Edge Davao 10 Issue 11

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

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EDGEDAVAO

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Serving a seamless society

MULTIPLE TASK. A boy fixes his display of cotton candies he is selling at a makeshift roadside store in Shrine Hills, Matina while his younger brother is in deep sleep due to exhaustion from a long day of vending. Lean Daval Jr.

Mega Harbour studies done

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HE preliminary technical studies for the reclamation, construction and development of a Davao modern port city along an urban center’s foreshore area are now completed.

Project proponent and developer Mega Harbour Port and Development Inc. announced it has completed all the geotechnical, parcellary, bathymetric, baseline traffic, socioeconomic, environmental and coastal engineering surveys of the areas in and around the proposed 200-hectare site.

Except for one: the securing of the environmental compliance certificate (ECC), which is now being processed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environment Management Bureau.

But all the preliminary studies are now completed, less than a year since the signing of the agreement on the Davao Coastline and Port Development Project on June 21, 2016 by then Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and Mega Harbour chairman Reghis M. Romero II. “The issuance of the ECC will serve as the greenlight for the start of Mega Harbour’s formulation and design of the integrated and detailed engineering masterplan, where the results of all the preliminary studies shall be factored in,” Romero said.

The latest to be completed, according to Romero, were the coastal engineering survey and the environmental study.

“The coastal engineering survey involved nearshore oceanography, marine geology, behavioral

MALICIOUS F MEGA, 10

Army battalion denies involvement in alleged abduction of IP student

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

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SPORTS

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE 60th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army assailed as false and malicious the allegation that it was responsible for the abduction of a student belonging to an Indigenous People community in Davao del Norte.

Lt. Col. Emmanuel Canilla, commander of 60th IB also took exception to an adviso-

ry posted by an officer of the Salungpongan School last week that blamed the army unit for the supposed abduction.

Salugpongan School Executive Director Ronnie Garcia released an advisory to the media last week, saying that Mawi Bago, their 20-year old student based in Sitio Nasilaban, Barangay Dagohoy, Talaingod,

Davao del Norte, was allegedly abducted by armed men believed to be members of the 60th IB. “The advisory of Garcia was irresponsible, malicious and slanderous that aimed to destroy the image of the battalion and the army,” Canilla said.

He also urged Garcia and his group “to refrain from vent-

ing on hearsay and throwing unfounded accusations without the benefit of investigation and proper, lawful procedure.”

In a statement released Monday, 2Lt. Amadeuz Celestial, civil-military operations officer of 60th IB also denied the accusation made by Salugpongan School.

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UPSET LIKELY

Arum thinks Horn can pull off big upset against Pacquiao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

FIRE. A firefighter tries to extinguish the fire that hit a residential area in Brgy. 76A Mabini Extension, Davao City on Monday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

Mexico to bring Mariachi Festival to Philippines

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

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O further strengthen the Mexico-Philippines ties, the Mexican embassy will be bringing the wellknown Mariachi festival to the Philippines on September.

Mariachi is a traditional band which combines traditional Mexican musical styles using five-string guitars, violins, trumpets, and even harps.

In Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, the International Mariachi Festival is celebrated every year at the opening of Mexico’s el mes de la patria (homeland month) where party-goers will hear some of the art’s most famous players, as well as participate in tequila tastings, gala nights, and a Mariachi-inspired art show.

Mexican ambassador to

the Philippines Julio Camarena disclosed last week in a press briefing that aside from exploring potential investment areas in the Philippines especially in Mindanao, the embassy is also working cultural engagements with their Philippine counterparts.

Last week, Camarena donated the book, “El Galleon de Manila” or Manila Galleon during his visit at Malagos Chocolate Museum.

The book about the Galleon Trade which brought cacao beans to the Philippines now serves as one of the highlights of the museum located in Malagos Garden Resort, Davao City. It is the first chocolate museum in the country owned and operated by the

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MILF hails Duterte’s vow to address ‘historical injustice’vs. RP Moros

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HE Moro Islamic Liberation Front lauded Monday President Rodrigo Duterte’s “seriousness to correct historical injustices against the Moro people,” following his speech to Arab businessmen during his week-long trip to the Middle East.

In a statement posted on its website, the MILF said the President “understood the political clamor of the Moro people for self-determination.”

“It is really good to hear this promise again and again from the president. It gives us more strength and energy to

fast-track the GPH-MILF peace process and the drafting of a new Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) compliant to the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB),” it said.

On Saturday, President Duterte, who was on the last leg of his state visit in three Middle Eastern countries, told potential Qatari investors in Doha that the Philippines is open for business as the government is exerting all efforts to address the country’s problem on insurgencies.

President Duterte empha-

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Unlisted OFWs urged: Avail yourselves of KSA amnesty

By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

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OVERNMENT agencies have joined forces in calling on undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to avail themselves of the amnesty program offered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of President Duterte’s visit.

The call to take up amnesty was issued by the Philippine Embassy in the KSA, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Eduardo E. Bellido, OWWA XI Regional Director, the “Nation Without Violations,” is a 90-day amnesty program which started on March 19

– June 17, 2017 that aims to bring stranded OFWs in Saudi Arabia back home.

“Itong amnesty program na ito ay naglalayong mapauwi ang ating mga kababayang na stranded doon sa Saudi Arabia.

Sa program na ito, makaka-assure sila na walang penalties na ilalagay sa kanila pag sila ay pumasailalim dito sa amnesty program,” Bellido said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday.

The program is a welcome development to OFWs in Saudi covered by the said exemption to penalties. The coverage of the amnesty are as follows: residents whose iqama (identification card of a worker in Saudi Arabia) expired on or before 19 March 2017, workers

with work permit but no iqama ID card; runaway workers reported as such on or before 19 March 2017, Umrah and Haj overstayer (pilgrimage), pilgrims without Haj permit; and ‘inflitrators’ crossing Saudi borders.

Furthermore, OFW returnees may also avail of the DOLE Assist WELL (Welfare, Employment, Legal, and Livelihood) Program which will entitle them with local job referral or placement courtesy of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), overseas employment referral or placement by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA); livelihood assistance by OWWA and National Reintegration Center for OFWs; legal assistance or

conciliation services by POEA, DOLE and National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), and competency assessment and training assistance by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The first batch of 31 amnesty availees arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last April 11 with another 105 undocumented workers arrived in Manila last April 16. The third batch of 150 availees arrived with President Duterte early morning on April 17. To date, a total of 331 availees of the said program were already provided with assistance by OWWA and other government agencies.

already at a weak state.”

“Not long after it was spotted, (the oarfish) died due to still unknown reasons,” the official said.

Responding municipal environment personnel measured the oarfish at 13 feet and 10 inches long and about 11 inches wide.

Velasco said the recovered oarfish, which is called the “king of herrings,” was the first ever recorded in the municipality.

He said the oarfish was brought to Barangay Poblacion

in Kiamba for inspection by representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

A fishery reference website described the oarfish as “large, greatly elongated, pelagic lampriform fish belonging to the small family Regalecidae, and found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet rarely seen.”

A number of oarfish washed up ashore these past months in parts of Mindanao, triggering belief that they could be related to the recent series of earthquakes, among them

the 6.7-magnitude temblor that hit Surigao City and the neighboring areas in February.

Parts of Lanao del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental provinces were hit by moderate to strong earthquakes since last week.

Dozens of oarfish, which is known in Japan as “ryugu no tsukai” or “messenger from the sea god’s palace,” were reportedly found by Japanese fishermen before the occurrence of major earthquakes in the past.

(PNA)

Huge oarfish beaches; dies in Sarangani town

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ISHERMEN recovered before dawn Monday a huge oarfish near the shores of Kiamba town in Sarangani Province, the first for the area in years.

Carmelo Velasco, Kiamba municipal environment and natural resources officer, said the rare fish was spotted by fishermen swimming off Purok Kiblis in Barangay Lomuyon at around 4:30 a.m. but later died and washed ashore.

He said the oarfish was initially seen swimming near the shore and “appeared to be

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NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Military says Pinoy captive beheaded by Abu was ill

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FILIPINO captain of a fishing boat who was abducted somewhere in the Celebes Sea on December 20, 2016 was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf on April 13 “because he was reportedly ill and impeded their movement in evading army operating units,” Brig. Gen Cirilito Sobejana, Commander of Joint Task Force Sulu said in a press statement issued by the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom).

The Westmincom expressed its “extreme indignation” over the beheading of Noel Besconde, captain of FB Ramona, by Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader Sadjawaan on April 13 at the vicinity of Barangay Tugas in Patikul, Sulu.

Besconde, of Tukuran in Zamboanga del Sur, was one of

three members of the crew of FB Ramona who were abducted somewhere in Celebes Sea in December.

It quoted General Eduardo Año, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as saying that “while the AFP condemns this gruesome murder of this hapless kidnap victim, it all the more drives our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines to deliver the lethal blow against this band of terrorists and rescue the remaining kidnap victims.”

“This terrorist group are all the more, by their recent barbarism, fueling the desire of the AFP to crush their beastly practice, stop their kidnap-for-ransom activities, and restore peace in Western Mindanao,”

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RUN-AWAY CHOICE. President Rodrigo Duterte wins TIME Magazine’s online poll for its annual list of 100 most influential people in the world. Trailing behind Duterte were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pope Francis, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Lean Daval Jr.

CTTMO to enforce strict ‘no loading, unloading’ zones C

NPAs burn farm equipment a week after truce was inked

By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

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HE City Transport and Traffic Management Office was set to fully implement the ‘no loading and unloading zones’ for public utility jeepneys in a bid to ease traffic congestion in Davao City.

CTTMO chief Dionisio Abude told the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday that based

on the plan, there will be specific designated areas for PUJs with the same route to load and to unload passengers.

“For example, gusto ka muadto sa Agdao gikan sa Pichon St., adunay area dinha for PUJ nga muhunong lang diha nga area. Ang pasahero nga mutindog diha nga area is kato lang mga paingon sa

Agdao o paingon Boulevard or Uyanguren, kung asa muagi to nga ruta,” he said. “Kung ikaw pasahero, muadto kag Agdao unya maghulat ka didto sa area para sa J.P. Laurel, dili gyud ka maparahan sa jeep.”

He said that through this system, congestion will be lessened since jeepneys will not stop in one area to load

and unload passengers.

There will be traffic signage in the jeepney stops indicating how many PUJs are allowed at a time. PUJs are also not allowed to stay in the area for a long period of time.

“Dapat pag drop nila sa pasahero nila, at pagkatapos makasakay nung mga bago,

The bounty was offered

by Alvarez following the communist-terrorist New People’s Army’s (NPA) claim that it was responsible for the summary execution of Baaco, who the rebel group claimed, was a “drug lord and a gunrunner” in a Philippine Revolution Web Central website post on April 15.

“We were able to discuss

yesterday that I will make a request to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to give me authority to come up with PhP10 million to put on the table as bounty,” he said, adding the amount will be his personal money.

The disbursement of the fund to solve the murder of Baaco will be handled by lawyer Teodoro Jose Matta, who is the provincial legal officer and

chairman of the Peace and Order Council (POC) of the Palawan government.

“I address this money to the poor individuals, who joined the van – to encourage him to talk. There is one person in that van who was wounded because Gilbert was able to shoot one as there was a trail of blood going out the es-

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P10-M bounty put up for killers of Palawan PDRRMO chief

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ALAWAN Governor Jose Alvarez on early Monday morning announced that the provincial government is offering P10 million to whoever can point to or give information about the killers of Rescue 165 and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Gilbert S. Baaco, who was murdered on Good Friday.

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OMMUNIST insurgents have torched some P4 million worth of farm equipment at a pineapple plantation owned by Del Monte Philippines here, less than a week after government negotiators and the National Democratic Front (agreed on an interim joint ceasefire agreement.

