BusinessDaily (July 17, 2013)

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Volume III, No. 257

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Briefly Oro losses CAGAYAN de Oro City Hall might have incurred potential losses amounting to more than P 120.6 million due to alleged financial mismanagement and lost bank accounts incurred by the previous administration, the Commissions on Audit here on Tuesday said. “The accuracy and correctness of general ledger Cash-in-Bank, Local Currency, Current & Savings Accounts and Time Deposits amounting P1,196.198 million as of December 31, 2012 could not be easily ascertained in the absence of Bank Reconciliation Statements Reports (BRS),” the COA’s state auditors noted. COA ‘s verification disclosed that the period of the latest BRS submitted for verification were August, 2012 for General Fund and Special Education Fund and April for the Trust Fund.

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Cagayan de Oro City

Wednesday

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Rufus: Cha-Cha needed for Asean integration

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By BONG D. FABE, Associate Editor

ITH less than two years to the economic integration of the 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines must do all it can to prepare or “be left behind” in a single-market regional economy starting in 2015.

And one way of preparing the Philippines is to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, especially its so-called “protectionist clause”—Article XII—that limits foreign ownership of property, etc. to just 40 percent, said Cagayan de Oro’s 2nd district Rep. Rufus

July 17, 2013

Rodriguez. “We have to amend the Constitution if we are to compete in t he ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015,” he told the Business Daily by mobile phone. Once amended, it will “open all sectors of t he economy to foreign

investors,” he said. Rod rig uez ex pla i ned that by that time, foreign direct investments (FDIs) will pour, especially since the Philippines have so much investment opportunities in manufacturing, real estate, agriculture, infrastructure, cha-cha/PAGE 11

Metrobank begins search for Outstanding Women By BUTCH D. ENERIO, Correspondent and REMEE MONIQUE O. ESPIRITU, Reporter

GIVING recognition to women whose individual advocac y cont r ibutes to nation building, The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (Towns) Foundation is now accepting nominees for its 14th search for women aged 21 to 45 years old whose achievements have served the country well. TOWNS Foundation in partnership with Metrobank Foundation and Metrobank

D E N R ’s d r o n e program THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources XI is awaiting an unmanned drone project which will be piloted in the region. Guesting at the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao Monday, July 15, Marcus Fragada, DENR-XI Regional Executive Director said he specifically requested that the SkyHigh drone project of the DENR be tested in the region. The drones could fly over remote forests and take pictures or images if they had detected illegal logging activities. Fragada said that the drones could confirm the earlier aerial reconnaissance undertaken by the Department i n p ar t n e r s h i p w i t h t h e Philippine Air Force.

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Card, are in encouraging people from the Visayas and Mindanao to nominate women who, they think qualify in this year’s search. TOWNS said that any person, organization or entity may nominate one or more women who meet the criteria. Aside from age qualification, a nominee must be a Filipino citizen; distinguished in her field of specialization; has search/PAGE 11

IBOT UBAN.A vendor plucks white hair from her mother while waiting for customers in their sari-sari store in Barangay Day-asan, Surigao City. mindanews photo by roel catoto

CdO’s tourism sector welcomes Tune Hotel By MIKE BAÑOS, Editor-at-Large

TUNE HOTEL . The newest hotel in Cagayan de Oro. p h o t o co u r t e s y by r aym o n d mandac

OFFICIALS of the tourism industry in Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao are rolling out the red carpet for the scheduled soft opening of Tune Hotel Cagayan de Oro on July 19. “Tune Hotel ’s arrival as the first international hotel chain in Cagayan de Oro underscores the vast potential of the city for the hospitality industry,” said

Dorothy Jean B. Pabayo, chairperson of the Cagayan de Oro Tourism Council and former tourism regional director. “I am sure the guests who have experienced Tune Hotels hospitality abroad will patronize the new hotel when they visit us here.” The 159-room Tune Hotel Cagayan de Oro opens on July 19 in the heart of the welcomes/PAGE 11

TOWNS AWARD. Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) awardees Dr. Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit of the Research and Social Outreach of Xavier University, Ms. Evelyn Singson and Aura C. Matias, co-chairpersons of the Metrobank Foundation’s-led award search, as they explain the nomination process to reporters. photo by remee monique espiritu

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Economy

2 DOF forwards 9 priority measures to address economic issues wednesday - July 17, 2013

MANILA—At a meeting of C abi net of f icia ls to prioritize t he Cabinet’s leg islat ive proposa ls, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima put forward a list

of proposed bills to answer key economic concerns of both the government and private sector. The meeting will result in a list of measures which

the Executive Branch will propose for L eg islat ive action at the start of the 16th Congress on July 22, coinciding with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address. P u r i s i m a p r e s e nt e d nine priority measures of t he Cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster, namely: Amendments for the BuildOperate –Transfer Law or RA 7718, the Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime, the Rationalization of the Fiscal Incentives Law; the Tax Incentives Monitoring a nd Tr a n s p a re nc y Ac t (TIMTA); and the Customs Modernization and Tariff ACT (CMTA). dof/PAGE 10

Peace pact allots P13-B annual budget for BJE THE government and Moro I s l a m i c L i b e r a t i o n Fr o nt (MILF) have agreed on annual appropriation of P13 billion for the Bangsamoro region, an automatic budget release that negotiators described as “jewel in the crown” on the wealth-sharing provision.

Miriam Ferrer, government chief peace negotiator, said the P13 billion was the current budget of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which will be replaced by the new Bangsamoro

Juridical Entity (BJE) after both sides have settled disagreements on remaining annexes to the Framework Agreement Allots/PAGE 10

DTI tells coops to enlist at SMERA, avail of SSF OZAMIZ CITY—Enlist at the Small Medium Enterprises Roving Academy (SMERA) and avail of the Shared Service Facility (SSF) Project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). This advice from Delia M. Ayano, DTI Provincial Director of Misamis Occidental, was directed to the representatives of the various cooperatives and members of the local chambers of commerce, who attended in the recent launching of the SMERA here. The SMERA is run by DTI with partners from other government and non-government agencies (GO’s/NGO’s) who collaborate to address the needed support and interventions of the SME’s in running their business, Ayano said. Among these GO’s are the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), Department of

Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Ayano said the SSF has a loan package of some P700 million, nationwide, of which P40 million have been allocated for the micro SME’s in Northern Mindanao, to buy machinery and equipment for common use of beneficiaries. So far, the DTI have found out that the reason why most of the MSME’s have closed-shop is the lack of machinery and equipment that tend to get a big share of their capital. DTI/PAGE 10

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CorporateWorld

GSIS, PINAI eyes investments in LRT 1 extension THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is considering to join the bidding for the extension of the LRT Line 1 project. G SI S P re sid e nt a nd General Manager Roberto Vergara, in a briefing Monday said, the LRT Line I extension project is among the two projects that the agency, along with its partners, is considering to bid in. He, however, declined to name the other one. “We’re looking at some of the PPP projects. We’re looking at some of the bigger ones (to be invested in) jointly with other groups. Those projects that will suit our return expectations,” he said. The LRT Line 1 extension project targets to lengthen the line by approximately 11.7 km from the Baclaran Terminal to Niyog Station in Bacoor, Cavite. It has an indicative project cost of US$ 1.40 billion. The estate-pension fund has teamed up with the Manila-based lender Asian Development Bank (ADB), Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), and Dutch pension fund asset manager APG to form the Philippine Investment

Alliance for Infrastructure (PINAI). The group has pooled in P25 billion dedicated for infrastructure projects in the domestic economy. Over the weekend, Ayala Corporation announced t hat it s subsid ia r y AC Energ y Hold i ngs Inc. (ACEHI) signed a joint venture agreement w it h UPC Renewables Partners (UPC) and PINAI for the development of over 200 megawatts of wind projects via the Northern Luzon UPC Asia Corp. (NLUPC). Ayala Corp., in a statement, said the 81-MW project costs about US$ 220 million and bulk or 64 percent of which will be financed by ACEHI while PINAI will contribute 32 percent and UPC, four percent. Vergara said signing of the agreement is an “exciting” event since “we’ve proven that team managing has a lot of value to add to infrastructure projects. “I think the return targets are well within what we were originally looking for,” he said The GSIS chief said they intend to make an outright extension/PAGE 11

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Cebu Pacific grows Jan-Jun passenger traffic by 8% THE operator of Cebu Pacific on Monday said its passenger traffic grew by eight percent in the first six months of the year on the back of promo fares and network expansion. In a statement, Cebu Air Inc (CEB) said it f lew 7.5 million passengers in January to June from 6.9 million in the same sixmonth period last year. Its load factor settled at 85.4 percent for the period. The airline’s international routes expanded by nine percent while its domestic routes by 7.5 percent. T h e G o k on g we i-l e d airline attributed this growth to increased presence in key markets, strategic seat sales offering the lowest possible f a r e s , a n d c ont i nu ou s network expansion.

