NorMin economy grows at a slower pace in 2019 by 5.9%

23 Oct, 2020, No comments

The economy of Region 10 expanded at a slower pace by 5.9 percent in 2019 as compared with the recorded growth in the previous year of 7.1 percent.

The slower growth was due to the slowdown in Manufacturing, Construction and Transportation and Storage, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-10 Regional Director Ruben Abaro, Jr. said.

Manufacturing, which constituted 11.0 percent of the region's economy, posted a decelerated growth of 1.5 percent from the previous year’s growth of 9.1 percent.

Construction which shared 8.6 percent of the regional economy also grew slower at 8.4 percent from the previous year’s growth of 15.9 percent.

Likewise, transportation and storage, with a share of 3.6 percent to the total economy showed a slower growth of 6.5 percent from the previous year’s growth of 17.8 percent.

Of the 5.9 percent economic growth in the region, trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles was the top contributor to growth of 1.9 percentage points, followed by construction at 0.7 percentage point and education at 0.6 percentage point, Abaro added.

The region's economy remained to have the seventh biggest share of the Philippine economy at 4.5 percent. Moreover, Region 10 contributed 0.3 percentage points to the Philippine economic growth of 6.0 percent.|(PSA10/PIA10)

La Viña vows livelihood, relocation to families displaced in PHIVIDEC-IA

23 Oct, 2020, No comments

TAGOLOAN, Misamis Oriental—PHIVIDEC-IA Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Viña assured 148 families, directly affected by the construction of the foreign-owned steel company and manufacturing plant in the industrial estate would be taken cared of.

“We want the affected families to gain a sense of pride in their new homes in the resettlement community. We will also assist them through livelihood programs,” La Viña said.

La Viña, whose advocacy is helping the poor, promised a complete amenities like water supplies, schools, and churches would be made available to ensure that the relocation areas are livable and the residents would not want to leave the area.

Myrna Bernadez and her family have been living in Barangay Mohon for 32 years. They know from the start that the land where they are presently cultivating is owned by PHIVIDEC-IA.

“We are ready to leave the place whenever PHIVIDEC needs the land. After all, we are grateful to PHIVIDEC for allowing us to stay here for more than 30 years. In fact, PHIVIDEC even allows us to cultivate a portion of the land for farming as our main source of livelihood,” said Bernadez.

Antonio Fabilla, a neighbor of Bernadez, who also resides in Barangay Mohon for the past 30 years has utilized the adjacent land as a corn field.

“I understand that I have to leave this place. I will abide with the law and remains hopeful that I could start a new life at the relocation site,” Fabella said.

Both Bernadez and Fabella are among the 2,400 families who would be provided a slot in the 112.88-hectare of the PHIVIDEC-IA eight resettlement sites in the municipal towns of Tagoloan and Villanueva, both located in the 3,000-hectare industrial economic zone in Misamis Oriental.

La Viña assures that the resettlement of the affected residents at any site development is in accordance with the law. Aside from the land where they can rebuild their houses, residents will also receive compensation based on the appraised value of their property.

Meanwhile, those who choose to waive their relocation privileges will also be compensated and will receive additional financial assistance.

The Veterans and Community Affairs Division of PHIVIDEC-IA also offers livelihood training and TESDA scholarship to members of relocated families. (PR)

Globe rolls out free broadband fiber upgrades nationwide

23 Oct, 2020

True to its commitment to continuously make its services better, Globe is migrating its broadband network from copper to fiber for better data experience. It has, so far, moved over 40% of the targeted customers nationwide to the newer and higher speed network for free.

With the shift to fiber, Globe broadband customers can enjoy faster speed, bigger data, and more stable connection to address the growing demand for online connectivity at home as people turn to the internet for work, learning, entertainment and other essential needs.

“A good, stable and reliable internet connection is a critical need under the new normal. To meet our customers' demands, we upgraded our network with superior technology for a better internet experience. We are rolling out fiber to homes nationwide, and upgrading our customers to fiber connections for free to give them first world internet connectivity that they deserve,” said Darius Delgado, Globe VP and Head of Broadband Business.

Fiber connection can provide a maximum speed of 1Gbps as compared to copper ADSL which only provides a maximum speed of 15 Mbps. Higher bandwidth means being able to download or upload large files faster, stream high-definition videos and webinars, and run multiple online programs simultaneously, among other benefits.

Unlike the traditional copper cables which suffer from huge data signal loss over long distances, fiber only registers slight data signal degradation. Being smaller, lighter and sheathed in protective coat, it is also more durable than the bulky copper which can be easily broken during installation. It is also resistant to electromagnetic and radio signal interference.

Allowing customers to move to fiber connection for free is part of Globe’s network expansion and upgrade program to improve data and voice experience at the homefront.

