BBM arrived in Malaybalay Bukidnon at 3:00PM this afternoon for the Uniteam Grand Caravan and Rally at the Capitol Grounds.

Photo by: Marjorie Arieta on Facebook

BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO), has disclosed plans to increase the capital position of its rural banking arm BDO Network Bank (BDONB), by up to P2.0 billion, to be funded through the issuance of primary common shares.

Higalaay Café  - The newest cafe in Cagayan de Oro is now open! It has a homey vibe that you'll love and friendly staff ready to serve you with a smile giving you that Higalaay vibe. 

They have a large alfresco dining area which is perfect for late afternoon til night chill with friends and family.

Serving your favorite hot and cold coffee variants including cocktails with coffee and other non-coffee drinks. They baked their own cakes and pastries, so you are sure of the yummy goodness quality, you must-try their carrot cake and their cheesecakes, they are sinfully delicious. They also had healthy options of salads and fresh lumpia. Rice Meals and Pasta are also available.

Visit them now, they are located at the old Sportzone, Tomas Saco St. Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City.

They have a high-speed wifi internet connection so if you are looking for a place where you can work and enjoy your favorite coffee, Higalaay Cafe is a good place to visit.

There are already few Korean Restaurants opened in Cagayan de Oro City, that is why Unli Samgyupsal became famous here, it became a hit here in the city and Kagay-anons liked this Korean food craze. But we just found out that another Korean Restaurant just opened last week in Uptown CDO and they are serving the famous Korean Street Foods that we usually watch on YouTube. 

This is a different one because this is not the usual Korean resto that we are familiar with, like samgyupsal kind of food. It is called Bunsik, a korean street food restaurant. Bunsik, literally means "food made from flour," is a term that refers to reasonably priced Korean dishes. The most adored bunsik include gimbap, tteokbokki and eomuk (fish cake). Bunsik can easily be found at traditional markets, street vendors, and around popular tourist attractions or shopping districts.

They are now available in CDO.  Bunsik Korean Street Food Restaurant is located along Masterson Ave, Uptown, Cagayan de Oro City, in front of Silver Rain Korean Restaurant, beside Casas-Jamis Veterinary Clinic.

Yes, it is an authentic Korean Street Food that you will surely love to try. Check out some of the foods that we have tried:

Tteokbokki

Chicken Pop

Fried Veggies

Kimbob

But they have a lot more Korean Street Food on their menu like Odeng, Hatba, Jjapagette, Corndog, Bibimbob, their famous fried chicken, Cheese Donkkasu, Yangnyum with Rice and more...

They are available for Dine-In and Take Out.  Kimchi side dish is refillable for dine-in customers. 

Finding ways to continue elevating the payment experience of Filipinos, Bayad and BDO Unibank, recently joined forces to expand the roster of bills customers can pay through various BDO channels. 

Bayad, the most trusted payments authority in the country, is now boosting the bills payment capability of BDO, by allowing Meralco Postpaid, Prepaid (KLoad), and Radius Telecoms customers to pay their bills with real-time posting through BDO’s over 1,500 branches nationwide, and BDO Online Banking channel. 

The partnership delivers greater convenience and accessibility to the growing users of Meralco Postpaid, Prepaid (KLoad), and Radius Telecoms nationwide with Bayad as a bills payment partner. 

Both Bayad and BDO have been expanding their bills payment network to make transactions faster, more convenient, and safer for customers in light of the pandemic. 

“We are very cognizant of how convenience plays a crucial role in customer experience,

Our Bills Payment facility allows customers of our partners to do their transactions whenever and wherever they may be. For our clients, BDO’s Bills Payment facility allows them to efficiently collect payments onsite and online. Having a good cash flow at this time is very important not only for businesses but also for the people that those businesses sustain—customers, employees, and their families,” BDO Cash Management Services Head Carlo B. Nazareno said.

According to Bayad’s President and CEO Lawrence Ferrer, “We at Bayad take on an ecosystem-oriented stance which we believe is key in accelerating growth for our company, partners and industry as a whole. We continue to innovate and introduce key features in our system such as Bayad’s real-time posting of payments to enable higher-value services to our customers and offer them the ease and convenience of transacting with us. We support fellow finance players and we are happy to lend our expertise and network so we can bring financial services closer to Filipinos.”

For Banks and Financial Institutions like BDO that are interested to be part of Bayad’s extensive channel network, email financialinstitutions@bayad.com. Bayad enables partners to attain nationwide presence and provides end-to-end support services for efficient payment and collection processing. 

