Edge10 issue127 September 27, 2017

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

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Serving a seamless society

NEW CHAIR. Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte congratulates Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta after being sworn in as chair, vice chair and member to various committees that Councilor Nilo Abellera Jr vacated during Tuesday’s regular session at Sangguniang Panlungsod. Lean Daval Jr.

OPPOSITION Waste to energy plant seen not viable for Davao

By ANGIE SAVERON

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avao City’s solid waste problem cannot be solved by adopting a thermal Waste to Energy (WTE) technology that is bound to trigger more problems in the long run.

Thus warned Dr. Jorge A. Emmanuel, a Department of Science and Technology Balik Scientist on Tuesday during the regular session of the City Council.

“Based on my many years of study of waste to energy technology I believe that biological waste to energy are good options but I believe that the Thermal

waste to energy technology such as gasi�ication, pyrolysis, plasma technologies may not be viable options for Davao,” Dr. Emmanuel told the City Council during the privilege hour.

He pointed out four reasons why the technology is bound to fail. On the operational track record, he said six gasi�ication plants and waste to energy plants or projects in the United Kingdom failed and were abandoned due to many operating problems with one local government unit losing 2.4 million British pounds.

Secondly, Davao City has no capacity to constantly monitor the WTE’s operation. “Therefore it creates an environmental and public health concern since constant monitoring of WTE plant is important to detect the emission of toxic pollutant such as dioxin which can cause cancer, birth defect, reproductive organ problems and can lower the intelligence quotient (IQ) of the children,” he said.

He said event the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has no capac-

ity to monitor the WTE.

Thirdly, the operating cost of one thermal WTE is high, with some WTE vendors around the world not disclosing to its potential buyers the real cost of operating one. “If the true and full operating cost had been disclosed or known beforehand more LGU’s around the world would have not committed to this technology and many would have not lost millions of dollars,” he said.

He suggested to the council that the imple-

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EDGEDAVAO Sports SPORTS P16

BATTLE OF BEIJING 4 MP Davao boxers to fight in China

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

GEARING UP. Cadets from Agro-Industrial Foundation College perform during a silent drill competition in time for the celebration of National Maritime Week at Rizal Park in Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Japan opens scholarship for Filipino professionals

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he Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, is accepting applications for its scholarship program, as it supports capacity building of Filipinos.

“By helping build the capacity of Filipino professionals, JICA aims to sustain the economic growth trajectory of the Philippines in the longterm,” said JICA Chief Representative Susumu Ito. Ito noted the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship by

Japanese Grant Aid, or JDS, is “strongly committed to helping young Filipinos and scholars thrive in their professions and contribute to nation building.”

Historically, Japan’s own economic resurgence depended on education and human resource development, among other factors.

Through capacity building programs in the Philippines such as JDS, Filipino scholars learn Japan’s accumulated knowledge and expertise in various �ields and

he Supreme Court has dismissed from the service a judge in Surigao del Norte for immorality and gross misconduct.

In a 21-page per curiam decision promulgated on July 25, 2017, the Court found Presiding Judge Exequil L. Dagala of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Dapa-Socorro, Surigao Del Norte guilty of immorality and gross misconduct and

perpetually disquali�ied him from re-employment in all public of�ices.

Dagala was dismissed after he was caught on video wielding an M-16 armalite ri�le. It was also found out that he had sired a child with a woman other than his wife.

The Court also ordered the forfeiture of his retirement and other bene�its except accrued leave credits.

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Lifting of Martial Law in Mindanao endorsed

Groups says ML outlived its purpose

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here is no need for the continued imposition of Martial Law in Mindanao four months after its declaration with the siege in Marawi City by the ISIS-inspired Maute Group as its basis, a civilian monitor calling itself Alisto! said on Monday.

President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 216 placing the entire Mindanao under martial on May 23, the same day the Maute Group attacked Marawi where it’s still battling government

forces.

Speaking during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao Monday, lawyer Manuel Quibod, who represents the Ateneo Legal Aid Services at the Alisto!, said they believe that Duterte’s “calling out power” would be enough to deal with the crisis.

Section 18, Article 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states, “The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines and whenever it

becomes necessary, he may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion.”

“President’s calling out powers as Commander-in-Chief is always there with or without Martial Law declaration. ‘Sec. 18, Art 7’ is his commander-in-chief powers. It also provides when he could declare martial law,” he said in a text message.

Quibod, College of Law

dean at the Ateneo de Davao University, said they are appealing to Duterte not to extend or even expand martial law to cover the entire country.

Based on the Constitution the martial law declaration was supposed to lapse on July 22.

But four days before that, the president announced he was extending it until December 31 this year because “rebellion in Mindanao will

he Philippine National Police has instructed all of its units to conduct a vulnerability check on all their installations nationwide to ensure their capability to repel attacks and other forms of harassments from rebel

groups and other lawless elements.

The order was issued by PNP head Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, said police spokesperson Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos in a Radyo Pilipinas report Tuesday.

The vulnerability check aims to ensure the readiness of police units to defend themselves and repel the attack of the lawless elements, he added.

Dela Rosa issued this order following recent encounters with rebel group-

ings in Caranglan, Nueva Ecija and Mount Banoy, Batangas.

In line with this, the PNP chief has also ordered all operatives to intensify their intelligence gathering missions so as not to be caught �lat-footed. (PNA)

SC dismisses Surigao judge for immorality T ‘Vulnerability check’by PNP units urged T SC, 10

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HERALDING THE NEW. Davao Tourism Association (DATA) president Gatchi Gatchalian (center), Department of Tourism (DOT) 11 director Robbie Alabado (left) and Sous Chef Chris Balane of Marriott Manila lead the banging of a huge

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

cooking pot to mark the opening of KUSDELSUR: Flavors of the South at the activity center of Abreeza Mall on Tuesday.

Lean Daval Jr.

Army says Fr. Soganub did not convert to Islam L

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he vicar-general of Marawi Prelature, FatherTeresito Soganub celebrated his �irst Mass on Sept. 24 since his rescue from Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the joint task force �ighting to dislodge IS-inspired militants in the southern Philippines, released a photo of the priest and other clergy celebrating Mass for troops at the armed forces headquarters in Manila.

HIV/AIDS awareness goes to the grassroots

“It was a great celebration of life for Father Chito [Soganub’s nickname], whose personal safety was placed in danger because of the battles in Marawi,” Brawner said in a note accompanying the photo.

“According to Father Chito, the Mass is also a thanksgiving for the lives of those who were rescued,” he said.

“Father Chito is praying that he will be able to hear Mass again at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Marawi City once

the �ire�ight is over and the area is cleared of improvised explosive devices.”

Brawner said the photo should put to rest earlier reports that extremists had forced Father Soganub’s conversion to Islam.

Catholic and Islamic leaders have dismissed the conversion claim.

Bishop Edwin de la Pena of Marawi said any action made under duress is never binding and that Father Soganub’s statements after his rescue indicated

an “abiding, deep Catholic faith.”

Ulamah or Islamic clergy also stressed that the IS-linked militants are not quali�ied to convert anyone since they have also violated many precepts of Islam.

Bishop de la Pena said Father Soganub’s healing journey would allow his gradual return to full diocesan duties.

He expressed hope for a quick healing after a reunion with his assistant and

ti-graft and corrupt practices.

In a response dated May 10, 2017, Rep. Floirendo argued that the complaint was without basis because he “did not have any direct or indirect �inancial or pecuniary interested in the 2003 [Bureau of Corrections and Tagum Agricultural Development Company accord] that would fall within the ambit of the prohibition under Art. VI, Sec. 14 of the Constitution, or any other law.”

Moreover, the congressman said that RA 3019 “does not penalize mere stockholding in a private corporation

that has an existing contract with the government. There must be a showing of a con�lict of interest, i.e., a showing that the private interest of a public of�icial or employee con�licts or tends to con�lict with the performance of his of�icial duties.”

Rep. Floirendo, who expressed disbelief at the speed on how the investigation of the complaint was made, remains con�ident the indictment will be reversed and expresses his continued respect for the legal process the courts will adopt in hearing the charge.

In full, Rep. Floirendo’s statement reads as follows: “It has come to my attention that the Ombudsman, in response to a complaint �iled against me, has recommended my indictment before the Sandiganbayan. This unfortunate development is unanticipated given the haste the complaint was decided as opposed to other similar grievances that have taken years before they were resolved.

“As it is now, I have yet to receive a copy of the resolution. Nevertheless, I have already conferred with my

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Favorable TADECO verdict not ruled out

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avao del Norte congressman Antonio ‘Tonyboy’ Floirendo, Jr. has expressed optimism the indictment issued against him by the Of�ice of the Ombudsman would eventually be resolved in his favor.

In an Ombudsman resolution dated September 4, 2017, the anti-graft of�ice, acting on a complaint �iled

by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, declared that there was “suf�icient evidence showing the respondent probably committing a violation of Section 3(h) of RA 3019,” which is the law on an-

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AOAG CITY -- Following the increasing number of Human Immunode�iciency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune De�iciency Syndrome (AIDS) cases in Ilocos Norte, a team from the Provincial Health Of�ice (PHO) is reaching out to the grassroots levels to ensure everybody is well-informed to help prevent the spread of the disease.

Unlike other viruses, the HIV lives inside the body of a human forever. If left untreated, this leads to the disease called AIDS, said health experts.

Dr. Josephine Ruedas, Of�icer-in-Charge of the Pro-

vincial Health Of�ice, said Tuesday the promotion of awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention is among the top priority programs of the Department of Health (DOH) as cases of the disease continue to rise.

In Region 1, data from the DOH shows there are 139 HIV cases covering the four provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

Health experts said HIV/ AIDS is acquired through unprotected sex particularly with same sex partners.