Cebu Pacific launched twice weekly f lights from Manila to Bali, thrice weekly flights from Cebu to Masbate,

and four weekly flights from Cebu to Camiguin in the first half of the year. “C ebu Paci f ic w i l l

continue to grow its route network, so passengers will have the most flight options grows/PAGE 11

PHL franchise operators told to go for single-market ASEAN PH I L I PPI N E f r a nch i se operators and the government need to explore ways of bringing homegrown brands to other economies in the Association of Southeast Asia n Nat ion (ASEA N) a nd t a ke adva nt a ge of the spending power that continues to rise in the

10-nation bloc. “ASEA N nat ions a re becoming more prosperous as evidenced by rising per c apit a consu mpt ion of services,” George Manzano, vice dean at University of Asia and the Pacific School of Economics, said on Monday at the Philippine Franchise

Association’s (PFA) APECGOS Symposium-Workshop on International Franchising for SMEs. Manzano said t he Philippines has a competitive ed ge over t he ser v ice s bu si ness—l i ke spa a nd wellness chains, marketing, and health care.

“ This is our most competitive area, and we’ve grown this sector a lot here,” he said. Such business are more likely to withstand increased competition from the ASEAN single-market integration in 2015, Manzano noted. told/PAGE 11

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AseanWatch

PHL firms aim to top AGCS

Sun Angel Malunggay Herb Tea franchise owners with PFA Chairman Samie Lim during a recent franchising forum

THE Philippines is again aiming to top the ASEAN Good Governance Scorecard (AGCS), since its entry on the list last year. The AGCS serves as the assessment of publicly listed companies (PLCs) from different Southeast Asian countries. This initiative by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is to promote good corporate governance, which would help companies access capital or reduce cost of capital, as the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community draws near. “Those scorecards are supposed to be filled up by ASEAN countries then they will be considered whether they are in the top 40 Asean companies, or not,” Teresita Herbosa, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said. Herbosa said that since there is ASEAN linkage, investors can now decide “if it is good to invest in a Thai company, Malay company or a Filipino company.” The list will serve as a basis of investors trying to

explore new business possibilities in ASEAN. “[The list] will be used to rank companies in the ASEAN region, conducted by the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum,” Herbosa said. “If the Philippine companies do not try to upgrade their practices, [investors] would try to find other ASEAN companies,” she added. Herbosa said that Philippine companies placed among the top on the list last year, but added that the country needs to be “competitive,” which is why the SEC requires all PLCs to submit an annual corporate governance report (ACGR) to check if each company is doing well with its operations. She clarified that the local ACGR is only looking at the compliance of companies, and not ranking them like the AGCS. Firms/PAGE 10

Local franchisers gear up for global competition MANILA—The country’s top notch franchisers will gather this week at the Franchise A s i a Ph i l ip pi n e s 2 013 organized by the Philippine

Disaster relief SRA implements sugar industry roadmap Philippine sugar industry braces biofertilizer, and special sugar as revenue tops ASEAN +3 THE for tough challenges ahead as it faces the sources, contributing P100 billion to the of reduced tariffs for imported economy.” meeting on prospect sugar in compliance with the ASEAN Free The roadmap aims to expand sugarcane area from 422,384 hectares to 465,000 Agreement (AFTA). food security Trade Tariffs for imported sugar will be reduced hectares in 2015 to improve the capacity H A R BI N—Ag r ic u lt u r a l disaster prevention and relief tops the agenda of a recent meeting on food security bet ween China, ASEAN countries, Japan and ROK. The fifth ASEAN Plus Three Strategic Conference on Food Security, which is held in Harbin, northeast C h i n a ’s H e i l o n g j i a n g Prov ince last week, has brought together 13 countries with a combined population of nea rly 2 bi l lion t hat has seen repeated natural disasters wreaking havoc on agricultural production. Of f icia ls and experts from the 13 countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, Asian Development Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program of t he Un ited Nat ions , exchanged experience on disaster relief work. T he y a lso d isc u ssed issues such as agricultural insurance and the effects of g lo b a l w a r m i n g on agriculture, and vowed for security/PAGE 10

to 5 percent in 2015 from 38 percent in 2010. Sugar planters, millers and other industry stakeholders are concerned that cheap imported sugar will flood the market leading to the collapse of the industry. To address this concern, the Sugar Regulatory Administration has devised a roadmap that will further develop the local sugar industry and boost its competitiveness. The plan, which has a slogan “Gearing Up Initiatives for ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) 2015 and Beyond,” envisions the industry’s evolution “from a single product to a diversified multi-product sugar industry with sugar, bioethanol and electricity as its major products and bioplastics, biowater,

utilization of sugar mills and for the supply of feedstock for bio-ethanol production. It also seeks to boost farm productivity from 57 tons cane per hectare (TC/HA) to 75 TC/HA and increase sugar yield from 1.80 bags per ton cane (LKg/TC) to 2.1 LKg/TC. To accomplish these targets, the SRA will massively use technologies to increase farm productivity and sugar yield, rehabilitate sugar mills to improve its capacity utilization, promote bioethanol production from sugarcane and molasses, sell electricity under power cogeneration, and develop value-added products from sugarcane such as biowater and bioplastics. (PNA)

Mindanao industries face bright prospects M I N DA NAO -ba s e d industries are expected t o b e c om e s i g n i f ic a nt contributors to the country’s export performance and economic development, according to the Department of Trade and Industry. Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Mana lo Jr. said in a recent investment conference that Mindanao, given its distinctive standpoint and its industries’

huge potentials, was in a special position to provide a solid support system. “The opportunities in Mindanao are so meaningful in this administration [that] g o v e r n m e n t [a g e n c i e s a re work i n g ] to ge t he r a n d [p u t t i n g p r i o r i t y on] a g r ic u lt u re , a g ro industrial food processing, manufacturing and even tourism,” Manalo said. The trade official noted

that Mindanao, the country’s second-biggest isla nd accounting for 34 percent of the Philippines’ total land area, was on top of the list of investment opportunities given incentives by the Board of Investments (BOI). A mong t he lucrat ive industries entitled to tax perks include the export of tropical fruits like coconut, mangosteen, banana, industries/PAGE 10

Franchise Association (PFA) to prepare for the challenges posed by free trade in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. Samie Lim, PFA chairman emeritus and the recognized “Fat her of Ph i l ippi ne Fr a nc h i si ng ,” s a id t he impending integration of ASEAN into a single market in 2015 is one of the key concerns local franchisers want to address. During the recent media launch in Makati City of Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 slated on July 17 to 21 at the SMX Convention C enter i n Ma n i la , Li m who’s also the president and CEO of Canadian Tourism and Hospitality Institute, BLIMS Fine Furniture and Automatic Centre, said PFA has invited speakers from Malaysia who will discuss what they have done to make their franchising industry competitive. “Speakers from Malaysia will share what they have been doing a nd what support they get from their government to grow their franchising industry,” he emphasized, adding that Malaysian franchisers are bullish in their expansion in Southeast Asia. Frank lin Go, v ice president of Goldi lock s Bakeshop Inc. and overall chairman of Franchise Asia Philippines 2013, said the 4-in-1 show will feature a discussion on how free trade will affect the country and

local franchisers. “This year’s edition of Franchise Asia Philippines 2 013 w i l l a l s o i nc lude d iscussions on g loba l franchising trends and what franchisers can do to stay competitive,” Go explained. P FA P r e s i d e n t a n d WenPhil Corp. Chairman Elizabeth “Yvette” PardoOrbeta, said the franchise show will give franchisers especially those who want to expand abroad a chance to retool themselves. “Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 will allow franchisers to learn where they can improve. We want our local franchising industry to become one of the front runners in the world,” Orbeta stressed. Anot her highlight of Franchise Asia Philippines 2013, said PFA Vice Chairman Ma. Alegria “Bing” SibalLimjoco, is the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program which will run on July 15 to 16. “The CFE program is a mini-MBA professional development program that is duly accredited by the USbased Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (ICFE),” noted Limjoco. D r. A l a n E s c a l on a , president and CEO of Fruit Magic and chairman of Franchise Asia Philippines 2 013 I nter nat iona l Conference, said Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima will keynote the conference which will kick on July 17. competition/PAGE 10

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The day’s economic data was mixed, however, with growth in New York state manufacturing for July accelerating, while June retail sales fell short of expectations. May business inventories barely increased. Investors are watching for changes in earnings or economic news that could derail the market’s rally. Stocks have climbed this year, except for a late-May selloff triggered by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s comments, which raised the prospect of trimming the Fed’s $85 billion in monthly stimulus. The S&P 500 has gained 18 percent since December 31. “Earnings so far seem to have gotten off to a pretty decent start,” said Cam Albright, director of asset allocation for Wilmington Trust Investment Adisors in Wilmington, Delaware. “We think there was a lot of bringing down of expectations prior to reaching earnings season, so that is probably giving the earnings numbers a little bit more cushion.” boosted/PAGE 11