Police reports said the incident occurred at Barangay Gumalang in the Baguio District around 10:15 PM on April 9, or only four days after the government peace panel was able to secure a deal on an interim ceasefire with the NDF during the fourth round of their talks in The Netherlands.

The interim ceasefire, technically, has yet to take effect, given that its guidelines and ground rules are still to be approved by the two sides. However, the latest act of violence by the rebel New People’s Army at the Del Monte plantation strongly indicates not only the lack of coordination between insurgents on the ground and their political counterparts based overseas, but also the lack of sincerity by the communist group to forge genuine peace with the government.

According to the report

by Police Senior Insp. Merlito Tubog of the Davao City Police, some 30 NPA members led by Rolando Sagcaan (a.k.a.

Ka Lando) and Roberto Rosete (a.ka. Kumander Bobby) burned two tractor-type boom harvesters worth some P4 million at the Del Monte plantation and ran off with an Armscor shotgun worth P20,000 issued to the security guard on duty at the time of the attack.

ALL OUT WAR A frustrated businessman said, “Government should rethink their peace efforts if it will work or just wage an all out war, which apparently is the only language the NPAs understand.”

The incident at the Del Monte plantation is only the latest in the series of attacks perpetrated by the NPA on Mindanao’s pineapple and banana plantations. Such attacks have intensified over the past few weeks even while backchannel talks to get the peace negotiations restarted were being held between the government panel and the NDF.

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DPWH urged to correct‘faulty road design’in North Cotabato

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FIRM STANCE. City Transport and Traffic Management Office chief Dionisio Abude says the agency will implement programs to lessen the traffic congestion in the city including the full implementation of the ‘no loading

and unloading zones’ for public utility jeepneys. Abude graced this week’s edition of Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

LOCAL lawmaker in North Cotabato province has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways to correct an accident-prone portion of the Cotabato-Davao highway to save lives and properties and avoid further accidents in the future.

Provincial board member Socrates Pinol authored a resolution recently urging the DPWH first engineering district to look into the “faulty road design” of a highway in poblacion (downtown) Makilala municipality.

In a resolution addressed to District Engineer Elpidio Birog, Pinol said the “faulty road

design” caused a series of accidents starting January 2017.

Pinol stressed that even if he is not a civil engineer, the road accidents that happened in the curve at Purok 11 (Patulangon, Makilala) indicates that something was wrong with the design, which needs to be corrected.

In a report submitted to Pinol’s office, Police Chief Inspector Elias Colonia said five road crashes, involving eight vehicles, had been recorded by the municipal police station since January this year.

One person died in the mishaps while 19 others were injured, data showed. (PNA)

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

NEDA for PH sustainable development roadmap

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UPDATE. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) 11 director Eduardo Bellido (2nd from right), together with National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) reintegration officer Rea Saan (2nd from left), discusses the details of the upcoming one-day Consultation on Enhancing the Rein-

tegration Program for Overseas Filipino Workers in line with the Migration and Development and Crisis Management Frameworks in the Philippines for the Mindanao group set on April 20 at the Grand Regal Hotel. Lean Daval Jr.

P-EAGA TIF cluster to prioritize connectivity, Halal value chain T

HE Philippines is keen on prioritizing air and sea linkages, as well as becoming part of the entire Halal value chain, in a bid to promote more trade and investment activities.

As a member-country of the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), the Philippines is now moving towards increasing its connectivity within and outside the region.

This includes maximizing the potential of the Halal industry.

In a meeting at the latter part of last month in Davao City, the Philippine-EAGA Trade and Investment Facilita-

tion cluster has agreed to take the necessary steps to achieve its objective of increasing the economic activities of the country with its neighbors.

Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary Arturo P. Boncato, Jr., the Philippine Senior Official to BIMP-EAGA, noted that for the Halal industry, for instance, there is still a lot that needs to be done.

He pointed out that the country has to move towards becoming part of the whole Halal value chain. This means that the country can maximize the presence of a huge Halal market, even at the local level.

“We have more than 10 million Filipino-Muslims.

That’s a market already,” Boncato said.

“We have no Halal restaurants in the airports. Our approach here can be domestic,” he added.

The availability of Halal slaughter houses is another opportunity that the country can look into. To date, there is only one Halal slaughter house in the country. It is located in Cotabato City.

For his part, DTI-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Regional Secretary Anwar A. Malang said that in capturing the Halal market, the sub-regional cooperation must look at it as an ecosystem, and not only focus on the food

market.

“In ARMM, we are concerned of Halal because that’s our need,” he said, adding that it is about time to harmonize the standards of Halal certification.

DTI-Davao Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi emphasized on the need to finetune programs and projects to improve trade and investment facilitation in the sub-region.

Meanwhile, with the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025, Boncato emphasized on three things: 1) to see more convergence outside of the TIF cluster; 2) optimize the current fund; and, 3) encourage further the engagement of the private sector. DTI11/JMM

Lapu City last week.

The Philippines’ total external trade in goods with ASEAN member-states amounted to US.26 billion in 2016, or 21.7 percent of the country’s entire trade, according to data from the Philippine Statistic Authority.

“So, we are building [the ASEAN market] because there’s strength in unity, it’s a market with a 650-million population, and that’s a huge market, bigger than the US market. The income of the US is very high, but here, we are growing very fast,” Dominguez added.

Finance ministers and central bank governors of the ASEAN member-states of the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam had met separately and jointly in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on April 6 and 7 for a series of meetings to find ways of fast-tracking initiatives on financial integration and inclusion within this regional bloc.

The Philippines is this

year’s chair and host of the ASEAN, which is celebrating its 50th founding anniversary with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.”

Dominguez and Bang-

ko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., co-chaired the 3rd ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in

ASEAN seen to deliver growth benefits to 650M people

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HE Association of Southeast Asian Nations is working vigorously toward integrating the region’s economies in order to bring the benefits of growth to the 650 million people in this 10-nation bloc, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

Dominguez said implementing the goal of a single market and production base under the ASEAN Economic Community may be a “compelling one,” but the organization is “confident that all the work we’ve put in to support the realization of the vision will reap significant benefits for our people.”

“We are working very hard together so that in the whole ASEAN community, 650 million people are going to be more integrated with each other economically and financially. That’s really what we are working towards,” said Dominguez in an interview after the end of the series of meetings among ASEAN finance ministers and central bank governors at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort in Lapu-

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HE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) convened the heads of its regional offices and technical staffs to formulate a sustainable development roadmap for the Philippines that streamlines both national and regional development plans.

“The government aims to bring development planning to the next level by considering the interplay of economy, society, and environment,” said the NEDA Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, Rosemarie G. Edillon in a workshop conducted from April 4-6, 2017 at the Court Meridian Hotel and Suites in Subic Bay, Olongapo.

She noted that this roadmap will enable the country to maximize the current economic momentum to push its development further toward enabling Filipinos to attain a matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay,” In the workshop, participants looked into the details of the Social Development Goals (SDGs), which are a part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and compared the goals, targets, and indicators with those of the 2017-

2022 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and the Regional Development Plans (RDPs).

Participants noted the alignment of the 2030 Agenda, PDP, and the RDPs and that these are all consistent with the three pillars of “Malasakit” (enhancing the social fabric), “Pagbabago” (inequality-reducing transformation), and “Patuloy na Pag-unlad” (increasing growth potential).

The next step is to design flagship programs that involve all three pillars.

Participants also noted the need to ensure that the monitoring and evaluation system for the international commitments and the national and regional plans will be efficient.

They agreed to carefully study and recommend appropriate institutional arrangements to ensure continuity and sustainability of initiatives, considering that the 2030 Agenda and AmBisyon Natin 2040 span more than one political administration.

On October 24, 2016, President Rodrigo R. Duterte directed the NEDA through the Memorandum Circular no.

12, s. 2016, to formulate the country’s medium-term de-

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Qatar to pour $1-B sovereign investment fund in Mindanao

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to the Middle East has also bagged a US$1billion sovereign investment fund from Qatar, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Monday.

In a text message, Lopez said Qatar and the Philippines signed Sunday morning the Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (IPPA) to facilitate the $1 billion investment of the Qatari government in the country.

The trade chief mentioned that the investments will be for developmental projects in Mindanao, particularly in areas of agriculture and infrastructure.

The IPPA will also identify other investment opportunities here.

“Basically, (it) provides internationally recognized investor rights and safeguards.

Qatar investors will be (treated) fairly and will not be disadvantaged,” added Lopez.

The IPPA with USD1-billion investments from Qatar is on top of the USD925 million investment pros pects signed during the Middle East visit of President Duterte last week.

The Chief Executive’s Middle East trip, along with other government officials including Lopez, were held in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar.

(PNA)

CATCH-UP. A tax payer fills up an annual tax return form while waiting for her turn during the last day of filling of Income Tax Return at the Bureau of Internal Revenue regional office along Bolton Extension in Davao City on Monday. Lean Daval Jr.

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY 5

OWWA ready to assist OFWs in Davao T

HE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration regional office here is ready to assist returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who came home with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.

Eduardo Bellido, OWWA-XI regional director, said that 150 OFWs arrived with the President after they were granted amnesty by the Saudi govern-

ment under its 90-day amnesty program dubbed as “Nation Without Violations.”

Bellido said they are still checking how many of the returned OFWs were from the Davao region.

He said the returned OFWs who are members of OWWA can avail of a noncash livelihood package worth PHP10,000 under its “Balik-Pinas! Balik-Hanapbuhay!” program.

DOF, PCOO to set forum on‘Dutertenomics’

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HE Department of Finance (DOF) and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) will hold a forum on Tuesday (April 18) to discuss President Duterte’s 10-point socioeconomic reform agenda and its primary objective of accelerating poverty reduction and transforming the Philippines into a high middle-income economy by 2022.

Dubbed “The Dutertenomics Forum,” the event will also showcase the government’s unprecedented infrastructure program as a tool of eradicating poverty and realizing the other goals spelled out in the President’s 10-point reform strategy.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is set to deliver the keynote speech at the forum, which will be preceded by a video message from President Duterte.

The other speakers at the forum are Secretaries Ernesto Abella (Presidential Spokesperson), Ernesto Pernia (National Economic and Development Authority), Benjamin Diokno (Department of Budget and Management), Mark Villar (Department of Public Works and Highways), Arthur Tugade (Department of Transportations); president and CEO Vince Dizon (Bases Conversion and Development Authority); businessman John

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He said non-OWWA members could avail of re-integration programs offered by other agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment’s Assist WELL (Welfare, Employment, Legal and Livelihood) program, which would entitle returned OFWs a local job referral or placement courtesy of the Bureau of Local Employment.

During the arrival of the OFWs, they received PHP5,000

from President Duterte and PHP5,000 from the OWWA national office.

They were also provided with post repatriation services such as temporary shelter at the OWWA halfway home, psychosocial counseling or stress debriefing, medical referral, transport services or fare for their onward travel to respective provinces.

So far, 331 OFWs have availed of the amnesty, Bellido

said, adding that 5,000 OFWs in KSA were expected to avail the amnesty programoffered by the Saudi government.

Bellido said the OFWs who availed the amnesty were no longer required to pay the monthly penalty of 50 Saudi Rial (PHP661).

In his arrival speech, President Duterte said the immediate assistance given to the returned OFWs is just a small amount compared to their

contribution to the country’s economy.

Duterte, who returned from his week-long official visit to the Middle East, said the Gulf State is an important region for the Philippines because it is not just home of the largest number of Filipino Workers Overseas but also a partner for the country’s conventional energy needs and an emerging source of broader two way-trade and investments. (PNA)

SPECIAL OFFERING. SM Supermalls group brand manager Aron Dalaza provides the details of the mall’s upcoming three-day sale slated on April 28 to 30 during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao on Monday. Lean Daval Jr.