In Laoag City, several hospitals here are offering

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Davao del Norte adds P50M to P650-M equipment loan

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avao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario added P50 million more to the P600 million bank loan he had earlier sought to fund four projects.

Instead of just P250 million for the purchase of equipment, the governor agreed to increase it to P300 million. The money is to be used for the acquisition of 31 various heavy equipment.

Planned to be acquired through the loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines are 12 units of dump

trucks at P10.2 million each or total budget of P122.4 million; 3 wheel loaders at P14.1 million each or total of P43.3 million, 5 road graders at P16.2 million each or total of P81 million, 3 vibrating rollers at P5 million each or total of P15 million, 2 backhoes at P15.15 million or total of P30.3 million and 1 self-loading truck at P9 million, or a gross total of P300 million.

The loan would also be used for the upgrading of the Davao del Norte Sports

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Senate okays P750M fund for electric coops

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he Senate on Monday unanimously approved on third and �inal reading a measure which allocates PP750 million to fund the disaster rehabilitation efforts of electric cooperatives in the wake of calamities.

Under the Electric Cooperative Emergency and Resiliency Fund Act of 2017 or Senate Bill No. 1461, this amount will be allocated to the National Electri�ication Administration.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Energy Committee and principal sponsor of the measure, said the amount will be allocated for the exclusive use of electric cooperatives for the immediate restoration of electricity and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by natural disasters.

“Electric cooperatives have been put in a tough spot for their incapacity to turn the power back on after calamity strikes. This measure will address the lack of disaster response funding and hopefully, empower electric cooperatives to act in a speedy and ef�icient manner,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

The senator added that

because electric cooperatives carry the heavy burden of restoring electricity as quickly as possible after calamities, the government should make sure that electric coops have the resources to rapidly and ef�iciently respond to the needs of Filipinos during trying times.

To access the emergency �inancial assistance, electric cooperatives are required to prepare and submit a comprehensive and integrated disaster management program.

This program includes the following: a Vulnerability Risk Assessment (the identi�ication of critical assets and the development of disaster management measures to protect, restore, or strengthen critical assets prior to the onset of natural disasters); Emergency Response Plan (contains the organizational structure and steps for the electric cooperative to restore its system in a safe and timely manner are indicated); and a Resiliency Compliance Plan (a list of projects and programs to protect and mitigate the vulnerability of identi�ied critical assets are laid out). (PNA)

NEW PLAYER. Columnist-publisher Serafin Ledesma Jr. discusses the forthcoming entry of a new telecommunications company in the market that will

mainly focus on providing fast and reliable internet connection in a gathering with local media practitioners on Monday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

Tax incentives eyed PH Japan affirm measures for pay parking biz to hasten flagship projects

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OKYO— In line with their mutually approved “Fast and Sure” principle, top Philippine and Japanese of�icials agreed here Monday to further streamline their respective approval processes and introduce new measures to put in the fast lane the implementation of big-ticket infrastructure projects presented by Manila to Tokyo for possible �inancing.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who heads the visiting Philippine delegation to the 3rd Philippines-Japan High-Level Meeting of the Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation held here, reported during the session that “signi�icant milestones” have been reached in the processing of the jointly agreed project list between the two countries.

“Now that our plans have progressed, we intend to lay out speci�ic plans on how to expedite the processing and implementation of the �lagship projects,” Dominguez said in his opening remarks during the meeting, referring to the infrastructure projects that the Philippines will be implementing in cooperation with Japan.

In their meeting, both panels agreed to speed up their respective project approval processes and come up with additional mea-

By ANGIE SAVERON

sures “for more ef�icient decision making, and swift execution such as in project preparation and formulation, due diligence, procurement process and project implementation including land acquisition and resettlement,” Dominguez said.

Noting that both governments have successfully introduced improvements in their key processes in the past, the meeting allowed both sides to discuss additional measures to streamline processing, including by introducing innovative mechanisms and actions. The Japanese side expressed openness to explore and discuss government to government measures.

Dominguez said the shortening of the processes would depend on the “complexity of the projects,” among other factors.

“Our regular rounds of high-level meetings have brought about signi�icant changes in the way we do things. Needless to say, we hope to continue pushing for improvements in order to accomplish more in less time,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said the close cooperation between the Philippines and Japan “has not only enabled high-level collaboration” in their bilateral meetings “but also technical-level exchanges on the ground.”(DOF)

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he Davao City council is working on an ordinance that would grant �ive-year tax exemption to landowners who would convert their vacant lots into pay-parking establishments.

This incoming piece of legislation will complement another proposed ordinance that will prohibit the parking of vehicles along selected streets in the city as a means to decongest the city.

“Both ordinances will complement each other,” said Majority �loor leader and Councilor Bernard Al-ag during the Pulong Pulong ni Pulong media forum on September 26, Tuesday.

He said both ordinances were part of the ‘priority concerns’ pushed by Mayor

Sara Duterte-Carpio during the State of the City Address.

He said property owners of vacant areas in the commercial district of Davao are encouraged to utilize their property as parking spaces.

“The incentives are exemption of payment to real property tax for �ive years, business taxes, payment of the building permits in order to encourage these property owners to go into car park business,” said Al-ag.

Councilor Jimmy Dureza Chairperson for Trade, Commerce and Industry said that the proposals are already forwarded to his committee and he already conducted the �irst committee hearing on the matter.

He assured the fast tracking the passage of this or-

dinance. There is no speci�ic area for the parking space.

“Anywhere in the city as long as ipagamit nimo ang imong property sa mga Davaoeños for parking (anywhere in the city as long as they will utilize the property for parking space for the Davaoeños ) ,” said Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte in an interview.

At the same time, he said some streets in the city have been connected to Light Emitting Diode (LED) for the people to see the difference to sodium lights. “ Kung magustuhan sa atong mayor, kung magustuhan sa mga Davaoeños ato ng ipush through ang LED lIghts(if themayor will like it, if the Davaoeños will like then we will push through

the implementation of LED Lights),” he said. .

“I think the direction right now the city government would want Davao Light to do the purchasing, murag mao pud ang direksyon na gusto sa atong mayor (I think that is also the direction the mayor would want),” said Al-ag.

The conversion of light in the entire city will cost P 700 million and the city doesn’t have the budget.

He said the city would want Davao Light to do the maintenance since they are the city’s power provider.

Al-ag said that they will work hand in hand with Davao Light Power Company in improving the existing agreement between the two.

he United Coconut Planters Bank on Monday hailed the recent Supreme Court decision to lift the Temporary Restraining Order on two Executive Orders issued by former President Benigno Aquino in 2015 targeted for the utilization of the Coco Levy Fund.

In a statement Monday, UCPB said the lifting of the TRO against EO Nos. 179, which calls for the inventory, privatization and transfer of coco levy assets in favor of the government, and 180, di-

rected for the dissolution of Coconut Industry Investment Fund holding companies with all remaining money and assets to be “transferred, deposited or delivered to the Government in accordance to with the foregoing provisions” is a welcome development.

Last week, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government will not provide �inancial support to UCPB beyond 2018.

The Privatization Council has set the bidding for the

recapitalization of United Coconut Planters Bank in September 2015 following the issuance of the EOs but this did not push through following the issuance of the TRO in response to the petition of the Confederation of Coconut Farmers Organization of the Philippines (CONFED).

UCPB, in a statement, said the lifting of the TRO “will de�initely redound to the bene�it of UCPB and its clients as this will strengthen the Bank’s capital and generate more resources to improve

its competitive position in the market.”

“We will be coordinating closely with the DOF (Department of Finance) for their next steps, and will provide updates to all our stakeholders as we do so,” it said.

“We would like to assure our clients that it is business as usual for the Bank while we go through each phase of this much-awaited recapitalization program and that they can look forward to a better and stronger UCPB,” it added. (PNA)

UCPB hails lifting of TRO vs coco levy EOs T

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Strong fiscal performance pressed to lift PH growth

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JAPAN-BOUND. Councilor Jimmy Dureza discusses the upcoming Economic Road Show that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and some members

of the City Council will spearhead in Japan on October 16 to 20 during the Pulong Pulong ni Pulong media forum on Tuesday. Angie Saveron

n economist of ING Bank Manila said the August 2017 �iscal report of the Philippine government “did not disappoint” but stressed the need for a “strong �iscal performance” to lift third-quarter growth.

Last week, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported a P28.8 billion budget surplus for August this year, lower than the PHP32.6 billion surplus same period last year.

Revenues grew by 10 percent to P230.4 billion and expenditures by 14 percent to PHP201.6 billion.

As of end-August this year, the budget gap stood at P176.2 billion, 27 percent up from the P138.4 billion same period last year.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Joey Cuyegkeng, in a research note, said the government’s budget surplus last August might not only be due to improvement in collections “but also with one-off revenue gains likely to be related to tax settlement in�lows.

“The higher de�icit is likely a re�lection of better utilization of the programmed spending,” he said.

“August (�iscal report) did not disappoint but the acceleration in spending was milder than we expected,” he said.

Cuyegkeng explained that they projected “close of 20 percent” year-on-year growth in spending in the eighth month this year but noted that below expected spending growth “may have to do with some accounting and booking delays.”

“The improvement should help overall economic growth to remain close to 6.5 percent in 3Q despite manufacturing growth indicators posting some moderation,” he added.

Growth in the second quarter this year rose slightly to 6.5 percent from quarter-ago’s 6.4 percent.

The government’s fullyear growth target is a range between 6.5-7.5 percent. (PNA)

House seen to amend DTI leads coconut real estate invest law roadshow to USA

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he House of Representatives may push for the amendment of the Real Estate Investment Trust Act, Rep. Arthur Yap said Monday.

During the real estate market brie�ing of Leechiu Property Consultants, Yap said the lower house may opt to amend the REIT law and specify that the transfer of assets into REITs will be tax-free and be exempted from value-added tax.

