one mindanao - september 3, 2014

Jennifer P. GaitanoCARAGA Region

MinDA, partners to plant millions of trees; to mark history in Guinness World Record

COVER STORY

Malacañang asks importers, truckers to cooperate in decongesting Port of Manila

PNPA sets Sept. 26 deadline for Cadet Admission Test applications

Irrigators group, farmer beneficiaries express gratitude to NIA

Dinagat Islands joins 20th NCPW, peace month celeb

by Alma L. Tingcang

by Jane B. Huqueriza

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Page 4

NATIONAL

Information to Empower Filipinos

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WESTERN MINDANAO

CARAGA REGIONDiskwento Caravan set in Camiguin

OWWA-ARMM holds computer training for Maguindanao OFWs

Whistle-blowing kicks off crime prevention week celebration

by Oliver Ross V. Rivera

by AC Agad

NORTHERN MINDANAO

SOUTHERN MINDANAO

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by Ma. Jane Mayola

by Zita M. Abellare

MisOr CareS gets support from Vice Pres. Jojo Binay 26 by PIO Misor

MinDA, partners to plant millions of trees;

to mark history in Guinness World Record

“This will also serve as a campaign to improve environmental awareness among all Mindanawons,” expressed

MinDA Sec. Luwalhati Antonino in her written statement sent to Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga.

Antonino disclosed that on September 26, 2014, Mindanao will mark its history in the Guinness World Record for breaking India’s record in 2011 for the most trees planted simultaneously in multiple locations. “This initiative also supports the National

In line with the Mindanao-wide campaign dubbed as “TreeVolution: Greening MindaNOW,” the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) together with its

partner agencies in the government and private sector aims to plant 4,636,000 trees in multiple locations covering a total of 9,200 hectares in just one hour.

by Jennifer P. Gaitano

MinDA, partners to plant millions of trees;

to mark history in Guinness World Record

Greening Program that targets 1.5 million hectares reforested by 2016 to which Mindanao’s contribution is 456,000 hectares and the MindaNOW! Nurturing Our Waters Program which aims to harmonize the management of Mindanao’s natural resources,” Antonino highlighted. Also, to further discuss the preparation for the said event, MinDA with its partners will

convene on August 26,

2014 for a Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting at the MinDA Area Management Office in Butuan City. It was learned that the TWG will serve as the over-all in-charged in organizing and facilitating all the “TreeVolution” activities for

Caraga region.

SEPTEMBER 2014 | PAGE 6

Philippines moves up 7 notches in Global Competitiveness Index

The Philippines has advanced to rank 52nd (out of 140 countries) from the 59th place last year. “This achievement indicates that the Philippines is well-poised to attain its objective of being in the top third (or rank 42nd) by 2016,” Coloma added. According to the GCI report of the WEF, “The country’s gain of 33 places since 2010 is the largest over that period among all countries studied. The

results suggest that the reforms of the past four years have bolstered the country’s economic fundamentals. The trends across most of the 12 pillars are positive, and in some cases truly remarkable.” The GCI measures the competitiveness of 144 economies based on more than 100 factors grouped into 12 pillars.

This) affirms that the Aquino administration’s good governance programs have established the solid macroeconomic foundations upon which long-term inclusive growth may be attained,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said

during a press briefing at the Palace.


Malacañang asks importers, truckers to cooperate in decongesting Port of Manila

In a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said they have spoken to businesses, truck organizations, and private sector individuals on the need to decongest the Port of Manila. “We’ve been trying the discussion of just meeting and talking about it, but I guess it is time to rationalize, and we’re saying now: ‘Please don’t use the port as your warehouse’,” Almendras said. He said importers are leaving their containers in the port because it is cheaper to do so than to occupy a warehouse in Metro Manila. However, this is no longer acceptable since the port needs more space as an increasing number of cargoes are expected, especially in the last three months of the year, he

added. The Palace announced on Tuesday the plan to move the cargoes out of the Port of Manila. He said that on September 8, as agreed more than a month ago, importers and truckers have to move their cargoes, especially those that have been in the port for more than 30 days. Otherwise, port authorities will transfer the containers to Subic. By October 1, the government will start charging P5,000 for every unclaimed container transferred to Subic. “We really need importers to pull out their cargoes from the pier, from the port facilities into other warehouses, into their factories because we need the space to handle the others that [are] incoming,” Almendras said. PND

The Palace has appealed to businessmen and truckers not to use the Port of Manila as their warehouse to avoid congestion at the seaport.