6 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

Lenten season in Region 12 generally peaceful, orderly T HE observance of the Holy Week in the entire Region 12 was “generally peaceful and orderly,” police authorities declared on Monday.

Chief Supt. Cedrick Train, Region 12 police director, said they have not recorded any major security-related incident in the area, especially during the conduct of traditional religious activities in connection with the Lent.

He said there were minor incidents recorded in several areas but mostly considered as isolated.

“Our overall peace and order situation has been very good and remains stable at this time,” Train said.

Also known as Soccsksargen, Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

The Police Regional Office (PRO)-12 earlier placed the en-

tire region under “full red alert” status in line with the observance of the Holy Week, which ended on Easter Sunday.

Train said police teams and personnel were on full deployment, with all official leaves suspended or cancelled during the period.

Despite such status, he said they gave their personnel some time to reflect and even join some of the religious activities within their areas of responsibility.

On Good Friday, Train and several other PRO-12 officials and personnel carried crucifixes in a procession for the commemoration of the “crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary.”

The 14 “stations of the cross” started at the diversion road near the city international airport and ended at the St. Michael the Archangel chapel at the PRO-12 headquarters in Barangay Tambler here.

“Carrying the cross resembles commitment. It is also a call to absolute surrender of

one’s self to Jesus,” said Supt.

Romeo Galgo Jr, PRO-12 information officer.

Meantime, Train said he directed all police units in the region to continue with their intensified security operations due to the continuing summer vacation.

He said the move is in line with the implementation of operation plan or Oplan SumVac (summer vacation) set by the Philippine National Police central office.

Under such measure, he said they will sustain the deployment of police personnel in public convergence areas such as shopping malls, public terminals, highways and various tourist areas.

Train said they have activated tourist assistance centers in local resorts and other tourist destinations to especially cater to the needs of tourists.

He said they are also monitoring the movements of tourists or visitors, especially the foreigners, to ensure their safety. (PNA)

MALARIA CONTROL DRIVE. Joint teams from the Municipal Health Office of Kiamba, Sarangani province, through Dr. Claresse Ann Leal Bautista, together with the Jonathan Hilario (MRT) of the Doctors to the Barrio of the DOH and Provincial Mosquito Borne Disease Cluster-Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Project (TDPC) of Sarangani supervised by Federico P. Yadao (RMT) recently conducted a Malaria Border Operation

in Sitio Kapanal, Gasi, along the borders of Kiamba and Tboli towns. Medical Consultation, distribution of treated bednets, Tutok Buntis, Filaria Diagnosis and other health activities were provided in the area. The Provincial Health Office along with the MHO and other partners will continue to provide basic health services to the most remote barangays in the province. (Federico P. Yadao, RMT/PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICE)

A glimpse of festival on DavOr’s rich heritage soon to be launched T

Cotabato City cops laud public for vigilance during Holy Week HE Holy Week celebration in Cotabato City was generally peaceful and orderly, with the police lauding the public for their vigilance and cooperation.

Senior Supt. Victor Valencia, Cotabato City police director, said that police visibility in strategic locations as well as the cooperation and vigilance of the public resulted to the solemn and peaceful Lenten observance in the city.

Police officers were highly visible at the Cotabato Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, the city’s main church, and other churches across the city.

Valencia admitted there were reports of possible destabilization during the Holy Week celebration.

T

HE Province of Davao Oriental will soon launch its very own provincial festival that will showcase the province’s rich natural and cultural heritage. The Kabilin Festival which is set to be launched next year will have a soft kick off on May this year dubbed as the “Prelude to the Kabilin Festival”, which will give locals and tourists a glimpse of what to expect on the much-anticipated event that is likely to draw more tourists from all over the country.

Series of activities have already been slated for this five-day event. Among them is a tour caravan to the various tourism sites in the province – from Banaybanay town to Boston town – to be run by local and Davao-based tour operators. Among the highlight destinations are the Mount Hamiguitan World Heritage Park in San Isidro town, San Agustin Eco Park in Governor Generoso town, Pusan Point in Caraga town, Aliwagwag Falls Eco Park in Cateel, and Subangan Museum in the City of Mati.

Provincial Tourism Officer Miguel Trocio listed several exciting activities for the festival such as cultural performances by indigenous-based performing groups. There will also be workshops on script writing, directing, dance choreography, tour guiding, and events management. He said workshops like these are deemed necessary seeing that the province needs to boost its entertainment as part of the tourism sector, mainly in the area of culture and the arts.

He added that the province further needs to work on its tourism, culture and the arts as this is the new essential assessment area included in the Department of Interior and Local Governance’s Seal of Good Local Governance.

In addition to those activities, there will also be stage competitions such as singing contest, choral competition and even a drag show featuring local impersonators.

While the Provincial Government sees the festival as a good vehicle to gain recognition and be promoted especially as a tourism destination, the Kabilin Festival aims to spur economic activities to benefit the localities resulting from the anticipated influx of tourists.

For the first few months of this year, the Provincial Tourism recorded more than

700,000 tourist arrivals in the province. “This is more or less 15% higher than the previous year,” said Trocio, noting that there are about 12,000 to 13,000 foreign tourists who have arrived here.

“Our tourist arrival is the best indicator for our tourism industry’s progress,” he said, noting that Davao Oriental has one of the highest tourist arrivals in the region. He noted, however, that the bulk of the tourists are only here for a day tour. “This means that most tourists do not stay overnight,” he said, saying that those who stay overnight only consist of 20-30 percent of the total tourist arrival. He said this is mainly because the province’s existing accommodation facilities such as hotels and inns do not have the capacity to house the surging number of tourists.

While the Kabilin Festival

is Davao Oriental’s first and official festival, it is also touted to be the first festival in the country that is ‘truly devoted to the conservation of the environment with strong advocacy to fight, abate and adapt to climate change, a phenomenon that is in the agenda of many developed countries’.

The province, who is working together with various national government agencies, is coming up with ways to promote tourism while at the same time protecting the environment. “More people mean more garbage. That is why we are looking at the carrying capacity of the sites to make sure they are not too crowded with tourists,” Trocio said, adding that they are reminding tourism facility operators to adhere to the solid waste management law. He said that the

F A GLIMPSE, 11

Cotabato City, the seat of the Archdiocese of Cotabato, is 40 percent Catholic and 60 percent non-Catholic.

The 5th Army Special Forces and police public safety units from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao helped the city police in securing the locality during the Lenten season.

Valencia said the implementation of Police “Oplan SumVac 2017” (Operational Plan Summer Vacation) continues.

Fr. Gerard Fornan, DCC, parish priest of Cotabato Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, lauded the police for the peaceful Holy Week celebration at the city’s main church.

(PNA)

DPWH in NorCot urged to correct‘faulty road design’

A

LOCAL lawmaker in North Cotabato province has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to correct an accident-prone portion of the Cotabato-Davao highway to save lives and properties and avoid further accidents in the future.

Provincial board member Socrates Pinol authored a resolution recently urging the DPWH first engineering district to look into the “faulty road design” of a highway in poblacion (downtown) Makilala municipality.

In a resolution addressed to District Engineer Elpidio Birog, Pinol said the “faulty

road design” caused a series of accidents starting January 2017.

Pinol stressed that even if he is not a civil engineer, the road accidents that happened in the curve at Purok 11 (Patulangon, Makilala) indicates that something was wrong with the design, which needs to be corrected.

In a report submitted to Pinol’s office, Police Chief Inspector Elias Colonia said five road crashes, involving eight vehicles, had been recorded by the municipal police station since January this year.

One person died in the mishaps while 19 others were injured, data showed. (PNA)

7 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP. Photo shows members of UP Mindanao Debate Society during the 35th Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championship held in Fr. Saturnino Urios University, Butuan City. (Photo by Michael Saraña/UP Mindanao)

UP Mindanao Debate Society in 35th MPDC in Butuan City

U

P MINDANAO Debate Society fielded four teams in the recent 35th Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championship held in Fr. Saturnino Urios University in Butuan City on 7-9 April 2017.

In the quarter-finals on international relations, the UPMin Team B composed of Karl Butalid (3rd year, BA Anthropology), Michael Saraña (3BS Biology), Wolfe Ote (3BA Communication Arts) debated to support independence movements within Chinese territories and for a military intervention in Syria.

In the Pre-quarter finals topics on the academe, the UPMin Team A of Bryle Bacatan (3BS Food Technology), Frederick Omalza (3BSB), Renzo Polinar (3BACA), supported websites that provide access to copyrighted scientific literature and of the use by the scientific community of results from unethical research,

and contradicted the rise of militant anthropology in the academe.

In earlier rounds, the Teams debated on gender issues such as bisexuality, women in mandatory military service, and men in traditionally female occupations. On media issues, the debates were on religious motivations behind crimes, a neutrality policy for media companies, and the use of social movements in corporate advertising. Propositions on law and order and money and the economy were likewise subjected to debate.

Completing the UP Mindanao delegation were Kimberly Cabantug (3BACA), Isabel Abonal (3BAA), Justin Villanueva (3BACA), Andres Segovia (3BACA), Tiffany Jungco (3BACA), Yrneh Ladera (3BSB), and adjudicators Sarika Rey (3BA English), Gaily Labasano (3BSB), and Nissa Caderao (2BS Agribusiness Economics). (PR)

DOE says PH to gain insights in hosting nuclear seminar E

NERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi described as “very timely” the Philippines’ hosting of the 7th Nuclear Energy Cooperation and Sub-Sector Network (NEC-SSN) Meeting on April 17-19 at Hotel Sofitel, Manila.

According to Cusi, the Philippines hopes to gain insights with the seminar as it is now undertaking various studies and capacity building activities aimed to determine the nation’s position on nuclear energy.

“The seminar will focus on securing radioactive sources, a grave concern relative to risks to people and

the environment,” said Cusi.

The actual meeting of ASEAN member states (AMS) who are part of the SSN will take place on the 19th of April. Starting the three-day activity of the NEC-SSN is the seminar on security of radioactive sources organized by the ASEAN Center of Energy (ACE) in partnership with the Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).

Attending the seminar are ACE, AMS, international organizations including International Atomic Energy

Agency (IAEA), ISCN/JAEA and European Union Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative (EU CBRN COE).

Local participants from DOE, DOST, DOST-PNRI, academe and electric utilities will also be in attendance.

Most are members of the newly organized Nuclear Energy Program Organization or the NEPIO. The Seminar will be keynoted by the NEPIO Chairperson, DOE Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos.

The Seminar’s objectives are as follows:

· Reaffirm the importance of international and regional cooperation in the field of nuclear security especially security of radioactive materials; · Promote ASEAN member states’ enhancement of nuclear security or security of radioactive sources through experience sharing; · Enable JAEA to understand ASEAN’s needs and concerns to counter the challenges on strengthening nuclear security for developing a cooperative scheme to support ASEAN’s effort for the peaceful use of nuclear and radioactive material. (PR)

SSS supports timely passage of holistic tax reform package

T

HE Social Security System has expressed its support for the holistic and timely passage of the tax reform proposal of the Department of Finance (DOF) which mainly aims for a simpler, fairer and more efficient tax system in the country that will benefit largely the poor and middle-income earners.

“We, at SSS, fully support the passage of the first package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program of President Rodrigo Duterte under the leadership of Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III,” Social Security Commission Chairman Amado D. Valdez said.

DOF said some 4.66 million taxpayers, or more than double the current figure of 1.8 million, will no longer pay their PIT under the government’s highly progressive CTRP. “We are in the same path with Secretary Dominguez’s aim to bring more money into the people’s pocket. With this, taxpayers will have an extra room in their budget to save

up for their future and ensure that they will have enough when they leave the workforce. We hope that the package be passed into law in time with the schedule targeted by the DOF,” Valdez said.