Yap, who is also the chair for House Committee on Eco-

nomic Affairs, said the REIT law would have to undergo the same process and “will have to fall in line” along with other bills in the Congress if it would amend the law.

The Republic Act No. 9856 was enacted in 2009 to encourage the investing public to invest in property projects and to further develop the capital market.

However, REIT has yet to take off in the country due to uncertainties like whether the transfer of asset should be subject to the 12-percent

VAT. Under the term of former Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares, her of�ice issued a memorandum order that the transfer of asset under REIT will be slapped with VAT. Yap stressed that Congress would stick to imposing the law and giving a tax-free transfer of asset and also exempted from VAT as it recognized that there is no gain or loss on the initial transfer for the income purposes.

He said the House Committee on Economic Affairs is waiting for the recommendation and �inal position of the BIR. “The BIR is working right now very hard, with what the interpretation of the BIR would be; on whether the �irst transfers of the asset into the REIT will be VATable or not,” Yap said.

“I, on my part, I feel that I would have to issue a committee report by this October on the status of the REIT,” he added. (PNA)

jing and proceed the following day to Shanghai, China’s �inancial center, to hold a brie�ing on the Philippine economy with China’s business leaders.

Dominguez, Diokno and Pernia will be joined by Secretaries Mark Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Vivencio Dizon, president of the Bases Conversion Development Authority in Shanghai for the economic brie�ing.

Dominguez said the economic team will also spearhead a “non-deal roadshow” to entice potential buyers of the Philippines’ Panda bond offering, which is tentatively scheduled in the last quarter of the year “depending on market conditions.”

The “non-deal roadshow will also be an opportunity to inform potential investors of the rosy outlook of the Philippine economy under the Duterte administration’s massive “Build, Build’ Build” infra-

structure program.

The Duterte administration is planning to spend between P8 trillion and P9 trillion on its “Build, Build, Build” program, over the next �ive years.

Based on NEDA estimates, this unprecedented infrastructure program is expected to generate 106,824 additional jobs this year; 823,696 jobs in 2018; 1,115,999 jobs in 2019; 1,228,963 jobs in 2020; 1,399,463 jobs in 2021; and 1,705,023 jobs in 2022.

While the average rate for infrastructure spending in the past administrations was 2.6 percent of the GDP, the Duterte presidency plans to ramp it up to 5.32 percent of GDP for this year alone with an infra budget of P847 billion.

The Duterte administration plans to gradually increase the public infrastructure budget to 1.2 trillion in 2018; 1.4 trillion in 2019; P1.5 trillion in 2020; P1.7 trillion

in 2021; and P1.9 trillion in 2022.

According to Dominguez, the Build, Build, Build program will be funded by a combination of resources from its proposed comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP), foreign development aid and commercial loans.

He said the �irst package of the CTRP—the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act or TRAIN, which is now pending in the Congress, will serve as the “cornerstone” of the funding for the government’s ambitious infrastructure program.

Last March, the Philippines and China signed agreements on the conduct of preliminary studies for two proposed big-ticket infrastructure projects in the Visayas and Mindanao during the visit of Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang to President Duterte’s home city of Davao. (DOF)

Economic team China-bound for briefing on PH

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Cabinet-level delegation led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and other members of the economic team will visit China on September 27-29 to pitch the Philippines’ planned renminbi-dominated Panda bond offering and the rosy prospects for investments under the country’s fast-growing economy.

Dominguez, along with Secretaries Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic and Development Authority and Benjamin Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management will also meet with high-ranking Chinese of�icials to discuss the progress of the preparations for the Philippines’ big-ticket infrastructure projects that would be partly funded by Of�icial Development Assistance (ODA) from China.

The economic team will meet with Chinese ministry of�icials on Sept. 27 in Bei-

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he Department of Trade and Industry through its Export Marketing Bureau and Philippine Trade and Investment Centers (PTICs) in the United States recently concluded the 2017 Philippine Coconut Roadshow held from September 6 to 24 2017 in key cities including Los Angeles, Colorado, San Francisco, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. “We see the increasing healthy, non-GMO, and gluten- free lifestyle of the American market as a window of opportunity for our exporters to promote their products as well as showcase the Philippines as an ideal source for coconut-based products,” said DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado.

DTI supported 17 Philippine exporters enrolled in its Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters Plus (RIPPLES) program to extensively promote coconut oil and coconut-based products, including food, cosmetics, and personal care items to the huge US market.

Together with key of�icials from the United Coconut Association of the Philippines and Virgin Coconut Oil Philippines (VCOP), the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers in the United States (Washington, D.C. and San Francisco) assisted and organized business meetings between American and Philippine

companies for potential partnerships that seek to enhance and expand exports of Philippine coconut-based products to the United States. The group also met with US doctors and scientists that have indepth knowledge on the bene�its of coconut oil.

The group participated in the 50th ASEAN Anniversary Forum organized by the ASEAN Trade Commissioners in partnership with the Port of Los Angeles. The meetings with leading importers and retail chains in Los Angeles and San Francisco generated market leads and market access platforms for the participants.

For the Washington, D.C. leg, the Philippine Companies met with the US Department of Agriculture, the Organic Trade Association, the US–Philippines Society, Foodshowcase, the USA Halal Chamber of Commerce, and Registrar Corporation.

Participating exporters and Philippine of�icials were also briefed on the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program, including identifying coconut products that could bene�it from GSP treatment. Meetings held in Washington, D.C. highlighted the importance of trade policy issues when exporting to the United States, including compliance to US food safety regulations, labelling, and other non-tariff measures. (DTI)

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Former champion John Mark Tokong of General Luna, Siargao Island fully utilizes his hometown edge against his foreign foes in the 23rd Siargao International Surfing Cup held in Cloud Nine, General Luna, Siargao Island on Sept. 25, 2017.

Photo courtesy of Tim Hain of World Surf League.

SoCot steps up tax A collection efforts

SoCot personnel get service award

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he provincial government of South Cotabato has stepped up its tax collection activities in a bid to cope with its targeted overall income of P1.7 billion by yearend.

Alvim Batol, provincial treasurer, said Tuesday they have adopted various strategies to improve ef�iciency in the collection of local taxes and revenues of its economic enterprises and other income-generating facilities.

He said these included the provincial hospital in Koronad-

al City, three municipal hospitals, South Cotabato Sports Complex, South Cotabato Gym and Cultural Center, and the Productivity and Technology or ProTech Center.

The local government had completed the initial rehabilitation of various facilities of the provincial sports complex as part of the move.

Expansion is ongoing at local government-run hospitals, which remain among the top income sources of the provincial government.

From January to August

this year, Batol said the local government already generated a total income of P1.23 billion.

But he said the bulk of such �igure, speci�ically P897.7 million, came from the province’s Internal Revenue Allotment or IRA share from the national government.

Hospital fees reached a total of P229.4 million, while collection from real property taxes reached P38.19 million, he said.

With its targeted annual income of P1.7 billion, he said the local government’s bal-

ance until the end of the year is P496.24 million.

“We’re currently on track to reach that target,” Batol said.

But Batol said the local government remains committed with its goal to be less dependent on the IRA by increasing local tax collections.

He added that they are continuously coordinating with the provincial assessor’s of�ice and the province’s 10 towns and lone city to improve their real property tax collections. (Hydee Templonuevo / PNA)

oor residents here who are suffering from kidney failure or end-stage renal disease may now avail of free dialysis treatment courtesy of the city government.

This, as the local government-run Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital �inally opened its P26 million Renal Care and Treatment Unit, which is touted as among the most modern and complete dialysis centers in Mindanao.

Glenville Gonzales, assistant city administrator, said Tuesday the facility has already started catering to patients from the city and the neighbor-

ing areas.

He said the city’s dialysis center is equipped with brand new dialysis machines and equipment that are at par with those of existing centers operated by private hospitals in the city.

The facility has 15 main units and two backup machines for Sustained Low Ef�iciency Dialysis or SLED renal replacement therapy and body composition monitor, he said.

“We’re even better because while some centers are using refurbished machines, ours are all brand new,” Gonzales said.

He said the dialysis center

is manned by personnel who are properly trained to handle patients with kidney diseases.

Except for the supplies, blood requirements and laboratory tests, Gonzales said indigent patients may avail of at least 90 free dialysis treatments within the year.

The free treatment is equivalent to the hemodialysis coverage being provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Philhealth has increased the package to 90 days from the previous 45 per year to cope with the needs of the growing number of patients

who undergo dialysis treatment.

It adjusted the coverage from P4,500 to P2,500, which is considered the normal cost for hemodialysis treatment per session.

The local government, through City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, pushed for the development of a dialysis unit at the city hospital to provide an alternative to patients who undergo dialysis treatment.

Aside from local residents, the city hospital caters to patients from parts of Sarangani and South Cotabato provinces.

(PNA)

total of 167 of�icials and employees of the provincial government of South Cotabato have received service award for their “loyalty and dedication” to public service.

The local government conferred the award on Monday in a ceremony held at the provincial capitol in line with the province’s observance of the Civil Service Month.

Danilo Supe, provincial administrator, said the award was in recognition of their excellent performance and continuous services rendered to the provincial government for 10 or more years.

He said 44 of�icials and employees were feted for reaching 10 years in service, 12 for 15 years in service, 23 for 20 years in service, 46 employees for 25 years in service, eight for 30 years in service, 16 for 35 years in service, and 18 for 40 years in service.

The of�icial said the awardees included South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes, who is on her second straight term as governor.

Fuentes previously completed three straight three-year terms as governor, four terms as representative of the second dis-

AMBOANGA CITY – The police is conducting no-nonsense investigation to identify those behind ,the gun slaying of two people, including a village chief, in the province of Zamboanga del Norte.

