ARMM traders: immediate peace agreement, please

The business community in conflict-affected areas are sounding off their stand: enough to conflicts, sign the peace agreement and start developing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Datu Haron Bandila, chair of the ARMM Business Council, said the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) must stay focused on the peace process for an immediate signing of the peace agreement.

He told MindaNews Thursday the biggest concern of the business community in the ARMM is the ongoing conflict.

He said they are calling on the government and the MILF to stick to the peace process and never to allow any more delays. Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Financial autonomy for Mindanao

Apart from moves for a bigger chunk of the national budget for the government in Mindanao, Senator Edgardo Angara is proposing that government financial institutions should put up separate and autonomous units here which could make independent decisions, especially on the government’s role to lend to small entrepreneurs.

Angara criticized major players such as Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines for centralized decisions on matters affecting directly Mindanawon borrowers. He said the problem is exacerbated by red tape.

The senate’s committee chair on agriculture and food gave the keynote speech at the Mindanao Food Congress on Wednesday. Read more about a report on his speech on MindaNews.com.

PCCI asked Davao chamber to rejoin

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 July) — The new leadership of the Philippine
Chamber of Commerce and Industry has recently asked the Davao City Chamber
of Commerce and Industry to rejoin the Manila-based national business group,
an official of the chamber said.

Sebastian Angliongto, DCCCII lifetime chair, said in an interview with
MindaNews Thursday new PCCI president Samuel Lim asked the chamber to return
to PCCI after its disaffiliation last year over a misunderstanding on
organizational issues in PCCI Mindanao.

Davao’s business chamber bolted PCCI in October last year in protest over
the latter’s alleged unilateral decision to reduce the number of Mindanao’s
regional chambers.

LGUs can keep water districts away from LWUA loans – official

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/17 Jul) – Water districts could venture on taking the option of local government cooperation to do away with loans to fund water projects, an official of the Bukidnon Association of Water Districts said.

Partnerships with the local government units in their areas can help water districts around Mindanao do away with loans from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), Juanito Aroa, also general manager of the Malaybalay City Water District said.

Zubiri bats for bigger Mindanao budget

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/16 Jul) — Senator-elect Juan Miguel Zubiri took his oath here Monday morning in front of thousands of spectators mostly government employees and students in homecourt ceremonies two days after he was proclaimed the 12th winner of the senatorial elections Saturday.

Zubiri becomes the third candidate from the administration’s Team Unity in the winning circle, after senators Edgardo Angara and Joker Arroyo.

He pledge to make Mindanawons proud of his representation as the first senator from the province of Bukidnon, saying his priority is public service and not politics.

Mindanao shippers urge cargo pooling to cut shipping cost

Wow, I think this is a result of network building and the organization of firms, that used to be isolated and disorganized, into industry associations.

Read the MindaNews report here.

Cargo pooling could make life a lot easier for them.

Davao in Surigao

Just very quickly: After experiencing Surigao del Sur in our quick trip to the province facing the Pacific, my friends and I decided to produce a “new” TV ad for second district Rep. Prospero Pichay.

The script includes a scene with the actor planting “pechay” along a muddy portion of the Surigao highway.

We thought of a genuine scene so we dropped by Tandag’s public market early morning to buy the green leafy vegetable.

We found out most of the vegetable supply in the market came from Davao City!

Japanese investors eye tuna venture in GenSan

(Photo grabbed from Treklens) This Japanese firm finds GenSan’s fishing industry a lucrative venture, meriting a business registration.

Time for good news!

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/16 April) — A group of Japanese investors want to set up a tuna processing business in this “Tuna Capital of the Philippines.”
Ten Point Manufacturing Corp., a firm with Japanese investors registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, has applied for a permit at the City Economic Management and Cooperative Development Office (CEMCDO).

Read full MindaNews story here.