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About BDO Unibank, Inc.

BDO is a full-service universal bank which provides a wide range of corporate and retail services such as traditional loan and deposit products, treasury, trust banking, investment banking, private banking, rural banking, cash management, leasing and finance, remittance, insurance, cash cards, credit cards, and online and non-online brokerage services.   

BDO has the country’s largest distribution network, with over 1,500 consolidated operating branches and more than 4,400 ATMs nationwide. It also has 16 international offices (including full-service branches in Hong Kong and Singapore) in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. 

The Bank also offers digital banking solutions to make banking easier, faster, and more secure for its clients. 

BDO ranked as the largest bank in terms of total assets, loans, deposits and trust funds under management based on published statements of condition as of December 31, 2021. For more information, please visit www.bdo.com.ph. 

BDO is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with contact number (+632) 8708-7087 and with email address consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph, and webchat at www.bsp.gov.ph.

For concerns, please visit any BDO branch nearest you, or contact us thru our 24x7 hotline (+632) 8631-8000 or email us via callcenter@bdo.com.ph.

BDO Unibank, Inc.

BDO Tower Valero

8741 Paseo de Roxas, Salcedo Village

Makati City 1226, Philippines.

Tel +63(2) 8840-7000

NAPANSIN ni 2020 Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz na hindi madaling makapag-bangko sa mga probinsya dahil sa layo ng mga bahay mula sa bayan kung saan naroon ang mga bangko. 

Halimbawa na lamang ang mga beneficiary o kamag-anak ng mga overseas Filipinos na kailangan pang bumyahe ng ilang oras para lang makapunta sa pinamakalapit na ATM at i-withdraw ang mga padalang remittance. 

Kaya laking gulat ni Hidilyn nang makakita sya ng mga Cash Agad point-of-sale (POS) terminal na naka-istasyon sa iba't-ibang micro and small business establishment sa kanyang hometown sa Zamboanga.

“Friendly-neighborhood ATM”

Ang Cash Agad ay serbisyo na inilunsad ng BDO Unibank noong 2014 kung saan ang mga ATM cardholder ay maaaring makapag-withdraw ng cash gamit ang mga Cash Agad POS terminal sa pinakamalapit na partner stores sa kanilang lugar. 

"May Cash Agad sila, kaya nasabi ko noon meron palang ganyan? Kasi nga, galing ako sa iba't-ibang lugar at nakita ko na walang ATM sa mga lugar na yun. Paano na lang yung may pamilya sa abroad, paano nila (overseas Filipino) ipapadala yung pera nila (sa pamilya sa probinsya)? Kapag may Cash Agad partner store na malapit sa inyo, maiwiwithdraw mo ang perang padala sa bank account mo. Ang galing,” ani Hidilyn.

Nagkalat na ang mga Cash Agad partner stores ng BDO na may micro, small o medium-sized na negosyo sa malalayong lugar. Kabilang sa mga ito ang mga sari-sari store, botika, bakery, pawnshop, hardware store, water refilling station at iba pang karaniwang negosyo sa mga probinsya.

"Pag may Cash Agad sa lugar nyo, hindi mo na kailangang magbyahe nang malayo para lang makapag-withdraw kasi syempre sa probinsya malalayo ang lugar. Magco-commute ka pa para makapunta sa pinakamalapit na bangko sa city. Nakagastos ka na, ubos pa ang kalahating araw mo," dagdag pa ni Hidilyn.

Sa Cash Agad, ang isang cardholder ay makaka-withdraw ng hanggang PHP10,000. Ang maximum withdrawal amount kada araw ay depende sa limit ng issuing bank.

May benepisyo rin ang Cash Agad sa mga partner-agent dahil dagdag kita ito sa kanila mula sa convenience fee kada withdrawal. Bukod dito, sa bawat punta ng cardholder para mag-withdraw, malaki rin ang posibilidad na bumili pa ang customer at maging suki ng kanilang tindahan. Wala ring franchise fee para maging Cash Agad partner-agent sa kasalukuyan.

Para sa mga kabayang interesadong maging Cash Agad partner-agent para magka-extra income, magpunta lang sa Cash Agad website (www.bdo.com.ph/cash-agad-application), o tumawag sa hotline (02-8840-7575; domestic toll-free number 1-800-10-840-7575) o mag-email sa Cash Agad Sales Team email address (cashagad@bdo.com.ph).