Coloma added that the country has a good ranking in the following pillars: institutions (ranked 67th); business sophistication (46th); financial market development (49th); innovation (52nd); and government efficiency (69th). The other pillars are macroeconomic environment, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, technological readiness, market

size, and infrastructure. However, the country’s rating on infrastructure is considered poor, especially with respect to airport and seaport infrastructure. “The government acknowledges that the biggest area of improvement is still infrastructure and this is being addressed with the launching of major projects that are being implemented by using the public-private partnerships mode,” said Coloma. PND


Amidst power plant opening, Mindanao brownouts prevail due

to lack of payments -- Petilla

Despite the opening of a 300 Megawatt (MW) plant in Mindanao, brownouts continue in some parts of Mindanao due to the lack of payments of consumers, said Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla.Petilla stressed there are plants

available in the Mindanao grid, which can produce generation capacity, but some of them are not operational due to lack of supply contracts with the electric cooperatives (elecos). “It’s a matter of contractual arrangement with those clients,” he said. Unlike in Luzon areas, the Visayas and Mindanao region’s functioning distribution companies

(companies that obtain power from transmission lines like the Manila Electric Cooperatives [Meralco]), are mainly electric cooperatives. The National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR)


has previously stated that the outstanding balances, which have remained unpaid to their office, are usually from the Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces. The other elecos were either good payers, bankrupt, while some have been unwilling to pay. Petilla said the DOE is now solving the problem, through identifying which plants have contracts and those who have not. He also mentioned that the DOE is checking whether the companies, who have short term contracts, are giving out their committed supply. On the other hand, the energy chief mentioned that the Luzon and Mindanao connection, will be made possible through the upcoming High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) line that will connect Visayas and Mindanao. The Luzon and Visayas grid are already connected through the 350 kilovolts Leyte-Luzon HVDC line, adding the connection between the Visayas and Mindanao regions, will complete the supply connection between the three main islands of the country. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is choosing the route for the HVDC line either through Leyte-Surigao or Zamboanga-Negros. “The survey for Leyte and Surigao has been completed, but NGCP is looking on an alternative which is Zamboanga and Negros which

is shallow but far, while the Leyte-Surigao route is deeper,” Petilla said. The cost for the Leyte-Surigao HVDC line is almost a billion dollars, while the Negros-Zamboanga cost will be determined once the survey route is completed on December 22. Based on the DOE’s power situation outlook from 2014-2020, the total capacity of committed power projects in Mindanao will spike to 1,800 MW on May 2015 (this does not include existing capacity). It will further increase to 2,700 MW on December 2016. “Mindanao will have an oversupply (on the event the committed power projects are completed), the oversupply that has not been contracted in Mindanao... We want to encourage them to sell to Luzon and Visayas,” said Petilla. He added that Visayas and Mindanao HVDC line will be advantageous to the entire country, on the occasion of typhoons, so that power sharing exist.

MinDA, DENR, partners all set for this year’s TreeVolution: Greening MindaNOW

BUTUAN CITY - The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and other partners in the government are all set for this year’s Mindanao-wide campaign dubbed as “TreeVolution: Greening MindaNOW,” on September 26, 2014. The MinDA together with its partner agencies in the government and

private sector aims to plant 4,636,000 trees in multiple locations covering a total

by Jennifer P. EGaitano


MinDA, DENR, partners all set for this year’s TreeVolution: Greening MindaNOW

of 9,200 hectares in just one hour. Cecilia Triño, Caraga Area Manager of MinDA reiterated that this will also serve as a campaign to improve environmental awareness among all Mindanawons. “Mindanao will turn green as a quarter of a million Mindanawons attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the Most Number of Trees Planted Simultaneously in Multiple Locations in One Hour on September 26, 2014,” Triño e m p h a s i z e d . This initiative also supports the National Greening Program that targets 1.5 million hectares reforested by 2016 to which M i n d a n a o ’ s c o n t r i b u t i o n is 456,000 hectares and the MindaNOW! Nurturing Our Waters Program which aims to harmonize the m a n a g e m e n t of Mindanao’s natural resources. Also, the representatives

from the concerned government agencies will convene the media on September 4 for a press conference on the said big event and it will be held at the Robinson’s Atrium, Butuan City. Triño encouraged everyone to register online at Facebook account – Treevolution: Greening MindaNOW on or before September 10, 2014 or contact the local MinDA, DENR offices and local government units for details on how they can join.


