From savings to taxis

IT ALL started with 10 friends forming a group of taxi drivers three years ago, who all have a dream of owning their own taxi in the future.

Biz leaders craft Mindanao policy agenda

THE new 20-year peace and development roadmap of Mindanao gives considerable focus on establishing a favorable business policy setting in the island-region as it takes into account the comprehensive Mindanao business policy agenda passed during the 19th Mindanao Business Conference (MunBizCon) held in Cagayan de Oro recently.

Seminar for SMEs set

A SEMINAR on Cutting-Edge Marketing Strategies for small and medium business enterprises (SMES) is slated to be held on Oct. 15 at the Dynasty Court Hotel.

Sun Cellular 1st to hit 1-M postpaid subscribers

SUN Cellular is making Philippine telecommunications history by being the first service provider to achieve one million postpaid subscribers.

MisOr, Owwa to build P100-M hospital

THE province of Misamis Oriental and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) have partnered for the construction of a P100-million sophisticated hospital in Alubijid town.

Mobile services reach remote islands

LEADING wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) has rolled out its mobile commerce services to close to 50 remote rural communities under its Island Activations Program (IAP).

IAP is an initiative that aims to provide mobile-based financial services to remote communities that have limited or no access to banking services.

Vendors' group sets up booth inside Cogon market

THE United Market Vendors Association (Umva) at Cogon Market took the initiative of opening up a "Timbangan ng Bayan" and an assistance center booth inside the market to provide support and assistance to market vendors and consumers.

Aboitiz, Hedcor open livelihood prospects

THE Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (AFI), in cooperation with Hedcor Inc., has opened opportunities to community-based cooperatives in Benguet through a micro-financing project.

Sophia Jewellery opens new branch in Oro

SOPHIA Jewellery opened on Saturday its 20th store in Mindanao at the 2nd Level, East Concourse of Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro, which coincided with the re-launching of its store at the 3rd Floor lobby of Gaisano City Mall.

Land Bank honors top financial partners

THE Land Bank of the Philippines recently honored its outstanding partner countryside financial institutions (CFIs) for their significant support to the bank's credit programs aimed at promoting countryside development.

All that glitters is Gold

GOLD is the metal of choice and at Sophia Jewellery, it comes in white, yellow or rose gold.

Rose is the latest innovation in the alloy of these precious metals and in Cagayan de Oro, you can find that dainty tinge at any of the three outlets of Sophia Jewellery. They have Saudi, Malaysian, Chinese and Italian Gold guaranteed to last for generations without losing its sparkle.

CEB maintains growth in 2nd quarter

CEBU Pacific (CEB) foresees improved airline performance in the second half of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009 based on the existing July and August passenger revenues and forward bookings for the period September to December 2010.

The airline flew more than 1.6 million passengers in July-August 2010, up by 12 percent on the same period last year and revenues increased by 41 percent as yield improved on both domestic and international routes.

Health office supports tobacco bill

THE Department of Health (DOH) is fully supporting a move that would impose higher taxes on tobacco.

Dr. Jose R. Llacuna, director III of DOH in Northern Mindanao, said higher taxes from cigarettes will mean more funds to sustain the health services of the department, especially to indigent Filipinos.

Job opening for Pinoy Muslims in Mecca

LEAD Resources Management Corp. (LRMC) is opening its doors to Muslim Filipinos as it intends to hire 50 employees for managerial positions in Mecca.

Lou Noble, LRMC senior marketing specialist, said they are hiring Muslims as required by their employer, Al Ahlia Restaurants Co., a leading multi-national company in the Middle East and a franchise owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Krispy Kreme, Hardee's and TGI Friday's.

Recruiter in town; 400 locals wanted

AN ACCREDITED recruitment firm specializing in restaurant staffing is in Cagayan de Oro to look for hundreds of prospective employees for Saudi Arabia.

Lead Resources Management Corporation (LRMC) is opening its doors to locals who qualify for 100 management trainee and crew supervisor positions, said Lou Noble, senior marketing specialist. The firm also needs 300 service crews.

Oro-based firms get preview on biz management solutions

CAGAYAN de Oro-based corporate representatives from more than 100 companies checked out the Synthesis Innovations and Core Multimedia business solutions at the recently concluded Oro Best Expo.

From September 16 to 18, expo attendees flocked at the SYNC booth where SYNC software were showcased and demonstrated by the marketing team headed by Jo Mercado, assistant vice president for business development of Synthesis Innovations, together with George Nolasco, president and CEO of Core Multimedia solutions, SII business partner in Northern Mindanao.

Stock trading for beginners set next month

STOCK TRADING for beginners will be the topic of a seminar forum to be conducted in Cagayan de Oro City next month.

