Weaving for women

IT ALL started with seeing the need of helping the jobless women of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental.

Esmera Gabutina, a then practicing pharmacist, decided to close her pharmacy and bakeshop to help the skilled weavers of her hometown. They were all jobless after fishermen started to choose cheaper, imported fishnets of plastic varieties from China over those local abaca-woven ones.

Community orchards eyed as coolants

AMID soaring temperatures across the country, former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri has urged local governments to put up community orchards, saying brutal climate change has underscored the value of trees as “natural coolants.”

Zubiri said trees are organic air-conditioners and air purifiers and has built-in energy savings devices.

Jamaican F&B offers trainings to aspiring hoteliers

THE Jamaican Food & Beverages Center in Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro is providing opportunities to everyone who wants to work abroad as hoteliers.

As part of its new program, applicants can avail themselves of the center’s Restaurant Supervisory training for a minimal amount of P14,500.

Gokongweis’ Commandment No. 3: No Conflict of Interest

“To set aside one’s prejudices, one’s present needs, and one’s own self interest in making a decision as a director for a company is an intellectual exercise that takes constant practice. In short, intellectual honesty is a journey and not a destination.” - Mervyn King

Globe Telecom upgrades infra

GLOBE Telecom has announced it would pour in $700 million on infrastructure, making it one of the most modern networks throughout the country.

Peter Bithos, Globe vice president for consumer business, said part of the company’s upgrading is to install 10,000 kilometers of fiber optic submarine and aerial cables to all their sites in the Philippines to make the network 4G ready.

Zero duty on capital imports extended for 5 years

ENTERPRISES may now enjoy the extended zero percent duty on any importation of capital equipment, spare parts and accessories by Board of Investment (BOI)-registered new and expanding enterprises located within the economic zones and freeports for five more years.

This, after President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order (EO) 70 last March 29 following the expiry of the five-year effectivity of EO 528 that imposed zero duty on such equipment back in 2006.

FOB value of N. Mindanao 2011 exports post 14% growth

OZAMIZ CITY – A total value of US$1.064 billion in freight-on-board (FOB) was noted for the total regional exports (TRE) of Region X in 2011, which is higher by 14.85 percent compared to US$926.91 million in FOB in 2010.

Linda O. Boniao, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said FOB is the transport cost of the export commodities was paid for by the country of destination.

Be ‘tech-co friendly,’ says Smart

IN TIME for the 2012 Earth Day celebration, leading wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) called on its subscribers to do their share in protecting and saving the environment.

“A number of people think that advancement in technology does more harm than good for the environment. But what they need to understand is that we can actually use technology to be more eco-friendly, or as we would call it, ‘tech-co friendly,” said Mon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs.

Finland's Nokia back in the race

MANILA -- Finland's Nokia, known as the world's top mobile phone maker, is back in the race amid fierce competition by introducing its new series of smartphones unit in partnership with Microsoft.

Nikka Abes, Nokia's Corporate Communications manager, said the company will be launching its first smartphones to run Windows Phone 7.5 mango under top telecommunications' exclusive deal.

Sun Cellular launches mobile landline plan

SUN Cellular now makes available the new Sun Anti-Bill Shock Mobile Landline Plan for Cebu residents for as low as P249 per month.

This dual-service offering features a single SIM card that already consists of a mobile and a landline subscription.

Toyota gets 2 major awards

TOYOTA Motor Philippines hosted its Annual Dealer Conference and Gala Awards last February 21 at Boracay Regency Hotel.

The event was held to recognize the outstanding performance of Toyota’s different dealerships.

Chamber to release answer on TUCP wage hike petition

THE Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation (OroChamber) will soon release its answer to the P80 daily wage hike petition filed by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on March 7 before the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Northern Mindanao.

Globe claims 2011 a banner year

MAKATI, Metro Manila -- Globe Telecom Inc., the county’s major provider of telecommunications services, claims 2011 as banner year for the company in terms of financial performance and investments amidst fierce competition from rival companies.

During Globe’s annual stockholders meeting on Wednesday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati, it was announced that their full year service revenues reached an all-time high, closing the year 2011 at P67.8 billion reaching eight percent of revenue as compared to 2010.

Sun offers more payment channels for clients

SUN Cellular is making available more payment channels for their postpaid subscribers.

Reuben Pangan, Sun Cellular’s vice-president for Customer Relationship Management, said they want their subscribers to experience maximum after-sales convenience.

No CCTV firms to face closure

HUNDREDS of business establishments in Cagayan de Oro may have to face closure if owners would continue to fail in installing their respective closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

"We have an existing ordinance for that matter. If they (establishments) would still refuse to install their CCTV cameras, their business permits would not be renewed or be penalized of closure," said Councilor Alden D. Bacal in his radio interview Tuesday.

International airlines, tour operators' summit opens

DAVAO CITY -- Key airline chief executive officers (CEO) and tour operators from the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga) will convene here for a two-day summit starting today, Wednesday.