BIR fails to meet June collections target THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) failed to meet its collections target for the second straight month in June, the agency reported on Monday. In a statement, the BIR said it collected P88.76 billion in tax revenues, 9.12 percent more than collections made in the same month last year. The collection, however, failed to hit the targeted

P100.51 billion for the month. The recent collections bolstered f irst ha l f ta x revenue tally to P593.71 billion, up 13.92 percent from the collections made in the first semester 2012. For June 2013, collections from BIR operations rose 9.34 percent year-on-year to P86.28 billion. Collections from nonBIR operations, meanwhile,

amounted to P2.48 billion, slightly up by 1.94 percent. Regional Off ices’ collections grew by 12.48 percent to P31.53 billion, while collections by the Large Taxpayers Service was up 7.61 percent P54.75 billion. The BIR also failed to meet its collections target in May, after exceeding revenue goals for the first time this BIR/PAGE 11

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S&P 500 gains for an 8th day, boosted by Citigroup NEW YORK - Citigroup’s strong earnings helped the S&P 500 end higher on Monday for an eighth straight day, the longest such streak since mid-January, though weak retail sales limited gains in a session with the lowest volume of the year. The Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 finished at record closing highs for the third consecutive session. The Nasdaq scored its highest close since September 2000. Volume was the lightest of any full trading day this year, with just 4.91 billion shares trading on exchanges, based on the latest available data. This year, daily volume has averaged 6.4 billion shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT. Shares of Citigroup climbed 2 percent to $51.81 after the third-largest U.S. bank by assets reported a 26 percent increase in adjusted quarterly profit. The S&P 500 financial industry sector index gained 0.4 percent.

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Remittance growth slows in May Remittances slowed last May, the Bangko A third of the 431,394 approved job orders i n Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said today. I n a s t atement , t he BSP said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sent home 5.3 percent more money to their loved ones back home in May compared with a year ago. This is slower than the 6.1 percent year-on-year increase the month before. Filipinos working and living abroad sent home $8.8 billion in the first five months, or 5.6 percent more than the $8.3 billion in the same period last year. Growth however likewise eased from the 5.7 percent year-on-year increase in the first four months of this year. BSP Governor Amando

M. Tetangco Jr. however said remittance f lows “remain robust due to sustained strong demand for skilled Filipino manpower overseas.” In May alone, remittances from sea-based workers reached $2.1 billion while t hose f rom la nd-ba sed workers at $6.7 billion. Cash remittances came mostly from the US, where 43.9 percent originated, followed by Saudi Arabia at eight percent , United Kingdom at 5.4 percent, UAE at 4.8 percent, Singapore at 4.8 percent, Canada at 4.3 percent and Japan at 3.1 percent.

January to June this year were already processed, according to Ph i l ippi ne O versea s Employment Administration (POEA). These job orders for services, production, and professional, technical and related workers were mainly intended for ma npower requirements of Saudi Arabia, Un ited A r ab Em i r ate s , Kuwait, Hong Kong, and Qatar. I nc lu d i n g n on- c a s h transfers, personal remittances from overseas Filipinos in May rose 6.2 percent from $1.9 billion last year to $2.1 billion this year. slows/PAGE 10

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The Good-for-nothing THINK

hink a minute…Guiseppe’s Papa came from a family A Minute of fishermen. By Jhan Tiafau Hurst In fact, for 300 years the men in his family had been fishermen in the country of Sicily. His Papa eventually moved to San Francisco where he c ont i nue d t hei r f i s h i ng business. Eventua lly t hey had 9 children. All the boys from the time they could walk helped Papa on his fishing boat. All the sons, except Guiseppe! Guiseppe simply could not go because he got so terribly seasick. His stomach just could not take the motion of the boat, or the strong smell of fish. But even when his dad saw how sick Guiseppe got on the boat, he did not accept it. He always told his son Guiseppe that he was good-fornothing. Guiseppe was very hurt by his father always criticizing and putting him down. But he still tried his best to help his family in some way. So as a young boy he went out on the streets and worked every job he could find to bring money back to his father. But instead of his Papa being proud of his hard-working son, he kept telling Guiseppe he was lazy and good-fornothing. Finally, Guiseppe just gave up on ever pleasing his dad. He got involved in sports and discovered that he was a very talented, natural athlete, especially in baseball. In fact, he became the most successful son in his whole family. That young boy whom his Papa had always called hurst/PAGE 7

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CLIFFORD SANTILLAN RONALD B. MASTAIL

Senseless killings, violence, on the rise

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IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well…” (Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, in Matthew 6:33, the Holy Bible). -ooo SENSELESS KILLINGS AND VIOLENCE ON THE RISE: Running amuck and killing and seriously wounding others seem to be getting more frequent nowadays. In Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, a man said to be heavily drunk and under the influence of illegal drugs killed four and wounded eight others with a bladed weapon. In Quirino, Isabela, another man, said to be suffering from mental disorders, hacked and injured five of his relatives. In Pio Duran, Albay, a man having a drinking spree with his friend suddenly fired at the friend, for no apparent reason. The friend, though hit three times in his body, managed to fight back with a knife, and killed the shooter instead. In all these, the question begging to be answered is: why are killing and wounding others suddenly being done with ease by otherwise peace-loving and friendly Filipinos? The reason is that, many of us are now suffering from one kind of serious mental disorder or another, whether we admit it or not. I mean, if we can afford to imbibe drugs and drink liquor to the extent that we lose our sanity, even if only for the moment we are drug-crazed or heavily

W

hen you hear the word “soldier,” what is the first thing that comes into your mind? Is it the value of courage or honor? Is it the image of a man or woman in uniform, looking very prim and proper? Do you think of violence or peace? One thing that most people will probably associate with soldiers is heroism. After all, these are the people who have sworn to dedicate their lives to serve God, country, and fellowmen. When there is war, they are in the frontline to protect the sovereignty. When there is a disaster, they are tasked to rescue those affected. As soon as the calm has come after the storm, they are expected to help rebuild communities. The truth is that there really is more to being a soldier than just being able to use a gun or take a bullet. They serve the nation in many different ways, making them true modern-day heroes. Recently, ten officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were honored by the Metrobank Foundation and the Rotary Club of Makati Metro for their contributions to society. Dubbed this year’s Ten Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS), they are the living proof that heroism still exists in modern times. They are Col. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., Chief Master Sgt. Rogelio J. Mendoza, and Technical Sgt. Ferdinand S. Baladjay from the Philippine Army; Capt. Vicente L. Cejoco, Technical Sgt. Dante P. Berganio (Marines), and Hospitalman Third Class (Sgt.) Sergs E. Estropigan of the Philippine Navy; and Lt. Col. Moises L. Micor, Master Sgt. Alberto A. Pesebre, and Technical Sgt. Nolito E. Tumesa

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drunk, then we lose our minds akampi and become insane, capable Mo A ng Batas of being violent, demonic and By Atty. Batas Mauricio devilish, and totally inhuman. -ooo MADNESS AND CONFUSION OF THE MIND BEHIND CRIMINALITY: This is something that the Bible prophesied and warned all of us about. The Bible said that if we no longer listen to God and no longer obey His commands, His curses will come upon us, and among them are madness and confusion of the mind. Deuteronomy 28:15 and 28 are the particular verses for these kinds of mental disorders. In Deuteronomy 28:15, it is written: “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you…” In Deuteronomy 28:28, we are told that “The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind…” I am willing to bet that the people who ran amuck and killed and wounded others in the news reports we batas/PAGE 7

Salute to the Philippines’ living heroes

Crystaline pino ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

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SPEAKING

of the Philippine Air Force. Rounding up this year’s O ut winners is Major Daneck E. By Ignacio Bunye Dang-awan from the Technical & Administrative Services of the Chaplain Service. T h is yea r’s honorees , selected by distinguished men and women from the public and private sectors, are all decorated military men who each have rendered more than a decade of exemplary service. While some have repeatedly risk their lives in order to capture rebels, law offenders, and terrorists, or save lives, some have used their brilliance to improve the ways and systems in the military. There is Col. Brawner, who led operations against insurgency in Eastern Visayas and Caraga, Chief Sgt. Mendoza, whose team ensured peace during the East Timor’s first national elections, Tech. Sgt. Baladjay, whose sharp-shooting impaled the Abu Sayaff in ARMM, Tech. Sgt. Berganio, who led combat operations against MILF, and Lt. Col. Micor, who fought with both Abu Sayaff and MNLF in Mindanao. Capt. Cejoco, Hospital Third Class Sgt. Estropigan, and Tech. Sgt. Tumesa, meanwhile, figured heavily in search and rescue operations. Cejoco saved lives during destructive typhoons such as Pepeng and Frank. Estropigan was bunye/PAGE 7

