Edge10 issue196 January 4, 2018

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

STRICTER, THIS TIME. An official of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Davao City meticulously checks the documents of a business owner before issuing a fire safety permit at a one-stop-shop at Sangguniang Pan-

lungsod during the second day of business permit renewal on Wednesday. BFP is stricter in issuing permits to establishments and businesses after a huge fire gutted NCCC mall last month. Lean Daval Jr.

HIGH RISK

SC asked to transfer 89‘dangerous’detainees from Davao jail

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

he Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the Davao Region (BJMP 11) is still pushing for the immediate transfer of suspected terrorists and other high risk detainees from the Davao City Jail to the Taguig City Jail at Camp Bagong Diwa .

BJMP 11 spokesperson Jail Insp. Edo Lobenia said despite the constant followup of the bureau’s legal division for the Supreme Court to immediately order the transfer of 89 high risk inmates to the Special Intensive Care Area (SICA) in Taguig City Jail, no decision has been made by

the highest tribunal on the bureau’s urgent request as of yet.

“We believe that the Supreme Court has so many activities that it has not acted on the request although we do not think that the Supreme Court has overlooked our request,” Lobenia said.

Of the total high risk inmates, 47 are members of the New People’s Army (NPA), 25 are members of organized crime groups, seven are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), another seven are members of the Marawi City-based Maute terror group, �ive from kidnap for ransom gang, three from Abu Sayyaf, one political prisoner and one gun-for- hire suspect.

In spite of the delay, Lobenia said the BJMP 11 is still hopeful that the Supreme Court will at last approve their request this month.

“Our legal department lawyers usually make a

monthly followup of our request with the Supreme Court, “ he said.

“Your BJMP is doing its best to transfer them to our SICA facility in Taguig,” Lobenia said, adding that one of the reasons of the delay is the opposition of the lawyers of the detainees against the move to transfer their clients to Taguig City.

These inmates who are considered “big �ish” don’t want to be transferred for obvious reasons, the BJMP of�icial said.

On the other hand, BJMP authorities want the transfer to happen quickly in order to

HIGH,P11

A different eat at Munchtown

A2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

FIRE AFTERMATH. The NCCC Mall Davao after it was razed by fire which claimed 38 lives. Authorities have suspended operations of the shopping mall and SSI citing failure to fully comply with fire safety requirements for five successive years. Lean Daval Jr.

Ayala Land raises stake in Malaysian construction firm

M

ANILA - A wholly-owned subsidiary of property developer Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) has increased its stake in Malaysian development and construction �irm MCT Bhd in over half after signing a deal to acquire additional 17.24-percent stake for RM202.5 million (roughly PHP2.49 billion).

ALI told the local bourse that Regent Wise Investments Limited (RWIL) signed a share purchase agreement to buy 230,115,574 MCT shares, bringing its stake in the investment holding to 50.19 percent.

“The increase in own-

ership will strengthen ALI’s commitment to enhance MCT’s operations and expand its business further,” it said.

The additional acquisition represents 17.24 percent of MCT’s total outstanding shares.

This requires RWIL to conduct a mandatory takeover offer in accordance with the laws of Malaysia.

A listed company on the main market of Bursa Securities in Malaysia, MCT’s subsidiaries are involved mainly in property development, property management, property investment and construction businesses. (PNA)

Military units to go all out vs. NPA with truce ending

M

ANILA -- With the conclusion of the Yuletide truce this Jan. 2, military units can now pursue New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists who blatantly violated their own cease�ire declaration by attacking government troops and civilian communities.

“The AFP will resume focused military operations after the SOMO (suspension of military operations) has lapsed. All ground units will

pursue NPA members who violated their own cease�ire declaration by attacking government troops and harrassing civilian communities,” AFP spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a message Tuesday.

The AFP implemented a unilateral cease�ire during the Yuletide Season which started 6 p.m. of Dec. 23 to 6 p.m. of Dec. 26 and 6 p.m. Dec. 30 until 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 2.

MILITARY,P11

‘Agaton’ leaves Davao, OCD lifts red alert status T

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

he Office of the Civil Defense 11 (OCD 11) has lifted its red alert status in Davao Region after Tropical Depression Agaton left the region. During Wednesday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media briefing, OCD 11 regional director Leoncio Cirunay bared the region now is on white alert since the OCD national office declared that all tropical cyclone warning signals have been removed.

Cirunay said there were three municipalities in the region affected by the tropical depression displacing 170 families composed of 850 in-

dividuals.

The affected towns which are all part of Compostela Valley Province were Laak, Maco and Nabuntuan,

Of the total displaced families, 90 came from Barangay Limot in the town of Laak, 18 from Nueva Visayas in Maco and there were 25 in Barangay Basak and 37 in Barangay Magsaysay both in the town of Nabunturan.

Number of the total displace individuals, 450 came from Barangay Limot in Laak, 90 from Barangay Nueva Visayas in Maco and 125 in Barangay Basak while 185 from the town of Nabunturan.

Cirunay said the victims already went home after just two days in the evacuation centers. He said that there is no recorded casualty brought

about by Agaton since the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils (LDRRMC) of the three towns immediately made pre-emptive evacuation.

Cirunay lauded the people who made self-evacuation after the issuance of the warning during Agaton because this simply mean that already learned from the past.

“We saw the positive response on our call because they immediately evacuated although we did not really felt the presence of Agaton,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cirunay also

completed his �ive-year term on Dec. 31, 2018.

The Brunei diplomat’s appointment was approved at the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings held in Manila last November 2017.

Lim until recently was a Permanent Secretary at the Brunei Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry.

Among the principal duties he assumed was Bru-

nei’s Chief Negotiator on the Trans-Paci�ic Partnership (TPP) free trade talks.

His earlier positions also included heading the Trade Departments at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, respectively.

The Secretary-General of ASEAN is appointed by the ASEAN Leaders for a non-re-

newable term of �ive years, selected from nationals of the ASEAN Member States based on alphabetical rotation.

The last ASEAN Secretary-General from the Philippines was Rodolfo Severino Jr., who assumed the role from January 2003 to December 2007. The next Filipino diplomat to serve as ASEAN Secretary-General would be in 2033. (PNA)

AGATON,P11

ASEAN welcomes new Secretary-General for 2018-2022

M

ANILA -- Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, a top trade of�icial and diplomat from Brunei Darussalam, has assumed of�ice as the new Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday.

Lim is the 14th ASEAN Secretary-General succeeding Secretary-General Le Luong Minh from Vietnam who

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

NEWS 3

No postponement of brgy, SK election

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

he Commission on Elections in Region 11 (Comelec 11) said that there is no postponement of the coming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Mindanao despite the one-year extension of Martial Law in the island.

Comelec 11 assistant regional Marlon Casquejo reveled during Wednesday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media brie�ing that the election is scheduled this coming May 14, 2018.

Casquejo said there are

no discussions in the Comelec En Banc to adapt the same resolution last year postponing the election due to Martial Law. “If the Martial Law reason will be brought up by the Comelec enbanc, then, most probably the election will be postponed but only here in Mindanao,” he said.

He said in last year’s public hearing, many agreed to the postponement of election in Mindanao due to the security risk similar to the Marawi

NO,P11

3,879 families so far affected by‘Agaton’ President Duterte meets T Indonesian foreign minister CASQUEJO OF COMELEC. Commission on Elections (Comelec) 11 assistant director Marlon Casquejo provides updates on last year’s

he number of families affected by Tropical Depression Agaton has now climbed to 3,879 or 16,142 individuals, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its Wednesday update.

NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said these families are residents of 108 barangays in Western and Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and the CARAGA regions.

Of the total, 1,435 families or 5,822 persons are being accommodated in 55 evacu-

ation centers while another 367 families or 1,599 individuals are being aided outside evacuation centers.

Jalad also said that PHP859,510 worth of aid has been provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and concerned local government units to affected families in Western and Eastern Visayas and CARAGA. As of Wednesday, 4,549 families have been preemptively evacuated from Mimaropa, Western and Central Visayas, Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao and CARAGA. (PNA)

I

ndonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi paid a courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte at the Presidential Guest House in Davao City yesterday, January 3.

During their meeting, both President Duterte and the Indonesian Foreign Minister agreed to elevate cooperation on trade, maritime security, education, and in

eradicating terrorism.

