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Volume III, No. 246
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Briefly Caraga posts growth SURIGAO City -- An official of the Regional Development Council said the Caraga region economy grew by 9.6 percent, the highest regional growth rate in the country. RDC chair and Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas also said that the poverty incidence in the region has reduced to 9.8%, making Caraga with least poverty incidence among Mindanao regions. The Caraga RDC has embarked on development programs and projects that contributed to the region’s economic growth. Among these are road network improvement, housing, job generation thru business investments, and tourism development.
Green initiatives PRESIDENTIAL adviser for environmental protection Nereus Acosta challenged resource users and large plantations within the Cagayan de Oro river basin to go beyond what is reflected on its environmental responsibility plan. Acosta sounded the call last week during the round table discussion on sustainable agriculture and resource use in sloping land agro ecosystems which seeks in enhancing resilience and productivity of the Cagayan de Oro River Basin amid climate change. “Present stronger cases or initiatives that contribute to better efficiency or productivity. Something that gives a better hold of the business because you have taken environmental interventions, something sustainable and programmatic,” he said.
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Oca: I’ll enforce the law no matter what! Cagayan de Oro City
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By BONG D. FABE
AYOR Oscar “Oca” S. Moreno ye s te rd ay vowe d to do h i s responsibilities as “father” of Cagayan de Oro without fear or favor. Moreno admitted in his speech after taking his oath of office before former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. that the task of implementing his promises during t he campaign is indeed “very, very difficult.” “But we are undaunted” because of t he people’s support and unity, he said. In a short interview with The Business Daily, Moreno s a i d h e a c k n ow l e d g e d t hat i ndeed t he task is overwhelming and hard. “But I will enforce the law, I will enforce the law, no matter what!” he vowed, explaining t hat t he f u ll enforcement of the law is the only way to realize his “hapsay nga panggobyerno”
Rep. Rolando Uy 1st district
in the city. He also narrated that he is so focus on making a difference in the lives of each Kagay-anons in the next three years that he is not concern if he will not be able to run or will not be elected for another term in 2016. “I am not concerned with that [2016 election]. I am focus on the next three years. Let them think of the next election. But for me, allow me to do a difference in the city during my three years at City Hall,” he told this reporter. “Kung g usto ko lang politika ang mangibabaw, all that I need is serve the few enforce/PAGE 11
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez 2nd district
M o re n o: ‘ D i f f i cu l t t a s k ahead.’ photo by rolando sudaria
Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Abante Mindanao
Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III took his oath of office as re-elected senator before newly-inducted Mayor Oscar Moreno. photo courtesy of pia-10
‘Day One begins for new execs’ PH’s largest solar power By REMEE MONQIUE O. ESPIRITU, Reporter
TODAY is Day 1 for newlyelected officials throughout t he countr y af ter t heir formal assumption to office yesterday, June 30.
In Cagayan de Oro City, there’s not much funfare aside from the ceremonial oath taking ceremony of the city’s new chief executive,
Mayor Oscar S. Moreno, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (first district), Rep. Rolando Uy (s e c ond d i s t r ic t), begins/PAGE 11
plant to rise in Cotabato By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews
KO RO NA DA L C i t y - Construction of the largest solar power plant in the
country estimated to cost P1 billion is scheduled to start plant/PAGE 11
J.P. RIZAL - CRUZ TAAL STS., (NEAR SHANGHAI BAKERY) DIVISORIA, CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY
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GROWTH HINDRANCE. Mindanao’s power shortfall is one of the reasons why the island-region lags behind in economic development and progress. photo by mindanews
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EU renews Charter Change to liberalize support to PHL’s foreign investments pushed global trade By James Hookway, The Wall Street Journal
Inefficient infra deters Mindanao’s growth THE government must continue to address nagging issues in Mindanao to spur its economic growth as the March upgrade by international credit rating agency Fitch Ratings will not be enough to generate investments in the region. P r ofe s s or B e nj a m i n Diokno of the University of the Philippines said the Fitch Rating upgrade does not necessarily translate to the inf lux of investors in Mindanao, where many issues need to be addressed.
“Overall, the upgrade is a necessary but not sufficient condition for higher private investment. Much remains to be done by the government,” he said in a statement. Diokno, an economist and former budget secretary,
stressed that government must provide better public infrastructure, reduce the cost of doing business, improve its revenue generating capacity, ensure policy consistency, and relax some restrictive provisions in the Constitution, among others. “Mindanao as an investment destination has added wrinkles. Power supply deters/PAGE 11
M A K A T I C I T Y—T h e Phi l ippi ne Govern ment and the European Union (EU) officially launched at t he weekend t he 3rd phase of the EU-supported Trade Related Technical Assistance Project (TRTA 3), which aims to promote trade and investments in the Philippines as drivers of economic growth, job creat ion, a nd pover t y reduction. TRTA 3 provides for a P453-million fund for the expansion of the Philippines’ trade with the rest of the world and to attract more local and foreign investments. It w i l l a lso en ha nce the government’s capacity to implement some of the key policies and technical priorities identified in the Philippine Development Plan 2012-2016 such as support policy and regulatory reforms to strengthen the industry a nd promote genu i ne competition. As head of the Department in charge of the implementation of the pr o g r a m m e , S e c r e t a r y Gregor y L . Domingo expressed the belief that TRTA 3 w i l l “pave t he way for more economic bre a k t h rou g h s for t he renews/PAGE 11
THE Philippines is growing faster than China, but some Filipinos feel it could do even better and are urging Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to redraft the protectionist constitution enacted on his mother’s watch in the 1980s. The country has won new fans among global investors this year, shaking off its old reputation as one of Asia’s perennial laggards. Government data set first-quarter growth at 7.8% from a year earlier, above China’s 7.7% growth in the period. Some research firms have pegged the growth rate even higher using other measures: According to Credit Suisse’s calculations, the country’s economy expanded by an annualized 9.1% in the first quarter. In March, the Philippines secured a coveted investmentgrade credit rating from Fitch. But unemployment is still high – at 7.5% in April – and many Filipinos see a window to encourage more foreign investment to extend the country’s sudden growth spurt. They want to see the Philippines drop decades-old rules that limit foreign shareholders from owning more than 40% in utility and mining business and bar them entirely in other sectors, notably media and education. They also want to let overseas investors own or extend the leases on land on which they build their factories. A growing swell of lawmakers, businesses and economists now say shaking up the constitution could lure global manufacturers to the Philippines and help it catch up with the likes of Vietnam, which last year attracted over $10 billion in foreign direct investment compared with the Philippines’ tally of $2 billion. “Now is the time to change,” said Bernardo Villegas, an economist and senior vice president at the University of Asia and the Pacific in Manila. “Think of how much more we could achieve if we allow more foreign investment to help us.” Streamlining the constitution – what Filipinos call “cha-cha,” or charter change – is a difficult dance, however. The document has a status almost approaching that of a sacred text. It was developed under the watch during the presidency of Mr. Aquino’s mother, President Corazon Aquino, following the 1986 “People Power” revolt that drove charter/PAGE 11
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On the sidelines of the compa ny’s stock holders meeting today, JFC chief f inancial off icer Ysmael Baysa told reporters that the firm “grew very well” in the second quarter of the year. It posted a 33 percent increase in net attributable income to P895 million in the first quarter from P672 million in the same period in 2012. “There are two drivers: one is better products and
the other one is election spending. Normally, election spending has an effect in the second quarter,” Baysa said. While election spending will have less effect in the second half, new offerings will support the company’s growth, he added. JFC aims to grow its earnings per share by at least 12 percent. To to do this, same-store sales must grow by at least five percent, Baysa said. The weakness of the peso
Globe says bandwidth gets boost sub cable GLOBE Telecom on Friday said the submarine Southeast AsiaJapan Cable (SJC) is now fully operational, allowing subscribers to enjoy higher bandwidth. “The additiona l capacit y generated by the SJC system is highly cost effective, allowing greater route f lexibility, and enabling Globe Telecom to provide businesses and consumers future support for bandwidth-hungry applications, consistent with the explosion of mobile Internet and IT enabled services,” Ernest Cu, Globe president said in a statement. Globe is part of the consortium of companies that laid down the submarine cable. According to Cu, the undersea cable also provides resilient connectivity to other submarine Globe/PAGE 11
Cebu Pacific sees slump with accident aftermath THE operator of Cebu Pacific is likely to miss its passenger target of 15 million this year after an accident that involved one of its aircraft overshooting the Davao International Airport early this month. “That remains our target although after the first quarter, I think we are a little bit short of that. Maybe close to 15 million,” Lance Y. Gokongwei, Cebu Air Inc (CEB) president said on the sidelines of the company’s stockholders last week. Last year, the airline carried 13.3 million passengers, up from 11.9 million passengers in 2011. In the first quarter, traffic rose 4.9 percent to 3.5 million from last year’s 3.4 million. Cebu Pacific’s f light 5J971 veered off the runway of the Davao airport amid heavy rain on June 2. While no passenger was hurt, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has since suspended the two pilots who manned the flight. T he i ncident however obstructed the runway, forcing airport authorities to close the Slump/PAGE 7
is both positive and negative on JFC, as it imports a fifth of its raw materials. “From different angles, it can be good also if the OFW family income will be a little bit higher,” JFC chairman Tony Tan Caktiong said. JFC continues to build the presence of its existing brands in China despite concerns of a slowdown in the world’s second biggest economy. With 400 stores in China, its store network is expected to hit 500 next year across the Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan and San Pin Wang brands. “In fact, one of the reasons why profit in the first quarter rose 33 percent, a big part
of the improvement came from improvement in China. I mprovement i n Ch i na profitability is continuing,” Baysa said. Jollibee hopes to
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Election-related spending spurs Jollibee’s growth STRONG consumer spending in the Philippines and China, as well as new product offerings, will lift earnings of Jollibee Foods Corp (JFC) this year, as the homegrown fast-food giant expands its global footprint.