DOF said those earning between the above-minimum wage rate and P22,000 a month will pay zero tax under HB 4774. The first P82,000 in the 13th month pay and other bonuses will be exempted from the PIT computation.

For instance, a call center agent who earns P21,000 a month with a gross income of P273,000 inclusive of the 13th month pay and other benefits, will still fall under the zero-tax bracket. This will save him or her almost P22,000 in foregone income tax payments; because under the current system, the call center agent, even with two dependents, would still have to pay P21,867 in income tax because of an outdated tax structure in which his or her net taxable income of P136,834 would still be taxed P8,500 plus 20 percent

F SSS, 10

SUPPORT TO MSMEs. On behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez emphasized the relevance of collaborative efforts between the government and the private sector in realizing national economic growth during the 22nd Investors Recognition Night of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on 4 April in Pasay. The occasion recognized outstanding exporters, employers, community project implementers and environment performers. Sec. Lopez, while noting PEZA’s achievements in 22 years, with 366 operating economic zones and 3,940 locator companies, encouraged PEZA to promote Philippine startups to investors willing to pour in money to develop and commercialize new innovations, particularly those from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He said that globally-competitive MSMEs, with an

innovation-led and productivity-driven framework, can enhance wealth creation and contribute to the realization of socio-economic goals. He noted that PEZA can come up with a domestic eco-zone framework to allow registration to targeted MSMEs and facilitate their integration into the global market. Sec. Lopez, who is also PEZA chairman, assured businessmen that the government commits to sustain the enabling and conducive environment for investment. Since 1995, PEZA has been instrumental in bringing in PhP 3.3 trillion worth of investments. In 2016, PEZA eco-zone exports amounted to USD 47.96 billion, translating to more than 1.3 million jobs for Filipinos, mostly in the countryside. The event also saw PEZA’s 2016 dividend presentation to the national government amounting PhP 622,913,898.98. (DTI Photo)

Alibaba takes down ad listings on sale of fake cigarette stamps

G

LOBAL e-commerce firm Alibaba has taken down its online listings that advertise the sale of fake cigarette stamps, in response to last month’s request by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and assured the Philippine government that it will continue to exercise vigilance in screening its platforms to weed out such illicit ads.

“We are aware from the

public media that you recently disclosed an alleged selling of digitally printed fake cigarette tax stamps on our Alibaba.com platform and sent a personal letter to our chairman Jack Ma,” Jin Jianhang, president of the Alibaba Group, said in his letter to Dominguez dated March 30. “We would like to show our great appreciation in advance that you brought us into attention of this highly im-

portant issue.”

“After an extensive search taken by our security and platform governance teams, such listings have been taken down from both our Alibaba.com and AliExpress sites. We continue to screen our platforms for the items in question, and once found and their illicit status established, such items will continue to be removed in the future,” Jin added in

his letter.

In a March 10 letter to Alibaba chairman Jack Ma, Dominguez requested the Chinese e-commerce leader to cooperate with the Philippine government in its campaign against tax cheats by taking down, and prohibiting, advertisements on the sale of digitally printed fake cigarette tax stamps from its online selling platforms. (PR)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

EDITORIAL

G

Another shot in the arm for Mindanao

OOD things are coming to Mindanao. Once the ne- ment opportunities in the Philippines. glected section of the country in terms of develop-

The agreement will extend to Qatar investors internation-

ment projects, the land of promise is waking up to a ally recognized investor rights and safeguards. This means

new-found vigor.

Qatar investors will get fair treatment in the country to allow

President Duterte came home from the Middle East bring- their business to flourish.

ing along a USD1-billion sovereign investment fund from

The IPPA is on top of the investment prospects signed

Qatar. The investments will be for developmental projects in during the Middle East visit of President Duterte last week.

Mindanao, particularly in areas of agriculture and infrastruc- In sum, the Middle East investment prospects amount to ture. This after Qatar and the Philippines signed the Invest- USD925. ment Protection and Promotion Agreement (IPPA) that will

The investment portfolio made possible by the President’s

facilitate the USD1-billion investment of the Qatari govern- visit to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar is another fresh shot ment in the country. The IPPA will also identify other invest- in the arm for the country, particularly for Mindanao.

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

S

OME people – special people, perhaps – just have the luck in the world.

This is if you believe and cast your lot in luck.

However, there are those who, without exerting so much effort and time, are just fated to win and shine.

On the other side, there are also those who choose their own paths to success, struggling in the process, overcoming the various obstacles along the way and consequently winning the race and the trophy. They call themselves self-made men and women.

This is a dog-eat-dog material world. I don’t think anyone would contradict this kind of acceptance.

To survive is to be the fittest. One needs to capably compete and feverishly win by a knockout.

The lessons Bill Gates, Michael Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett and the other notable and established billionaires imparted to us and continue to impart to this

I

THINK I was still in high school when I started collecting quotations. The reason: they teach me some lessons and about life. They become part of my wisdom and of who I am as a person.

“The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing,” Socrates said. Aristotle, another brilliant mind, added: “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

John Lennon, the famed member of The Beatles, shared this thought: “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, has some sort of a sentence to ponder when he wrote, “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”

Confucius, that Chinese philosopher who has been quoted by people around the world, once said: “By three methods we may learn wisdom. First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.”

Experience is indeed the best teacher. Now in my ‘50s, I can see I have already some experiences which the younger generations can learn from. So, allow me to

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Born to win and shine day includes, among other things, the wise and productive utilization and management of time and money.

The earth was gifted by our Creator with unlimited natural resources for humanity to scour, develop and maintain for its posterity and sustenance. Therefore, acquiring material riches has become foremost in the minds of men (and women, too).

The defeatists, the mentally lame, the insecure and timid will have a very difficult time progressing. Unless they get out of their shells, out of their chrysalises and take on the challenges and problems they encounter every day, they cannot hope to free themselves of the chains that negatively bind and constricts them.

The shrewd and the smart-aleck, the corrupt and the opportunist, the crafty and the cunning, the foxy and the sly and their ilk will half-succeed and survive. Only for a time because the long arms

SPECKS OF LIFE Fred C. Lumba of justice and the law – divine and human justice, for that matter – will sooner or later, catch up with them.

Those enjoying power and authority today live in wanton, immoral abandon as if they are above the law for even the law enforcers are afraid to touch them with ten foot poles. They, too, will see the

day when they will receive their just reward.

A nonchalant, fearful attitude hovers our society and surroundings.

Everyone seems to be just contentedly going with the flow, taking the road that is most travelled and trekked.

This appears to be the safer direction because if you are in the minority, you get less attention from the government. The voice of one is just that, the voice of one soul shouting in the wilderness.

Can’t blame people who throw their lots in games of chance and believe in luck. Because sometimes they win, even rarely. And though they lose much often than what is ideally desired, they seem not to lose hope in luck.

Luck is all they have. That’s the painful reality.

In this world where the mighty and the connected and the influencers reign supreme, there’s not much one can do but rest your

hope that Lady Luck will smile on you one day.

It is good that the academe – our institutions of learning, state colleges and universities and the reputable private schools – does not, in their curricula, offer subjects on the study of superstitions and luck. Otherwise, hordes of Filipino students would troop and enroll.

Myths and mysticism attract a lot of curious folks, you know.

Just an aside, years ago, I heard that in one state university in the US, school authorities offered a subject on the study of Beatlemania.

Wow, do we care?

Not incidentally, the Son of Man said in the beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of God is theirs. Blessed are those in sorrow; they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the lowly; they shall inherit the land.” (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.)

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

law). But most people do!

A doctor has to save a person – even if he is an enemy. A journalist write about a person -- even if he abhors the source. A teacher will teach a student -- even if the student is the son or daughter of his nemesis. A bold star may bare more than her soul but it doesn’t mean she likes what she is doing.

At the end of the day, it’s just a work. So, don’t judge anyone of what he does for a living.

We are bound to commit errors, faux pas, mistakes, etc. So, you have to no right to call that person who committed such acts as “stupid” or “moron.” Do so only, if you have not done any blunders in your life.

If you think you have lied to anyone yourself, then you are actually lying. Even in the Bible, there are God’s chosen people who lied or said “half-truths.”

Do not ask for anything which you cannot handle because it might be given to you. There are people who are envious with others because they think they can do those tasks much better. But when they are given the opportunity, they are much worse than the other person.

When we were still younger, we want to grow fast. But when we are already old, we want to

stop aging.

In the same manner, when we were younger, we try to separate eggs from ampalaya when eating our breakfast – then ate only the eggs. Now, that we are older, we still separate eggs from ampalaya – but eat only the ampalaya.

While attending schools during my younger days, I thought that by getting good grades and by memorizing those lectures given by our teachers, would make me a brilliant person. Today, I know that the secret is not memorizing those ideas but rather should have understood what they mean. It is only by understanding what you heard that you learn better and get the grasp of the knowledge being imparted.

In writing a better feature, you have to pay attention to the first paragraph because it the first thing readers will read. In the same vein, do not neglect the last paragraph because it is the last thing that gives readers the impression of what you have written.

To end this piece, allow me to quote the words of Lao Tzu: “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom; mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

Words of wisdom, these!

share these thoughts: Some people don’t accept the truth because they are blinded by what they believe as the “truth.” They hold to the past which is already gone. They have a hard time moving on. If only they could see the other side – only if they really want to – then they can free themselves from the bondage of the past.

Most of the time, we think that we are happy only when there are people around us. We get energy from them. Actually, we miss that happiness we should have experienced when we are alone because we can assess ourselves better thus making us to better person.

Oftentimes, people get envious with other’s achievements.

But before doing so, ask yourself: Have you been working hard to attain your goal? Did you ever do some impossible things (not illegal attempts though) just to get what you want? Sometimes, we blame poverty for not having the best in life. But poverty should not be a hindrance for a person to become successful. The world is replete examples of rich people who are failures. And there are poor people who become successful.

More often than not, we think

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

the other side is always brighter.

Not knowing that the other side is also thinking the same thing.

Sometimes, we think we don’t have purpose in life that we stop dreaming and quit doing.

Not knowing that it’s just a matter of time that what we want in life will happen. As long as we are still breathing, keep reaching what you are aiming. You never know that it is already near but you think it is still very far.

You would rather see a person fail even if that person is doing right – just to prove what you perceived in the first place.

Don’t judge a person by his work (unless it is against the

10 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

MALICIOUS... FROM 1

“The 60th Infantry Battalion condemns the unfounded allegations attributing the abduction of Mawi Bago to the unit,”Celestial said.

Celestial said the advisory was wrong based on the statements made by two IP leaders in Talaingod.

Celestial said that a certain Nelson Nangayid, a resident of Sitio Natulinan, Barangay Palma Gil in Talaingod and Datu Richard Lingkuran, Sr., the tribal chieftain of Sitio Natulinan attested that the accusation against 60th was false.

Both Nangayid and Lingkuran are relatives of Bago.

He added that Bago, as stipulated in the statement of Nangayid and Lingkuran, was invited by Nangayid for a talk with the elements of 60th IB assigned in Natulinan Temporary Patrol Base.

“The invitation and talk were aimed to facilitate the formal and voluntary surrender of Bago to the government,” Celestial pointed out.

He said that earlier to the formal talks, Bago was seen roaming around the vicinity of Natulinan patrol base taking

photos with his cell phone.

Celestial said it was Nangayid who approached Bago and casually endorsed him to the military, adding that both were former comrades under the Guerrilla Front 55 of the New People’s Army in Southern Mindanao Regional Command.

“Nangayid, Bago and his other companion was even invited to lunch by the army troopers assigned at the said military patrol base before they were formally introduced and turned over to the local tribal chieftains in the area where they executed their respective written statements specifically stating that they were invited by the military for an interview and also indicating Bago’s formal surrender and voluntary cooperation with the government,” he added.