Dubbed as the 1st Equator Asia Air Access Forum and Airline CEOs Summit, the gathering aims to bring together major players from the airline industry and tour operators from the sub-region to lay the groundwork for enhanced inter-connectivity between and among the Eaga focus areas, including its world-class tourist destinations branded as "Equator Asia."

Visa firm opens in Oro

RESIDENTS in Mindanao who aspire to migrate and permanently live in Canada can now have all the luxury to apply and consult for visa application and acquisition with PinoyCare Visa Center, a visa consultancy company that opens first branch in Cagayan de Oro City Sunday.

Located at 3rd floor, CDT-KAI Building, Hayes Extension, Pinikitan, Camaman-an, Cagayan de Oro City, PinoyCare is assisting professional Filipinos on its visa needs to travel abroad particularly in Canada, said Prisca Niña Mabatid, the visa company's president and chief executive officer.

Lawyer: Contractualization deprives ones’ job rights

"CONTRACTUALIZATION of workers in the private sector deprives their rights to have permanent jobs," said lawyer Mariano Carasco.

He said under the Labor Code, a worker that exceeds six months of work in a certain company is automatically absorbed for regularization and is entitled to the benefits due to him.

80 students sell books for school

AT LEAST 80 students who are under the government's Special Program for Employment of Students (Spes) and working in the Philippine Publishing House in Cagayan de Oro sell published materials to fund their education during the opening of classes this June.

Mindanao Container Terminal exceeds 1Q target

THE Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental has exceeded its monthly target collection in February and March, 2012 by 38 percent, pulling the 16-percent deficit in January to a total of 22 percent over and above the actual goal during the first three months of the year.

Quinciano Pavadora, MCT’s officer-in-charge, said the Northern Mindanao’s major port in Misamis Oriental attributed the significant performance on the increase in tax collection on importation exceeding the total target collection of P1.014 billion to P1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2012.

RTMI eyes bombing ‘sabotage’

THE management of Rural Transit Mindanao Incorporated (RTMI) in Cagayan de Oro admitted that the recent atrocity involving one of its bus units on Wednesday morning at Carmen town in North Cotabato has somehow affected their Mindanao operations.

Diosdado Bravo, manager of RTMI’s Yacapin branch, said since the bombing incident occurred, the bus company’s number of passengers substantially decreased, which suggests that the motive was merely “business sabotage.”

Public urged to sue abusive LPG dealers

LIQUEFIED petroleum gas (LPG) dependent consumers may now enjoy great savings as most cooking gas dealers in Cagayan de Oro lower their rates. But the public is urged to report any incident of overpricing by some abusive LPG distributors.

MinDA: All systems go for Mindanao Power Summit

DAVAO CITY- The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) announced that stakeholders in the power industry from all across Mindanao are here for the largest gathering to address the looming energy situation in the region.

Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, chair of MinDA which is organizing the summit in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE), said that based on latest confirmations around 300 to 350 delegates are expected to attend the event.

Sun toasts batch 2012 best deals

IF YOU are a parent, there is a chance that this summer will be the proudest summer of your life because, finally, after years of working your eyebrows off, you finally have a graduate!

While your child is probably itching to get out there in the working world, you are probably worried that this world is going to spit your pride and joy out like a spoilt raisin like it did to some of us.

Biz group continues to provide support to SMEs

A NATIONAL-based business group continues to reach out unfortunate citizens in Mindanao by carrying out financial assistance to informal and formal micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region.

Dennis Alcy Ellorimo, senior program officer of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), said most of the group’s beneficiaries are those located in conflict-affected and far flung areas in Mindanao where both government and private economic programs are hardly delivered.

Exclusive in Mindanao: Sun Cellular unveils load variant

AFTER announcing that it has strengthened its network reach in Mindanao, Sun Cellular now unveils its newest prepaid load variant exclusive to its subscribers in the area – The Sun TextALL 15 for Mindanao. The newest load variant comes with unlimited texts to all networks for two days for just 15 pesos.

AmCham names 30 finalists off BOP 2012

THE American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (AmCham), through its corporate social responsibility arm, the American Chamber Foundation, has selected 30 students from across the Philippines to participate in its Business Orientation Program 2012 (BOP 2012) scheduled on April 14 to 21, 2012.

The AmCham BOP 2012 offers the country’s ‘best of the best’ undergraduate students the opportunity to gain new understanding of key global business and economic issues through exclusive company visits and in-depth discussions with senior executives of local multinational companies.

‘Sendong’ survivors earning out of hollow block making

‘Sendong’ survivors earning out of hollow block making Nicole J. Managbanag

PT: ‘Sendong’ survivors in Cagayan de Oro earning out of hollow block making

Soriano: 10 Commandments of the Gokongweis in Family Business

“THE difference between law and in-law is you can justify yourself before law but never before in-laws.”

No in-laws!

LPG dealers to lower rates

SOME liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dealers in Cagayan de Oro would heed on calls to lower their rates starting this week.

Councilor Juan Sia, a long-time LPG trader in the city, said he received notice of price adjustment to be implemented this week, aside from last week’s applied price decrease for cooking gas.