Globe’s investments in its network is supportive of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UNSDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs

Globe At Home customers may update their details in the Globe At Home app so they will be informed once fiber is available in their area and can get upgraded for free. The app may be downloaded from Play Store for Android or App Store for iOS.

Globe network expansion brings telehealth to more people across PH

23 Oct, 2020

Globe Telecom’s aggressive network upgrade and expansion is envisioned to bring telemedicine services to more people across the country, particularly those living in far-flung areas who do not have immediate access to licensed medical practitioners.

With only one doctor for every 33,000 Filipinos, telemedicine becomes a viable alternative to the traditional visit to hospitals or clinics. Telemedicine can immediately connect a patient to a doctor whenever they require medical assistance regardless of location, thus, saving time, effort, and money.

“Healthcare needs to be accessible anytime, anywhere. Through telemedicine, we can provide everyone equal access to quality care without any geographic restriction. Globe is bringing telemedicine to anyone who needs it by making our network as pervasive as possible and by deploying the latest network technologies to help us deliver more advanced telehealth services to Filipinos nationwide,” said Cholo Tagaysay, CEO of Global Telehealth, Inc which runs KonsultaMD.

Globe, through its wholly-owned corporate incubator, 917Ventures, operates two telehealth services -- KonsultaMD, in partnership with Mexico’s Salud Interactiva; and HealthNow which is powered by Vigos Health, an ACHealth subsidiary.

Both KonsultaMD and HealthNow give the public access to skilled and licensed Filipino doctors who can provide safe medical assessment and advice on basic healthcare and proper medication, issue e-prescriptions, and read laboratory results.

KonsultaMD also provides medical advice via phone for those who are not tech-savvy or those who are budget conscious. However, video consultation is fast gaining ground for both KonsultaMD and HealthNow as it allows the doctors to actually see the patient’s health problem on screen. More telehealth services which utilize online tools are also expected to be introduced as a result of rapid technological advancements.

Thus, with increasing demand for data-driven tools and services, Globe continuously invests billions of dollars to upgrade and improve its network. This year alone, Globe has earmarked USD 1.2 billion in capital expenditure, majority of which goes to network and capacity builds including the rollout of 4G LTE and 5G technology as well as fiber optic cables for better data connectivity, faster speed, bigger capacity, and lower latency.

By helping bring telehealth to every Filipino through infrastructure builds, Globe reaffirms its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly, UNSDG No. 3 which ensures healthy lives and promotes well-being for all at all ages; and UNSDG No. 9 on

building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation.

Customs pushes for 'ease of doing business' in Northern Mindanao's port community

9 Oct, 2020, No comments

By Alwen Saliring

PORT transactions in Northern Mindanao will be a lot easier once an agreement among all stakeholders is forged.

This after the Bureau of Customs District Collection-Northern Mindanao (BOC-10) pushed for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between stakeholders to streamline the business procedures in the port community in the region.

The MOU sets for the term and understanding between the BOC, Mindanao International Container Terminal Services Inc., Golden Sun Cargo Examination Services Corp., Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc., Customs Brokers Representatives Association, various shipping lines and Phividec Industrial Authority.

In a statement, the BOC said the memorandum aims to clearly set forth the facilitation of the movements of cargo especially on the transfer of containers subject to examination from the Mindanao Container Terminal yard to the Customs Clearance Area-Designed Examination Area (CCA-DEA).

The memorandum will also outline the responsibilities of each signing party to guarantee smooth operation and to safeguard the interest of the port operator and the government.

Also, the CCA-DEA will operate 24 hours except for the cashier who will only work from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., since the examination of containers for both intrusive and non-intrusive (X-Ray inspections) shall only be conducted within the said area.

"The memorandum of understanding will help us address problems like port congestions. If there are also delays on documents we already know what to do and who to talk to if a problem arises,"District Collector John Simon said.

The BOC-10 said this move is in line with Republic Act of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, a landmark law of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration to improve the competitiveness of and ease of doing business in the country.

The BOC-10 is set to propose the agreement to the port community stakeholders and will take effect immediately upon signing by the parties.

Photo courtesy: ICTSI

FDC Misamis turns over financial aid to Villanueva-LGU

10 Sep, 2020, No comments

THE Energy Regulations (ER) 1-94 Program of the Department of Energy (DOE) is expected to beef up the anti-COVID-19 efforts of the Municipality of Villanueva in Misamis Oriental.

The program allows communities hosting generating facilities access to a financial benefit of one-centavo per kilowatt-hour (P0.01/kWh) of the total electricity sales, which shall fund various development projects and activities.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the DOE has authorized the utilization of ER 1-94 funds to help host LGUs combat the spread and effects of the pandemic.