The folly of relativism

WONDER if people in general are aware of the folly of relativism. They may not even be aware of relativism itself, the menace we have been warned about quite strongly since the pontificate of John Paul II and now of Benedict XVI. In spite of its dominant presence in the world today, I believe people are still ignorant of it and therefore clueless as to what to do about it. They seem unable to point what’s wrong. The anomaly has become so widespread it seems it has become normal. Its effects are actually all over. Abortion is now legalized in many rich and supposedly developed countries. Divorce is, of course, already a non-issue in many places. Contraception is also a given. Marriage is now deformed and defaced in many ways as more and more people and societies are approving samesex unions and are even open to have national leaders, let alone leaders of less stature, whose marital status is clearly irregular. There is now a growing sector of people who believe they should just be left alone on practically whatever they like to do, including infidelity, pornography, gossips, slanders, etc., as long as they don’t cause public trouble. All these are manifestations of a relativistic culture engulfing the world today. It’s a mindset and attitude that is based on the belief that everything is relative, nothing is absolute. Everything is relative to one’s preferences or at worst the consensus of the people. Relativism makes us in the great variety of our situations and predicaments as the ultimate

arbiter of what’s good and bad, what right and wrong. It’s not and Traces God anymore. By Fr. Roy Cimagala Or, another way of looking at it is that we make ourselves our own God. What’s right and wrong simply depend on us. They can be a negotiable affair, a matter of consensus. There can be no intrinsic good or evil applicable to everyone in all places at all times. This is a very terrible predicament because in the DNA of relativism is the inherent weakness that unavoidably would lead us to subjectivism, disunity, fragmentation, conflicts. Everyone would be left to his own preferences, often a result of feelings and other conditionings. Differences and conflicts become inevitable. And to resolve or soften the impact of these unavoidable consequences, there can be no other recourse than to violence and even anarchy, or to a drift toward totalitarianism. It’s ironic to note that relativism is often invoked as the soul of democracy. It gives the illusion that with it, people are respected for what they are. It’s a very tempting idea but detached from the fact that we are not our own being, but rather creatures of a Creator, God. And so a democracy that upholds this rotten spirit and cimagala/PAGE 7

HINTS

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Two women kidnapped in Iligan rescued

THE military has rescued two women and arrested their two abductors 30 minutes after they were seized in Iligan City, military officials announced Saturday. Promptly rescued were Kathlyn Jane Dapol and Jingle Bation Rebosora, both married, according to Army’s 1st Infantry Division spokesman Capt. Jefferson Somera. Somera said the victim already rejoined with their respective families while the suspects, identified as Mark Rebosora, 28, and Rogelio

Bation, 60 years old, were detained. It was not immediately known whether the suspects were related to one of the two victims. They were turned over to the custody of the police. Somera said the victims were walking along the side of the road when the suspects arrived and dragged them into a four-wheel vehicle around 10:30 a.m. Friday in Barangay San Miguel, Iligan City. Somera said that Lt. Col. Danilo Ibon, commander of

the 4th Mechanized Battalion, upon receipt of report about the incident ordered his troops to set up checkpoints. He said Ibon’s troops successfully intercepted the suspects’ getaway vehicle around 11 a.m. Friday in Sitio Nunungan, Barangay Maria Cristina, Iligan City. Ar my’s 1st Infant r y Division acting commander Brig. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, Jr. lauded the 4th Mechanized Battalion troops for the quick response that resulted to the prompt rescue of the victims. PNA

Department of Environment and Natural Resource regional executive director Ruth Tawantawan is interviewed by the Philippine Star in her office. She said operations against illegal small-scale miners along the Iponan River have resulted in the conviction of three persons. photo by gerry lee gorit

Iponan anti-illegal mining operations bearing fruit, says DENR-10 director By GERRY LEE GORIT

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -Recent operations against illegal miners operating along the Iponan River in Cagayan de Oro City have resulted in a reduction of mining activities and the conviction of three Chinese nationals. T his development, according to Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional executive director Ruth Tawantawan, ha s a l so i mproved t he

t u rbid it y of t he r iver’s water which had turned to chocolate brown during the unabated mining activities. Tawantawan, however, added that their operations have not stopped but are done almost on daily because “it is a cat-and-mouse” game between the authorities and miners. In an interview with the Philippine Star, she said the illegal miners return to the river once the law enforcers

Hurst...

obeying God’s commands. The fearful thing here is that, the same affliction will happen to many others who will continue to turn their backs on God. -ooo LIVING OUR FAITH DAILY: This is not a matter of religion. It is a matter of keeping our faith with God, and acting that faith out day by day. Indeed, whatever our religious affiliations maybe, we must continue deepening and strengthening our relationship with Him, and this we can do by reading the Bible on a daily basis, meditating on it day and night and obeying everything that is written in it, as Joshua 1:8 is saying. We must strive not to conform to the patterns of this sinful world any longer, and be transformed by the renewing of our minds, as Romans 12:2 admonishes us. And we can do this by thinking about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is admirable”, as Philippians 4:8 says. Then, we must endeavor to train our children in the way that they should go and they will never depart from it when they grow old (Proverbs 22:6), and we can do this by bringing them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 4:6), which is to teach them, wherever we

from page 6

for-nothing, became one of the greatest professional baseball players in history. You may have even heard of Guiseppe by his American na me, Gu iseppe…Joe… DiMaggio. You see, Guiseppe Joe Dimaggio refused to believe all the bad things his dad said about him. He never stopped trying until he finally found his special abilities. So even if your own family has told you that you’ll never be successful and that you’re good-for-not hing, don’t believe them. Just forgive them and know that your heavenly Father created you for great things. Yo u C A N b e c o m e successful and reach your full potential. Just ask Jesus Christ to take control of your life every day, and He’ll help you to forgive and forget the past hurts, so you can move on to become all He made you to be. Just Think a Minute…

Batas... from page 6

are referring to here are no longer listening to God, or, more appropriately, are no longer reading the Bible and attending masses or praise and worship services, and, of course, are no longer

leave the vicinity. T he t h ree conv ic ted foreigners have been sentenced to t wo yea rs in prison and penalized P200,000 each. “The new strategy we used has been effective,” Tawantawan said, referring to t he joi nt operat ions they conduct with other government agencies and environmental groups. DENR personnel conduct their operations Mining/PAGE 10 maybe and whatever the time, to love God above all else and honor Him with our thoughts, words and deeds (Deuteronomy 6:5). -ooo REACTIONS? Please call me at 0917 984 24 68, 0928 574 0193, 0922 833 43 96. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com, mmauriciojr111@gmail.com.

Bunye... from page 6

instrumental in recovering plane crash victims including the late Sec. Jesse M. Robredo, while Tumesa led the allFilipino team that repaired the C-130 cargo aircraft, which is used for relief and rehabilitation activities. Tech. Sgt. Tumesa, whose intelligence work came in handy in the reconnaissance missions over the Kalayaan Group of Islands and Sulu, also modernized the retrieval of military files in the AFP. What makes these men more admirable is their passion and commitment to serve beyond the usual call of duty. All of them are actively involved in community-based efforts from medical and dental missions to environmental campaigns, and housing and education projects. Maj. Dang-awan, for instance, has helped thousands of Filipinos all over the nation through his Church Children’s Ministries, where he conducts feeding activities, sports festivals,

Groundbreaking in Tablon - City Councilors Enrico Salcedo and Teodulfo Lao are joined by Tablon Barangay officials headed by Barangay Chair Romeo Bacarro in this laying of cement in a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of P1 million senior citizens building project of Cong. Rufus Rodriguez of the 2nd district of Cagayan de Oro City. Also in photo are Cong. Maxie B. Rodriguez Jr of Abante Mindanao, Kagawads Pomar, Felix Wayan, Billy Kid Auza and Joneas Galvez. photo by rolando sudaria

scholarship programs, and housing projects. Stories like these restore the people’s faith in the military, a sector that is often a subject of criticism. While there is indeed a lot to fix in the ranks, we should not overlook the men and women who actually take to heart their role in guarding peace and democracy, and i n nat ion-bu i ld i ng a nd development as well. That being said, I join the Metrobank Foundation and the Rotary Club of Makati Metro in saluting this year’s living heroes. Note: My book, Central Bank ing for Ever y Juan and Maria is now available in main branches of Fully B o ok e d , Power B o ok s , National Book Store, and University of the Philippines Press.

of government, democracy is still the best because “it ensures the participation of citizens in political options and guarantees them the possibility both of electing and controlling their rulers,” John Paul II said. As to why relativism is attractive to many people, we can posit the idea that it appears respectful of the views and opinions of people. The problem is that many people have lost the sense of the absolute, have hardly any serious life of religion, and that’s why everything seems to be matter of opinion only. There are also those, more intellectually gifted and convinced about relativism, who claim that if God exists

then he is a God who is constantly evolving because a God who is not dynamic cannot be God. T h e f l aw w it h t h i s reasoning is that they equate the perpetual dynamism of God with the process of evolution. But God, if he has to be God, cannot anymore evolve even if he is also in constant dynamism. That thought contradicts the very essence of God. This is, of course, a mystery to us, due to the limitation of our reasoning. But we cannot deny that if God is God, then he is bot h stably perfect a nd dynamically acting. His action does not imply change in him.