It's the newest cafe at Route 955 in Claveria, Misamis Oriental. The Promise Cafe just opened its gate to the public last February 2022 and instantly catches the attention of travelers in the area as their stopover for a quick meal, snacks and drinks from their long travel.

The Promise Cafe got its name because it is situated in Mindanao and known as the Land of Promise because of the bountiful harvest, rich biodiversity and vast natural resources. It is indeed a promising cafe because it has an awesome and relaxing ambiance with nice mountain view of the bountiful vegetable capital of Misamis Oriental.

Owned by a young couple Hershey and Adrian who worked as a chef (Wife) and bartender (Husband) in a 5-star Hotel and Restaurants abroad. During the pandemic, they both lose their jobs as OFW and returned home, but they never lose hope and they used their savings to put up a cafe and that's how The Promise Cafe at Route 955 was born. As a Chef and a Bartender, the couple owner are really hands-on at the cafe, the wife is in-charged of the food and the husband is on the drinks. They also make sure that the good customer service they learned from their previous jobs abroad is being applied at their newly opened cafe, hence, they have a satisfactory customer service for everyone who visits their place.

As a chef, the wife is making sure that the food they served are of the best quality and taste, no wonder our visit this weekend was an awesome experience, because we have tasted the best flavorsome food and was welcomed with warm smile and greetings from the owner and staff. When you visit The Promise Cafe, satisfy your food cravings with their Pasta Carbonara, Chicken Wings, mouth-watering Burger and Fries, All-day Breakfast meals, sumptuous Rice Bowl meals and a lot more for a very reasonable price.

The husband, as a bartender on the other hand, did his skills of bartending as he served us with good coffee drinks and introduced to us his caffeinated alcoholic drinks like the Irish coffee, Espresso Martini, and other signature cocktail drinks. You must try their "His Promise" and "Her Promise" Signature drinks, you'll love it.

If you happened to stop by during the late afternoon, expect the lovely sunset view at The Promise Cafe, it is the perfect spot for sunset viewing at Route 955, while sipping your favorite coffee drink.

The Promise Cafe is located along Claveria Road, Route 955, Claveria, Misamis Oriental. For reservations and inquiries, you may contact them at 09617462404 or visit their Facebook Page "The Promise Cafe" for more information.

The Port of Cagayan de Oro on March 14 welcomed its first foreign container ship, 11 years after international box operations at the Macabalan port stopped.

Portuguese-flagged AS Romina sailed into the port from China carrying 2,961 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), 2,808 TEUs of which were import containers and the rest, exports, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said in a Facebook post.

The vessel contained various products like buttermilk, dry veneer, frozen products, truck parts, appliances and furniture, among others, according to the Bureau of Customs-Port of Cagayan de Oro.

Vessel operator CMA CGM estimates arrival of three to four international containerized shipments in Cagayan de Oro every month. The Port of Cagayan de Oro hopes the arrivals will increase with potential entry of other carriers to spur revenue generation capability of the port.

The arrival of the maiden voyage was witnessed by customs officials led by Deputy Collector for Operations Elizabeth Delas Llagas, Deputy Collector for Administration Atty. Roswald Joseph Pague including port cargo handler Oroport Cargo Handling Services officials led by its Vice President Lindsey Bernacer, Executive Secretary Bong Pelones and Port Services Division Manager Ruby Gumapon.

District Collector Atty. Elvira Cruz said the resumption of international calls is expected to boost the business and economic climate in Northern Mindanao.

PPA for its part said international containerized operations at the Port of Cagayan de Oro is seen as a big boost to the country’s drive to become one of the major players in the global containerized market as the world recovers from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an online briefer Wednesday, Mayor Oscar Moreno said the scheme would help neighboring local government units (LGUs) increase their vaccination rate.

"This means that we can help other LGUs to achieve the threshold--the 70 percent from the general population and 80 percent for the senior citizens," Moreno said.

Dr. Ted Yu Jr., a medical officer of the City Health Office (CHO), also reminded the public that the Covid-19 vaccination rollout at bus terminals as well as in the other sites in the city can accommodate even non-residents.

"Actually, in all our vaccination sites, we have a 'no wrong door policy.' Even if you're not a city resident, you can be vaccinated," Yu said.

The vaccination at bus terminals was one of the new strategies of the city government to boost the vaccination rollout, alongside the drive-thru and house-to-house inoculation.

Yu said the data of the non-city residents that have been inoculated here will be transmitted to the LGU where they originate.

He said this is also true for those who got vaccinated at the city's mobile vaccination sites, some of which operate in the neighboring Misamis Oriental towns.