President Duterte also expressed his interest anew in the resumption of the Philippines-Indonesia routes to further strengthen trade be-

postponed barangay election during the AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

tween the two countries.

While declaring that the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Marawi are in full swing, President Duterte said that he wants to intensify maritime security in cooperation with Indonesia as foreign and local terrorists continue to enter and exit the country despite the military efforts to go after these elements.

President Duterte had

Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday.

Lean Daval Jr.

PRESIDENT,P11

Federalism, Con-Ass top 2018 House legislative agenda: Bebot

T

CIRUNAY REPORT. Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 11 director Leoncio Cirunay gives his assessment on the preparations and response of his office on the recent typhoons that hit Mindanao during the AFP-PNP

also expressed his interest in providing scholarship for Muslim students, particularly to those who are enrolled in the Madrasa institutions.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Marsudi expressed interest in pursuing the joint education program between the Philippines and Indonesia to “spread the Islamic values” in Southeast Asian nations.

op-billing the legislative agenda of the House of Representatives for this year are changing the three-decade old Constitution by convening Congress into a constituent assembly and shifting to a federal form of government.

“Number one is the convening of Congress into a Constituent Assembly and in revising the Constitution, a shift from a unitary to a federal form of government,” Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said in a television interview on Wednesday.

Alvarez earlier said both houses of Congress would convene into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) in January to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution for a federal government.

He said if the Con-Ass pushes through, the proposed federal charter could be submitted for referendum simultaneously with the barangay elections in May this year.

The Speaker said he is

con�ident that the House supermajority would give its backing for the Constituent Assembly.

He, however, expressed doubt if the Senate has enough numbers in support of the proposal as he appealed to the sense of patriotism of senators.

He said the senators are concerned over the political implications of the possible dissolution of the Senate in a federal set-up, noting that this should not be a cause for concern since they could still be eligible to run for election to the new legislature.

“This is a question of patriotism, kung ano yung tama at kung ano yung kailangan sa bayan (what is right and what the nation needs),” Alvarez said.

Alvarez noted that the two chambers could have some disagreements over the issue of either voting jointly or separately in a Constituent Assembly. He said he prefers that the assembly vote jointly.

FEDERALISM,P11

4NEWS

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Palace welcomes survey making PH world’s 3rd happiest country

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alacanang on Tuesday welcomed American polling �irm Gallup International’s survey showing the Philippines as the third happiest country in the world.

“We Filipinos are known as a happy, resilient people.

We even manage to smile amid dif�iculties. It is therefore not surprising that we rank high in the global happiness index,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

According to Gallup International’s 41st Annual Global End of the Year Survey, the Philippines got a net score of +84 behind Fiji and Colombia, which are the top two happiest countries with a score of +92 and +87, respectively.

Roque described the sur-

vey as “good news,” since the Philippines also entered the year 2018 as the �ifth most optimistic about the country’s economic prosperity and the 9th most optimistic about the prospects for 2018.

He said the Filipinos’ optimism could be attributed to the “palpable change our people have felt under the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”

“Our economy is one of the fastest growing in the region,” Roque said, noting the local stock market ended the last trading day of 2017 at an all-time high.

Roque also said that the Board of Investments (BOI)-approved investments are record-breaking, while the government decisively

PALACE,P11

DOJ: Attacks basis for legally tagging CPP-NPA as terrorists

T

he Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday cited numerous attacks made by Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in various provinces all over the country as basis to legally declare it as a terrorist group.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, head of the panel tasked by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, said that they are close to �inalizing the government’s resolution to be �iled before a Regional Trial Court seeking to declare the CPP-NPA as terrorist organizations.

Ong said the attacks occurred as President Rodri-

go Duterte was “extending his hand” and “showing good faith” in the peace talks between the government and the rebels.

“The point is, the President was extending his hand, showing his good faith and sincerity for just and lasting peace. And yet ito pa ang mga offensives ang kapalit ng peace negotiations,” Ong told reporters during the press conference.

The senior prosecutor said their investigation showed how the CPP-NPA did not honor the good faith and sincerity extended by the Duterte administration and continued their

DOJ,P11

Body bags containing the remains of the victims of the 23 December 2017 fire at NCCC Mall Davao are brought inside the Cosmopolitan Funeral Parlor in Davao City. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO

Retrieval ops still on for Alexandra Moreno R

etrieval operation workers will search the first two floors of the gutted four-story NCCC Mall Davao after they failed to find the body of Alexandra Moreno, one of the 38 who perished in the December 23 fire incident.

Fire Supt. Jerry Candido, Interagency Anti-Arson Task Force deputy team leader and spokesperson, told reporters in a teleconference on Tuesday that authorities had already searched last December 31 the location of

the of�ices of the Survey Sampling International (SSI) on the fourth �loor and the third �loor where the �ire emanated but had failed to recover the remains of Moreno.

He said authorities have been given clearance by the

This despite the peace negotiations between the government and Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDF) at the start of the Duterte administration.

Few days after the third round of talks in January in Rome, Italy, the NPA leadership in Mindanao terminated its unilateral cease�ire.

Disappointed by the NPA’s move, President Duterte responded by canceling the government’s unilateral cease�ire and canceled the talks.

This was followed by an order to arrest of the NDF consultants, who were provisionally released on bail. One of them, Ariel Arbitrario, was arrested a month after the order.

In November, the President �inally issued the proclamation declaring the CPPNPA as terror organizations.

The communist rebels

have continued to wreak havoc on the lives of the people especially in the hinterlands and lumads who are perceived supporters of the military.

Rebels even attacked the convoy of the President Security Group (PSG) in Arakan, Cotabato on July 19, 2017.

They were on their way to Marawi from Davao City.

The NPA also attacked a military detachment in Barangay Carmen, Baguio District, Davao City, and the pineapple plantation also in Baguio District.

They intensi�ied their extortion activities. The NPA reportedly earned about P1 billion extortion money from mining, business establishments, government, construction �irms, and the banana industry.

Rebels burned down the box and packing plants of the Lapanday Foods Corporation in Buhangin and Bunawan in

task force to locate Moreno’s body inside the mall where some parts had already collapsed while other portions had been weakened by �ire.

Candido added they are requesting the SSI management to allow the authorities to reach out to Moreno’s supervisor as they need information where the victim was last seen when the �ire broke out morning of December 23.

He said the information would allow authorities to focus on one location as the area is very wide.

“The help of the SSI personnel, especially her supervisor, is very crucial for us to know the possible area where she could have gone and run to,” he said.

The remains of the 36 �ire victims, including Melvin Gaa’s, a key custodian of the mall and member of the NCCC Emergency Action Team (NEAT), were recovered at the lobby of the call center of�ice on the fourth �loor on December 25 but Moreno’s was not among them.

RETRIEVAL,P11

Fire, water, rebellion mark 2017 in Davao City New passports now

I

t would have been a rosy picture for Davao City in 2017. Growth was on the uptrend at 9.4 percent and construction was booming.

The numbers in crime index and volume were decreasing. Although rebellion and terrorism impact on the city’s situation, Davao City remains the top destination for investments and tourism in 2017.

Until on the night of December 22 when Davao River over�lowed due to heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Vinta which hit several provinces and cities in Mindanao, including Davao City.

The �lood brought havoc to 20,000 families from 25 barangays from the upland to downtown areas. They settled in evacuation centers.

Some even spent Christmas and New Year’s eve outside the comfort of their homes.

And barely addressing the needs of the evacuees, the �ire hit the city’s home-

grown New City Commercial Center (NCCC) in the morning of December 23. This left 38 people dead, 36 of them call center agents of the Survey Sampling International (SSI)and one employee of the NCCC Mall. Another SSI call agent is still missing.

The Bureau of Fire Protection estimated the damage at P1.6 billion. The incident is still under investigation.

It was the worst incident in terms of lives lost.

The two tragedies prompted Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to cancel the rest of the Pasko Fiesta activities, including the yearly “Torotot Festival” to welcome the New Year.

“This is no time for merry-making,” she said. She asked for prayers for the victims of the �lood and the �ire.

Rebel front The year 2017 was also marked by the ongoing rebellion of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

FIRE,P12

with 10-year validity T he Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday announced that issuance of passports with 10-year validity starts January 3.