Filinvest’s FDC Misamis Power Corporation (FDC Misamis), one of the biggest baseload power plants in the area, has downloaded more than PHP 10 million of ER 1-94 funds directly to the LGU.

The power firm recognizes the importance of strengthening the capacity of its community stakeholders, especially in these challenging times. The immediate remittance of the financial assistance provides the LGU added security and available resources to further enhance their health services. (PR)

FDC Misamis President and CEO Juan Eugenio Roxas turns over financial aid to the municipality of Villanueva in Misamis Oriental through the Energy Regulations (ER) 1-94 Program of the Department of Energy (DOE) to beef up the anti-COVID-19 efforts in the town.

Technical-vocational trainees get supports from Globe

28 Aug, 2020, No comments

Over 750 combined trainees and scholars of the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and the Foundation for Professional Training, Inc. (FPTI) have received connectivity and communications assistance from Globe to enable them to transition to digital and distance learning beginning this school year.

Globe provided support through prepaid SIM cards and load cards which 600 trainees under PBEd’s YouthWorks PH Program and 160 scholars under FPTI’s Lifelong Development for Women Program, can use to connect to the internet for three and six months, respectively, to access relevant digital tools and content.

“Globe reinforces its commitment to nation-building by being the catalyst for the new normal. One of our goals is to assist the education sector by providing connectivity, educational materials, and training that can help schools, teachers, students, and parents prepare for and embrace digital learning,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.

PBEd’s YouthWorks PH Flexible Training for Work (FTW), is a set of interventions for unemployed, out-of-school youth affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the current program, trainees came from Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, and Zamboanga City.

“We thank Globe Telecom for their generous support to our FTW trainees, and we are certain that their assistance will go a long way in ensuring that our trainees will not be left behind,” PBEd Executive Director and YouthWorks PH Chief of Party Lovelaine Basillote said. “This partnership is a testament to the private sector’s commitment to work hand-in-hand with other stakeholders in the education and workforce development sectors. With this, the youth are given access to programs that will help them become productive and eventually employed,” she added.

Through the strong partnerships with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), PBEd is working to streamline blended training approaches and to develop/revise training regulations and online programs for certain trades/skills that are foreseen to be in-demand, given government priorities and the new normal of the labor market.

GCash is also supporting PBEd through a donation channel for those who wish to sponsor the PBEd trainees’ connectivity needs. Funds collected will go towards the provision of learning devices.

In addition, Globe’s Digital Thumbprint Program modules on responsible online citizenship will be integrated into the program for the trainees to learn the proper way of interacting with other people through the internet.

“This program has helped me a lot because it taught me how to answer a lot of questions, which will be useful for me in the future. I would like to thank the FTW team for this program because not only does it help the youth, it also helps their parents who also learn from the knowledge taught by the program. Because of FTW, the youth have something to do, especially right now that we are in a pandemic. I hope you can help more young Filipinos,” said Nikko Duarte, a PBEd trainee in Zamboanga City.

On the other hand, the two-year FPTI program is geared towards young women aged 16-21 who are interested in Hotel and Restaurant Services. It includes training in skills with accreditation (National Certificate II) from TESDA as well as job placement assistance.

Given the current situation, blended learning will also be facilitated for the program. All module-based and theoretical lessons will be frontloaded in the first semester so that the students can do 100% digital learning.

Mila Araneta, FPTI Executive Director said: “We extend our thanks to Globe for their support of #OplanGadget, providing our scholars with the connectivity they will need to participate fully in online learning. This is only the beginning of a collaborative partnership with Globe as we work towards achieving shared goals and development of lifelong learning.”

FPTI delivers employment-led education for young women scholars, accompanying them through to graduation and securing their first job. Courses are focused on the skill sector of food service. It also offers various tech-voc programs and stand-alone senior high school in the tech-voc track.

Emano backs steel mill project in Misamis Oriental

20 Aug, 2020, No comments

By Alwen Saliring

Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano has vowed to support the Chinese and Filipino investors who plan to put up an integrated steel mill in the province.

Emano has asked the investors to follow and comply with all necessary requirements and permits.

The China-based Huili Fund and Simple Homes Development Inc. in the Philippines on Monday, August 17, asked the governor for support..

A memorandum of agreement is set to be forged between the provincial government and the said firms so that the project could start.

The capitol's top official hopes that the project can generate employment especially those who were affected by the coronavirus pandemic and as well as boost the economy of the province.

PHIVIDEC continues to 'stir up economy' amid pandemic

17 Aug, 2020

By Steph Berganio

The PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority continues to provide significant contribution in reviving the economy amids the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

In a cabinet meeting over the weekend, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin M. Andanar, PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority Administrator and CEO Franklin M. Quijano discussed Phividec's contributions and interventions to perk up the economy in Northern Mindanao following the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quijano said despite the less economic activity, he still saw an additional 10 percent increase in revenue.