Cimagala... from page 6

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F eature 8 Church leaders urge GPH, NDF to continue peace negotiations CREDIBLE

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“ D e v elopment ” victims: The lumads (indigenous peoples) are the usual victims and “development” of the countr yside, t he Summit participants said. In a work shop, t he pa r t icipa nts ident i f ied “ d e ve lopm e nt ” pr oj e c t s such as mining as one of the culprits that make life more difficult for the lumads, especia l ly i n M i nd a nao. Other culprits they cited are the insurgency, expansion of banana, pineapple and palm oil plantations to ancestral domains and even so-called development projects such as the proposed Pulangi V hydro-electric plant project in Bukidnon. “The lumads are displaced due to the operation of the large-scale plantation and mining,” participants from Caraga, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley said in their workshop output. Bukidnon participants also cited the case of the chief of Barangay Dao in San Fernando, Jimmy Liguyon of t he Mat igsa log t r ibe, who was killed last year for his vehement opposit ion to mining activities in his ba ra ngay. His successor, Fausto Bacliran, was also killed for his anti-mining stance. Liguyon’s killer, a certain Aide “Butsoy” Salusad, also of the Matigsalog tribe and a rebel-returnee is still free despite an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court in Malaybalay City, said Pastor Arturo Veladiez of t he United Church of Christ of t he Philippines (UCCP) and a member of the environment watchdog Panalipdan-Mindanao. In the Caraga Region, the participants cited the pl ig ht of t he Ma ma nw a tribe who are displaced by m i n i ng compa n ies f rom their ancestral domain in the Agusan provinces. “Despite the wealth the mining companies extract from our soil, we who own the mineral resources, especially the tribal people who for centuries lived in the mining areas, remain poor,” they lamented. They said that although some m i n i ng compa n ies committed so many atrocities against the lumads, government’s hands are tied because mining companies’ of f icia ls are “ friends” w it h politicia ns, t hereby ma k ing t hem v ir tua l ly “untouchables,” they added. The mining companies also caused divisions among the tribal folks that they fight among themselves. A lejo st ressed on t he need to use the environment as a framework for peace

and development in lumad areas. “We need the make the lumads strong. We also need to look at the IPR A [Indigenous Peoples Right Act] as a peace agreement, albeit an unfulfilled, halffulfilled or partially fulfilled peace agreement.” The Jesuit priest-scholar noted that aside from mining, the lumads of Mindanao are locked up in all types of conflict, which is why he stressed on the need to help them conduct their own peace dialogues. Plans for the lumads: Alejo said it is high time that the people, especially Mindanawons, demand from both GPH and NDF panels what t heir pla ns for t he lumads are.“They wage war in the lands of the lumads. And the lumads are affected by the conf lict not of their own doing. But during peace talks, lumads are not included. We should pay attention to this. Do they [GPH and NDF] have plans for the lumads?” he asked. “Let’s examine their proposals for the development of the lumads.” A lejo a lso sa id t hat aside f rom t he GPH a nd NDF, Filipinos themselves, especia l ly t hose liv ing with lumads as neighbors in Mindanao should a lso exa mine t hemselves how they help advance the cause of the lumads as he noted the glaring gaps in current peace and development framework of even peacebui lding organizations and institutions as the lumads are often not included. “What really is our worldv iew regarding the lumads?” he asked the Summit participants. Responding the Alejo’s question, Casambre simply said: “Yang usaping lumads malaking problema talaga yan.” Casambre also admitted t hat NPAs indeed inf lict harm and violated lumads’ rights. “But the big difference is that when the NPA do it, they readily admit to doing it. But when the military do it, they don’t admit it despite glaring and overwhelming evidence.” Claveria, Misamis O r i e nt a l D a t u A nt on i o Lumandong, a Higaonon, said there is a need to educate the lumads using their own culture, tradition and tongue in order to really inculcate in them their rights and how to defend it. Lumandong also said that only through education can the lumads u nder s t a nd gover n ment bureaucracy as well as the ways of the dinagats (lowlanders). And this understanding will protect t hem from easily being swayed by va rious interest groups, like mining companies.

Some Summit participants during the workshop. Photo by BONG D. FABE “Education is not responsive to the culture of the lumads,” lamented Alejo. T here a re at lea st 18 lumad tribes in Mindanao and a high percentage of the poorest regions in the Ph i l i p pi n e s —w h i c h a r e mostly in Mindanao—are in lumad communities. Alejo stressed that it is high time that the Filipino nation—those in government, pr ivate sec tor a nd rebel movement—listen to t he lumads. “The lumads are portrayed as having culture but no history. They are close to nature and wildlife. In textbooks, the lumads are frequently relegated to preh i s t or y… Na n i n g k a mot pud ang mga lumad pero walay naminaw sa ila (The lumads a lso struggle but nobody bother to listen to them),” he lamented. “We need to support the lumads in expressing their voices, narrating their experiences, and ar ticu lating t heir opinions.” L ocali z ed peace talks: Alejo even suggested the continuance of the peace talks at the local level. Even Summit participants ca l led for t he “ brea k i ng down” of the negotiations to the local level as success can easily be achieved at the local level compared with t he nationa l level, citing the example of the Ba lay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (BMFI) which acted as the secretariat of the negotiations bet ween t he government and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng mga Manggagawa ng Mindanaw (RPMM). BMFI’s Charlito “Kaloy” Manlupig, the NGO’s founder

and president, successfully acted as third part y independent facilitator of the GRP [Government of the Republic of the Philippines]RPMM peace talks through the formal signing of the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities and the eventual peace agreement on October 28, 2005 in Cagayan de Oro City. “[ T he A g re ement] will open the f loodgate of development in the areas w here t he a r me d g roup o p e r a t e s ,” s a i d l a w y e r Franklin M. Quijano, former mayor of Iligan City and GRP peace panel chair during that momentous occasion. In response, RPMM Political Adv iser I ke delos Reyes sa id t hat t he sig n i ng of the Agreement was just a “consummation of the whole process to attain just and lasting peace in Mindanao.” Manlupig said the GRPR PMM peace negotiation was the first localized peace process t hat reached a n agreement. “But the present Aq u i n o a d m i n i s t r a t i o n decided to su spend t h is process because it wanted to focus on the talks with t he MILF [Moro Isla mic Liberation Front] and the NDF,” he la mented. T he website of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) no longer contain articles on the GRP-RPMM talks. Honculada of the GPH panel ta lk ing peace w it h t he NDF ad mit ted t here is w isdom in conducting loc a l peace negot iat ions with local rebel groups as she urged LGUs to push for local peace initiatives such a s c om mu n it y-i n it i at e d peace zones and dialogues

with communities. “These activities will help in building the peace constituency as well as build an environment conducive to peace since LGUs and local communities are also stakeholders in the peace process. Through this mechanism, we can improve participatory governance. This will also help institute transparency and accountability mechanisms in the peace process,” she said, adding: “LGUs are one big part of the jigsaw puzzle” that is the national level peace negotiations. Accord i ng to A lejo, localizing the peace process i s L G U s ’/c o m m u n i t i e s ’ w ay o f t a k i n g “g r e a t e r responsibility” of their own security. One such example is the LGU of Misamis Oriental under then Governor Oscar Moreno [who is the present mayor of Cagayan de Oro Cit y]. Moreno i n it i ate d development projects in Sitio Lantad, Barangay Kibanban, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental upon h is a ssu mpt ion a s governor in 2004. But these projec ts where what t he people of Sitio Lantad wanted and not what the governor wanted. L a nt ad wa s a for mer stronghold of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army’s (CPP-NPA) Front Committee 4B, North Central Mindanao. In the late 80s through the 90s, Maoist insurgents all over Nor t hern Minda nao a nd Caraga Regions get t heir logistical supplies from its Lantad stronghold. The CPPNPA, led by “Mayor” Conrado Castillo, set up a shadow government in Lantad in 1987. Afterwards, all government services were taken over by

the rebels including health and education. The “mayor” even issued land titles to local farmers. The NPAs used the Higaonons’ native bush craft and knowledge of the terrain to effectively isolate the sitio from the rest of Misamis Oriental using indigenous booby traps and landmines to ma ke it i mpre g nable t o gove r n m e nt at t a c k s . Because of its “isolation,” the administration of then Governor Moreno identified the sitio as a high-profile target for development the moment he assu med t he governorship n 2004. Government forces identified Lantad as a “symbol of resistance,” said Col. Jessie A lvarez, chief-of-staf f of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division. Moreno, who once descr ibed L a ntad a s t he “showcase of the government’s neglect,” led LGU officials in a “penitents’ wa lk ” to the isolated community one Good Friday in the hope of dialoguing with the residents to k now their sentiments a nd need s. Moreno sa id t hat i s t he on ly w ay to bring true development to a community, development that the community themselves want. With the help of the BM FI, wh ich sits as cochairman of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), Sitio Lantad was finally “conquered” without bloodshed or a single gunshot but with the opening of a concrete highway in July 8, 2006. “[Lantad] is a good example of what stakeholders can really do if they only flex their muscle and invest their resources in sustaining peace and development efforts,” Moreno told the Summit.