Misamis Oriental--together with the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and the city of Iligan--remains under Alert Level 2 status.

Meanwhile, the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has extended the Alert Level 1 status in this city and the province of Camiguin until the end of March.

This city has been placed under Level 1 since the start of March due to its improvement in vaccination output, the daily number of cases being detected, and the healthcare utilization rate.

In the same online briefer Wednesday, Yu reported only two new cases as of March 15, bringing the total cumulative cases to 25,750.

As of March 15, Cagayan de Oro recorded 543,751 fully vaccinated individuals. This is equivalent to 90.63 percent of the total target population of 599,929.

Of the full vaccinated population, 20.97 percent of which, or 109,902 individuals, have received their booster shots, while there were 31,852 individuals who received their first dose of the vaccine. (PNA)

Among the most notable technologies that have seen growth during the pandemic is that of cash management services. BDO Senior Vice President and Cash Management System Head Carlo Nazareno explained that the importance of an effective Cash Management Services (CMS), especially for SMEs, became undeniable during the pandemic. 

“Cash management consists of the strategies and processes that allow businesses, from SMEs to the top 500 or top 50 corporations, to move cash around, to control cash flow. This includes the flow of money from customers to businesses and from businesses to their suppliers, and vice-versa,” he said.

Aligning business operations with consumer needs

Globally, businesses have been investing in technologies to make their operations much smarter and most of the developments they introduce is to accommodate the demands created by new consumer behavior.

“Global trend for digital payments looks at what the customer is doing and what makes their lives easier. Now, countries are investing in making payments faster or in real time. Real time is the norm. No longer is the usual three-day clearing acceptable. Additionally, open finance and open banking is gaining traction, especially in technologically-advanced countries. Open finance means data is given openly to third party providers so that they can use data for forecasting or for other means to make services quicker. As most consumers are used to accessing information real time, open finance and real time and faster payments allow them to access money in the same way,” Nazareno explained. 

CMS allows businesses to transact easily and conveniently with their customers by also allowing for safe, secure, and real time digital payments.  During the pandemic, businesses that can accommodate digital payments were more poised not only to sustain their operations, but to also register growth.

Nazareno believes that digital and non-digital cash management systems will continue to be the norm in the coming few years. “SMEs in the Philippines, I am glad to say, have been very open for the most part to these developments in cash flow and cash management. Cash, face-to-face, and personal transactions will never disappear. However, the digital forms of these transactions will become a greater part of our new normal. We’ve had a taste of these benefits and advantages and we’re prepared to embrace them. For me, that’s a major part of the hopeful outlook for 2022,” Nazareno added.

Empowering crucial sectors for economic growth

There are about 106,000 small enterprises in the country. Nazareno said it’s the small and medium enterprises that have the most dynamism, capital, and other resources that will help move the economy forward to recovery. 

With the benefits that CMS can bring to businesses, BDO has been helping more SMEs with greater vigor during the pandemic. BDO offers reliable digital and non-digital cash management services for their clients. SMEs turned to BDO to set up online banking and online payment platforms. They also availed of automated check writing facilities, ATM payrolls, cash deposit machines (similar to an ATM but for businesses instead of individual depositors), cash deposit pick-up services (via armored vans), and other cash management services.

“Through these partnerships between SMEs and BDO, many businesses survived the pandemic and had the chance not only to stay open but to even experience modest to moderate growth during the pandemic. These past two years have been the best evidence that digital and non-digital cash management services help boost business growth,” Nazareno added.

BDO’s efforts to roll out CMS to businesses, especially to SMEs is aligned with the government's initiatives to boost economic growth and recovery in the new normal. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) launched its Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap 2020-2023 in order to provide policy directions as to how businesses and government can work together to convert 50% the total volume of retail payments to digital.

Building an ecosystem

BSP noted in its roadmap that the majority of Filipino consumers and businesses still prefer over-the-counter (OTC) transactions, citing that only one out of ten adults use their mobile phones for their financial transactions. Nazareno narrated that many of BDO’s clients went back to transacting in their branches and ATMs when the government eased its lockdown and quarantine restrictions.

Nazareno attributed these observed behaviors to the need for a more efficient digital payment ecosystem in the country. Going back to global trends on digital payments, businesses, banks, and the government have to work together to make digital financial transactions secure, faster or real time, and more open. 

“How we make information is important for us to promote a more transparent and reliable system not only for digital payments, but also for inventories and for supply chains. People want to know how things are moving and how things reach their intended destination securely,” Nazareno noted.

