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Former Muslim rebels get P100M in assistance

THE LABOR department will give P100 million to former Muslim rebels as part of the government’s normalization efforts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The agency and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the assistance.

“As more Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants undergo the decommissioning process, we must accelerate our efforts to create the conditions where they can earn a sustainable living, provide for the needs of their families and become productive and peaceful members of society,” peace adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr. said during ceremonies yesterday.

Some investors are also looking at investing in the new autonomous region, which would make the Labor department’s assistance timely, he added.

Under the deal, the agency will provide jobs and livelihood to six rebel camps in the autonomous region, which is undergoing rehabilitation and normalization.

This will also help the government enforce the comprehensive agreement on the Bangsamoro, particularly the socioeconomic development aspect of deal.

The Bangsamoro normalization is an important part of the Duterte administration’s efforts to achieve peace in Mindanao by 2022, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III told reporters at a briefing. — Gillian M. Cortez

New DAR Cagayan Valley head vows to speed up land distribution

THE NEW regional director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Samuel S. Solomero, has vowed to expedite the land acquisition and distribution (LAD) program in line with the agency’s zero backlog target by 2022. “Following the marching order of DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones, I am very determined to cleanse the database on LAD balance and ensure that all the workable and even problematic landholdings are addressed accordingly,” said in a statement released by DAR Monday. He noted that in Isabela alone, the biggest province in the region and second in the country in terms of land area, 31,000 hectares have yet to be distributed under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). “Among the initial concrete actions include the maximization and rationalization of manpower and concentrating in the high-LAD municipalities,” said Mr. Solomero, a career official who has been with DAR for 30 years. Aside from Isabela, Cagayan Valley is composed of Batanes, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. In May this year, Mr. Castriciones announced that the goal to complete the LAD program in three years is possible. He said more than 600,000 hectares of land are still to be covered under the CARP.

DTI underscores sustainability in barangay rounds for SMEs

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Iloilo province has so far covered 78 barangays with 8,714 participants in its capacity-building program for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) outside the urban areas. Mutya D. Eusores, DTI-Iloilo senior trade and industry development specialist, said the main goal of the program is to increase the level of awareness on DTI programs and services and encourage entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. “Their products have the potential, but they lack the idea where to consult for help for mentoring or coaching. Since it is the first engagement of DTI to the SMEs and even sa (among) potential entrepreneurs, at least they were made aware where to go, not only to the DTI office but to the nearest Negosyo Centers,” Ms. Eusores said in press conference last week. She also said that the main challenge is changing the mindset of micro-enterprises and SMEs in terms of developing and sustaining their businesses. “What they need is to change their mindset that business is supposed to be sustainable and there should be a path of growth” she said. DTI will hold follow-up sessions to the Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay program. “After meeting these SMEs, our business counsellors will go back to them to further give services, mentor and coach them in areas of entrepreneurship where they can be improved and to introduce them also to succeeding programs activities of DTI and even other partners which will provide technical assistance,” she said. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Cebu mayor warns water district board directors after defying termination order

CEBU CITY Mayor Edgardo C. Labella has warned the members of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District’s (MCWD) board of directors of the legal ramifications of their refusal to follow his order terminating them from their posts. Mr. Labella declined to elaborate when asked if he is taking legal action against the five board members, led by Chairman Joel Mari Yu, who publicly announced that they are not heeding the mayor’s order for being “illegal and invalid.” “If the chairman, who happens not to be a lawyer, does not realize this, he better consult a lawyer and maybe to some of the lawyers who are members of the board,” said Mr. Labella. In a letter dated Oct. 17, Mr. Yu told the mayor that they are not complying with the termination order. “After a careful perusal of your termination letter, it is with deepest regret that the MCWD BOD, with the full support of the entire MCWD organization, cannot imprudently accede or comply to the same,” the letter read. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia, who earlier expressed support to Mr. Labella’s decision, said the five MCWD directors should observe delicadeza (sense of propriety). “In light of the present situation nga (that) eight local government units expressed dismay, frustration, and dissatisfaction of the present service of MCWD, which necessarily reflects upon the performance of the board, perhaps it would be good to think about delicadeza,” said Ms. Garcia. Under the law that created MCWD, the Cebu city mayor has the authority to appoint or remove the members of the board. Apart from Cebu City, MCWD’s coverage area includes the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay, and the towns of Compostela, Liloan, Consolacion, and Cordova. — The Freeman

