http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/articles/images/downtown.jpg

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/images/banner1.jpg

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/images/banner9.jpg

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1939 marked the year when Christian pioneers, led by Gen. Paulino Santos, first set foot on its rich soil. Embraced by the inherent cultural and tribal hospitality of the settlers, the pioneers opened its doorway to a multitudde of Filipinos on every side of the islands. First named, the Municipality of Rajah Buayan in 1948, it was in 1968 when the City Charter was passed by Congress that we finally attained our city-hood. From then on, the people started moving side by side to what General Santos City is now... One of the Philippine’s newest gateway to opportunities.

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/profile/philmap.jpg

General Santos City is strategically located within the trading and economic center of SOCSKSARGEN Growth Area (South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos). It provides good trade access to major foreign markets - Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Pacific Islands, Japan, Hongkong, Middle East, Continental Europe and the United States.

TUNA INDUSTRY
http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/fishing/tunaindustry1.jpg

Fishing is a PhP50 billion industry in the Philippines, contributing about 4% of the country's GNP. With an annual production volume of 2.4 million metric tons of fish, it directly provides livelihood and employment to over one million Filipinos. Tuna is among the 200 or so species of fish found in the country that have high commercial value. The Philippines ranks 7th among the top tuna producing countries in the world, both in terms of fresh/frozen tuna and canned tuna.

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/fishing/tunaindustry2.jpg

Despite this formidable ranking, the Philippines position in the international tuna industry leaves much room for improvement. The industry continues to be vulnerable to price fluctuations in the world market, stiff competition from existing and emerging tun producing country, trade discrimination in some importing countries, limited access to fishing grounds, increasing costs, and operational inefficiencies within the industry. Of late, however, these has been a genuine recognition among the tuna industry players and development partners of the need to urgently address the obstacles to industry's growth and the industry is now taking firm steps to do just that.

With the modest success of the 1st tuna Conference in General Santos City in September 1999 and a series of regional workshops and industry forums earlier this year, it has been confirmed that it is, indeed, possible to bring the multisectoral stakeholder groups together and talk about their common concern-how to strengthen the Philippine tuna industry and become more globally competitive.


GROWTH OF THE TUNA FISHING INDUSTRY IN GENERAL SANTOS CITY

The tuna fishing industry had never been this promising and lucrative since its birth on this side of the earth-General Santos City. Lying at the head of the Sarangani Bay, the city has been dubbed the "Boom Town City of the South," and considered as one of the fastest-growing cities in the Philippines.
Had it not been for its strategic geographical location and existence of other amenities needed by the fishing industry, General Santos City could not have become South Cotabato's heart of commerce and trade. Boosted with the signs of prosperity sprouting everywhere," business has never been better,". With the advent of the operation of General Santos City Fish Port Complex, post-harvest technology equipment needed to prolong the shelf-life of tuna and other species of fish, are made available, thus playing a vital role for trading and other post harvest activities.

The proximity of the city to tuna-rich fishing grounds including the Moro gulf, Sulu Sea, Mindanao Sea and adjacent Celebes Sea which are known centers of tuna abundance, is great advantage. This location is even pleased with fair weather zone which is not normally visited by devastating typhoons or seasonal adverse weather patterns. Another advantage is the availability of facilities like wharves, canneries and an airport. With these characteristics, the city is truly an ideal base of operation for commercial tuna.

The deep sea adult tuna fish catched by handline or longline ranges from 110 to 150 centimeters in size (Aprieto, 1995).

As early as 1970, General Santos City has been tagged as the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines". The total daily catch of adult and juvenile tuna unloaded in the city can surpass that of any other fishport or even the entire unloadings of all other fish ports in the country combined (Aprieto, 1995). The daily catch is easily disposed for foreign and local buyers. The city, being the sanctuary of seven (7) tuna canning factories with an average daily capacity of 750 MT per day and employs around 7,800 plant workers (GEM) the volume of catch on a per day basis is even insignificant as to the distribution of the market.

As of September of the previous year alone, the total catch has reached a voluminous 5,031, 866 kilos where 'sashimi" grade adult tuna comprises 35 % or about 1,774,922 kilos. The locally distributed adult tuna for local consumption ate the largely 65% chunk and distributed to neighboring cities of Davao, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, South Cotabato and as far Japan and the U.S., skipjack for canned markets in Europe and North America.

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/fishing/boats.jpg
Fishing Boats

The commercial tuna fleet is usually composed of deep sea purse seine and ring net vessels. Purse seine boats range from 100 to 500 gross tons, with an average of about 250 gross tons. On the other hand, the municipal tuna fisheries is consist of largely of deep sea tuna fisherman catching by handline or longline the adult tuna which range in size from 110 to 150 centimeters (Aprieto, 1995).

Of the total volume of fish landings brought in by the commercial fisheries (669, 597.40 metric tons as reported by the Philippine fish marketing Authority office in General Santos City), tuna species comprises about 50 to 100 percent.

About 45% of the tuna catch are skipjack, about 25% are yellowfin, and about 23%are frigate and bullet tuna. Around 60% of the ring net landings supplied to the local canneries, 35% is brought out of General Santos City to local domestic fish markets and the remaining 5 % is consumed locally.

Tuna longline fishermen catch adult yellowfin and billfish deep waters as an average from 500 to 800 kilograms per trip which lasts from one week to two weeks. The average number of boats that come known to the port on a daily average is about 25 fishing from as far as borderline of Indonesia and Palau Islands. The catch according to the fishermen usually consists of 95% yellowfin, 3% bigeye, and 2% billfish.

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/fishing/fin.jpg
Yellowfin Tuna

The impact of the growing tuna industry of General Santos City has been inviting in-migrants seeking employment in any of the canning factories or sashimi-exporters for the Japan market. The rate of population growth has notably increased in an alarming rate of 2.64% per annum for the last 5 years. This means that the city's population increases at about 10,000 warm bodies per month. The study is based on the trend analysis on General Santos City migration.

Since the start of GSFPC's operation, unloading of tuna and tuna-like species has dramatically increased. Fish unloading started at the fishport's market 1 with the recorded volume of 515, 160 kgs., for the month of April 1998, where majority of the catch consists of yellowfin tuna.
Fish unloading dramatically increased on August 1998, when market 2 which caters to baby purseiners and mixed species of fish producers opened, showing an increase in total fish unloading of 118% based on the April 1998 data.
Apparently, another abrupt increase in tuna unloading was noted when the port's Market 3 accommodating large purseiners opened on March 1999 increasing the volume by 227% compared to August 1998 data.

The captured tuna and tuna-like fishes have been monitored to be delivered to 3 major destinations. These include the canneries, the processors/exporters, and the local market catering the local consumers.


GENERAL SANTOS FISHPORT COMPLEX

The construction of General Santos Fish Port Complex(GSFPC) was funded by Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund(OECF) of Japan. GSFPC is the nation's second largest fish port after Navotas, and considered the most modern in the country today. The construction started last December 1994 and finished in March 1999.

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/fishing/fishportair.jpg
Aerial view of the General Santos Fishport Complex.

Located at Barangay Tambler, General Santos City, it is a 32-hectar lot owned by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority(PFDA) The operationalization of the GSFPC is considered of great importance to the East Asian Growth Area(EAGA) as it is envisioned to be a major fishing post-harvest project in Mindanao area. GSFPC boast complete six -35°C cold storage with a 300 MT capacity each, 4- tons/day brine freezer; a 60 tonner ice plant and a 758 meters of landing/preparation area.

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/fishing/tunagrade.jpg
Tuna meat grading

It also include 4 market halls, fish container storage yard and maintenance shop among others. The operation of GSFPC paved the way for bigger production and high quality products which is now haven for big and small fish producers/processors. With the expansion of General Santos City Fish Port Complex, the growing fishing industry in the city will be served with utmost efficiency. The expansion includes a belt conveyor fish sorting system with ancillary cargo-handling, weight bridge and telescopic boom crane, municipal fish landing wharf and a market hall and an off-site development for fisheries and related activities which will be leased to cooperatives and other interested private individual for fish processing, ice and cold storage plant, contact freezer, e.g. fencing, road pavement, drainage and water reservoir.

Indeed, These salient special features of the General Santos Fish Port Complex could well be competitive with the international fish port facilities catering the ever growing tuna industry of General Santos City.

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/fishing/fishingboats.jpg
Docked fishing vessels

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/GSC_airport.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/Makar_wharf.jpg

The growth of Tuna Industry lately somehow speeds up the growth of GenSan, and the city draws more investors and people outside GenSan alike. Feed up by Manny Pacquiao's fame all over the world, GenSan has been already sold all over the world too. :cheers:

^^:applause: Ganda ng Gensan, may malawak na (international) airport at international seaport:cheers::cheers::cheers:

GSC, the CDO of the south :cheers:

^
Why did you say that Neyo2? :)

two secondary cities giving life to Mega Davao po kasi sila sir, no offense meant po... :cheers:

^

I see. No harm done. I guess you are just stating a fact. :)

^^Please give/post GenSan at its best. Don't divert the attention of this thread to other cities. Please do respect :okay: :cheers:

^^Please give/post GenSan at its best.

ano po ibig sabihin nito? :cheers:

Sayang. I've passed by this place some time ago and it was just so beautiful. I love a lot of their buildings, especially that of Notre Dame University with the glassy building. I hope to visit GenSan again. :)

;20347182']ano po ibig sabihin nito? :cheers:

^^Ay pastilan nimo dong, sabotable na na...

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/img_1826nddu.jpg

This is Notre Dame Dadiangas University, located on the National Highway in General Santos City. Most in General Santos would agree that Notre Dame is the best school in town. It has undergone some major renovations in the past few years.

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/?p=757

^^Ay pastilan nimo dong, sabotable na na...

actually dong dili

tagaloga or binisay-a na lang gud mas klarex pa

^^Ay pastilan nimo dong, sabotable na na...


Mediocrity in posts is never countenanced in international fora such as this.

^^mao ba prof:)

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/malaria-control-program-2.jpg

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (April 25, 2008) – Dr. Roberta Romero, vice president of Tropical Disease Foundation, Inc. hails Sarangani province Friday, April 25, for the effective implementation of malaria control program as she encourages officials and communities to sustain these gains. The day is the celebration of World Malaria Day with the theme “Malaria: A Disease Without Borders” attended by local officials, municipal health officers and funding donor Global Fund. *(Photo by Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)*

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/

Mediocrity in posts is never countenanced in international fora such as this.

Mod kana diay karon peng:) Ngano wa man ka kabalo sa rules?

unless yan talaga ang pinoproject mo na image dito sa ssc..then sige ipagpatuloy mo boju :)

KCC Mall of GenSan..nung pumunta ako sa mall na ito mala SM din ang dating nya sa loob :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/315front_big.jpg

Mod kana diay karon peng:) Ngano wa man ka kabalo sa rules?

Ay oo nga. Sabagay, yan naman po talaga yung image ni kuya boju dito sa ssc. Good day po, prof!

^^Alangan unsa pa man diay bro, wala ta'y laing tinguha kundi panaghiusa ug kauswagan sa tanan.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/59/199947535_8835aba6c6.jpg?v=0

Gen Santos statue, Rotonda.

by cassander1963 of flickr

^^ actually di yang image na yan ang ibig namin sabihin :) hmm ano kaya? esep esep :D

notre dame gensan :)

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/img_1826nddu.jpg

i heard this university is now at par with xu-cdo, :cheers:

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/img_1826nddu.jpg

This is Notre Dame Dadiangas University, located on the National Highway in General Santos City. Most in General Santos would agree that Notre Dame is the best school in town. It has undergone some major renovations in the past few years.

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/?p=757

;20348910']unless yan talaga ang pinoproject mo na image dito sa ssc..then sige ipagpatuloy mo boju :)

KCC Mall of GenSan..nung pumunta ako sa mall na ito mala SM din ang dating nya sa loob :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/315front_big.jpg

this looks like limketkait... very nice and lovely picture po! :) :cheers:

Mediocrity in posts is never countenanced in international fora such as this.

****-translate po, di ko po maintindihan, isa lang po akong highschool graduate :ohno:

;20349346']^^ actually di yang image na yan ang ibig namin sabihin :) hmm ano kaya? esep esep :D

notre dame gensan :)

http://mindanao.com/photoblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/img_1826nddu.jpg

Wow nice. University na pala to or malabo lang mata ko? Bat kasi di pa pinalitan yong pangalan. :ohno: Buti naman at dumadami na ang magagaling na school sa Mindanao. :cheers:

;20349346']^^ actually di yang image na yan ang ibig namin sabihin :) hmm ano kaya? esep esep :D



I think that would be a bit of a challenge...:)

^^ mao challenge djud na sa iya!

^^Please give/post GenSan at its best. Don't divert the attention of this thread to other cities. Please do respect :okay: :cheers:

;20347182']ano po ibig sabihin nito? :cheers:

;20348708']actually dong dili

tagaloga or binisay-a na lang gud mas klarex pa

;20348708']actually dong dili

tagaloga or binisay-a na lang gud mas klarex pa

Mediocrity in posts is never countenanced in international fora such as this.

How about mediocrity in understanding? or mediocrity in not willing to understand even if he knows what it meant!
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

****-translate po, di ko po maintindihan, isa lang po akong highschool graduate :ohno:

Diba po Professor po kayo? :cheers:

How about mediocrity in understanding? or mediocrity in not willing to understand even if he knows what it meant!
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Hi M.B.! :lol:

INSIDE SPORTS: PACQUIAO IS A CHANGED MAN (http://philboxing.com/news/story-16407.html)

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 06 May 2008

http://philboxing.com/news/pix/pac.jinkee.080503.300w.jpg

We have learned many good things through the years from our esteemed friend, the eminent lawyer Rudy Salud. And one of the lessons we have learned – and hopefully learned well – is not to criticize or condemn people in totality but rather to carefully weigh the good they have done and the things they have achieved and then measure them against the negatives before making a judgment call.

Ranged against this fundamental principle nobody can deny that for all his faults – real or imagined – Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao comes out way ahead and indeed deserves our recognition of him as a national treasure when we served as ring announcer for his fight against Fahsan 3K Battery some years ago.

We are more than pleased, like most if not all boxing fans, that by all accounts Manny has given up his sometimes wild and wooly ways of the past littered with late nights and long hours in pool halls, cockpits, casinos and fun places where he gambled millions that he had earned through his sacrifices in the ring.

We told Pacquiao ourselves that we were happy about his new lifestyle and thanked God for showing him the way to a good and decent family life with his charming wife Jinkee who has been a tower of strength and a woman with a remarkable capacity to understand and in so doing stand by her husband through the good times and the not-so-good times. This is particularly true when intrigues and jobless leeches who steal from Manny have conspired to destabilize their lives far more than any criticism by colleagues in media.

Ring Magazine’s Philippine correspondent Ted Lerner told us after a recent visit to Pacquiao’s hometown of General Santos City that he was amazed at the transformation he saw. Ted said Pacquiao spent a total of around six hours a day with his studies, spent lots of quality time with his family but was never tired enough not to listen to the pleas of those who came to him in their hour of want and never turned anyone away.

There are those among us who have, from time to time, shown concern over his tendency to cut down on his announced training time as he is doing right now in the build-up to his WBC lightweight title fight against champion David Diaz. Reference has been made to the fact that while Diaz is training, Manny has been scuba-diving.

But we have to take Manny at his word. He claims that salt water helps cure the nasty wound he suffered in his last fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and that the water also helps strengthen his skin which is a belief of our forefathers. Beyond that Manny believes – and who are we to question him – that he’s been staying in shape and seven weeks of a grueling grind at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym would be enough to get the job done.

Let’s face it. The fighter knows himself better than anybody else, or at the very least, should. He hasn’t let a nation and people that have enjoyed the reflected glory of his amazing ring exploits in the past, down. And, there is perhaps no reason to believe he will do so this time.

As Manny told us in Cebu, in the face of criticism his strength is that God knows who Manny is and that he has wronged no one. This in itself is a sign of his strong faith. Maybe, it's time for all of us, to keep faith with Pacquiao for, after all, he is indeed our national treasure.

I think that would be a bit of a challenge...:)

;20347182']ano po ibig sabihin nito? :cheers:

challenge for @waway to understand this...

^^Please give/post GenSan at its best. Don't divert the attention of this thread to other cities. Please do respect :okay: :cheers:

Beautiful city!!!

Mindanao Association of Water District is holding its Sportfest in General Santos City.

can someone post some articles about this??? thanx

Diba po Professor po kayo? :cheers:

hindi po ako professor, isa lang po akong high school drop-out :ohno:

i heard this university is now at par with xu-cdo, :cheers:

nice! that means at par with ateneo de davao? :D this school should be recognized more

Manny promises GMA he’ll dish out his best (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20080512103)
By Abac Cordero
Tuesday, May 13, 2008


Manny Pacquiao paid a courtesy call on President Arroyo yesterday and vowed to do his best when he faces reigning World Boxing Council lightweight champion David Diaz on June 28 in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, who was scheduled to leave for Los Angeles last night to begin his heavy training for the coming fight, was met by President Arroyo in Malacañang at around two in the afternoon.

The meeting lasted just a little over 10 minutes. But Pacquiao had to stay a little longer as he was met and greeted by some lawmakers and The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) awardees.

“They had pictures taken with the Pacman,” said Eric Pineda, the business manager of the world-famous Pinoy boxer who was also joined in the courtesy call by his legal counsel Franklin Gacal and some friends.

Pacquiao exchanges pleasantries with the President, an avid supporter of the reigning WBC super-featherweight champion who has decided to move a notch higher and challenge Diaz for the 135 lb title.

“Good luck and remember we will be praying for your victory,” the President was quoted as telling Pacquiao. They had a very quick photo-op before the President left for another function.

From Malacañang, Pacquiao proceeded to Mandaluyong and worked out at a gym being run by the famous Peñalosa brothers. It was just a light workout, just enough for him to break out a sweat.

Last night, Pacquiao was also scheduled to attend a dinner with some close associates led by former business manager Rod Nazario. Dinner host was sportsman Hermie Esguerra.

Pacquiao was booked for a 10 p.m. Philippine Airlines flight along with his Pinoy trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri. Once they get to LA, it will be all work.

Pacquiao and Diaz will attend a press conference at the Bonaventure Hotel in LA on Tuesday noon, and depending on his schedule might go straight to the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood to train.

This should kick off a rigid training program that would last more than six weeks. Chief trainer Freddie Roach is hoping that Pacquiao arrives in shape so they could take it hard the moment he steps into the gym

Two public schools to receive KidSmart Learning program (http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&sec=reader&rp=1&fi=p080515.htm&no=1&date=)

General Santos City (15 May) -- IBM Philippines has partnered with the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. to donate a KidSmart early Learning Program to two local schools here.

These are the General Santos City SPED Integrated School located at Quezon Avenue, and the Francisco Oringo Sr. Elementary School, located at Oringo Subdivision, Barangay City Heights.

A formal turn-over will take place on May 23, 2008 at the General Santos City SPED Integrated School campus.

The donation which includes hardware, educational software and training will cater to students in Grades One and Two of both schools.

IBM will conduct a 3-day training to five childhood educators - teachers per school. Teachers' training is scheduled on May 21-23 to be held at the GSC SPED Integrated School.

The training is expected to equip the teachers the skills in the following areas:


The Theory of Multiple Intelligence and its application in the classroom.

Center-based teaching and Learning: Integrating Technology in the Classroom.

Fundamentals of Knowledge Media
.

(GSCCCI/PIA SarGen)

:rock:

Any news about SM and Robinson's in Gen. Santos?? Coz i found this link talking about their impending entry to the city: http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/news/viewnews.php?news=248

yep sa press release ng Robinsons Land magkakamall daw sa GenSan, its only 30,000sqm but it will be (sa mga lineup nila ng malls sa mindanao) the biggest robinsons mall in Mindanao

so congrats po :cheers:

;20741633']yep sa press release ng Robinsons Land magkakamall daw sa GenSan, its only 30,000sqm but it will be (sa mga lineup nila ng malls sa mindanao) the biggest robinsons mall in Mindanao

so congrats po :cheers:
Oh I see... That's great to hear. =D

eto po maam earlat oh :)

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4305/robra7.jpg
wala pa hinoon definite date pero naa na sa pipeline :) sa ilang projects for 2008-2012

:okay: Thanks.

no problem po :)

sana po matuloy na ito soon :)

Hopefully. It might be a catalyst for development jan sa Central Mindanao. =D

i heard this university is now at par with xu-cdo, :cheers:

proof please....

sana nga po :)

pero one thing is for sure, extra jobs to sa mga tiga gensan at karatig bayan :)

More jobs means better lives for my kababayans and fellow Mindanaoans.. =D

So with the upcoming Robinsons Mall (sana matuloy lang talaga) that will add to present big malls in GenSan (KCCC and Gaisano Malls), GenSan I believe will be the shopping center in the southern part of Mindanao, particularly SOCCKSARGEN. :colgate:

^^ di rin pahuhuli ang marbel (koronadal) malaki ata yung isang mall dun (fitmart ata yun)

SM will put up a hypermart only. i know this for a fact....

Robinsons will put up a 30,000sqm mall..(gfa or gla)

^^ as in SM supercenter po? or hypermart lang jud?

Mayor's Breakfast Meeting with Biz Chamber to be held regularly (http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/news/viewnews.php?news=248)

http://www.gensantos.gov.ph/news/images/pbabfast.jpg

BUSINESS BREAKFAST BRIEFING. GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon stresses a point during his breakfast meeting with officers of the Gen. Santos City Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. at the Orange Bistro on May 14, 2008. During this gathering which the mayor conducts on a regular basis with the business group, pertinent issues of the moment were discussed including the impending entry in the city of Henry Sy's SM Mall and John Gokongwei's Robinsons this year plus development plans for the Queen Tuna and Gen. Santos Parks and the Oval Plaza, among other topics. Photo shows (from top, counter-clockwise) Mayor Acharon, Bebot Haw, Raymond Salangsang, Pilar Afuang, Chamber VP Orman Manansala, Tess Pacheco, Dr. Emilio Escobillo, Doming Teng, Chamber Prexy Jan Ced and Bebei Gonzales. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

i heard this university is now at par with xu-cdo, :cheers:


at par? i don't think so... this university is manage by the marist brothers and an daming renovations ginagawa ngaun d2... sna po galing ang rumors?

at par? i don't think so... this university is manage by the marist brothers and an daming renovations ginagawa ngaun d2... sna po galing ang rumors?

knowing the marist brothers, i guess po, it has already surpassed xu po in some aspects, like in the quality of education po ... no wonder, a lot po of call center agents are now being recruited in gensan dahil po maganda po ang accent ng mga taga-doon po at marami pong mga intelligent people (remember po na ang mga taga-dadiangas po ay hindi po baduy at very intelligent voters po dahil they didn't vote for manny pacquiao po last elections, yoong iba po dyan ginawa pa pong avatar :lol: ang mukha nya ... imo lang po ito... )

go dadiangas go po!!!! :banana:

^^ ahahahaha... i agree... weeeee =P

knowing the marist brothers, i guess po, it has already surpassed xu po in some aspects, like in the quality of education po ... no wonder, a lot po of call center agents are now being recruited in gensan dahil po maganda po ang accent ng mga taga-doon po at marami pong mga intelligent people (remember po na ang mga taga-dadiangas po ay hindi po baduy at very intelligent voters po dahil they didn't vote for manny pacquiao po last elections, yoong iba po dyan ginawa pa pong avatar :lol: ang mukha nya ... imo lang po ito... )

go dadiangas go po!!!! :banana:


Any proof please...