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penetrate the “difficult” markets of Indonesia and India someday. “We are still on the lookout how we can expand into Indo and India. In Myanmar, we
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haven’t started looking yet but lots of interested parties are convincing us to go into Myanmar,” Tan Caktiong said. Jollibee/PAGE 10
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Tawi-Tawi Re-engineering the bamboo to new heights seaweed growers receive solar dryers on stilts
By PAUL M. ICAMINA LOS BANOS – Say bamboo and people think poor man’s timber, as in nipa hut. “It’s a perception engineered bamboo will change,” says Dr. Rico J. Cabangon who heads the Engineered Products Development Section of the Forest Products Research and Development Institute. Noting that concrete is the preferred material in local construction, he said round bamboo poles are still cheaper than wood and will always remain affordable to those who plant and harvest them. The price difference is not that much and may even be a bit higher with engineered bamboo, said Cabangon. And while engineered bamboo is about to take off from rural nipa huts to high-end markets, there are still many kinks to iron
out, starting with erratic supply, high pole prices and lack of training and machines. For a start, grading standards need to be in place; even perhaps price regulation. Profitable operations depend on location and the production cost is higher in places where a pole is more expensive. A pole of round kawayan tinik costs P25 in places where bamboos are abundant to P150 where there is high demand, as in most parts of Luzon. “Price regulation of poles may be required to level the playing field,” Cabangon told Malaya Business Insight. In order to assure that appropriate poles are used for engineered bamboo, proper clump management should be practiced. bamboo/PAGE 10
BONGAO, Taw i-Taw i— Organized seaweedproducers in nine islandmunicipalities of Tawi-Tawi are recipients of solar dryers on stilts from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTIARMM). DT I OIC -P rov i nc ia l D i re c tor Na z r u l l a h G . Masahud said that each of these 9 units of solar dryer, which includes a stockroom and production materials, cost some P388.210. The solar Growers/PAGE 10
R12 to export meat products KORONADAL CITY—After the recent success in the exportation of rice to Dubai and Hong Kong, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking means to send meat products of Soccsksargen Region to other countries. DA 12 Regional Executive Director A ma lia JayagDatukan said that the agency in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are currently working on the possibility of exporting various fresh and processed meat, particularly pork products of Region 12. Last week, representatives of DA and DTI from Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Ca laba rzon, Davao a nd Soccsksargen regions gathered in General Santos City for the national meat cluster harmonization and convergence workshop. The group discussed strategies and means on how to penetrate the global market. Drawn out in the group discussions was the plan to involve the private sector, particularly the meat processors in realizing the plan. “We need to reinvigorate the standing of our products to compete in the global market by offering fresh and processed meat products that are of high quality,” Director Datukan emphasized during the meeting, which was held at the Tierra Montana Hotel. Meanwhile, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Davinio Catbaga n i nformed t he participants that Secretary Proceso Alcala is currently reviewing national livestock roadmap which
will primarily serve as the country’s direction towards advancing the livestock and even the poultry industry in the Philippines. Citing the information provided by the DTI, he said , there is a huge export potential for pork products among Asian countries. Goat products are also in demand in Middle East countries and other Islamic states where Ha la l food products are required, he added. Talking about the region’s situation, John Pascua l, DA 12 regional livestock coordinator boasted of the big chance for the region to export meat products to other countries. He said, this could begin with the re-strengthening and following-up talks on the the exportation of pork products to Dubai. E a rly l a s t ye a r, DA reported about plans to export “pork-in-a-box” to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, par ticu larly targeting overseas Filipino workers and other nationals like Indians who also consume pork and pork products. Information from DA 12’ s Swine Roadmap for 2013, indicated that Soccsksargen Region or Region 12 could boast of available stock to supply export requirements Export/PAGE 10
EXPORT MEAT. Government inspectors certify meat at a slaughterhouse fit for human consumption.
Davao Norte supplies 50% of Davao region’s rice needs TAGUM CITY—Davao del Norte is providing 50 percent of the rice requirement in the Davao region, said Department of Agriculture National Rice Program coordinator Assistant Secretary Dante Delima. Delima presented no detailed data on the rice production performance of the province but he said Davao del Norte has the edge to produce more rice compared with Davao del Sur, which is also a riceproducing area because “it has wide production area.” Delima, however, asked local government units (LGUs) of Davao del Norte to observe proper delineation of areas for other development concerns such as those on housing and real estate, commercial and industrial without necessarily putting at stake the rice production areas of the province. He made the call as he expressed ways of sustaining the favorable rice production performance of the province despite conversion of rice production areas to other development purposes. On the other hand, Governor Rodolfo del Rosario revealed that even on agriculture production, the Supplies/PAGE 10
Tampakan farmers get P122-K farm machines T A M PA K A N , S o u t h C o t a b a t o —T h e Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 12 provided farm machiner y and inputs to 300 farmers in celebrat ion of t he 4 4t h founding anniversary of this town. Ag r icu lt u re of f icia ls said t he donation of various items worth P122,180 coincided with the 10th Lum’Alay Festival last week. The donation was made by DA Operations Division Chief Zaldy Boloron at the Tampakan g ymnasium. Ta m p a k a n M a y o r L e on a rd o V. E s c o bi l lo e x pre s s e d g r at it u d e to
t he gover n ment for it s suppor t to farmers who cultivate a variety of crops and export-grade fruits. Ac t i ng on b e h a l f of Region 12 Director Amalia Jayag-Datu kan, Boloron gave away two carabaos, 30 laminated sacks, two k n a p s a c k s p r a y e r s , 10 plastic drums, 30 bags of white corn seeds and 45 cans of assorted vegetable seeds. Boloron also gave the farmers a “Mini-Ulat sa Baya n,” say ing t hat t he DA h a d a l r e a d y g i v e n them agricultural projects, farm inputs and assistance worth P9.5 million since 2012.