Senior Supt. Raul Tacaca, Zamboanga del Norte police director, disclosed the incident occurred at around 5:10 p.m.

Monday in Barangay Baybay, Liloy municipality.

Tacaca identi�ied the slain victims as Philip Malon, 40, barangay chair of Mucas, Liloy; and his companion Edgar Vincent Lagare, 27.

They were rushed but failed

to reach alive at the hospital.

Wounded were Ava Vega, 35; and, Arl Acas, 25. They were hospitalized.

Tacaca said initial investigation showed that before the incident, the victims were seen to have disembarked from a vehicle in front of the commercial building owned by Liloy Town Councilor Marjhon Bihag, which is still under construction.

From there, they proceeded to their rented stall nearby to meet with Marichu Acas. She was unscathed during the incident.

Further investigation

SOCOT, 13

Zambo City village GenSan hospital opens dialysis center chief, pal shot dead P Z ZAMBO, 10

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

EDITORIAL

T

Strengthening the war against drugs

here are many ways, as they say, to battle illegal drugs without even stopping it.

That must be overemphasized to everyone especially those who want a halt to the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign chie�ly because of the bloody events that have claimed thousands of lives.

So rather than stopping it, there are other means of combatting the problem and everyone can participate in it.

The simplest way is to inform people, especially the young, of the ill effects of illegal drugs. Education is key to this campaign.

Didn’t we realize that there is the National Drug Education Program (NDEP) of the Department of Education which is further reinforced by the DepEd Memorandum No. 200, s. 2016 or the Strengthening the National Drug Education Program in Schools?

Yes, in realizing the importance of protecting the youth from the adverse effects of dangerous drugs and in supporting the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, the Department of Education (DepEd) strengthened the NDEP which is a comprehensive educational program, which provides a holistic approach in preventing and eliminating the menace of drugs in the country. The NDEP also

EDGEDAVAO

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GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE Richard C. Ebona | Product Development officer LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts.Address: 04 Orilla St. Purok 4B Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Specialist Cellphone number: 09472652969 General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City JAMILA C. CANONIGO AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Email Address: edgedavao@gmail.com Mobile: (Smart) 0948-823-3685 Tel: (088) 852-4894 Circulation Marketing Specialist

OLIVIA D. VELASCO D.D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JOCELYN S. PANES SOLANI SOLANI MARATAS General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist General Manager Director of Sales Finance OREAL L. REAL Marketing Assistant

enables all sectors to work collaboratively—with the school system as the core—thereby unifying all sectoral endeavors. The program has �ive components that the DepEd builds on to create awareness on the evils of using illegal drugs. These components are: a) curriculum and instruction; b) co-curricular and ancillary services; c) teacher and staff development; d) parent education and community outreach; and e) research, monitoring, and evaluation.

The DepEd likewise has strengthened the program implementation by establishing Barkada Kontra Droga Chapters in schools; intensifying anti-drug abuse information campaigns; supporting the activities planned by the designated regional and schools division NDEP coordinators; and involving Parent-Teacher-Community Associations and pupil/student organizations in drug abuse prevention activities.

The government can also tap its communications resources as well as enjoin the support of private media networks and organizations to allocate airtime and publication space to help disseminate drug education messages.

It’s time the communications experts and in�luencers of the government pool their resources, in�luence and knowledge in waging a different war against illegal drugs.

VANTAGE POINTS 9 VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 EDGEDAVAO Davao must get more visitors out of the tourist surge (Part 2)

M

oreover, Cebu’s island attractions draw many returning tourists, what with the islands ability to offer new nearby attractions to a wide array of visitors, being a gateway to tourist mecca Bohol, Bantayan island, and emerging jump-off destinations like Dumaguete and Siquijor.

Yet Mindanao can offer the same kind of attractions, perhaps at an even lower cost.

Despite the persistent perception problem, Mindanao’s tourism stakeholders will need to capitalize on these attractions and trends to get some of these foreign tourists.

Even as close to two million tourists now visit Davao City annually, about 90% of these are local tourists coming due mainly to Meetings, incentives Conventions and Events (MICE)

M

ark Taguba revealed he has spent as much as P92M in his dealing with the BOC’s ‘tara’ system.

What? Where did he get this much money?

I suspect he is not yet telling the whole truth.

As the principal character in the P6.4B shabu smuggle try, I see him as wanting to tell all but he doesn’t until he is assured he will go scot-free in the end.

I believe our good senators in the Blue Ribbon panel know this. Just by putting yourself in the shoes of Taguba, anyone will feel the heat on your nape because the matter is not that simple.

It is a matter of life and death. You know what I mean, of course.

The young man, with his boyish, innocent looks, is obviously smart. At 26, has gone through college in Australia. He has, though awkwardly, learned the ropes of going through the customs maze, greasing the palms of everyone he thought would

tourism.

Even as we now have large venues that can accommodate the biggest corporate conventions in Manila, we still need to develop new products and attractions that compel �irst time visitors to return even without the opportunity of a convention.

Apart from that, industry observers note that the city’s attractions are good for local tourists from manila or Cebu and nearby areas. These attractions may not be able to draw in foreign tourists the same way they go to other island destinations.

Likewise, the level and quality of service in our hotels, restaurants, and tourist transports will need to be reevaluated to expand strengths and manage weaknesses.

MY TWO CENTS’ John Tria On top of that, the new �lights going into and out of Davao present an opportunity to tap new markets. Moreover, it is time to develop new products for new market segments.

These and other facts of the

tourism sector were discussed in the recent Davao tourism conference held last September 22 at the Pinnacle Hotel. So far, it is the biggest and widest tourism crowd ever drawn with almost 200 stakeholders attending.

The event pushed the envelope of our understanding of the sector, with presentations from Cebu’s Alice Queblatin, PAL’s Vic Suarez and PR expert Amor Maclang adding fresh insights to the information presented by DOT Regional Director Alabado and City Tourism of�icer Gene Rose Tecson and DCIPC head Lemuel Ortonio.

These were followed by worokshops on marketing, product and service development One participant realized how vital it is for the private sector to “push the

lead” in building the tourism sector.

Re�lecting on the experience of Cebu, the lesson here is that the stakeholders themselves need to push the boundaries and targets in terms of getting new tourists arrivals. For her, government is a big help in assisting the sector, but as it is exactly the point- they HELP, while the sector takes the lead.

Leadership and enthusiasm for helping and industry grow rests not on other external actors, but on the sector itself to make it happen.

Everybody helps- those who help themselves. With the high interest and attendance of tourism stakeholders in the Tourism Conference, the future growth of visitor arrivals is more secure.

For reactions: facebook. com/johntriapage

Whispering to the ears of a middle functionary the name of a presidential, vicepresidential or senatorial relative, gives the user a great advantage in getting his “business deal’ done without a hitch.

This matter has been a controversial concern long before we became a republic.

It has been a small seed that was perhaps unwittingly planted into our culture since the Philippines was ceded to the US by the Spaniards. That culture was nurtured until the present time and has grown into menacing proportions.

As an aside, until today, historians are still trying to discover the real truth as to how the late great Gen. Antonio Luna lost the millions in gold he was carrying before the brave general was assassinated in Nueva Ecija.

Very clearly, this is the culture that Mark Taguba was introduced into as his testimony has revealed. His father was a former member of the customs police and

Gordon gawked at how the elder Taguba built his vast fortune arising out of his employment with the customs bureau.

The joke is that when a kid was asked to spell “RICH,”, he answered: “B-O-C.” I’m not mad at Mark.

As a parent, I see him as a willing victim of the culture of corruption that is prevailing in our government machinery.

I’m just exasperated at this juncture that some loose ends are not yet sewn together when they could be.

Of course, people from the other side of the political fence are riding piggyback, hoping they could twist the issues to their advantage.

Justice will take its natural course. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.)

Gen. 1:31: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.” GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

Taguba is a young man in a hurry

be of help in facilitating his cargoes out of the BOC portals.

Richard Gordon, committee chair, knows just too well how to handle Taguba who, to the former, is a young man too in a hurry to achieve success. READ: MAKE MILLIONS AND POSSIBLY BE LIKE MARK ZUCKERBERG. Not bad. It’s not bad to dream. And dream BIG. The senator from Olongapo, a lawyer, has been slowly but surely squeezing info from mark who is withholding vital data to use for bargaining later on.

Taguba’s lawyer, Atty.

Raymond Fortun, is ‘abogado de campanilla’. Surely, he will not allow his client to tell all without the least being assured that he will not serve a jail sentence. After all, he was not alone in doing the smuggle attempt.

However, Taguba is making it dif�icult to accurately describe “Tita Nanie,” a woman he said was the key in his transactions with the BOC. It would have helped if

SPECKS OF LIFE Fred C. Lumba a cartographic sketch is done by the NBI on the descriptions provided by Mark. Suspected criminals have been apprehended this way by the police and other enforcement agencies. So why not use it?

Besides, with a highlysophisticated cellphone in his possession, why was he not able to take a sel�ie with “Tita Nanie” and all others whom he has befriended at the BOC? Name-dropping has been one of the most effective tools of in�luence peddling in our government bureaucracy.

10 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

OPPOSITION... FROM 1 mentation of the Republic Act 9003 or Ecological Solid Waste Management Program and the zero waste principles should be applied. “We need to look to safer, less expensive, more appropriate and more environmentally sound technologies to deal with our waste problem and we need to go back to the basic,” said Emmanuel.

The city produces 63 percent biodegradable waste therefore he suggested to use a biological waste to energy technology.

“So you can either take the biological waste and make a compost out of it, use natural processes or use the waste to energy technology that are based to the natural processes these are the biological waste to energy that includes bio digestion, bio gas production,” said Emmanuel.

He said he was able to talk to the Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday and offered his services to give the mayor a critical view on this technology.

apply this knowledge upon their return to the Philippines.

