Pag-IBIG Fund South Min

BusinessWorld Online Edition: HDMF eyes more payment centers in South Mindanao

hdmf — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:13:11 +0000

BusinessWorld Online Edition: HDMF eyes more payment centers in South Mindanao.

Pag-Ibig Fund posts P7.3-B collection in 2010 | Sun.Star Network Online

hdmf — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 07:23:05 +0000

Pag-Ibig Fund posts P7.3-B collection in 2010 | Sun.Star Network Online.

The CEO is a woman

hdmf — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 05:48:04 +0000

It’s a woman again for Pag-IBIG Fund and this time Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe is the new Chief Executive Officer who hails from Batangas City vice Jaime A. Fabiana of Davao City. The first woman head was Zorayda Alonzo, the CEO who, during her time, checks on us if time warrants, while Joe was assigned in Cotabato to open the Branch Office there in the late 80s. Like a Mom, CEO Alonzo by then was concern of the family with Kim at 3 and I was preggy with Joe3 and Joe’s sick father (bed-ridden) left under my care at home. The transfer of work assignment was untimely “sana” with the family situation that time. But after about four years in the wartorn Cotabato the CEO surprised me on my birthday with his transfer to Davao City. The four long years were hard but the transfer was indeed a great relief. I will never forget Mrs. Alonzo in my life time and with a woman again i could only anticipate no less but the good and the best for the workers of Pag-BIG Fund and the members of the Fund … kasali ako dyan sa members. The men (leaders) were exceptionally good but there is something in women perhaps (because of the hand that rocks the cradle). I am not being biased, with this writer being a woman too.

I’ve heard of the new CEO from my hubby and his first meeting with her upclose was when he defended at the SM (senior management) a project for southern Mindanao. The meeting was good and the discussion was comprehensive, he said. The more that he was impressed during the corporate officers meeting where she stressed about strict adherence to government rules and policies and to stick to what is right. I am also impressed with this.

I’ve read about her in the papers and online and here are some interesting information (that were earlier reported) for a law professor appointed as PAGIBIG chief.

Atty. Darlene Berberabe is a professorial lecturer in the College of Law, UP Diliman.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude and valedictorian from UP in 1989. She graduated salutatorian from the College of Law in 1999. She is an associate lawyer in Quisumbing Torres (Baker & Mckenzie) Law Office and was a professor in the Department of Philosophy, UP Diliman. In the College of Law, she is a professorial lecturer who teaches Legal Theory. Her MA thesis in 1995 was on the Divine Command Theory. She wrote “Retail Trade Liberalization” which was published in the Asia Pacific Legal Bulletin in 2000. She is described as a labor law specialist.

Prior to her appointment as Pag-IBIG chief, Berberabe was the head of the Corporate Legal Department of multinational company Procter & Gamble (P&G) Distributing (Phils.), Inc. She joined P&G in 2004. Before that she was a Labor Associate at the Quisumbing Torres (Baker & McKenzie International) Law Office from 2000 to 2004. An academician, Berberabe was also a Professor of Philosophy for 10 years at UP Diliman, the first female Philosophy Professor; and Professorial Lecturer of Labor Law, Legal Method and Legal Theory at the UP College of Law from 2002 to 2008.

The above data is so rich and tough but I think she’s one good person by heart. She even asked Joe about us and the children and when she was in Davao City, December 15 to lead the loyalty service awarding of employees from Southern Mindanao, Northern Mindanao and the Visayas Group she took time for foto opportunities not once but many times with the employees which she readily obliged herself.

I know there are more good things to come to HDMF (with credit of course to the former bosses), the office is my husband’s bread and butter even as we are equally proud to be part of that one big family now stronger at 30.

I am looking forward to my first interview with the woman who is the boss of my husband together with my Davao business reporters friends.

Photo courtesy of Eric Morales.

Five countries to participate in First Phil Global Banana Summit in Davao City

hdmf — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 09:46:05 +0000

Oct. 28 (PNA) — The First Philippine Global Banana Summit that will be held during Davao Trade Expo (DATE) 2010 at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on November 5 to 7 will be joined by representatives of five countries and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

DATE 2010 conference director Lizabel Holganza said among the countries that confirmed participation in the event among them Thailand, Taiwan, US and Malaysia. But they are still awaiting final confirmation of attendance from Vietnam and India.

She said the three-day summit will be a gathering of global and local experts in the field of agriculture where delegates will find value in an exchange that includes market trends, innovations in Research and Development, cutting edge technologies and best practices among the banana industry players. She said the plenary sessions will feature presentations of Dr. Ulrich Hoffman of the Trade, Environment and Development Branch Division of UNCTAD, Switzerland.