He said the Tampakan municipal government got a light trap and 132 pieces la m i nate d s ack s , w h i le t he St a . Cr u z Fa r mers’ A s s o c i at ion re c e i ve d a d r u m seeder, wh i le t he Buto Farmers Association received a multipurpose drying pavement from the Agri-Pinoy Rice Program. The assistance was worth P228,000. The town also received a fa r m t rac tor a nd one village-type corn-on-cobs dryer worth P4.8 million from Agriculture Assistant S e c re t a r y E d i lb er to de Luna, who heads t he National Corn Program. Tampakan farmers also
received onion and garlic planting materials worth P152,450 from the High Value Crops Development Program. The Organic Agriculture Prog r a m a lso prov ided P294,644 worth of vermic omp o s t i n g pr oj e c t t o Palo 19 FA and Maltana Farmers’ and Fisherfolks’ Association. Ta m p a k a n h a s a bara ngay food termina l wor t h P450,0 0 0 i n Barangay San Isidro, while the rehabilitation of Purok Mabini Road to Barangay Kipalbig Proper is ongoing, with government spending P4 million for the project. (BM)
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Huawei’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphone free at Globe’s Best-Ever MySuperPlan 499
SOLID AND UNITED. Cagayan de Oro City’s new public servants hold hands to show they are solid and united in forging a new Cagayan de Oro City with the help and support of Kagay-anons. photo by bong d . fabe
The week-long photo exhibit “War of our Fathers” that started 28 June 2013, at SM City, Cagayan de Oro, is drawing crowds. The exhibit about World War II includes pictures of Filipino guerilla resistance in Mindanao. mindanews photo by froilan gallardo
The new Ascend W1, Huawei’s f i r s t Wi ndow s Phone 8 smartphone, has landed Globe Telecom’s device portfolio, making it the first Windows 8 handset offering under the telco’s revolutionary Best-Ever MySuperPlan. Available for free at Plan 499, Huawei Ascend W1 is a stunning and stylish alternative for consumers looking for great Windows Phone OS technology at a price that’s easy on the pocket. W i t h t h e B e s t- E v e r MySuperPlan, subscribers get more than what they pay for with a plan value that’s almost twice the value of prepaid load. Plan 499 gives subscribers a plan value of P900 monthly, which can be consumed to avail of a combination of call, text or surf services. “We are very happy to expand our device portfolio with this partnership with Globe as we a l low more Filipinos to experience a Windows Phone 8 whi le e n j o y i n g A s c e n d W 1’s unique features and superb functionality,” said Johnson Ma, Countr y Manager of Huawei’s Device Business. “In line with our com m it ment to prov ide Filipinos wit h af fordable smartphone options, we are excited to offer the Huawei Ascend W1 as part of our device line-up. Giving this handset better value is pairing it with our Best-Ever MySuperPlan, providing subscribers with a
plan value that’s almost twice the value of prepaid load, as well as the full flexibility of choosing the contact period of their preference from 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 months,” said Raul Macatangay, Head of Globe Postpaid. The Ascend W1 is 10.15 mm thin and features a 4-inch IPS LCD 480 x 800 touchscreen with OGS Technology, powered by the high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 MSM8230 dual-core 1.2 GHz processors and Adreno 305 GPU. With a 1950 mAh battery, the Ascend W1 has 470 hours of standby time, the longest among all smartphones in its class. The Ascend W1 features a visually
iconic design inspired by a tropical island and comes in blue and white. “We’re excited to partner with Huawei to bring the Windows Phone 8 experience to more Filipinos. Combine Windows Phone 8 with the unique features of the new HUAWEI Ascend W1 and you can have the most personal and convenient smartphone to complement your lifestyle,” said Jerry Bongco, Original Equipment Manufacturer Director, Microsoft Philippines. Other key features are a 4 GB internal storage expandable up to 32 GB via microSD, 512 MB RAM, and 5 MP rear camera and VGA front camera.
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The unlocked door THINK
hink a minute…This is a true story about a young A Minute lady who got so tired of living By Jhan Tiafau Hurst with her strict parents that she ran away from home. But she soon found out that life was not easy on her own. She couldn’t find a job, and it didn’t take long for her friends to get sick of her living off of their kindness so they kicked her out. Well, this young 19-yearold girl got so desperate she decided to start making money by becoming a prostitute. Years passed. Her father died. Her mother grew older. And the daughter’s life just got worse and terribly unhappy. But she still would not write or go home to see her mother. One day the mother heard that her daughter was seen in a certain part of town, so she went there looking for her daughter. She went to every store and cheap hotel asking to put a picture on their walls. It was a picture of herself, now a gray-haired woman. Beside her picture was this message to her daughter which simply said: “I still love you! Please come home!” Months went by and nothing happened. Then one day the daughter who was now very skinny and sick wandered into one of those hotels. You can imagine how shocked she was to see her mother’s picture on the wall of that dirty, cheap hotel. As she read her mother’s message to her she began to cry. That night she started walking the many miles back to her home. It was early in the morning when she finally arrived at the front door of her parent’s house. She began to knock but the door was already open. hurst/PAGE 7
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The transitory nature of the foreign portfolio investments O ut made in the stock market, for By Ignacio Bunye instance, makes the equity market vulnerable to reversal of flows as what is happening now as we write. It is not without good reason that such investments are also referred to as “hot money”. Lessons should also be learned from the 2007 U.S property market meltdown. Here are some of the insights shared during the recent ESE, which was attended by BSP Gov. Amando M. Tetangco Jr., Monetary Board Members (MBM) Alfredo C. Antonio, Peter B. Favila, Dr. Felipe M. Medalla, and Atty. Armando L. Suratos, BSP Deputy Gov. Diwa C. Guinigundo, and former MBM Dr. Vicente B. Valdepeñas. Atty. Refran of the Philippine Stock Exchange talked about the stock market, recent developments (e.g. PSEi levels, market capitalization, capital raised, alternative investments, etc.). Atty. Refran’s message: the current economic and market situation are not the same as in those years leading to the property bubble burst in 2007. Atty. Refran then presented the efforts of the PSE to improve the market, including Bunye/PAGE 7
SPEAKING
Accuracy of 2013 polls: challenge to Comelec
IFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Speak your truth, quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story…” (Max Ehrmann, American writer, in the 1927 poem, “Desiderata”). -ooo ACCURACY OF 2013 POLLS IS NOT A MATTER OF RANDOM AUDIT ONLY: It is no longer amusing to see Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and his other commissioners endlessly insisting on the accuracy of the Automated Election System (AES) for the 2013 polls, using as their sole basis the results of the supposed random manual audit that the Commission carried out after the elections. With due respect, it is totally wrong, legally and factually, for Brillantes and the whole Commission, to be saying that the results could be considered “accurate” based on the random manual audit alone, as if such an audit, under existing laws, is the only basis for declaring whether an election is indeed accurate or not. The random manual audit is just one tiny basis, and there are other bases which Brillantes and his commissioners are not talking about, apparently wishing to sweep those other bases under the rug. The fact is, if the results of the 2013 elections were
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BSP checks on the stock market and property sectors
wo sectors very closely watched by the Bangko Sentral, as it performs its price stability mandate, are the equities market and the real estate sector. For good reason. Historically, these two sectors have experienced major swings in prices, causing economic and financial imbalance. For this purpose, the BSP periodically holds Environmental Scanning Exercises (ESE) with key players from the public and private sectors to discuss trends in these important areas. One such ESE was conducted early this month with Atty. Roel Refran of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE),D avid Young of Colliers International Philippines and Prof. Enrique Soriano III of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, as resource speakers. Invited as reactors were Mr. Claro G. Cordero, Head of Research, Consulting and Valuation Advisory Services Department, Jones Lang LaSalle; Ms. Ma. Theresa M. Javier, Head of BPI’s Asset Management and Trust Group and Mr. Justino Juan R. Ocampo, SVP of the Investment Banking Group of First Metro Investment Corporation. The forum was held against a backdrop of rapidly rising stock prices, fueled mainly by foreign portfolio investments, and higher value rates for land, capital and rent during the first quarter. These developments were beginning to be a source of concern. Why worry, one may ask, if all seems to be going well. The short answer is that these markets are really unpredictable. Gains now may become losses tomorrow.