The Confederation of Irrigators Association in Caraga (CONFIAC) and farmer beneficiaries also expressed gratitude to NIA for the rehabilitation of some damaged irrigation system by past series of typhoons that struck the region. The CONFIAC composed of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Island with 303 organized Irrigators Associations and 27, 382 farmer beneficiaries that covers 54,419 service area both in National Irrigation System (NIS) and Communal Irrigation System (CIS). As of July 2014, the NIA-Caraga irrigated 30,002.36 hectares for wet season and 12,128.23 for dry season in eight NIS and four CIS, and continue to increase because of the vast constructions of irrigation facilities in the region. The gratitude was personally relayed by CONFIAC President Samuel P. Carampatana during its NIA-Irrigators Association (IA) Day celebration on August 29 at the NIA regional office compound, Bancasi here.

“NIA’s support to farmers is a big help to the big farmers in this region,” stressed the CONFIAC president during the celebration, which was also attended by 350 farmers, 50 guests and 150 NIA-Caraga management and staff. The one day activity was packed with fun games and productions in relation to its theme “Reminiscing the Past…NIA-IA Partnership on the move”. It was successfully conducted in coordination with the Confederation of Irrigators Association in Caraga (CONFIAC) headed by President Samuel P. Carampatana. Part of the NIA-Irrigators Day celebration include Holy Mass, parade at the NIA compound, opening program, fun games and productions in relation to its celebration theme. Also, highlighting the celebration was the awarding and recognition of those deserving IA’s in Caraga region based in the functionality criteria that covered the aspects in operations and maintenance, financial and organization which resulted in the increased in the agricultural economic growth.

Irrigators group, farmer beneficiaries express gratitude to NIA by Jane B. HuquerizaBUTUAN CITY- A total to 303 organized irrigators association and 27,382 farmer beneficiaries expressed heartfelt gratitude to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for its various irrigation projects that contribute to the continuous increase of their farm production.


A motorcade around the province and a short program kicked-off the month-long celebration participated in by the Philippine National Police, Department of the Interior and Local Government, members of the Provincial and Municipal Peace and Order Council, and government employees. Vice Governor Benglen B. Ecleo, in his message, urged everyone to work

hand in hand with the government for the prevention of crimes in the province. “Let us keep this place as peaceful as we always wanted it to be and let us help each other in combating crimes in our province,” Ecleo said. Menwhile, Provincial Administrator Millard Tawakal, in behalf of Governor Glenda B. Ecleo, said that the month-long observance aims to strengthen

Dinagat Islands joins 20th NCPW, peace month celebby Ma. Jane Mayola

SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands- Despite the adverse weather condition, the provincial government of Dinagat Islands through the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) was still able to conduct a kick-off ceremony in observance of the 20th National Crime Prevention Week and Peace Month here on Monday, September 1, 2014.

The celebration was also aimed to reminisce the continuing unity and achievements of NIA and IA for the past years. Engr. Constancio G. Bana-ay Jr., EOD Manager presented the significant increase in financial accomplishment of the region particularly the Irrigation Service Fee (ISF) with the help of the IAs, Institutional Development and Operation and Maintenance group of NIA-Caraga . Region Xlll NIA Regional

Irrigation Manager (RIM) Engr. Encarnacion Simangan Soriano hoped that the harmonious relationship will carry on for the good of the agency and the farmers. “It was truly believed that unity through the years made the NIA-IA relationships stronger,” she said. “Your NIA is continuously building up more irrigation system in an effort to achieve the government’s food sufficiency program,” added RIM Soriano.


the bond between the youth, law enforcers, and other sectors of the society not only in the fight against crime but also in

its prevention t h r o u g h a w a r e n e s s c a m p a i g n s and increase c o m m i t m e n t , y o u t h participation and partnerships in the promotion of proactive approaches in reducing crime. To highlight the month-long o b s e r v a n c e , various contests for students from the seven municipalities are set to deepen their understanding and awareness. There will also be an awarding of provincial winners for the Most Outstanding

Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Award and Most Outstanding Barangay Peace and Order Committee.

