Davao's Uyanguren Is Newest Location Of Popular 168 Mall

Davao's very own Chinatown aka Uyanguren is the newest location of one of the 168 malls, famous for selling very cheap goods straight from China.

The mall, which does not really look like your traditional mall but merely a place where stalls are located, is already operational but as of last week only a few stalls have opened to the public.

City councilor Susabel Reta has pushed for the naming of this district as Chinatown considering that most of the stores here are owned by the Chinese. Lately though, the street has been invaded by Korean businessmen so the name might be a misnomer.

The opening of the mall is very timely for Christmas shopping but then again watch out for China-made food and other items that might be dangerous to your health.

Investors Urged: Put Money In Mindanao Livelihood Projects

Mindanao Business Council chair Vicente Lao urged investors attending the Mindanao Investment Conference which opened at the Marco Polo Hotel Tuesday day to put their money on livelihood projects for Mindanao even as he said no amount of economic growth can justify the increase in poverty incidence in the island.

Over 300 participants from the business and government sectors, peoples organizations and non government organizations joined the Investment Conference.

“We have the idea that the region’s economy is doing well but the increase in poverty incidence belies that,” Lao said. Mindanao, he added, is the second largest island but it lags behind in terms of economy as shown by the fact that 16 of the 23 poorest provinces in the country are in Mindanao.

Lao said Mindanao’s insurgency problem is caused by lack of opportunities in the region that is why these people have to do something else instead of making a living.

“Let us throw away the parochial concept of investment because it is no longer economically profitable to grow everything in your backyard,” he said. Instead he added, people should develop the networking concept and the value chain concept of supply and demand.

He said it would be more viable for the island to work as a whole network group where one product is produced by another area, using resources from another area and similar networking arrangements.

Lao also urged the community to help promote small and medium enterprises citing the SME’s role in Davao City’s economic turn-around.

“The 36,860 business permits issued by the city of Davao last year is evident of the SME’s role in promoting development,” Lao said. He said the conduct of the Mindanao Investment Conference will hopefully equip SME’s with inputs to manage their businesses

8 Councilors Say NO To PALC For Shrine Hills Developer

The eight “conscience votes” from Davao City councilors failed to stop the approval of the Preliminary Application and Location Clearance or PALC for the Crown Communities and DM Consunji development project in Shrine Hills.

Among those who voted NO to the PALC application are Councilors Rachel Zozobrado, Pilar Braga, Karlo Bello, Teresita Marañon, Angela LIbrado, Susabel Reta, Louie Villafuerte and Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz. Councilors Danny Dayanghirang and Halila Sudagar abstained while 13 voted yes for the PALC.

“The issues raised have gone beyond mere legalities and zoning,” Councilor Rachel Zozobrado said. “I am not convinced by what was presented and I still have doubts as to its safety considering that Datu Luho creek is already stretched to its maximum capacity and they did not present any alternative,” she added.

Councilor Pilar Braga said it has always been her position that Shrine Hills should be a protected area. “It should not be pressured with development to preserve it as the emerald jewel of Davao City.” Instead of a housing development, why not make it a nature park, she said.

“The safety of the Maa residents should also be top priority and I believe that no mitigating measure in the future could give the assurance of safety to the people living downhill,” Braga said.

The approval of the PALC for the DM Consunji development project has been delayed for weeks already due to the ongoing debate in the Council as to the safety of the project.

Maa residents, who cited the Cherry Hill incident, have also expressed their opposition to the project for fear that it will result to more flooding and landslides in the area. Maa is located just below the Shrine Hills and any earth movement will affect the various subdivisions located downhill.

The residents however said they are not against the development per se provided an independent study of the stability of the slope is conducted. They are also asking the developer to present a drainage alternative considering that the Datu Luho creek is already congested resulting to flooding in the area whenever it rains.

Councilor Danny Dayanghirang said the Zoning Ordinance classifies the area as residential so he sees no problem with the PALC approval.

“The applicants have already complied with the requirements,” councilor Peter Laviña said. Laviña, who voted yes, said “I believe that all the engineering measures are available to address the concerns about the project.”

Just like Laviña, Councilor Victorio Advincula also said all the issues taken during the sessions are best discussed during the application for a development permit.

City Approves P25T Financial Assistance For today’s Mindanao Investment Conference

Davao City Investment Promotion Center chief Bobby Teo (left photo) welcomes participants to the MinICon.

The City government of Davao has approved a P25 thousand financial assistance for the two-day Mindanao Investment Conference which will open at the Marco Polo Hotel today.