Davao hog raisers assure enough pork, ham supply for Christmas season

A GROUP of hog raisers in Davao City called on Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to maintain her order temporarily banning the entry of live pigs and pork products amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in parts of Luzon, giving assurance that there is enough local supply, including ham for the Christmas celebrations. They made the call after Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año issued a memorandum encouraging local government units (LGUs) in the Visayas and Mindanao to lift their respective bans in consideration of the industry. “(Mr.) Año is not imposing but he is suggesting to LGUs to lift the ban… Their concern is more on the losses of the production sa mga (among) meat processors. Meat processors import, they don’t buy local,” Mae Ann C. Cortez, secretary of the Hog Farmers Association of Davao Inc. (HOGFADI), said during the Habi at Kape forum. Alvin T. Teves, past HOGFADI president, said in the same forum that hog raisers and processors in the Visayas and Mindanao can meet local demand. “There will be ham this coming Christmas season, let us not believe reports that there will be none in December… We have local producers and meat processors,” Mr. Teves said in the vernacular. — Maya M. Padillo

OFWs in hurricane-hit Bahamas seek gov’t assistance

OVERSEAS FILIPINO workers (OFWs) in the Bahamas, through private enterprise Lilac Center for Public Interest Inc., are calling for help from the Philippine government as they reel from the impact of Hurricane Dorian which struck in August. “We have received a distress call for help from on OFW in the island of Abaco in Bahamas, one of the islands most devastated by Hurricane Dorian, who told us OFWs in the island were rendered homeless and penniless and who badly need assistance,” Lilac Center President Nicon P. Fameronag said in a statement on Monday. Myrna Famadico, a Filipina nurse residing in Abaco who contacted Lilac Center, said she is asking help from the Philippine government on behalf of all Filipinos living in Abaco and Grand. She said only OFWs in Nassaud were given assistance worth US$100 or a little over P5,000.

Lilac Center addressed its appeal for emergency assistance to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment and its attached agency, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. Hurricane Dorian was classified as a Category 5 storm and left thousands of people homeless and countless of infrastructure in ruins. It is considered the strongest hurricane to hit the archipelago. — Gillian M. Cortez

Infra damage initial assessment from 6.3 earthquake at P86M

DAMAGE TO infrastructure from the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao last Oct. 16 has been initially assessed at P86 million, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Monday. The DPWH-Regional Office 12 said while all major roads and bridges in the region remain passable, some infrastructure were partially damaged and are continuously being monitored due to aftershocks. The tremor’s epicenter was in Tulunan, Cotabato in Region 12. Together, let us address the outcomes of the tremor that jolted Mindanao,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said in the statement. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), in its Oct. 21 update, said 3,160 infrastructure, both public and private, have been reported to have incurred total or partial damage. “We are encouraging each and everyone to contact our office to report vulnerabilities and request rescue operations.

CASUALTIES
The NDRRMC also said the reported death toll from the tremor has gone up to seven, while 215 have been injured. A total of 877 families also remain displaced.

Nationwide round-up

Carpio retires from high court with no case backlog

JUSTICE ANTONIO T. CARPIO — PHILSTAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

RETIRING SENIOR Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio on Monday took pride in having a zero backlog record as he leaves the Supreme Court (SC). Mr. Carpio will be retiring on Oct. 26 upon reaching the age of 70. In his 18 years of service in the high court, Mr. Carpio said his “long journey” allowed him to write “935 full-blown long decisions, 79 dissenting opinions, 30 concurring opinions, 13 separate opinions and four concurring and dissenting opinions, leaving no backlog.” The retiring justice, appointed by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001, also said that as he leaves the court, he is “both happy and sad” for having done his best to serve the country and having to bid farewell “to my family of the last 18 years.” “I dare say that my colleagues in the en banc and my co-workers in the SC family have always shown the utmost dedication and professionalism in their work and service to the Filipino people,” he added.