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subjected to an audit using akampi the requirements under the Mo A ng Batas Automated Election Law and By Atty. Batas Mauricio also under the E-Commerce Law of 2000, which should be the proper audit really, there could be no other conclusion but that the said election is nowhere near being accurate. -ooo CHALLENGE TO BRILLANTES AND COMELEC: To prove my point, I am challenging Brillantes and the Comelec to subject the results of the 2013 election to an audit, not only under a random manual audit but also under the two laws I am mentioning here, and also particularly to the Terms of Reference which the poll body signed with Smartmatic Inc., and let’s see if they will still be insisting on the accuracy of that election. In a petition which I filed last June 25, 2013 with the Comelec for a group of Pasay City residents seeking a Batas/PAGE 7
K
Part 2: Transfusion Transmitted Diseases
n Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Donors ( as discussed last week ) have a significant role to play. They need to be honest during the interview and in filling up the forms. History of a past or present illness, drug or alcohol intake, tattoo, ear piercing ( for the males ), and even the last date of blood donation. Vaccines, and relevant health issues like presence of hypertension, blood disorders , should be reported. Previous histories of significant laboratory test results for infectious diseases are important as the Blood Bank Personnel is now guided as to one’s fitness to become a donor. Once the Donor passes the first step which is history taking, physical examination is done and laboratory testing is then performed. A set of examinations are requested and if negative on all the tests, with a normal haemoglobin, then, one can start donating a unit of blood. `The Laboratory performing the tests is as important as that of the Donor. The choice of test kits particularly in screening blood samples for diseases that are transmissible through blood, must be approved by the Department of Health. The importance of the sensitivity and specificity of the test kits cannot be over emphasized. False positive or false negative results should be kept at a minimum. Should there be positive results in the screening stage,
HEALTH
a confirmatory test must be performed, to make sure that I n Focus the test result is truly positive. By Dr. Mary Jean Loreche The expertise of the staff performing the tests is another factor to consider. In cases of uncertainty of test results, performing it a second or third time ( with no extra charge to the patient ) is a MUST, and a confirmatory testing or referral to a higher category diagnostic centre is standard procedure . The donor with a positive result for the screened infectious agents like malaria, hepatitis B,C, HIV and syphilis should be referred to a Specialist for proper treatment. And, to be diagnosed through an incidental Laboratory testing is beneficial both to the donor and the prospective recipient. Imagine the horror if one were to get a disease after having been given that much needed blood! Transfusion transmitted diseases is a risk that may not be totally eliminated as yet. But, with increasing awareness and educating donors on what is expected of them, and instilling responsible blood donation, one problem is solved. Loreche/PAGE 7
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Hurst... from page 6
Afraid that someone had broken into her parent’s house, she ran inside and woke up the sleeping old lady and told her she had finally come home. Mother and daughter began to cry as they held each other. The daughter said: “I thought someone had broken open the door!” But the mother shook her head and answered gently: “My dear, from the day you left I’ve kept the door unlocked.” You know, it does not matter to Jesus Christ what wrong things you’ve done or how badly you’ve lived. The moment you decide to turn to Him and ask His forgiveness, He will always accept you and give you another chance. Jesus is the One Who will enable you to start a new life all over again, but this time living His way with Him in charge. He said that’s the only way you’ll ever have real love, peace of mind, and satisfaction that lasts. Just Think a Minute…
Bunye... from page 6
new projects (e.g. offering an online trading platform for retail brokers, having its own depository, establishment of a new issuer disclosure system to improve provision of data to investors, as well as
implementing short selling locally) as well as offering new products to expand the menu of investment choices for investors (e.g. exchange traded funds or ETFs, PERA accounts, and having index options and futures contracts similar to that in Singapore). In his presentation, Mr. Young of Colliers gave the participants a view on the recent developments in the property market. Generally, Mr. Young thinks there is no property bubble yet. For him, asset price bubble is characterized by rapid price increase. The market is unsupported by affordability hence demand is increasingly speculative. Clearly, there is no office supply bubble. There is low vacancy rates which is driven by supply shortfalls. As far as prices are concerned, rental rates are seen to grow by 5-10% in 2014. Lastly, office rental rate in Manila is still the cheapest in Asia, signifying that we have not been rerated yet by market players, which is an indication of the absence of a bubble. Also, Mr. Young said it is not accurate to say that foreigners are to blame in the perceived build up of the property bubble, since foreigners play a very small part in the Philippines commercial property market. In the latter part of his presentation, Mr. Young shared how other countries intervened to prevent bubble build up. Most interventions,
he said, were in the form of taxation of properties and transfers of properties to discourage speculative purchases. Prof. Enrique Soriano III of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business also said there is no cause for panic at the moment in the property sector. However, supply of mid-rise and high-rise building should be monitored. He said the challenge now is in sustaining the momentum, and this can be done by extending the development beyond Metro Manila, ensuring those who borrow from banks f u l ly comply w it h re a l estate requirements, and monitoring of new borrowing by inexperienced property builders/developers. True to its mandate, the BSP will continue to conduct similar exercises with concerned sectors and stakeholders. Maintaining price stability is - and should be - a group effort.
Batas... from page 6
a declaration of failure of elections in t he cit y on accou nt of t he massive inability of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to produce accurate tallies, this point is discussed quite thoroughly. A portion of that petition says: “But then, really, this was not all there was to it. On top of all the foregoing, Petitioners also personally
experienced and witnessed the fact that, for many voters in Pasay City, no receipts coming from t he PCOS machines were issued to them by the board of election inspectors to reflect that their votes were actually counted by those machines. -ooo HIDING SOMETHING, COMELEC? Anot her portion of t hat petition also said: “Petitioners also witnessed the fact that, in t he transmission of t he supposed results of voting a n d c a nv a s s i n g , t h e r e was even no elec t ronic signature that would attest to the genuineness of the t ra nsm it ted resu lt s. I n addition, Petitioners also noted that the source code for the PCOS machines was not also made available to the interested parties for appropriate inspection and verification…” Surely, Brillantes and his commissioners cannot deny the fact that if the foregoing requirements were not complied with, it would be totally misleading for them to be saying that the results of the 2013 election were accurate, unless of course they are merely engaged in brainwashing the Filipino electorate to make them meekly accept those results. The silence of Brillantes and his commissioners on the compliance of the 2013 polls with these requirements, choosing instead to focus on the random manual audit
alone, speaks volumes against the legitimacy of any and all of their claims about accuracy. It is as if they are trying to hide something here! The question therefore is: what are you trying to hide, Mr. Brillantes and Comelec? -ooo REACTIONS? Please call me at 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0922 833 43 96. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com, mmauriciojr@gmail.com.
Loreche... from page 6
This, coupled with better diagnostic tests in capable and competent staff in the performing laboratories, the probability of being afraid that the unit of blood that is supposed to save is UNSAFE, becomes nil to non-existent. More than the fear of a t r a n sm i s sion rel ate d infection, is the positive side of donat ing a nd receiv i ng: benef its fa r outweighs the possible risks or complications.
Slump... from page 3
airport for two days and carriers to cancel 39 flights. Despite a bearish out look on passenger tra f f ic, Gokong wei sa id the airline can sustain its revenue growth this year. “Based on the increase in the number of passengers, we should grow,” he said. Cebu Pacific’s revenues climbed 11.7 percent to
7
P37.9 billion last year from P33.94 billion in 2011. Its net income amounted to P3.57 billion, down from P3.62 billion over the same period. G okong wei s a id t he airline is taking delivery of an additional three A320s in the second half of the year, five in 2014 and nine more a ny t i me b e t we en 2015 and 2017, with seven lease returns over the same period. The airline will also take delivery of two A330s this year, two in 2014 and two in 2015 all on operating lease. “The Airbnus A330-300 has a range of up to 11 hours which means the company could serve markets such as Australia, Middle East, parts of Europe, Guam and Hawaii,” Gonkongwei said. “The venture is geared to serve OFWs, particularly i n t he Midd le East a nd Australia , who can now enjoy the convenience of a direct f light to and from the Philippines in addition to substantial savings on airfare, compared to current pricing levels,” he added. Cebu Pacific’s 30 A321 NEO a ircra f t w i l l be del ivered bet ween 2017 and 2021, w it h t he f irst three arriving on 2017, thus increasing its f leet to 60 by then. At end-Ma rch, t he airline’s f leet consisted of 43 aircraft: 10 A319s, eight ATRs and 25 A320s.