The invitation and formal turn-over of Bago were also recorded at the blotter of the Philippine National Police in Talaingod town.

After the formal talks, Bago was released unharmed to his relative, Datu Lingkuran, Celestial noted.

Puentespina family.

“The Malagos Chocolate farm represents the friendship that has existed between Mexico and the Philippines. It really represents our old ties,” the ambassador said in an interview.

According to the ambassador, the countries’ bilateral ties could be traced back 500 years ago when Philippines was under the Spanish rule and Mexico was once the vice kingdom of Spain which prompted the operation of

Galleon Trade also known as Manila-Acapulco Trade.

This period not only paved way to the exchange of agricultural products between the two countries but also to the influence of Mexico on Philippine culture in terms of language, culture, and tradition.

Camarena also said these influences even retained their Mexican names such Semana Santa or the observance of the Holy Week, misa de gallo, Noche Buena, and fiesta.

sized that his administration is working closely with the Moro fronts that have signed peace deals with the government.

“There is a lot of Muslims in my Cabinet. We are trying to work out something now...We hope to succeed in our peace talks. We are ready to reconfigure the land. We are ready to concede what was lost from them,” the President told the participants during the business forum.

In saying the government “is ready to concede what was lost from them,” the President was apparently referring to the colonial years when the country was under the Spanish government and the American rule.

Currently, the 21-member Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) is working on a self-imposed deadline to come up with the draft BBL that will be submitted to the President on May 18, to give him time to review before submitting it to Congress in June for deliberation.

Congress was expected to pass the BBL, which will serve as the legal foundation for the creation of a new Bangsamoro government to replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

In his departure speech last week, President Duterte said he would certify the BBL as urgent.

He instructed the government peace panel to also incorporate the draft of the separate peace pact between the government and the Misuari-led Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The idea is to harmonize the two drafts to achieve an inclusive law.

In his speech in Qatar, President Duterte promised to fast-track the process, but at the same time also asked for patience as the entire process to achieve healing would take some time.

The MILF said they agree with the President that the healing process will take time.

(PNA)

velopment plan based on the 0-10 Socioeconomic Agenda, the AmBisyon Natin 2040, and the 2030 Agenda.

At the end of the work-

shop. Edillon said that the roadmap, including the proposed institutional arrangements, will be presented to the NEDA Board. (PR)

Mexico... FROM 2

MILF... FROM 2

NEDA... FROM 4

COCO SITUATIONER. Roque Quimpan, member of the board of Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), shares the deteriorating state of coconut industry in the country where the agency urgently needs to replant seven million

MEGA... FROM 1

assessment of waves and measurements of the pressure of flashing, or the impact of water current when it hits the shore,” Romero pointed out.

“On the other hand, the environmental study takes into account the results of all the technical studies put together,” Romero added.

He said the results of all the various preliminary studies were encouraging.

“Nothing goes adversely beyond the norm, except for the abrupt steepening of the slope of the sea bed, which can raise the cost of reclamation significantly because of the length of concrete piles that it entails and various other structural requirements .

There are also sea grass and corrals in the area near the Sta. Ana wharf, which we will have to avoid by moving the project site further southward,” Romero explained.

He attributed the generally positive results of the studies to the nature of the project site, being shielded by the Samal Island from strong ocean currents that get through the Davao Gulf.

“The eastern flank of Davao del Sur and the western side of Davao Oriental surrounding the gulf also generate a moderating effect on ocean waves,” Romero said.

“As such, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte, will immediately benefit from the project because of their natural geographic access to this emerging world-class port, both by land and by sea,” Romero pointed out.

He described the Davao Gulf as a natural harbor and sanctuary even for large inter-ocean vessels because of its wide mouth but long cylindrical shape resembling a womb.

The (Davao) gulf is actually

alis na agad sila para hindi mag clog up doon,” Abude said.

Abude also called for the commuter’s voluntary discipline and cooperation in following the traffic rules of the city in order to avoid congestion and accidents from happening.

“Even if we strictly imple-

ment these rules, it would be useless without the voluntary discipline coming from the people,” Abude added.

The implementation plan is to be presented before the City Transport and Traffic Management Board headed by the city mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio this month.

he said.

Año said they will “never falter” and “will not rest” to protect the people and will exhaust “all means – legal and moral – to bring this war against terrorists to conclusion.”

Año instructed Sobejana to ensure Besconde’s remains are found and brought to his

family.

“We continue to call on every God-fearing resident of Sulu, Basilan, and other parts of Western Mindanao to help your AFP and other security forces to put a stop to this criminal and evil act of the ASG. They have no place in our civilized society,” Año said. (MindaNews)

in excess of P70,000. “[The CTRP will] enable the government to make the country’s tax system more progressive, especially for low- and middle-income earners, and at the same time generate sufficient revenues for unmatched higher spending

on infrastructure; on education, health and other forms of human capital development; and on social protection for the poorest Filipinos to cushion the initial impact of the proposed adjustments in consumption taxes,” Dominguez said earlier. (PR)

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coconut trees each year for five years. Quimpan made the disclosure during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao on Monday. Lean Daval Jr.

much bigger than the Manila Bay, yet having an almost the same characteristics but with a lot less pollution and vulnerability to storms.

“Another blessing is the coastal highway project of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) to which the port city shall be linked by three bridges. Running parallel to the highway, the port city itself will have to be divided into three ‘islands’ to provide an opening from the coast to the sea. The three reclaimed islands will connect to each other also by bridges,” Romero said, stressing the importance of the preliminary studies.

“All (the results of the studies) will be factored in during the formulation and design of the integrated and detailed engineering masterplan,” Romero added.

Aside from reclaiming and constructing the port city,

Mega Harbour will also implement an onsite infrastructure development in the coastal communities of Poblacion and Agdao districts up to Barangay Bukana, which lie parallel to the project across the sea.

This social component of the project will not entail relocation since it does not involve the construction of housing facilities.

To be undertaken are improvements of infrastructure facilities for power and water supply connections, flood control system, pockets of recreational and commercial zones, sanitation centers, obstruction-free main roads, and other calamity-mitigating measures.

Mega Harbour is the country’s only port city developer, whose mother firm is the industry’s sole member with a track record in port reclamation, development and operations.

cape route,” he said.

The Palawan governor requested the local media present to call on witnesses to cooperate and solve the crime against the Baaco family.

“Whoever saw this man that was hit and wounded by a 9mm pistol – if he was being cared for, or brought to any medical facility, please, inform us, inform authorities to help solve this crime,” Alvarez implored.

Baaco, the head of Rescue 165, the Palawan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) and several other programs of the provincial government, was shot dead past 8:00 p.m. on Good Friday in his home in Barangay Barong-Barong, Brooke’s Point by a group of unidentified armed men.

Information gathered from the Police Inspector Maribel Ustares on the day the crime was perpetrated said he was raked with gunfire while he was about to get out to the kitchen to help his wife Maria Victoria, when she shouted after being confronted by two armed female communist rebels.

He was rushed past 9:00 p.m. to the Leoncio General Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival (DOA) by attending emergency doctors.

The group of armed men were said to be composed of two females and three males.

The females reportedly held Baaco’s wife (name not readily available) while he was being shot. They were said to be carrying high-powered Armalite rifles; their faces painted with what seemed to be coal soot or powder; and were in camouflage outfits.

Baaco, or GSB to his friends, suffered four gunshot wounds — one was on his neck — a fatal area.

On claims by the NPA that Baaco was a drug lord and a gunrunner, Alvarez said Baaco was never any of these accusations.

“We miss our brother, our dear friend… who, in the midst of Holy Week, his murder was planned and carried out by criminals, who are disguising as NPA, and we know who is behind it, but in the meantime, and to maintain peace; I will keep the information to myself,” he said. (PNA)

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TRAVEL

EDGEDAVAO

Falling for

Cateel

Taken from the bridge just overlooking Aliwagwag Falls, the limestone tiers can barely be seen from the whitewash of the falls. Photo

by Glen Santillan

FROM PUSAN POINT IN CARAGA, it took us almost two hours to get to Aliwagwag Falls in Cateel. We were quite up north that a few more municipalities and we would have reached Surigao del Sur already.

From poblacion Cateel, it took almost an hour to reach Aliwagwag Falls.

From having seen pictures of Aliwagwag Falls so I was expecting to see gently sloping water across smooth limestone rocks. Behold when we got there, it wasn’t the usual picturesque Aliwagwag Falls that I’ve grown accustomed to.

Located in Brgy. Aliwagwag in Cateel, it’s a

series of more than 130 cascading waterfalls. Aliwagwag Falls is such a unique sight dotted with different limestone rock formations of various shapes and heights. Each level different from another, ranging from six feet to 110 feet.

There is one measured at 72 feet and another is at 67. Overall, Aliwagwag Falls is 1,110 feet and 20 meters in width. When

The new Aliwagwag Falls Eco-Park entrance features tasteful wooden art.

viewed from afar, Aliwagwag Falls would probably evoke the song “Stairway to Heaven”.

Still groggy from sleep, I rubbed my eyes at the raging whitewash that was Aliwagwag Falls!

Unlike the calm and gentle one I hoped to bathe in, I was worried that we couldn’t swim because the waterfalls was raging.

I found out that if the waters were too strong, there were small rock pools you could swim in at the sides of the falls.

Being used to the ocean, Inside their lobby and eating area, the walls and ceilings are adorned with native-themed pieces that bring the fresh waters of Aliout the natural ambience of the place. wagwag Falls was a wel-

come respite in the summer heat.

My other companions decided to try the Monkey Bridge which was perfect for adrenaline junkies. You’d subject yourself to a harness suspended a few feet above the surface of the raging waterfalls and cross the whole width from edge to edge.

On another day, I would have tried this but that day I was too tired from the previous day’s itinerary. The thought of climbing up a few hundred meters upwards to reach the bridge was too

much so I opted to lounge in the cool waters of the rock pools beside the cascading waters.

It was a weekend and as expected, the rock pools were full. There was a smaller kid-friendly rock pool at the lower end. If you go upwards, there’s a bigger pool with more adults and teenagers having fun in the water. If the current isn’t strong, the zipline is open for those brave enough to glide through the falls for 47 seconds.

The staff at Aliwag-

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A different kind of Aliwagwag Falls show up if it rains the night before.

wag Falls Eco-Park were so friendly and full of knowledge about their place. It was great that jobs were given to local folk and they themselves are their own ambassadors. They were also entertaining and shared a lot of what they know about other attractions in Cateel aside from what was in Aliwagwag Falls Eco-Park.

I thought that this trip would make me One of the must-try activities at Aliwagwag Falls is the Monkey Bridge tick off Davao Ori- where you cross the 45-meter bridge over raging waters back and forth. ental off my mustreturn-to list. I was tractions and natural wonders there is still just so much to wrong. This trip that I have yet to see and surf. experience. opened my eyes to I guess I’ll have to park ticking Read more at my blog: www. a whole lot more at- off Davao Oriental because millennialmermaid.com

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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MX3 teams with PBA for Commissioner’s Cup FULL HOUSE, CHEERS, AND BANNERS ARE OUT AND ABOUT. There’s just no chance to escape the yells from the entire gymnasium when the players of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Phoenix Fuel Masters ran out to the courts. The battlegrounds shook at the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Elimination Round held at University of Southeastern Philippines Gymnasium on April 1, Saturday. It was an intense and tight game and everyone sat on the edge of their seats.

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During the halftime break, MX3 had a chance to throw a game. MX3 hooray was played by participants randomly picked from the cheerful crowd. MX3 products and gift packs were given away as consolation and grand prizes. A subtle giveaway was also included, MX3 Wave, it is randomly handed out flyers which had markings inside of either M, X, or 3 and each corresponded to a gift items from MX3.

A quick frolic to keep the house hyped while on break.