CJ PRIVILEGES
Former chief justice Artemio V. Panganiban on Friday said the court, without Mr. Carpio taking part, passed a resolution granting him the retirement privileges of a chief justice. “I think this is the least the court could do for its esteemed member who faithfully served the longest term, 18 years, as associate justice,” he said in the testimonial lunch for the retiring justice. Mr. Panganiban also said that although Mr. Carpio was never appointed as top magistrate, he acted as chief justice “intermittently” for a period of more than eight months, longer than some the chief justices. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nation at a Glance — (10/22/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (10/22/19)

Asia’s First Integrated STEM Leadership Summit to build stem-ready future

For the first time ever, Asia’s First Integrated STEM Leadership Summit will be convened to provide a platform for cross-sectoral dialogue and collaboration among government, education, industry stakeholders to synergize their skills with the needs of both local and global communities towards building a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) ready 21st century society.

“Organized by the Unilab Foundation in partnership with US-based STEM Leadership Alliance (SLA) and co-convened by Dep Ed, DOST and DTI,” Ms. Lilibeth Aristorenas, Executive Director of the Unilab Foundation, said “the Summit is being convened to lay the foundation for building a community of STEM champions who will work together towards advancing STEM Education to develop a STEM literate workforce who can navigate through the digital work environment of the future and build more scientists who will drive technological innovations and sustainable solutions for our rapidly changing world.”

With the theme, “Strengthening Stem Through Global Cross-vergence,“ over 300 high-level STEM representatives from the Philippines and other countries in Asia are expected to attend this groundbreaking event which will be held from November 21-24, 2019 at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu, Philippines.

Elite Roster of Speakers

International and local experts and top keynote speakers in various fields and disciplines of STEM from the USA, Europe and Asia will share their pioneering experiences and best practices in delivering the STEM advocacy and education.

Leading the elite roster of speakers of the Summit are Dr. Steve Swanson, NASA Astronaut and ISS Commander; Dr. Lance Bush, President & CEO of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education and former NASA Chief Engineer for next generation transportation; Ms. Victoria Levin, Senior Economist of the World Bank; Dr. Ethel Valenzuela, newly appointed Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), Dr. Stephen Pruitt, Lead Convenor of the Next Generation Science Standards; Ms. Lisa Benete, Head of the Education Unit of the UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office and Mr. Titon Mitra, Resident Representative of UNDP.

Educators, Dr. Vijay Kumar, Executive Director of the MIT J-WEL of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Dr. Rey Vea, Chairperson of the National Referencing Committee for the Philippine Qualification Framework and President of the Mapua Institute of Technology; Mr. Daniel Rouan, President of La main à la pâte Foundation and a member of the French Academy of Sciences and Dr. Manabu Sumida, Regional Representative for Asia of the International Council for Science Education will add depth to the roster of speakers as they discuss their own initiatives in STEM education innovation.

Joining them are the heads of the four (4) major educational associations in the United States, namely the National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM), the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), and the American Association for Engineering Education (ASEE).

The three-day program of the Summit deploys panel discussions and workshops and takes on a holistic approach in Integrated STEM: its role in building an Industry 4.0-ready workforce, in developing a culture of innovations and engaging women and girls in STEM, in fostering cross-collaboration, building socio-emotional skills in STEM learning and in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Launch of the STEM Leadership Alliance-PH

Kelli List Wells, founder of the US based STEM Leadership Alliance, announced that “The Summit presents an imperative for a strategic partnership among schools, educators, business, and community to share ideas and resources in aligning workforce needs with educational preparation and creating a culture of innovation”. Hence, the Summit will be highlighted by the launch of the STEM Leadership Alliance – Philippine Affiliate with the US partners who have contributed to the White House Strategic Plan for STEM Education.”

Who should attend the Summit?

The Summit welcomes individuals and organizations who would like to understand the global landscape of STEM education, share and learn best practices firsthand from speakers and delegates from Europe, Asia, and the USA. The Summit is open to the members of the Government, Industry and Education sector, including Business/Industry Leaders, Government officials and Policymakers, Superintendents and District Leaders, Principals, Teachers Associations, Post-Secondary Education Leaders, Business/Industry Leaders, Technical and Vocational Education Providers, Out-of-School Providers, Museum Curators, Non-profit Educational Organizations and Foundations.

To register and learn more about the Summit, visit http://stemsummitasia.org, or contact secretariat@stemsummitasia.org.