JDS, one of JICA’s longest-running international scholarship programs, is open for Filipinos engaged in formulating and implementing socio-economic development plans and become future leaders in their respective �ields.

The JDS is open to Filipinos, between 22 and 39 years old as of April 1, 2018, and is interested to pursue a master’s degree in Japan to support Philippine development may apply until November 14, 2017.

To date, 319 Filipinos have received JDS scholarships. (PNA)

Dagala was one of the of�icials named by President Rodrigo Duterte involved in illegal drugs trade last August 2016.

The dismissal stemmed from the 2015 anonymous letter-complaint to the Of�ice of Ombudsman from an unnamed resident of San Isidro, Siargo Island, Surigao Del Norte, who had witnessed the altercation involving his neighbors and Judge Dagala over the ownership of his neighbor’s lot and the trees planted thereof.

Judge Dagala shouted invectives while brandishing an M-16 armalite ri�le, which was caught on camera and tape by the other neighbors. He was also accused of involvement in alleged illegal activities.

Upholding the �indings of the Of�ice of the Court Administrator (OCA) which had been ordered to investigate the case, the High Court held that there was suf�icient evidence to hold Judge Dagala accountable for gross misconduct in connection with the September 29, 2015 incident, as recounted in the anonymous complaint.

OCA identi�ied the man brandishing the armalite in video as Judge Dagala, who failed to deny or refute the allegations.

The High Court further held that such �inding of fact has various consequences, noting that a certi�ication issued by the Philippine Na-

tional Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Of�ice also disclosed that Dagala was not a licensed/registered �irearm holder of any kind and calibre. It underscored that Judge Dagala’s actuations as recorded in the video “are unacceptable for a member of the bench and should merit a �inding of administrative liability.

This is without prejudice to any criminal action that may also be �iled against him.”

Likewise, the High Court agreed with OCA’s �inding that Judge Dagala was guilty of immorality for siring a child out of wedlock during the subsistence of his marriage.

The High Court stressed that while anonymous complaints should always be treated with great caution, the anonymity of the complaint does not, in itself, justify its outright dismissal, provided the allegations can be reliably veri�ied and properly substantiated by competent evidence.

Immorality is a recognized ground for the discipline of judges and justices under the Rules of Court.

The record is clear as evidenced by the certi�icate of live birth, showing Judge Dagala was the father of the child as shown by his signature in the af�idavit of acknowledgement of paternity and the date of birth was during the subsistence of his marriage to his legal wife.(PNA)

HIV/AIDS test. These are the Gov. Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital, Carmeli Hospital and Laoag City General Hospital. The

Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center also offers the same in Batac City. (Leilanie G. Adriano/PNA)

JAPAN... FROM 2

SC... FROM 2

HIV... FROM 4

COURTESY CALL. Newly-installed Task Force Davao commander Colonel Nolasco Mempin takes advantage of the regular session of the City Council on Tuesday to pay his respects and to apprise its members of his plans and

programs for the safety of Davao City and its residents against terrorists and other bad elements. Lean Daval Jr.

not be completely quelled” within a shorter timeframe.

Congress approved the extension.

Quibod said the declaration of martial law has “impinged on civilian mobility and privacy, and led to the curtailment of other rights” and that he was wary of the possibility of more “infractions of human rights processes, procedures, and the outright abuse of these rights.”

He called on Duterte to lift Proclamation 216 hoping that doing so would restore normalcy to facilitate rehabilitation which he said is “an enormous effort” that both the government and Mindanawons must work together for.

Alisto!, an association of lawyers and civil society organizations, set up hotlines (09451238228 and 09491008708) to receive reports of violations and abuses in the city, according to Quibod.

“We have a help desk who will answer these calls.

The processing will be done because validation will be made and the documentation. This will be brought to the legal team to make an assessment as well as to those in the ground to validate.

Once validated, and there is basis for �iling of cases, then

we will �ile cases, that will be one,” he said.

He said Alisto! will also assist in addressing other martial law-related concerns “to avoid similar incident to occur in the future.”

He said their group provides a platform for citizens to engage government and its institutions to ensure accountability, compliance with human rights standards and justice protocols, civilian protection, rule of law, and access to real-time information.

“We subscribe to active citizenship and community participation as imperatives in a time of Martial Law. These should be expressed not only by securing our neighbors and making our homes, villages, and communities safe, but also by establishing environment where rights of citizens are protected, promoted and ful�illed,” he said.(MINDANEWS) “We also contribute to the protest movement against the revival of historical revisionism and the legacies of widespread human rights violations and return to dictatorship,” he said.

He said lawyer members of the group assisted the military forces craft guidelines, especially in checkpoints, and in making arrests to ensure adherence to the law.

close friend.

Bishop de la Pena met Father Soganub three days after his rescue on Sept.

17.

“It was very moving,” Bishop de la Pena said of their reunion. He refused to give other details of their conversation to protect the lives of other hostages.

Father Soganub is cooperating with the military to help free some 40 hostages still held by the IS-linked extremists.

“We cannot say that we are happy, knowing that there are still many hostages that remain in captivity,” the bishop said.

“We are hopeful that

soon the war will be over,” he added.

Brawner said troops and �irst responders have rescued more than 1,730 people in Marawi.

Extremists still control more than a hundred Marawi tenements on several hectares of the once bustling commercial center.

The government has started rehabilitation efforts even as �ighting continues. Military engineers and the civilian public works department have started assessing buildings around the main battle area as planners decide on the layout of a “better, safer Marawi.”(UCAN)

showed that four men armed with ri�les and wearing bonnet ski masks aboard motorcycles arrived and shot the victims.

Tacaca said that Malon tried to escape but was pur-

sued and pinned down by the suspects. They �led towards the town of Tampilisan.

He said all possible motives are being considered in a bid to establish the identities and arrest the suspects. (PNA)

lawyers to adopt all the legal remedies available to us to prove my innocence.

“I respect the processes of the courts and will abide by what is proper and appropriate in the instance. I have not violated any law nor have I used my public of�ice for personal gains. Given the circumstances on hand, I am optimistic the complaint will be resolved in my favor.

“To my constituents, I strongly feel we can positively weather this latest challenge. You know the reason why this issue has

happened. For that reason, we must not divert our attention from continuing to serve our citizens, which is the most important aspect of public service.”

Meanwhile, this �iling of a ‘con�lict of interest’ case under Section 14 of the Article 6 of the 1987 Constitution, according to legal minds, is a test case given that no such charge has yet been �iled until now against public of�icials, many of whom hold high positions in three branches of government, with stocks in various private corporations. (PNA)

Complex, P100 million, construction of swimming pool with covered roo�ing, P100 million, and for government facilities upgrading program, P150 million.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan in their Monday

session presided by Vice Governor Alan Dujali approved the modi�ied resolution authorizing the governor to sign the loan agreement with the Land Bank. - Cha Monforte, Correspondent

back by stopping Sonatu Waleruu via a 2nd round TKO in his previous �ight held August 20 in Jakarta.

“Dili puede kumpiyansahan ang kalaban kay dating IBF Youth champion ug knockout artist sad,” (We can’t take the opponent lightly because he is a former IBF Youth champion and a knockout artist also) said Neri.

The four other MP Davao

boxers are all �ighting for 8 rounds in the undercard.

Inson (13W-1L-0D, 9 KOs) faces Yangcheng Jin (5W-1L-2D, 1 KO) while Libranza (12W-1L0D, 9 KOs) takes on Yujie Zeng (6W-6L-1D).

Cuarto (12W-1L-1D, 7 KOs) collides with Guangxiong Li (4W-2L-1D) while Astrolabio (9W-0L, 7 KOs) �ights Ayati Sailike (3W-4L-2D, 1 KO).

LIFTING... FROM 2

ZAMBO... FROM 7 DAVAO... FROM 4

ARMY... FROM 4

FAVORABLE... FROM 4

BACK... FROM 16

INdulge!

Bits&Beats2017

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127•WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

EVENT

EDGEDAVAO

at Felcris Centrale

By BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO WITH FOOD BAZAARS, exhibits and food trucks being the biggest breakthrough of the year, it then is no wonder that in the city, food bazaars has since become a staple of everyone’s weekend. And Mercado de Centrale’s Bits & Beats Food Festival proved just that.

Together with Davao Eagles Online, the first food festival at the Southern District of Davao, Bits & Beats, was the perfect end to a weekend of deadlines and reports. Felcris Centrale’s Al fresco dining area was transformed into a sumptuous rendezvous of some of the most delicious local food finds the city has to offer.

From food bazaar faves to online staples, it was a celebration of flavors, pairings and taste buds under the night sky.

The event not only featured a number of food choices but more so, of the many talented individuals in Davao. The 3-day event had Chan Millanes (Voice Teen Semi-Finalist 2017) with the Top 100 Faces of Davao serenading the crowd on its first day. Negative Four performed during the second night and Utopia

band had everyone singing with them on the last night of the food festival.

Also present were members of the Javajive Artist Circle, Mark Eric Gavino, Iris Escalicas, Chisel Joy dela Cruz, Chud Festejo, Jonah Te Eng Fo and Moreno’s Band.

Participating food establishments were Swine & Dine, Zen Sushi, Black Hog, Samantha’s Kitchen, Gypsy’s cafe, SouthWing, Perch, Pulled Bros, Streetpork BBQ, Colasa’s BBQ, Wasabi Warriors, Hillside Corn and Cob, Pyro, Fresh Ko, Lemonaddicts, Kargo, Sweet Hub Cakes & Desserts, Teeamoji and Tori Grill.

Aside from the numerous food booths, there were also a non-food section for anyone who loves to shop and dine at the same time -- SPU To, MJ Assorted Collections and Halookay-ukay.

A2 INdulge!

EVENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

MARCO POLO’S 763RD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

MARCO POLO DAVAO celebrated Marco Polo’s 763rd birthday with a series of events that started with a room sale that was offered to online booking via its website www.marcopolohotlels. com with a 30% discount on all suites and club rooms.

Associates as well as the heads of department of the hotel gathered on a special luncheon with the MPD family. “We celebrate this day not only as a form of tribute to out company’s namesake, Marco Polo, but also as a thanksgiving for the continued success of our hotel over the past 19 years,” says general manager Dottie WurglerCronin.

The week-long celebration started with a film showing of the life of Marco Polo at Polo Bistro after which the associates participated in a trivia game. Marco Polo Davao’s associates also participated in the poster making contest with the theme “The Spirit of Discovery”. Following Marco Polo’s journey through the Silk Road, the associates were grouped into teams and did an amazing race.

To culminate the week-long celebration, MPD together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources organized a tree planting activity in which 763 mangrove seedlings were planted at Barangay Bucana’s mangrove forest.

MVT Bridges Philippines, Purok Malakas, General Santos City for more Information Please contact Cellphone Number 09460154748. Look for Shane S. Liquit Marketing Consultant

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

UP AND ABOUT

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

Rocky’s Barbershop launches online promotion SM Store Davao holds Shoes & Bags Sale from Sept 25 to 30

ROCKY’S, the first barbershop in a mall, launches its September promotion entitled #iLoveRockys. Up for grabs are Rocky’s fragrances, 1996 and Adventure.

1996, Rocky’s signature fragrance pays tribute to the year the first Rocky’s branch opened in Victoria Plaza Mall. Classic and traditional is what the 1996 perfume exudes. It is woody, aromatic and musky with lemon and lavender on the top notes, tarragon and thyme for the middle notes and patchouli and musk for the base notes.

Adventure embodies the young, daring and modern “ Rocky’s Man” – fresh and full of optimism.

It bears a light and fresh citrus, woody marine fragrance with lime and bergamot for top notes, cedar wood for middle notes and grey amber and musk for base notes.

Here’s how would you can score a bottle of 1996 or Adventure for free.

The promotion is open to all Davaoeños with a personal Facebook and/or Instagram accounts (with their face photos on the accounts) in Davao City only.

Women can join, too, because Rocky’s barbershops offer services women can enjoy.

Repost the iLoveRockys photo from the Rocky’s Barbershop Facebook page (Rocky’s Barbershop) or

WE’RE BRINGING YOU THE BIGGEST and grandest shoes & bags sale! It’s the SHOES AND BAGS SALE at the Annex Event Center at SM Davao from September 25 to September 30.

Get as much as 50% off on the widest selections from the biggest brands like Vans, Pony, Skechers, Sperry, Keds, Barbie, Chicco, and many, many more.

It’s The SM Davao Shoes and Bags Sale from September 25 to September 30 from 10am to 9pm. See you there!

Instagram account (rockys_barbeshop) on your personal account with a comment why you love Rocky’s, and add the hashtag: #iLoveRockys.

Ten winners will be chosen and will receive a bottle of Adventure or

1996 perfume each. Names of the winners will be posted in Rocky’s Barbershop Facebook and Instagram accounts on the first week of October.

Good luck and don’t forget to hashtag (#iLoveRockys).

A4INdulge!

ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Atom Araullo joins GMA News and Public Affairs

September 25 – 26, 2017 Only

IT/ *AMERICAN ASSASSIN Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Lieberher/ *Dylan O'Brien, Michael Keaton Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

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KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

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BROA DCAST JOURNALIST Atom Araullo returns to GMA-7 to be part of the Network’s News and Public Affairs group, which is widely regarded as the most credible and most i nt e r n at ion a l l yawarded broadcast news organization in the country.

Atom, who used to be part of the Kapuso Network’s primetime newscast 24 Oras via the segment ‘ATOMic Sports’, expressed his eagerness to be a Kapuso once again. “I’m very excited.

Ang dami kong gustong gawin, particularly in the realm of documentary production. I think this is a great place to do all of that,” he says.

GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon welcomed Atom on his homecoming.

“Dahil kilala ang GMA-7 sa paggawa ng world class at award-winning documentary and public affairs programs, kami ay nalulugod sa paglipat ni Atom Araullo para

lalo s’yang mahasa sa pagiging magaling na broadcast journalist at documentarist among others,” Atty. Gozon said.

A graduate of Applied Physics from the University of the PhilippinesDiliman, Atom was exposed to broadcasting at an early age. In the past decade, he has earned the trust of the viewing public and the respect of his colleagues through the news stories and documentaries he has helped produce.

His documentary on climate change for his previous network earned Atom a Bronze World Medal at the 2017 New York Festivals “World’s Best TV and Films”. During this same competition, GMA made history for winning three Gold World Medals and three finalist certificates.

Atom is currently an Advocate for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Philippines, a humanitarian organiza-

tion mandated to lead the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons. Atom has also completed shooting legendary director Mike de Leon’s upcoming film Citizen Jake, where he plays the lead role.

With his return to GMA, Atom is looking forward to doing more documentaries with the Network’s Public Affairs group. “Ano man ang mga gagawin ko rito will be the next stage of my career. Gusto kong mas marami pang maishare sa mga tao tungkol sa aking mga paniniwala, at yung passion ko to do documentaries,” he shares.

“Excited po ako na makasama kayo sa mga susunod na mga taon.

Asahan po ninyong hindi ko sasayangin ang inyong tiwala. At gagawin ko ang aking makakaya para mabigyan kayo ng mga documentaries at istorya na magiging makabuluhan, napapanahon, at tagos sa puso.

I hope you join me on this new adventure,” adds Atom.

COMPETITIVE EDGE 11 EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Phoenix Petroleum joins International Coastal Cleanup Day. Phoenix employees pick up trash in Coaco beach in Brgy. Pampanga, Davao City as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 16.

Phoenix officers, employees, partners BDO clients told to get EMV chip-enabled ATM cards join international coastal cleanup day

V

olunteers and organizations collected trash along rivers, beaches, and waterways around the country last September 16 for the International Coastal Cleanup Day. Phoenix Philippines Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, joined in the initiative by conducting coastal cleanup activities in different Phoenix depots across the country.

Approximately 1,800 Phoenix of�icers and employees, members of the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Coastal Guard

Auxiliary, the Philippine Navy, the City Environment and Resources Of�ice (CENRO), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local coastal barangays, NGOs, and students from Phoenix adopted schools participated in the activities.

This resulted to a collection of 1,200 sacks of junk and debris along the coastlines. The cleanups were done in coastal areas near their depots in General Santos City, Davao City, Zamboanga City, Misamis Oriental, Bacolod City, Cebu, Aklan, Iloilo, Batangas, and Oriental

Mindoro while employees from the Phoenix Petroleum Taguig of�ice joined other volunteers in the cleanup activity along Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

“This coastal cleanup is a strong show of community and cooperation in protecting and preserving our marine resources,” said Raymond Zorrilla, Phoenix Petroleum VP for External Affairs. “We hope that these activities encourage others to do their part in saving our environment.”

On its 32nd year, the International Coastal Cleanup is spearheaded by the Ocean

Conservancy and is celebrated every third Saturday of September. The Philippines has been an active participant, holding the record for most number of volunteers for the event in 2015.

Phoenix Philippines Foundation has been conducting these cleanups in their depots every year since 2008. The Foundation also engages in other environmental initiatives such as tree planting activities and the adoption of a Philippine Eagle. Other core programs of the Foundation are education, health, safety, and outreach.

�ilm enthusiasts. Venue will be held at the Cinematheque Davao. For queries you can send an SMS message to the foundation at 0977 485 3479 or email them at mindanao@outlook.com Also, the MFDTFI is still accepting �ilm entries up until October 7, 2015 for the 15th Mindanao Film Festival, which will be held in December of this year.

Film entries should be works produced in Mindanao, shot by Mindanaoan �ilmmakers or �ilms about, or related to Mindanao.

One of the highlights of the 15th MFF is it will bring together several full-length �ilms produced in Mindanao

which gained acclaim from national and international festivals.

A �irst for the festival is the Film Development Council of the Philippines Interschool Short �ilm Competition. The contest pits together school-based �ilmmakers all over Mindanao.

Held annually in Davao City, the Mindanao Film Festival is one of the longest-running regional �ilm festivals in the country The MFTDFI cinema-related events are held in cooperation with the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the FDCP and the Philippine Information Agency-XI.

“The activities of the MFTDFI is a re�lection of our very dynamic regional cinema, we have active regional �ilm movements here in Mindanao as there are also in Visayas and in Luzon.

The rise of the regional cinema is part of the continuing evolution of the Philippine cinema which we are celebrating its centennial this year.“ Dax Canedo, MFTDFI president said.

In 1917 pioneering �ilm director Jose Nepomuceno established Malayan Pictures, the �irst Filipino �ilm production company and the milestone is cited as the birth of Philippine cinema (PR)

MFDTI celebrates 100 years of Philippine cinema with events

D

avao City- Celebrating the 100 years of Filipino cinema, the Mindanao Film and Television Development Foundation Inc. (MFTDFI) is holding a series of cinema-related events in the latter part of this year.

Among the major activities include the 13th Guerrilla Filmmaking Workshop that will be held in the four weekends of October (7-8, 14, 15, 21-22, 28-29) the intensive workshop capacities participants with the various aspects of a popular form of independent �ilmmaking.

The workshop is open to students, professionals and

M

ANILA -- An of�icial of Sy-led BDO Unibank Inc. is urging the bank’s clients who have not availed of the EMV chip-enabled automated teller machine (ATM) card to get their new cards.

In a statement, BDO executive vice president and transaction banking head Edwin G. Reyes said: “making the shift to the EMV-chip ATM debit card is one way to protect the clients from electronic fraud.”