"Overall, ang net result niya, bisan nga gi-uyog kita sa COVID-19, ni increase gihapon ang atong pag import ug export sa produkto pinaagi sa atong international port" he said.

Quijano also disclosed that industries and businesses are interested to locate in their area.

One Pharmaceutical company has expressed interest in relocating to the PHIVIDEC while a sports items manufacturer is currently in talks with the management.

They are also hoping to close a deal in having an Industrial Steel Mill. The steel mill, he said, will help in the judicial utilization of the region's natural resources and create more jobs in the area.

Emphasizing the importance of an Integrated Steel Mill as a 'game changer' for Northern Mindanao, Quijano disclosed during the podcast that an Industrial Steel Mill is also integral to the region's infrastructure goals in consonance with President Duterte's Build Build Build program, as it will provide the region easy access to steel products for bridge and building projects.

"Pinaagi sa usa ka domestically reliable na Steel Industry, dili na ta mahadlok ug tukod ug mga dagko nga building nga lig-on kaayo tungod kay the core to industry is steel. Kung walay puthaw dili mo kusog ang industriya sa atong nasod," Quijano said highlighting the importance of domestic natural resource refineries in the region as a precursor to development.

Last Monday, Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano said that the plans structure of Steel Mill company in Phivedic premises will be a great help to the Misamisnon who lost their jobs brought by the pandemic.

If the Steel Mill will push through, it needs 10,000 to 30,000 individual for the construction alone, while during the actual operation it needs 3,000 employees.|with reports from PIA

(svb file photo)

Globe and Mineski reaffirm strategic alliance

14 Aug, 2020, No comments

Committed to putting Philippine esports on the map, Globe has recently renewed its partnership with the country’s leading esports agency, Mineski Philippines. The leveled-up collaboration focuses on the improvement of two key aspects namely, Liyab Esports and the Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL).

Professional esports team Liyab Esports is one of the highlights of the Globe and Mineski partnership. After debuting last year, the team composed of the most promising local esports athletes went on to compete in various regional tournaments and even bagged a gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games for Starcraft II. Under the renewed partnership, Team Liyab will further be expanded by adding a team for League of Legends Wild Rift--- Riot’s upcoming MOBA based on the popular League of Legends franchise.

PPGL, on the other hand, is considered to be the biggest multi-platform esports league in the country. Globe and Mineski plan to make the league bigger and better by adding community leagues and continuing to build on relevant esports titles and emerging games.

“Our partnership has been very fruitful for both Mineski and Globe,” shares Jil Bausa-Go, VP for Get Entertained Tribe at Globe. “It is a journey marked with milestones which helped make Liyab, PPGL and our continuing vision for Philippine esports grow stronger and more resilient.”

Ronald Robins, Founder and CEO of Mineski Global echoes this excitement for renewed ties with the telco giant: “This is definitely an exciting new chapter for us, and we are happy to have our partners at Globe remain steadfast and committed in accelerating our efforts to grow the esports industry. Unfazed by the current situation, our collaboration pledges to further promote the importance of esports, and the communities that support it in both the local and global stages.” (PR)

NorMin entrepreneurs join 1st digital trade fair

22 Jul, 2020, No comments

Some 19 exhibitors in Northern Mindanao have joined the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and One Town, One Product (OTOP) virtual trade fair—Pasinaya: Digital Market Showroom and Online Trade Platform on July 20-24, 2020.

Pasinaya is the first digital showroom and a kickoff of DTI’s new normal trade fairs. The virtual trade fair will serve as a platform where buyers will be able to meet, source and connect digitally to the best products of homegrown, regional micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) exhibitors through various showrooms on Zoom, a popular web-based conferencing tool.

Northern Mindanao food exhibitors include Mama Nene's Homemade Delights and Maramag Tablea in Bukidnon, Maestrado Tablea and Soling's Food Products in Camiguin; Dackies Foods in Lanao del Norte; Delta Business Ventures, D' Farm, Lola Luz' Best Goodies, and Nelly's Coffee and Tablea in Misamis Occidental; and Cape de Ticala and JVCare Food Specialty Co. in Misamis Oriental.

Non-food exhibitors are OJ's Arts & Crafts and Tagolwanen Women Weavers Association in Bukidnon; R. Escodero Handicraft in Camiguin; Keepsakes Iligan Souvenirs and Crafts, Acscents Perfumes & Blends, and Perfectly Natural Herbsin Lanao del Norte; and Puyo Handicrafts and Tinabuan Arts and Crafts in Misamis Oriental.

Pasinaya is open to the public on July 23-24. Interested buyers can join through the registration link: https://tinyurl.com/PASINAYA2020. It is organized in celebration of the National MSME Week from July 20-24, 2020. (PR)