There will also be presentations of Mr. David Wolf, Agriculture Attache’ of the United States Department of Agriculture, and Agro-K President Dr. Ambrose Rajamannan, she said. The resource persons from the Philippines include Dr. Larry Digal of the University of the Philippines and Mr. Rene Dalayon, President of the Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association (MBFEA).

The plenary sessions will cover topics such as the challenges in banana growing and exporting, best practices of banana production, strengthening the economic value chain of the banana industry, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Global Agriculture and Global Banana Economic Forecast for the next decade.

The global conference is spearheaded by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and private stakeholders such as Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (TADECO), Control Union Philippines and Davao Region Local Governments.

Holganza said the three-day event is seen as an exceptional gathering of banana industry stakeholders as well as government leaders, policy-makers and of businessmen not only from Davao and the Philippines but also from the different parts of the world.

She said this is an event that every stakeholder must not miss as we all work to push our agriculture especially the banana industry to greater heights in the global arena even as she urged small farmers and banana farm growers to join and learn something from the summit. (PNA) LOR/Digna D. Banzon/lvp

RP’s real estate brokers beef up info campaign on RESA Law

hdmf — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:53:16 +0000

DAVAO CITY — The Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines (REBAP) Davao chapter has beefed up its campaign on the Republic Act 9646 or the Real Estate Services Act (RESA) of the Philippines to guide both the public and the brokers better understanding of the amendments of the law. REBAP Davao chapter vice president Winstone V. Pulido said they welcome the law as it will continually professional their sector.

He said with the number of unlicensed brokers operating in the island, RBAP do not have way to monitor the activities of some of these sellers.

The new law is beneficial to the buying public of transacting as they will be shielded from transacting to unregistered brokers that led overpricing of the property and engage in unethical practices.

He said the government has been taking serious steps to provide protection for property buyers and they see this as a good step for them to be encouraged to invest more in Philippine real estate.

The law states that a licensed broker is allowed to have under him only 20 sellers but the practice before the approval of the new law was many real estate projects had only one or two registered brokers with 200 to 300 sellers.

He said with RESA, the practice of real estate broker will now be regulated even as he said that a broker before he or she will be allowed to take the real estate brokers examination for licensing need to acquire 24 units under the continuing education program (CEP) and this arrangement will be honored for the 2011 examinations.

By 2012, prospective examinees need to comply 120 units under the CEP, he said.

The legitimate practitioners of brokering as a business are subjected to fees and taxes while a good number of “fly-by-night” brokers that would number to about 2,500 in Davao City alone escape government regulations and payment of taxes and fees, he said.

“And this would some up to millions of losses of government in the form of taxes as most unlicensed brokers charge 5 percent commission,” he said.

The RESA Law is in support to professionalize and regulate the practice of real estate in the country through the development of technically competent, trained and accountable real estate practitioners.

The law defines that real estate broker is a duly registered and licensed natural person who, for a professional fee, commission or other valuable consideration, acts as an agent of a party in a real estate transaction to offer, advertise, solicit, list, promote, mediate, negotiate or effect the meeting of the minds on the sale, purchase, exchange, mortgage, lease or joint venture, or other similar transactions on real estate or any interest therein.

Pulido said the REBAP supports the information dissemination campaign of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to reach out to as many brokers to have themselves get licensed and legalized their profession.

Pulido said although this will be a huge task ahead, the passage of the RESA Law is a good start to professionalize their sector and at the same time protect the interest of the public from unscrupulous agents.

With the real estate industry in Davao City hitting a positive growth, he said, a lot of real estate development is opening up in the city especially that there is a demand for houses here from the neighboring regions wanting to locate here.

Meanwhile, he said brokers who will attend the First Mindanao Real Estate and Housing Conference in Davao City scheduled on Oct. 5 to 6 will earn units and credited under as allowed by PRC. (PNA)
LDV/PDDB/lvp

DILG urges Mindanao officials to support first real estate, housing conference in Davao City

hdmf — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:54:55 +0000

Sept. 29 (PNA) — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging Mindanao officials to support the holding of the First Mindanao Real Estate and Housing Conference in Davao City on October 5 to 6 at the SM City Event Center.

Chamber of Real Estate & Builders’ Associations, Inc. (CREBA) Davao Chapter president Carlos Vargas said DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo encourages the island’s chief executives to participate in this activity.

Vargas said Robredo issued Memorandum Circular No. 2010-102 addressed to provincial governors, city mayors, municipal mayors, DILG regional directors of Regions IX, X, XI, XII and CARAGA to participate in this activity as it will highlight best practices in green development, community-based alternative sources of energy and green financing.

The CREBA-sponsored conference is co-hosted by DILG and the Environment Management Bureau XI with the theme “Challenges of Global Warming on the Real Estate Industry.