“Since January 1 and 2 were holidays, passport applications made starting today, January 3, shall be 10-year valid, provided the applicant is not a minor,” said Director Geronimo Suliguin, of�icer in charge for DFA-Of�ice of Public Diplomacy.

As per the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10928 or Act Extending the Validity of Philippine Passports, only applicants 18 years old above will be provided with a 10-year valid passport, those below 18 years old will be issued with �ive-year validity.

In a text message, Suliguin told the Philippine News Agency that regular release schedules are still observed for applications made from all DFA units.

Meanwhile, for expedited applications made in DFA National Capital Region units today, he said they expect to release the passports on January 12.

Philippine passports issued prior to Jan. 1, 2018 with a validity period of �ive years will remain valid until expiration.

Both booklets with 10year and 5-year validity will not have a change in design, security features, and the number of pages. Further, there are also no changes in passport application fees.

While original applica-

NEW,P11

5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

BSP calls for halt in questioning credibility of PH legal tenders

T

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has called on the public to stop acts that will question the credibility of the country’s legal tenders.

This after some social media posts about misprinted banknotes continue to circulate days after central bank of�icials have explained the cause of the error.

In a statement, the BSP urged the public “to refrain from acts that could cast doubt on the credibility of our legal tender.”

“Posting photos

of alleged misprinted banknotes on social media causes confusion which may negatively affect commerce,” it pointed out.

The central bank also called on the public “to be vigilant against acts of those who wish to confuse, deceive or illegally pro�it from posting, producing and/or selling fake “misprinted” notes with no numismatic value.”

“The BSP reiterates that alleged faceless/misprinted Philippine Peso Bill/s must immediately be brought to the BSP

BSP,P11

DTI boosts MSMEs anew in 2017

T

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) focused its projects and programs in 2017 to the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, heeding the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to further boost the sector.

This year, DTI kicked off its micro�inancing program Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso, or the P3, which aims to improve Filipinos’ access to �inancing facilities and avoid loan sharks like “5-6” lending scheme.

Even without a formal budget allocated for the P3 alone, the administration funded about PHP1.0 billion worth of projects this year.

According to DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, the agency initially released some PHP780 million to borrowers.

A fresh PHP300 million was also disbursed during the last quarter of 2017.

“Many Filipinos were

freed from 5-6 lending,” Lopez said.

Under the P3, an individual can borrow PHP5,000 up to PHP100,000 at an interest rate not exceeding 2.5 percent, which is much lower compared to the 20-percent yield in 5-6 lending scheme.

Apart from providing �inancial access to Filipinos to encourage entrepreneurship, DTI has strengthened mentorship to MSMEs through Negosyo Centers nationwide.

A total of 614,417 entrepreneurs were assisted by DTI’s Negosyo Centers across the country.

The Negosyo Centers also conducted 11,043 skills, managerial, and entrepreneurship training programs this year.

Under the Duterte administration, 343 Negosyo Centers were added. Now, there are 718 Negosyo Centers nationwide.

“We’re very grateful to

DTI,P11

PERMIT RENEWAL. Business owners troop to the one-stop-shop at the Davao City Recreation Center (DCRC) to renew their business permits on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Economic managers hike several macro targets M ANILA -- Members of the interagency Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) have revised upwards some of the government’s targets on back of the economic development here and overseas.

In a brie�ing, Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said imports growth target for 2018 was hiked to 9 percent from 7 percent.

The latest 2018 imports growth target is now at the same level as the 2019-22 target, which in turn was kept.

The peso-US dollar rate for 2018 was also changed to

PHP49-52 from PHP48-50.

“This adjustment, however, should not be a cause of concern because as you know the impact of this in our �iscal... a peso depreciation is actually favorable to our �iscal position,” he said.

To date, the local currency is trading at 50-level to a greenback. It �inished this week’s trading at 50.14.

In December 2016, economic managers revised the peso-dollar rate for 2017-18

from 45-48 to 40-50 due to the expected impact of interest rate normalization in the US. Also revised on Friday is the 2018 crude oil price assumption from USD50/barrel to USD65/barrel. The earlier assumption is USD45-60/ barrel, which is the assumption for 2019-22.

LIBOR (London InterBank Offered Rate) rate target for 2019-22 was adjusted to

he Philippines has topped anew other countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the manufacturing purchasing manager’s index (PMI) in December 2017.

IHS Markit’s ASEAN Manufacturing PMI for December 2017 showed the region scored 49.9 last month, led by the Philippines, which posted an index of 54.2.

Despite a decline from its score of 54.8 in November, the country’s production index signaled a “solid increase”, IHS Markit noted.

Following the Philippines were Vietnam, with a score of 52.5, Myanmar (51.1), and Thailand (50.4).

The manufacturing PMI of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore were below the 50-level.

Indices above 50 signal an improvement in business

conditions while readings below 50 show deterioration.

“The ASEAN manufacturing economy �inished the year on a subdued note as business conditions were broadly stagnant in December,” IHS Markit Principal Economist Bernard Aw said.

“Other survey indicators suggest that the ASEAN manufacturing sector is likely to have a disappointing start to 2018.

Firms scaled down buying activity, and continued to cut back on their inventory levels,” Aw added.

On the other hand, Aw noted that business con�idence in the region for the next 12 months has improved, with Future Output Index recording its highest level last month since March 2017.

For the Philippines, IHS Markit’s report showed that

ECONOMIC,P12

Fifteen OSYs graduate from Plumbing NC II PH tops ASEAN manufacturing PMI F T ifteen out-of-school youths (OSY) completed the Plumbing NC II course through the support of Davao City Water District in partnership with the Rotary Club of Waling-Waling Davao (RCWWD). The graduation rites was held on December 21, 2017 at the Korea-Philippines Vocational Training Center in Buhisan, Tibungco.

Taken as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, DCWD subsidized the fees of the 20-day training program for the OSY bene�iciaries chosen from RCWWD’s adopted areas in Davao City. The training program with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority as training provider was designed to equip the bene�iciaries with the basic know-how on plumbing to boost their employability skills.

Present during the graduation rites were RCWWD past president and DCWD director Ma. Luisa L. Jacinto who ex-

Davao City Water District partners with the Rotary Club of Waling-Waling Davao to help 15 out-ofschool youth to graduate from Plumbing NC II. DCWD officers led by Community Relations Division manager Engr. Rosindo J. Almonte and Rotary Club tended her congratulations and assured that the program will continue to help more OSYs in the city. The manager of DCWD’s Community Relations Division Engr. Rosindo J. Almonte also said that they will monitor and extend assis-

of Waling-Waling Davao represented by incoming president Marilou Baarde (seated, 1st, 2nd from L) gather with the graduates who have been conferred with their certificate of course completion.

tance to the graduates as they seek employment.

DCWD has been giving plumbing skills training for 11 years now. The most recent bene�iciaries include the 35 senior high school teachers who completed the DCWD-spon-

sored Training of Trainers plumbing methodology in August 2017 and Plumbing Skills Pro�iciency for Teachers in 2016. These same teachers were able to pass the Plumbing NC II exam in December 2016.

(Camille Margarette U. Solon)

PH,P12

6 ECONOMY

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PSEi, peso start 2018 with a bang

M ABREEZA EXPANSION. Accendo Commercial Corporation general manager Luigi Escano announces that new shops and specialty stores will open at Abreeza Mall starting on the first quarter of the year. Es-

DOE watching oil firms to prevent profiteering

E

nergy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi today assured the public that the Department of Energy is keeping a close watch over oil �irms to prevent possible pro�iteering over the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN).

For this purpose, Cusi bared that the DOE has invited the oil companies to a meeting on Wednesday morning (3 January 2018) in its headquarters to clarify the mechanisms in the implementation of the new tax law.

Cusi stressed that the additional excise tax on fuel under TRAIN should not affect the prices of old stocks of oil �irms, including their stocks under the 15-day Minimum

Inventory Requirement.

“As directed by President Duterte, the government taxes should not pro�it the companies, because these are all intended for the services of the government to the public and the public alone.”

Cusi said that to the credit of the oil companies, they willingly agreed to submit their stock inventories as of the cut-off date (31 December 2017) under a notarized document to be submitted to the DOE. The oil companies also concurred to share their data regarding their sales to the dealers/retailers to determine which stocks will be applied with the Excise Tax.