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The Forgotten Fruit Trees of Cagayan de Misamis By Mike Baños
Along with the old houses, street names and landmarks which have become a part of the heritage of Cagayan de Oro, are some trees and their fruits which seem to have inexplicably disappeared over time. Two trees which have figured prominently in the culture and heritage of Cagayan de Oro are the Lambago and Kayam. “Our place was once known as Kalambagohan because of the abundance o f l a m b a g o ,” R o y Gaane, president and founder of Kagayanon International, recalls. The Lambago tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) is a member of the Malvaceae tree family that thrives in low altitude areas like seashores, riverbanks and other areas reached by tidal streams. Long-time resident Titus Velez reminisces how the lambago produced a yellow flower with some red stripes. As the day came and went, the flowers deepened to orange and then to red before falling off. The branches of the tree would bend over time and the wood has been used for boats, firewood, wood carvings and many other uses. It has also been used by Hawaiian Polynesians to make rope. “They serve as ant i-erosion s a mga riverbanks, trapping silt during the seasonal floods of the Cagayan River,” Velez said. “We use to climb this tree
Tahitian Chestnut or Kayam
from on tree to another. Kasi almost interlocking ang mga branches. The branches are also very flexible and strong even the small ones. We also use the branches as an improvised diving board. During summer we would enjoy its shade.” “Under the tree we w ou l d c o o k b a n a n a w it h g inamos and a bottle of coke. We could sleep in the branches while bringing the old transistor radio (the ones with Nora Aunor’s face on the dial), while listening to dramas from dyHP. We also fly out kites there, well actually on a s m a l l c l e ar i ng besides the trees,” he added. “ Those were the days. The last lambago I saw was along Iponan river but it’s not there anymore. I’m not sure if there are still lambago if we go upstream. I think it is a victim of rapid urbanization.” On the other hand, the Kayam was better known to elder Kagayanons for its nut which was a popular delicacy during their childhood days in the city. “I remember that my mother had a suki who would deliver cooked or boiled kayam to the
Inocarpus_edulis or Tahitian Chestnut better known as the Kayam in the old Cagayan de Misamis.
house,” wrote Wendy Ramos-Garcia in her reminisces entitled Memories of the Old Hometown. “I haven’t seen kayam for a long, long time now.” “It tastes like castañas (chestnuts) except it is bigger,” Gaane said. “ You can look it up in Google under the name of Tahitian Chestnut or Polynesian Chestnut.” The tree was even linked in popular culture t o on e of t h e c it y ’s barangays. “When I was still in grade school, there were kayam trees in Consolacion, then known as the red light district of Cagayan,” Gaane said. “When men who patronized the district were asked where they had been, they would say, Nang kayam ‘mi . It became notorious and that was probably why the trees were cut.” Gaane also recalls other fruits of his childhood in Cagayan de Oro but which are
now hard-to-find. “There was the alubijid tree once found by the side of the Provincial Capitol,” he said. “Its fruit is evergreen and its seed is hairy like that of the siniguelas except that the alubijid is round and big as a tennis ball. It probably can still be found in the town of Alubijid. It’s crunchy like an apple, green, with hairy kernel. Just like the pangi fruit which was once found in Barangay Tagpangi. It must still be there,” he added. Gaane also recalls a fruit better known as the cherry which was brownish and about the size of lanzones. “There used to be a tree at the Ke mp s k i c omp ou n d that later became Rizal Theatre. Being a family friend, I used to get my cherries there.” When he was a grade schooler in Ateneo de Cagayan (now better known as Xavier University), Gaane said he was a patron of the cherries which used to
be sold by the Neri’s who had a property right next to the old gymnasium. “I re me mb e r t hat cherr y tree which belonged to the family of Luisito Neri,” RamosGarcia s aid. “It was delicious but the tree was full of thorns.” Jazmin RamosSumalinog, eldest d au g ht e r o f f o r m e r Pilgrim Institute High School Principal Severino Ramos recalls t he y us e d to have a cherry tree in their front yard. “Didto mi sa taas sa cherry pirmi magsaka to get the dark plumcolored ones. Daghan gusto mopalit when the fruits look so tempting to passersby,” she said. “Dante, Bobom, Totic and myself agreed to own part of the tree as our respective branches, so that we get fruits only from our assigned branch. Nakaka miss !” “The cherry is known as cereales in Davao and serali in the Visayas,” said Sylvia Aguhob, a food tech faculty from X a v i e r Un i v e r s i t y ’s College of Agriculture. She said many of the trees still line the pathway in the car park of the now cloistered Southeast Asian Rural Social Leadership Institute (Searsolin) at the Manresa campus of XU. Another fruit which was once abundant in Carmen in what is now the Golden Village was
the songsong kabaw . “When ripe it is red and hairy like the mabolo but you only eat its flesh like the mangosteen,” Gaane recalls. Like the cherry, he said he hasn’t seen one since his high school days. Veteran journalist Ben Emata, who is now based in Los Angeles, USA, also has fond memories of the songsong kabaw. “This is a sweet fruit that looks like the nipple of a carabao,” he muses. “When I went hunting during my childhood days, Songsong Kabaw were abundant side by side with bayabas or guavas. I have not seen this fruit for a very long time. It was not sold in the market since it was a wild fruit.” Philippine Heritage gives Songsong Kabaw’s scientific name as A n n o n a c e a e Uv a r i a rufe and its found from No r t h e r n L u z o n t o Palawan and Mindanao where it is known as the susong-kalabaw, susog kaba, and a host of other regional variants. According to MarketMan of the wonderful blog Market Manila, Songsong Kabaw is a member ot the Annonaceae family, which counts among its cousins, guyabano (soursop), atis (custard apple) and ylang-ylang. ( see http:// w w w. m a r k e t m a n i l a . com/wp-content/ uploads/2007/09/ akalabaw3.JPG)
Songsong Kabaw photo by Market Man
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Bamboo... from page 4
Once cut, grading standards for bamboos should be set to ensure that only quality poles are used by manufacturers. Gradings for poles may lead to the standardization of prices, said Cabangon. Engineered bamboo is made by binding veneers, strands, particles, fibers, strips or slats, woven mats or f lattened bamboo with adhesive. There are two basic raw materials: glue and bamboo culms that are relatively thick-walled and straight. The result is a composite material designed to meet specific uses. T he most i mpor ta nt sp e c ie s for eng i ne ere d bamboo are kawayan tinik (Bambusa blumeana), giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper), botong /machi ku (D. latif lorus) and bolo (Gigantochloa levis). “The projected demand for eng i neered ba mboo products clearly indicates the lack of bamboo resources to meet t he a nticipated requirement of the industry,” said Cabangon who has put forward strategies to attain “a vibrant” engineered bamboo industry. Some 10,378 hectares of bamboo plantations need to be established to meet
industry needs. This requires an investment of P957,412,012 – or P 92,254 per hectare, according to a 2007 estimate made by t he Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquat ic a nd Natura l Resources Research and Development. While plantations are b e i n g e s t a bl i s he d , t he available 5,575 hectares of kawayan tinik, giant bamboo and bolo can be tapped. Assuming that 60 percent or 3,345 hectares of these are available for harvesting, that’s around 3,345,000 poles, enough to make 371,667 school desks. W hy s c h o o l d e s k s? Executive Order 879 which President Arroyo issused in 2010 created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council and requires the use of bamboo for at least 25 percent of desks and other furniture in public elementary and secondary schools. T h at i s , eng i ne ere d bamboo, which has been done for all Dep Ed desks since 2011 to kickstart the industry. EO 879 further requires the use of bamboo in the furniture and fixtures of government facilities. Each year, this assured m a rk e t for eng i ne ere d bamboo means 312,500 desks worth P250 million.
According to estimates made last year by the Cottage Industry Technology Center , nine poles are needed to produce one desk. This means a demand of around 2,812,500 million bamboo poles each year, according to Cabangon. In properly managed kawayan tinik clumps, an average of eight culms per year can be harvested in at least 800 hectares and up to 1,200 hectares of bamboo plantation. Assuming that 1,000 poles can be harvested e ach ye a r per he c t a re , 2,812 hectares of bamboo plantations are required to meet the demand for school desks. I n 2 011, p l y w o o d production amounted to around 298,000 cubic meters. Due to the moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in national and residual forests, bamboo makes for a good substitute in plywood production. The use of bamboo to substitute wood in making panel products – particularly for decorative purposes (including f looring) – has high potential. About 14,900 cubic meters of engineered bamboo is required even if it substitutes just 5 percent of the wood in ply wood panels. This volu me wou ld re qu i re around 119,200,000 slats or the equivalent of 6.622 million poles harvested from 6,622 hectares of bamboo plantations. For the projected demand for school desks and panel products alone, it is expected t hat 9,434.5 hectares of bamboo plantations are required. Add to that other products that may be derived from engineered bamboo, and the plantations needed to grow the poles increase to 10,378 hectares to meet the projected demand. At the last count, during t he Nat iona l Ba mboo Development For u m i n 2008, there were around 48,403 hectares of bamboo plantations. Erect bamboos are grown in about 37,681 of this hectarage. The species currently used for engineered bamboo such as kawayan tinik is planted in 4,268 hectares, giant bamboo in 1,161 hectares and bolo in 146 hectares. Or a total of around 5,575 hectares – or about half of the total area required to meet the projected demand for engineered bamboo. “It shou ld be note d that the first commercial manufacturer of engineered bamboo stopped operations
Export...