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DOF... from page 2

Also included: Amendments to the BSP Char ter; and f ur t her Amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering Act; the Removal of Investment Restrictions in Specif ic Laws cited in the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL); Amendments to RA 8974 otherwise known as the Act to Facilitate the Acquisition of Right-of-Way, Site or Location for National Government Infrastructure Projects a nd For Ot her Purposes; and Amendments to the Cabotage Law. According to the Finance chief, amendments in the BOT law will accelerate the PPP program by directly addressing obstacles and i s s u e s e nc ou nt e r e d i n implementation. “We propose to amend the inclusion of other PPP modalities such as joint ventures, concession and m a n a g e m e nt c ont r a c t , and enhancing provisions on unsolicited proposals including the conduct of competitive challenge. We also need to make sure that the PPP Governing Board i s pr o p e r l y a c c ou nt e d for in legislation. These measures will make sure that the lessons we learned from our PPP experience are institutionalized,” said Purisima. The Finance department and the National Economic Development Aut horit y (NEDA) will also discuss together with the Department of Trade and Industry how to make the country’s fiscal incent ives system more efficient, citing to repeal an initial of 26 special laws with tax incentives provisions that may be contributing to wasteful tax incentives estimated at 1% of GDP, according to a World Bank

survey. Purisima said t hat a monitoring and accountability mechanism through the TIMTA bill will effectively account for the utilization of public monies, including monies that are “spent” through the grant of tax incentives to businesses and activities. “The Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) a nd Ot her Government Agencies (OGAs like CDA) g ra nt i ng ta x i ncent ives should submit their annual tax expenditures to the DOF, and DOF will prepare an Annual Tax Expenditure Report that will be part of the BESF and reported to the President and to Congress. This will enhance our ability to track the incentives that government gives out and properly evaluate which incentives most effectively spur development,” added Purisima. Purisima, as Secretary of Fina nce, leads t he Economic Development Cabinet cluster with the NEDA as its secretariat. T he members i nclude the secretaries of NEDA, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of interior and Local Government (DILG) as well as the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI), Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Energy (DOE); Science and Technology (DOST), and Tourism (DOT). (PNA)

Allots... from page 2

signed late last year. “Of all the provisions, t he jewel i n t he crow n is the provision that the Ba ngsa moro w i l l enjoy automatic appropriation and regular release of its budget,” she said.

The two sides signed a wealth-sharing agreement after extended negotiations in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. The Bangsamoro will get the lion’s share of revenues from taxes it collected. To c o n c l u d e a comprehensive peace agreement, the two sides have to finalize negotiations on two remaining annexes: normalization and powersharing. The draft will be submitted to Congress for enactment into law. Un l i k e t he A R M M , which rely on the central government for financial assistance, the BJE will collect ta xes and earn revenues from exploitation of natural resources. “We will have a scenario where dependency will be increasingly lessened as development takes place throughout the next decades from the institution of the Bangsamoro government, so it is very significant in that sense,” she said. “We a ll k now t hat if you don’t have your own money, you cannot really be autonomous… Revenues will increase over time as peace and development prevails in the region so that they will become less dependent and they stand on their own,” she added. The Annex on Normalization, a euphemism for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of MILF combatants will the next difficult issue for both sides after several decades of war. “This is the part where we w i l l be work i ng on the decommissioning of combatants and weapons. And, as you can imagine, that is something that is not easy to give up for a group that has held on to its arms in order to pursue its cause,” Ferrer said. “And it is something that they cannot simply do when, in fact, there are so many other armed groups in the area. There are so many other criminal groups, private armed groups, and so on,” she said. On the Power-Sharing A n nex, t he Fra mework Agreement has identified the powers reserved for the central government: foreign affairs, national defense, external security, coinage and monetary policy, citizenship, naturalization and postage, Ferrer said. “But we also have two other lists, which are quite long. We talk about concurrent powers that will have to redef i ne compe tenc ie s , and then exclusive powers or powers that are being devolved basically to the Bangsamoro,” she said. The Bangsamoro was envisioned to be a “ministerial form of government,” which will have powers over the Shariah justice system. At the House of Representatives, incoming House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said t he f ina l peace ag reement w i l l

require cong ressiona l approval, which means it will go through plenar y deliberations and debate. “There will be pros and cons and I am confident that as long as it can be shown to us that it will be a reasonable thing that would end decades of conflict, it will be approved since the peace problem is one of the things that is setting back the development of the country,” Belmonte said. At t he S en at e , S en . Franklin Drilon commended the MILF and government negotiators for making a breakthrough in the long quest for lasting peace in Mindanao and in putting an end to the armed conflict that hampered growth and development in southern Philippines. “We’ve still got a long way to go before we achieve our goals, more annexes to discuss, but, with the unyielding efforts being shown by both sides and the tremendous support this undertaking has been receiving from the people, t here i s no doubt t h is agreement is bound to be a success,” Drilon said. The Sulu Sultanate, which is fighting a territorial dispute with Malaysia over Sabah, said the government should also consider the interest of non-Muslim groups who would be part of the future Muslim political entity. “ The Su lu Su lta nate, t rad it iona l leaders, t he Christians, and the i nd i ge nou s p e ople s of Mindanao and other st a keholders shou ld be included in the resolution of the Mindanao conf lict. But as we saw it, many were left out during the peace ta lks and negotiations,” said Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani. Idjirani said the peace agreement was a welcome development but it does not guarantee that other Muslim groups would lay down their arms, citing the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway faction of the MILF that vowed to sabotage the peace talks. Presidential Peace Adviser said the MILF has committed to help the military run after the BIFF, to share information on their movements, and to allow soldiers to pass through their strongholds to operate against the BIFF. (MST)

DTI... from page 2

And so, they can now charge such expenditure to the SSF, Ayano said. Considered micro enterprises are those with an asset size of P3 million or less, small, with above P3 million up to P15 million and medium, with more than P15 million up to P100 million. SSF-eligible industries, Ayano said, include the following: raw materials supply cha i n, such a s , production of abaca, bamboo and coconut coir, processed tropica l fruits, such as, pineapple and calamansi, and processed fish/marine

products, such as milkfish, tuna and seaweeds. Also included are the leveraging industries supply cha in, such as, fashion accessories, gifts, décor and housewares, and wearables and homestyles, support industries, such as metals and renewable energy and other agri-based industries, such as, production of cacao, dairy, coffee, organic fertilizer and processed food. (PIA)

Firms... from page 4

In the case of noncompliance to pass ACGR with the SEC, there would be an administrative sanction or fine because it is “a violation of the exchange’s rules.” “ We h a v e t o h e l p ou r compa nies ra n k i n t he [A SE A N cor p or ate gover na nce] scorec a rd , that is why we are requiring them to pass their reports [to monitor and review activities of companies],” Herbosa said. Edua rdo Ma r t inezMiranda, senior investments of f icer of Internat iona l Finance Corporation (IFC), said that the country needs good corporate governance for better economic performance, rather than depending on good stock market performance. “Technically when market is good, we should not proud out. Environment and social issues and good corporate governance is still important to us,” he said. (MT)

Security... from page 4

closer regional cooperation a nd more i n for m at ion sharing. The annual meeting aims at strengthening regional cooperation on stainable agricultural development and food security. (Xinhua)

Industries... from page 4

pineapple and papaya, which Manalo claimed were global favorites. Coconut holds one of the biggest potentials as the country has been ranked third among all the biggest coconut-producing countries since 2006, according to Manalo. The Philippines also ranks first in the global share of copra production. “Coco coir and peat are traditional export favorites. Today, beyond traditional coconut exports, value-added products like desiccated coconut, virgin coconut oil and now coconut water [are being produced],” Manalo said. Other industries that hold huge potential include c a r r a ge e n a n , w h ic h i s a c omp ou nd e x t r ac te d from a variety of seaweeds commonly found or farmable in the clear waters of Southern Mindanao, Indonesia and Malaysia. “Carrageenan has many uses and its main application is on food products where it is used primarily for its jellying and thickening properties. Seaweed production is an integral part of the Mindanao

industry cluster,” Manalo said. In 2001, the Philippines was the top producer of carrageenan and accounted for 40.7 percent of total world production capacity. The country is the world’s largest exporter of processed carrageenan, which is a $5-billion global market.

