the straight path toward greater transparency and accountability. “It is our hope that the speedy resolution of this controversy w il l indeed usher the country into an era where transparency and accountability are the norm,” their statement read. Ca lls to scrap t he PDAF a llocated to each congressman and senator were made after public funds were supposedly embezzled by giv ing t he money to bogus non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Malacañang on Sunday affirmed it “will not interfere” in any way with whatever charges the Department of Justice or t he Of f ice of the Ombudsman may recommend against certain lawmakers based on a special audit by the Commission on Audit of the P46-billion pork-barrel funds from 2007 to 2009 amid concerns the audit focused mostly on opposition lawmakers. Palace Chief Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the audit of the PDAF was “color blind” and noted that the COA is an independent constitutional CAGAYAN DE ORO MAIN BRANCH J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers body.P &“The Palace Kalambagohan Sts.,will not Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefaxw # (088) inter fere it h856-1947 whatever CAMIGUIN BRANCH decision thePoblacion, Ombudsman B. Aranas St., Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491 and the CORRALES DOJ may decide,” BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City he said. DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty.Initial linked Erasmo B.reports Damasing Bldg., #61 Don10 A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City dubious allegedly Tel.NGOs # (088) 857-3631 BRANCH created byLAPASAN Napoles for certan Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739 lawmakers. CARMEN BRANCH In a text message, Vamenta Blvd., Cagayan deLacierda Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011 recalled Mr. Aquino’s pledge
in his State of the Nation Address: Kaya tutungo tayo kung saan tayo ituturo ng katotohanan; ebidensya ang magdidikta sa ating hakbang. He added that the COA report covering pork-barrel fund disbursements from 2007 to 2009 was already submitted to both the DOJ and the Ombudsman. Senate President Franklin Drilon urged the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice to expedite the resolution of the alleged misuse of the PDAF. Drilon made the call in the light of the COA report that 74 lawmakers had reportedly received higher levels of PDAF than mandated, from 2007 to 2009—a finding which, he said, had placed all other lawmakers under a “cloud of doubt.” “This is the evidence that our people have been looking for so I am calling for the speedy resolution of this case. The COA report is there, citing some evidence. There should be close coordination between the Ombudsman, COA, and DOJ to speed up the case. The audit report is there,” he said in a radio interview. (BM)
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sector and from personal remittances of millions of overseas Filipino workers. He said a big portion of the 7.8-percent growth in the first quarter, equal to some 4.8 percentage points, was accounted for by consumption and that investments accounted for about 2 percentage points plus another 1 percentage point attributable to the government. “Investments and government are not very big contributors to growth at the moment but they are going to be the kicker next year, especially if the PPP comes true. Then we will have grown by 7 percent and that is why we may already be in a super cycle” of sustainable growth, Oyson said. He reiterated consumption-led expansion on the basis of double-digit BPO growth, as well as by personal remittances that bring in more than $23 billion a year could sustain the country’s growth path even in the absence of more c ompre hen si ve g row t h drivers such as exports or investments. O y s on’s v i e w s h ave supp or t f rom Joh a n n a Chua, managing director
and head of Citi’s Asia-Pacific economic and analysis unit who said the Philippines is the region’s most insulated country from externallyborne risks. Chua said with government having increased its infrastructure spending and the rising number of investment programs being approved, the stage had been set for an investment-led recovery for the Philippines. “Fisc a l ex pend it u res accounted for the fastestrising demand component in the first half of 2013. The sustained improvements in collection efficiency have resulted in a rising tax-toGDP ratio. We noted that the 2013 budget retains a bias for infrastructure spending. “Investment approvals rose by over 100 percent yearon-year in the first quarter of 2013 against -6.6 percent in 2012. This breaks down to an 86.7-percent yearon-year growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) and a 114.8-percent increase versus year-ago levels for local investment. Citi also noted the rising contribution of FDI approva ls when charted over the past two to three years. Clearly, the investment credit rating will help spur investment-driven growth. Historically, most investment-grade countries attracted billions of dollars of FDI overtime,” Chua said. “While some challenges remain, including how to address perceptions when it comes to the relative ease of doing business here, as reported in the World Bank 2013 survey, the stage is set for an investment-led recovery, and we believe the Philippines has started to take off,” she said. She cited the government pla n to increase public disbursement next year by 15 percent, which was higher than the pace of disbursement of 12 percent in the first half this year thus far. Chua brushed aside the current weak ness of the peso versus the US dollar, saying the more important point to consider that the Philippines has since become a net creditor country and no longer relies on the generosity of such institutions as the IMF or the World Bank for balance of payments purposes. “The Philippines is an i ncrea si ng net cred itor nation,” Chua said of the economy, which has set aside $1 billion worth of its dollar reserves at the disposal of the IMF. (BM)
CDO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947
DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631
CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491
LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739
CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City
CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd.,Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011
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Or tiz-Luis a lso cited the potential of creative i ndu s t r ie s pa r t ic u l a rly animation, movie making, book publishing and interactive media. He said the industr y and its stakeholders aim to expand indigenous exports that utilize mainly local raw materials and make full use of the creative energies of Filipino artisans, artists and craftsmen. These export products include fine and fashion jewelry and furniture and home furnishings. However, t he ex por t leader underscored the bigger challenge posed by ASEAN 2015 in these sectors. “We produce a l most similar products with those of our ASEAN counterparts. But our edge can come from our workers’ natural f lair for design, creativity and commitment to quality and hard work,” he said. With this, Ortiz-Luis cited various programs aimed to address gaps in improving productivity and efficiency of the workers. “This is imperative to help us comply with the regional and even global standards that are increasing in number and importance if manufacturers want to secure global markets,” he said. O r t i z -Lu i s s a id t he sector’s ASEAN 2015 agenda
a lso cover facilitating a c o m p e t i t i v e c u r r e n c y, fasttracking infrastructure projects, institutionalization of the Export Support Fund starting in the budget year 2014, completion of reforms at the Bureau of Customs and the approval of relevant bills. “We are hoping that the next 18 months in preparation will be enough to put the country at the same level as our neighbours who have prepared ahead of us,” he said. T he A SE A N ma rke t remains to be the Philippine second top export destination, accounting for 22-percent share in the total merchandise exports in May 2013 at $1.2 billion. ASEAN is a lso a n important source of raw materials and other imported goods for the country.