Tuna firm sets up Indonesian unit (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW052008/content.php?id=046)

HOMEGROWN canned tuna manufacturer Alliance Tuna International, Inc. will set up an international subsidiary that will boost export operations and drive a 25% growth in profits this year.

In a disclosure, the company said it would incorporate PT International Alliance Foods Indonesia (AFI) to manage the assets bought from PT Karabha Sakti, a tuna cannery in Indonesia.

"The investment in Indonesia insures steady access to raw material supply and gives Alliance Tuna an entrée into the world’s most fertile fishing grounds," said Rajat Balain, corporate information officer. The subsidiary will process canned tuna and export 100% of its output, he added.

AFI will have an authorized capital stock of $2 million (around P82 million), 70% of which will be owned by Alliance Tuna. The rest will go to a fishing company to be set up by an Indonesian businessman.

In March, Alliance Tuna paid $722,400 for the assets of PT Karabha Sakti. The company plans to spend $900,000 to modernize the cannery, which will start operating in August. It will have a capacity of 60 metric tons per day and another 20 metric tons per day for frozen tuna loins and other marine products.

Alliance Tuna President and Chief Executive Jonathan Y. Dee earlier said the new plant would likely bring about 30% growth in net income next year from 25% this year.

Incorporated in September 2003, Alliance Tuna manufactures canned tuna as it processes and cans tuna for its clients using the latter’s brands.

It exports its products to European and North American markets from its production facility in General Santos City. — Lovely Nica P. Lee

Please vote for your favorite entries in the 2008 Philippine Independence Day Banner Contest here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=630569

PAL offers new round of one-way promotional flights (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW052208/content.php?id=043)

FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) is offering a new round of fare promotion starting at P88 for domestic destinations and $88 for international flights.

The P88 one-way fare, exclusive of taxes and surcharges, is applicable to flights between Manila on the one hand and Cebu, Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Kalibo, Laoag, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga on the other hand.

Booking for domestic flights is until June 2, and is effective for trips from June 15 to Dec. 15, the airline said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the $88 roundtrip fare for international flights, also exclusive of taxes and surcharges, are offered for trips to Chongqing and Chengdu in China, and select flights to Jakarta for travel until Nov. 30.

A $98 promo for select roundtrip flights from Manila to Singapore is open for booking until May 31 and valid for travel from June 16 to Oct. 13.

Roundtrip flights to other foreign destinations like Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh, Taipei and Xiamen are also offered at a promotional rate of $108.

Round trip flights from Manila to Shanghai cost $168, $268 for Beijing, and $428 for Melbourne and Sydney.

Booking for the promo flights will be from June 1 to 15, and is valid for travel between July 1 to Oct. 13.

Meanwhile, in General Santos City, company officials said PAL is now serving the General Santos City-Cebu City route via PAL Express, the flag-carrier’s budget brand.

Air travelers from Central Mindanao no longer have to go to Davao City to avail themselves of low airfares for Cebu from rival Cebu Pacific.

Fernando Mandanas, local PAL manager, said PAL Express’s maiden voyage on Monday from Cebu to General Santos carried 52 passengers. The brand new plane can carry up to 76 passengers, he said.

"It’s good. I paid P2,100 only for my ticket," passenger Pablo Bondaug said, adding that he used to pay P3,500 for a one-way trip from Cebu to General Santos.

Air Philippines, a PAL sister company, serves the General Santos-Cebu route thrice weekly as a stopover point for Manila.

Domingo T. Duerme, PAL senior vice-president for Mindanao, said PAL Express would now fly daily between Cebu and General Santos. "It’s called a Q airplane for ’quiet.’ Inside the plane you can’t hear noise [while flying]. It’s like riding a jet aircraft," Mr. Duerme said.

Estimated time of arrival of PAL Express in General Santos from Cebu is 11:55 a.m, and the plane then flies back 25 minutes after noon. PAL launched PAL Express early this month through a flight from Manila to Caticlan in Aklan, the gateway to the resort island of Boracay.

PAL President Jaime J. Bautista earlier said the low-fare flights would serve 22 interisland routes at the outset, including some provincial points now without air service or underserved by other players.

He noted that with PAL Express, Philippine Airlines is reassuming its traditional mandate of providing quality, affordable air service to outlying communities.

PAL Express will expand its network over the next two months, with service scheduled to be launched on 22 routes, the company said in a statement. Thirteen of those new routes emanate from PAL Express’s main hub in Cebu City, where operations started on Monday with services to five points — Caticlan, Bacolod, Tacloban, Butuan and General Santos. — A.B.L. Lorenzo and R.S. Sarmiento

Any proof please...

:lol::lol::lol: paring boju wala pong maipapakitang proof po kasi hanggang salita lang poh ang isa jan kumbaga utak mani, gets na siguro. :nuts:

knowing the marist brothers, i guess po, it has already surpassed xu po in some aspects, like in the quality of education po ... no wonder, a lot po of call center agents are now being recruited in gensan dahil po maganda po ang accent ng mga taga-doon po at marami pong mga intelligent people (remember po na ang mga taga-dadiangas po ay hindi po baduy at very intelligent voters po dahil they didn't vote for manny pacquiao po last elections, yoong iba po dyan ginawa pa pong avatar :lol: ang mukha nya ... imo lang po ito... )

go dadiangas go po!!!! :banana:

i do agree......:lol:

;20776965']^^ as in SM supercenter po? or hypermart lang jud?

hypermart lang talaga.

pero di naman savemore?

alam nyo po kung bakit?

i do agree......:lol:

salamat po for agreeing, imo a clear consensus po is enough proof po / any common observation po is empirical po that means .... irrefutable po ang opinion ko po... :cheers: de ba? esep esep* peace :)




* waway's patent :lol:

;20942490']pero di naman savemore?

alam nyo po kung bakit?

d savemore. its going to be sm hypermart. management will be under davao operations for the first few months.

reason its going to be a hypermart is because it will be easy to convert it into a full fleged mall. ang hypermart kasi is like a small mall. but the only thing that will be big is the supermarket and small rentable areas within the buidling.

d savemore. its going to be sm hypermart. management will be under davao operations.

reason its going to be a hypermart is because it will be easy to convert it into a full fleged mall. ang hypermart kasi is like a small mall. but the only thing that will be big is the supermarket and small rentable areas within the buidling.

hehe pasensya na if makulit ako

pero di po ba ganun din yung mga SM Supercenter? yung mga not quite an SM City yet na mga SM?

;20945193']hehe pasensya na if makulit ako

pero di po ba ganun din yung mga SM Supercenter? yung mga not quite an SM City yet na mga SM?

parang ganun na nga...:)

but plans can change overnight... pero now, yung ang direction ng sm sa gensan.

aw

diba ganun talaga ang ginagawa ng SM sa mga market na di pa sila ganun ka sure if magclick pero sa tingin nila may potential?

gaya nung ginagawa nila sa rosales, pangasinan ba yun na SM Supercenter Rosales

edit:

and yeah plans can change overnight nga talaga

i just googled SM Supercenter Rosales and eto ang news


It's SM Supercenter NO MORE in ROSALES! PDF Print E-mail
By Engr. Ronny Poblacion
IT’S SM SUPERCENTER NO MORE IN ROSALES!
The very much anticipated SM in Rosales is no longer a Supercenter. Instead, it will be a standard mall. Yes, a big mall that will be named SM City ROSALES.

This was officially announced by Bien C. Mateo, Asst. VP for Operations of the SM Supermalls. Rosalenians, folks from adjacent municipalities as well as neighboring provinces will experience a worldclass shopping and advanced entertainment experience as SM City ROSALES opens this late this year.

SM City ROSALES will incorporate a big Department Store and will house four (4) modern theaters. The usual anchors are Ace Hardware, Banco de Oro, Surplus Shop, Watson, SM Appliance and Toy Kingdom. Big company owned fastfood chains, restaurants and an entertainment area can also be found.

About a month ago, no less than HANS SY, the son of business tycoon HENRY SY, Sr. and President of SM Prime Holdings and SM Development Corporation confirmed the plan of constructing an SM city instead of a Supercenter to the Honorable Congressman Conrad Estrella and the Honorable Mayor Ricardo V. Revita when they met at the SM Mall of Asia.

IT’S SM SUPERCENTER NO MORE IN ROSALES!
Hon. Congressman Conrad Estrella and wife Sandra, Hans Sy and Mayor Ric Revita
after a meeting at the Mall of Asia.

The immediate and outright decision of SM Development Corp. can be credited to the cooperation of the municipal officials, people of Rosales and officials and residents of Brgy. Carmen who made things easy for the company during the planning stage. Besides, SM believes in the potential of Rosales based in the economic profile presented by the administration and result of the independent surveys conducted by their company affirming that Rosales is indeed the gateway to Northern Luzon Growth Quadrangle.

SM will bring about lots of changes for it will serve as engine for growth and development in Rosales,alleviating the economic, social and cultural status and lifestyles of Rosalenians.



sana ganyan din mangyari sa GenSan

^^Also in Naga. The original plan was only a hypermart or supercenter but now it's a full-mall.

Philippine Olympic Festival

GenSan bets lord it over in gymnastics

LANAO DEL NORTE — General Santos City lorded it over in artistic gymnastics while Zamboanga showed the way in athletics yesterday in the Mindanao qualifying games of the 3rd Philippine Olympic Festival at the Mindanao Civic Center here.


Emelou Pono and Precious Valerie Pama snared four golds each in girls’ artistic gymnastics after five other male gymnasts from the country’s Tuna Capital ruled their respective events in the boys’ side that allowed GenSan to capture 29 of the 36 medals at stake in the discipline.

Pono, 15, dominated the floor exercise, vault, balance beam and all-around events of category 2 level 3 while Pama reigned supreme in category 1 level 3 by sweeping the gold medals in the same events.

Ivan Oracion (cat. 1, level 1), Ivan Rey Bagaboyboy (cat 1, level 3), Reach Mark Pama (cat 2, level 2), Diego Aristotle Biñan (cat 2, level 3) and Miolito Romualdo (cat 2, level 1) seized the golds in the floor exercise, vault and all-around events of their respective categories in boys’ artistic gymnastics.

Lanao Del Norte managed to break GenSan’s winning rhythm through the efforts of Lournelyn Cadile, who won the floor exercise, vault, balance beam and all-around events that installed the host province as team champion in the girls’ category 2 level 2.

GenSan’s exploits in gymnastics somehow overshadowed Zamboanga’s fine start in track and field when the defending Mindanao qualifying champion secured half of the 12 golds disputed on the first day of athletics competitions.

Sprinters Rexlester Binosa and Rucellen Vales sparked Zamboanga’s medal haul of six golds on the track after winning the boys’ and girls’ 100-meter dash in the event supported by Globe, ACCEL, Pagcor, AMA Computer College, Negros Navigation, The Philippine Star and Creativity Lounge.

Binosa clocked 10.94 seconds in the boys’ century dash to defeat GenSan’s Domingo Cabradilla (11.16 seconds) and provincemate Ryan Salles (11.18) while Vales, last year’s gold medalist in the same event, took the gold in 12.42 seconds.

Alfrena Jade Diasana of GenSan settled for silver in 13.16 seconds before Zamboanga’s Rubelyn Alvador checked in at 13.46 seconds.

Alvador atoned for her 100m setback by picking up the gold in the girls’ 800m run in two minutes and 32.64 seconds. Jenelyn Surdilla of Tangub City finished second in 2:34.02 while GenSan’s Christine Manatad copped the bronze in 2:36.17.

John Rey Bayhon made it a double for the Zamboangeños in the 800m after securing the gold in two minutes and 6.76 seconds. Cagayan De Oro’s Rowel Banguion (2:07.32) and John Paul Gongob (2:07.69) finished second fiddle to Bayhon.

Cathy Badonio grabbed the gold in the girls’ discus throw with a heave of 19.18 meters while Palarong Pambansa and POF veteran Radjeev Tahil capped Zamboanga’s supremacy by ruling the boys’ triple jump (13.89 meters).

Tangub City clinched three golds courtesy of Surdilla in the girls’ 3000m run (11:36.63), Edward Paul Paler in the boys’ shot put (13.48 meters) and Regine Ganiolon in the girls’ long jump (4.74 meters.)

Other gold-medal winners in athletics were Koronadal City’s Renalyn Pabelo (girls’ 100m hurdles), Misamis Oriental’s Albert Yasay (boys’ 110m hurdles) and Bukidnon’s Vincent Neri, who earned the distinction of snaring the first gold of the week-long games.

The 17-year-old Neri took a leave from his job and ruled the boys’ 5000m run in 17 minutes, 10.41 seconds. Neri, who only had a few days of practice, defeated Zamboanga’s Glenn Arellano (17:11.78) and Agusan Del Sur’s Eduardo Padial (17:13.56).

In basketball, Cagayan De Oro dumped Misamis Oriental, 89-44, while host Lanao Del Norte pulled off a 66-57 whipping of Davao Del Norte.

Iligan City posted two straight victories in girls’ volleyball after downing Misamis Oriental, 25-20, 25-18 and Lanao Del Norte, 25-16, 25-17.

Davao Del Norte made up for its loss in basketball by squeezing past Misamis Oriental, 25-21, 25-23 in men’s volleyball. TawiTawi also registered a 21-25, 25-16, 25-16 victory over Bukidnon in the other game.


GO GO GEN SAN :cheers:

Sana matuloy na yang SM project.. whether Hypermart, Savemore or Mall.

Gen Santos wrests POF overall title (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20080525121)
By Joey Villar
Monday, May 26, 2008

General Santos City bagged seven gold medals each in swimming and taekwondo yesterday and ran away with the overall title in the Mindanao Qualifying Games of the third Philippine Olympic Festival at the Mindanao Civic Center in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.

Regina Astrid Quesada, Maria Kiesha Mercado and Omar Philip Dacera conspired in the final-day assault at the pool where General Santos anchored their domination of the five-day meet with 19 golds.

Quesada, 14, won golds in the 200-meter backstroke, 400m freestyle and 200m medley relay with Mary Grace Garay, Irish Katherin Cruz and Pamela Grace Dacera to hike her total to seven and emerge the Most Outstanding Female Athlete of the meet.

The incoming freshman at New Era U earlier won in 100m back, 200m and 400m individual medley and 200m freestyle relay also with Dacera, Cruz and Garay.

Mercado, a 13-year-old honor student at Shalum Crest Wizard Academy, reigned supreme in the 200m freestyle and led the 400m freestyle relay team to victory while Dacera, cousin of RP team member Nikita Decera, booked two more triumphs in Triple A fashion.

Dacera, a 12-year-old Notre Dame-General Santos grade-schooler, was the event’s worthiest performer after he posted five Triple A times in the 50m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle and 100m butterfly for 11-12 years old tankers.

His best performance came in the 1,500m freestyle where he clocked 18 minutes, 3.96 seconds, nearly a minute better than the standard Triple A time of 19:41.20 in this meet backed by The Philippine STAR, Globe, Accel, Pagcor, Summit Mineral Water, AMA Computer College, Negros Navigation and Creativity Lounge.

At the end of the day, bets from the country’s tuna capital won a total of 102 gold, 54 silver and 34 bronze medals, making up for its disappointments in last year’s leg in Cagayan de Oro City where it lost to Zamboanga on the final day for the title.

Zamboanga ended up second with an 83-gold, 49-silver and 28-bronze medal haul.

Cagayan De Oro struck with eight golds in the pool, collared five in taekwondo, got four in karatedo, three in table tennis and two in chess to finish third overall with 67-43-41.

The POF, organized by Philippine Olympic Committee president Robert Aventajado, is a week-long search for national pool prospects, which could represent the country in the 2012 London Olympics.

Other gold-medal winners for GenSan yesterday in the pool were Roy Lapiz (boys’ 15 over 200m back, 200m free, 400m free), Christine Joy Cruz (girls’ 11-12 100m breaststroke and 200m breast), Coralyn Lim (girls 11-12 200m free, 400m free), Garay (100m breast) and Cruz (100m fly).

Milagros Espina (women’s -55kgs), Cromwell Ian Apsay (men’s over 84kgs), Mary Ann Espina (-42kgs), Flordeliz Villegas (-49kgs), Mayshayne Maranga (-52kgs), Cyrmyn Perlas (jr. girls -55kgs) and Jay Angelo To-Ong (-63kgs) also won golds in taekwondo for GenSan.

Zamboanga secured seven golds in muay through Mark Andico (pinweight junior 1), Ruel Aristoteles (pinweight junior 2), Peter Bayares (pinweight), Marvin Miao (lightfly), Mark Bosque (fly), Zarrex Deocampo (junior fly) and Kim Gregorio (welter).

Light-welter Jonathan Polosan of Misamis Oriental caught the eye of Muay Philippine president Robert Valdez after the stocky 5-foot-10 fighter defeated Zamboanga’s Mark Gregorio in their category.

Valdez said Polosan would be a part of the RP team bound for a one-month training in Thailand next month.

Zamboanga also earned 10 gold medals in arnis and 15 in swimming.

Christian Jude Subibi added three more golds to his collection with victories in the 100m fly, 200m IM and 400m free relay while Jonel Ventura posted Triple A clockings in the 200m IM, 100m back, 50m free, 100m breast, 50m fly and 400m free for boys’ 9-10 years old.

Mary Angelie Saavedra, who won three the other day, had two more golds yesterday – 200m back and 200m medley relay. Anjiyah Gimena also ruled the 400m free after winning the 400m IM and 800m free for girls’ 13-14 years Saturday.

RP tuna exports to US rise 25% in first quarter (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW052808/content.php?id=051)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The country’s tuna exports to the United States bounced back in the first quarter this year from the same period in 2007, said an online tuna market news site, citing data from the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Such performance placed the Philippines next to Thailand as the second largest tuna exporter to the US, said a posting at www.atuna.com. Thailand cornered 16% of the entire US tuna market in the first quarter of 2008.

Tuna products shipped by the Philippines to the US surged 24.5% to 12,799 metric tons this first quarter from 10,278 MT in the first quarter of 2007, www.atuna.com cited from the NMFS, an agency under the US Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Philippine tuna industry is also exploring the possibility of increasing its exposure to European markets, but has been contending with stringent quality and safety standards.

Sought for comment on Tuesday, Francisco J. Buencamino, Jr., executive director of the Tuna Canners Association of the Philippines, explained that Philippine tuna exporters could have preferred the US over Europe due to better profit margins in the former.

"Prices of tuna products in the US market are much higher than in Europe," he said in an interview.

Mr. Buencamino noted that prices of processed tuna products have been soaring in foreign markets due to the increase in prices of raw tuna stocks.

The 2008 first quarter tuna performance broke the trend of the declining share of the Philippines in the US tuna market since 2005.

Specific products

Canned and pouched tuna were the major contributors as the country redeemed its market volume share in the US from January to March this year.

The Philippines exported to the US 9,934 MT of canned tuna during the period, up 22% from the same period last year. The volume is equivalent to 1.2 million cartons at a size of 48x170 grams.

Pouched tuna supplied by the country to the US stood at 1,155 MT, which is three times more than the 2007 first quarter figure at 348 MT.

These two tuna products are the most important within the Philippine tuna industry, although canned tuna leads the pack by wide margins.

This city, dubbed the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines," hosts 6 of the country’s 7 tuna canneries. There had been 8 tuna canneries in the entire country, but the Zamboanga City-based Miramar Fishing Corp., Mr. Buencamino said, has temporarily ceased operations due to financial difficulties.

Pouched tuna is reportedly the second key tuna product in the US market, after canned.

Other fishery products sold by the country to the US include fresh and frozen whole-round tuna, tuna frozen pre-cooked loins and frozen tuna fillets.

Supplies of these varieties have dropped in the first quarter of the year but did not impact total tuna exports to the US due to their insignificant volume. — R. S. Sarmiento

^^ nice one for GenSan... go go go Dadiangas

PACQUIAO IN HISTORIC SPECIAL POSTAL STAMP ISSUE (http://philboxing.com/news/story-16707.html)
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 30 May 2008

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Filipino national treasure Manny Pacquiao has added another historic achievement to his long list of accolades.

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) will issue both regular and special editions of the Manny Pacquiao stamps in the first week of June in a fitting prelude to the “Lethal Combination” showdown with WBC lightweight champion David Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on June 28.

Pacquiao is the first and only Filipino athlete to be honored in a Philippine stamp while in the US the singular honor belongs to former welterweight and middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson who is regarded by most boxing experts as alongside Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer of all-time. The Robinson stamp had a circulation of over 100 million. With his tremendous following in the Philippines, the US, Mexico and the rest of the world millions of the Pacquiao issue is almost certain to be sold.

PhilPost is presently working out the details of a simultaneous launch in the US with Pacquiao’s management team headed by business manager Eric Pineda and Pacquiao's close friend Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson who played key roles in pushing forward with the project.

Pacquiao personally handpicked the design of the stamps prior to his departure for Los Angeles last May 12. Pacquiao was very pleased with the design done by the Philately Division of PhilPost and said he was “deeply honored by the stamp. I promise I will do my best every time I fight. The Filipino people are the real source of my strength. My utmost intention is to unite the Filipino people through my efforts in boxing.”

The decision to issue special stamps honoring Pacquiao who is considered a legendary athlete and a living hero was conceived as a tribute for what he has done in bringing pride, honor and glory to the country by his amazing and exciting performances in the ring. Pacquiao is the only Asian to win three world titles and he is aiming for a fourth against Diaz. Pacquiao is regarded as a cinch for the boxing Hall-of-Fame.

Postmaster General Hector Villanueva said “He (Pacquiao) unites every conceivable faction in our country whenever he fights. No athlete has been able to achieve this feat, ever.”