Bank and non-bank collection partners of the Social Security System (SSS) are making the necessary system recalibration for the implementation of real-time processing of contributions (RTPC) which will start on January 16, 2018.

SSS President and Chief Executive Of�icer Emmanuel F. Dooc said that bank and non-bank collection partners were gathered last November 28 for follow-up discussions on enhancements in policies, systems and procedures required for RTPC. “To ensure the ef�icient implementation of our process’ improvements, we have to engage all the concerned parties on the enhanced process �lows in our electronic collection system (e-CS),” Dooc said.

Under the RTPC, collection partners are tasked to encode and validate employ-

cano also detailed expansion plans of the firm during Wednesdays @ Habi at Kape at Abreeza Mall. Lean Daval Jr.

ANILA -- Foreign funds continue to pour into the Philippines’ equities market, boosting not only the main index but also the peso on Wednesday.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) �inished at 8,724.13 points, up 1.94 percent or 165.71 points Wednesday, the �irst trading day of 2018 A trader pointed this to investors’ sentiment on the domestic economy due in part to the implementation of the �irst part of tax reform program’s Package 1 starting this month.

The trader said investors

expressed hopes that the tax reform program would further improve the government’s capacity to fund its infrastructure program, among others, and further improve its growth prospects.

With views remaining up, all the other indices tracked the main gauge with the broader All Shares rising by 1.30 percent, or 64.68 points, to 5,054.65 points.

Holding Firms led the sectors with a 2.95 percent increased followed by the Property, 2.27 percent; Services, 1.05 percent; Mining and Oil, 0.84 percent; Industrial, 0.61 percent; and Financials, 0.47

PSEI,P12

Abreeza estate plans more projects in 2018 Exclusive NBA, 6 other merchants to open Q1

By ANGIE SAVERON

T

he Abreeza Estate which includes the Abreeza Mall, Seda Hotel, mixed use office and call centers as well as condominiums has set its eyes on more projects as part of its plan to expand in 2018.

DOE,P12

Luigi Escano, operations manager of Accendo Commercial Corp., the Aya-

la-An�lo Management Corporation partnership said, the �irm will soon develop

ers’ and members’ Payment Reference Number (PRN) by sending validation request to the SSS system. Upon validation, they can now accept contribution payments and send payment con�irmation to the SSS for immediate posting.

“We also distributed the technical speci�ications for RTPC to have their systems in sync with the SSS e-CS,” Dooc added.

Starting December 1, 2017, all employers and individually-paying members including self-employed, non-working spouse, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and voluntary members were required to create their personal accounts in the My.SSS portal at the SSS website.

With the mandatory registration to My.SSS facility, the system shall generate electronic collection lists (eCL) for employers and electronic statements of account

(e-SOA) for individual members.

“Employers and members can also access the e-CL ande-SOA in case they want to review and update the SSS information such as newly-hired and separated employees, preferred applicable period of payment or amount of contribution,” Dooc added.

Upon validation and con�irmation of e-CL and e-SOA, the SSS online facility will issue the Payment Reference Number (PRN) that will be used in paying contributions through the automated tellering systems in SSS branches and the various payment channels of bank and nonbank collection partners.

“As we begin the reforms in our service delivery, we are asking for the understanding and full cooperation of everyone, especially our employers, members and collection partners,” Dooc concluded.

Among the partner banks that committed to implement the RTPC are Asia United Bank (AUB), Bank of Commerce (BOC), Banco de Oro (BDO), Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), China Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank), Philippine National Bank (PNB), Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank), Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), Security Bank, United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) and Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank).

Meanwhile, non-bank collection partners, namely BancNet, CIS Bayad Center, G-Xchange Inc., iRemit Inc.,Lucky Money Inc., Pinoy Express Hatid Padala Services, Sky Freight Forwarders Inc., SM Mart Inc. and Ventaja International Corp., also signi�ied their interest in supporting the RTPC.

a two-hectare property between Emcor and the Redemptorist Church just across the street into another group of condos. This expansion area now being studied by planners will include a transport terminal to address traf�ic �low issues in the area.The current Abreeza Estate occupies a total of 10 hectares.

The expansion projects will mean the employment of more workers in addition to the 3,000 currently employed by the mall’s various merchants and retailers, and additional 2,000 call center workers engaged by the Convergys business process outsourcing company. as of January 3, 2018, Esca-

ABREEZA,P12

SSS collection partners calibrate systems for CebPac provides support real-time processing of contribution payments for Marawi relief efforts

L

eading Philippine carrier Cebu Paci�ic (PSE: CEB) supports the #OGOPMarawi program of the Philippine Army, enabling the delivery of PureIt water purifying devices. The water puri�iers, donated by Unilever, are to be used in relief operations for displaced residents of Marawi City. Ogop, the local word in Marawi for “help,” aims to help internally displaced residents and give morale support to soldiers

deployed in Marawi.

Photo shows a soldier arranging the boxes that were carried via Cebu Paci�ic Flight 5J379 from Manila to Cagayan de Oro. Since the con�lict in Marawi broke out in May 2017, Cebu Paci�ic has been providing airlift support for cargo of relief goods for affected Marawi residents, notably for the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine Business for Social Progress.

7 SUBURBIA RISING

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

Kublai Art Garden in Kapatagan, Digos City in Davao del Sur has become a popular destination for bonding time with relatives and friends such as this group on 29 December 2017. The place features the Agong

House and other sculptural pieces of Mindanawon artist Kublai (Mujahid Ponce Millan). MindaNews photo

by GG BUENO

GenSan streamlines business 3 drown on New Year’s Day permits processing to 2 hours

Z

AMBOANGA CITY -- Three people, including a �iveyear-old girl, on a picnic drowned while one survived on News Year’s Day here, the police reported Tuesday.

Police and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management authorities identi�ied the victims as Wilson Rania, 42; Mohammad Isa Tala, �ive; and, Anifa Maulod, 17.

The survivor was identi�ied as Shariff Almain, 22. He was hospitalized.

Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Of�ice-9 (PRO-9) information of�icer, said Rania was found unconscious at around 11:30 a.m. while he and his neighbors were on a picnic along R.T. Lim Boulevard, Barangay San Jose-Cawa-Cawa, this city.

Galvez said Rania, who was then drunk, was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the

attending physician.

She said Tala drowned at around 3:10 p.m. when allegedly left unattended by her companions while on a picnic at a resort in Barangay San Roque, this city.

She said the child was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician when rushed to the hospital.

The Isabela City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Of�ice (CDRRMO) said Maulod drowned while on a picnic at the White Beach Resort on New Year’s Day in Malamawi Island.

Like the other two victims, the attending physician declared Maulod dead on arrival when rushed to the hospital in Isabela City, Basilan.

The CDRRMO said Almain, who drowned minutes apart from Maulod, was rescued and “is in critical condition, but is expected to recover.” (PNA)

G

ENERAL SANTOS CITY The city government has unveiled an enhanced Business Permits and Licensing System (BPLS) that would allow the issuance of business permits in two hours or even less.

Dubbed FAST – which stands for friendly, accessible, simple and timely – the new system was formally rolled out on Wednesday with the start of the annual registration and renewal of business permits here that will run until Jan. 20.

Geraldine Zamora, chief

of the Business Permits and Licensing Division, said they have further streamlined the processes in the renewal and application of local business permits to fast track their issuance.

From the previous 15 steps, which usually took two to three days to com-

plete, she said they have cut down the process to just three steps in compliance with the guidelines set by the national government.

She was referring to Joint Memorandum Circular 01, series of 2016 issued by the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department Information and Communications Technology.

Under the new system, Zamora said the process only involves the �iling and assessment, payment and the then the claiming of

business permits.

“Our original target was to have the business permits released in 40 minutes to one hour but since this is a new system, we’re giving it at least two hours,” she said in a media forum.

The of�icial said among the major changes was the setting of the basic requirements for application and renewal to just the barangay clearance and the uni�ied form.

She said they also simpli�ied the assessment of gross sales by allowing the

Chief Inspector Andres Sumugat, chief of the President Roxas PNP, said Cui was off-duty at the time.

Cui’s mom Felomina said her son’s wife Florelie died around 12:45 a.m., on Tuesday.

Felomina said Florelie’s situation worsened after learning of her husband’s abduction. She was suffering from cervical cancer.