Silicon Valley exec shares the importance of UX with local business leaders

Endeavor Philippines welcomed Paolo Malabuyo, Director of User Experience for YouTube Ads at Google, to speak at an Endeavor Exclusive event held in the Google Philippine office. Open only to Endeavor board members, mentors, and entrepreneurs, it was an intimate gathering fostering a comfortable environment for interactive discussion and Q&A.

Malabuyo has over two decades of experience from companies including Netflix, Mercedes Benz, Zynga, Microsoft, IBM, and now YouTube. Born in the Philippines and based in Silicon Valley, Malabuyo was in the country as the keynote speaker in the recently held UX+Conference. Through the Endeavor network, he was able to exchange ideas with local business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Among those inattendance where executives such as Winn Everhart, President of Coca-Cola Philippines, Bobbit Panlilio and Caloy Mendoza, former and current JP Morgan country heads respectively,and Billy Valtos, CEO of ICCP.

What is User Experience?

Malabuyo started by describing User Experience, or UX, as the consumer’s experience with a product, and the intersection between business, tech, and design. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly, good UX must be able to accomplish something. “UX is using technology in interesting ways to solve a problem people may have,” says Malabuyo. “Design is not art. It’s not about self-expression. It’s a mindset—design is about solving problems.”

To help further explain, Malabuyo introduced the method of Design Thinking: to empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test before building and shipping a product. In this way, design is often approached “like a science”. A lot of testing and research is completed before attempting to design a product. “The most expensive way to figure out if a product will be successful is to ship it out,” Malabuyo says, therefore the design thinking process helps businesses test products beforehand to avoid losing money.

UX and Design Thinking, not just for tech startups

Tina Tan, President of the food-distribution company Suy Sing Commercial Corporation, was among the Endeavor mentors in attendance eager to learn from Malabuyo. Sheasked,“For more traditional companies, like food distribution, how do you start this UX mindset?”

Although not often associated with traditional industries, Malabuyo emphasizes,“ one of the things worth remembering is that you don’t need someone with a UX title to start doing UX.” He offered the example of popular food brand Shake Shack, which has a state-of-the-art Innovation Kitchen below a flagship restaurant in New York. In the Innovation Kitchen, Shake Shack applies the design thinking process and is able to repeatedly create, serve, and get instant feedback for new menu items.

Raymund Azurin, Senior Vice President of Zuellig Pharma Asia Pacific, then asked, “Would you advise having an in-house UX team or outsource talent?”. Malabuyo reminded the audience that “building anything in-house is more of a marriage”. It is important to determine whether or not it is a core competency of a company. If it is, it’s more beneficial in the long run to build in-house. Which poses the question –does the Philippines have the right talent for UX?

UX in the Philippines still nascent

Tony Ennis, co-founder of lending service First Circle, shared his experience with building a team.“I’ve noticed that the evolution of the UX community is drastically faster than any of the other disciplines I hire for.” Although, he adds,that while it is developing fast, it is still very nascent; the Philippines is yet to match world-class talent for UX.

On the bright side -there was consensus among the group that Filipinos have a national competitive advantage to developing this talent because of the inherent creativity of its people.Therefore, advised Ennis, the best strategy is to hire motivated recent college graduates and pair them with experienced UX professionals to catalyze their development.

For people aspiring to begin work in UX, Malabuyo simply advises: “Do good work and make sure it’s found. Don’t wait for permission, just do it!”

Endeavor continues to help high-impact entrepreneurs scale up their businesses by providing access to talent, mentors, and capital. Endeavor Exclusive is one such event that brings together their network of mentors and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and best practices.

Established in 1997, Endeavor is leading the global high-impact entrepreneurship movement to drive economic growth and job creation by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. To date, Endeavor has screened more than 70,000 individuals and selected more than 1,800 founders leading over 1,100 scale-up companies. With support from Endeavor’s worldwide mentor network, Endeavor Entrepreneurs have created over 3 million jobs, generate more than $20 billion in revenue each year, and inspire future generations to innovate and take risks, building strong entrepreneurship ecosystems in growth markets. Headquartered in New York City, Endeavor currently operates in 34 growth markets throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America.

Endeavor Philippines support 25 entrepreneurs from 19 companies.

For more information, visit our website at For more information, visit our website at www.endeavor.org.ph or or email
maita.mojica@endeavor.org.