primarily due to the lack of supply,” Cabangon pointed out. “This should serve as a from page 4 lesson.” (APM) as well as Triple A accredited slaughter houses for the processing of export quality from page 4 pork products. dryer measures 60 feet by 40 In addition, Soccsksargen feet while the stockroom is Region is also foot-and18 feet by 18 feet. mouth disease free and has Masahud also disclosed low incidence of hog diseases. that the project is part of (PIA) the P8.59 billion allotted by President Benigno Aquino III under the Transition Support from page 4 Plan (TISP), a roadmap to provincial government of good governance and reforms Davao del Norte is making in the provinces and cities sure that it is resilient to w it hin t he Autonomous climate change. Region in Muslim Mindanao Del Rosario said he is (ARMM). aware that climate change is Senior Trade Industry a factor affecting favorable S p e c i a l i s t G u n n a H . agriculture production, so Mohammad explained that he makes it a point that all while there are many seaweed branches of the provincial growers in the province, gover n ment come w it h only one established and adaptation strategies and organized group per island- measures, including the municipality was initially agriculture sector. (PNA) targeted. “The project is a grant and the beneficiaries are from page 3 bound by a memorandum Jol l ib e e entere d t he of agreement (MOA),” she Singapore market early this added. year and was well-received The nine beneficiaries, by the Filipino population. M o h a m m a d s a i d , a r e In t he f i rst few week s, coming from the island- Filipinos f locked to store municipalities of Sitangkay, and it took 2-3 hours before Sibutu, Bongao, Sapa-sapa, a customer can come inside. Ta n d u b a s , L a n g u y a n , However, waiting time has South Ubian, Simunul, and been reduced to 30 minutes Panglima Sugala. now and Singaporean visitors Tawi-Tawi province has have also increased, Tan 11 island-municipalities. Caktiong said. Meanwhile, Monitoring D e s pit e t he g roup’s Of f icer Raja La k a ndu la e x p a n s i o n o v e r s e a s , Aming stressed that “the Philippine operations still TISP closely monitors the account for 80 percent of project implementation in its businesses. all phases in collaboration “W h i le t he bu si ness with other non-government abroad is growing well, the and people’s organizations Philippines is also growing in the area.” well,” Baysa said. The ceremonial turnover JFC is not eyeing any of the solar dryers last June acquisition but it remains on 15 in a local hotel here was the lookout for opportunities, led by DTI-ARMM Secretary especially fast-food chains Sangkula Tindick . offering similar products Gracing the occasion were that have strong brand names Bongao Municipal Mayor in the local market, Tan Japer Que and Executive Caktiong said. Assistant Abraham Dalagan, JFC set aside a capital who represented Governor expenditure budget of P5.5 Sadikul Sahali. billion for the year, 73 percent A l s o i n a t t e n d a n c e of which will be earmarked were DT I-I X A s si s t a nt for investments in new stores Reg iona l Di rec tor Sit t i and renovations of existing A m i n a J a i n ; D T I -X I I ones. Regional Director Ibrahim JFC operates the largest G u i a m a d e l ; P rov i nc i a l food ser vice network in Director Anacleto Blanco, the Philippines with 2,652 A R M M -T I S P N a t i o n a l stores at end-March. It had C o ord i n ator ; a nd D T I a network of 2,090 stores in provincial directors from the country comprising the Tawi-tawi, Sulu, Basilan, flagship Jollibee, Chowking, Lanao and Maguindanao. Greenwich, Red Ribbon, T he sa me a f fa ir was Mang Inasal and Burger w it nessed by personnel K ing. It had 562 stores from Bureau of Fisheries abroad, including Yonghe a nd Aqu at ic Resou rces King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, (BFAR) and representatives San Pin Wang and Chow f r o m v a r i o u s p e o p l e ’s Fun. organizations.(PIA) JFC has a 50 percent
Growers...
Supplies...
Jollibee...
interest in joint ventures for Highlands Coffee (Vietnam, Ph i l ippi nes) at 71, Pho 24 (Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan) at 65 and Sabu (China) at three.
Globe... from page 3
cables, which will enhance the company’s global link. “The cable system is expected to further enrich the way the Asia Pacific region, including the Philippines, interacts and communicates with the rest of the world,” he said. T he 8,9 0 0 -k i lometer undersea cable links seven countries and territories, including Brunei, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines, including an option to link with Thailand. Costing $400 million, the SJC consists of six fiber pairs with the initial design capacity of 28 terabits per second, the fastest speed an undersea cabling system can provide, to meet bandwidthintensive applications such as internet TV, online games and enterprise data exchange. Aside f rom t he SJC , Globe also is connected to the East Asia Cable, Asia Paci f ic Cable Net work, Tata Global Network–Intra Asia cable, the City to City cable system and the TransPacific Cable system, which encompasses the Unity, Tata Globa l Network-Pacif ic, Japan-US Cable Network and the US Domestic Access cable systems. Besides Globe, ot her members of t he SJC consor t iu m a re Br u nei I nt e r n at ion a l G at e w ay Sendirian Berhad ( B I G) , C h i n a M o b i l e International Ltd (CMI), China Telecommunications C or p (Ch i na Telecom), C h i na Tele c om G loba l Ltd (CTG, an affiliate of China Telecommunications Corp), Donghwa Telecom Co Ltd (a subsidiar y of Chu ng hwa Telecom C o Ltd), Google SJC Bermuda Ltd (a subsidiary of Google Inc), KDDI Corp, Singapore Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Ltd, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Internat iona l (Telin a subsidiary of PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Tbk), and TOT Public Co Ltd.