Ms. Elizabeth Tungol who heads the Pacquiao stamp project said that immortalizing Pacquiao through a stamp is “immortalizing the indomitable spirit of the Filipino. From his lowly beginnings to what he has achieved and for all he has brought to our country and people, he truly deserves the honor.”

Special stamps are issued by Philpost to promote, publicize and draw attention to outstanding people, events and objects of national and international significance. The Pacquiao stamps will be part of the " Kaya ng Pinoy" Series which will feature other outstanding Filipino athletes in the future.

The Pacquiao stamp will be denominated at P7 and will come in four different designs with the champion in unique fighting stances. The special issue for collectors comes in a souvenir folder containing special envelopes, stamps, articles and anecdotes signed by the “Pambansang Kamao” himself.

Limited quantities of the special issue for collectors will be available for sale at Door 216, Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila . Inquiries may be made by calling telephone Nos. 527-01-32, 527-0085 (Ms. Cora Loza) and 527-10-18 (Ms. Aster Nodalo). Interested parties may also visit the website www.philpost.gov.ph.

http://philboxing.com/news/pix/pac.stamps.02.080530.330w.jpg

http://philboxing.com/news/pix/pac.stamps.03.080530.330w.jpg
FINAL PROOF OF PACQUIAO STAMPS AND SOUVENIR FOLDER. Eric Pineda (center), Business Manager of boxing champ Manny Pacquiao sign the final proof of Pacquiao special stamps and souvenir folder before going into printing. The stamps will be on sale in the first week of June and before the upcoming fight of "The Pacman". Witnessing the signing are PhilPost Assistant Postmaster General for Finance Elizabeth Tungol (seated, left) and APMG for Operations Mama Lalanto,Al Haj . Also present are (standing from L-R) Stamp coordinators Boyet Delito, information officer Alvin Fidelson and Nap Montenegro. (Photo by Edward Gaspay.)

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x287/GearX_2007/2008/80638890.jpg

elo... any fresh news here in gensan?


anyway, gano katotoo ang balita na hiring na raw ang robinsons gensan? @_@

100 tribal leaders hold first nat’l conference in GenSan (http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV20080603126405.html)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Tribal leaders, civil society leaders and representatives of various government and non-government agencies in Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao will gather here Tuesday to assess and map out various strategies to ensure the protection of the indigenous peoples’ (IPs) ancestral domain in the region.

Rhoda Ruth Pillerin, executive director of the Tri-People Concern for Peace, Progress and Development of Mindanao Inc. (TRICOM), said the forum is aimed at strengthening the advocacy campaigns for the IPs ancestral domain claims and pursue building a coalition process "for a unified approach to secure ancestral domain claims and ensure future food security of the IPs."

Dubbed the First Regional Coalition Forum on Indigenous Peoples’ Ancestral Domain (RCF-IPAD), the forum is expected to gather at least 100 tribal leaders, representatives of claimant organizations, local government implementers and policy-makers and representatives of concerned government agencies and civil society organizations.

The two-day (June 3-4) forum, which will be held at the Labo Beach, Barangay Bawing in this city, is supported by TRICOM Inc., HESED Foundation, Partners for First People Foundation, Inc., Rural Development Institute-PhilNet Sultan Kudarat, Social Action Center of the Diocese of Marbel, League of Indigenous Peoples for Ancestral Domain in Mindanao and the Federation of Ancestral Domain Claim Organization in Southern Mindanao.

"It would be an advocacy campaign and program-based coalition building process with other stakeholders in the struggle of securing ancestral lands within the parameters of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act," said Pillerin, one of the forum’s lead convenors.

The forum will be highlighted by a presentation of studies, policy and legislation papers concerning the struggle of the IPs for their ancestral domain titles.

The activity also aims to "advance IP rights to their ancestral domain, for them to attain full and effective control over political, economic and cultural assets, thereby securing livelihoods and governance structures integral to their development as a people.

It will seek the unification of strategies in fast tracking the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) en banc deliberations of pending certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) applications and hastening claim-making process.

The forum will lobby for a better and more responsive NCIP that is equipped with adequate budget for delineation and community support services to Congress and Office of the President and establish a mechanism for a coordinated and sustained advocacy campaign in the region.

National Bookstore at Gaisano Mall of GenSan

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all photos by Avel

NDDU inaugurates 4-story IBED Building in Lagao Campus (http://www.gensantos.com/2008/06/16/nddu-inaugurates-4-story-ibed-building-in-lagao-campus/)
June 16, 2008

Just in time for the opening of School Year 2008-2009, Notre Dame of Dadiangas University recently inaugurated its four-storey Integrated Basic Education Department (the new classy name for the word” Elementary”) school building at its sprawling Lagao Campus where its High School Department is also stationed.

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Formerly located at its Highway Campus, both departments are now housed in Lagao with the College department subsequently taking over the whole campus in Dadiangas.

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Interestingly, the new building, christened St. Marcellin Champagnat Hall (after the founder of the Marist Brothers) looks very much like the main building at the Dadiangas campus, with its eye-catching green stained-glass facade in the center. It will definitely be NDDU’s signature look for the years to come.

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Above photograph is the left wing of the new building, while photograph at the right is the right wing facing Tiongson Street in Lagao.

Below is the marker of the new building.

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To NDDU Bro. John Tan, FMS and his staff, together with the whole Marist Brothers congregation, including Provincial Supervisor Bro. Manny de Leon, FMS congratulations from Bariles Republic, alumnus of High School Batch 82!!!

PHOTOS courtesy of Reuben Aprilshower & the NDDU Alumni Office headed by Ms. Mea Dayot.

National Bookstore at Gaisano Mall of GenSan

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http://lh5.ggpht.com/avelmans/SD5qVn6Y9NI/AAAAAAAABtc/N83-XRTbniU/IMG_3198.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh4.ggpht.com/avelmans/SD5rYX6Y9kI/AAAAAAAABwY/76CpGx-CgHI/national2.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh4.ggpht.com/avelmans/SD5raX6Y9lI/AAAAAAAABwg/bmmIS_RQKhM/national3.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh4.ggpht.com/avelmans/SD5rcX6Y9mI/AAAAAAAABwo/Z24uJCkbaVI/national4.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh4.ggpht.com/avelmans/SD5reX6Y9nI/AAAAAAAABww/jpod11s6tvQ/national5.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh3.ggpht.com/avelmans/SD5rfH6Y9oI/AAAAAAAABw4/8WvMnMX6g2o/national6.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh4.ggpht.com/avelmans/SD5rgX6Y9pI/AAAAAAAABxA/lXCEc5vPE3Y/national7.JPG?imgmax=512

all photos by Avel

wahhhhhhhhh!!! ingit ako! may national book store na sa gensan. huhu

^^ WOW! mukhang malaki ang NBS sa GenSan :)

^^^^Anim na ang NBS sa Mindanao. Marami na ring laking NBS hahaha...

got info Robinsons GenSan will start construction either by December or early next year...iisa lang daw ang contractor with that of Robinsons Davao....the proposed mall will occupy approximately 3 hectares of the 8-hectare lot and will be the first Robinsons store in Mindanao with cinemas...^^

got info Robinsons GenSan will start construction either by December or early next year...iisa lang daw ang contractor with that of Robinsons Davao....the proposed mall will occupy approximately 3 hectares of the 8-hectare lot and will be the first Robinsons store in Mindanao with cinemas...^^

wow, that will help the Gensan to boost its economy. Way to go GenSan:banana:

got info Robinsons GenSan will start construction either by December or early next year...iisa lang daw ang contractor with that of Robinsons Davao....the proposed mall will occupy approximately 3 hectares of the 8-hectare lot and will be the first Robinsons store in Mindanao with cinemas...^^

according sa kanilang press release, Robinsons GenSan will be the biggest Robinsons Mall in Mindanao at 30,000sqm

I think it will be the first "tarong" nga robinsons mall in mindanao kasi ang Robinsons CDO and the uc Robinsons Davao (nga i think ne rename na as CyberGate Davao) are too small hehe

good for GenSan then.... for lets wait for the Construction to commence.

(note: pag sugod nila ug construction sa Cybergate Davao, wala sila nagground breaking, so lets wait until sa opening day sa ROB-GSC, pag mahuman nag construct)

tagal pang mgccmula ng construction :nuts:

my source said turn-over daw sked sa Davao by December so magkasunod lang GenSan...:cheers:

good for gensan....

after davao and gensan, who's next?:?

murag sa press release nila mao ra ang future malls nila sa mindanao :(

but maybe in the future they will add up.

ahm let me guess... butuan and zamboanga? hmmmm....

fter years and years of speculation, the wait is finally over!

Robinsons has just begun the construction of what should be one of the biggest investment projects in the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, General Santos City in years!

This project, a first-class shopping center reportedly costing P2 billion pesos and to be known as Robinsons General Santos, is under the Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), a JG Summit Company headed by Chairman Emeritus, John Gokongwei, Jr.

Situated in an 8.5 hectare property acquired by the Gokongwei’s in the late 80s along the corner of Jose Catolico Avenue, National Highway and the Bula-Lagao Road, this proposed edifice is about 500 meters away from the KCC Mall and the Gaisano Mall.

Clearing of the land has began almost a week ago after a series of meetings between RLC people and the local authorities including GenSan Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. It will be remembered that years ago, before a series of bombings rocked the city, they were supposedly set on starting this project back then and have even applied for a building permit. Eventually due to the barbaric terroristic incidents, they held off….. until now.

And so with Robinsons’ impending move to go ahead with their project, the city government will be awarding them incentives in form of tax breaks. “Mall operations” is one of the top “investment priority areas” under the city’s New Investment Code.

Robinsons Gen. Santos will be a two-storey mall which will house the company’s flagship stores- Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Center plus four Robinsons’ cinemas.

Aside from that is a Bingo center, an Amusement center and lots and lots of rentable spaces for retail shops and boutiques, restaurants and dining establishments.

More than 500 workers will be hired for the construction of the biggest of all of the Gensan malls and about 700 personnel will be employed once it becomes operational. I learned that the Robinson’s management has pledged that 80% of their new hires will all be locals which redounds well for the benefit of the city’s new graduates and unemployed but skilled workforce.

Meanwhile, according to a very reliable source, the SM group for its part is now on its final talks with the owners of a prime 8-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard which they have optioned to lease for their own mall.

And with NCCC of Davao recently opening its warehouse outlet at Kimball Plaza’s old bodega at Leon Llido Street, signs may be pointing to their eventual entry into the Mall business in GenSan considering that they also have a four-hectare property along the National Highway.

Wow! All these only mean one thing - more and more investors are now seeing Gen. Santos city in a new light and are beginning to realize the truth in the Tuna Capital of the Philippines being named twice as the Most Competitive Mid-Sized City in the country.

Robinsons Gen. Santos is scheduled to open during the 2nd quarter of 2009. Check back here for regular updates.

^^yay!

GenSan will not only be the site of the 3rd (but biggest) Robinsons Mall in Mindanao, it will also be the site of the 3rd SM Mall! :banana:

WOW Gensan...... bit pa kau may cinemas ang ROB nyo, maybe ang SM & NCCC meron din yan.

Go Go NCCC..... A Davao Based Mall

fter years and years of speculation, the wait is finally over!

Robinsons has just begun the construction of what should be one of the biggest investment projects in the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, General Santos City in years!

This project, a first-class shopping center reportedly costing P2 billion pesos and to be known as Robinsons General Santos, is under the Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), a JG Summit Company headed by Chairman Emeritus, John Gokongwei, Jr.

Situated in an 8.5 hectare property acquired by the Gokongwei’s in the late 80s along the corner of Jose Catolico Avenue, National Highway and the Bula-Lagao Road, this proposed edifice is about 500 meters away from the KCC Mall and the Gaisano Mall.

Clearing of the land has began almost a week ago after a series of meetings between RLC people and the local authorities including GenSan Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. It will be remembered that years ago, before a series of bombings rocked the city, they were supposedly set on starting this project back then and have even applied for a building permit. Eventually due to the barbaric terroristic incidents, they held off….. until now.

And so with Robinsons’ impending move to go ahead with their project, the city government will be awarding them incentives in form of tax breaks. “Mall operations” is one of the top “investment priority areas” under the city’s New Investment Code.

Robinsons Gen. Santos will be a two-storey mall which will house the company’s flagship stores- Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Center plus four Robinsons’ cinemas.

Aside from that is a Bingo center, an Amusement center and lots and lots of rentable spaces for retail shops and boutiques, restaurants and dining establishments.

More than 500 workers will be hired for the construction of the biggest of all of the Gensan malls and about 700 personnel will be employed once it becomes operational. I learned that the Robinson’s management has pledged that 80% of their new hires will all be locals which redounds well for the benefit of the city’s new graduates and unemployed but skilled workforce.

Meanwhile, according to a very reliable source, the SM group for its part is now on its final talks with the owners of a prime 8-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard which they have optioned to lease for their own mall.

And with NCCC of Davao recently opening its warehouse outlet at Kimball Plaza’s old bodega at Leon Llido Street, signs may be pointing to their eventual entry into the Mall business in GenSan considering that they also have a four-hectare property along the National Highway.

Wow! All these only mean one thing - more and more investors are now seeing Gen. Santos city in a new light and are beginning to realize the truth in the Tuna Capital of the Philippines being named twice as the Most Competitive Mid-Sized City in the country.

Robinsons Gen. Santos is scheduled to open during the 2nd quarter of 2009. Check back here for regular updates.

Hi Chevy! Thanks for reprinting this but please mention mo naman na ang source mo ay ang http://www.gensantos.com which I happen to own. Likewise, GearX.

Thanks guys! Sorry sa abala. :)

my source said iisa lang ang contractor ng both Robinsons Davao at GenSan...

YAMAN GenSan 2008 opened this morning at the KCC Mall with Amy Perez (host of ABS-CBN's Kabuhayang SWAK) as host.

I wrote a post about it in my blog BARILES REPUBLIC - An idiot's guide to Gensan (http://www.gensantos.com).

If you wanna read it, please CLICK HERE (http://www.gensantos.com/events/6th-yaman-gensan-opens/).

Daghang salamat! :banana:

my source said iisa lang ang contractor ng both Robinsons Davao at GenSan...

pa tanong naman ano ang final name ng Robinsons dito..is it Robinsons Place Davao, Robinsons Davao or Robinsons Cybergate?

;21929987']^^yay!

GenSan will not only be the site of the 3rd (but biggest) Robinsons Mall in Mindanao, it will also be the site of the 3rd SM Mall! :banana:

malabo pa ata as of now... pag me nakita na kaong developments sa SM in Santiago blvd. dun lng ako maniniwala na mgtatayo na nga ang SM, kaso hypermart lng... sayang naman... tsk tsk tsk, ahaha:cheers:

pahabol; tlg bng HYPERMART lng? =(

Lets hope the best.... sana SM City Gen San sarap pakinggan....

pahabol; tlg bng HYPERMART lng? =(

yun ang sabi ni xzibit31

may insider info kasi siya sa SM :(

but may chance pa naman maging SM City :) remember both SM City Naga and SM City Rosales ay mga SM Supercenter lang nung unang plano pero na upgrade to full fledged SM City nung tinayo na :) so lets hope na ganun din mangyari sa GenSan :)

;21965213']pa tanong naman ano ang final name ng Robinsons dito..is it Robinsons Place Davao, Robinsons Davao or Robinsons Cybergate?

It's Robinsons General Santos according to papers submitted to the local government. :dj:

;21965213']pa tanong naman ano ang final name ng Robinsons dito..is it Robinsons Place Davao, Robinsons Davao or Robinsons Cybergate?

It's Robinsons Cybergate Davao daw....

ano po b difference ng ROBINSONS PLACE sa ROBINSONS CYBERGATE and ROBINSONS lng? medyo nalilito aku @_@

;21966125']yun ang sabi ni xzibit31

may insider info kasi siya sa SM :(

but may chance pa naman maging SM City :) remember both SM City Naga and SM City Rosales ay mga SM Supercenter lang nung unang plano pero na upgrade to full fledged SM City nung tinayo na :) so lets hope na ganun din mangyari sa GenSan :)

yayaya, tama, d mlayong mangyari un, ahihihi:lol:

:cheers:

Construction of P2B Robinson’s
mall in GenSan starts

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews) — The Gokongwei-owned Robinson’s has started land preparation for the construction of its P2-billion mall project in General Santos City, according to sources from the city hall here.

Located in an 8.5-hectare property along J. Catolico St. in Lagao, the project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of next year.

The project, according to city hall media chief Avel Manansala, is reportedly the single biggest private investment in the city in recent years.

The two-storey mall is owned by Robinson’s Land Corp., a subsidiary of JG Summit.

The store will be its third and biggest in Mindanao.

Robinson’s already has an outlet in Cagayan de Oro city. Construction is likewise ongoing for its other branch in Davao City.

Its General Santos branch will house the company’s flagship stores- Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Super-market, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Center.

In addition, the mall complex will also house four cinemas.

The construction came after years of repeated reports that Robinson’s will finally make use of its property acquired in the 1990’s.

“It will be remembered that years ago, before a series of bombings rocked the city, they were supposedly set on starting this project back then and have even applied for a building permit,” according to Manansala

But Robinson’s management held off planned construction until late last year.

City Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. said the entry of Robinson’s will augur well for the local economy.

He said it is also a manifestation of investor confidence in the local government and residents of the city.

If completed, it will be the fourth mall to rise in General Santos.

Already in existence are Gaisano General Santos and KCC Mall of GenSan. A third, Kimball Plaza, was gutted down by what police believed was arson, in 2002.

As this developed, Manansala likewise revealed that SM Department Store, a rival chain of Robinson, is reportedly finalizing negotiations with the Salazar family for the lease or purchase of an eight-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard for its own version of department store.

In addition, NCCC Mall of Davao has already rented a warehouse along Llido Street for its wholesale peration. Edwin G. Espejo/MindaNews Contributor

http://dailymirror.ph/June/business06262008&04.html

Gokongwei to build GenSan mall (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW062608/content.php?id=045)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Construction of a P2-billion Robinsons Mall here has finally gained ground after years of delay.

"This is one of the biggest investments in the tuna capital of the Philippines in recent years. Its construction has just started," Avel O. Manansala, city hall media chief, said on Tuesday.

Located in an 8.5-hectare property acquired by the Gokong-weis years ago along J. Catolico St. in Lagao district, the mall is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2009.

To be called Robinsons General Santos, it will be within walking distance from the two other biggest shopping malls in the city, the KCC Mall and Gaisano Mall.

Land clearing for the project, which is under Robinsons Land Corp., a firm under JG Summit Holdings, Inc., recently started following a series of meetings between company officials and the local government.

The mall operator was about to start building the mall years ago before a series of bombings rocked the city.

The local government unit said Robinsons would enjoy tax incentives since mall operation has been listed as one of the investment priority areas under the city’s new Investment Code.

The entry of Robinsons will augur well for the local economy and shows investor confidence in General Santos, local government officials said.

The modern, two-story mall will house the company’s flagship stores Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Center and at least four Robinsons cinemas, Mr. Manansala said.

There will also be amusement and bingo centers and leasable spaces for retail shops, boutiques and dining establishments, he added.

Construction of the mall is expected to generate jobs for 500 skilled workers.

Once operational, the company will be employing 700 workers.

Once completed, the Robinsons Mall will be its third and reportedly the biggest in Mindanao.

Robinsons has an outlet in Cagayan de Oro City. Construction is likewise ongoing for its Davao City mall.

Mr. Manansala said 80% of the Gokongwei-owned mall’s work force will come from the local manpower pool.

General Santos has been adjudged twice as the most competitive city by the Asian Institute of Management. — Romer S. Sarmiento

some news on proposed SM GenSan
:applause:

:cheers:

Construction of P2B Robinson’s
mall in GenSan starts

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews) — The Gokongwei-owned Robinson’s has started land preparation for the construction of its P2-billion mall project in General Santos City, according to sources from the city hall here.
.
.
.
.
As this developed, Manansala likewise revealed that SM Department Store, a rival chain of Robinson, is reportedly finalizing negotiations with the Salazar family for the lease or purchase of an eight-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard for its own version of department store.

^^ congrats GenSan!.... i opened a thread for Robinsons GenSan in the Philippine Projects & Construction section..here's the link:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=22054503

Cebu Pacific adds morning flights to GenSan, Butuan

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the country’s leading domestic airline, will expand its existing daily mid-day service from Manila to General Santos and Butuan on July 11 and 12, 2008, respectively.

CEB will add a morning flight to its Manila-General Santos service every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, expanding the service to ten times weekly. This translates to a 42% increase in capacity for the Manila-General Santos route.

The additional flight will depart from Manila at 7:05am and will arrive in General Santos at 8:55am using CEB’s A320 aircraft. The return flight takes off at 9:25am and lands in Manila at 11:15am.

The budget airline will also increase its daily flights from Manila to Butuan to 11 times weekly, increasing the capacity by 57% for the service. The additional morning flight will depart every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday also using the A320 aircraft.

The flight leaves Manila at 7:35am and arrives in Butuan at 9:00am. The return flight departs at 9:30am and arrives in Manila at 10:55am.

Candice Iyog, CEB VP for marketing and product, said, “We hope that by adding morning flights to the existing daily mid-day schedule for these routes, we will be able to provide ease and convenience for both business and leisure travelers both to General Santos and Butuan. This will also mean that more low fare seats are going to be available for these routes.”

Now in its 13th year, CEB operates flights to 23, soon to be 24 domestic cities with the addition of San Jose (Mindoro) on July 1. It also flies to 15, soon to be 16 international destinations with the addition of Kota Kinabalu on July 18, 2008.

Hello guys,

If you happen to be in GenSan on Sunday, June 29, 2008, why not watch the LIVE PAY-PER-VIEW TELECAST of the World Lightweight Championship Fight of David Diaz and GenSan's own Manny Pacquiao for FREE at the air-conditioned Lagao Gym?

Details to this? CLICK HERE (http://www.gensantos.com/events/congresswoman-custodio-sponsors-free-live-pay-per-view-airing-of-diaz-pacquiao-fight-at-gensan/).


:banana:

Hi Guys!

If you happen to be in GENSAN on Sunday, June 29, 2008, why not drop by the fully-airconditioned LAGAO GYM and watch the LIVE PAY-PER-VIEW TELECAST of the Lethal Combination World Lightweight Championship Fight of David Diaz and GenSan's very own Manny Pacquiao for FREE???

Details to this? CLICK HERE (http://www.gensantos.com/events/congresswoman-custodio-sponsors-free-live-pay-per-view-airing-of-diaz-pacquiao-fight-at-gensan/) please.