CAO holds nature farming program seminar By Alfonso T. Ruda

DIPOLOG CITY - Some 55 farmers converged at Eco-Tourism Park at Barangay Cogon here to participate in the “Nature Farming Program Seminar” or “Nature Farming Technology System Seminar” conducted by the City Agriculturist Office (CAO).


CAO holds nature farming program seminar

City Agriculturist Kerr Porlas said the seminar was one of the activities lined up by the city government aimed at increasing the production of farmers using organic fertilizer in line with the program of food sufficiency of the national leadership.

“Nature Farming Program or Nature Farming Technology System is and organic method of farming using organic foliar fertilizer to increase farm productivity and control plant infestation,” Porlas explained.

He also cited the advantages of using organic fertilizer over commercial fertilizer. One of these is the safety of the farmers, as they would not be exposed to hazardous chemicals in commercial fertilizer.

Mayor Evelyn T. Uy also urged the farmers especially the vegetable growers to use organic farming, instead of using pesticides for their farms to protect their health.

During the seminar, the farmers were taught how to make foliar fertilizer and pesticides like manure-based foliar fertilizer, seaweed-based foliar fertilizer, kohol-based foliar fertilizer, madre de cacao, animal manure, urine tea, fish emulsion, fermented plant juice, fermented plant juice to attract insects.

In his inspirational message, Regional Director Constancio Alama of the Department of Agriculture (DA)-9 as read by Provincial Agriculturist Vicente Balingit said that through organic method of farming, one could avoid being infected with cancer due to residual effect of the chemicals.

Director Alama said that under Republic Act 10068, also known as the Organic Act, the DA is mandated to encourage the farmers to use organic farming, it being seen as the simplest answer to hunger and poverty problem in the country.


IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay - The Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) has set the deadline for the submission of application forms to the PNPA Cadetship Program on Sept. 26, 2014.

Applicants must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, single with no parental obligation, 18 years old and not more than 22 years old on April 15, 2015. Height requirement for male is 5 feet and 4 inches for male and 5 feet and 2 inches for female with weight which corresponds to

the applicant’s height, gender and age.

He must be a high school graduate upon application, with good moral character, no criminal, administrative and civil derogatory record and without pending complaint or case before any tribunal.

PNPA sets Sept. 26 deadline for Cadet Admission Test applicationsBy Alma L. Tingcang

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/

Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary cites PhilHealth benefits by DSWD

OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental - A Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program cited the benefits of being a member of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and urged her fellow cash grantees to also avail of the health package to help them meet their medical needs, when needed.

R i z a l y n Real, of this city, is thankful that her 16-year-old son, Jokring, who underwent a bone surgery in a government hospital, was able to avail of PhilHealth benefits. “Wala po akong binayaran pagkatapos ng operasyon (I did not pay a single cent after the operation),” Rizalyn said.Partnership In 2012, DSWD and P h i l H e a l t h partnered to provide health care for the poor. Some 14.7 million


indigent individuals aged 21 and above identified through the DSWD’s Listahanan database of the poor are now Philhealth card holders. Of the total, 3.9 million, Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are enrolled under the Philhealth program, as of March 2014. Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are afforded with PhilHealth coverage as Sponsored Members.Help in times of needs She recalled that Jokring had an accident during one of his basketball games with his friends. He fractured his arm and was advised to undergo an operation to attach a steel plate on his broken bone. Being a low-salaried utility worker, Rizalyn was reluctant to bring her son to the hospital since she knew she could not afford to pay for the hospital bill, let alone for a bone surgery operation that costs far more than what she earns. “Pero may nakapagsabi sa akin na may PhilHealth benefits daw ang mga benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilya. Dinala ko na rin siya sa ospital kaysa makita ang anak ko na hirap na hirap (But someone had informed me that Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries can avail of Philhealth benefits. I then brought him to the hospital rather than just see him in so much pain),” Rizalyn said. She said that she only presented her son’s birth certificate and her Pantawid Pamilya identification card to the hospital’s admission office.“Sinabi nila na gagaling daw ang aking