“We are expecting up to 300 participants to join the conference,” Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) executive director Ednar Carlos Dayanghirang said. The organizers of the event said the Conference is doubly significant because it is not only the business sector that have signified their intention to join the MinICon but even peoples organization and non government organizations from various parts of Mindanao have confirmed their participation.

Dayanghirang said they are thankful for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s support for the Conference both in terms of promotion and financial assistance. He also confirmed the P25 thousand financial support from the city government.

The Conference will focus on seven agricultural products including seaweeds, banana, coffee, rubber production, honeybee, Pangasius and moringa or malunggay.

MinBC chairperson Vicente Lao, who presented the agribusiness opportunities (that will be tackled during the Conference) to the members of the City Council last Tuesday, said they are very excited about the prospects of the propagation of Cream Dory or Pangasius since this will clearly augment the region’s aquaculture production.

Pangasius, Lao said, is like a cousin to the catfish. However, Pangasius fish can weigh as much as 40 kilograms and can grow as long as four feet.

Lao said Pangasius growing is fairly new to the Philippine but it is a growing industry in Vietnam and neighboring Asian countries. Pangasius fillet is presently being exported by Thailand and Vietnam for around $3 per kilo.

This was confirmed by Vitarich marketing associate in Mindanao Elvin T. Millan who said there is a big demand for the Pangasius fish in the world market.

Vitarich is one of the companies that is already into the Pangasius business and they are exploring several business options including contract to buy, contract growing, contract processing, commercial growing and trading partner. Vitarich has prospective growers not only in Davao but also in General Santos City and the Cotabato Province. The company, he added, is now ready to disperse the Pangasius fingerlings to these growers.

Gamay'ng Belen Competition

Museo Dabawenyo is sponsoring a miniature Belen competition to symbolize the simplicity and humility of celebrating Christmas.

If you are a Dabawenyo then you are qualified to join the contest. Use your creative juices to come up with a three-dimensional belen depicting the nativity scene.

Participants can use any material but the use of recycled materials is encouraged. The entry should measure 2’ X 2’ X 2’ and any entry that does not conform to this will be automatically disqualified.

You may have several belen ideas but you can only submit one entry.

Get your entry forms from the Museo Dabawenyo and submit the form with your entry at the Museo Dabawenyo, corner CM Recto and Pichon Streets before December 1, 2008.

All entries will be exhibited at the Museo Dabawenyo from December 4 until January 10, 2009.

Interested? Call or visit Museo Dabawenyos and look for Orly Escarilla or Richard Dian Vilar.

The first prize winner will get P10,000 while the four runners up will get P5,000 each. There will also be five consolation prize winners who will receive P1,000 each.

Will SP Issue PALC For Shrine Hills Developer?

Members of the city council are set to decide today on the issuance of a Preliminary Application and Location Clearance or PALC for Crown Developers and DM Consunji. The PALC will give the developers a go signal to continue with their development works for their proposed housing in Shrine Hills.

The decision whether to approve or disapprove the PALC for the Shrine developers has been put on hold for several weeks already because of strong opposition from the Maa Homeowners who claim that allowing such development would not only pose drainage and flooding problems in Maa but will also endanger their lives.

Fearful that another Cherry Hills tragedy might be in the offing if the Shrine Hills developers are allowed to continue with their project sans an independent slope stability study as well as the determination of an alternative drainage outlet instead of the congested Datu Loho creek.

Councilor Danny Dayanghirang said that technically the approval of the PALC is possible because the area has been classified under the Zoning Ordinance as a residential area.

Auto LPG Industy Summit In Davao City

Is liquefied petroleum gas for automobiles safe?

This and other questions regarding the use of LPG for automobiles will be tackled during the Philippine Auto-LPG Summit which will be held at Davao City's Waterfront Insular Hotel on November 27.

The Summit aims to inform investors, importers, manufacturers, suppliers, converters, distributors, motorists, service providers, consumer groups, local government units and other interested groups and individuals about the existing regulation laws on auto-LPG use.

This is already the second leg of the summit , the first one was held in Metro Manila for the Luzon stakeholders.

This is an ideal venue to disseminate information about the mandatory standards on automobile cylinders, the guidelines on registering vehicles using LPG and the requirements and procedures for the dispensing stations, Department of Trade and Industry senior trade and industry development specialist Engr. Alvin Aranas said.

Aranas said retailers and users of auto-LPG should be aware of the safety measures and regulations for the use and sale of auto LPG before selling their products.