Cui’s second son, Jay, said his mother was rushed to the Kidapawan Doctors Hospi-

tal here on Sunday after she complained of shortness of breath.

Felomina told reporters here that they have not received any message yet from her son’s abductors.

She appealed to them to release his son so he could attend to his children’s needs now that their mother is gone.

Florelie worked as an employee at the municipal accounting of�ice in Magpet, North Cotabato.

Meantime, an of�icial of

the intelligence unit of the Cotabato Police Provincial Of�ice said they still don’t know Cui’s whereabouts.

Supt. John Meridel Calinga, head of CPPO’s intelligence unit, said they are still validating reports and information they have gathered from the �ield as to Cui’s case.

Felomina said the municipal government of President Roxas has already created a crisis committee on Cui’s abduction. (Malu Cadelina Manar/MindaNews)

GENSAN,P12

Wife of abducted police officer in NorthCot dies

K

IDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 2 January) – The cancer-stricken wife of the deputy chief of police in President Roxas town in North Cotabato abducted late last month by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels died on Tuesday.

Inspector Menardo Cui, deputy chief of police of President Roxas, North Cotabato, was snatched on December 28 by at least �ive armed men inside HMB KTV Bar and Lodge in the poblacion.

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

A

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

Fresh start

s we usher in the year 2018, we typically start the year from scratch--fresh beginnings, new goals set, and resolutions made. That’s always the promise of the new year and we look forward to making up for the missed opportunities of the past year.

2018 will be no different. However, with the mid-term elections set in 2019, it is expected that this year will be eventful especially in politics.

The Duterte government will enter its second year and the President’s election promise of eradicating illegal drugs in six months, initially, has �izzled out. After a year’s extension, still the worrisome drug problem has not been extinguished completely and the President himself has aked for yet another extension.

How the ilegal drugs war, bloody as it has been, will move on this year should be crucial in determining whether the massive support to the Duterte leadership will continue to be rock solid or begin to weaken.

EDGEDAVAO

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There is also the Federalism movement that has yet to inch further into its voyage towards a new political system. Its fate, for sure, will weigh much on the allies of the administration come elections next year as this is expected to be the political base anew for which the PDP stronghold will be anchored on.

And then there’s the peace process. The blow hot blow cold talks with the Communist rebels is another determinant to how 2018 will go.

How the economy will fare will likewise depend on how the infrastructure development and the new tax innovations will work to the country’s advantage, but if the optimism expressed by government ecconomic planners would be relied upon, there should be something to be excited about.

At the end of the day, the year’s fresh start will only work to motivate us to better our performance in the previous year. A whole lot of factors will interplay in the coming months. Let’s brace for the exciting and challenging times ahead.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

JIMMY K. LAKING Associate Editor PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ANGELIE SAVERON BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO JUDELYN VEGA MEGHANN STA. INES Reporters ARMANDO B. FENENQUITO JR. NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle CHA MONFORTE LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARLENE D. PASAJE Correspondents Cartoons Photography Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. Columnists: D. TACIO G.•DELIGERO • JOHN CARLO TRIA • VIDAGOTIANSE-TAN MIA S. VALVERDE•• NICASIO FRED C. LUMBA • ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA BORBONHENRYLITO • MARY ANN “ADI”• GREGORIO C. QUISIDO LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

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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

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EDGEDAVAO

A

mong commercial growers, this wild�lower, known locally as waling-waling, is best described as the ‘queen of cut�lowers.’

Appropriately, it is the ‘queen of the jungle.’

Scienti�ically, it is known as the Vanda sanderiana, a member of the orchid family and named after Henry Frederick Conrad Sander, a British orchidologist. It was actually German botanist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach who it Vanda sanderiana.

Endemic to Davao and adjacent regions, the �lower is worshipped as a god by the early Bagobos, even calling it diwata. But beyond science and ethnology, the waling-waling has taken its immortal place in arts and poetry, at times the substance of a lover’s gift to an inamorata.

A painter, expressing his emotions on canvas, once called the Davao orchid as the ‘fairest of the rare’ and the ‘one choice for the fair.’

In the 1938 records of the Bureau of Forestry, a total of 2,149 waling-waling plants were exported from Davao and 790 from the province of Cotabato, with exorbitant prices

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

VANTAGE POINTS

9

‘The jungle queen’ ranging from PhP5.00 to PhP200, the equivalent of US$100, or roughly US$1,030 in today’s exchange rate.

An observer noted that in 1949, when Davao’s population was 127,000, not even ten percent owned a single waling-waling plant.

This orchid was also a valued gift.

American poet and satirist Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was one of those who received the expensive plant, prompting her to write a poem which goes: “Say it with Waling-waling/Love for thy neighbor/Love for the one you adorn/Love for the suffering/Say it with waling-waling/A feeling of admiration/A feeling of inspiration/A feeling—eye, on �irst meeting/Say it with waling-waling.”

But nothing is more emotional that the poem written by Msgr. Fernando Buyser y Aquino, who wrote a book titled ‘Kasingkasing sa Magbabalak: Pungpong sa mga Bulak ni Floripinas’ (Heart of a Poet: Wreath of Flowers for Floripinas) in 1938. One of the entries was the ‘Waling-waling’ (Tanslation mine).

Sa taliwala sa akong paghinuktok

Nga walay kahumot nga nanimaho,

FAST BACKWARD Antonio V. Figueroa Misantop lamang sa akong panumduman, Nga ang bulak nga maayag ug mahumot Madali nga abuton sa mga kadaut Kay sa mga Alibangbang pasipad-an.

(While in a pensive mood, it came to my mind a �lower that is beautiful and fragrant; it is easily damaged because it is abused by the butter�ly.)

Dili ingon sa bulak sa Waling-waling

Hangtod kan-uman ka adlaw mahabilin, Dili mapungis sa kusog sa hangin, Ang kaputli niya labaw pa ka dato.

(Unlike the waling-waling �lower, without odor to smell, endures for sixty days and cannot be turned away by the wind; his purity is even more expensive.)

Apan, ikaw dili ka gayud mabalhin Kay ang baho mo mao lang gihapon, Kay sa Makagagahum ka gigahin, Sa kaaghop sa pamatasan salamin, Kay sa kaanyag mo walay makatupong.

(But you don’t change because your scent remains. It was God who set you aside; your meekness is the mirror of behaviour; your beauty cannot be surpassed.)

Iwagi Bulak and tibuok nga yuta Sa suga nga balaanon sa imong kaanyag, Ang kahayag mo sa dayon musuta, Sa buling sa sayop nga hunahuna Ug sa ginharian sa ‘vicio’ mulaglag.

(Enlighten, Flower, the whole land with the sacred lustre of your loveliness. Your glow will discover the sin of a �ilthy mind and bring down the realm of vanity.)

Palina-is sa imong baho ang katilingban Aron sa kahilayan paghingilin, Kay mamalik ang maayong pamatasan Nga sa mga bag-ong tubo buot igihan Ug laksi-on sa among mga kasingkasing.

(Use your scent as incense of the community so they shy away from pleasures so the good traits tthis new generation abhors will be back, and tear away [the vices] from our hearts.)

What should have been the highlight of the journey of the waling-waling was the approval of Senate of House Bill No. 5655, which declared it a national �lower in 2013 but it was vetoed. The �lower would have joined the sampaguita, the country’s original national �lower declared by Governor-General Frank Murphy through Proclamation No. 652 on February 1, 1934.

Advancing nature preservation with business At least 9 groups and one person from Mindanao were among the 30 awardees that were honored by the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) for adopting technologies on reforestation while promoting industries and jobs.

ERDB, a line agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), gave the 30 top technology adopters during the bureau’s 30th anniversary last December 18. They were judiciously chosen.

According to ERDB, they were selected because of the sustainability of the technology and the bene�its derived as reforestation projects contribute to carbon sequestration, biodiversity preservation, and environmental beauti�ication.

“This is a validation of how ERDB technologies help improve lives of communities while protecting the environment. It is also a showcase of ERDB’s achievements in the last three decades since 1987,” said Dr. Henry A. Adornado, ERDB’s executive director.

Awardees include private individuals, people’s organizations (POs), nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and local government units (LGUs).

At least �ive groups from Davao Region made it to the list of honorees.