Green Development our contribution to our future”. He said main speaker of the conference is Dr. Michael E. Nunez, CREBA vice president for Green Technology and Sustainable Development who will discuss New Approaches to Green Technology and Sustainability in Real Estate.

Other topics include Best Practices in Green Technology where Alsons Development Corp., Uraya Land, and Kisan Lu Devt. Corporation as presentor for “Green Developer”, Adtel Inc. Member Lopez Group of Companies as presentor for “Energy Provider” while Engr. Nazario Cacayan, executive director YAMOG Inc. as presentor for “Community Based Renewable Energy Development (Micro Hydro, Solar Power, etc.)” and B. Brillo L. Reynes, DBP-Senior Vice President for “Green Financing for Developers and Local Government Units”.

Secretary General Nestor Borromeo of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) is invited to brief stakeholders of the agency’s priority plans and programs to be followed with a roundtable discussions on housing concerns with the government’s shelter agencies namely Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, Pag-IBIG Fund, Socialized Housing Finance Corporation, National Housing Authority, Land Registration Authority and Environment Management Bureau.

Also invited is Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who will deliver a message. The manifesto for housing concerns will also be presented by CREABA to the mayor.

Davao City planning officer Roberto P. Alabado III will brief the participants of the city’s planning of Sustainable Residential Communities.

The other topics are “Basic PINOY Green Bldg. Technology” to be discussed by Jesus B. Pring, Jr., chief executive officer of AGTECHPIN, Inc., Products and Services for the Real Estate Industry and local government units (LGUs) by Simonette C. Ngosiok, SME Community Consultant PLDT SME-Nationa Vis-Min Operations, New Software for Real Estate Application by Cecille Sibayan, ABM Computech Enterprises, Inc.

The chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Real Estate Services Eduardo G. Ong will discuss Republic Act 9646 or the Real Estate Service Act of the Philippines. (PNA) LAP/Digna D. Banzon

This may not be biz story … but i want to share this coz all of us have older persons in the family ….

hdmf — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 01:43:51 +0000

Nonagenarian Duterte speaks about Alzheimer’s disease in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Sept. 20 (PNA) – The 90-year-old Soledad Duterte will be one of the speakers in the 8th Annual convention of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorder here from Oct. 7 to 8 at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao.

Nanay Soleng, as fondly called by Dabawenyos, is the grandmother of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the mother of Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

The old Duterte will talk about “How Ready Are We with Nursing Homes in the Philippines”. Vice Mayor Duterte is the Keynote Speaker.

Dr. Eva Aranas-Angel, member of the board of Dementia Society of the Philippines (DSP), said the convention would center on the Holistic Dementia Care where topics would include, among others, The Molecular Basis of Learning and Memory, Medical and Environmental Conditions That Affect Memory, Cognitive Symptoms of Dementia, Activities of Daily Living in Dementia, Neurobehavioral Indicators of Dementia, Diagnosis of Dementia Syndrome, Pharmacologic Strategies in the Management of Dementia, Music Therapy, Aromatherapy, Reality Orientation, Interdisciplinary Approach to Dementia Care, The Community Awareness Program of the DSP, Dementia Care Pinoy Style, Dementia Policies in the Philippines.

The convention is also organized by the Allied Specialist Group in cooperation with the Philippine Neurological Association.

On the other hand, Angel said cases of alzheimer’s disease in the Philippines has become alarming to family members.

However, she said they did not have yet data as to number of cases, but she got at least two new cases a week in her clinic.

Their data show that about 70 percent of Filipinos 60 years old and above manage to live good quality of life while the remaining 30 percent of them are vulnerable to dementia.

“It is sad to note that many don’t get to see a doctor. And this can be prevented,” she said.

Angel is the only doctor in Davao City that practices Geriatric Medicine and gets patients from as far as Lanao and the different parts of Mindanao.

Angel also said the higher the age the more dementia cases would be, adding that among the 70 years old, about 30 percent of them suffered dementia; while for the 80 years old, around 40 percent and in the 90 years old bracket, about 50 percent of them have dementia.

Aside from the attitude of not seeing a doctor, the other problem would be economic because of the difficulty of convincing the family to see a doctor as most of them declined due to the high cost of treatment.

Seeking treatment could reduce the problem but sustaining the treatment in order to bring back quality of life was another thing, she said.

“There is no price tag for quality of life but we could put price tag to bringing back memory of the patient,” she said.

She advises people, who have the option to retire, not to proceed unless they have other similar activities outside of their usual routine while still working.

She said when out of work because of retirement, reading was not enough because what the person read had to be communicated to others for actual interaction.

She said one has to have continued intellectual stimulation and it was not enough by just watching TV or by reading.

The mind, she said, had to be active as what the Europeans popularized through the University of Life Long Learning.

There is one in the Philippines handled by St. Escolastica through the University of Life where their teachers are retired professors, career executive officers (CEOs) and other executives.