Then hits the third and fourth qaurter of the hoop. Jameel McKay sweeped it with a twopointer right under the basket leaving the clock with 18.6 seconds, 9291, which gave Ginebra a chance to attempt and regain the lead. Japet Aguilar flew an escaping dunk but was nullified by the Ginebra’s hastily called timeout which resulted in a turnover. Matthew Wright’s two ice-cold free throws in the dying seconds of the game sealed the win for the Fuel Masters.

Phoenix Fuel Masters got the better of Barangay Ginebra, 94-91, bringing home the bacon. And MX3 has also brought home the victory with honor to have been part of the conference. Engaging to people through giving away flyers, sample products, and free coffee. But more than

these giveaways were the Christian tracks we have included inside each flyer envelopes. For MX3 holds up to the mission of advancing the great commission by spreading the Word.

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

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President Duterte had called off the peace talks last Feb. 4 after many government soldiers died in attacks perpetrated by the NPA, which continued to ignore aceasefire that was then ongoing between the government and the communist group.

Agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) based in Mindanao have expressed alarm over the heightened series of attacks by NPA rebels on banana and pineapple plantations, saying that these could jeopardize the country’s dollar earnings from its top fruit exports and place at risk its standing as one of the world’s biggest banana exporters.

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show the Philippines produced 9.1 million metric tons (MT) of bananas in 2015.

The cavendish variety, a top export, accounts for half or 4.57 million MT of the total production.

Philippine fresh bananas are exported to South Korea, Iran, Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, New Zealand, San Diego in the United States, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, China, Mongolia, Ukraine, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and niche markets in Europe.

NPA rebels have resorted to burning equipment and facilities in fruit plantations in Mindanao to force companies to pay them “revolutionary taxes.”

President Duterte had earlier hesitated in resuming talks with the communists, saying that they should first stop with their extortion activities, release all captives and resist from claiming any territory.

THREATENED SAFETY “The safety of our families and our livelihood are threatened. If the government fails to address this problem, businesses can leave and we will lose our jobs,” Maningo said.

“Our industry is already hampered with problems. We have low productivity because of pests and diseases, drought, flooding…but the insurgency is most alarming. We are scared for our lives,” he added.

Communist insurgents have focused their attacks in Mindanao’s lucrative fruit farm businesses, with the aim of paralyzing their operations by burning or destroying equipment if their owners refuse to pay “revolutionary taxes.”

Their attacks have resulted in killings, arson and the disruption of business operations.

Among the facilities that the communists have destroyed include Dole’s cold storage plant and other equipment in Barangay Sinawal in General Santos City last March 30; a banana processing plant in Pantukan, Compostela Valley last Feb. 5; a pineapple plantation in Bukidnon on Feb. 25; and three container vans loaded with fruits in Maragusan, Compostela Valle y on March 25.

The following day, the NPA opened fire on a spray plane in Tagbina, Surigao. The insurgents continued with their attacks in Sumifru (Philippines) in Malaybalay, Bukidnon on March 27.

Gaisano; and professor Richard Heydarian.

The website www.build. gov.ph, which contains information on government infrastructure contracts as well as drone images showing the progress of big-ticket infra projects will also be launched at the forum, which will be held at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City.

President Duterte’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda focuses on: 1) Continuing and maintaining current macroeconomic policies, including fiscal, monetary and trade policies; 2) Instituting progressive tax reform and more effective tax collection while indexing taxes to inflation; 3) Increasing competitiveness and the ease of doing business, drawing upon successful models used to attract business to local cities such as Davao, as well as pursuing the relaxation of the Constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership, except with regards to land ownership, in order to attract foreign direct investments; 4) Accelerating annual infrastructure spending to account for 5 percent of the

Gross Domestic Product, with public-private partnerships playing a key role; 5) Promoting rural and value chain development toward increasing agricultural and rural enterprise productivity and rural tourism; 6) Ensuring security of land tenure to encourage investments and address bottlenecks in land management and titling agencies; 7) Investing in human capital development, including health and education systems, as well as matching skills and training to meet the demands of businesses and the private sector; 8) Promoting science, technology and the creative arts to enhance innovation and creative capacity toward self-sustaining and inclusive development; 9) Improving social protection programs, including the government’s conditional cash transfer program, in order to protect the poor against instability and economic shocks; and 10) Strengthening the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law to enable especially poor couples to make informed choices on financial and family planning. (PR)

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Eduardo Maningo, a spokesman for the Mindanao ARBs has called on the government to step up its efforts to protect farm workers and agribusinesses vulnerable to NPA attacks.

NO TO FAKE NEWS. By signing the “Covenant to Stop Fake News”, students and educators commit themselves and vow “to refrain from posting or sharing any bit of information that we have not verified to be accurate and truthful — and to have originated from reliable and responsible sources.

This, even if such information may seem to confirm what we, or the larger segments of society, think, feel, or believe”. Close to 200 participants from

various schools in Baguio, Benguet, Abra, and Pangasinan attended the Scholastic Press Program of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) on “Let’s Get Real on Fake News” at the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City. The same seminar will be conducted in Batangas, Bulacan, NCR and other areas in Visayas and Mindanao.

Villar lauds Duterte’s plan to create OFW department S

pressed her desire to prioritize the creation of the department for OFWs, the Department of Migration and Development.

Last June 2016, Villar filed Senate Bill No. 146 or the “Department of Migration and Development Act of 2016,” which seeks to create a department that will recommend and implement the government’s policies, plans and programs for the promotion of protection, safety, development, support, of and for Filipinos overseas and their families left

behind.

She said that the department will be a dedicated department to look after the affairs of 12 million Filipinos overseas.

Villar’s proposed department also seeks to develop, implement and improve coordination with other countries with the presence of Filipinos and monitor foreign developments.

It will also promote, develop and monitor the continuing education, training and qualifi-

cation, availability and deployment of OFWs and coordinate with concerned agencies in the training of overseas Filipinos to improve their competitiveness globally.

Under the bill, POEA and OWWA will be attached to the department for policy and program coordination.

Villar’s measure remains in the committee level, however, she expressed hope that under the current administration, this could be fast-tracked.

(PNA)

OVERNMENT troops are working round-the-clock to find the remains of the Filipino ship captain beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf bandits five days ago in the island province of Sulu, an official said Monday.

“There’s an ongoing re-

lentless search operation [to retrieve the body of the slain kidnapped victim],” Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana Jr., commander of Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS), told the Philippines News Agency.

On Sunday, Sobejana con-

Lapu-Lapu City.

Dominguez said the joint statement issued by the ASEAN finance ministers and central bank governors encapsulated the ongoing and planned efforts of the bloc to achieve financial integration and stability amid the current challenges in the global economy.

Dominguez said the joint statement “enumerates several initiatives to further harmonize [ASEAN’s] finance and monetary policies.

“These initiatives built on the foundation of prior achievements such as the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework. We have quite notably convened a working committee [on] financial inclusion to broaden the base of our financial systems and

bring all our communities into the mainstream of development,” Dominguez said.

“The vision of an ASEAN Economic Community is a compelling one. We are confident that all the work we’ve put in to support the realization of this vision will reap significant benefits for our people,” he added.

The ASEAN finance ministers and central bank governors earlier reaffirmed their commitment to promote growth and strengthen financial integration and stability in the region to guard against risks in the global economy arising from possible protectionist policies and volatilities, while ensuring that economic benefits are shared equitably among its peoples. (PNA)

firmed the killing of F/B Ramona skipper Noel Besconde, who was abducted along with three of his crewmembers in December 2016 in the Celebes Sea. Sobejana said the victim was executed on Maundy Thursday by the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sadjawaan in the village of Tugas in the town of Patikul.

Besconde was reportedly sick, prompting the bandits to

behead him because his condition delays the movement of the group while evading advancing government forces.

On Monday, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año also ordered the troops to locate the remains of Besconde.

“I desire that his body be brought to his mourning family and be accorded a decent burial,” he said in a statement.

(PNA)

key is to make people aware of their responsibilities to help protect and conserve the province’s natural heritage.

As to the security measures, the province is working together with the Davao Oriental Provincial Police Office and the Philippine Army to ensure the safety of the tourists from threats of terrorism and insurgency. Trained police officers have already been stationed to every tourism sites to safeguard the communities and tourists from various threats.

“We cannot just cower down. Wherever you are in the world there is always vio-

lence. That’s why we need to strengthen our efforts while helping to project the province as a vibrant tourism destination. To do this we are collaborating with the barangays and the communities.”

“We are still experiencing birth pains in terms of management of our tourism sites,” Trocio said, noting that propping up tourism does not happen overnight and is continuous process. However, he assured that the gains for the province and for the community will be all worth it in the end. (Karen Lou Deloso/PIO DavOr)

EN. Cynthia Villar on Monday welcomed the plan of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to set up a department that would focus on the affairs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“Siyempre, gusto natin iyon. Iyon nga ang pangarap natin (Of course we want that.

That’s our goal),” Villar told reporters in an interview.

Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, has repeatedly ex-

Troops scour Sulu jungle to locate remains of beheaded ship captain

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Get crazy with Toyota FT-4X

A

H, millennials.

You’re an indecisive, crazy bunch and it shows in the vehicles that carmakers have so far come up just for you.

Toyota is the latest one to get into this craze with the FT-4X Concept at the New York International Auto Show. And before you dream about this being the next-generation FJ Cruiser, it’s not.

Instead, it’s specifical-

ly targeted for the urbanite who may somehow end up in a casual, albeit unplanned adventure.

There’s no need to climb or summit a mountain, Toyota says. A drive to a scenic point will do.

Purely a design concept at this point, the FT4X Concept is penned by the same studio who did the sexy FT-1 Concept: Toyota’s Caltry Design Research, Inc. Though the

concept has no engine inside, Toyota says it could potentially employ a small displacement four banger if they want to bring this vehicle into production.

The uni-body FT-4X Concept rides on the Toyota Next-Generation Architecture (TNGA) C-Platform employing a unibody construction with front MacPherson Struts and rear Double Wishbones.

And though this kills off

any hardcore off-roading potential, the FT-4X Concept can be equipped with four-wheel drive with a selectable lowrange, so that’s something.

The FT-4X Concept uses what Toyota calls “Rugged Charm” as its driving ethos and as such, is driven by characteristics like simplicity, capability, durability, and of course, the Toyota lineage. Stylists use the X Theme with the center of the vertical X being the door handle. It’s actually the widest part of the FT-4X Concept. The same X Theme is also found in the horizontal axis where at the four corners are custom 225/55R18 Goodyear tires.

The front fascia incorporates the X Theme as well with the center of the vertical X being the classic, extra-large Toyota logo flanked by LED headlights.

And as a nod to the classic Land Cruiser and Toyota pickups, the FT-4X Concept uses a horizontal orientation for its grille, headlights, and bumper. The driver’s side mirror also has a built-in GoPro Hero 5 Session, because Facebook Live. At the back, the hatch itself is interesting. With the Multi-Hatch mechanism, it opens either horizontally (for easier urban curb side opening) or vertically.

A rotatable handle is used to select the hatch’s opening mode.

Inside, Toyota calls the FT4X Concept a “rolling tollbox.”

Designers employed color-coded indicators to determine the space’s purpose with blue being closed storage and orange being open storage. Even the cabin has been sectioned into 3 zones. The Clean Zone is where the front passengers seat, the

Wet Zone, and the Rear Cargo Zone. There are more interesting details inside including the use of a The North Face sleeping bag that also functions as an armrest for the front passengers.

In the end, Toyota’s not gunning for folks who’re looking to buy the next classic Land Cruiser or FJ Cruiser. Instead, the FT-4X Concept is going more for “Casualcore” folks who will likely spend most of their time in the city, but will occasionally go out of town to snap the next viral Instagram post. Embodying as Toyota calls it, “Rugged Waku-Doki”, the FT-4X Concept is rolling proof that millennials and Generation Y are going for cars that look like they’re living the high life, but in reality, are means to escape the doldrums of cubicle life.