Thanks. See you there! :banana:

2 GenSan choreographers grab CCP dance fest's top plums (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2008/06/27/life/2.gensan.choreographers.grab.ccp.dance.fest.s.top.plums.html)

TWO young choreographers from General Santos City shone at the recent Wifi Body Independent Contemporary Dance Festival Young Choreographers Competition held at the Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) of Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on June 12-16, 2008 by taking home two of the three top plums.

The festival, presented by the World Dance Alliance-Philippine Choreographers' Network, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Japan Foundation, is the biggest gathering of independent dance artists and companies in the Philippines Julius Lagare's work, "Manoy," a duet performed by Julius Lagare and Deejay De Vera got the judges nod to win the top prize.

On the other hand, Deejay de Vera's solo piece "Suguilanon Ug awit sa Kahaponon" also impressed them that it finished third among 14 finalists selected from all over the country.

The 23-year-old Lagare is the second winner of the Wifi-CCP-JF NeXtage Award.

As this year's Wifi-Cultural Center of the Philippines- Japan Foundation NeXtage awardee, Lagare's winning work will be the official entry of the Philippines to the Yokohama Dance Competition.

"Manoy" is also being considered by the Japanese Contemporary Dance Network to be performed at the "Dance Wave Asia Contemporary Dance Now!" an international dance festival.

Lagare and de Vera are members of the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges Teatro Ambahanon Contemporaryo Dance Company, one of the Philippines' 10 Most Outstanding Young Dance and Theater Companies.

Their trip to Manila was made possible with the help and support of the City Council's Committee on Education chaired by Councilor Meg Santos.

:cheers:

Construction of P2B Robinson’s
mall in GenSan starts

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews) — The Gokongwei-owned Robinson’s has started land preparation for the construction of its P2-billion mall project in General Santos City, according to sources from the city hall here.

Located in an 8.5-hectare property along J. Catolico St. in Lagao, the project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of next year.

The project, according to city hall media chief Avel Manansala, is reportedly the single biggest private investment in the city in recent years.

The two-storey mall is owned by Robinson’s Land Corp., a subsidiary of JG Summit.

The store will be its third and biggest in Mindanao.

Robinson’s already has an outlet in Cagayan de Oro city. Construction is likewise ongoing for its other branch in Davao City.

Its General Santos branch will house the company’s flagship stores- Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Super-market, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Center.

In addition, the mall complex will also house four cinemas.

The construction came after years of repeated reports that Robinson’s will finally make use of its property acquired in the 1990’s.

“It will be remembered that years ago, before a series of bombings rocked the city, they were supposedly set on starting this project back then and have even applied for a building permit,” according to Manansala

But Robinson’s management held off planned construction until late last year.

City Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. said the entry of Robinson’s will augur well for the local economy.

He said it is also a manifestation of investor confidence in the local government and residents of the city.

If completed, it will be the fourth mall to rise in General Santos.

Already in existence are Gaisano General Santos and KCC Mall of GenSan. A third, Kimball Plaza, was gutted down by what police believed was arson, in 2002.

As this developed, Manansala likewise revealed that SM Department Store, a rival chain of Robinson, is reportedly finalizing negotiations with the Salazar family for the lease or purchase of an eight-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard for its own version of department store.

In addition, NCCC Mall of Davao has already rented a warehouse along Llido Street for its wholesale peration. Edwin G. Espejo/MindaNews Contributor

http://dailymirror.ph/June/business06262008&04.html

Gokongwei to build GenSan mall (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW062608/content.php?id=045)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Construction of a P2-billion Robinsons Mall here has finally gained ground after years of delay.

"This is one of the biggest investments in the tuna capital of the Philippines in recent years. Its construction has just started," Avel O. Manansala, city hall media chief, said on Tuesday.

Located in an 8.5-hectare property acquired by the Gokong-weis years ago along J. Catolico St. in Lagao district, the mall is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2009.

To be called Robinsons General Santos, it will be within walking distance from the two other biggest shopping malls in the city, the KCC Mall and Gaisano Mall.

Land clearing for the project, which is under Robinsons Land Corp., a firm under JG Summit Holdings, Inc., recently started following a series of meetings between company officials and the local government.

The mall operator was about to start building the mall years ago before a series of bombings rocked the city.

The local government unit said Robinsons would enjoy tax incentives since mall operation has been listed as one of the investment priority areas under the city’s new Investment Code.

The entry of Robinsons will augur well for the local economy and shows investor confidence in General Santos, local government officials said.

The modern, two-story mall will house the company’s flagship stores Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Center and at least four Robinsons cinemas, Mr. Manansala said.

There will also be amusement and bingo centers and leasable spaces for retail shops, boutiques and dining establishments, he added.

Construction of the mall is expected to generate jobs for 500 skilled workers.

Once operational, the company will be employing 700 workers.

Once completed, the Robinsons Mall will be its third and reportedly the biggest in Mindanao.

Robinsons has an outlet in Cagayan de Oro City. Construction is likewise ongoing for its Davao City mall.

Mr. Manansala said 80% of the Gokongwei-owned mall’s work force will come from the local manpower pool.

General Santos has been adjudged twice as the most competitive city by the Asian Institute of Management. — Romer S. Sarmiento

Cebu Pacific adds morning flights to GenSan, Butuan

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the country’s leading domestic airline, will expand its existing daily mid-day service from Manila to General Santos and Butuan on July 11 and 12, 2008, respectively.

CEB will add a morning flight to its Manila-General Santos service every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, expanding the service to ten times weekly. This translates to a 42% increase in capacity for the Manila-General Santos route.

The additional flight will depart from Manila at 7:05am and will arrive in General Santos at 8:55am using CEB’s A320 aircraft. The return flight takes off at 9:25am and lands in Manila at 11:15am.

The budget airline will also increase its daily flights from Manila to Butuan to 11 times weekly, increasing the capacity by 57% for the service. The additional morning flight will depart every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday also using the A320 aircraft.

The flight leaves Manila at 7:35am and arrives in Butuan at 9:00am. The return flight departs at 9:30am and arrives in Manila at 10:55am.

Candice Iyog, CEB VP for marketing and product, said, “We hope that by adding morning flights to the existing daily mid-day schedule for these routes, we will be able to provide ease and convenience for both business and leisure travelers both to General Santos and Butuan. This will also mean that more low fare seats are going to be available for these routes.”

Now in its 13th year, CEB operates flights to 23, soon to be 24 domestic cities with the addition of San Jose (Mindoro) on July 1. It also flies to 15, soon to be 16 international destinations with the addition of Kota Kinabalu on July 18, 2008.

:applause::applause::applause::applause:Yeheyyy, may Rob na sa Gensan at kompleto pa. The biggest Rob in Mindanao:cheers::cheers::cheers: Tapos nadagdagan pa ang flight ng CEB:cheers::cheers::cheers:

^^Hataw GenSan! :cheers:

Congratz kay Pacquiao and to all Generals and all Fillipinos.

Any pics sa construction ng Robinsons?? Any update sa SM GenSan?

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/30/yehey/business/20080630bus1.html

From that article, it states that the local carriers will be cutting or even suspend unprofitable flights... With CEB's expansion of the GenSan - Manila service, it shows that the route is really profitable... Hmmm I'm hoping for a double daily Cebu Pacific GenSan - Manila service before the year ends....

http://www.fightnewsextra.com/cc/FIGHTS2008/06-pacquiao-diaz/images/pacquiao-diaz033.jpg

mabilis talaga kamay ni Pacman...

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x287/GearX_2007/2008/tmpphp6THiaH.jpg

^^:lol:mas mabilis ang mga kamay mo @gearx sa pagsnap ng picture:lol::lol::lol:

GenSan business month focuses on SME dev’t (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW070208/content.php?id=056)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in this city will once again take center stage with the observance of the Yaman GenSan or Yabong Maliliit na Negosyo, which is now on its sixth year.

Dorecita T. Delima, Department of Trade and Industry assistant director for Central Mindanao, said more than 40 separate activities designed to advance the development of MSMEs and foster entrepreneurship would mark this year’s business month celebration.

A novel concept introduced for the event was the "reverse trade fair" by big companies to encourage the locals to venture in business undertaking.

"The companies will not exhibit their finished products, but the raw or semi-processed materials they require that are either imported or sourced out from other parts of the country," Ms. Delima said.

"The objective of this particular activity is for these large companies to source their requirement from local suppliers in General Santos City or from the neighboring cities or provinces, which will redound to the creation of new enterprises and, thus, generating new jobs," she explained.

Slated to end on July 23, business-related activities for the 6th Yaman GenSan include eight exhibits, 21 seminars or trainings and 16 conferences for various industry clusters.

The clustering involved the information and communications technology industry, food (aqua-marine and fruits) industry, handicrafts industry and livestock industry.

Yaman GenSan was institutionalized through City Council resolution 169 in 2003.

Traditionally, it is held from June to July, a period deemed "lean months," businesswise, since it is sandwiched between the traditional staging of the Kalilangan Festival, which celebrates the city’s foundation anniversary, every February and the Tuna Festival every September.

Last year, the month-long business activity recorded an estimated P50 million in sales, data from the local Trade department showed.

Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. said that Yaman GenSan was conceptualized as the city’s business month celebration to highlight the various entrepreneurial successes in the locality and to encourage the constituents to also go into business.

He said the city "provides a healthy environment for investments," adding that tax incentives await investors under the city’s new investment code.

Known for its well-established tuna industry, 90% of this city’s businesses, however, are micro, small and medium enterprises, local data showed.

Mr. Acharon said the activities lined-up for Yaman GenSan are all geared towards developing and improving entrepreneurial skills for micro, small and medium enterprises. The business month celebration is a partnership between the local Trade department, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council, Inc., the city government, and other local stakeholders. — RSS

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x287/GearX_2007/2008/c09_482x316.jpg

Hi Guys!

I just discovered a website which featured the fastest-to-download LIVE STREAMING VIDEO of the Pacquiao-Diaz WBC Lightweight Championship Fight last Sunday.


For more info, CLICK HERE (http://www.gensantos.com/events/my-free-link-to-the-pacquiao-diaz-live-streaming-video-on-the-web/).:banana:

Check it out!

GenSan has just been awarded by AIM Policy Center as 2007's MOST COMPETITIVE MID-SIZED CITY, including 6 others.

For more details, CLICK HERE (http://www.gensantos.com/gensan-news/gensan-awarded-one-of-the-countrys-most-competitive-mid-sized-cities-for-2007/).

To all the generals, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We are back in the groove!!! :banana:

GSC is very deserving!!! Congratulations!!! :cheers:

GenSan has just been awarded by AIM Policy Center as 2007's MOST COMPETITIVE MID-SIZED CITY, including 6 others.

For more details, CLICK HERE (http://www.gensantos.com/gensan-news/gensan-awarded-one-of-the-countrys-most-competitive-mid-sized-cities-for-2007/).

To all the generals, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We are back in the groove!!! :banana:

may bago bang news about GenSan... any development lahit saan? hehe...

by the way, kamusta na ang mga nilagay na poste ng ilaw sa queen tuna park? mukhang wala nang development ah. may plano pa ba silang tapusin yun?

GSC is very deserving!!! Congratulations!!! :cheers:


Gensan deserves this citation, indeed. Congrats, Gensan! :applause:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/avelmans/SG4PTvqdinI/AAAAAAAAD2o/6IJd8mte9XU/s400/thankyousm.JPG

Warm homecoming welcome greets Manny Pacquiao as thousands turn out for motorcade (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/july/08/yehey/prov/20080708pro2.html)


GENERAL SANTOS City: Thousands of his town mates lined major thoroughfares for the motorcade that followed the arrival of the newly crowned World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion Manny Pacquiao at 9 a.m. Monday as the latter waves with pride atop a city-government vehicle on a motorcade down to the heart of the city shortly after he arrived at 9 a.m.

Top local officials headed by Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. and Malungon town Mayor Reynaldo Constantino met the Filipino ring champion at the Gensan International Airport, in a grand homecoming.

The motorcade ended at the Oval Plaza Covered Court where a huge crowd of Pacman fans and members of media waited for a scheduled press conference before Pacquiao and his security convoy proceeded to his residence. Later in the evening, the city hosted a victory party at the City Country Homes Hotel and Restaurant.

“My victory is your victory too,” declared Pacquiao to the delight of the crowd at the covered court, while he was seated Acharon and Custodio. He also gave his assurance that he has no intentions of running for any political position in the city in the 2010 elections, denying speculations that his good deeds for Malungon is preparation for the coming elections.

The crowd screamed and applauded even more when Pacquiao underscored that his main concern presently was his career in boxing and his plan to continue with his studies. He said his political objectives would have to wait until after he retires, although he did say when intends to stop fighting in the ring. He added that he would be investing more on business, not just for his family but his town mates as well who are in dire need of employment.

Pacman also extended his gratitude to Custodio, his closest political rival during the 2007 elections, for sponsoring a free widescreen live telecast of his recent fight
--Isagani P. Palma

Pacman's Arrival...

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e87/cloyd/pacman4.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e87/cloyd/pacman3.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e87/cloyd/pacman2.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e87/cloyd/pacman.jpg

:applause::applause::applause:

ICTSI takes control of South Cotabato port (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008071023&type=2)



By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
Friday, July 11, 2008

Port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has acquired a controlling stake in South Cotabato Integrated Port Services Inc. (SCIPSI).

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, ICTSI said it bought the 71,845 shares owned by Cordillera Properties Holdings Inc. in SCIPSI for P250,000. Also part of the deal is ICTSI’s assumption of Cordillera’s obligations amounting to P18.03 million.

With the purchase, ICTSI now owns 50.08 percent interest in SCIPSI.

SCIPSI provides stevedoring and cargo handling services at the Makar Wharf in the Port of General Santos in General Santos City, South Cotabato. It is the integration of the seven former cargo-handling contractors at the Port of General Santos City namely Dadiangas Arrastre Services Inc., Delas Marias Brokerage Inc., General Santos Terminal Co., Matutum Arrastre and Stevedoring Corp., Matutum Terminal Brokerage Inc., Southern Mindanao Services Co. and Velayo Brokerage Inc.

The integration was brought about by virtue of a Customs memorandum order requiring all cargo handling operators to merge into one entity.

In 2004, SCIPSI became the first cargo handling operator in the Visayas and Mindanao to be ISO-certified.

ICTSI is a global port player that has operations in Manila, Brazil and Madagascar. It also acquired terminals in Ecuador, Syria, Georgia and Colombia.

P.5 B allotted for light bulb conversion (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080716112&type=2)

By Paolo Romero
Thursday, July 17, 2008
President Arroyo launched yesterday a P500-million program that aims to jump-start a massive replacement of electricity-hungry incandescent bulbs in households and work places with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs.

Mrs. Arroyo led representatives from the youth, government, non-government organizations and religious sectors in the symbolic lighting of CFLs at the launching of “Palit Ilaw” or change light bulb program at the Philippine International Convention Center.

CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and lasts 10 times longer.

Mrs. Arroyo said the program would start with the replacement of incandescent bulbs with CFLs in government offices, public schools, state colleges and universities, government hospitals, and public areas.

She said funding for the project came from value-added tax revenues from increased oil prices.

She said “Palit Ilaw” is part of the Department of Energy’s SWITCH program aimed at mobilizing Filipinos in reducing energy and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent this year.

The program will be launched in the provinces in the coming days so that “all Filipinos would be aware of the importance of energy conservation,” she said.

“National fuel conservation is now entrenched as a first principle of statecraft. All government agencies have to reduce their energy bills by 10 percent,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

She also announced the government is now ready to shift into high gear its bio-fuel energy program as the first step to end the country’s dependence on imported oil.

She made the announcement at the Forum on Alternative Fuel for Public Transport at the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City.

The President said she will inspect starting July 21 the 1,800 hectares of lands across the country planted to jatropha under the government’s jatropha propagation program.

To date, 900 hectares have been planted to jatropha in Tamlang Valley in Negros Oriental; 500 hectares in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija; 200 hectares in Camarines Sur; 100 hectares in General Santos City; 60 hectares in Ara, Palawan; 40 hectares in Cagayan de Oro City; 14 hectares in Bohol; and five hectares in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

She said because of the energy efficiency programs initiated by her administration, the country is now 56 percent energy self-sufficient, the highest energy self-sufficiency rating in its history.

She said that aside from alternative sources of fuel, the government will continue to promote the use of natural gas for transport; geothermal steam, wind mills like those already operational in Batanes and Bangui, Ilocos Sur, and solar power for electricity.

“Let me assure our people of one thing, your government shall continue to harness all the resources at our command to help ordinary Filipino families pressured by cost and calamity at the same time. We continue to build a better tomorrow,” she said

P.5 B allotted for light bulb conversion (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080716112&type=2)

By Paolo Romero
Thursday, July 17, 2008
President Arroyo launched yesterday a P500-million program that aims to jump-start a massive replacement of electricity-hungry incandescent bulbs in households and work places with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs.

Mrs. Arroyo led representatives from the youth, government, non-government organizations and religious sectors in the symbolic lighting of CFLs at the launching of “Palit Ilaw” or change light bulb program at the Philippine International Convention Center.

CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and lasts 10 times longer.

Mrs. Arroyo said the program would start with the replacement of incandescent bulbs with CFLs in government offices, public schools, state colleges and universities, government hospitals, and public areas.

She said funding for the project came from value-added tax revenues from increased oil prices.

She said “Palit Ilaw” is part of the Department of Energy’s SWITCH program aimed at mobilizing Filipinos in reducing energy and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent this year.

The program will be launched in the provinces in the coming days so that “all Filipinos would be aware of the importance of energy conservation,” she said.

“National fuel conservation is now entrenched as a first principle of statecraft. All government agencies have to reduce their energy bills by 10 percent,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

She also announced the government is now ready to shift into high gear its bio-fuel energy program as the first step to end the country’s dependence on imported oil.

She made the announcement at the Forum on Alternative Fuel for Public Transport at the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City.

The President said she will inspect starting July 21 the 1,800 hectares of lands across the country planted to jatropha under the government’s jatropha propagation program.

To date, 900 hectares have been planted to jatropha in Tamlang Valley in Negros Oriental; 500 hectares in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija; 200 hectares in Camarines Sur; 100 hectares in General Santos City; 60 hectares in Ara, Palawan; 40 hectares in Cagayan de Oro City; 14 hectares in Bohol; and five hectares in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

She said because of the energy efficiency programs initiated by her administration, the country is now 56 percent energy self-sufficient, the highest energy self-sufficiency rating in its history.

She said that aside from alternative sources of fuel, the government will continue to promote the use of natural gas for transport; geothermal steam, wind mills like those already operational in Batanes and Bangui, Ilocos Sur, and solar power for electricity.

“Let me assure our people of one thing, your government shall continue to harness all the resources at our command to help ordinary Filipino families pressured by cost and calamity at the same time. We continue to build a better tomorrow,” she said

Yeah, President GMA will be in Gensan on Monday, July 21 to inspect the Jatropah Plantation in Barangay Sinawal which was recently inaugurated a week ago. :nuts:

Monday, July 21, 2008
Mining firm to start drilling in S. Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY -- A foreign mining firm will start drilling operations next month to validate coal resources in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

Dwyka Resources Ltd., which is listed in both the Australian Stock Exchange and the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange, confirmed that it has acquired the services of a Philippine drilling firm to complete 5,000 meters of core drilling at the Daguma coal deposit.

Dwyka signed the drilling agreement recently with Construction and Drilling Specialist Inc.

"We are delighted to already be in a position to commence drilling at Daguma. It is testament to the abilities of our local Philippine partners that we have been able to get to this point so quickly," Melissa Sturgess, Dwyka chief executive officer, said in a statement.

The purpose of the drilling is to verify historic work and further define and delineate the coal resources at the Daguma coal project, the company said.

Dwyka expects initial coal quality test results by August. Drilling works will involve about 25 diameter drill holes.

The looming drilling activities follow the exercise by Dwyka of its option to acquire an initial indirect interest of 30 percent in the Daguma coal project, Sturgess said.

Last May, Dwyka raised GBP10.3 million or some P830 million from institutional investors and other exempt offerees in support of the Daguma project.

The amount will be used for the project costs through to January 2009, including initial option exercise expenses, as well as costs related to further exploration and drilling, equipment purchases and staffing, the company said.

Daguma Agro Minerals Inc. and its sister company Bonanza Energy Resources Inc hold the Daguma project.

Dwyka struck the option agreement with Asian Coal Resources Limited (ACRL).

Asian Coal and its local partner, Mana Resources Development Corp., collectively hold options to the Daguma coal project, which, if exercised, would enable them to acquire an initial 30 percent interest in the project, with the possibility of increasing the stake to 100 percent.

Pursuant to the option agreement, Dwyka has an option to acquire 100 percent of the issued shares in Asian Coal. (BSS)

Wazzup with GenSan? Anong development dito?

CEB adds frequencies; starts Cebu-General Santos for as low as P999 all-in

Low-fare leader Cebu Pacific is adding frequencies to its services from Manila to Bacolod, Tacloban, Cotabato, and Dipolog.

The airline will also expand its route network from Cebu with the launch of its direct Cebu-General Santos (GenSan) service starting August 15, 2008.

CEB introduces the additional frequencies and announces its Cebu-GenSan operations with a seat sale which will run from July 24 to 29, 2008. This is valid for travel from August 15 to November 30, 2008.

One-way fares to Bacolod, Tacloban and Cebu-GenSan is at P999 ‘all-in’ while fares to Cotabato and Dipolog is at P1,499 ‘all-in’.

Candice Iyog, CEB spokesman said, “We will continue to expand our operations and offer the lowest ‘all-inclusive’ fares especially to new CEB routes that have not been previously exposed to our low fares.”

The three-times weekly Cebu-GenSan service will operate every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The flight departs from Cebu at 10:30am and arrives in GenSan at 11:30am. It leaves GenSan at 12:00nn and arrives back in Cebu at 1:10pm.

CEB’s Manila-Bacolod service will grow from 21 to 24 flights weekly while its Manila-Tacloban service will increase from 21 to 25 flights weekly. The carrier will also increase its operations to Cotabato from five-times weekly to daily while Manila-Dipolog will grow from four times to five times weekly.

Iyog added, “We encourage the public to book their flights via www.cebupacificair.com or call its reservations hotline (02) 7020888 or (032) 2308888 or contact their travel agent. Fares are so low and are even comparable to other modes of transport such as ferries and buses.”

Now in its 13th year, CEB has the youngest aircraft fleet in the Philippines. It has a fleet of ten A319s, eight A320s, and two ATR72-500 aircraft.