“It has enhanced security features, which include among others, encryption locks and keys to authenti-

cate the card and the cardholder’s transaction, protecting card data from being compromised,” he said.

“We hope our customers would embrace this significant improvement being implemented by the entire banking industry,” he added.

Shift on the use of Europay, Mastercard, and Visa-powered ATM cards is in line with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) Circular No. 859, which is aimed at ensuring safe transactions in the country.

BSP earlier set January 1, 2017 as the deadline for

BDO, 13

DEED OF EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION AND SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF THE LATE CARMEN PIMENTEL NUEZ Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late CARMEN PIMENTEL NUEZ has been the subject of an Extrajudicial Partition and Settlement executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.164; Page No.33; Book No. CLXXVII; Series of 2017, of the NOTARY PUBLIC RODOLFO C. RAPISTA.

Sept. 27, Oct. 4 and 11, 2017

12 HEALTH Unlocking possible cures for diabetes EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

(First of Two Parts)

Photos taken from the net

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

W

ith an infected toe, Rommel Barro went to see a doctor in one of the largest hospitals in Davao City. When the doctor told him that his foot had to be amputated, he was totally unprepared for what he heard.

He went home and refused to see any other healthcare provides.

As expected, the wound got worsened that even neighbors could already smell the foul odor. They complained to their barangay captain, who approached Dr. Isagani Braganza for help.

Dr. Braganza is a physician who is involved in an innovative projected initiated

by Handicap International which is implemented in collaboration with local health authorities and supported by the World Diabetes Foundation (whose story of Rommel was featured in its website).

Rommel has no other choice but to see Dr. Braganza.

When he came to the consulting room at the Jacinto Health Center, the doctor welcome him. After removing his tennis shoe and sock, the doctor saw as swollen ankle and a foot with a missing second toe.

All over the world, diabetes is fast becoming a threat to public health. In the Philippines, diabetes is now the eighth leading cause of mortality, according to a handout circulated by The Diabetes Store. About 500 Filipinos are added to the demographic daily.

Unknowingly, diabetes has exceeded projected rates worldwide. In 2000, the International Diabetes Federation estimated about 320 million diabetics globally by 2025. But even before that forecasted year, there were already 415 million diabetics in 2015.

Considered before as a “disease of af�luence,” dia-

betes is now taking its place as one of the main threats to human health in the 21st century. “Diabetes is going to be the biggest epidemic in human history,” warns Dr. Paul Zimmet, director of the International Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia.

In the Philippines, the number of people with diabetes are expected to double by 2030, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation, Inc. discloses that 50% of those suffering from diabetes do not know they have the disease.

As a result, “many patients die because it is already too late to remedy the situation,” to quote the words of Dr. Ricardo Fernando, director of Institute for Studies and Diabetes Foundation in the Philippines.

Diabetes, as de�ined by the Merck Manual of Medical Information is “a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin.”

Insulin is the hormone released from the pancreas.

“Insulin controls the amount of sugar in the blood,” the Merck manual notes. “When a person eats or drinks, food is broken down into materials, including sugar, that the body needs to function.

“Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin allows sugar to move from the blood into the cells. Once inside the cells, sugar is converted to energy, which is either used immediately or stored until it is needed.”

The levels of sugar in our blood vary normally throughout the day. “They rise after a meal and return to normal within about 2 hours after eating,” the Merck manual

informs. “Once the levels of sugar in the blood return to normal, insulin production decreases.”

“But with diabetes, something goes awry,” says The Doctors Book of Home Remedies. “The pancreas becomes irresponsible. It either stops producing the hormone completely or else produces too much, which leads to insulin resistance. Either way, concentration of sugar in the blood shoots sky-high.”

Actually, there are two types of diabetes. Type 1 (formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes) occurs in only 10-15% of all cases and tends to occur in people under the age of 30.

“Type 1, characterized by little to no insulin production due to the destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas by the immune system, results in an inability to process sugar from the bloodstream,” explains Dr. Portia Mahal G. Sabido of the University of the Philippines at Diliman.

Type 2 (called previously as non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes) is the most common form; it accounts for about 90% of all cases. “In type 2 diabetes, there is production of insulin: however, the cells cannot use it effectively due to abnormalities in both insulin secretion and action,” Dr. Sabido points out.

While Type 1 is somewhat hereditary in nature, Type 2 is considered a lifestyle disease. “Type 2 is often the result of poor lifestyle choices or genetic in�luence and is especially common among the aging population and those with unhealthy diets, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles,” Dr. Sabido writes in a paper published by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Dr. Edgardo E. Tulin of the Visayas State University considered Type 2 diabetes as “the most prevalent form of diabetes affecting 90% to 95% of diabetics worldwide.” In fact, in the Philippines, “about 95% of Filipino diabetics have Type 2 diabetes,” disclosed Dr. Irene M. Villaseñor and Juane Marco B. Gonzales, authors of another DOST paper.

As 3.56% of Filipinos were diagnosed with diabetes in 2000, the disease is indeed common. “Beyond its prevalence, its complications add to its complexity,” pointed out Dr. Jose V. Nevada, a medical doctor who is with the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. “From people having their foot amputated, to those who become blind; from patients undergoing dialysis to those who had heart attacks or stroke – these horror medical stories are real.

The medical cost of diabetes is expensive; and the loss of lives, enormous.”

The United Nations health agency agrees. “Because of its chronic nature, the severity of its complications and the means required to control them, diabetes is a costly disease, not only for the affected individual and his/ her family, but also for the health authorities,” the WHO says.

Direct costs to individuals and their families include medical care, drugs, insulin and other supplies. Patients may also have to bear other personal costs, such as increased payments for health, life and automobile insurance.

“With continued rise of diabetes incidence, there is an urgent need to develop more alternative yet effective anti-diabetic drugs for Filipinos especially those who do not make ends meet,” wrote Villaseñor and Gonzales. (To be concluded)

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF Davao City HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND OR PAG-IBIG FUND, Mortgagee, -versusADOLFF C. MOISES (SINGLE), Mortgagor/s.

EJF-REM CASE NO. 16,394-17

X-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------X NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended filed by HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND OR PAG-IBIG FUND, against ADOLFF C. MOISES (SINGLE) with postal address at LOT 32, BLK. 59, DECA HOMES SUBD., BARANGAY TIGATTO, DAVAO CITY , to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness in the total amount of Php=1,012,575.41, Philippine Currency, inclusive of the interest and penalty charges as of June 15, 2017, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to 10% of the total indebtedness and other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale, the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on OCTOBER 12, 2017 at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder to CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property mentioned and described below together with all the improvements found thereon, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 146-2013007224 “A PARCEL OF LAND (LOT 32, BLK 59, XXX PCS-11-005103,XXX), SITUATED IN THE BARANGAY OF TIGATTO, CITY OF DAVAO, ISLAND OF MINDANAO. XXX CONTAINING AN AREA OF EIGHTY (80) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS.” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on NOVEMBER 9, 2017, without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the herein-above described real property/ies and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017.

FOR THE EX.OFFICIO PROV’L SHERIFF: (sgd.)ROBERT M. MEDIALDEA Sheriff IV NOTED BY: (sgd.)ATTY. FRANSISCO M. CAMPANER Clerk of Court V OIC-Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Prov’l Sheriff Sept. 13, 20 & 27, 2017

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

THOMAS... FROM 15 “I’ve been kinda like this my whole life, so I really don’t feel anything to be honest,” he said. “It’s just playing a game, the game I love.”

That approach has hardly gone unnoticed by legendary point guard Magic Johnson, now the Lakers’ president of basketball operations.

“I told him, he’s just like

me,” Johnson said. “When I came here there were a lot of expectations put on my shoulders and the Lakers as an organization.

Now I’m his boss, but I’m also his big brother.”

When those comments were relayed to Ball, the rookie responded: “More like an uncle.

He looks older than my brother.”

It was a rare glimpse of the

sense of humor that teammates say is not uncommon when the cameras are off.

As for those lofty expectations? Like most everything else, Ball just shrugs and �lashes a hint of his con�idence.

“I think I’ll be �ine,” he said.

“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life and I’m pretty good at it.”

trict, and a term at the provincial board.

Supe said the awardees received plaques, service pins and tokens that included analogue watches, cellular phones, gold bracelets, necklaces and rings.

Under the local government’s Honor Awards, he said lawyer Grace Gurhem of the Provincial Legal Of�ice topped the search for the best senior supervisor and received a cash

incentive of P20,000.

No winner was declared in the other categories after the nominated employees failed to reach the 80 percent overall rating set by the awards committee.

The Honor Awards, which started this year, recognizes the performance of of�icials and employees every three years.

“It’s very uplifting to be recognized for our loyalty to public.

I hope that this will inspire all of us to perform better,” Fuentes said.

She urged other employees to be “more dedicated, loyal and innovative” in their service to the people.

The governor added that such kind of dedication is needed from all its work force to help make the province competitive in all aspects of governance.

(Frances Kristine Alvero/PNA)

banks to fully migrate to EMV technology but most banks failed to meet it.

Thus, the central bank’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) has set a “hard deadline” of June 30, 2018 to fully comply with the requirement and banks that fail to meet the deadline will be penalized.

The statement said BDO started the shift to the

EMV-technology in the third quarter of 2016, free of charge to its clients.

“However, to date, there is still a low �igure of card pick-ups from the branches, which means a large number of clients are still using the magnetic stripe-only ATM debit cards,” it said.

“For corporate or payroll clients, BDO will make the EMV-chip cards available at

their respective HR of�ices

by December 31, 2017,” it said.

BDO said its almost 4,000 ATMs nationwide have been made EMV-certi�ied.