anak (I was assured then that Jokring is going to be okay),” she added. Rizalyn could not describe how relieved she was when the hospital staff told her that everything has been taken care of. She did not need to pay anything for her son’s operation. “Dapat ay mga P25,000 ang aking babayaran para sa operasyon lang, pero dahil ako ay Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, ay wala akong binayaran (I could have paid more than P25,000 for that surgery alone, but because I am a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, I was exempted from paying),” Rizalyn said. Today, Jokring is doing fine and is back in school. A mother’s love and responsibilityRizalyn’s family is a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary since 2009, receiving P800 monthly for one of her children’s education and health. For five years, Rizalyn has been attending the Family Development Sessions (FDS) required by the program. FDS is a regular gathering of Pantawid Pamilya parent-leaders where they discuss parent effectiveness, home and financial management, values formation, and disaster preparedness, among others. Attendance to the FDS is one of the conditions of the program that beneficiaries should comply. The other conditions are sending children to school and bringing them to health centers for check up. The FDS is a unique feature of


Pantawid Pamilya since other countries implementing the program do not have this as one of their conditions. According to her, she learned from the FDS that being a mother is more than just feeding her children, but rather being there to provide social, emotional and spiritual support as well. She said that the well-being of her children is paramount. Rizalyn also shared that she is supportive of Jokring’s dream to go to college, get a good-paying job and someday be able to buy their own house. “Kaya nga sinisigurado ko na lagi siyang pumapasok sa paaralan. Tinuturuan ko din siya at ang kanyang

mga kapatid sa kanilang mga aralin. Sa ganitong paraan, naniniwala ako na papalapit din siya sa kanyang mga pangarap (I make sure that he continuously attends his classes and help him and his siblings study their lessons. I believe that each day, his dreams get closer to becoming real),” she said. “Kaya ko ang pagbabago. Sa tulong ng gobyerno ay maitataguyod ko ang pag-aaral, kalusugan, at kapakanan ng aking mga anak (I can change for the better. With the help of the government, I will be able to support the education, health, and secure the future of my kids),” Rizalyn ended.

This discount caravan is a regular activity of DTI to help the consumers avail of various basic products marked down by as much as 2% to 10%.

The products to be sold include rice, sugar, cooking oil, fresh vegetables, dairy products, canned goods, hotdog, fruit preserves, juices,

MAMBAJAO, Camiguin - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Camiguin Provincial Office will hold a “Diskwento Caravan” (carnival discount caravan) on September 4-6, 2014 at the Mambajao Food Terminal, Bagsakan Center in the province of Camiguin back to back with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Job Fair as a part of the pre-fiesta celebration of the yearly Mambajao Devotional Fiesta.

Diskwento Caravan set in Camiguinby Zita M. Abellare


chips and pastries, laundry soap, bath items, toiletries, honey based products and bottled water. There will be twelve food manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that will participate this year mostly coming from Cagayan de City and four from Camiguin namely: Granvia Sur, Extract Sales, Inc., Johnson and Johnson, Ralav Corp., Zest-O Corporation, Universal Robina Corp. (URC), NVM Marketing, Phil Spring Water Resources, Inc., Camiguin Isla Trading; Mambajao Kalipi Organization, Honey Beekeepers of Camiguin, and DL Bonita Merchandising.

The public service event is expected to benefit a total of a thousand residents of Camiguin. The provincial government and the Mambajao Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) are also instrumental to conduct and implementation of this event. The DTI has been conducting Diskwento Caravans for many years now all over the country and third time in Camiguin, aimed to give consumers more time to enjoy their basic right which is access to basic and prime commodities at affordable prices.

MisOr CareS gets support from Vice Pres. Jojo Binayby PIO Misor

INITAO, Misamis Oriental - Vice President Jejomar Binay commended Misamis Oriental Governor Bambi Emano for adopting a pro-poor program like the MisOr CareS system.

Speaking before beneficiaries of MisOr CareS in Initao, Misamis Oriental, over the weekend, Binay said programs like the MisOr CareS that caters to the needs of those below the poverty line of our society speaks…speaks well for those who initiated the program and reveals the kind of leader Gov. Emano is.