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Enforce... from page 1
[who might be run over by the full enforcement of the law] even at the expense of the general welfare of our people. But I will not do that!” he stressed in his speech following his oath-taking at the Kiosko Kagawasan Sunday morning. “My task that the people of Cagayan de Oro have given me, the task that my family expects from me is to serve the people to the best of my ability,” he added. Moreno said that enforcing the law according to its spirit and letter will be the biggest battle he will be waging in the city. But that is the only way he and his administration will be able to realize every Kagay-anon’s dream of a city that is clean, green and economica lly developed where justice and peace reign. “I k now t h at i f we enforce the law, according to its spirit, according to its letter, marami po ang masasaktan. Isa po ito sa mga realizations that I saw during the campaign…[But] for me to be able to deliver the many expectations of our people, for me to be able to achieve a bright tomorrow, para dili makawang ang pagpanganti ni Archbishop Ledesma, dili makawang ang damgo sa tanan, kinahanglan dili ako mangandoy nga mare-elect pa in 2016. My task should be to serve the people, the people of Cagayan de Oro the best way possible,” he said. Liberation of CDO To ge t h e r w it h R e p. Rolando “Klarex” Uy (1st District, LP), Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, C DP), R e p. M a x i m o Rodriguez Jr. (ABAMIN partylist), and Sen. Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III, with the “Team Oca” at the City Council, a “new day” has dawn in Cagayan de Oro, said Sen. Nene Pimentel. The elder Pimentel said he is very happy to be given the chance to attend and administer the oath of office of the city’s new officials—the people who will liberate the city. “Na lipay a ko nga na kata mbong niining liberasyon sa Cagayan de Oro. Sila ang magdala sa kabag-ohan sa dinhi sa atong dakbayan,” he said. P i m e n t e l , h o w e v e r, cautioned the people from expecting too much to early of the Moreno administration. He said the change that the people chose during the election last May will only happen if the voters themselves do their part. “Ayaw isipa nga a ng pagbag-o sa atong katilingban makuha ugma dayon. Medyo dugay dugay pa kana. Dako kayo ang role sa katawhan — bantayan ang inyong mga opisyal aron dili sila mahisalaag gikan sa hapsay nga dalan,” he said. Pimentel stressed that it is the right of the people to watch government and
be mindful of what their “strength and inspiration” officials are doing. to do bigger things for the Solid and United city and its people. “Panahon na karon sa Wisdom of Solomon pagtrabaho,” Pimentel III Uy said that while the said as he urged Kagay-anons task is indeed difficult, it to work together with their will become easier with the city officials for the good of continuous support of the every Kagay-anon. people. The younger Pimentel said But Archbishop Ledesma that the long-held dream of said that only if the city a solid and united Cagayan of f icia ls interna lize t he de Oro is now a reality and prayer of King Solomon— that the joint oath-taking who a sked for w isdom and inauguration was just instead of wealth when he one evidences of that unity. was crowned King of Isreal— With a united officials, will they be able to safety it will be easy to plan and navigate the treacherous coordinate policies, programs waters of government service and projects to make their and bring the city and its dream of what Cagayan de people to secure and safe Oro should be — the model shores. city in the entire Philippines, he said. “Tabangan nato ang atong from page 1 mayor aron matuman kini,” Abamin Party-list Maximo he urged the people. Rodriguez, and members Heed the poor of the city council under Rep. Rufus Rodriguez Team Oca. re m i nd e d e ve r y one of Former senate President t he sig n i f ic a nce of t he Aquilino Pimenter, Jr. flew Eucha rist ic Celebrat ion in to administer the oath of officiated by Archbishop office of the newly-elected Antonio Ledesma to begin officials at the Kiosko ng the oath-taking ceremony. Kagawasan, Divisoria Plaza. “We started our term, we His son and namesake, started our day with a Mass. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel This only shows that we are III also took his oath as a going to follow what Pope re-elected senator before Francis said that we, as part Mayor Moreno. of the Church, are to build T he you ng Pi mentel a Church for the poor, and thanked his supporters and a poor church.” vowed to help make the city Rodriguez also reminded the model modern city in the other officials of the the country now that local 8 -p o i nt a g e n d a w h i c h leaders are united. L e d e s m a h a d e a r l i e r Moreno has vowed to reminded Moreno about: (1) work hard, not for purposes water system improvements; of reelection, but for the best (2) health program for the government service. poor; (3) increased budget The elder Pimentel, who a l lot ment for t he c it y is considered one of Cagayan hospital; (4) city peace and de Oro’s greatest so for his order); (5) environmental exploits in the senate having preservation and cleanliness; authored significant laws (6) enforcement of traffic of national scope, noted rules and regulations; (7) among them is the Local transparency of city hall; Government Code of the and (8) balanced integrated Philippines, has urged the urban-rural development. newly-inducted off icia ls “ T h e m a i n m i s s i on to start buckling down to of t he Cat holic Church work and set aside political is to heed the call of the differences for the good of poor and marginalized,” the city. he said, quoting Blessed He also enjoined everyone Pope John Paul II, as he to extend prayers for former explained that for the past congressman Benjo Benaldo six years as congressman, who is currently recuperating this has become his personal from a self-inflicted gunshot guidepost and he want other wound. He reportedly shot city officials to do the same. himself inside his office at the “For the past six years House of the Representatives since becoming congressman, last week. I a lways use this as my guide. And I use HEED to help me in my programs from page 1 for t he poor. H E ED is in September and expected for He a lt h, E duc at ion, to go on stream by January Environment/Employment, 2014, an official said Friday. a n d D e ve l o pm e nt a n d The renewable energy Infrastructure.” project will be located in Strength and inspiration a 20-hectare property in Rep. K la rex Uy sa id Sura l la h tow n in Sout h serving the people through Cotabato, said lawyer Antonio whatever programs, ways Bendita, the incoming town and methods has become mayor. easier with Moreno at City “This will be a big boost Hall. to our town through the “It is now easier because employment and revenue that of a working mayor who has the project will generate,” he proven himself as governor said in a radio interview. of Misamis Oriental,” he Bendita said the solar said. power facility will rise along Uy urged his fellows the road in Barangay Tubio f f i c i a l s t o u s e t h e allah, adding they expect it overwhelming support of to become an ecotourism the people—their trust and attraction of the locality. conf idence—to be t heir The facility will produce
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power for the South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Socoteco I), he said. The supply contract has been signed last Wednesday between Socoteco I and NV Vogt Philippines Solar Energy One, Inc., Bendita added. At five MW, it would be the biggest photovoltaic (PV) power project in the country once completed, surpassing the one-megawatt solar facility in Cagayan de Oro City. Socoteco I, which serves this city, the seat of government of Region 12, eight other towns in South Cotabato and Lutayan in Sultan Kudarat, has a daily peak power demand of 32 MW. Santiago Tudio, Socoteco I general manager, said their contract with the National Power Corp. (Napocor) is ending this August, and the cooperative has been looking for suppliers as the state-owned power company reportedly indicated it would no longer renew its 20-MW allocation to the cooperative. Napocor operates the Agus and Pulangi hydropower plants, which supply half of Mindanao’s power needs. Tudio said earlier they are working for the acquisition of d iesel-f ired modu la r generator sets that could produce 15 MW to offset the projected supply shortfall with the end of the threeyear contract with Napocor in August. Napocor started reducing its allocation to electric cooperatives in Mindanao last year due to the declining capacity of its hydropower plants in Buk idnon and Lanao del Norte. Daily rotating brownout lasting up to eight hours h it s ome p a r t s of t he isla nd mont hs ago a nd t he i nter r upt ions a re ex pec ted to be back i n August to December due to the scheduled preventive maintenance shutdowns of power plants. As alternative solution to the Mindanao problem, the Department of Energy has offered a loan scheme t hat w i l l a l low elec t r ic cooperatives in Mindanao to acquire their own modular generator sets. Under the scheme, which will be coursed through Nationa l Electrif ication Ad minist rat ion, Energ y Secretar y Carlos Jericho Pet i l la sa id elec t r ic cooperatives will be given a grace period of two years wherein they will only be required to pay for the loan’s interest. After two years, he said the cooperatives will have an option to pay for the loan principal and interest or completely waive any further payment by returning the generator sets to NEA.
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adequacy and reliability and peace and order problems are quite severe,” he said. He a lso u rged t he government to look into
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Mindanao’s “inefficient sea and air transport system.” “Sadly these problems cannot be solved overnight. But they should be addressed with great sense of urgency,” he said. (MB)
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Ph i l i p p i n e s a n d s t re n g t h e n cooperation between our country and the EU.” Stressing that economic reforms are a long-term undertaking, EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux emphasized the European Union’s commitment to help the country undertake the “necessary steps to see a Philippine economy that creates jobs and take the country further on a sustainable growth path.” The EU - Philippine trade cooperation started in 2005, through which the EU helped provide access of Philippine fishery exports to the EU market of about 500 million consumers. TRTA 3 builds upon the successes of the first two phases of the TRTA, which contributed to the rise of the Philippines’ ranking from 68th to 61st in the “ trading across border” index of the World Bank “Business Report.” This achievement was par ticularly attributed to the introduction of electronic systems for the submission of customs declarations and online payments. It is hoped that TRTA 3 will also contribute to the consolidation and establishment of new systems to reduce costs and delays of engaging in trade as well as strengthen food safety measures and control systems for local products to gain access to international markets, aside from providing on-demand services to public sector and business associations to address their urgent needs. T he wor k plan t hat will o p e r a t i o n a l i z e T R TA 3 w a s developed by government agencies with collaboration from the business sector, academe and civil society. (DTI/PIA)
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from page 2 dictator Ferdinand Marcos from power. Among other things, it limits presidents to a single, six-year term and has sweeping investment safeguards designed to ensure the primacy of Filipino
i nve s t o r s a n d p r eve n t t h e country’s resources ever being bundled off to foreign powers. Several leaders have attempted and failed to revise the constitution. Some changed course after facing noisy street p r ote s t s ac c u s i n g t h e m of attempting to turn back the Philippines’ political clock and extend their terms in office. The 53-year-old Mr. Aquino might have better prospects initiating a change – assuming he is interested. He reluctantly ran for president in 2010 after a public clamor following his mother’s death the year before; many people who know him suggest he is counting the days until he can leave the hot seat. Mr. Aquino has repeatedly s a i d h e i s n’ t i nte re s te d i n rewriting the constitution. He prefers to focus instead on cleaning up the country’s reputation for corruption and make its g over nment more ef ficient – a policy that his suppor ters have dubbed “Aquinomics” and which has impressed economists with its impact. Moody’s Analytics economist Glenn Levin recently predicted that the Philippines’ economy could expand by 7% in both 2013 and 2014 amid a consumer boom fueled by growing remittances from the country’s overseas workforce and its rising outsourcing industry. Some of Mr. Aquino’s closest allies, however, contend that cleaning up government alone isn’t enough to provide the longterm economic boost that the Philippines needs to put a dent in the gut-wrenching poverty that still blights many of its 100 million people. By government measures, some 30% of the country’s population live below the poverty line. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte hopes to c hange Mr. Aquino’s mind before the president’s term expires in 2016. He is pushing Congress to add exceptions to the constitution to enc ourage more foreign investment, while several prominent senators have also voiced their support for more limited proposals that stop short of providing investors more access to land but which allow them to enter a broader range of businesses. (Dow Jones)
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F eature 12 Moreno Inaugural binds historical links between Kagay-an and Misamis CREDIBLE
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By Mike Banos
With his inauguration as the 14th Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City, Oscar Seriña Moreno becomes the fifth governor of Misamis Oriental to become city mayor of what used to be its capital town.