The Pangapog Association Inc. (PAI) of barangay Tambo in the Island Garden City of Samal was cited for its reforestation

program using the mangrove species called “pagatpat” in rehabilitating Sanipaan Shoal, more popularly known as the “vanishing island.”

“With the effort to grow pagatpat, Sanipaan Shoal is now an ecotourism learning destination,” said a statement from ERDB. “Women raise an average of 20 potted pagatpat seedling per day. Private �irms also helped rehabilitate Sanipaal by adopting an area for them to plant mangroves.”

Davao Oriental has two winners; both from Governor Generoso. The Evergreen Tree Planters Association of Tandang Sora has been involved in the rattan industry for 27 years now. The group, composed of 200 rattan gatherers, established an additional 5-hectare rattan plantation on top of their existing hectares. Because of what they have done, supply of raw material of rattan for furniture and basket production has been stabilized.

The Governor Generoso was also awarded for its almaciga plantation and resin tapping technology. Through the Biodiversity Partnerships Project, ERDB extended training on inventory of almaciga trees to the municipality.

“There was a signi�icant increase in almaciga resin production yield with zerominimal damage incurred on the tree.

There was an increased participation of local communities in sustainable almaciga

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

tapping,” the ERDB reported.

The residents also serve as forest guards. This is why timber poaching was minimized; almaciga trees and other forest tree species have been preserved. But what makes this project very important is that it enhanced biodiversity conservation in the unprotected region of Mount Apo, a key biodiversity area.

The Tuboran Elementary School of Mawab, Compostela Valley was cited for using coconut coir in combination with materials from falcata, mahogany, narra and African tulip in rehabilitating severely eroded area.

“Surface run-off gadgets were installed

in the area to assess the combination of coco coir and vegetative measures,” the ERDB said. “Run-off plots and catchment approach was used to measure the erosion rate.”

In Davao del Norte, the San Jose Agroforestry Farmers Association (SJAFA) was recognized for creating jobs from bamboos, which are made into the special handicraft called “liyang.” It is a �inelywoven narrow container which is used for storage of rice and other food items.

SJAFA members – mostly vegetable farmers who also trade many good like banana and livestock – practice bamboo propagation through culm cuttings.

They planted bamboo to rehabilitate the Longaob River.

There were three winners from Agusan del Sur. The LGU of Prosperidad, with the help of the provincial environmental and natural resources of�ice, has put up 1,375.25 hectares of falcata plantations in Patin-ay. It sourced 77 kilos of improved falcata seeds from ERDB-run Mindanao Tree Seed Center (MTSC).

The Casinillo Nursery in barangay Fili of Bayugan also sourced 1.5 kilograms of falcata seeds from MTSC. Today, the Caraga Farmers and Environmental Multipurpose Cooperative has become a cooperator in the industrial tree plantation technology transfer project in Caraga.

The Diwata Farm is a co-operators

of progeny trial establishment and government’s industrial tree plantation production and technology transfer. It developed a total of 60 hectares of falcata farm from MTSC. The LGU in Tagbina in Surigao del Sur established a 2-hectare seedling seed orchard for falcata in Dona Carmen. The environment department considered the Caraga Region as a forest plantation corridor as majority of 60-70% of the country’s wood production comes from this region.

The only person honored was Antonio Dominao from Bukidnon who is cited for widely distributing the giant bamboo species which are used as support for Mindanao’s export-oriented banana trees.

In the beginning, he was a government laborer at the experimental and bamboo plantation of ERDB-DENR in Region 10.

Since 1987, he became interested as an adopter and established a bamboo nursery at his own residence in Impalutao, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, Now his nursery sells 50,000 giant bamboo seedlings per month at P20 each, generating P1 million from it.

“The improvement of the socioeconomic status of Dominao served as an eye opener to the community that inspired them to adopt also the (bamboo propagation) technology,” said ERDB’s Adreana Santos Remo.

EDGEDAVAO

10 COMPETITIVE EDGE

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

Solving the problem of Aboitiz volunteers aid over 5k families MilkTrack: breast milk scarcity, one area at a time during ‘Urduja’, ‘Vinta’ relief efforts T

O

The relief operations in Davao City and Davao del Norte is a collective effort of the BUs in Mindanao: AboitizPower subsidiaries Davao Light and Power Company, Therma South Inc., and Hedcor, Inc. together with Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc.,

and in coordination with the Davao City Social Service and Development Of�ice.

In addition, the Aboitiz Foundation and same BUs in Mindanao donated 6,152 liters of drinking water to displaced families in Davao City during Christmas Eve. “The experience taught me to be a team player; that working together as a team is fun. As we serve, the impact we make in other people’s lives makes the job even more ful�illing,” Karen Laurito, an accountant in Apo Agua, said.

Meanwhile, 300 boxes of The Care Package High Energy Biscuits and other food packs were distributed to hundreds of families severely affected in Cagayan de Oro and two municipalities in Biliran through the help of team members of the Aboitiz food BU Pilmico.

“We are thankful for all the Aboitiz team members who volunteered their time and effort to aid us in the relief operations. Without their help, we will not be able to respond quickly. We take pride in hav-

the Philippines monitor their power consumption anytime in near-real time.

PULP Meter is currently available for smartphones running on Android OS. Using their smartphone’s camera, registered users can take photos of their meters and send these to PULP Meter’s server. The server sends back the user’s cur-

rent meter reading and the equivalent estimated amount of the total kilowatt-hours or cubic meters consumed via push noti�ication. The application is free to use for households with only one electric and water meter.

Users have the option of checking their meters daily, weekly or monthly. Paying users (or those with

multiple meters in different locations) can register as many meters as they want.

PULP Meter is very user friendly and is the only one of its kind released for the Philippines.

It can be used by mobile users anywhere in the country and their estimated bills are based on the

ver a hundred Aboitiz Group team members spent their holiday break volunteering for the relief operations to assist 6,000 families affected by flash floods brought by typhoons Urduja and Vinta in Visayas and Mindanao.

Team members from various Aboitiz business units (BUs) helped pack and distribute relief kits containing hygiene kits, mats, and blankets during simultaneous outreach activities from December 23 to 29.

ABOITIZ,P12

Davao IT company releases mobile app help PH electricity, water consumers

D

avao City, (January 2, 2018) – NEXT BPO Solutions, through its subsidiary XEM Tech Solutions, has of�icially released the �irst full version of its mobile application called PULP Meter on Google Play. PULP Meter (Public Utility Private Meter) is a mobile application that lets electricity and water consumers in

DAVAO,P13

he importance and value of breast milk for newborn or sick babies can never be understated. Stories have been written numerous times as to how babies’ lives have depended much on the availability of breast milk while its scarcity brought dire consequences.

As a research project undergraduate, Kevin Facun and his team were tasked to create innovative solutions to answer basic problems in his community in Malolos, Bulacan. One of these concerns involved health care, particularly in hospitals in his home

town where he noticed a peculiar need for breast milk.

Facun said they visited neonatal units and saw how breast milk is considered a basic necessity for babies for them to survive. “We heard lots of stories on the need for breastmilk, especially for premature babies and it’s so hard to �ind trusted sources.

What most people and mothers don’t know is that breast milk is very important for premature or sick babies because formula milk is hard to digest.”

The Philippine Milk

MILLKTRACK,P12

From L-R: Kickstart Ventures President Minette Navarrete, Ashoka Philippines Chairman Rico Gonzalez, MilkTrack Founder Kevin Facun with teammates Mark Sampayan and Richie Ryan Tan, and Globe Telecom Head of Innovation Mikey Garrovillo

INdulge!

FOOD

Serving the Grill Platter.

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

EDGEDAVAO

Munchtown’s grilled Angus beef riblet is heaven on a stick.

Munchtown still serves it famous milkshakes.

A different eat at Munchtown

WHEN MUNCHTOWN OPENED ITS DOORS A FEW YEARS BACK, I was more than excited to taste their freshly made burgers, artisan sausages, and blue pate specials. Unfortunately, they had to close shop which left many of Durianburg’s urbanites like me sad.

Not wanting to throw in the towel, restauranteur Carlo Lorenzana went back to the drawing board to revamp Munchtown and its menu. After some alterations and updating Munchtown reopened its doors along F. Torres Street which is already seeing a revival of its food street days.