‘Yaman Gensan’ (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/07242008/opinion03.html)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/07242008/images/col-oped-whats%20in%20a%20name.jpg

The city of General Santos, known as Gensan, is the “tuna capital” of the Philippines. Of the 15 processing plants in the country, 10 are located in Gensan. The industry exports tuna to the United States, Europe, Japan and other countries, generating about $50 million in export earnings and employing thousands of workers. Citizens of Gensan, or “generals,” as they like to call themselves, also take pride in being recognized as among the country’s most competitive cities.

But, underneath the impressive veneer of manufacturing efficiency—the busy port, imposing plants and large ships at the harbor—is a current of creativity, of colors and shapes, of melodies and movement, of words and song.

During this year’s celebration of “Yaman Gensan,” a monthlong flurry of events to showcase the entrepreneurial achievements of the city, I saw this contrast of industries: between the steel of processing plants and ships, and the strings of musical instruments.

At the Intellectual Property (IP) Forum at Notre Dame Dadiangas University, there were five local bands playing original compositions for more than 500 students and teachers from the different colleges and universities in the region. It made me wish that my lecture on “IP and National Development” was the intermission number instead of the other way around. The bands played a range of compositions from gospel music to unique tunes mixing indigenous and modern beats and melodies.

Looking at the exhibits of new and innovative products produced by college students at the Young Entrepreneurs’ Fair also made me shorten my opening message so people would have more time to see and taste the products of Gensan’s youth. Their innovations ranged from new culinary treats to robotics and herbal formulations. But more stunning was the performance of young dancers clothed in indigenous colors and fibers, dancing to the rhythms of their ancestors.

Creativity and innovation were the dominant themes in this year’s Yaman Gensan, as clearly shown in the IP forum and the trade fair, where the role of the IP system in promoting creativity was given emphasis. In the former, student researchers and musicians asked about copyright, and in the latter, young innovators wondered aloud if their products could be patented.

IP is alive and well in Gensan, thanks to the trailblazing work of Trade Assistant Regional Director Doris Delima and the Intellectual Property Alliance of Soccsksargen. The support of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council and, of course, the youthful mayor of Gensan, Pedro Acharon Jr., made the mainstreaming of IP in the city possible.

Gensan entrepreneurs are also beginning to realize the importance of IP, especially in new creative industries. Lawyer Rey Cartojano, winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year award (corporate category), a franchisee of AMA Computer Learning Center, acknowledged the strategic and critical role of IP in Gensan’s future, especially with its plans to be an IT hub in the region.

Tuna production is still dominant in Gensan, but judging from the powerful currents of creativity and talent in the city, its second wave of economic development might just come from its creative industries.

The author is the director general of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines. Comments may be sent to e-mail address: dg_asc@ipophil.gov.ph.

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2541/gensanmallsnr7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2541/gensanmallsnr7.e8adcf1eb7.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=244&i=gensanmallsnr7.jpg)

^^ wah astig ha, magkakalapit ang mga malls ng GenSan :) nice one GenSan :)

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2541/gensanmallsnr7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2541/gensanmallsnr7.e8adcf1eb7.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=244&i=gensanmallsnr7.jpg)

biglang lumiit yung Gaisano....:cheers:

Robinson's begins construction of P2-billion mall in GenSan
Edwin G. Espejo/MindaNews contributor
Thursday, 26 June 2008 09:45
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/25 June) -- The Gokongwei-owned Robinson's has started land preparation for the construction of its P2-billion mall project here, sources from City Hall said.


Located on an 8.5-hectare property along J. Catolico St. in Lagao, the project is, according to city hall media chief Avel Manansala, reportedly the single biggest private investment in the city in recent years.
The two-storey mall is owned by Robinson's Land Corp., a subsidiary of JG Summit.

The store will be its third and biggest in Mindanao.

Robinson's already has an outlet in Cagayan de Oro city. Construction is likewise ongoing for its other branch in Davao City.

Its General Santos branch will house the company's flagship stores- Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Center.

In addition, the mall complex will also house four cinemas.
The construction came after years of repeated reports that Robinson's will finally make use of its property acquired in the 1990's.


"It will be remembered that years ago, before a series of bombings rocked the city, they were supposedly set on starting this project back then and have even applied for a building permit," according to Manansala.

But Robinson's management held off planned construction until late last year.

Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. said the entry of Robinson's will augur well for the local economy.

He said it is also a manifestation of investor confidence in the local government and residents of the city.
If completed, it will be the fourth mall to rise in General Santos.


Already in existence are Gaisano General Santos and KCC Mall of GenSan. A third, Kimball Plaza, was gutted down by what police believed was arson, in 2002.


As this developed, Manansala likewise revealed that SM Department Store, a rival chain of Robinson, is reportedly finalizing negotiations with the Salazar family for the lease or purchase of an eight-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard for its own version of department store.


In addition, NCCC Mall of Davao has already rented a warehouse along Llido Street for its wholesale operation. (Edwin G. Espejo/MindaNews Contributor)

wala bang old photos ng gensan? pwede kayo magpost?

biglang lumiit yung Gaisano....:cheers:

hindi naman, i think yung red roof gaisano pa rin yun kaso lang mas nahighlight yung light colored roof

but then Gaisano isnt your typical mall (at least the last time I was there) kasi diba department store and supermarket lang sya then sa labas lang ang mga shops?

with regards to size, i think KCC will still be bigger than the new Robinsons kasi sa tanda ko nasa 3 levels sya..now i measured the dimensions of KCC via Google earth and got a per floor area of about 18,000sqm per floor so kung 3 levels sya eh nasa 54,000sqm ang GFA nya (excluding the parking building) versus the 30,000sqm GFA ng Robinsons :)

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2541/gensanmallsnr7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2541/gensanmallsnr7.e8adcf1eb7.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=244&i=gensanmallsnr7.jpg)

are these for real? astig ah.

;20348910']unless yan talaga ang pinoproject mo na image dito sa ssc..then sige ipagpatuloy mo boju :)

KCC Mall of GenSan..nung pumunta ako sa mall na ito mala SM din ang dating nya sa loob :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/315front_big.jpg

wow. ganda ng mall, looks real huge.

are these for real? astig ah.

yung Gaisano and KCC matagal nang existing..ang kakaumpisa lang ng construction..ang SM di pa nagsisimula pero according sa SM insider natin dito sa SSC eh may plans daw talaga for a Mall in GenSan :)

so if natuloy ito, Gensan will be the 3rd city in Mindanao to host an SM Mall and also the 3rd to host a Robinsons Mall (the biggest Robinsons Mall in Mindanao)

are these for real? astig ah.

it's for real po talaga under superior :) galing ano?:banana:

First time ko Gensan before Gaisano was the biggest, wala pang KCC...I think Kimball Plaza pa before.
:cheers:

First time ko Gensan before Gaisano was the biggest, wala pang KCC...I think Kimball Plaza pa before.
:cheers:

what is the biggest existing mall ngayon?

kini....
http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/7453/06172008060kh2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/7453/06172008060kh2.d83785cd21.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=61&i=06172008060kh2.jpg)

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/5926/06172008061kp0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/5926/06172008061kp0.a95e107567.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=529&i=06172008061kp0.jpg)

wala akong source kung gaano kalaki ang lot ng sm pero dito talaga banda ang area nila. personal perspective ko lang..
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2218/gensanmallshm7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2218/gensanmallshm7.51eb75a96b.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=521&i=gensanmallshm7.jpg)

ilang levels ba ang KCC? yan ba pinaka sosyal na mall sa Gensan?

galing ng GenSan kasi tabi tabi lang mga malls dito. Local pride naman ng Gensan yung KCC mall. Parang LKK Complex ng CDO o NCCC ng Davao.

@ona:
yup parang ganun na nga. pero meron din kcc sa koronadal. koronadal-based ata to. actually kcc stands for koronadal commercial center if im not mistaken.
@qwert_guy:
yes. ito ang pinakasosyal na mall dito.
it has 3 levels. lower ground floor - ground floor - 2nd floor. and also it has parking area on the top floor.
pagadianon pod ko bai.. kumusta ang gaisano diha? post bago pic..

@ona:
yup parang ganun na nga. pero meron din kcc sa koronadal. koronadal-based ata to. actually kcc stands for koronadal commercial center if im not mistaken.
@qwert_guy:
yes. ito ang pinakasosyal na mall dito.
it has 3 levels. lower ground floor - ground floor - 2nd floor. and also it has parking area on the top floor.
pagadianon pod ko bai.. kumusta ang gaisano diha? post bago pic..

bantog ra kay familiar ka sa agora complex...hehehe.. asa man inyo sa pagadian? ok mag post ko ug pic sa pagadian thread.

------

sa bersales subdivision.. scc man ko graduate. kaw?

dinha na ka nag residence?
di na ka mubalilk sa pagadian?
medina ko grad.

ARROYO'S STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS (Transcript) (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/109854/ARROYOS-STATE-OF-THE-NATION-ADDRESS-(Transcript))
07/28/2008 | 11:26 PM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
2nd Regular Session of the 14th Congress
Republic of the Philippines
28 July 2008

Thank you, Speaker Nograles. Senate President Villar. Senators and Representatives. Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen:

I address you today at a crucial moment in world history.

Just a few months ago, we ended 2007 with the strongest economic growth in a generation. Inflation was low, the peso strong and a million new jobs were created. We were all looking to a better, brighter future.

Because tough choices were made, kumikilos na ang bayan sa wakas. Malapit na sana tayo sa pagbalanse ng budget. We were retiring debts in great amounts, reducing the drag on our country’s development, habang namumuhunan sa taong bayan.

Biglang-bigla, nabaligtad ang ekonomiya ng mundo. Ang pagtalon ng presyo ng langis at pagkain ay nagbunsod ng pandaigdigan krisis, the worst since the Great Depression and the end of World War II. Some blame speculators moving billions of dollars from subprime mortgages to commodities like fuel and food. Others point of the very real surge in demand as millions of Chinese and Indians move up to the middle class.

Whatever the reasons, we are on a roller coaster ride of oil price hikes, high food prices and looming economic recession in the US and other markets. Uncertainty has moved like a terrible tsunami around the globe, wiping away gains, erasing progress.

This is a complex time that defies simple and easy solutions. For starters, it is hard to identify villains, unlike in the 1997 financial crisis. Everyone seems to be a victim, rich countries and poor, though certainly some can take more punishment than others.

To address these global challenges, we must go on building and buttressing bridges to allies around the world: to bring in the rice to feed our people, investments to create jobs; and to keep the peace and maintain stability in our country and the rest of the world. Yet even as we reach out to those who need, and who may need us, we strive for greater self-reliance.

Because tough choices were made, the global crisis did not catch us helpless and unprepared. Through foresight, grit and political will, we built a shield around our country that has slowed down and somewhat softened the worst effects of the global crisis. We have the money to care for our people and pay for food when there are shortages; for fuel despite price spikes.

Neither we nor anyone else in the world expected this day to come so soon but we prepared for it. For the guts not to flinch in the face of tough choices, I thank God. For the wisdom to recognize how needed you are, I thank, you Congress. For footing the bill, I thank the taxpayers.

The result has been, on the one hand, ito ang nakasalba sa bayan; and, on the other, more unpopularity for myself in the opinion polls. Yet, even unfriendly polls show self-rated poverty down to its 20-year low in 2007.

My responsibility as President is to take care to solve the problems we are facing now and to provide a vision and direction for how our nation should advance in the future.

Many in this great hall live privileged lives and exert great influence in public affairs. I am accessible to you, but I spend time every day with the underprivileged and under represented who cannot get a grip on their lives in the daily, all-consuming struggle to make ends meet.

Nag-aalala ako para sa naka-aawang maybahay na pasan ang pananagutan para sa buong pamilya. Nag-aalala ako para sa magsasakang nasa unang hanay ng pambansang produksyon ng pagkain ngunit nagsisikap pakanin ang pamilya. I care for hardworking students soon to graduate and wanting to see hope of good job and a career prospect here at home.

Nag-aalala ako para sa 41-year old na padre de pamilya na di araw-araw ang trabaho, at nag-aabala sa asawa at tatlong anak, at dapat bigyan ng higit pang pagkakakitaan at dangal. I care for our teachers who gave the greatest gift we ever received – a good education – still trying to pass on the same gift to succeeding generations. I care for our OFWs, famed for their skill, integrity and untiring labor, who send home their pay as the only way to touch loved ones so far away. Nagpupugay ako ngayon sa kanilang mga karaniwang Pilipino.

My critics say this is fiction, along with other facts and figures I cite today. I call it heroism though they don’t need our praise. Each is already a hero to those who matter most, their families.

I said this is a global crisis where everyone is a victim. But only few can afford to avoid, or pay to delay, the worst effects.

Many more have nothing to protect them from the immediate blunt force trauma of the global crisis. Tulad ninyo, nag-aalala ako para sa kanila. Ito ang mga taong bayan na dapat samahan natin. Not only because of their sacrifices for our country but because they are our countrymen.

How do we solve these many complex challenges?

Sa kanilang kalagayan, the answer must be special care and attention in this great hour of need.

First, we must have a targeted strategy with set of precise prescriptions to ease the price challenges we are facing.

Second, food self-sufficiency; less energy dependence; greater self-reliance in our attitude as a people and in our posture as a nation.

Third, short-term relief cannot be at the expense of long term reforms. These reforms will benefit not just the next generation of Filipinos, but the next President as well.

Napakahalaga ang Value Added Tax sa pagharap sa mga hamong ito.

Itong programa ang sagot sa mga problemang namana natin.

Una, mabawasan ang ating mga utang and shore up our fiscal independence.

Pangalawa, higit na pamumuhunan para mamamayan at imprastraktura.

Pangatlo, sapat na pondo para sa mga programang pangmasa.

Thus, the infrastructure links programmed for the our poorest provinces like Northern Samar: Lao-ang-Lapinig-Arteche, right now ay maputik, San Isidro-Lope de Vega; the rehabilitation of Maharlika in Samar.

Take VAT away and you and I abdicate our responsibility as leaders and pull the rug from under our present and future progress, which may be compromised by the global crisis.

Lalong lumakas ang tiwala ng mga investor dahil sa VAT. Mula P56.50 kada dolyar, lumakas ang piso hanggang P40.20 bago bumalik sa P44 dahil sa mga pabigat ng pangdaigdigang ekonomiya. Kung alisin ang VAT, hihina ang kumpiyansa ng negosyo, lalong tataas ang interes, lalong bababa ang piso, lalong mamahal ang bilihin.

Kapag ibinasura ang VAT sa langis at kuryente, ang mas makikinabang ay ang mga may kaya na kumukonsumo ng 84% ng langis at 90% ng kuryente habang mas masasaktan ang mahihirap na mawawalan ng P80 billion para sa mga programang pinopondohan ngayon ng VAT. Take away VAT and we strip our people of the means to ride out the world food and energy crisis.

We have come too far and made too many sacrifices to turn back now on fiscal reforms. Leadership is not about doing the first easy thing that comes to mind; it is about doing what is necessary, however hard.

The government has persevered, without flip-flops, in its much-criticized but irreplaceable policies, including oil and power VAT and oil deregulation.

Patuloy na gagamitin ng pamahalaan ang lumalago nating yaman upang tulungan ang mga pamilyang naghihirap sa taas ng bilihin at hampas ng bagyo, habang nagpupundar upang sanggahan ang bayan sa mga krisis sa hinaharap.

Para sa mga namamasada at namamasahe sa dyip, sinusugpo natin ang kotong at colorum upang mapataas ang kita ng mga tsuper. Si Federico Alvarez kumikita ng P200 a day sa kaniyang rutang Cubao-Rosario. Tinaas ito ng anti-kotong, anti-colorum ngayon P500 na ang kita niya. Iyan ang paraan kung paano napananatili ang dagdag-pasahe sa piso lamang. Halaga lang ng isang text.

Texting is a way of life. I asked the telecoms to cut the cost of messages between networks. They responded. It is now down to 50 centavos.

Noong Hunyo, nagpalabas tayo ng apat na bilyong piso mula sa VAT sa langis—dalawang bilyong pambayad ng koryente ng apat na milyong mahihirap, isang bilyon para college scholarship o pautang sa 70,000 na estudyanteng maralita; kalahating bilyong pautang upang palitan ng mas matipid na LPG, CNG o biofuel ang motor ng libu-libong jeepney; at kalahating bilyong pampalit sa fluorescent sa mga pampublikong lugar.

Kung mapapalitan ng fluorescent ang lahat ng bumbilya, makatitipid tayo ng lampas P2 billion.

Sa sunod na katas ng VAT, may P1 billion na pambayad ng kuryente ng mahihirap; kalahating bilyon para sa matatandang di sakop ng SSS o GSIS; kalahating bilyong kapital para sa pamilya ng mga namamasada; kalahating bilyon upang mapataas ang kakayahan at equipment ng mga munting ospital sa mga lalawigan. At para sa mga kalamidad, angkop na halaga.

We released P1 billion for the victims of typhoon Frank. We support a supplemental Western Visayas calamity budget from VAT proceeds, as a tribute to the likes of Rodney Berdin, age 13, of Barangay Rombang, Belison, Antique, who saved his mother, brother and sister from the raging waters of Sibalom River.

Mula sa buwang ito, wala nang income tax ang sumusweldo ng P200,000 o mas mababa sa isang taon – P12 billion na bawas-buwis para sa maralita at middle class. Maraming salamat, Congress.

Ngayong may P32 na commercial rice, natugunan na natin ang problema sa pagkain sa kasalukuyan. Nagtagumpay tayo dahil sa pagtutulungan ng buong bayan sa pagsasaka, bantay-presyo at paghihigpit sa price manipulation, sa masipag na pamumuno ni Artie Yap.

Sa mga LGU at religious groups na tumutulong dalhin ang NFA rice sa mahihirap, maraming salamat sa inyo.

Dahil sa subsidy, NFA rice is among the region’s cheapest. While we can take some comfort that our situation is better than many other nations, there is no substitute for solving the problem of rice and fuel here at home. In doing so, let us be honest and clear eyed – there has been a fundamental shift in global economics. The price of food and fuel will likely remain high. Nothing will be easy; the government cannot solve these problems over night. But, we can work to ease the near-term pain while investing in long-term solutions.

Since 2001, new irrigation systems for 146,000 hectares, including Malmar in Maguindanao and North Cotabato, Lower Agusan, Casecnan and Aulo in Nueva Ecija, Abulog-Apayao in Cagayan and Apayao, Addalam in Quirino and Isabela, among others, and the restoration of old systems on another 980,000 hectares have increased our nation’s irrigated land to a historic 1.5 million hectares.

Edwin Bandila, 48 years old, of Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, cultivated one hectare and harvested 35 cavans. Thirteen years na ginawa iyong Malmar. In my first State of the Nation Address, sabi ko kung hindi matapos iyon sa Setyembre ay kakanselahin ko ang kontrata, papapasukin ko ang engineering brigade, natapos nila. With Malamar, now he cultivates five hectares and produces 97 cavans per hectare. Mabuhay, Edwin! VAT will complete the San Roque-Agno River project.

The Land Bank has quadrupled loans for farmers and fisherfolk. That is fact not fiction. Check it. For more effective credit utilization, I instructed DA to revitalize farmers cooperatives.

We are providing seeds at subsidized prices to help our farmers.

Incremental Malampaya national revenues of P4 billion will go to our rice self-sufficiency program.

Rice production since 2000 increased an average of 4.07% a year, twice the population growth rate. By promoting natural planning and female education, we have curbed population growth to 2.04% during our administration, down from the 2.36 in the 1990’s, when artificial birth control was pushed. Our campaign spreads awareness of responsible parenthood regarding birth spacing. Long years of pushing contraceptives made it synonymous to family planning. Therefore informed choice should mean letting more couples, who are mostly Catholics, know about natural family planning.

From 1978 to 1981, nag-export tayo ng bigas. Hindi tumagal. But let’s not be too hard on ourselves. Panahon pa ng Kastila bumibili na tayo ng bigas sa labas. While we may know how to grow rice well, topography doesn’t always cooperate.

Nature did not gift us with a mighty Mekong like Thailand and Vietnam, with their vast and naturally fertile plains. Nature instead put our islands ahead of our neighbours in the path of typhoons from the Pacific. So, we import 10% of the rice we consume.

To meet the challenge of today, we will feed our people now, not later, and help them get through these hard times. To meet the challenges of tomorrow, we must become more self-reliant, self-sufficient and independent, relying on ourselves more than on the world.

Now we come to the future of agrarian reform.

There are those who say it is a failure, that our rice importations prove it. There are those who say it is a success—if only because anything is better than nothing. Indeed, people are happier owning the land they work, no matter what the difficulties.

Sa SONA noong 2001, sinabi ko, bawat taon, mamamahagi tayo ng dalawang daang libong ektarya sa reporma sa lupa: 100,000 hectares of private farmland and 100,000 of public farmland, including ancestral domains. Di hamak mahigit sa target ang naipamahagi natin sa nakaraang pitong taon: 854,000 hectares of private farmland, 797,000 of public farmland, and Certificates of Ancestral Domain for 525,000 hectares. Including, over a 100,000 hectares for Bugkalots in Quirino, Aurora, and Nueva Vizcaya. After the release of their CADT, Rosario Camma, Bugkalot chieftain, and now mayor of Nagtipunan, helped his 15,000-member tribe develop irrigation, plant vegetables and corn and achieve food sufficiency. Mabuhay, Chief!

Agrarian reform should not merely subdivide misery, it must raise living standards. Ownership raises the farmer from his but productivity will keep him on his feet.

Sinimula ng aking ama ang land reform noong 1963. Upang mabuo ito, the extension of CARP with reforms is top priority. I will continue to do all I can for the rural as well as urban poor. Ayaw natin na paglaya ng tenant sa landlord, mapapasa-ilalim naman sa usurero. Former tenants must be empowered to become agribusinessmen by allowing their land to be used as collateral.

Dapat mapalaya ng reporma sa lupa ang magsasaka sa pagiging alipin sa iba. Dapat bigyan ang magsasaka ng dangal bilang taong malaya at di hawak ninuman. We must curb the recklessness that gives land without the means to make it productive and bites off more than beneficiaries can chew.

At the same time, I want the rackets out of agrarian reform: the threats to take and therefore undervalue land, the conspiracies to overvalue it.

Be with me on this. There must be a path where justice and progress converge. Let us find it before Christmas. Dapat nating linisin ang landas para sa mga ibig magpursige sa pagsasaka, taglay ang pananalig na ang lupa ay sasagip sa atin sa huli kung gamitin natin ito nang maayos.

Along with massive rice production, we are cutting costs through more efficient transport. For our farm-to-market roads, we released P6 billion in 2007.