The forum will be spearheaded by a freelance stock trader formerly connected with a Makati-based brokerage firm in Davao in the late 1990's.

MisOr, Oro economic growth cited in ISO handover

ECONOMIC progress remains the primary factor in determining whether local government units (LGUs) can, on their own, address counterinsurgency problems, an area largely left to the military, an Army official said.

In Misamis Oriental, the transfer of internal security operations (ISO) from the military to the LGUs has been attributed, among others, to the "steady and sustained growth of peace and development condition of the province."

Nonprofit group helps Minda livelihood

NO LESS than a million people all over the country have benefited from a nonprofit group that provides support for livelihood projects all over the country, especially in depressed areas in Mindanao.

In Mindanao alone, Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) had already released around P25 million to affiliate non-government organizations undertaking capability-building initiatives to improve the livelihood of the poorest sectors in the island, said Veronica Villavicencio, PEF director.

US government gives funds to develop agriculture in Mindanao

THE government of the United States is pouring in some $15.8 million (approximately) P700 million of grant funds to bankroll a three-year program to improve the agriculture sector in Mindanao.

A recent Embassy release said the ‘Food for Progress’ program seeks to help small farmers increase their yields of rice, coconut, and cacao; expand inter-cropping to raise incomes; and reduce post-harvest losses.

Government bares plans for Mindanao development

THE Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) announced Friday some plans of the government to boost economic development in Mindanao.

Lualhati Antonino, newly-installed chairperson of MinDA, said the Aquino administration is giving more attention to Mindanao to make it a booming region in the country.

Partnership vital to Mindanao development

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III said the government's partnership with the private sector particularly in harnessing renewable energy sources can fully realize Mindanao's potential as a sustainable investment haven and food basket in the Asia-Pacific region.

Aquino made this statement as he led the formal launching of the 42.5-megawatt Sibulan Hydroelectric Power Plant in Barangay Sibulan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur on Thursday.

COWD to offer services in Oro Best Expo 2010

THE Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) will be among the government agencies who will participate in the Oro Best 2010 slated from September 16 to 18 at the Atrium of Limketkai Mall.

Global Pinoy Center opens at SM City

GLOBAL Pinoy Center (GPC), a one-stop shop that will serve as a hub for all services specifically tailored for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, will open on September 16 at the Third Level of SM City Cagayan de Oro.

The Center aims to serve the needs and champion the cause of OFWs and expatriates as well as their dependents and beneficiaries living in the country.

MinBizCon 2010 kicks off

THE power crisis, responsible mining and enhancing competitiveness of the agribusiness sector would be the top agenda when the Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon) kicks off on September 16 at the Grand Caprice Restaurant in LimKetKai Center.

Jaime Rafael Paguio, president of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber), said the one-town-one-product (OTOP) for Mindanao Island Fair and Oro Best Expo 2010 would also start on the 16th as delegates for the Mindanao-wide conference registration opens.

Airline to hire 300 flight crews

CEBU Pacific (CEB) is hiring 300 flight attendants to augment the airline’s workforce in time for the arrival of four brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft, which is set to be delivered from October 2010 until January 2011.

The CEB team has scheduled a recruitment campaign in Cebu on September 16 at the Cebu Midtown Hotel and initial screening in Manilaon September 20 and 27 at the CEB Training and Development Center, Domestic Airport Road and on October 6 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila.

LPG safer than gasoline: Councilor

“SAFETY is my concern.”

This was the reaction of City Councilor Juan Sia on the alleged complaints lodged over “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” of ABS-CBN against his store located at Tiano-Hayes Sts.

DILG holds CapDev Expo 2010

THREE hundred participants from various sectors in Northern Mindanao are expected join the first-ever Capacity Development Expo (CapDev Expo) on September 22 at Grand Caprice Restaurant in Limketkai Center.

CapDev Expo is organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Northern Mindanao in coordination with the Multi-Stakeholders Advisory Committee (MSAC) members of the Local Governance Resource Center.

Commercialization of Bt eggplant mulled

A SCIENTIST is batting for the commercialization and adoption of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant after noting that this would benefit both the farmers, consumers and the environment.

Dr. Serge Francisco based his proposal on the studies he made on Bt eggplant that are contained in his book “Projected Impacts of Agricultural Biotechnologies for Fruits and Vegetables in the Philippines and Indonesia.”

Pacific Online partners with Digitel

THE Pacific Online Systems Corporation has enlisted the services o f Digital Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel) for its Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IPVPN) via Wireless solutions.

This IP-based service belongs to the wide range of telecommunications services offered by Digitel to corporate markets under its Corporate Solutions brand.