The new Munchtown Davao carries along with it pretty much everything the original Munchtown in Manila and Lanang had. From its juicy freshly made burgers with homemade buns, to its artisanal sausages everything everyone loved is back.

Munchtown’s thin crust pizzas also made a comeback in Three Cheese, Hawaiian, Pepperoni, and Bacon & Mushroom flavors.

“We decided to keep the best of the old menu because we know Dabawenyos are still looking for them,” said Carlo “This time, everything is made more affordable because we know Dabawenyos are always looking for good value for their money.”

So you ask, what makes the new Munchtown different?

Aside from the old menu, Muchtown now

also has a grill, but not just any grill. Inspired

by Japanese yakimono joints. Yakimono is a name given to Japanese dishes where pieces of meat are marinated, skewered and grilled, one example is yakitori.

Munchtown’s yakimono is a kaleidoscope of what Davao can offer as the list of grilled meats include, chicken liver, gizzard, heart, skin, butt, breast, and wings, cheesy chicken meatballs, quail eggs, pork belly, baby squid, tuna, tuna belly, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, and egg plants.

“We wanted to add a grill as Dabawenyos really love grilled food,” Carlo revealed, “our grilled items are affordable and pair well with rice and many of our regulars pair it with beer.”

My top skewer picks

One of each kind of grilled item is served .

Munchtown’s new Japanese style grill. would be Munchtown’s Angus Beef Riblet, and their Ox Tongue. The ox tongue is tender to the bite

and smoky thanks to the grilling. The Angus beef riblet overtakes the ox tongue however thanks

Munchtown Davao’s Carlo Lorenzana. to its rich fatty flavor and a nice crunch when biting off a piece. Imagine eating a nice juicy steak but in little pieces that are skewered, seasoned only with pepper and salt, then grilled to juicy perfection. It was had not to ask for an extra stick or two, or three, or four. This is the main reason why I mentioned Munchtown’s Grilled Angus beef riblet as my savory snack must eat for 2017.

“The Angus beef riblet is actually an affordable alternative for people who love steak. While some yakimono places offer wagyu cubes, these are actually processed foods composed of beef and binders while the Angus beef riblets we serve here at Munchtown are 100% beef.” added Carlo. And this attention to detail and love for real food is why one should rediscover Munchtown.

A2 INdulge!

FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

365 DAYS OF GASTRONOMIC INDULGENCE, 52 weeks of scouring delicious places all over Asia, 12 months of foodie adventure with family and friends and 1 delectable feature every week — oh the many reasons why I infinitely love my job. Not to mention, the many beautiful people I meet and met along the way. To anyone and everyone who trusted and appreciated my palate, cheers for more!

As we turn another leaf, let’s all take a second to appreciate the many restos and pubs opening in the city. From local dishes infused with the flavours of the world to outsta nding global cuisines we only see on magazines and lifestyle shows, the city has since been flocked with the best of the best. Case in point, Project Paella.

This quaint, quick on the go dining hub is packed with the flavours of Spain. Paella being a Valencian rice dish, has held a special seat in Spanish homes for centuries. Considered one of the most difficult dishes to master, a plate of Paella is all that you can want for a dish — nourishing, naked, abundant

and vibrant with every spoonful.

Manning the kitchen is one of Davao’s newest chef on the rise. Used to spearhead parties with his dj skills, he can now be found inside the kitchen creating dishes that reminds him of home, travels and just about anything.

Say hello to Chef Antonio ‘Uno’ Tupas of Project Paella.

‘I find it (paella as a dish) a challenge’, Chef Uno said. ‘I find the dish very complex and very intriguing. And I find that whenever I eat (paella), I feel like I’m eating my mother’s cooking — very homey’, he added.

Uno is the first born of Jun and Mimi Tupas (SoulKitchen Co.).

His paella includes Valenciana, Negra and Mariscos. All of which use locally sourced fresh ingredients.

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Soulful paella on the go

‘What we have is quick serve paella. This is the only place where you can get Paella in 5-10 minutes’, Chef Uno shared. Yes, it’s fast yet not bitin to the palate. Each plate is packed with textures, depth and of course, flavours that’ll surprise even the pickiest of eater.

Also on his menu are tapas — appetizers or snacks of Spanish origin. May be served hot or cold, in itself, his tapas are a dish on their own.

Tapas include Callos, Salpicao, Gambas, Tigre, Pollo,

Jamon and Croquetas. The salpicao and gambas are nothing but heavenly. The tigre, on the other hand, gives off an intense and delicious whiff of flavours hitting your palate all at once.

End your Spanish cuisine adventure with some delicately crunchy churros with gooeychocolatey dip. Top it off with freshly squeezed lemonade or sangria for a dining experience unlike any other.

Personally, what I like about Project Paella is that their meals are not intimidating to the pal-

ate and has that homey home cooked taste. The tapas are exquisitely flavoured and perfect for an all nighter. The lemonade is a revelation that ties the many flavours of Project Paella together. Not to mention, everything is reasonably priced.

Project Paella is located at F Torres street, corner Mabini, Davao City.

For my latest food finds, follow me on Instagram @ iamleebai and Facebook @theroyalchefeats. Happy eating, royalistas!

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UP AND ABOUT

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

Globe #PlayItRight campaign goes to the MMFF via ‘All Of You’ GLOBE is seeking to change the landscape of entertainment by promoting the digital lifestyle and at the same time protecting the industry through its advocacy #PlayItRight. It pursues its mission to bring more original content to Filipinos as it brings Globe first ever coproduced film, “All Of You”. The beautifully crafted romantic comedy is among the movies participating in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

“Producing original content also comes with the responsibility of educating our customers to consume the right and legitimate way through the advocacy #PlayItRight,” says Quark Henares, head of Globe Studios.

The #PlayItRight campaign champions the entertainment industry by producing or releasing quality online or offline content and making more accessible to audiences.

It encourages Globe customers to consume their entertainment in the right way, by avoiding piracy.

Piracy undervalues and takes away the creative efforts that each member of a production team puts into making a movie or staging a show.

The noted director adds that as Filipinos enjoy their annual film fest through the MMFF, they need to learn and appreciate the hard work that comes with putting together a movie – from the number of people down to the hours.

“We are proud of the

first MMFF entry and reminding the public to watch ‘All of You’ and the rest of their MMFF favorites the right way.”

The movie, which is headlined by Derek Ramsey, Jennylyn Mercado, Sam Milby and Solenn Heusaff is a romcom set in Taiwan about two individuals who find modern day love through Tinder.

After three years of being together, the couple finds themselves at a point where they have to make the major decision to stay with each other or keep looking for #ThePerfectMatch.

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

Advertise with

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

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preclude the possibility of their armed comrades of these detainees from attempting to “rescue” the detainees from the jail.

For the meantime,, the court hearings on the cases involving the maximum secu-

rity detainees inside the city jail facility will continue, instead of the hearing conducted in the Halls of Justice near Ecoland to minimize threats of their comrades attempting to free them by force.

This cease�ire was mirrored by the NPA but some of its units opted to attack military units in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.

He added that military units will resume pro-active combat measures nationwide to protect vulnerable commu-

nities from armed threats and deceptions of the NPA. “Our non-combat efforts on assisting other line government agencies on infrastructure development and community health engagements will continue,” Arevalo said. (PNA)

bared his of�ice recorded 69,000 evacuees in the region since the Severe Tropical Storm Vinta.

“We also recorded damage houses in which 225 were partially damaged while 386 were totally damaged,” he said.

He said the damage on agriculture in the region has reached P230 million.

Cirunay said Vinta only left one casualty who was from the town of Asuncion, Davao del Norte. “Hopefully, next time, we will record zero casualties,” he said.

siege.

“This time, maybe some people will oppose for the postponement since it has been a long time that there is no election,” Casquejo said.

He said Comelec will continue preparing for the election unless a decision about a postponement will be ordered.

“We already conducted our ERB (Election Registration Board) hearing last November and now we’re clustering the precincts,” he said.

He added that the

Comelec will be organizing the Board of Election Tellers by next month.

Casquejo said the �iling of Certi�icate of Candidacy for the aspiring barangay and SK candidates might start in the last week of April.

He said the Davao Region is expecting 1.2 million voters to vote in the barangay and SK elections. The regular voters total 919,000. Casquejo said for Davao City, only 9,000 voters were added during the November voter’s registration.