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GSIS opens college scholarship program T

HE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is currently accepting applications for its enhanced GSIS Scholarship Program (GSP) for Academic Year 2017-2018. The deadline for submission of application is June 9, 2017.

This year, GSIS is offering a total of 400 scholarship slots to children or dependents of

active members and permanent total disability (PTD) pensioners with the lowest annual basic salary. Of the 400 slots, 40 or 10 percent are allotted for dependents of persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and solo or single parents.

Active members may nominate their children or dependents if they are perma-

nent government employees, have at least three-year government service, have a salary grade of 24 or below (or its equivalent job level), and have paid premium contributions for the last six months. PTD pensioners who are below 60 years old are eligible to nominate their children as scholars .

Active members or dis-

ability pensioners may nominate scholars if they are college students in any year level in schools accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Levels IV and III. Active members who are single or married may nominate one child or dependent, while PTD pensioners may nominate their children only.

oped countries.

The campaign is premised on difficulties in securing various permits from LGUs amid rampant bureaucratic red tape.

The campaign took public the behind-closed-doors issue and turned a problem into an opportunity for local governments to show vision and leadership.

It took the form of public service announcements delivered via social media to get constituents to appeal for faster internet to their respective LGUs. The interactive and participatory aspect empowered the general public to raise the issue directly to their LGUs. At the same time, Globe directly appealed to LGUs at the 2016 Regional Competitiveness Summit, a national gathering of local government leaders, to make internet infrastructure development a top priority for the economic progress of their cities and regions.

To underline Globe’s commitment to its vision, the company worked with the city government of Manila to showcase what was possible when both telco and LGU work towards a common goal. Internet infrastructure upgrade work in Binondo, Manila (the world’s oldest Chinatown and its first “fiber district”), was accomplished 8 times faster than usual.

Collectively, these actions prompted voluntary and enthusiastic cooperation from LGUs and has been helping expedite internet infrastructure development in the country.

The company’s Disaster-Preparedness campaign is likewise shortlisted in two different categories namely Sustainability and Environment, and Film and Video.

According to Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications and Chief Sustainability Officer Yoly Crisanto,

this is part of the company’s commitment to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Globe started the disaster-preparedness movement under the brand’s advocacy pillar for environmental sustainability.

The campaign involved collaboration with environmental filmmakers to create videos featuring communities who live in disaster zones.

The films captured human moments of individuals facing and preparing for the next disaster. It sought to underline the urgency of disaster preparedness and how mobile technology becomes a tool for survival and awareness.

This message was taken to social media. The films launched on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Within days of posting, the films racked up tens of thousands of views and interactions, especially for the features on Bataan and Bohol that brought to light stark realizations and education about how these communities have learned to cope and survive within the constant threats of disaster.

“At the heart of Globe Telecom is the thrust of creating a wonderful world – one that is enhanced not only by telecommunications and digital innovation, but also sustained and enriched by a thriving environment. We purposefully started the two campaigns in support of the brand’s advocacy pillars for better internet experience and environmental sustainability.

The citation from the Asia-Pacific Excellence Awards deepens our commitment to these pillars,” Crisanto said. (PNA)

GSP scholars are entitled to the actual cost of tuition and miscellaneous fees not to exceed Php 40,000 per academic year and a monthly allowance of Php3,000. Monetary incentives in the amount of Php20,000, Php30,000, and Php50,000 also await scholars who will graduate with Latin honors cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude,

respectively.

GSP is one of the corporate social responsibility programs of GSIS. Since 1998, the program has been helping underprivileged yet deserving scholars obtain quality education from reputable schools.

Dependents of low-income members and pensioners are given priority in the selection process. (PNA)

Globe shortlisted in 3 categories of Asia-Pacific Excellence Awards IPC teams up with 1-Net to widen

G

LOBE Telecom has been shortlisted in three different categories of the Asia-Pacific Excellence Awards, created to honor the most outstanding achievements in the field of corporate communications, PR and public affairs.

Specifically, Globe was shortlisted in the following categories: Telecommunications, Sustainability and Environment, and Film and Video.

In the Telecommunications category, Globe gained citation for its #1stWorldInternetPH campaign in line with its vision of a progressive Philippines empowered by the nation-building benefits of faster internet. As the leading mobile telco in the country, Globe took it to task to mount a campaign seeking the cooperation of local government units (LGUs) to hasten the approval of building cell sites to give Filipinos internet experience that is at par with devel-

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is in need of Lay-out Artist Qualifications: • Male / Female • Knowledgeable in Adobe Photoshop and Indesign application • Willing to work under pressure

Accounting Clerks (2) Qualifications: • BS Accountancy Graduate • Female • Can work with minimum supervision • Experience of at least one year

Account Executive Qualifications: • BS Marketing Graduate • Male/Female • With pleasing personality Send your application letter and resume to: Ella P. Tingzon HR/Admin Supervisor Edge Davao Review Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Bldg., E. Quirino Avenue, Davao City Or email at edgedavao@gmail.com or ella_tingzon@yahoo.com

Data Center Footprints in Asia

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OCAL cloud services and data center pioneer IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) today announced that it has established a strategic partnership with 1-Net in Singapore to provide its customers with an interconnected data center network built for an increasingly digitized economy. This collaboration enables both organization to extend their data center capacity for faster access and deployment of customers in the countries.

IPC and 1-Net are both data center providers who operate carrier-neutral and telco-grade internet data centers in Philippines and Singapore respectively. This strategic partnership will strengthen the data center services of both providers, ensuring that customers’ data is securely stored. This will also enable enterprises to run mission-critical systems in our facilities while they grow their businesses in the two countries. The partnership will enable both IPC and 1-Net to deploy customers in both Philippines and Singapore with a single

EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF REAL ESTATE WITH SALE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late SEVERA ALONZO died on June 23, 2000 at El Rio Vista Village, Bacaca, Barangay 19-B, Davao City, Philippines has been the subject of an EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF REAL ESTATE WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.53; Page No.11; Book No. XXIX; Series of 2017, of the NOTARY PUBLIC BANSALAN B. METILLA.

contract, allowing quicker deployment without the need to renegotiate service level agreements and contracts.

“Our partnership with 1-Net virtually expands the data center footprint of both companies. Gaining access to data center facilities in Singapore enables our enterprise customers to extend their network into the more mature market in Singapore, and likewise offers the same benefit to regional players present in Singapore who are looking to expand into our bustling Philippines economy for business expansion,” said IPC Chief Executive Officer Reynaldo R. Huergas.

Recent reports from Structure Research[1], an independent research and consulting firm, have projected continued growth in data center demand in Asia. Singapore, in particular, is considered a default location for international expansion to the APAC region. Global companies are increasingly building their own data centers in this Singapore, as well as outsourcing to professional data center services providers.

“We see great potential for Singapore companies to expand into Philippines given the strong growth of cloud computing adoption and increasing digitalization across the country. This partnership allows us to bring potential customers in the region to each other’s data centers with a standardized service level agreement. Ultimately, we aim to create a data center ecosystem to enable our customers to expand their data center deployment in our regional partners’ facilities more efficiently. We hope this will also help both IPC and 1-Net to gain bigger market shares in this region together,” said Mr. Wong Ka Vin, Managing Director of 1-Net. (PR)

14 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

Sustainable land management is key to combat degradation

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

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HE Mekong Delta, situated in the South of Vietnam, is one of the biggest and most fertile deltas in Southeast Asia. The region provides 50% of the country’s rice production, of which 90% are exported to other countries.

The Lonely Planet described it as the “rice bowl of Vietnam.” It said: “The delta is carpeted in a dizzying variety of greens.

It’s a water world that moves to the rhythms of the mighty Mekong (River), where boats, houses and markets float upon the innumerable rivers, canals and streams that criss-cross the landscape like arteries. The bustling commerce of its towns contrasts sharply with the languid, almost-soporific pace of life in the countryside.”

The Mekong River is the main source of water used for irrigation and household needs. Some people do fishing in the river. As it is home to floating markets, the river is also one of the region’s tourist attractions.

About 31.5% of Mekong Delta’s soil is considered as alluvial as they have a siltclay to clay texture. Because of the delta’s flat area, the soil is poorly drained. That can be both an asset or a liability.

However, the single cropping of rice or low investment in crop diversification, imbalanced fertilizer application, changing land use, and increasing mechanization have resulted to land degradation causing crop yield losses.

It is for this reason why a team of researches has identified it as one of the three study sites of a study to find the constraining and facilitating factors on adoption of sustainable land manage-

ment (SLM) practices in the country.

The said study, a collaborative effort of the ELD (Economics of Land Degradation) Initiative and Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA), was conducted by Mau Dung Nguyen, head of the Hanoi University of Agriculture’s Department of Economics and Rural Development.

Aside from the Mekong Delta, the two other study sites were the northwest mountain region which is undergoing serious and extensive human-induced land degradation and the coastal region which also suffer from land degradation due to long dry seasons and short but heavy rainfalls.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has identified SLM as one way to mitigate environmental damage caused by land degradation.

SLM practices “help close yield gaps and enhance resilience of land resources and communities that directly depend on them while avoiding further degradation.”

In the Mekong Delta, the government introduced the crop restructuring program where areas grown with rice are planted to upland crops like corn and mung beans.

“The model of rice then upland crop and then rice was shown to result in soil quality improvement and thus can be considered as the SLM model in the region,” wrote Prof. Mau Dung.

In the northwest mountain region, several SLM practices have been introduced. But the most appropriate technology identified was the agroforestry model of cash crop rotated with beans. “(The model) can reduce soil erosion, contribute to environmental im-

provements and ensure food self-sufficiency for the farmers,” Prof. Mau Dung wrote.

In the coastal region, crop diversification has been proven to prevent land degradation in the areas affected with soil salinization and land erosion.

Interestingly, most farmers (82.7%) who were included in the study said they were aware of the problem of land degradation in their farms.

But perceptions among the three regions differ.

“While most farmers in the mountainous and coastal regions (82.7% and 100% respectively), only one-third (30%) of farmers in Mekong delta believed so,” Prof. Mau Dung reported.

Most farmers also identified “decline in land fertility” as an indicator of land degradation. “Around 80% of the farmers surveyed agreed that crop yield reduction was one of the indicators reflecting land degradation and 12.8% thought this was the Rice production and duck raising

most important indicator,” Prof Mau Dung reported.

The farmers surveyed in the study listed the following as the causes of land degradation in their farms: inappropriate farming techniques (more than 80%), and overuse of chemicals (around 80%), lack of knowledge (more than 70%). In the mountainous region, the most important reason was deforestation (94.5%).

The study found out also that income was one of the most important factors considered when adopting SLM practices. “Our analysis show that high income households appear to adopt SLM more than low and medium income households,” Prof. Mau Dung wrote.

“While 61.2% of the high income adopted SLM, only 46%-48% of the medium and low income households did so.”

In his study, Prof. Mau Dung urged that support services be provided. “Agricultural credit and training

and extension services are essential to enable farmers to adopt land management practices at least initially,” he wrote.

As mass and local media plays an important role in disseminating SLM practices, Prof. Mau Dung urged that “more radio bulletin and television news that introduce the SLM practices and their benefits” which are designed for each specific region.

He also recommended that government and policymakers to focus on improving the skills of extension staff who are involved in the promotion of SLM practices.

Since poor infrastructures were also identified as a drawback in SLM adoption, Prof. Mau Dung also recommended that the government consider investing programs for upgrading the road system in mountainous areas. Also, more investment for irrigation systems for central coastal region.

Credit loans should

Rice production in Mekong Delta also be considered. “Many households reported that the cost for SLM adoption was high and the delayed return on investment from agroforestry model was a constraint for adoption” and credit loan may able to help those farmers who will adopt SLM practices.