BDO ramped up with its efforts to diversify its cash management products. During the pandemic, it launched the BDO Pay, the bank’s own e-wallet, so that its users can go cashless with their financial transactions. With the app, those with BDO accounts can send money, pay bills, and request payment online. Aside from partnering with businesses to establish their own CMS, BDO expands the base of Filipinos who are comfortable using digital payments by allowing online opening of bank accounts. 

“The entire ecosystem of how money moves around between where you have it and where you want it to be for you to have access to the  services you want is not yet smooth. But BDO Pay makes things simpler because it automatically links your card and your bank account to an e-wallet. There’s no need to fund your e-wallet because it’s funded all the time,” Nazareno added. 

As more banks roll out initiatives to make digital payments more seamless, more Filipinos may find ways to access financial products easier. In the end, Nazareno believes that it is the consumers who will benefit from these developments. As banks are being challenged to innovate and adopt newer technologies, it is the ordinary Filipino who gets to enjoy more options and more freedom on how to earn and spend their money. 

NOTICE OF STRIKE: The Notice of strike filed by Xavier University Non-Teaching Employees Labor Union (XUNTELU)- ALU-TUCP is an exercise of its basic right provided for in the Philippine Constitution. The union is always willing to sit down with  XU-Ateneo de Cagayan management to promote industrial peace and  maintain a very harmonious labor management relations!! 

Organized workers of the Jesuit-owned Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan have threatened to go on strike to protest the non-recognition of their leaders as their representatives in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The union accused the university of unfair labor practices, particularly, union-busting.

Lawyer Proculo Sarmen said that the university’s non-teaching workers only wanted Xavier to recognize Jermie Danuco as their union president, and Orlin Torillo as their treasurer.

The Xavier University Non-Teaching Employees Labor Union (XUNTELU) filed a notice of strike with the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) on February 28.

Sarmen said the union welcomed the development because the relationship between labor and management at the university “has been greatly mismanaged by the XU Human Relations Department.”

“I hope the labor dispute will be settled peacefully to promote industrial peace,” said Sarmen. But he warned that the workers were “ready for a full-blown legal strike” unless the union’s demand for the recognition of their representatives was met.

“All legal requirements have already been complied with” for a strike, he said. “It’s a basic right provided for in the Philippine Constitution. Just respect the rights of the workers to choose their own representatives in all labor relations proceedings.”

Bilang isang first-time small business owner, at ngayon ay business management scholar, may ilang tips si Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz para sa gustong negosyo.

Una, araling mabuti ang negosyong papasukin. Mag research muna tungkol sa pagnenegosyo. 

“Mas okay na alam natin ‘yong pinapasok nating business. Dapat pinag-aaralan muna.” kwento ni Hidilyn.

Pangalawa, humanap ng mentor sa pagnenegosyo. Sa propesyon ni Hidilyn na weightlifting, mayroon siyang coach na gumagabay. Ganon din sa pagnenegosyo. 

Pangatlo, alamin ang mga oportunidad para sa negosyo.  Ang additional capital ay hindi kailangan manggaling lamang sa savings o sa kamag-anak at kaibigan. Maaari ring kumuha ng pondo mula sa bangko. 

Ayon kay BDO Network Bank (BDONB)  senior vice president at MSME group head Karen Cua, "Ang BDONB ay bangko para sa micro-entrepreneurs. Sa tulong ng aming Kabuhayan Loan, napopondohan namin ang pangangailan ng negosyante sa kanilang business operation at expansion.”

Tulad ng ginawa ni Pio Conti ng Laguna, ginamit niya ang Kabuhayan Loan para bumili ng additional stocks ng paninda.

Para kina Yolanda Arranquez at asawang OFW, malaking tulong ang Kabuhayan Loan para madagdagan ang kita. 

Para sa iba pang impormasyon tungkol sa Kabuhayan Loan, bumisita sa pinakamalapit na BDO Network Bank branch, o mag-inquire sa BDO Network Bank PH official Facebook page o sa BDO Network Bank website.

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About BDO Unibank, Inc.

BDO is a full-service universal bank that provides a wide range of corporate and retail banking services. These services include traditional loan and deposit products, as well as treasury, trust banking, investment banking, private banking, rural banking, cash management, leasing and finance, remittance, insurance, retail cash cards and credit card services.