On our nautical highways. RORO boats carried 33 million metric tons of cargo and 31 million passengers in 2007. We have built 39 RORO ports during our administration, 12 more are slated to start within the next two years. In 2003, we inaugurated the Western Nautical Highway from Batangas through Mindoro, Panay and Negros to Mindanao. This year we launched the Central Nautical Highway from Bicol mainland, through Masbate, Cebu, Bohol and Camiguin to Mindanao mainland. These developments strengthen our competitiveness.

Leading multinational company Nestle cut transport costs and offset higher milk prices abroad. Salamat, RORO. Transport costs have become so reasonable for bakeries like Gardenia, a loaf of its bread in Iloilo is priced the same as in Laguna and Manila. Salamat muli sa RORO.

To the many LGUs who have stopped collecting fees from cargo vehicles, maraming, maraming salamat.

We are repaving airports that are useful for agriculture, like Zamboanga City Airport.

Producing rice and moving it cheaper addresses the supply side of our rice needs. On the demand side, we are boosting the people’s buying power.

Ginagawa nating labor-intensive ang paggawa at pag-ayos ng kalsada at patubig. Noong SONA ng 2001, naglunsad tayo sa NCR ng patrabaho para sa 20,000 na out of school youth, na tinawag OYSTER. Ngayon, mahigit 20,000 ang ineempleyo ng OYSTER sa buong bansa. In disaster-stricken areas, we have a cash-for-work program.

In training, 7.74 million took technical and vocational courses over the last seven years, double the number in the previous 14 years. In 2007 alone, 1.7 million graduated. Among them are Jessica Barlomento now in Hanjin as supply officer, Shenve Catana, Marie Grace Comendador, and Marlyn Tusi, lady welders, congratulations.

In microfinance, loans have reached P102 billion or 30 times more than the P3 billion we started with in 2001, with a 98% repayment record, congratulations! Major lenders include the Land Bank with P69 billion, the Peoples’ Credit and Finance Corporation P8 billion, the National Livelihood Support Fund P3 billion, DBP P1 billion and the DSWD’s SEA-K P800 million. For partnering with us to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit, thank you, Go Negosyo and Joey Concepcion.

Upland development benefits farmers through agro-forestry initiatives. Rubber is especially strong in Zamboanga Sibugay and North Cotabato. Victoria Mindoro, 56 years old, used to earn P5,000 a month as farmer and factory worker. Now she owns 10 hectares in the Goodyear Agrarian Reform Community in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, she earns P10,000 a week. With one hectare, Pedro and Concordia Faviolas of Makilala, North Cotabato, they sent their six children to college, bought two more hectares, and earn P15,000 a month. Congratulations!

Jatropha estates are starting in 900 hectares in and around Tamlang Valley in Negros Oriental; 200 in CamSur; 300 in GenSan, 500 in Fort Magsaysay near the Cordero Dam and 700 in Samar, among others.

In our 2006 SONA, our food baskets were identified as North Luzon and Mindanao.

The sad irony of Mindanao as food basket is that it has some of the highest hunger in our nation. It has large fields of high productivity, yet also six of our ten poorest provinces.

The prime reason is the endless Mindanao conflict. A comprehensive peace has eluded us for half a century. But last night, differences on the tough issue of ancestral domain were resolved. Yes, there are political dynamics among the people of Mindanao. Let us sort them out with the utmost sobriety, patience and restraint. I ask Congress to act on the legislative and political reforms that will lead to a just and lasting peace during our term of office.

The demands of decency and compassion urge dialogue. Better talk than fight, if nothing of sovereign value is anyway lost. Dialogue has achieved more than confrontation in many parts of the world. This was the message of the recent World Conference in Madrid organized by the King of Saudi Arabia, and the universal message of the Pope in Sydney.

Pope Benedict’s encyclical Deus Caritas Est reminds us: “There will always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love for neighbour is indispensable."

Pinagsasama-sama natin ang mga programa ng DSWD, DOH, GSIS, SSS at iba pang lumalaban sa kahirapan sa isang National Social Welfare Program para proteksyonan ang pinaka-mahihirap mula sa pandaigdigang krisis, and to help those whose earnings are limited by illness, disability, loss of job, age and so on—through livelihood projects, microfinance, skills and technology transfer, emergency and temporary employment, pension funds, food aid and cash subsidies, child nutrition and adult health care, medical missions, salary loans, insurance, housing programs, educational and other savings schemes, and now cheaper medicine—Thanks to Congress.

The World Bank says that in Brazil, the income of the poorest 10% has grown 9% per year versus the 3% for the higher income levels due in large part to their family stipend program linking welfare checks to school attendance. We have introduced a similar program, Pantawid Pamilya.

Employers have funded the two increases in SSS benefits since 2005. Thank you, employers for paying the premiums.

GSIS pensions have been indexed to inflation and have increased every year since 2001. Its salary loan availments have increased from two months equivalent to 10 months, the highest of any system public or private—while repayments have been stretched out.

Pag-Ibig housing loans increased from P3.82 billion in 2001 to P22.6 billion in 2007. This year it experienced an 84% increase in the first four months alone. Super heating na. Dapat dagdagan ng GSIS at buksan muli ng SSS ang pautang sa pabahay. I ask Congress to pass a bill allowing SSS to do housing loans beyond the present 10% limitation.

Bago ako naging Pangulo, isa’t kalahating milyong maralita lamang ang may health insurance. Noong 2001, sabi natin, dadagdagan pa ng kalahating milyon. Sa taong iyon, mahigit isang milyon ang nabigyan natin. Ngayon, 65 milyong Pilipino na ang may health insurance, mahigit doble ng 2000, kasama ang labinlimang milyong maralita. Philhealth has paid P100 billion for hospitalization. The indigent beneficiaries largely come from West and Central Visayas, Central Luzon, and Ilocos. Patuloy nating palalawakin itong napaka-importanted programa, lalo na sa Tawi-Tawi, Zambo Norte, Maguindanao, Apayao, Dinagat, Lanao Sur, Northern Samar, Masbate, Abra and Misamis Occidental. Lalo na sa kanilang mga magsasaka at mangingisda.

In these provinces and in Agusan Sur, Kalinga, Surigao Sur and calamity-stricken areas, we will launch a massive school feeding program at P10 per child every school day.

Bukod sa libreng edukasyon sa elementarya at high school, nadoble ang pondo para sa mga college scholarships, while private high school scholarship funds from the government have quadrupled.

I have started reforming and clustering the programs of the DepEd, CHED and TESDA.

As with fiscal and food challenges, the global energy crunch demands better and more focused resource mobilization, conservation and management.

Government agencies are reducing their energy and fuel bills by 10%, emulating Texas Instruments and Philippine Stock Exchange who did it last year. Congratulations, Justice Vitug and Francis Lim.

To reduce power system losses, we count on government regulators and also on EPIRA amendments.

We are successful in increasing energy self-sufficiency—56%, the highest in our history. We promote natural gas and biofuel; geothermal fields, among the world’s largest; windmills like those in Ilocos and Batanes; and the solar cells lighting many communities in Mindanao. The new Galoc oil field can produce 17,000-22,000 barrels per day, 1/12 of our crude consumption.

The Renewable Energy Bill has passed the House. Thank you, Congressmen.

Our costly commodity imports like oil and rice should be offset by hard commodities exports like primary products, and soft ones like tourism and cyberservices, at which only India beats us.

Our P 350 million training partnership with the private sector should qualify 60,000 for call centers, medical transcription, animation and software development, which have a projected demand of one million workers generating $13 billion by 2010.

International finance agrees with our progress. Credit rating agencies have kept their positive or stable outlook on the country. Our world competitiveness ranking rose five notches. Congratulations to us.

We are sticking to, and widening, the fiscal reforms that have earned us their respect.

To our investors, thank you for your valuable role in our development. I invite you to invest not only in factories and services, but in profitable infrastructure, following the formula for the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

I ask business and civil society to continue to work for a socially equitable, economically viable balance of interests. Mining companies should ensure that host communities benefit substantively from their investments, and with no environmental damage from operations.

Our administration enacted the Solid Waste Management Act, Wildlife Act, Protection of Plant Varieties, Clean Water Act, Biofuels Act and various laws declaring protected areas.

For reforestation, for next year we have budgeted P2 billion. Not only do forests enhance the beauty of the land, they mitigate climate change, a key factor in increasing the frequency and intensity of typhoons and costing the country 0.5% of the GDP.

We have set up over 100 marine and fish sanctuaries since 2001. In the whaleshark sanctuary of Donsol, Sorsogon, Alan Amanse, 40-year-old college undergraduate and father of two, was earning P100 a day from fishing and driving a tricycle. Now as whaleshark-watching officer, he is earns P1,000 a day, ten times his former income.

For clean water, so important to health, there is P500 million this year and P1.5 billion for next year.

From just one sanitary landfill in 2001, we now have 21, with another 18 in the works.

We launched the Zero Basura Olympics to clear our communities of trash. Rather than more money, all that is needed is for each citizen to keep home and workplace clean, and for garbage officials to stop squabbling.

Our investments also include essential ways to strengthen our institutions of governance in order to fight the decades-old scourge of corruption. I will continue to fight this battle every single day. While others are happy with headlines through accusation without evidence and privilege speeches without accountability, we have allocated more than P3 billion – the largest anti-graft fund in our history – for real evidence gathering and vigorous prosecution.

From its dismal past record, the Ombudsman’s conviction rate has increased 500%. Lifestyle checks, never seriously implemented before our time, have led to the dismissal and/or criminal prosecution of dozens of corrupt officials.

I recently met with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US agency that provides grants to countries based on governance. They have commended our gains, contributed P1 billion to our fight against graft, and declared us eligible for more grants. Thank you!

Last September, we created the Procurement Transparency Group in the DBM and linked it with business, academe, and the Church, to deter or catch anomalies in government contracts.

On my instruction, the BIR and Customs established similar government-civil society tie-ups for information gathering and tax evasion and smuggling monitoring.

More advanced corruption practices require a commensurate advances in legislative responses. Colleagues in Congress, we need a more stringent Anti-Graft Act.

Sa pagmahal ng bilihin, hirap na ang mamimili – tapos, dadayain pa. Dapat itong mahinto. Hinihiling ko sa Kongreso na magpasa ng Consumer Bill of Rights laban sa price gouging, false advertising at iba pang gawain kontra sa mamimili.

I call on all our government workers at the national and local levels to be more responsive and accountable to the people. Panahon ito ng pagsubok. Kung saan kayang tumulong at dapat tumulong ang pamahalaan, we must be there with a helping hand. Where government can contribute nothing useful, stay away. Let’s be more helpful, more courteous, more quick.

Kaakibat ng ating mga adhikain ang tuloy na pagkalinga sa kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino. Iisa ang ating pangarap – maunlad at mapayapang lipunan, kung saan ang magandang kinabukasan ay hindi pangarap lamang, bagkus natutupad.

Sama-sama tayo sa tungkuling ito. May papel na gagampanan ang bawat mamamayan, negosyante, pinunong bayan at simbahan, sampu ng mga nasa lalawigan.

We are three branches but one government. We have our disagreements; we each have hopes, and ambitions that drive and divide us, be they personal, ethnic, religious and cultural. But we are one nation with one fate.

As your President, I care too much about this nation to let anyone stand in the way of our people’s wellbeing. Hindi ko papayagang humadlang ang sinuman sa pag-unlad at pagsagana ng taong bayan. I will let no one – and no one’s political plans – threaten our nation’s survival.

Our country and our people have never failed to be there for us. We must be there for them now.

Maraming salamat. Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat. ArticlesMedia Links
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^^ ano po connection ng post mo sa GenSan? pag ganyang sobrang haba ng article, it would be better sana if i highlight mo ang significant points na connected sa GenSan :)

lol buti na pasok yan diba hanggang 500 words lang sa SSC, naku baka ilagay niya lahat sa city at provincial threads yan! :D

dinha na ka nag residence?
di na ka mubalilk sa pagadian?
medina ko grad.

yup./ nagabalik man pod ko diha,. last nako balik was june.

;23249678']^^ ano po connection ng post mo sa GenSan? pag ganyang sobrang haba ng article, it would be better sana if i highlight mo ang significant points na connected sa GenSan :)


cant you see the red highlighted words? i highlighted them before i posted the aritlcle.

forgive me for posting this important article.

Federalism (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008072892&type=2)
IYO ANTOY Ni Antolin dela Serna
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mora mag namingaw na sad ang hisgut sa Federalism. Kini tungod kay ang atong mga lider dili gustog Federalism. Alang nila, nindot kaayo ang present system sa atong panggobiyerno tungod kay, among others, convenient kaayo alang kanila ang centralized government tungod kay makapatuyang sila sa tanang buot nilang buhaton didto sa kaulohan.

Kay kun mag-federal system ta, unya, presidential form, sama sa Amerika, ma-full local autonomy ang pagpadagan sa gobiyerno, ug ma-fully transparent ang tanang buhat sa mga lider. Sa ato pa, sayon na kaayo ang pagbantay kanila kay ania ra man sila dinhi sa ato, ato ra mang mga silingan.

Lahi sa centralized government, nga ang tanan kabubut-on sa Presidente, ug sila ra didto sa kaulohan ang magbuot – samtang kita dinhi, magmata lag buntag, maghuwat kon nag-unsa sila didto, ug wa gyud tay labut sa pagpadagan sa gobiyerno.

Wa ka ba kamatikod ini, Dro? Di ba panahon ra man sa eleksiyon diin paapilon konohay ka pag-decide kun unsay mahimong kaugmaon sa atong nasud? Ug wa ba usab ka kamatikod, Dro, nga bisag panahon sa eleksiyon, dili gihapon madunggan ang imong tingog ug dili ang imong kabubut-on ang matuman, kaylagi, kwarta may maghari?

Ubos sa atong sistima karon, diin highly centralized ang gahum, kita dinhi sa lalawigan, ang atong mga local government units, giisip nga mga “colony” lamang sa “Imperial Manila.”

Matud pa ni Lory de la Serna, usa sa nangusog nga matukod ang Federal-Presidential system sa atong nasud, “Under the present unitary system (a remnant of our colonial past imposed by the Spaniards and the Americans to advance their colonial imperial interests), practically all powers are vested in a highly centralized government.

“The concentration of power at the top inevitably results in political and economic imbalance and injustice. It is the reason why many regions in the Philippines remain poor and underdeveloped. Poverty in turn spawned widespread criminality, rebellion and secession, especially in neglected areas in Mindanao and many parts of Luzon and the Visayas.”

Unsa may tan-aw nimo ini, Dro? Wa ka ba kamatikod nga pirme lang tang nag-agad ug naghuwat kun unsay ikaluoy sa Imperial Manila, nganhi kanato nga ilang mga colony?

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lol buti na pasok yan diba hanggang 500 words lang sa SSC, naku baka ilagay niya lahat sa city at provincial threads yan! :D

dont you know what Jatropha is? dont you know the applications of this to our economy epecially to the motorists?

^^ sobrang haba ng article eh ang liit naman ng connection sa gensan..sana inayos mo muna ng post..yun ang punto namin

you should read the article so as to know that GenSan was mentioned in the SONA. if i hadnt read it, i wouldnt be able to post it here because i wouldnt know. i had to read the whole article so as to appreciate the SONA. :) :)

ei guys.. musta na ROB_GSC?

yup./ nagabalik man pod ko diha,. last nako balik was june.

kulba man diay muagi via cotabato. just last monday naay gi ambush nga van sa malabang dapit. 5 ang gipamusil nga mga laki. deads ang 5. :ohno:

lagi daw.. karon ra man pod na nahitabo.. sa malabang diay? abi nako karomatan. unsa daw hinungdan sa ambush? mga muslim na pod ang nangambush?

kulba man diay muagi via cotabato. just last monday naay gi ambush nga van sa malabang dapit. 5 ang gipamusil nga mga laki. deads ang 5. :ohno:

Daghan kaayo ug checkpoints diha di mahibal-an kung kinsa nga side ang nag man... toink :bash:

lagi daw.. karon ra man pod na nahitabo.. sa malabang diay? abi nako karomatan. unsa daw hinungdan sa ambush? mga muslim na pod ang nangambush?

aw sa karumatan diay to oi. going na to sila pagadian, gipara sila daun kuhaan mga money. gipanaog mga laki ug gipamusil.

Daghan kaayo ug checkpoints diha di mahibal-an kung kinsa nga side ang nag man... toink :bash:

kaagi na diay ka dinha @ibex cotabato to pagadian via SND(Sultan Naga Dimaporo)?

La pa Qwert storya na sa friends nga naka agi na... :)

pero kaisa pa man pud to nahitabo ang ambush... dinha raba mi muagi next week going to kidapawan and davao...hehehe

kaagi na diay ka dinha @ibex cotabato to pagadian via SND(Sultan Naga Dimaporo)?

La pa Qwert storya na sa friends nga naka agi na... :)

For the 2nd year in a row, Kuya Chito's Takuyaki once again won as the ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR (Individual Category) in the recent GenSan YAMAN Awards.

The juridical category was won by AMA-CLC (Skep-Tron Ventures, Inc.)

To know more about it and the identities of the other winners, just simply CLICK HERE :banana:

gen. paulino santos

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/paulkrps/1614210234_417529c2be_o.jpg

from http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinatown_charlie/1614210234/in/set-72157602490480214/

^^ fighter man diay ug dagway :) paryente ni pacman?

gen. paulino santos

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/paulkrps/1614210234_417529c2be_o.jpg

from http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinatown_charlie/1614210234/in/set-72157602490480214/

^^good find @paul...hope @bariles posts this in his republic...^^

^^good find @paul...hope @bariles posts this in his republic...^^

Hope makakuha rin si @paul about General Santos' partner, Makario Sakay. Baka mukha niya mas astig pa kay Santos. :)

Hope makakuha rin si @paul about General Santos' partner, Makario Sakay. Baka mukha niya mas astig pa kay Santos. :)

hehehe, mangita pa ko. i have a subscription with a clipart site and have posted historical pics in other threads. this one i found at flickr, with much thanks to the poster.

sorry kung o.t., here it is:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/paulkrps/sakay.jpg
third from left.

from a coastal fishing town of Raga Buayan....then Dadiangas was founded by Gen. Paulino Santos as once a grassy flatland...to become today as one of the economic dynamos in mindanao's south ^^

sorry kung o.t., here it is:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/paulkrps/sakay.jpg
third from left.

c pacman ba yung nasa rightmost?

c pacman ba yung nasa rightmost?

reincarnation pala ngayon :lol:

hahaha...

from a coastal fishing town of Raga Buayan....then Dadiangas was founded by Gen. Paulino Santos as once a grassy flatland...to become today as one of the economic dynamos in mindanao's south ^^

i suspect the soil is lahar from mt polomolok.

^^ kaya dati dustdiangas ang tawag sa dadiangas? hehe

OT

pacman: DER TE , DER TE . DER TE

sinasabihan ang kanyang mga anak nag lalaro sa canal


:laugh:

;23612064']^^ kaya dati dustdiangas ang tawag sa dadiangas? hehe

mao.:lol:

http://images.inquirer.net/media/networkindex/images/pic-08060342480839.jpg

War is coming

MR. EXPOSE (http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20080806com4.html)
Amb. Ernesto Maceda

08/06/2008

Finally, the public read the terms of the MILF-GRP agreement on ancestral domain to be signed in Malaysia Monday morning when the Philippine Daily Inquirer published the agreement in full. Fortunately, the Supreme Court issued a TRO to stop the signing.

It became quite clear that GMA and her officials kept the negotiations secret and refused to give copies of the draft agreement to interested leaders and stakeholders of Mindanao because it was patently unconstitutional, extremely generous to the MILF and highly objectionable to any rational thinking Filipino.

As analyzed by many experts, it means the creation of a separate Bangsamoro state with the Philippine “central government” ceding territory and territorial waters, surrendering control of natural resources with the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) getting 75 percent of all proceeds from oil, mines, forest, fisheries and other rich natural resources, including air rights. That’s in stark contrast to her obstinate refusal to give up P70 billion in VAT revenues on oil to benefit the whole country.

It means gerrymandering six towns and 700 barangays including those in traditional Christian areas like Zamboanga City and Iligan, not to mention Cotabato City.

Fast track the situation to five years after the agreement comes into force. You will have a Bangsamoro state with a well equipped armed force of at least 30,000 funded by the 75 percent share of income from natural resources and from assistance from the United States and oil rich Middle East states that have given it recognition.

Will the Bangsamoro civilian and military leaders be satisfied with their present territory? Consider the fact that under the Tripoli agreement, they claim the whole of Mindanao as their ancestral lands. Definitely, they will move aggressively toward expanding their territory. To begin with, pity the Christians of Basilan, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and especially Cotabato City which they insist on keeping as their capital even if it is not part of ARMM. Simply put, they will run them out of town. Kidnapping of businessmen, teachers and priests will escalate.

And the 700 barangays now included in ARMM which certainly would have a Bangsamoro armed detachment, would it be improbable if they will start to encroach and control neighboring barangays? No, it will most likely happen. Even now when a peace agreement is agreed upon, MILF rebels are raiding and killing Christians in Midsayap, Aleosan and Libungan in North Cotabato, and in Basilan.

The MILF-GRP agreement will mean the 90 percent of the Christian population will go to war to protect their hard earned land, houses and businesses.

The MILF-GRP agreement will not result in peace. On the contrary, it will mean war all over Mindanao with the unhappy circumstance that you will have Prime Minister Gloria Arroyo backing the Bangsamoro forces against her friends and relatives in Iligan, Davao and Cotabato.

You will have the 90 percent of Christian population in Mindanao planning to declare themselves as a separate Republic too, under President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Vicente “Donkoy” Emano. You will have the people of the “Central government” suffering more food shortages and food prices going up because you have to import food from rich Mindanao. Local industries will close because everything will be smuggled into the Bangsamoro territory worse than Subic or Port Irene.

GMA has committed not only treason but certainly a gross violation of her oath to do justice to every man.

By doing justice to 5 million Muslims she is committing an injustice to 85 million Filipinos.

Sad, but that is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Let’s hope and pray that the Supreme Court will side with the people over that of its patron, GMA. And make the TRO permanent.

More implications. Former Senate President Franklin Drilon and Makati Mayor Jojo Binay argued with much logic that if the Bangsamoro independent state is allowed to come into being, other ethnic minorities in the country can agitate for the same. The Igorots of Benguet can claim that Baguio is their ancestral domain, the Kalingas, the Apayaonons, the Ibanags and Hilogots can claim the whole of Region II or the Cagayan Valley. The Itnegs of Abra can claim the Cordillera Region.