Competition... from page 4

E s c a lon a a d d e d t he t w o - d ay I nt e r n a t i o n a l Conference will enlighten t he pa r ticipa nts on t he strengths and potentials of the Philippines as a good and attractive investment destination in the world. Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 is Asia’s biggest 4-in-1 franchise show, a premier event that brings together key franchise players in the domestic and international fronts for a valuable sharing of global best practices. (PNA)

Slows... from page 5

This brought cumulative remittances to $9.7 billion, higher by 6.4 percent than the $9.1 billion in 2012. “The steady increase in personal remittances was driven largely by remittance f low s f rom la nd-ba s e d overseas Filipino workers with work contracts of one year or more,” Tetangco said. Persona l remittances represent the net compensation of employees, personal transfers in cash or in kind with work contracts of one year or more.

Mining... from page 7

with personnel from the Depa r t ment of Interior and Loca l Government, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, the SULOG environmental group and other stakeholders. Tawantawan added that there are other cases they have filed and the court hearings are ongoing. “We are trying to identify the Filipino counterparts of the Chinese operators,” she said. She said they have to bring in the law enforcers because some of the illegal miners are armed with pistols. Decades ago the gold mining along the Iponan River was done by small-scale miners using water pumps, but the situation changed recent ly w it h operators becoming large-scale using backhoes. One of the strategies used by the illegal miners, Tawantawan said, is to get an Environmental Clearance Certificate for a sand-andgravel extraction permit but use the ECC for mining gold. “I have addressed this problem and other problems in the region such as illegal logging, since I sat as the new head of DENR-10,” she said, adding that she has relieved some responsible DENR personnel.

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Extension... from page 3

sale or seek listing as among its exit mechanisms for its investments. “Equally if there is a very viable return we could look at possibly taking on further role and just run it as investment that generates a good return,” he added. (PNA)

Grows... from page 3

and the lowest fares available. This is a very exciting time for Cebu Pacific and our guests, as we take delivery of more brand-new aircraft and launch new routes in the coming months,” Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific’s vice president for marketing and distribution. The airline previously announced it will launch flights between Manila and Phuket, Thailand on August 16, and between Manila and Dubai on October 7. It will also add flights for Hanoi and Guangzhou in the fourth quarter. “ By offering more routes and flights, we proudly remain consistent in contributing to the Philippines’ tourism goals. The accessibility of the country’s tourist destinations and connectivity abroad has always been a factor in our network expansion,” Iyog said. Cebu Pacific operates 10 Airbus A319s, 26 A320s, one A330 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. Its fleet of 45 is one of the most modern in the world. Between 2013 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 16 more A320s, 30 A321neo, and three A330s.

Told... from page 3

The ASEAN Economic Community is creating regional market and distribution base by 2015. This, experts say, creates both risks and opportunities for Philippine franchise companies. Andrew Terr y, professor of Business Regulation at the University of Sydney Business School, said a single-market ASEAN “serves as an opportunity for local brands to build regional scale before global expansion.” But local franchise brands must improve on strategic thinking and planning, financial and development models before tackling regional markets. Samie Lim, PFA chairman emeritus and the “Father of Philippine Franchising,” said Philippine companies need to shape up as the ASEAN community also mean a wider space for foreign brands in the local and regional markets. “Most franchising firms are already strong locally, but not everyone is competitive on a global scale,” Lim said. Local brands that have gone global are Tony Tan Caktiong’s Jollibee, French fries kiosk Potato Corner, and fashion retailers Suyen Corp. which owns the Bench brand and Golden ABC’s Penshoppe. Lim also pointed Philippine companies to demand for government support in terms of financial aid for participating in

expositions and trade fairs and going head-to-head with foreign brands overseas. Manzano noted the government should also create policies aimed at reducing barriers on companies going regional and lowering the cost of such ventures. For businesses eyeing global markets, Manzano ad vices: “Antic ipate the threats and opportunities, study the investment climate overseas and work closer with the government.”

Boosted... from page 5

Leap Wireless International Inc shares more than doubled after AT&T Inc said late Friday it would buy the company for $1.19 billion. At least two brokerages raised their ratings on Leap’s stock. Leap, which was among the Nasdaq’s most actively traded stocks, ended at $16.95 - up 112.41 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 19.96 points, or 0.13 percent, to 15,484.26, a record closing high. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 2.31 points, or 0.14 percent, to finish at 1,682.50, also a record. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 7.41 points, or 0.21 percent, to end at 3,607.49 - its highest close since September 2000. Much of the focus this week will be on earnings. Analysts expect S&P 500 companies’ secondquarter earnings to have grown 2.8 percent from a year earlier, with revenue up 1.5 percent from a year ago, Thomson Reuters data showed. While earnings growth has slowed in recent quarters, it is expected to pick up the last half of the year. Bank of America-Merrill Lynch raised its year-end target for the S&P 500 to 1,750 from 1,600, citing expected earnings growth. Most companies also are exceeding analysts’ earnings expectations, as they have done in recent quarters. Of the companies that have reported second-quarter results so far, 66.7 percent are beating earnings estimates. Revenue results, however, are faring worse and are likely to remain a concern for investors, analysts said. S&P 500 industrial shares rose after airlines expressed confidence over the weekend in the safety of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner following a fire on one of the jets last week. Boeing gained 3.7 percent to $105.66 and ranked as the Dow’s top performer. This week’s agenda includes comments from Bernanke, who is scheduled to testify about monetary policy before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. He will appear on Thursday before the Senate Banking Committee. “Given what he has been saying, I don’t expect much different,” Albright said. First Solar Inc was the S&P 500’s best percentage gainer, rising 5.5 percent to $50.27. Shares of Tiffany & Co jumped 3.6 percent to $79.78 in active trading af ter Stifel Nicolaus upgraded the high-end jeweler’s

Cha-Cha...

resources development and capacity building; recognition of professional qualifications; closer consultation on macroeconomic and financial policies; trade financing measures; enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity; development of electronic transactions through e-ASEAN; integrating industries across the region to promote regional sourcing; and enhancing private sector involvement for the building of the AEC. In short, the AEC will transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital,” the ASEAN website said. Rodriguez and his younger brother, Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. of the Abante Mindanao (ABAMIN) partylist filed late last week a bill proposing a constitutional convention (Con-Con) to revise both the political and economic provisions of the Constitution. But more than the political provisions — which the elder Ro dr iguez sai d also nee d s amending because the country’s economy, especially Mindanao’s, is tied to the current political system— amending the economic provisions is “more urgent” because “we are constraint of time before AEC 2015.” “We have to finish dancing the Economic Cha-cha next year so we can have time for the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, during which time the entire ASEAN region will be one big common market and investment area,” he said. Rodriguez, president of the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP), urged his colleagues in the Lower House, the senators and the whole Filipino nation, not to be afraid of dancing the Cha-Cha since “foreign investments are the only ingredient lacking in our economic growth.” The Philippines’ FDIs in 2012 were a measly US$2.8 billion, a “very clear and compelling reason to amend the Constitution, especially its economic restrictions,” he said.

retail, and tourism, among others. “If we are not prepared and if our Constitution still limits foreign ownership and investments, then we will surely be overtaken by our neighbors which are emerging investment havens like Cambodia, Vietnam or even Myanmar,” he warned. By 2015, ASEAN will have a single market and production base, opening the freer flow of abor, investments and capital as as free trade between the 10 member-states will start. And many analysts are saying that the Philippines is not yet ready for this economic integration because not all member-countries are on the same economic level. “ T h e A S E A N Ec o n o m i c Community shall be the goal of regional economic integration by 2015. AEC envisages the following key characteristics: (a) a single market and production base, (b) a highly competitive economic region, (c) a region of equitable economic development, and (d) a region fully integrated into the global economy. The AEC areas of cooperation include human

well balanced personality that is worthy of emulation; committed to the promotion of well- being and upliftment of the Philippines and Filipinos; and possess a pioneering spirit as evidenced by projects that she has initiated in the service of the country. Aur a M at i a s, a TOWNS volunteer and former awardee herself, said that they want to widen their search so that as much as possible they could see Filipino women from other regions to be given the chance to be recognized, especially from the Visayas and Mindanao where only a few have been given the TOWNS award. Matias, who is accompanied by another TOWN awardee Evelyn Singson, said that in Mindanao there are only two and another two in the Visayas who received the award since TOWNS was organized in 1974 and have since awarded 149 women, mostly from Luzon. “This time we hope that there would be more exemplary women from south of the country who will

stock to a “buy” from a “hold” and set a price target of $92. On the flip side, shares of Ingredion dropped 9.9 percent to $62.57, a day after the company warned on earnings. Utilities outperformed other sectors in the S&P 500, with the sector index up 1.6 percent. Utility companies, including FirstEnergy Corp and Public Service Enterprise Group Inc, were among the sector’s best performers after power grid operators in the U.S. Northeast said they had enough electricity to keep air conditioners running this week through an anticipated heat wave. Ad van c er s o u t num b ere d decliners on the New York Stock Exchange by a ratio of about 19 to 11, while on the Nasdaq, 16 stocks rose for nearly every nine that fell.