BDO has the country’s largest distribution network, with over 1,500 consolidated operating branches and more than 4,400 ATMs nationwide. It also has 18 overseas remittance and representative offices (including full-service branches in Hong Kong and Singapore) in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

BDO ranked as the largest bank in terms of total assets, loans, deposits and trust funds under management based on published statements of condition as of September 30, 2021. For more information, please visit www.bdo.com.ph. 

BDO is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with contact number (+632) 8708-7087 and with email address consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph, and webchat at www.bsp.gov.ph.

For concerns, please visit any BDO branch nearest you, or contact us thru our 24x7 hotline (+632) 8631-8000 or email us via callcenter@bdo.com.ph.

BDO Unibank, Inc.

BDO Corporate Center

7899 Makati Avenue

Makati City 0726, Philippines

Tel +63(2) 8840-7000

www.bdo.com.ph

The province of Camiguin has eased its restrictions on sports and social gatherings under Alert Level 1.

During the "Serbisyong PPR" radio program Friday evening, Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo said sports and other gatherings such as fiesta celebrations will be allowed beginning Saturday but under minimum public health protocols.

"When you play any sports, please bring your vaccination cards. if you're not vaccinated, you can't play," he said in the vernacular.

Romualdo said the vaccination card requirement is also extended to spectators.

When attending fiestas and religious gatherings, the venues can be occupied at full capacity as long as the participants have vaccination cards as well.

If monitoring teams find out that mass gatherings violate the vaccination card requirement, the events will be stopped.

Romualdo will also meet with the president of the cockfighting derby association to set rules for a derby on March 19.

Despite the ease in restrictions, Romualdo reminded residents and tourists to wear face masks, observe social distancing, and frequently wash hands.

As of March 11, the province has no active Covid-19 case. (PNA)

After two years, the "Kaamulan" Festival in Bukidnon will resume from March 23 to April 23.

In a phone interview on Saturday, provincial tourism officer Butch Anthony Melendez said the month-long festival will deviate from previous celebrations due to the continuous threat of Covid-19.

Bukidnon is under Alert Level 2 at least until March 15, along with Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental in Northern Mindanao.

"We only have limited activities, especially those that have physical distancing," Melendez said.

There will be no street dancing parade, motocross, booth exhibits, and horseback-riding competition which are among the events usually crowded with spectators.

The main event this year will be the ethnic rituals on March 16 to 18, based on the scheduled activities posted on the provincial tourism office’s official Facebook page.

On the first day, soil painting and tribal instrument making and playing will be held at the capitol grounds in Malaybalay City.

The next day, the provincial government will conduct the Panalawahig Ritual at the Folk Arts Theater and Kalawaig River to seek blessing, protection, and forgiveness while a tribal wedding will be held on March 18 at the Centennial stage, also at the capitol grounds.

The provincial government will be conducting the Piniliyapan Hu Bukidnon Documentation and Presentation which will offer a glimpse of the province and the Laga ta Bukidnon beauty pageant to be participated in by the 20 municipalities and Malaybalay and Valencia cities.

The other activities lined up are a culture and art exhibit at a mall in Valencia City, an ethno cultural festival, marathon, lawn tennis tournament, and darts competition.

Melendez assured coordination with the Bukidnon Police Provincial Office and Philippine Army to enforce security and ensure the observance of minimum public health standards against Covid-19.

Melendez urged the public, especially those who would want to watch the activities, to adhere to health protocols in order to help the provincial government fight the virus.

According to the International Year of Indigenous Languages, “kaamulan” comes from the Binukid word “amul” which literally means to gather

It is a festival celebrated annually with seven tribes, namely Bukidnon, Talaandig, Tigwahanon, Manobo, Umayamnon, Matigsalog, and Higaonon, gathering to celebrate diversity, culture, pride, and unity.

Each tribe will showcase native costumes, dances, and products. (PNA)

Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez is supporting Leni Robredo for Presidency and Davao Mayor Sara Duterte for Vice President.

Rodriguez made an announcement on Sunday at the party convention in Barangay Nazareth, he said, "Today, I am proud to endorse and declare my support as well as that of my family’s and my party’s support to the presidential candidacy of VP Leni Robredo.” “She is the best choice for our country and our children moving forward,” he added.

For the Vice President position, he supports the candidacy of Davao Mayor Sara Duterte as vice president, instead of Robredo’s running mate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. Rodriguez said, “Mayor Sara Duterte is very qualified and she works with integrity. She is also a Mindanawon who can help the people of Mindanao.”

Rodriguez also announced his support to senatorial bets Miguel Zubiri, Sherwin Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, Richard Gordon and Risa Hontiveros for Senatorial bid.