And how about the Aetas of Zambales and the Mangyans of Mindoro? They too, would have a right to claim several towns including mountains in their traditional areas.

And yes, the Cebuano can claim Republic of Cebu too!

OT

pacman: DER TE , DER TE . DER TE

sinasabihan ang kanyang mga anak nag lalaro sa canal


:laugh:


amew. :)

Tuna fishermen also seeking diesel subsidy (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW080708/content.php?id=054)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Two large groups of tuna producers here asked the government on Wednesday to extend fuel subsidies to their vessels to help them weather the high cost of diesel that increases their operating costs.

Dexter T. Teng, president of the South Cotabato Purse-Seiners Association (Socopa), said any government subsidy on fuel products to tuna fishers is very much welcome during these difficult times.

"It’s not only the sardines industry that is reeling from the skyrocketing prices of fuel products. The tuna industry is also feeling its effect [but we are hanging on]. Even a temporary subsidy from the government would be a good relief," Mr. Teng said in an interview yesterday.

Socopa is composed of 41 fishing companies that operate group purse-seine fishing vessels (carrying capacity is about 20 to 150 gross tons). The group has at least 160 purse seine sets or 1,120 vessels and manned by approximately 10,500 crewmen.

Mr. Teng said that fuel eats up 55% to 60% of the tuna fishers’ operating cost per expedition.

On Monday, President Arroyo ordered concerned government agencies to look at the problems of fishermen in Zamboanga City, the country’s center for sardine production, who stopped operations recently due to rising diesel prices.

The fishing firms had sought a fuel subsidy, but Malacañang has so far offered a subsidy to cover the cost of converting boat engines to take on cheaper, alternative fuels.

Mr. Teng said that a temporary government subsidy on diesel of P3 to P5 per liter to tuna fishermen will be acceptable, and that this will be a key recommendation during the national tuna congress slated here next month.

Malaysia and Indonesia are giving fuel subsidies to their tuna fishermen, enabling them to be more competitive than Filipino tuna producers, Mr. Teng lamented.

Roger R. Lim, Sr., vice-chairman of the Alliance of Tuna Handliners, also said a temporary fuel subsidy for tuna fishermen will be welcome relief.

The handline sector uses traditional hook and line fishing method in catching large tuna. With an estimated annual value of P4.5 billion, it is composed of over 2,500 handline boats (locally called pump boats) and employs at least 40,000 fishermen, with an estimated annual landing of over 30,000 metric tons of high value tuna.

Mr. Lim said that an estimated 60% of handline operators have temporarily stopped their activities as they could no longer afford the high prices of petroleum products. "Perhaps, the condition of tuna fishermen as a result of high fuel prices can be likened to a calamity. The government must also extend assistance, especially to ordinary tuna fishermen," he added.

He also voiced his group’s interest in the Palace offer for the government to subsidize the conversion of their boat engines. Mr. Lim, one of the biggest operators of tuna fishing vessels in the city, said he had experimented on converting some of his boats to run on liquefied petroleum gas, which cut costs by 15%-20%.

He added he is now contemplating on converting his smaller fishing boats to run on electric power, but said an electric-powered engine on smaller boats made in China reportedly costs nearly P30,000.

Nokia Store opens in GenSan (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008080869&type=2)

Saturday, August 9, 2008
With the speed of technology evolving, it is no surprise that mobile phone manufacturers are constantly in a race to come up with devices that continue to delight, enthrall, and excite gadget crazy users.

So when its time to treat yourself to either your first Nokia mobile phone or an upgrade, where else can you go to get expert advice but at the Nokia Store?

Deciding on the perfect Nokia mobile phone can be a very daunting task. There are so many things to consider when getting one: what features you need, what mobile phone with a built-in camera is best, what will allow you to access the Internet or your e-mail, or what design fits your personality the most.

Fortunately for Nokia lovers in General Santos City, a new Nokia Store is now open at the second floor at Stall 24 OA of KCC Mall.

The 75 square-meter store is the 29th Nokia Store in the country and is one of the first that has adopted the new Global Design.

The new look and feel of the Nokia Store gives consumers a more pleasant mobile experience that allows them to be able to touch and feel the latest Nokia products.

Nokia stores are located all over the country, serving as a one-stop shop where one can see, touch, feel, and experience each Nokia phone. For a total customer experience, top-notch phone repair and genuine mobile accessories are also available in most Nokia Stores.

Nokia Stores are located at the following convenient locations:

Metro Manila: Nokia Store Greenbelt 1, Nokia Store DX, Nokia Store Morato, Nokia Store Festival, Nokia Store North Edsa, Nokia Store Gateway, Nokia Store Robinsons Manila, Nokia Concept Store Robinson Galleria, Nokia Store ATC, Nokia Concept Store Mall of Asia, Nokia Store Podium, Nokia Concept Store Greenhills, Nokia Store Rockwell, Nokia Store High Street Fort, Nokia Store Trinoma, Nokia Store SM Manila, and Nokia Store SM Megamall.

Provincial: Nokia Store Gaisano Davao, Nokia Store SM Davao, Nokia Store Tacloban City, Nokia Store Limketkai Cagayan de Oro, Nokia Concept Store SM Cebu, Nokia Store SM Iloilo, Nokia Store SM Bacolod, Nokia Store Dagupan, Nokia Store SM Batangas, Nokia Store SM Pampanga, Nokia Store Ayala Center Cebu, and Nokia Store KCC GenSan.

Look for the latest introductions to Nokia’s XpressMusic range — the Nokia 5320 XpressMusic and Nokia 5220 XpressMusic, which both offer a range of affordable music and entertainment experiences with the most fresh, stylish designs on the market.

The Nokia 5320 XpressMusic delivers exceptional music and Web 2.0 access with 3G social entertainment capabilities. With the innovative new voice-controlled Say and Play feature, consumers can merely say the name of a favorite artist or song to automatically play it.

Offering an array of additional features, the Nokia 5320 XpressMusic device includes dedicated XpressMusic keys, a 3.5mm audio jack, up to 24 hours of playback time, an audio chip for hi-fi sound quality, free 1GB memory card, expandable up to 8GB, HS-USB for fast music transfer, and HSDPA for fast access to data.

The Nokia 5220 XpressMusic offers instant access to music on-the-go with a unique, asymmetrical design.

Featured for the first time on a Nokia XpressMusic device, lights flashing to the rhythm of the music and a built-in lanyard makes the device easy to carry anywhere.

Additional features of the Nokia 5220 XpressMusic include up to 24 hours’ playback time, dedicated XpressMusic keys, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a free 1GB memory card.

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guys post ko lang sana your city will join:


Surigao City invites cultural groups to join Bonok-Bonok Festival 2008

PIA.gov.ph | Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The Bonok-Bonok Culture and Arts Association, Inc. through the Surigao City Tourism Office is inviting all cultural contingents in the country to participate in the 2008 Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival on September 9 this year.

The Bonok-bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival is an ethnic Mardi gras marked by street dancing and stationary festivities held in line with the annual fiesta celebration of San Nicolas de Tolentino on September 10.

The criteria for the Bonok-bonok Festival are storyline theme and concept—20%; choreography—20%; performance—25%; street dancing—25%; production design that includes costumes, music, props and sets—10%.

The dance entry shall take in the forms of street dancing (done during the parade in progressive steps) and the main dance drama or stationary dance will be performed in a place designated by the organizers.

The main dance/ritual shall be given an allotted time of 6 minutes excluding entrance and exit.

The dance entry may present a storyline or dance scenarios taken from the place being represented or inspired from various literary forms.

Prizes at stake are P250,000 plus trophy for the grand prize; P200,000 plus trophy for the 1st runner-up; P150,000 plus trophy for the 2nd runner-up; and P100,000 plus trophy for the 3rd runner-up. Participation prizes at P10,000 each and certificate of participation for non-winners.

Special awards for Best in Street Dancing is P50,000 plus trophy; Best Choreographer is P10,000 plus trophy; Best in Costume is P10,000 plus trophy and Best in Musicality is P10,000 plus trophy.

Sr. Tourism Officer Ms. Roselin Armida B. Merlin disclosed that all contingents will be provided with modest accommodation, food subsidy of P10,000 each and 5 containers of mineral water.

Interested groups who want to participate in the said festival may inquire from the City Tourism Office at Luneta Park, Borromeo Street, Surigao City for more details call the Bonok-bonok Festival 2008 Secretariat at telephone numbers (086)826-8064 or 232-7228, telefax (086) 826-4131. (Fryan E. Abkilan, PIA-Surigao del Norte)

any latest new about Robinsons Gensan? is it true, may hotel raw ang Robnsons Gensan, 250 rooms according to mr. rombar of East Asia Royale Hotel...


CONGRATULATIONS to Notre Dame of Dadiangas University's ALLEGRO CHORALE for a job well-done last august 15 in the National marist Choir Competition for beng the champion... galing!:banana:

GenSan fish port to service large vessels (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW081108/content.php?id=052)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The city’s fish port complex can now accommodate large fishing vessels, with the completion of construction of the deep-water docking facility, officials said here over the weekend.


http://www.bworldonline.com/BW081108/fishport.jpg

A typically busy day at the fish port. — BW file photo "Last week, a 160-footer foreign ship from Papua New Guinea unloaded two million kilos of tuna stocks for canned production. That’s the first time such a huge fishing vessel utilized the expanded wharf," said Miguel B. Lamberte, local head of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, which is managing the fish port complex.

This is our free preview of this article.

To enjoy reading the story in full, please log in to Codex. Or, if you are not yet a subscriber, please subscribe now to get complete access to Philippine business news daily from BusinessWorld.

Smart backs Tuna Festival (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/gen/2008/08/22/bus/smart.backs.tuna.festival.html)

LEADING wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) signed an agreement with the General Santos City government to be the exclusive telco partner of Gensan's forthcoming Tuna Festival.

"We are proud to be Gensan's partner in the celebration of the Tuna Festival, and we are excited to continue contributing to the prosperity of this city," said Ramon R. Isberto, head of Smart's Public Affairs Group.

Gensan, the gateway to the Socsksargen area, is one of the country's most competitive cities, with local and foreign investments rapidly pouring into the area.

The Tuna Festival celebrates the main produce of Gensan, fishing being the city's largest industry, and which has been largely responsible for the economic boom the city enjoys today.

Smart will participate in all festival activities, including the Karagatan Awards at the KCC Convention Hall on August 31, the finals night of the beauty pageant for Miss Gensan at the Gaisano Atrium on September 5, and the Tuna Festival Float Parade on September 5.

Smart is also bringing to Gensan the punk-rock group Kamikazee, creators of the highly infectious Smart Buddy jingle Me na Me, for a big concert to be held at the Gensan City Oval Plaza on September 5.

All festival revelers are welcome to attend and enjoy the concert, and those who will buy a Smart Buddy SIM at the venue and load P15 will receive a ticket to join a raffle where Smart Buddy prepaid handsets will be up for grabs.

Smart's participation in the festival highlights its commitment to Gensan's development, with cutting-edge communication and information technology infrastructure that benefit residents and visitors alike.

Now with more than 33 million subscribers all over the Philippines, it continues to offer to Gensan lowest-ever call and SMS rates to help subscribers cope with rising food, power, and transport prices, while still enjoying high-quality mobile services. Smart also recently introduced Smart Bro Prepaid, and continues to make Internet access available to a broader segment of the population with affordable hardware cost, sachet pricing, nationwide coverage, and easy loading.

re-post

Robinsons GenSan

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1701/robinsonsgscah7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1701/robinsonsgscah7.d9aea09120.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=253&i=robinsonsgscah7.jpg)

Kasaysayan ng Timog Kotabato...Isang paglalarawan

And here's a clear picture of the Koronadal Valley settlements in South Cotabato.
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Mindanao/southcotabato.jpg

Take note that the original KORONADAL is not what we know today as Koronadal City or popularly known as Marbel, but a barangay in Polomolok, South Cotabato...I think it is named today as Brgy. Koronadal Proper.

Technically, Marbel became the largest and the de-facto capital of the Koronadal Valley Settlements which are made by Marbel, Tupi, Polomolok and Lagao (take note that Dadiangas is another settlement, probably by the native Maguindanaoans).

Old folks always refer to Marbel rather than Koronadal...and it sounds better and easy to say...

:cheers:

Sports House to open four new branches (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008082411&type=2)
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sports House International Leisure Inc., a one-stop shop for sports equipment and merchandise, is opening four new branches this year with a total estimated cost of P20 million.

Sports House president and chief executive officer Mars Chua said the company will have a total of 36 stores by the end of the year with the addition of the four new outlets which are located in Marikina; Rosales, Pangasinan; Baliuag, Bulacan; and General Santos City.

Chua said the company hopes to open at least three new stores every year as it continues to innovate its way of providing customers’ needs and excellent value on all sports goods.

The company needs to shell out P5 million per store, P3 million of which for structure development while P1.5 million to P2 million for the goods to be sold to the public.

Chua said the company’s sales have been growing by an average of six to eight percent every year.

He said while sales have been affected by the ongoing economic slowdown, the company is confident that sales will pick up toward the fourth quarter as people tend to spend more during the Christmas season.

“We would like to incorporate sports into the lifestyle of people. We have all the things that you need in all the game you play,” Chua said.

Since it opened its first branch on Gilmore Avenue in Quezon City in June 1983, the company has expanded its operations to other key cities in the provinces. 

Most of its malls are located in several SM malls across the country such as SM Megamall, North Edsa, Southmall, Centerpoint, Fairview, Bicutan and Baguio. 

Other outlets are in Ali Mall, Harrison Plaza, Landmark, Market Market, Robinsons Galleria, San Lazaro, Sucat, Batangas, Cavite, Dasmariñas, Lipa, Lucena, Marilao, Pampanga, Robinsons Lipa, Valenzuela, Bacolod, Cagayan, Cebu, Manduriao and Davao.

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Alsons plans $2.4-B bioethanol plant in M’danao (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080827176&type=2)
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
Thursday, August 28, 2008


Alcantara-owned Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. (ACR) plans to put up a $2.4-billion bioethanol plant in Northern Mindanao to fill in an expected surge in demand for alternative fuels by next year.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, ACR said it has authorized its management to initiate discussions with prospective investors and other parties who may be interested to participate in the bioethanol project.

The proposed plant, with a targeted capacity of about 100,000 liters per day, is scheduled for commercial operations by early 2011.

ACR said it hopes to capitalize on the anticipated growth in demand for fuel with the mandatory five percent blend of bioethanol by May 2009. Based on a forecast by the Department of Energy, domestic bioethanol demand is seen to reach 309 million liters per annum by 2009 and will increase further to 664 million liters by 2011 and 713 million liters by 2013.

The country needs around 15 to 20 ethanol plants by 2011 to meet the mandatory blend requirement of the Biofuels Act of 2006.

In an earlier speech, Tomas Alcantara, chairman of the Alcantara Group of Companies, said ACR was planning to establish two ethanol distillery plants in Mindanao as it seeks other sources of revenues.

ACR is engaged in various businesses such as energy and power, property development and product distribution. For the energy and power business, ACR has investments in two holding firms — Conal Holdings Corp. and Alsing Power Holdings Inc.

The company also has a wholly-owned subsidiary, Alsons Power International Ltd., a British Virgin Island-registered company which handles the development of ACR’s power plant projects.

ACR’s property development business is handled by its subsidiary Alsons Land Corp. which is primarily involved in the development of Eagle Ridge Golf and Residential Estate and Lima Technology Center.

ACR conducts its product distribution business through Market Developers Inc., and its mining business through ACR Mining Corp.

Aside from the bioethanol plant, ACR is likewise considering developing a mining property in Davao del Norte to take advantage of the surging prices of metals worldwide. It is planning to participate in a large copper and gold project in South Cotabato.

It was earlier reported that Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of the Toyota Motor Group, was looking at the proposed site of the 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant to be built by ACR in the west coast of Sarangani province in Southern Mindanao.

The coal-fired power plant will be an independent power producer that will not have any guaranteed off-take from state utility National Power Corp.

ACR reported a 10.46 percent drop in its first half net profit this year to P77 million from P86 million as revenues fell eight percent to P1.175 billion. Energy and management fees from the company’s energy and power business accounted for 78 percent of total revenues from the appreciation of the peso during the first quarter and the termination of the operation and maintenance contract with Holcim Vietnam effective end 2007.

Moreover, the combined energy delivered by the power companies declined 32 percent from 175,411 megawatt hours in 2007 to 119,416 mwh this year. On the other hand, revenues from property development rose eight percent to P259 million.

Power sales and other service income from Lima Utilities Corp. and Lima Water Corp. increased from P225 million to P239 million while sale of industrial lots and housing units in Campo Verde and Summer Hills reached P10 million, 37 percent better than last year.

The retirement of debts towards the end of 2007 and the payment of maturing obligations resulted in the 67 percent drop in interest expense from P120 million to P39 million. Interest income grew 10 percent from P52 million to P57 million as a result of higher short-term investments.

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http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1229/08182008012xr2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/08182008012xr2.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img209/08182008012xr2.jpg/1/)

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1229/08182008012xr2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/08182008012xr2.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img209/08182008012xr2.jpg/1/)

elo m1k3, what picture are you trying to post? ayaw kc mgload eh.. @_@

santiago-j. catolico intersection showing the 10th tuna festival posters...

10th Tuna Festival Opening Fireworks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJq8SxWKJJY

DENR prioritizes rehab of Allah Valley watershed (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008083018&type=2)

Sunday, August 31, 2008


The rehabilitation of Allah Valley Watershed Forest Reserve is a top prioty of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in partnership with the provincial governments of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, DENR regional executive director Jim O. Sampulna said.

“We have prioritized Allah Valley because it is believed that 60 to 80 percent of the silt deposited in the Rio Grande de Mindanao comes from the Allah River. We know that the siltation of rivers and other water channels is one of the causes of widespread flooding in the area,” Sampulna said.

There are 25 identified watershed forest reserves in the Region 12 with combined area of 753,700 has. The Allah Valley Watershed Forest Reserve covers a total area of 102,350 hectares spanning three municipalities in South Cotabato (Lake Sebu, Surallah and T’boli) and in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat Province.

The Allah Valley Landscape Development Alliance, operated by the provincial governments of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat manages this watershed.

“We have yet to come up with a definitive study on the Allah Valley Watershed, hence we have requested the office of DENR Secretary Jose L. Atienza Jr. to source funds to finance the conduct of a feasibility study,” Sampulna said. – Benny Enriquez

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Smart takes part in Gensan’s Tuna Festival (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008083020&type=2)

Sunday, August 31, 2008


Smart is flying the rock band Kamikazee, who composed the wacky Smart Buddy jingle “Me na Me“, for a free concert at the Oval Plaza on Sept. 5, the Tuna festival’s culmination day, Smart media liaison Haydee Bernabe said.

“We are proud to be Gensan’s partner in the celebration of the Tuna Festival, and we are excited to continue contributing to the prosperity of this city,” Mon Isberto added.

Gensan, the economic hub of the Soccsksargen growth area, is one of the country’s most competitive medium-sized cities, with business investments from both here and abroad pump-priming its economy.

The yearly Tuna Festival puts in focus the main product of Gensan, the tuna, and one of its people’s major livelihood, fishing. For its 10th incarnation, the festival theme is: A decade of FISH-tivities and opporTUNAties.

Opening on Aug. 31, the festival will wind up on Sept. 5 with a Tuna Festival Float Parade.

“ This year’s celebration promises to be the biggest tuna festival ever,” said Gensan Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr.

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PASS eyes P45M loan for VisMin expansion (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080901106&type=2)

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Pollution Abatement Systems Specialists, Inc. (PASS) is set to invest P45 million to set up a similar healthcare waste treatment facility in Visayas and Mindanao.

PASS is a group of Cebuano mechanical engineers who operates the first common facility for healthcare wastes in Cebu.

PASS president and chief executive officer (CEO) Julieto Pugoy said that the company is now preparing to avail of a loan from state-owned banks like Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to fund their expansion projects outside of Metro Cebu.

Initially, the group is looking at opening Autoclave waste treatment facility in Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao and General Santos cities, in the next two years.

According to Pugoy, following the release of a joint administrative by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Health (DOH) on the strict implementation of policies and guidelines on effective and proper handling, collection, transport, treatment, storage and disposal of health care waste, the Autoclave facility treatment facility business now is expected to be in demand, not only in Cebu, but also in other areas in the Philippines.

The company is using the Autoclave facility to treat these wastes. Autoclaves are the most commonly used healthcare waste treatment alternative in the United States. It destroys infectious agents through the use of steam heat and pressure.

In Cebu for instance, of which the PASS facility had been operating since 2005, had been treating hazardous wastes from hospitals, funeral parlors, and other healthcare establishments.

To date, 26 hospitals and healthcare establishments have commissioned the group to treat their hazardous wastes. This means, that there are still other hospitals, and healthcare providers, which are not disposing or treating their dangerous wastes properly.

This facility, which supports the government’s law in disposing dangerous and hazardous wastes, is so far the only private-led operated service, outside of Metro Manila.

“We are confident that hospitals from all over Southern Philippines, will be needing this facility, especially after the DENR and DOH administrative order,” Pugoy said in a press conference.

Besides, he said healthcare establishments have to abide the law, which stipulated in the Republic Act 9003 under the Clean Air Act, that hospital and other healthcare wastes should be disposed of property.

Healthcare establishments may have segregated their hazardous health-care wastes from the general health care waste but these are left untreated and disposed of in the municipal sanitary landfill or dumpsite for lack of an alternative treatment of disposal system.

The risk of transmitting diseases is aggravated by uncontrolled practice by waste workers and scavengers of collecting recyclables from hazardous health care waste during storage, transport and disposal. This practice has unnecessarily exposed the general public, health care personnel and waste workers to maximum health risk from communicable diseases.

“We will lead this campaign of providing effective service and treat the hazardous wastes of healthcare establishments especially in Southern Philippines,” Pugoy said. – Ehda M. Dagooc
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Fishing business at Davao Fish Port Complex declining (http://www.dailymirror.ph/Sept/business09032008&01.html)

BY JUDY QUIROS

The transshipment fishing industry is in a downward trend this year at the Davao Fish Port Complex (DFPC) in Daliao, Toril, Davao City.

DFPC, the only tuna transshipment port in the Philippines for Asian fishing vessels, suffered a sharp decline in the volume of unloading or fish catch and in the number of foreign and commercial vessel arrivals this year.

At the Davao City Business Forum held yesterday at MediSpa SM City Davao, DFPC general manager Mario Malinao said foreign vessel arrivals suffered a slump of 33 percent while the volume of unloading of sashimi grade tuna and other exportable fish products also dropped 16 percent as of January to July this year compared to same period last year.