A sector marked with excellence

When a group of individuals invest their money on stocks, bonds, and other securities that is then handled by a professional money manager, a mutual fund takes place. Here in the Philippines, mutual funds remain to be seen as one of the most profitable financial vehicles, especially for those with limited knowledge of making their money grow. For as small as P5,000, one can already start investing in a mutual fund, giving him or her access to diversified portfolios that are managed by professionals who monitor the markets and optimize their clients’ investments.

For such advantages, mutual funds are being favored by individuals who are looking for additional means of income without the complexities and frustrations that might be entailed in other financial vehicles. With many companies offering diverse options, coupled with several online financial resources promoting this financial vehicle and monitoring its rapid activity, mutual funds continue to progress as an effective and a reliable investment tool.

A number of mutual funds in the country are already offering diverse products that aim to cater to the various preferences of individuals. Among 71 investment companies listed by the Securities and Exchange Commission as of Oct. 7 this year, there are 20 balanced funds, 20 bond funds, 19 equity funds, and six money market funds. There is one exchange-traded fund, dividend fund, and feeder fund each; while three other funds are found to be inactive.

Among the well-known subsidiaries or companies managing mutual funds include ATRAM Mutual Funds (ATRAM MF) under the ATR Asset Management​ (ATRAM) Group; BPI Investment Management Inc. (BIMI) under the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI); Cocolife Asset Management Company, Inc. (CAMCI) under United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corp.; First Metro Asset Management Inc. (FAMI) under the Metrobank Group; Philam Asset Management, Inc. (PAMI) under the AIA Group; Philequity Management, Inc. (PEMI); and Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. (SLAMCI) under Sun Life Financial Philippines.

BIMI is the fund manager and principal distributor of six ALFM Funds, as well as the Bahay Pari Solidaritas Fund and Ekklesia Mutual Fund.

ATRAM MF manages seven mutual funds across all types, while CAMCI manages one mutual fund each for the balanced, bond, and equity categories.

Established by First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) in partnership with Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and Marist Brothers Congregation Philippines, FAMI manages seven mutual funds, plus the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the country.

PAMI has three balanced funds, three bond funds, two equity funds, and one money market fund.

PEMI manages two bond funds, four equity funds, which includes its own Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Index Fund, plus the sole registered dividend fund in the country.

SLAMCI manages the largest family of mutual funds, the Sun Life Prosperity Funds, which consist of seven balanced funds, three bond funds, three equity funds, and two money market funds.

The Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) serves as the tracker of the fast-paced movement of the mutual fund industry. Its Web site shows figures that indicate how the country’s mutual funds have fared from time to time. It also holds an annual awards night, recognizing companies in their exceptional performances in fund management based on the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year returns on investment.

In PIFA’s 12th awarding last year, ATRAM MF received 1st place rankings in 5-Year Return, Balanced Fund (Peso Dominated) and 1-Year Return Equity Fund (Dollar Dominated) categories.

Out of the 12 awards BIMI won, it received 1st rankings in the following: ALFM Money Market Fund in 5-Year Return, Money Market Fund; ALFM’s Dollar Bond Fund in 3-Year Return, Bond Fund (Foreign Currency Denominated); and Solidaritas Fund in 3-Year Return, Balanced Fund categories.

CAMCI, meanwhile, bagged six awards. Its United Fund, Inc. won 1st place for the 1-Year Return category of the Peso Denominated equity funds, outperforming 14 other competitors. Also, Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. won 1st place in all the 1-Year, 3-Year and 5-Year Returns.

Receiving five awards last year, FAMI’s Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund won 1st place for the 10-Year Return, Bond Fund (Peso Dominated) for three consecutive years. Its Save and Learn Balanced Fund, meanwhile, won 1st place for the 1-Year and 10-Year Return, Balanced Fund (Peso Dominated) categories.

PAMI won six awards, among which Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. is 1st place in the 10-Year Return, Money Market Fund category.

PEMI scored nine awards, with Philequity Fund as the top Peso equity fund for the 10-Year Return, Equity Fund category.

With 17 awards, SLAMCI was the most awarded asset management company. Three of its funds received top honors in five categories. Sun Life Prosperity Phil. Equity Fund, Inc. ranked first in 3-Year Return, Equity Fund (Peso Denominated). Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. topped the 1-Year and 3-Year Returns, Money Market Fund. Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. won 1st in the 3-Year and 5-Year Returns, Balanced Fund (Foreign Currency Denominated). — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

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