#nationataglance ‘Smart LTE network coverage on track to be 90% by yearend SMART Communications, In. sn track to have long-ter evolution (LTE) coverage for wieess data services in over 0% of the county's towns andcitiesby the endofthe year according 5 toSmart Public Atars © Viseyas-Mindanao eed Maria ane Paredes. As of end-June she sid, Smart had 12,600 LTE sta- tions. "We went to Cebu and other key cites and we also included inthat rogram tours destinations ike Boracay before it was closed for rehabilitation, and north as far as Batanes, and south 2 far as Tani-Tawi and other areas innorther and central Mindanao ae now LTE-covered areas” Ms Paredes said in an interview. “Suffice to say that) inal the municipalities an cies, we can guarantee that theres LE inthe metropolitan and urban areas nthe more remote municipalities, the town center at least has LTE coverage” she ade. Smarts the wireless services unit of PLO, In. Hstings Hodings, In anit of PLOT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidy MediaQuest Holdings, Inc, hasa majority stake in Business Word through the Piliine Star Group, which conto. — Maya. Padilo [NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION: MAKATI CITY PDICto bid out prime properties on Nov. 29, Dec. 6 THE PHILIPPINE Deposit insurance Corporation (PDIC) is. disposing asets of closed banks through public bidding atts head office in Makati Cty on Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 The Nov. bidding offers five prime properties with a total ‘minimum disposal pric of P63 3milion. The properties are located Sorsogon, Pangasinan Batangas, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija. In Dec, up forsale are Pilon worth ‘of commercial and office units atthe Export Bank Plaza {in Makati Cty. These units wll be sold per loo along with corresponding parking slots. Bidding procedures and the detailed lst of properties ae posted on the PDIC website, nwu-pdic. gov WESTERN VISAYAS: ILOILO CITY 1 cracks reported after 12 tremors in lloilo on Monday ‘STUDENTS and workersin alo City moved out of buildings on ‘Monday after a series of earthauakes were fl, the strongest of which was magnitude 48 that struck at around 10:54 am. A dozen tremors were recorded by the Philipine Institute of Volcanology {and Seismology on Nov.5 between 7:45 am, and 3 pm. with the epicenter at Leon town, located about 36 kilometersnortheast of iol City. The lilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (fice (CDRRMO), in a report issued on Tuesday, said minor damage were reported in school and public buildings, and private properties. The lol International Airport, located inthe neighboring town of CCabatuan, also had damage, particularly on electrical ghting. The (CDRRIO said assessments were continuing asf yesterday to vali date the structural ntegtyof affected buildings. The lao Mission Hospital reported ta have received Tl earthquake-rlate patients. iol ity Mayor Jose S, Espinosa Il hs ordered the CDRRMO to re- ‘main on full alert for monitoring, response, and possible emergency operations. aM e— ILOILO Less paperwork for OFWs expected with e-CARD (OVERSEAS FILIPINO Werkers (OFWs) arenow expected to get easier acess to benef provided by the Department of Labor and Emoloyment (DoLE) through the newiylaunched OFW e-CARD. “Through this OFW e-CARD, merbe-OFWs wil havea easier acess to out programs and services, asit alowsinstant verification of OWWWA membershin and reduces documentary requirements” Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac ofthe Overseas Workers Weare Assocation (OWWA), an at- tached agency of DoLE said at yesterday's launch Section of Republic Act 10801, The OWWA Act, mandates the disrbution ofthe e-CARD.— Gillan M. Cortez Police assures anti-drug operations in schools will be by the book THE PHILIPPINE National Police ha assured students and parents that there willbeno violation of human rats inte implementation ofthe anti-ilegal {rug operationsin schoos.“We will not come in asf to conduct () buy-bust No, we wll not do that. We will surely coordinate withthe faulty, adminis- trator or sa security ofthe cifferent schools” PNP Director General Oscar D. Albayald, speaking in mixed English and Filipino, said ina press conference on Monday, Nov. 5. The Commission on Higher Education has recently released a ‘memorandum order allowing law enforcement agencies to conduct ant-ilegal {rug operations in higher education institutions, provided they coordinate with ‘school oficial. Vince Angelo C. Fereras, Ei Reads by camming OR coe wih or sarcone rb snk ep gc g/TOSCM> BOOKXCESS co-founder and Executive Director Jacqueline ‘Ng announces the Big Bad Wolf Book ale in Davao City, scheduled on Nov. 23 Dec. 10 atthe Tent, Azuela Cove, CARMENETAA CARLO DAVAO: DAVAO CITY Big Bad Wolf Book Sale coming to Davao MALAYSIAN book shop Bookyessis bringing the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale to Davao, the fist time in Mindanao, with about a milion books tobe offered at $0%-90% discount. “in Davao, the venue is quite small and ‘we will be seling one milion books compared to Jakarta wher the venue i 20,000-square meter area with up to five milion books,” said BookXcess co-founder and Executive Director Jacqueline Ng during Monday/s press conference were the event was of- ficialy announced. The sale, which wil cost the company atleast $3 milion to stage, wile held at The Tent in ‘Azuela Cove from Nov. 23 to Dec.2.— Carmencita A. Carlo >> Seefullstoryon ttos:foogl/3NZIOc MINDANAO Police cites martial law in Mindanao crime rate decline PHILIPPINE NATIONAL Police (PNP) Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said the crime ‘ate decline in Mindanao an be attributed to the imposton of martial law. “Based on ‘ur statistics on 201, the average monthly crime rate Mindanao was 879, Now from Jan. to Sept alone in 2018 t went down to 92. So we can attribute that basically to the imposition of mata av,” said Mr. Albayalde in a press briefing on Monday, Nov ‘5. Martial aw was declared across te southem island folowing te May 23 siege in arawi ity, and has been extended upto end-2018. PNP data provided to Business- World show Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) ha the highest average monthiy index time rate of 22, though a decrease from last year’s 1095. was flowed by Region (Davao) with 64 and Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) with 6.08. Last year, Region 10 {Northern Mindanao) had the highest average month index crime rate a 178, but it ‘only posted tis year arate of 5.7. The total average monthly index rime rat estan to the number of crime against people an properties. Meanie Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Ai has expressed support on the possible exten ‘on of matial aw in Mindanao. "Base on the feedback ofthe people Mindanoo, | ‘would opt foranother extension of martial lain Mindanao” Mr. fo tod reporters on the sidelines ofthe Seal of Good Local Governance Awards atthe Manila Hotel Tent Cty ‘onNox.6. Last week, Defense Secretary Defn N. Lorenzana sad President Rodrigo R Duterteis waiting forthe recommendation ofthe Armed Forces ofthe Philipines and the PNP before deciding. — Vince Angelo C.Fereras.