In January to July 2007 the volume of unloading or exportable fish catch registered at 2,755 metric tons (MT). This, however, dropped to 2,380 MT during the same period this year, or a 16 percent reduction, Malinao said.

The number of foreign vessel arrivals also dropped from 429 from January to July 2007 to 289 during the same period this year.

In 2007, long line fishing operators or the foreign fishermen enjoyed the least catch of 10 MT of tuna and tuna-like fish. This year, they are lucky when they can catch 5 MT of exportable tuna, Malinao said.

He said Japanese and Taiwanese nationals are operating long line fishing business inside the DFPC.

At present, there are 300 long line fishing vessels berthing at the DFPC in intervals the whole year round. These vessels are accredited by the Philippine Fisheries Management Development Authority (PFMDA).

Malinao said there are 24 business locators at DFPC, 12 of which are transshipment agents, which are duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),while the rest are fish processors and fish traders.

The volume of unloading of commercial marine resources and the number of commercial or local vessel arrivals also sagged at the DFPC this year compared to last year.

Malinao said the commercial vessel arrivals suffered a sharp decline of 62 percent from 292 in 2007 down to 111 as of July this year.

He also said that the volume of unloading of commercial or local marine products declined by 50 percent from 351 MT in January to July 2007 down to 177 dring the same period this year.

Local marine fish resources include among others bilong-bilong, matabaka and moro-moro.

There are 30 local or commercial vessels operating at the DFPC. However, 10 have transferred to the General Santos Fish Port because of the depleting supply at the Davao Gulf and the presence of canning and processing plants in GenSan.

Malinao attributed the declining trend of transshipment business at the DFPC this year to two global factors: the drastic climate change and spiraling cost of fuel.

He is optimistic, however, that DFPC’s performance will improve whenever the weather improves and when there will be a consistent roll back in fuel cost.

Despite the downtrend of the transshipment business facing the DFPC, Malinao said he is confident they can achieve its projected gross revenue this year placed at P37 million.

“As of today, we are on stream in terms of our projected revenue target,” he said.

In 2005, DFPC raked a net income of P7.3 million. This climbed to P10.7 million in 2006 but plunged to P8.31 million in 2007.

In the wake of the negative indicators, DFPC remained both operationally and financially viable this year for its operating ratio (OR) for January to July this year posted 0.78 percent, which is relatively high compared to the 0.83 percent last year.

An OR of 0.78 percent would mean that for every peso which DFPC earns, it spent .78 cents, Malinao pointed out.

DFPC is the smallest among the eight fish ports in the Philippines. The other seven ports are found in GenSan, Zamboang City, one in Iloilo City and four in Luzon.

^^Hataw GenSan! :cheers:

New shipyard opens in General Santos (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW090608/content.php?id=045)
GENERAL SANTOS — The tuna industry got another boost with the opening early this week of a shipyard said to be the biggest in south and central Mindanao.

Signal Marine Shipyard, owned by the country’s biggest fishing companies, opened the first of three slipways where ships can be built, repaired or dry-docked.

The facility sits on a five-hectare property in the hamlet of Cabu at Barangay Tambler in this city touted as the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines." Two more slipways spanning 210 meters will be built, each to carry a 3,000-gross tonnage vessel.

"This is proudly a Filipino-owned corporation," said tuna businessman Marfenio Y. Tan, head of San Andres Fishing Corp., and one of the incorporators of Signal shipyard.

Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene A. Dominguez, who was at the launching, hailed the initiative, which he said would boost the potentials of the tuna industry.

Francis T. Laurel, president of Frabelle Fishing Corp., credited Mr. Tan for initiating the shipyard project two years ago.

"The people of Sarangani province and General Santos City will benefit from the project in terms of direct and indirect employment of 500 workers, plus the increase of trade and allied services in the area," Mr. Laurel said. — R. S. Sarmiento

New shipyard opens in General Santos (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW090608/content.php?id=045)
GENERAL SANTOS — The tuna industry got another boost with the opening early this week of a shipyard said to be the biggest in south and central Mindanao.

Signal Marine Shipyard, owned by the country’s biggest fishing companies, opened the first of three slipways where ships can be built, repaired or dry-docked.

The facility sits on a five-hectare property in the hamlet of Cabu at Barangay Tambler in this city touted as the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines." Two more slipways spanning 210 meters will be built, each to carry a 3,000-gross tonnage vessel.

"This is proudly a Filipino-owned corporation," said tuna businessman Marfenio Y. Tan, head of San Andres Fishing Corp., and one of the incorporators of Signal shipyard.

Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene A. Dominguez, who was at the launching, hailed the initiative, which he said would boost the potentials of the tuna industry.

Francis T. Laurel, president of Frabelle Fishing Corp., credited Mr. Tan for initiating the shipyard project two years ago.

"The people of Sarangani province and General Santos City will benefit from the project in terms of direct and indirect employment of 500 workers, plus the increase of trade and allied services in the area," Mr. Laurel said. — R. S. Sarmiento

Wow, another Filipino ship builder after Aboitiz of Cebu! Keep up the goodwork until we can build our own ferries ! :)

DA offers feed subsidies to hog farmers (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080905154&type=2)

Saturday, September 6, 2008


The Department of Agriculture is stepping up the implementation of measures for the hog industry to help the sector recover from a growth slump in the first semester.

In line with the government’s goal to energize the farm sector and ensure food sufficiency, the agency is now providing feed subsidies to hog farmers as well as undergoing a stock dispersal program.

The feed subsidy program aims to grow hogs by at least an additional 10 kilos to 15 kilos to increase output from the national average of only 77 kilograms.

With the government’s continued investments in DA programs to boost productivity, the agriculture sector was able to expand by 4.7 percent in the first semester of 2008 as against 3.74 percent in the same period last year.

In the first semester of 2008, the livestock sub-sector contracted 3.33 percent growth but the hog production suffered a decline of 4.33 percent during this same period owing to a drop in the number of animals slaughtered in abattoirs as result of swine diseases outbreak that had negatively affected production in Central Luzon.

And as part of its measures to assist the hog growers, the Department of Agriculture has ordered the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the National Meat Inspection Service to finalize plans to complement the meat inspection laboratories that were set up in General Santos City and Polomolok in South Cotabato.

subsidy program for the hog industry will be carried out in Central Luzon and Calabarzon areas composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon provinces, which will involve assisting backyard raisers, acquire healthy piglets and their required animal feeds.

The rehabilitation package will also include the livestock sector’s animal health programs and laboratory services.

DA is now undertaking a massive vaccination program worth P30 million, against possible Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PPRS) and other emerging swine diseases focusing on backyard population in Central Luzon, wherein bulk of hog raising production are concentrated.

BAI noted that despite these temporary setbacks, there is still a bright future that lies ahead for the Philippine hog industry as the Philippines will soon ship pork cuts to Singapore after complying with the island-state’s stringent requirements, including an assurance that these pork items are free from banned drugs and veterinary drug residues. —Rhia de Pablo

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P250-M subsidy for tuna sector eyed (tp://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/09/08/PROV20080908134562.html)
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On top of DA’s P4-B fishery fund

Bong Reblando

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Senate is set to provide P250-million subsidy fund to the tuna industry gripped by high fuel cost, but also urge key players to avail of the P4-billion Department of Agriculture budget to cope with their problems.

Senator Eduardo Angara, committee chairman on agriculture, announced his proposal to insert in the 2009 budget P250 million to help the ailing industry during the 10th Tuna Congress here.

"As chairman of the agriculture committee in the Senate, I will insert in the 2009 budget P250 million to help the tuna industry cope with the high cost of fuel. I hope our Senate Pres. Manny Villar supports this move," Angara said.

Senate President Manuel Villar, who spoke before the local and foreign delegates after Angara, told reporters he would support a subsidy fund for the tuna industry and would work on its enactment for next year’s budget.

"I will support the subsidy fund of P250 million be part of the 2009 national budget to help our tuna industry keep afloat in this trying times of uncertainty in fuel prices," Villar said.

Both Senate leaders aired separately their assurance shortly after they were briefed by tuna industry leaders Marfin Tan, Doming Teng and Jerry Damalerio of the high cost of fuel plaguing the industry.

Tan, Teng and Damalerio have complained earlier that the rising cost of fuel is taking a toll on the tuna export industry as it limits fishing companies to field their fishing fleet to catch fish.

"Fuel comprises 60 percent of the fishing operation. As such, fielding more fishing boats to catch tuna would mean a huge capital on fuel alone. This binds us to reduce our fleet to go fishing," Teng said.

Angara also revealed that the Department of Agriculture has P4 billion ready fund for the fishery sector, which the tuna industry may avail of to enable them to ride on to skyrocketing oil and work on measures to become competitive globally.

Although, he said, the P4 billion, which is release through a loan or grant, is mainly for the development of the inland fishing, the fund could also be tap by the tuna industry to modernize their fleet and fishing accessory.

Bureau of Fishery chief Malcolm Sarmiento agreed with Angara that the P4-billion fund could be utilized to help fishermen modernize their fishing fleet, fishing accessory and fish radar and communication to catch more tuna on the high seas of Pacific, Philippine and Indonesian waters.

Tan clarified that the 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in tuna catch in Mindanao is due to Indonesia’s ban on Filipino fishermen catching tuna on Indonesian waters to export 30 percent of the catch back to Mindanao.

"While we have this provision in our previous bilateral agreement with Indonesia, this is no long working after the pact expired. We appeal to the Senate and the national government to talk again with Indonesia for the renewal of this bilateral fishing pact," Tan said.

oh, kamusta na ang GenSan? anong mga bagong balita about the City? any developments? natahimik ata ang thread na 'to... @_@

Mindanao exec seeks equitable share in funds (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW091708/content.php?id=056)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Mindanao stakeholders called for an equitable share in the national budget for fish production during the 10th National Tuna Congress held recently in this city, a statement released yesterday by the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) read.

In his presentation on Mindanao Updates during the Congress last Sept. 4, MEDCo Chairman Undersecretary Virgilio L. Leyretana Sr. noted that Mindanao will get P165.17 million — or just a little more than 17% — of the national budget for this activity this year. This, Mr. Leyretana said, "in spite of Mindanao’s contribution of more than 43% of the country’s total fish production in 2007."

Luzon, on the other hand, contributed 40% but has the biggest budget share at P348.30 million, or 37%, while the Visayas, which accounts for 18% of fish production, gets P144 million, or 15.2% of total budget.

While the tuna industry contributes $280 million in annual tuna exports, Mr. Leyretana noted that investments in the island-region’s fisheries sector have been minimal over the past years.

"The development of the industries in Mindanao, particularly in agriculture and fisheries, will create a huge potential for investments in the island", Mindanao Business Council President Vicente T. Lao said in his remarks.

With the theme, "Managing our Tuna Resource: Exploring Opportunities and Alternatives," the congress this year called for measures to ensure the sustainability of marine resources amid threats of depleting marine biodiversity caused by climate change and overfishing.

Congarts to Gen San. You are going to have an SM Mall in 2010....:banana:

from the original plan of constructing a hypermart, it was upgraded to a Mall.

it will be named SM City Gen San....:banana:

Hataw Gensan!!!

target date of opening is last quarter of 2010. almost sabay sa opening ng SM City Lanang of Davao....

Congarts to Gen San. You are going to have an SM Mall in 2010....:banana:

from the original plan of constructing a hypermart, it was upgraded to a Mall.

it will be named SM City Gen San....:banana:

Hataw Gensan!!!

target date of opening is last quarter of 2010. almost sabay sa opening ng SM City Lanang of Davao....


Good to know! At least ang mga tao na mahilig magshop sa SM ay di na pupunta ng SM Davao City. So SM Gensan's customers will be SOCCKSARGEN and even some ARMM provinces in Southern Mindanao. Nice move by SM! Gensan City is quite improving a lot nowadays in Southern Mindanao too. :colgate:

thats great news indeed.

congrats gen san. :okay:

go go go GenSan...:banana:

It's good that GenSan will soon have an SM and Robinsons.

Oi, two birds in one stone ata ang tinira ng Gensan ah! Good for Gensan! Nag-ala Pacquiao na. :lol: Ang lakas na kasi ng trade diyan. :)

Congarts to Gen San. You are going to have an SM Mall in 2010....:banana:

from the original plan of constructing a hypermart, it was upgraded to a Mall.

it will be named SM City Gen San....:banana:

Hataw Gensan!!!

target date of opening is last quarter of 2010. almost sabay sa opening ng SM City Lanang of Davao....

So which opens first, the second SM City in Davao, or SM City Gensan?

So which opens first, the second SM City in Davao, or SM City Gensan?

baka sabay! :lol:

^^

Sabay ng Ayala Center Davao?

^^

Sabay ng Ayala Center Davao?

Hala oi, unsaonzz? Di ba youre referred to both SM Gensan and 2nd SM Davao? Dili ra kayo ka halata no? :lol:

wooow! grabeh na 'to! congratulations gensan... baka ilang years papasok na rin ang Ayala sa gensan, nasa wikipedia kasi eh... ang filinvest naman may lupa na rin sa gensan.... galing talaga!:banana:

ang maganda pa, 'di Hypermart itatayo nila kundi "SM CITY GenSan!" for more updated news - http://www.gensantos.com/2008/09/17/sm-gensans-future-site/#comments

wooow! grabeh na 'to! congratulations gensan... baka ilang years papasok na rin ang Ayala sa gensan, nasa wikipedia kasi eh... ang filinvest naman may lupa na rin sa gensan.... galing talaga!:banana:

ang maganda pa, 'di Hypermart itatayo nila kundi "SM CITY GenSan!" for more updated news - http://www.gensantos.com/2008/09/17/sm-gensans-future-site/#comments

Ang galing ha, i heard magkalapit lang daw ang robinsons, KCCC, at future SM diyan.

Ang galing ha, i heard magkalapit lang daw ang robinsons, KCCC, at future SM diyan.

exactly Tonzi, magkakalapit lang ang:
1. Gaisano Mall
2. Kcc Mall
3. Robinsons Mall
4. SM City GenSan

walking dostance lang ang 4 malls.... :lol:

So which opens first, the second SM City in Davao, or SM City Gensan?

as per schedule davao will open first then gensan one month after. gusto kasi nila habulin ang xmas shopping ng mga tao.:)

Tuna industry diversifying to aquaculture (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW091808/content.php?id=053)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The local tuna industry should take advantage of opportunities in aquaculture production in the face of dwindling tuna stocks across the world’s primary fishing grounds.

General Santos City is known as the country’s "Tuna Capital," landing approximately 1,000 metric tons of tuna daily at its 32-hectare fish port, and earning $280 million annually from the export of sashimi-grade tuna and various fresh-frozen and processed tuna products to European and American markets. Twelve fish processing plants and six of the country’s eight canneries operate in the city and adjacent areas, employing around 120,000 workers. — AFP

At the 10th National Tuna Congress held here earlier this month, aquaculture experts encouraged more tuna industry stakeholders to diversify into aquaculture as a way of adapting to the decline in global tuna catch amid high fuel costs and increasing competition from foreign counterparts for the same stock.

Aquaculture production in the country has significantly expanded over the years, with the industry now valued at $750 million, said Ramon Macaraig, president of the Chamber of Aquaculture and Ancillary Industries in Sarangani.

With stricter enforcement of tuna management conservation measures resulting in lower catch worldwide, increasing domestic aquaculture production can fill in the current supply gap in local and foreign markets to ensure the country’s food security.

"Aquaculture production in Mindanao offers opportunities for growth, with a variety of species available," Mr. Macaraig said, adding that diversification into aquaculture can supplement the incomes of those who now depend exclusively on tuna catch.

While it is not yet economically feasible to farm yellowfin tuna and other commercial tuna species, there are high-value marine species with good potential in both domestic and Asia-Pacific markets, including grouper, pompano, mangrove snapper and Asian sea bass.

China is still the main export market for high-value seafood like live grouper, snapper, abalone and sea cucumber. Frozen tilapia, catfish and pompano are selling well in the US, while Japan is a major market for shrimps and crustaceans.

The sustainability of aquaculture operations depends on the feeding systems used, acceptability of products in local and foreign markets, and choice of location for operations, said Mr. Macaraig.

Gil Adora, assistant director of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said that the investment potential of aquaculture has led to the development of mariculture parks in the Philippines.

"These promote the expansion of fish production and help provide a livelihood for fishermen, [and can accelerate] socio-economic growth in underdeveloped areas," Mr. Adora said.

A typical mariculture park covers a sea area of 500 hectares or more, and is equipped with a communal storm-resistant mooring system and boundary markers. It includes individual "farm plots" for fish cage operations, seaweed farming and other aqua-culture activities.

Mindanao is an ideal location for mariculture activities due to its large production areas, year-round fish production, water quality and skilled manpower, Mr. Adora said.

Messrs. Adora and Macaraig noted the efforts of USAIDs’ Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program to ensure the sustainability of Mindanao’s small-scale aquaculture producers by providing aquaculture training and linking them with potential buyers and new markets. GEM has also helped the SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., introduce best production practices among its members, composed of purse seine and handline fishing groups, canners, processors, traders and aquaculture producers — GEM

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exactly Tonzi, magkakalapit lang ang:
1. Gaisano Mall
2. Kcc Mall
3. Robinsons Mall
4. SM City GenSan

walking dostance lang ang 4 malls.... :lol:

ang galing ng blocking, di mo na kailangan magtapon nga gasolina para lang makalipat sa ibat ibang mall. :)

Hala oi, unsaonzz? Di ba youre referred to both SM Gensan and 2nd SM Davao? Dili ra kayo ka halata no? :lol:

Ay sorry. Halata na ba? :D Oooops! Sorry ha? :D Di bale, totoo naman lahat ng sinasabi ko eh. Di naman yun imbentong prjects. Sorry kuya ha? :rofl:

as per schedule davao will open first then gensan one month after. gusto kasi nila habulin ang xmas shopping ng mga tao.:)

Hmmm. That's true. As per observation, even if other areas in Mindanao have their own reputable and incredible :D malls, marami pa rin ang dumadayo sa Dvo to shop during the holidays. Hala oi unsaonzz. :lol:

Hmmm. That's true. As per observation, even if other areas in Mindanao have their own reputable and incredible :D malls, marami pa rin ang dumadayo sa Dvo to shop during the holidays. Hala oi unsaonzz. :lol:

uhmmm, dun mo na lang i-plug davao sa thread niya... GenSan and South Cotabato kasi 'to eh... hehehe:)

ang thread na 'to alang pakialam sa davao... peace! :cheers:

wooow! grabeh na 'to! congratulations gensan... baka ilang years papasok na rin ang Ayala sa gensan, nasa wikipedia kasi eh... ang filinvest naman may lupa na rin sa gensan.... galing talaga!:banana:

ang maganda pa, 'di Hypermart itatayo nila kundi "SM CITY GenSan!" for more updated news - http://www.gensantos.com/2008/09/17/sm-gensans-future-site/#comments

:banana:

uhmmm, dun mo na lang i-plug davao sa thread niya... GenSan and South Cotabato kasi 'to eh... hehehe:)

ang thread na 'to alang pakialam sa davao... peace! :cheers:


Pasensiyahin mo nalang si credible?. :|

Anyway, good for your folks and all mall shoppers in SOCCKSARGEN and other areas of ARMM. You can no longer go to Davao to shop at SM and Robinsons (in the near future) if ever all of these two national malls (SM City and Robinsons Place Gensan) will be materialized. With these new two malls, GenSan's economy will be no longer dependent somehow to your awesome Tuna Industry. :cheers:

GenSan City then will become the Shopping Center in SOCCSARGEN and even in ARMM. All in Southern Mindanao. :applause:

uhmmm, dun mo na lang i-plug davao sa thread niya... GenSan and South Cotabato kasi 'to eh... hehehe:)

ang thread na 'to alang pakialam sa davao... peace! :cheers:

even with your peace word dude, you are again instigating someting...:ohno:

please practice tact when constructing sentences.

Hmmm. That's true. As per observation, even if other areas in Mindanao have their own reputable and incredible :D malls, marami pa rin ang dumadayo sa Dvo to shop during the holidays. Hala oi unsaonzz. :lol:

yes because davao is more complete. but i odnt want to dwell on that. as what busyjay said "this is a gensan thread". lets respect that nalang.:lol:

uhmmm, dun mo na lang i-plug davao sa thread niya... GenSan and South Cotabato kasi 'to eh... hehehe:)

ang thread na 'to alang pakialam sa davao... peace! :cheers:

@busyjay, with all the accolades and praises that we're giving out to your city ganyan pa ang isasagot mo?? Totoo naman observation ni atty.peng, some residents and business owners even from as far as Marbel and Tacurong sa Davao pa rin namimili hanggang ngayon to think na napakalapit lang ng mga areas na yan from GenSan.

Most, if not all Davao forumers are genuinely happy and excited with all the developments going on in your city. Be careful with your statements next time or else baka mabawasan or mawalan tuloy kayo ng "credible" contributors sa thread na ito. :winks:

Please don't get me wrong, but I so love Soccsksargen as I have a host of relatives living within its areas and I frequently visit the place since I was a kid. In fact, I already have a confirmed flight with CebPac on Novermber 4 for a one week vacation and I'll be flying via GenSan! I'm so excited! :)

uhmmm, dun mo na lang i-plug davao sa thread niya... GenSan and South Cotabato kasi 'to eh... hehehe:)

ang thread na 'to alang pakialam sa davao... peace! :cheers:

Pasensiyahan mo na yan pre, kung ako lang immuned na sa "hangin" ng mga tulad niya. :lol:

We truly praise your developments in Gen San without any comparison to other places in Mindanao. Kasi ang GenSan kahit sikat na, nakalapat pa rin sa lupa ang mga paa. :)

Pasensiyahan mo na yan pre, kung ako lang immuned na sa "hangin" ng mga tulad niya. :lol:

We truly praise your developments in Gen San without any comparison to other places in Mindanao. Kasi ang GenSan kahit sikat na, nakalapat pa rin sa lupa ang mga paa. :)

paatik pa ka oi, sige ra ka panggatong aron naay away

Congrats Gen San, nindot n d i kayo gensan daghan mga bag-o n establishments,,,na feature man inyo city tong dominggo sa gma diria sa davao...ila gi feature ang tuna festival tapos ng side trip cla sa mga nindot suruyan n lugar... bisita ko dira soon... ahihihihi

true, this city is fast becoming one of Mindanao's premier cities... Congrats to all of you! Maayong Gensan Kaninyong tanan!

Gensan along with Zamboanga, Cdo and Davao has long been Mindanao's Best performing cities... :)