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between the Mindanao region and Metro Manila. Limcaoco said the Central Spine Roro Project will consist of a network of high-speed toll roads and catamaran roro vessels that will pass through the center of the Philippine archipelago. “This is a big project with an estimated cost of P56.5 billion that we are considering to implement under a PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) scheme,” Limcaoco said. Another project that DOTC is planning to undertake
through PPP is the expansion and modernization of the Davao Sasa Port. “This is one of the country’s busiest ports and it is a known fact that it handles some of our major export products. We expect that by expanding and privatizing it, we can see not just a surge in its capacity by improvements in its efficient handling of goods,” Limcaoco said. The DOTC last year commissioned state-owned D e ve l opm e nt B a n k of the Philippines (DBP) as transaction advisor for P4.04 billion worth of improvements on the Davao Sasa Wharf in Mindanao. Davao Port has a capacity of 700,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), but state-run Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) forecast volumes to increase to 1.2 million TEUs in the next five years. Davao Integrated Port Stevedoring Service Corp, a unit of International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), is the lone cargo handler at Davao Port. Other major ports that DOTC plans to modernize and privatize include those in Cagayan de Oro, the General Santos and Iloilo, Limcaoco said. “These are projects that are crucial to this administration’s economic agenda,” he added.
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“As the peace process is not t he work of t he
BusinessWeek Mindanao Media Center (BWM-MC) conducts training on JOURNALISM (Radio Broadcasting, Editorial Cartooning, Photojourn, Sportswriting,Feature Writing & Layouting, among other) to pupils/students, professional & interested individual. Please contact mobile # 09997990008, 09493284099, 09173077126, 09262553215 or 09493284099. BWM-MC is located at Tan Leh Bldg., North Abellanosa St., Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City
SCHOOL PAPER ADVISER Kurt Kinny Handayan of Impasugong National High School - Kapitan Bayon Annex, Ipasugong Bukidnon pose with their pupilbroadcasters after the Radio Broadcasting Training at BWM Media Center on August 10, this year. Also in photo is BWM-MC Broadcast Training Director Joe del Puerto Felicilda (standing 2nd from right) CEO & Training Manager Dante M. Sudaria (standing 3rd from right). (Arjay S. Felicilda photo)
government alone, we call on you, the business leaders to journey with us, to be part of realizing the Bangsamoro’s aim to become self-reliant politically and fiscally by investing in its industries,” Presidentia l Adv iser on the Peace Process Teresita Q. Deles said in a speech at the Mindanao Business Conference last Friday. “We urge you to keep an open mind, ta ke the initiative to read up, and understand the annexes,” Ms. Deles said, referring to annexes to the Bangsamoro ag reement bet ween t he national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The peace adviser said that the government needs the help of businessmen to convince the private sector “to regard Mindanao in the shining light of its vast potentials.” The government and the MILF signed the annex on re venue gener at ion a nd we a lt h sha r i ng i n July. Another annex, on transitional arrangements and modalities, was also signed. Two a n nexes, power sharing and normalization, remain to be signed. This is expected by the end of the year. “With lasting peace in Mi nda nao, t he cou nt r y sta nds to benef it t he mo s t . A re s ou rc e -r ic h region unencumbered by conflict will open doors of
opportunities for enriching relations, and greater trade, investment, as well as tourism collaboration among adjacent states,” Ms. Deles said. The Bangsamoro political entity will take the place of the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and is hoped to end decades-long conf lict in the area. The signing of all annexes will allow both parties to arrive at a comprehensive peace deal. A Bangsamoro basic law needs to be enacted -- for ratification of residents in the area -- to ensure automatic appropriation and regular release of the regional budget. The law would replace Republic Act 6734 or the Organic Act for ARMM. The proposed region will include Isabela City in Basilan, Cotabato City, six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, and some villages in North Cotabato, in addition to the f ive provinces in ARMM -- Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The regional budget will be similar to the internal revenue allotment received by local government units.
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“This way, we will be able to determine the kind of assistance an elderly needs,” Sabugaa said. CSWD said the updated and verified list will form part of a data base that the Office of Senior Citizens Affair (Osca), could use to easily determine whether a certain elderly is already qualified to receive a pension, including the kind of medical attention they need. Sabugaa said the updated list will help determine how many elderly in the city are physically incapacitated and bedridden, as well as those who are not members of an organization of senior citizens. The CSWD said there are close to 90,000 elderly people in the city. He said the documentation would be done from September 2 to 6 at the barangay level where the Department of the Interior and Local Government will facilitate the registration together with the CSWD and other line agencies concerned. Sabugaa said once they have the number of registered elderly per barangay, the proportionate representation will determine the number of people who will operate the city’s Osca.
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