Concordio C. Diel
Pedro Sa. Baculio
Apolinar Velez Y Ramos
Pedro N. Roa Sr.
Moreno was first served as representative of the 1st District of Misamis Oriental from 1998-2004 in the 11th and 12th Congress. He next served as Governor of Misamis Oriental for three terms (2004-2013) before his recent victory as city mayor of Cagayan de Oro. Previous to this, he had 20 years in the corporate legal profession. However, even before Cagayan de Oro became a chartered city on June 15, 1950, former governors of the province already became municipal presidents of its capital town then known as Cagayan de Misamis and vice versa. Apolinar Velez y Ramos (1865-1939) was Governor of Misamis province from 19061909 and became municipal president of Cagayan de Misamis in 1928-1931. He led the Mindanao Battalion to the Filipinos only victory over the Americans in the Battle of Makahambus during the Philippine-American War. Segundo Gaston first became municipal president of Cagayan de Misamis in 1916-1919 before becoming governor of Misamis Oriental on 1923-1925. Gaston Park in Cagayan de Oro City is named in his honor. After Cagayan de Oro became a chartered city in June 15, 11950, Pedro Sa. Baculio, who was governor of Misamis Oriental during the Japanese Occupation on 1941-1945, became the first provincial governor to become mayor of the new city from March-December 1952. Previous to this, he also represented Misamis Oriental in the first congress from 1946-1949 Pedro N. Roa Sr., who
The Old Kiosko was previosuly called the Tribuna
served as Misamis Oriental governor in 1968-1969 followed in his footsteps, becoming Cagayan de Oro City Mayor in 1978-1980. Although Concordio C. Diel preceded Roa as Cagayan de Oro City Mayor in 19761979, he followed the latter as provincial governor in 1969-1974 in what became the first instance of musical chairs between the two LGUs. Outgoing Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Y. Emano became the fourth governor in the Misamis Oriental era to become mayor of the city, first being appointed provincial caretaker in March 1986-Dec. 1987 following the EDSA revolution, before serving for three consecutive terms from 1988-1998. After being elected for another three consecutive terms as mayor of the city in 1998-2007, he came back to win another term in 2010-2013 after being elected vice mayor in 2007. However, the tradition of provincial governors serving as mayor and vice versa is not only the historical link that connects Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro. Perhaps today is an opportune time to recall, give thanks and celebrate those ties that bind these two places as the “heart and soul” of Northern Mindanao, as Cagayan de Oro celebrates today the inauguration of former Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno as its 14th City Mayor: In 1818, the Spanish Government divided Mindanao into three politicomilitary districts, the largest of which was the Segundo Distrito de Misamis. This area was comp os ed of today’s Misamis Oriental,
Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Bukidnon, Lanao, Zamboanga del Norte, and the northern part of C o t a b at o a n d Maguindanao. It was named Misamis after its capital town at the mouth of Panguil Bay (present day Ozamiz city). Here, the Spanish Jesuit Jose Ducos built the Fuerza Real de la Virgen del Triunfo (better known nowadays as the Cotta) as a fortress against Moro raiders who had to pass through the narrow bay in their raids against Spanish and Filipino towns along the coast. The Misamis district was further subdivided into four: the Partido de Misamis, Partido de Dapitan, Partido de Cagayan, and Partido de Catarman. On February 27, 1872, the Spanish Governor General Carlos Maria de la Torre issued a decree declaring Cagayan the permanent capital of the Segundo Distrito de Misamis. All Spanish politicomilitary governors of Misamis, who were all lieutenant colonels, lived at the Casa Real de Cagayan, built in 1831, the site of today’s Executive House of Cagayan de Oro. During this era, the town was called Cagayan de Misamis. Misamis was the only region in Mindanao which actively joined the Katipunan revolt against Spain. On September 27, 1896, 350 revolucionarios, overwhelmed the Spanish g ar r is on i n C a l ag anan (present-day Balo-i, Lanao del Norte) raided the armory of the Fuerza Nueva Victoria in Iligan. Cagayan de Misamis (as Cagayan de Oro was then known) played a key role in suppressing this so-called ‘Mutiny at Calaganan’ when the Spanish soldiers based here repulsed the rebels in Sta. Ana, Tagoloan with the help of Kagay-anon Voluntarios led by Apolinar Velez. The revolucionarios proceeded to Sumilao where they were joined by 50 Higa-onons and marched down the coast where they commandeered a boat and landed in Balingasag. From there the group stormed the Tercio Civil outpost in Gingoog where the uprising was finally put down in January 1897 with the help of reinforcements and the gunboat Mariveles from the Tercio Distrito de Surigao.
Misamis was the first region in Mindanao to join the new Philippine Republic under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. On December 10, 1898, the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of Peace. Immediately, the Spanish governor relinquished his authority to two Filipinos elected by Aguinaldo: Jose Roa y Casas, who was appointed first governor of Misamis; and Toribio Chavez, appointed first Filipino mayor of Cagayan de Misamis. O n Ja n u a r y 1 0 - 1 1 , 1899, Cagayan de Misamis celebrated independence by organizing the so-called Fiesta Nacional. The people held a parade, played music, presented speeches and fired cannons outside the Casa Real. The first set of local officials was elected and the Filipino flag officially rose for only the second time ever in the island (the first was in Surigao). During World War II, Misamis became a part of world history when Gen. Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) successfully evading the Japanese Navy blockade from Corregidor in a flotilla of PT Boats and landed in Macabalan port in Cagayan de Misamis on March 13, 1942. He laid over at the Del Monte compound in Bukidnon until March 17, 1942 when he, his family and some of his staff were airlifted to Australia in two B-17s. A week later, Phil. Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon and Vice President Sergio Osmeña, Sr. also used the same route to escape from Corregidor to Australia. The United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) under Col. Wendell W. Fertig based in Oroquieta, Misamis Occidental, was
the rallying point for the guerrillas in Mindanao. This was historically significant because Oroquieta was considered to be the capital of the entire Free Philippines, the only time in Philippine history when its capital was in Mindanao, in the region then known as Misamis. Misamis is also significant in Philippine pre-history through the discovery of the Huluga caves in Cagayan de Oro city in the early 1970s. A fragment of a skull sent to the Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California for a dating technique known as acid racemization showed it dated back to the Late Neolithic Period or 377 A.D., making it the oldest archeological site in Mindanao. Starting 1946, Misamis Congressman Pedro S. Baculio lobbied in the Philippine Congress so that Cagayan de Misamis would be declared a city. On December 17, 1949, the new Congressman Emmanuel “Maning” Pelaez of Medina, Misamis Oriental introduced House Bill No. 54, entitled An Act Creating the City of Cagayan de Oro. President Elpidio Quirino signed the city charter at 11:30 am, June 15, 1950. ( b a s e d o n A nt o n i o J. Monvalvan II’s paper Resurgence of Identity: The Heritage of Misamis, 1818-1945. Montalvan is a Mindanao anthropologist and ethnohistorian. He is a Ford Foundation scholar and has a doctorate in anthropology on Mindanao Studies with the Mindanao Anthropology Consortium. He has written articles about Mindanao history and culture in academic journals, and contributes a monthly column to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He is the author of “A Cagayan de Oro Ethnohistory Reader”, launched on March 8, 2004.)