“BDO was the �irst bank in the industry to fully retro�it its ATM network to allow EMV-chip card transactions,” it added. (PNA)

SOCOT... FROM 7

BDO... FROM 11

NEWS 13

EDGEDAVAO

ADB maintains PH growth forecast for 2017, 2018 M ANILA -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained growth forecast for the Philippines for this year and 2018, on the back of the government’s aggressive infrastructure push and implementation of tax reform.

In an update to its �lagship annual economic publication, Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2017, published on Tuesday, the Bank said the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) will still grow 6.5 percent in 2017, and 6.7 percent next year.

“A strong focus on infrastructure investment and implementation of tax reform will see the country’s continue its growth momentum through 2018,” said Richard Bolt, ADB Country Director for the Philippines.

“The concerted effort by the Philippine government to improve public project implementation is bearing fruit, as public investment programs help drive continued economic expansion,” he said.

Aekapol Chongvilaivan, Country Economist for the Philippines at the ADB, cited the estimated �inancing requirement for the country’s ambitious infrastructure program at USD 160 billion to USD 180 billion for the next six years.

The administration has earmarked PHP847.2 billion in its 2017 national budget for infrastructure projects, equivalent to 5.3 percent of GDP, from previous 3.3 percent. ”This is very commendable. Even that 2 percent of GDP increase in public infrastructure spending is tremen-

dous,” he said in a press briefing.

Chongvilaivan said the ADB is working closely with the Philippine government to boost the capacity to prepare and implement the infrastructure projects.

The ADB is also banking on the implementation comprehensive tax reforms and higher public investments in social services to sustain strong growth over the next two years.

The �irst package of tax reform measures, likely to be approved within the year, includes excise tax increases for automobiles and gasoline, broadening the value-added tax base by limiting exemptions and lower personal income tax rate which would boost domestic demand.(PNA)

EDGE DAVAO

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is in need of

2 REPORTERS Submit application letter and resume to: Mr. Antonio M. Ajero, Editor-in-Chief or Mr. Jimmy K. Laking, Associate Editor Edge Davao Review Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Bldg., E. Quirino Avenue, Davao CityOr email at edgedavao@gmail.com

14

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO

Duterte cagers held to draw by IBP A

lmost but not quite.

Team Duterte-City Mayors Of�ice remained unbeaten in its friendly series against IBP after it escaped with a 81-81 draw in Game 16 on Friday at the Genesis 88 Gym. It was the third time the two squads battled to a deadlock in the series which has gone 13 times in favor of the President’s Men. Both teams played a spectacular game trading �irepower right from the opening buzzer.

Team Duterte’s main man Sec. Christopher “Bong” Go came through with his usual numbers, this time netting 33 points to keep Team Duterte undefeated.

The sweet shooting Special Assistant to President Rodrigo Duterte shot six baskets from his favorite spot outside the rainbow

ANOTHER BIG GAME. Sec. Bong Go fired six triples from “Bong Go Land” en route to 33 points for the night.

line. So deadly he is from that area you may have to start calling it Bong Go Land from here on.

Paolo Santos chipped in 15 points for Team Duterte in a very able back up role.

IBP leaned on to Armand Dioso to withstand with the hot-shooting Sec. Go. Dioso paced the Davao lawyers to stay within Team Duterte and keep the game close.

He �inished the game with 25 points as Paguican made 17.

Entering the game, Team Duterte is looking for its six straight win since Game 10 ended to a draw.

Team Duterte opened the series with 7 wins in a row to post its longest winning streak.

The streak was ended following a Game 7 deadlock.

Donaire bares secret to winning

N

Ball stays calm amid the limelight E

L SEGUNDO, California -- He has a Facebook reality show and a family shoe brand.

His dad talks big on ESPN. He was the No. 2

EYES ON BALL. Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball stays calm before the start of the season.

overall draft pick and expects to transform one of the NBA’s glamor franchises.

Other than that, Lonzo Ball is an ordinary teenager.

The 19-year-old guard comes with otherworldly expectations, with the Los Angeles Lakers having fallen on hard times. They hope the local product can help them rejoin the NBA’s elite.

Ball’s journey of�icially begins on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) when the Lakers open training camp, but he appears to have already won over his new teammates during summer workouts.

“When you play with a pure point guard like that, it just makes it easier for everyone,” center Brook Lopez said. “He elevates players to a whole other level.

“I know it’s going to be great for me, just being on the receiving end of his passes. He’s going

to gift-wrap baskets for me. He’s so good at turning other players into impact, amazing players.

He’s going to be a transcendent talent.”

That has been the plan all along, particularly from his outspoken father LaVar Ball, who almost seemed to will his son’s journey from Chino Hills High School to UCLA to the Lakers.

If Lonzo Ball seems to arrive with the trappings of circus, he appears the calm in the center of the storm.

“Honestly, Zo is relaxed,” forward Julius Randle said. “Zo is chill. He’s one of the guys. For as much as he has going around him, you would never know.”

Ball doesn’t say a lot himself, and what he does say comes out in rapid-�ire fashion. Reporters circled around some eight deep on Monday at the team’s media day, but Ball appeared to take it in stride.

BALL,13

onito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire returned to the win column on Sunday, routing Ruben Garcia Hernandez over the course of 10 rounds to claim the WBC silver featherweight title in San Antonio, Texas.

Fighting for the �irst time since losing to Jessie Magdaleno in November 2016, Donaire employed a more disciplined approach, opting to box instead of succumbing to his brawling instincts.

The result was a comprehensive 100-90, 97-93, 99-91victory that put him back on the world championship picture.

Donaire credits a new, carb-free diet and a new voice in his corner as the major factors in his victory.

“The ketegonic diet has been the missing factor for me,” Donaire said in an exclusive interview with Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN News. “My body has never been this cut or this in shape. My lungs have been tremendous.”

“The ketogenic diet has helped me a lot… no sugar, no carbs, walang kanin, walang potatoes, fries, corn,” he explained.

Donaire has been on the ketogenic diet for six months, and the results have been impressive, according to the boxer.

“It’s only hard if you think that it’s hard, if you think you can’t do it,” he said. “But kapag andoon ‘yung focus mo talaga, kaya mo ‘to. Kakayanin mo talaga.”

Aside from the diet, Donaire also revealed that his wife’s presence in his corner during his �ight against Garcia Hernandez was the key to his triumph. Donaire has gone through a bevy of coaches in his career, including his own father.

But this time, it was his wife, Rachel, who was giving him instructions.

“I had a secret coach, actually,” he revealed. “Actually,

si Michael Bazzel ‘yung main coach namin. But ‘yung strategy person, the strategy voice is actually my wife, Rachel.”

“Rachel was the voice in the corner, because it’s just that I recognize her voice,” he added. “So you know, I’ll give her strategies, and she will come up with her own strategies and she will tell me in the corner.”

Rachel’s presence in his corner proved to be a massive help, said Donaire. He admitted that he did not always follow his previous coaches’ game plans, precisely because he could not hear them when they speak.

“But with her, ginagamit ko ‘yung game plan, kasi naririnig ko siya,” he explained.

“Nare-remember ko ‘yung strategy ko, as compared to ‘yung ibang mga coaches. Even though they’re tremendously amazing coaches, but the effect of Rachel’s voice was dominant,” he added.

Donaire is not yet sure who he will �ight next, and intends to celebrate the victory with his family �irst. But he made it clear that he is very motivated to return to the world championship level. “’Yun ang nasa isip ko palagi,” he says. “I’m training very hard.”

“If they (world champions) want to �ight me… Alam mo naman, malakas ako in terms of my power, and there’s a lot of risks (in �ighting me).

So, if they’re willing to take that risks, and that’s a yes to me,” he added.

Otherwise, Donaire is willing to take on more �ights and work his way up to become the mandatory challenger for a world title.

“This is just a stepping stone for me to get to that level,” he said of his bout against Garcia Hernandez. “So hinihintay ko pa lang kung sino ‘yung makakalaban ko sa susunod.”

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

BATTLE OF BEIJING 4 MP Davao boxers to fight in China

BIG BREAK. Unbeaten Filipino hopeful Ronnie Baldonado (9-0-1, 6), stopped Ma Yi Ming (13-7, 7) with the Chinese veteran being blown out in 102 seconds.

M

P Davao Gym is sending four boxers led by interim WBO Oriental �lyweight titleholder Ronnie Baldonado to Beijing, China in a boxing promotion co-promoted

by Manny Pacquiao of MP Promotions and Wen Xin Zhou of Ding Xin Sports on September 29.

Aside from Baldonado, also seeing action in the China promotion are WBO Asia Paci�ic welterweight champion Jayar “Hitman” Inson, MinProBA �lyweight champion Genesis “Cobra” Libranza, light �lyweight Rene Mark Cuarto and unbeaten MinProBA bantamweight king

Vincent Astrolabio.

They will be accompanied by chief trainer Nonoy Neri, manager Vanessa Neri and trainer Samson Amonggo. They are �lying to China from Manila on Sept. 27.

Baldonado (9W-0L-1D, 6 KOs) is defending his crown against former IBF Youth �lyweight champion Iwan “Sniper” Zoda (14W-2L-1D, 13 KOs) of Indonesia for 10 rounds in the main event.

“OK ang condition ug preparasyon ni Jong-Jong sa iyang depensa,” (The condition and preparation of Jong-Jong for his defense is OK) said Nonoy Neri,

also one of the Filipino assistant trainers of 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.

Baldonado, a native of Carmen, North Cotabato captured the interim WBO Oriental �lyweight crown by stopping Yiming Ma by a �irst round technical knockout last April 27 at the National Olympic Sports Center Gym in Beijing.

Zoda, on the other hand, lost his IBF Youth �lyweight crown by a 7th round TKO to Filipino challenger Robert Onggocan last January 28 in Ngabang, Indonesia.

Zoda, however, bounced

BATTLE, 10

VOL. 10 ISSUE 127• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017