She said this kind of activity could help a lot because having an alzheimer patient in the family was painful.

“Many of the family members of my patients would say they pity their parents seeing them losing their memory,” she said. (PNA)

RMA/Prix Digna D. Banzon/lvp

More than P400-M new investments get tax incentives in Davao City

hdmf — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 01:37:48 +0000

DCIPC officer-in-charge Jason Magnaye during the Davao Business Forum at the MediSpa, SM City Davao

The newest investments in Davao City valued at P441 million that passed through the Davao City Investments and Promotion Center (DCIPC) gets exemption of paying mayor’s permit and fees.DCIPC officer-in-charge Jason Magnaye said this is on top of the approved investments during the first semester amounting to P612 million.

He said they need to work hard in order to meet their target of P1.9 billion this year.

The recent approved investment is still in line with real estate where one is a subdivision project worth P119 million and the other, a commercial building for mixed use with investments at P322 million.

Magnaye also said that the earlier investments consist of two projects on real estate, one in tourism while the other in agri-business.

In the pipeline are on real estate and commercial buildings, he said.

Meanwhile, he said majority of the investments in Davao City for the past several years are in line with real property development.

He said for the past three years, projects in the city were dominated by property development getting a share of 83 percent of the total investments.

He cited that since DCIPC started in 1995, property development got the biggest chunk as it cornered 61 percent of the total investments.

On the other hand, Magnaye is optimistic of hitting their target as they incorporate service marketing in finding new investors.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio also goes out of her way in meeting with prospective investors and personally discussed with them what the city can offer.

He said the mayor also conducts personal visits to and assessments of existing projects of interested investors like in Manila in order to see for herself their projects.

Magnaye cited for instance that the Mayor led a small team to conduct ocular visit to the World Trade Center (WTC) in Manila as she is interested that a developer would invest in convention center here.

Although he stressed that they cannot dictate on the kind of investments he said perhaps they could influence.

A team from WTC composed of some senior officials will be coming to Davao City by end of September to check on the city’s investment area.

“The fact that a senior official is coming over would indicate that they are interested,” he said.

Magnaye said they double up in finishing their inventory and data as to real property investments as these comprise of the common data that investors ask. The other basic data as to infrastructure and other related information are also being readied by their office, he said.

He said a series of review and assessment are being made by them to ensure that investors get relevant and appropriate data as this will help them decide in locating here.

He also said they will continue to improve on their services and reach out to other sectors as they align with the development direction of the city. (PNA)
DCT/DDB/lvp

High demand for environment friendly appliances noted in Davao

hdmf — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:22:22 +0000

Buyers of appliances here now opt to purchase low power consuming units.Alex Bautista, store manager of SM Appliance Center, said there is now a market demand for environment-friendly appliances both for the brown and white lines units.Brown lines refer to audio/video units while the white lines are refrigerators, airconditioning units and ranges. Other items are referred to as small appliances. Bautista said there are a thousand codes but these three are the common and basic.

He also said the brown lines are the bread and butter of the appliance stores.

Meanwhile, he said they need to adjust to the market demand by providing consumers ample choices of energy saving appliances.

He explained that five years ago buyers looked at the cooling capacity as far as airconditioning units were concerned but now the buying choice is directed to how much energy is saved.

He said their latest is the 1 HP split type aircon where savings generated is 40 to 60 percent of the energy used.

“Although the cost is higher than the conventional type but we noticed that buyers do repeat purchases of the same kind,” he said.

Bautista also said that with the booming construction of real property here be it in hotels or condominium, the purchases of these type of units also contributed to the increase in high demand.

He said it has been the company’s mandate to promote environment-friendly appliances to their customers and this is being carried out in their 48 branches nationwide. (PNA)
LAP/Digna D. Banzon/lvp

Newly installed MinDA chair lobbies support for infra projects

hdmf — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:04:54 +0000

The newly installed Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairperson Luwalhati R. Antonino prioritizes the building of support group that will finance unfinished infrastructure projects in the island.Antonio assumed office on Thursday and a ceremonial turnover was held at the MinDA office in Davao City.

She replaced outgoing MinDA chair Secretary Jesus Dureza.With a cabinet rank position, Secretary Antonino carries Mindanao representation in the national bureaucracy and will have a strong participation in the national development planning process.She said among her priorities are the road networks and energy even as she said that they will help the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

“When the President asked me to head MinDA, he specifically told me to look at Mindanao development paying particular attention on the power issue as well as help in the peace process,” she said.

She said there are a lot of things to be done with the support of the President.

However, she said as far as the peace process is concerned, MinDA’s role is to help in coordinating because it is the OPAPP which is on top of this. They will only coordinate, and their coordination will also be with the local government units. (PNA)
V3/DDB/lvp