“Karamihan sa mga politiko, hanggang salita lang. Pero ito si Gov. Emano ginagawa ang nakakabuti sa kanyang mga constituents at nakita ko dito ang tulong niya galing talaga sa puso,” the Vice President said. (Many politicians are good only in words. But Gov. Emano does what is good for his constituents and I can see that his


help really comes from the heart.) Vice President Binay cited specifically the MisOr CareS system for providing not only the medical needs but also the basic social services that the program provides. “Naiingit talaga ako sa taga Misamis Oriental. May MisOr CareS kayo na tumutulong sa inyong mga panganga-ilangan. Hindi man mayaman ang iyong probinsya, pero napakaswerte mo na may gobernador kayong mayaman ang puso para sa mga mahihirap,” Vice President Binay added. (I envy the people of Misamis Oriental. You have a MisOr CareS that takes care of your needs. You province may not be reached, but you have a Governor whose heart is rich for the poor.) The Vice President reiterated his appreciation on the governance

of Gov. Emano when he ended his press conference later at the Forest Part Resort, in the same town, saying that part of the progress of Misamis Oriental is because of its young leadership under the governor. “This is one of the advantages when you have leaders like Gov. Bambi who is young, aggressive, hard working and sincere in its efforts to uplift its people through relevant development projects. Vice President Binay, along with Congressmen Tambunting and Gatchalian were special guest of Gov. Emano during the distribution of MisOr CareS cards to over 400 beneficiaries of this town. It is expected that the distribution of the first 25,000 MisOr CareS cards in the province will be completed within this month.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Sept 3 - With barely a year left before the ASEAN Economic Integration, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair-person Luwalhati Antonino underscores the impor-tance of connectivity in Mindanao’s entry into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Antonino highlights preparations for ASEAN integration in MinBizCon

Speaking before more than 1,200 key business players from Mindanao during the opening of the 23rd Mindanao Business Conference at the KCC Convention Center, this city Monday, Antonino said that connectivity plays a key role in Mindan-ao’s bid to escalate its contribution to the national economy, and its participation to AEC.

“The goal is to create a connected and globally competitive Mindanao, enabling to position itself as a single, integrated economy that is able to lever-age and participate in the ASEAN, and the global economic community,” said Antonino.

She added the Mindanao Development Corridors, an initiative of MinDA aims to bolster infrastruc-ture and improve transport and logistics support to tourism, industry, and agriculture sector.

“Improved infrastructure contributes to the en-hancement of air, land, and sea transport systems, enabling the seamless movement of goods and people within Mindanao, and among the member economies of the Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA),” Antonino said.

The BIMP-EAGA initiative has been identified as Mindanao’s platform to the ASEAN, and the full


implementation of the Mindanao Development Corridors will place the island-region in a position of strength as it moves towards inte-gration to the ASEAN and to the rest of the world.

Launched in 1994 in Davao City, the BIMP-EAGA is a key strategy to accelerate social and economic de-velopment of less developed areas in participating regions. The sub-re-gional grouping also aims to harness private sector leadership in initiatives to promote cross-border investments and improve connectivity.

This year, trade and economic ties between Mindanao and Indonesia are expected to get stronger with the

anticipated opening of the Davao-General Santos-Tahuna-Bitung sea route which operationalized shipping services between two focus areas in BIMP-EAGA.

An agreement to operational-ize the shipping service was sealed in Jakarta in May this year by the representatives of the Indonesian shipping line PT Kanaka, the North Minahasa Chamber of Commerce of Indonesia, Philippine-based cargo company ARREE Freight Express and the Davao City Chamber of Com-merce.

PT Kanaka will provide shipping services to the route with its conven-tional cargo-type vessel with a 120


COTABATO CITY – Some 35 members of OFW Family Circles (OFC) from the province of Maguindanao participate in a computer assembly and basic troubleshooting training courtesy of OWWA-ARMM.

TEU capacity. ARREE Freight Ex-press on the other hand will handle the cargo consolidation requirements for the shipping route.

“BIMP-EAGA has already provided the building blocks for Mindanao, by establishing cross border connec-tivity, socio-cultural exchange, and trade harmonization policies,” said Antonino.

In a related development, Antoni-no also said “the international trad-ing prospects for Mindanao remains bullish and promising, especially with the recent designation of the General Santos Economic Zone (GEZ) as a special economic zone.”

Signed last month, the Proclama-tion No. 820 designated 47 hectares of land as a special economic zone, which is seen to attract more inves-tors to the city. The new facility is seen as an entry point for invest-ments from the neighboring EAGA and ASEAN member countries. It is

currently the largest industrial eco-nomic zone in South and Central Mindanao.

The GEZ offers income tax holiday to potential investors for four years (extendable up to eight years), in-cluding export taxes exemption, 100 percent ownership of enterprise, among others.