BIR...

from page 5 year in April—the last month for filing income tax returns. Sin Tax collections bared The BIR, meanwhile, unveiled collections from excise taxes on so-called “sin” products for the first half. Collections by the BIR of excise tax on sin products for the first half of 2013 amounted to P38.54 billion, up by 46.06 percent from the first semester of 2012. Excise tax collection from tobacco products grew 53.14 percent to P22.38 billion, while revenues from alcohol products was up 37.27 percent to P16.16 billion in the first semester. The government expects an additional P33.9 billion in revenues in the first year of implementation of Republic Act No. 10351 or the Sin Tax Reform Law. Eighty-five percent of the additional revenues will be funneled into the government’s health programs, while 15 percent will go toward the welfare of tobacco farmers affected by higher taxes on tobacco products.

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Search... from page 1

be nominated and eventually be awarded of the TOWNS.” Matias said. “ Nung mga nakakaraang searches, na pansin namin na ang karamihan ng mga nominees ay nagagaling sa Luzon at sa Metro Manila. Kaunting-kaunti talaga ang nominee coming from the Visayas and the Mindanao area, and naniniwala kami na maraming mga kababaehan from these two major islands ang qualified,” Singson also said. Joining them is Mindanao’s second recipient of the award, Dr. Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit, Xavier University’s head of the Research and Social Outreach Office. Quiaoit received the award in 2007 for discovering new species of giant clams while doing research for her doctoral dissertation at the Dead Sea at Jordan. TOWNS’s search is conducted every three years where true role models for Filipino women and girls who wish to dedicate themselves to nation building. She said that those nominated should have contributed positively to strengthen national capability and shaping the nation’s future and served as catalysts for economic, social, and cultural development, national security and national unity by providing their time, talent and resources. Nominations shall be received by the TOWNS secretariat and forms may be obtained online (www.towns.org.ph) and submitted or mailed and must be received, postmarked or hand carried before August 9,2013. Filled up nomination forms can also be sent to any Metrobank branches nationwide, or to Metrobank Foundation Office located at 4F Metrobank Plaza, Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City.

Welcomes... from page 1

Lapasan Central Business District and will take the group’s portfolio of hotels in the Philippines to five. Tune Hotels have quickly gained a strong foothold and acceptance of the brand’s concept in the Philippines with the first hotel opening in Angeles City (165 rooms) in February 2012, followed by Cebu (150 rooms) later in February, Ermita (167 rooms) in March and Makati (213 rooms) in July last year. After Cagayan de Oro, there will be hotels in Quezon City (140 rooms), Ortigas (182 rooms) and Davao (155 rooms) for a total of eight hotels opened within a two year period. “The Tune Hotel has finally unfol d e d its re d and white remarkably coated hotel depicting an evident and exquisite image to the hospitality industry in the City of Golden Friendship,” said Nelia B. Lee, president of the Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (COHARA). “Cagayan de Oro City will soon be Mindanao’s Premier Hospitality (Destination) due to the increasing world class standards of the region’s hotel and restaurant family,” Ms. Lee noted. “Together, the family will fathom a greater and broader spread of hospitality service in

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various guests’ perspective. We will tighten the bond and create more possibilities. Maayong PagAbot Tune Hotel sa Dakbayan sa Cagayan de Oro,” Lee said. Tune Hotel is a sister company of the Air Asia group of airlines which is also steadily building its presence in the Philippines, most recently with the announcement of a strategic partnership with Zest Air, which flies direct from Manila to Cagayan de Oro via the newly opened Laguindingan Airport. Tune Hotel Cagayan De Oro is a welcome addition to the city with air passenger traffic growing to a robust 1.622 million in 2012. The recent opening of the new Laguindingan Airport is also expected to further increase the number of flights especially for domestic low cost carriers which grew 6.12 percent in 2012 to 15,540 from 2011, data from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Area IX office shows. The Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental cluster continues to be the most favored by foreign tourists in Northern Mindanao for 2012. Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 10 shows that 74 percent of total foreign tourist arrivals visited the Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental cluster last year. The new Cagayan de Oro property is the first Tune Hotel in the Philippines to have a function room catering to up to 30 guests for meetings and social function. There will also be a restaurant at the ground floor to serve breakfast and provide food and beverage services for meetings and events. “This is a welcome development considering that we are trying to position Cagayan de Oro as a convention city,” noted Efren Uy, president of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber). “With more top-of-theline hotel rooms and facilities here we can easily convince events’ organizers to hold big gatherings in the area.” Cagayan de Oro continues to be a favored destination for the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) market with a 30.4 percent increase in the number of events from 2012 (902) to 2013 (1,176 partial date), according to the Department of Tourism Region 10 office (DOT10). The number of delegates attending MICE events grew a hefty 98 percent from 2012 (78,774) to 2013 (155,949 partial data).

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MDH holds successful 10th post grad course Manila Doctors Hospital’s (MDH) Department of Internal Medicine held a very successful two-day post graduate course on June 27-28 at the Hyatt Hotel. The jam-packed event was titled “Medical Dilemmas in Out-Patient Practice: The Gaps, Challenges, and Evidences” and featured various talks from esteemed internal medicine consultants of MDH. The course aims to guide medical professionals in translating up-to-date diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to practical and systemic clinical approach to common medical conditions in the outpatient setting. More than 250 participants attended the event. The post graduate course is part of MDH’s continuing medical

education program to constantly update its medical staff and other health practitioners on current and new innovations in medicine to provide quality care to its clients. Photo shows one of the speakers, MDH Infection Prevention and Control Section Head Dr. Melecia Velmonte, address the audience during her talk on Immunization of Adult Filipinos. One of the leading centers of health and wellness in the Philippines, the Manila Doctors

Hospital is a Metrobank Foundation healthcare subsidiary. The Foundation actively supports the Hospital’s operations and provides funds for a wide array of social services, which includes subsidies for in-house charity patients, outreach programs and healthrelated interventions in adopted communities, and research. The Hospital was recently recertified as an ISO 9001:2008 institution and is poised to become a key player in the growing medical tourism industry.

LottoCell Android App lets you play PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo game anytime, anywhere.

PCSO launches Bingo Milyonaryo with LottoCell App -An easy and convenient way to play Bingo Milyonaryo with GCASH-

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announces the launch of a new and exciting game for the public to enjoy: PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo. This is a new game that offers a player five different ways of winning in a single draw. In a single draw, a player can opt to play Bingo3, Bingo4, Bingo5, Bingo6, or Bingo2. PCSO made the game more exciting and affordable with a minimum ticket price of only five pesos per combination and a chance of winning all the prizes including the jackpot prizes for the Bingo5 or Bingo6 games. A new Android application by LottoCell allows players to enjoy the game conveniently using their Android mobile device on WiFi or 3G Internet, without having to visit a retail outlet. Transactions are cashless and are facilitated through the players’ LottoCell virtual wallets that can be loaded using GCASH, the mobile wallet service of Globe Telecom. The LottoCell mobile app also allows PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo players to review their transactions for the past seven days and view draw results from their device. “LottoCell brings PCSO games into the mobile and digital age,” said PCSO Chairman Margarita P. Juico. “The LottoCell app creates an environment where PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo can be

played anytime without the hassle of lining up in the outlets.” Using GCASH, “playing PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo is made more safe and secure without the need to have actual, physical cash,” Juico added. The PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo game is among the revenue-generating strategies of the current PCSO Board and was developed to augment the agency’s Charity Fund for medical- and healthcare-related assistance for Filipinos nationwide. Using an Android device version 2.2 and above, players can download the LottoCell app for free at www.lottocell.ph. To start playing, they must first load their LottoCell wallets via GCASH to play the PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo game. To register to GCASH, Globe and TM subscribers just need to download the GCASH Mobile App from Google Play, and tap “New to GCASH.” Converting cash to GCASH is easy. Funding may be done via online bank transfers (www.globe.com.ph/gcash), and mobile banking with Bank of the Philippine Islands (by dialing *119# after enrollment) and Unionbank and BancNet ATMs with minimal fees, or through any of more than 7,000 GCASH outlets nationwide free of service charge. To top-up the LottoCell wallet via GCASH, just sign in, select Reload, and choose GCASH.