Prof. Mau Dung also recommended that social organizations be enhanced. “The local government should have specific plans to mobilize the active participation of these organizations for SLM promotion program,” he wrote.

These recommendations must be heeded if land degradation has to be halted. “Land degradation, as a major environmental threat for food security, is mostly caused by inappropriate land management,” Prof.

Mau Dung concluded. “Sustainable land management plays an important role in mitigating land degradation.” Photos courtesy of Prof. Nguyen Mau Dung

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

Olympian Martinez heads PHL bets in SEAG O

LYMPIAN Michael Christian Martinez will spearhead Philippine figure skating in the Southeast Asian Games slated from August 19 to 30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Figure skating and ice hockey are two of the sports that will be introduced in the SEA Games.

Martinez, 20, saw action in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, 2012 Innsbruck Winter Youth Olympics and the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan last February.

Philippine Skating Union president Manuel Veguillas told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that Sapporo Asian Winter Games veterans Samantha Cabiles and Kathryn Magno, who are both US-based, and Jules Alpe likewise earned slots in the Malaysia-bound contingent.

Also joining the SEA Games are Alisson Krystle Perticheto and Asnawi Hadji.

Cabiles was born and

raised in Lanai, Hawaii until she was nine years old. She moved to Michigan and started to skate at the age of 12.

Cabiles is a consistent honor student. She won the silver at the RIG Reykjavik International Games in Iceland and Summer Skate in Canada in 2015, and a bronze medal at the Triglav tournament in Slovenia in 2014.

The 20-year-old Cabiles, who enjoys photography, fashion blogging, trampoline, tennis and swimming, trains three hours on ice and two hours off ice.

Magno was born in San Jose, California. Her mother is from Quirino, Isabela while her father is from Subic Bay, Olongapo. She took up graphic design at the Art Institute in Sunnyvale, California.

Magno was a member of three figure skating clubs since 1995 before shifting to short track speed skating. Prior to the Asian Winter Games, she trained at the Olympic fa-

cility in Utah, United States for five months.

Magno began figure skating when she was five years old. She has competed abroad as member of the Philippine National figure skating team from 2008-2011.

“In 2014, I decided to try short track speed skating in which I found a new passion on the ice. That year, I was able to make history as the first ever Filipino speed skater to race and earn a speed skating medal for the country.

I only hope I can make more history for our country in the sport as well as see the sport grow in a tropical country like Philippines,” Magno said.

In 2016, Magno won four gold medals in the International Skating Union (ISU) World Tri-Series SEA Cup in Singapore. She also got another gold in the ISU World Tri-Series Southern Cross in Australia in the same year.

Alpe, 18, is from Molino town in Cavite. He was a silver

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most-popular team merchandise, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 2 and the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 3.

Rankings are based on in-store sales since the beginning of the 2016-17 NBA season.

4. James Harden, Houston Rockets 5. Dwyane Wade, Chicago Bulls 6. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs 7. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder 8. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors 9. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers 10. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

SPORTS15 TOP BET. Michael Christian Martinez will be the country’s bet in figure skating,a new event in the Southeast Asian Games.

medalist in the 2014 SEA Trophy Junior Division in Thailand.

Perticheto, 19, won the gold medal a t the Egna Spring tournament in Italy this year. Two years ago, she bagged the silver at the Skate Helena Cup in Belgrade, Serbia.

She has competed in the free skate at three ISU Championships, placing 18th at 2013 Junior Worlds in Milan, Italy; 17th at 2014 Four Continents in Taipei, Taiwan; and 16th at 2015 Four Continents in Seoul, South Korea. (PNA)

Lebron’s jersey is PHL topseller, Warriors most popular team 016 NBA Finals MVP LeBron James captured the top spot on the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) list of most popular jerseys in the Philippines, the NBA announced on Monday, April 17.

Highlighting sales from the four NBA Stores in the Philippines, the list features reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Stephen Curry at No. 2, and four-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving at No. 3.

The Golden State Warriors lead the list of

Top 10 Selling Jerseys 1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers 2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors 3. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Top 5 Most Popular Teams 1. Golden State Warriors

Cleveland Cavaliers Los Angeles Lakers Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs

Fans can purchase NBA merchandise through the four NBA Stores in the Philippines, located in Manila at Glorietta 3, Mega Fashion Hall, TriNoma, and in Cebu at Ayala Center.

Bulls topple Celtics in Game 1

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BIG GAME. Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls had a big game in the series opener upset of Eastern Conference flag winner Boston.

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OSTON (AP) -- The Chicago Bulls waited until the final night of the regular season to cement their spot in the postseason. Jimmy Butler made sure the wait for a playoff victory was a short one.

Butler had 30 points and nine rebounds and the Bulls outlasted top-seeded Boston 106-102 in Game 1 on Sunday on an emotional night for grieving Celtics star Isaiah Thomas.

Playing a day after 22-yearold sister Chyna Thomas was killed in a car accident in their home state of Washington, Thomas led the Celtics with 33 points.

But Butler overcame a united Garden crowd and led Chicago to the victory, scoring 23 points in the second half. ''We were so locked in all week,'' Butler said. ''We knew their stuff, just like they knew ours. But we executed extremely well. We haven't done that all season, but this is the right time to do it.''

He also got a big lift from the Bulls' young reserves, who outscored their Boston counterparts 35-22.

Bobby Portis finished with 19 for the Bulls.

Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg lauded his team's defensive effort, particularly how it outrebounded

Boston 53-36. He also had praise for the job Butler did defending Thomas late, after Rajon Rondo picked up his fifth foul. ''Jimmy is obviously our best defender,'' he said. ''Jimmy is going to have his turn to guard him.''

Rondo said they wanted to be aggressive. ''I told the guys coming out it was going to be physical and we wanted to throw the first punch,'' he said.

Al Horford had 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Celtics. He was active throughout, coming up with several big baskets and assists to keep his team in the game.

Game 2 in the first-round series is Tuesday night in Boston.

Neither team had more than a two-possession lead until Butler made three free throws with 4 minutes to play to make it 95-88.

Butler scored 10 straight points to put the Bulls back in front early in the fourth, the first of three lead changes in the fourth quarter.

Later, Thomas had a scary moment when he was hit on his left hand on a 3-point attempt before landing awkwardly on it.

After a quick visit to the trainer, he calmly made all three free throws.

It was part of a stretch in which he scored seven straight points.

UPSET... FROM 16 against some of his other Top Rank stable fighters. Arum had talked last year of wanting to match Horn against his Top Rank fighters Jessie Vargas and/ or Tim Bradley to build up his name before matching him against Pacquiao in 2017. Arum didn’t do that.

Horn was instead matched against 43-year-old Randall Baily and Ali Funeka. Those are not well known fighters with the casual boxing fans, and they’re not considered top welterweights. So by rushing the Pacquiao-Horn fight without building up Horn first, Arum is left trying to talk up Horn’s chances by saying how good he is. You can’t build up a fight like that.

That’s backwards way of building up a fight. Arum might as well saying nothing at all, because he’s not going to be able to convince the casual boxing public to buy the Pacquiao-Horn fight, because it’s a terrible match-up. It’s even worse than Pacquiao’s last 2 fights against Jessie Vargas and Tim Bradley, and those were really poor matches made by Arum.

Hughie Fury’s management wants to move Joseph Parker fight from Auckland, New Zealand to the UK Challenger Hughie Fury (20-0, 10 KOs) was supposed to be facing WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (22-0, 18 KOs) for his title on May 6 at

the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. However, Fury, 22, reportedly doesn’t like the idea of traveling to New Zealand to fight the champion Parker in front of his own fans in New Zealand.

Fury and his management are said to want to move the fight to the UK. However, for them to be able to move the fight to the UK, they’re going to need to come up with the money to get it made. The Vector Arena has already been scheduled for the Parker-Fury fight, and tickets are being sold. It would be a real disappointment for the boxing fans that purchased the tickets if the fight is moved to the UK with less than 1 month to go before the fight.

It remains to be seen if Hughie’s backers can come up with the money needed to move the fight to the UK. The bad news is there’s less one month to go before the Parker vs. Fury fight on May 6. It would have been better for Hughie’s team to get the venue taken care of buy now instead of taking it down to the wire to start trying to move the fight. If Hughie is concerned about his chances of getting a fair decision in fighting Parker in his home country of New Zealand, then he probably should have gone in another direction towards fighting WBC champion Deontay Wilder or IBF champion Anthony Joshua.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports BRISBANE BOMBER. Jeff Horn has what it takes to pull an upset

VOL. 10 ISSUE 11 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

UPSET LIKELY Arum thinks Horn can pull off big upset against Pacquiao M

ANNY Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum is pretty excited about his fight on July 2 against the 29-yearold Jeff Horn (160 -

1, 11 KOs), who he’s giving a chance to pull off an upset against t h e “Pacman” at the Suncorp

Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

With Horn fighting in front of his own fans, which could number as many as 50,000, Arum says he won’t be as nervous as he would be if he were fighting in the U.S. Arum believes Horn will be relaxed enough to have a real chance of winning the fight to pick up the World Boxing Organization welterweight title from the 38-year-old Pacquiao.

Horn does look like a very good fighter for obscure guy. He might be able to pull off the upset and come out of nowhere to shake up the boxing world in the same way IBF light welterweight champion Julius Indongo did on Saturday night with his win over WBA champion Ricky Burns. However, based on Horn’s last 2 fights against 43-year-old Randall Bailey and 38-year-old former lightweight Ali Funeka, I’d say the chances of him pulling off an upset of Pacquiao are virtually zero. Both of those old timers knocked Horn down.

That doesn’t mean that the 85-year-old Arum is wasting his time trying to build up the career of Horn.

Arum could still eventual-

ly position Horn for more title shots in the future even if he gets beaten by Pacquiao. I don’t know if Horn will ever win a real world title, but he might if Arum can keep positioning him against his own fighters for the WBO 147lb title that gets passed down from one Top Rank fighter to another.

“I watched Horn’s last fight ringside in New Zealand and he’s a very capable young man,” Arum said to The Sunday Mail. “If his fight with Pacquiao was in Vegas or Madison Square Garden in New York I wouldn’t give him much of a chance because I think nerves would take over against a fighter like Manny. But the fact Jeff is going to be fighting in front of so many of his countrymen will calm his nerves and I think he will give a great account of himself.”

It’s unclear whether Arum is serious about his belief that Horn has a chance of winning.

He’s an experienced promoter, and he should have an idea of who can fight or not.

Pacquiao would have to have really done downhill for Horn to win this fight, because the Australian is not that good of a welterweight. He’s probably got a great story that interests Arum, but you have to have the goods to beat Pacquiao. Horn hasn’t shown that kind of abili-

ty yet as a pro. Horn did fight in the 2012 Olympics for Australia, but he was eliminated after 2 wins over easy opposition from Zambia and Tunisia.

Horns’ management came up with the money to get Pacquiao to come down to Australia to defend his WBO title, but that doesn’t mean that Horn is going to win the fight. It just means that Pacquiao is coming down to Australia to fight him on his own home turf.

Pacquiao is mentally strong enough to fight in a home fighter’s stadium without it causing him to go to pieces mentally the way it might do against a novice fighter or someone that was weak mentally.

“I’ve been in this business 51 years and I have presided over some tremendous upsets,” said Arum. ”Manny is a big favorite but in boxing, anything can happen and I have seen a lot of big upsets in my time.”

I don’t think a lot of boxing fans from the U.S are going to buy what Arum is saying about Horn having a chance against Pacquiao. The problem that Arum has in trying to market the Pacquiao-Horn fight is he was in too much of a rush to make the fight. Arum made the fight before he built Horn up in the U.S by matching him

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