“Developments like these make it easier for us to position Mindanao as a single integrated economy that is able to leverage and participate in various international markets, and this should be the direction of the policies to endorsed in this year’s MinBizCon,” said Antonino.

With a theme “Growth beyond convergence,” the 23rd Mindanao Business Conference being held from September 1 to 3 aims to posi-tion Mindanao as a key player in the BIMP-EAGA sub-economic region as it moves to its greater participation in the AEC. (MinDA/DED-PIA 12)

OWWA-ARMM holds computer training for Maguindanao OFWsBy: Oliver Ross V. Rivera

OWWA-ARMM OIC Habib Ma-lik said the capacity building train-

ing aims to upgrade the skills of for-mer OFWs as a means to boost their


KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato– A five-minute whistle blowing high-lighted the opening salvo of the 20th National Crime Prevention Week (NCPW) in SOCCSKSARGEN Region.

employability here in the country and abroad.

“The OFWs and their families can use the skills they learned during the training to apply for a job or start their own business,” Malik said.

Through this activity, OWWA is able to equip OFWs in the region with much needed trainings to im-prove their skills and competencies and in a simple way help them in enhancing their livelihoods or add to their income, he added.

Malik also said they have invited trainers from TESDA-ARMM to equip the participants with much needed skills in computer repair and trouble-shooting.

The module coverage include his-

tory and uses of computer, PC over-view, types of connectors, parts of computer, occupational health and safety procedures, installing windows xp, installing windows 7, basic prob-lems of computers and basic trouble-shooting.

After their graduation, the partici-pants will be given a kit containing star and flat screw drivers, installer of windows xp, windows 7 and other programs including Microsoft Office, and anti-virus.

The training dubbed as “OFWs aangat sa pagsulong ng bagong teknolohiya” is held at the AlNor Hotel and convention center will be until Thursday, September 4. (ORVR-ivera-PIA12)

Whistle-blowing kicks off crime prevention week celebration

The kick-off ceremony held at the school grounds of the Koronadal Na-tional Comprehensive High School (KNCHS) early Monday morn-ing gathered a thousand students, teachers, cops and employees of the National Police Commission (NAPOL-COM).

A hundred whistles were given to selected 4th year students and lead-ers of KNCHS who fill the air with the whistle noise for five minutes, which NAPOLCOM describes as a method for preventing crime and reducing opportunities to offenders.

NAPOLCOM 12 Regional Director


Atty. Edilberto F. Fermil in his message stressed that “individuals commit crimes if opportunities are present.”

He challenged the students to be vigilant, and fight against criminality, as he said “do not give an opportu-nity to the criminal.

“You have to report to the police if you notice something or someone suspicious,” he recommended.

Fermil also said that it is less ex-pensive for the government and will take not much time and effort in the part of the criminal justice system if we prevent crime.

“An ounce of prevention is better that a pound of cure thus crime pre-vention is better than crime solution” he said.

AIong with the weeklong obser-vance of the National Crime Preven-tion Week, NAPOLCOM is promot-ing the “Pito Tayo Laban sa Krimen” project.

A NAPOLCOM project brief accen-tuates that the whistle (pito) is not a toy but an effective tool for crime prevention.

The project which shall employ the use of whistles is a simple yet pow-erful tool to reduce the opportuni-ties for criminal activity and promote public safety.

The “Pito Tayo Laban sa Krimen” project is being initiated to provide a specific mechanism for individuals and communities to have active role in preventing crimes. The focus of the proposed project is reducing the

opportunities for offending by entic-ing citizens to carry and use whistles as a means of attracting attention and preventing crime.

“The whistle is a good warning de-vice as it is audible at much greater distances than the human voice and is less likely to cause exhaustion if used repeatedly thus making it eas-ier for a victim to seek for help,” the statement said.

The NCPW is a weeklong celebra-tion that aims to focus public at-tention on the importance of crime prevention, mandated under Presi-dential Proclamation No.461.

It will be observed until Septem-ber 8, 2014, carrying out lined-up activities underscoring crime preven-tion. (AC Agad/JMP Castillon-PIA 12)

one mindanao - september 3, 2014

Documents

millions of trees

breaking indias record

mindanaowide campaign

minda area management

greening mindanow

national information

luwalhati antonino

multiple locations