She added that the Indonesian government wanted to confer 300 passports for Indonesian descents living in Mindanao.

Marsudi was accompanied by Indonesian Embassy in Manila Charge d’ affaires Budi Dhewajani, Consul General for Indonesian Embassy in Davao Berlian Napitupulu, and Indonesia Ministry of

Foreign Affairs Director for Southeast Asian Affairs Deni Abdi, among others.

Undersecretary Enrique Manalo of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Undersecretary Lorna Dino and Director Marge Ballesteros of the Department of Education (DepEd) were also present during the meeting. .PND

Alvarez also said the timetable of the forthcoming 2019 mid-term elections may be affected if the Filipino people accept the federal form of government.

“May transitory provision. Nakalagay doon na yung mga elected of�icials na mage-expire yung term, hindi ba, kung kailan sila due for elections, iba-iba (There is a transitory provision. It states the expiration of the terms of the elected of�icials. It says when they can run for another election. It varies),” Alvarez said.

“So depende talaga iyan kung ano yung mapagkakasunduan doon sa Constituent Assembly, (It depends on what will be agreed upon at the Constitutent Assembly)” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the federal setup proposed by the PDP-LABAN retains the position of the President, who would act as head of state, and introduces the position of a Prime Minister, who would be the head of the government. (PNA)

liberated Marawi City.

“Our people have, indeed, appreciated these changes as

re�lected in the survey numbers,” Roque said.

He said the challenge now

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BACK IN ACTION. Captain Jerry Lamosao, spokesperson of Eastern Mindanao Command’s 10th Infantry Division, says the military will resume its offensives and operations against the New People’s Army

(NPA) now that the ceasefire is already lifted. Lamosao made the comment during during the AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

for the government is to sustain the pace and momentum of the country’s economic growth and “bring it to the greatest numbers of our people.”

In its year-end survey, Gallup International found that 86 percent of Filipinos were happy, 2 percent were unhappy, and 10 percent were undecided.

It leads to a net score of 84 percent. It is higher than the previous year’s 79 percent, but the country has maintained its rank with the previous.

Nearly half of Filipinos, on

the other hand, are optimistic for 2018. The hope index noted 44 percent were optimistic for the New Year, while 4 percent were pessimistic.

The survey also found 48 percent of Filipinos were undecided for the New Year, which leads to a net score of 40 percent.

Nearly half of Filipinos were also optimistic about economic prosperity at 42 percent, while 10 percent were pessimistic.

Another 46 percent were undecided. It leads to a net rating of 32 percent. (PNA)

The �ire stemmed from an electrical short circuit at the ceiling on the third �loor around 9:30 a.m. It was declared under control at 8:30 a.m. the following day, Sunday, and put out at 5:15 p.m. of the same day.

Candido said the four-story building must be demolished because it may collapse should an earthquake occur and may endanger the lives of passing pedestrians and drivers.

The other bodies identi�ied by Scene of the Crime Operatives were that of Jeffrey Sismar, Mary Louielyn Bongcayao, Kurtchin Angela Bangoy, Joy Pabelonia, Christen Garzon, Jim Benedict,

Jonas Basalan, Jessica Samontina, Venus Joy Quimpo, Jimboy Limosnero, Christine Joy Ferraren, Rosyl Montanez, Missry Rose Artiaga, Rhenzi Nova Muyco, Ivan Nebelle Roble, Elyn Joy Yorsua, Shiela Mae Bacaling, Roderick Antipuesto, Nancy Loyd Abad, Jessica Solis, Charlyn Liwaya, MelvinGaa, Regine Generales, Gantioco Celestial, Apple Jane Celades, Ian Kiem Adlawan, Listen Jade Entera, Analiza Piñajiro, Christine Alviola, Roderick Constantinopla, Dresiree Gayle Zacarias, Johani Matundo, Iana Apalacio, Maryjoy Daloro, Randy Balcao, and Janine Joy Obo. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

tion fees are retained, additional costs may apply once the DFA add pages, change

materials, and enhance security features of the passports, according to the IRR. (PNA)

Filipinos that they realize the huge help they get from entrepreneurship and how business contributes to society by providing employment and lifting the economy,” DTI Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said.

Moreover, Lopez said DTI would give further boost to MSMEs in 2018 as bulk of its budget next year would be allotted to projects and programs for small-scale businesses.

In a previous interview, the DTI chief said the agency

allocated some PHP2.0 billion of its PHP5.8 billion budget next year to MSMEs - PHP1.0 billion for P3 and PHP1.0 billion for shared service facility (SSF) program that would provide machines and equipment to MSMEs for them to improve the quantity and quality of their products and services.

Stronger trade DTI has also welcomed the rebound of exports this year, which grew 11.7 percent in January to October 2017 compared to the same period last year.

DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Undersecretary Nora Terrado attributed the stronger performance of Philippine exports this year to the recovering global market, new export markets for the Philippines, and expanding of Philippine products that could be offered abroad.

It was noted that the country’s trade agreements with various economies, as well as the special trade preferences granted to the Philippines by the European Union and the United States helped the country’s export sector to maintain its growth throughout the year.

The EU Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and the expanded US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) provided many export goods from the Philippines to enter the EU and US markets duty free.

Seventy percent of Philippine products entering the US market have no import duty, while some 6,274 Philippines-made goods can access EU with zero tariff.

Combined exports to EU

and US shared 30 percent of the country’s total export revenue this year.

The government’s efforts to strengthen ties with different countries, especially giant economies like China, Russia, and Japan, secured the Philippines of better export orders in the coming years.

As the DTI launched the Philippine Export Development Plan 2‎ 017-2022 this year, the government targets for a USD122 billion to USD131 billion revenues on exports of goods and services by the end of the Duterte administration.

The country also eyes services exports to grow its share to total exports to 50 percent by 2022, from its current share of 30 to 32 percent.

Promoting agenda in ASEAN As one of the agencies actively participating in the country’s hosting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit this year, the DTI was able to promote trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines during ASEAN meetings.

The DTI was able to secure the Philippines’ agenda in ASEAN meetings, particularly those policy focusing on MSMEs for them to participate in the global value chain and ensure that no one would be left out as nations push for globalization.

During the ASEAN Summit, the Philippines has also led the region to strengthen its ties with dialogue partners and has pushed for further cooperation for fair trade, increasing investments and eliminating poverty in ASEAN. (PNA)

Head Of�ice in Manila, the Security Plant Complex in Quezon City or any of its Regional Of�ices and

Branches nationwide for the authenticity of the said bills to �irst be established,” it added. (PNA)

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12 NEWS ECONOMIC... FROM 5 two to three percent from 1.5-2.5 percent, which is the original assumption from 2018-22.

On the other hand, the 6.5-7.5 percent Gross Domestic product (GDP) target for 2017 and the seven to eight percent target for 2018-22 was kept along with the two to four percent in�lation target for 2017-20.

As of November 2017, in�lation averaged at 3.2 percent.

“We think we’re doing well that we didn’t �ind a need to change much of our assumptions until 2022,” Diokno said.

DBCC is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management and other members are of�icials from the Department of Finance, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, National Economic and Development Authority, and the Of�ice of the President. (PNA)

businesses were more optimistic for the next 12 months, with con�idence index regis-

tering its four-month high in December last year. (PNA)

April. Losses prompted Lapanday to fold up the two plants. .But the military also scored against the rebels.

The military’s community engagement drew NPA rebels to surrender. On the other hand, assorted high-powered �irearms that were seized during encounters.

The �irearms and NPA surrenderers were presented to President Rodrigo Duterte during his visit at Eastern Mindanao command at Naval station F elix Apolinario, Camp Panacan on December 21, 2017.

According to the Philippine Army, Davao City is a top target of the NPA and terrorist because it is home to President Duterte.

Davao is the national priority in the intensi�ied operations against the communists as the region has a strong presence of the rebels.

Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, the Army’s commanding general, said seasoned and veteran communist rebels are in Davao because they can easily get money by extorting business companies and plantations.

“We have to convince the businessmen, particularly the plantation owners, not to give in to the demands of the group,” Bautista told reporters in an interview during the send-off ceremony of the 89th Infantry Battalion in the 10th Infantry Division (10ID) headquarters at Camp Manuel Yan Sr in Mawab, Compostela Valley.

He said the NPA can stage large-scale offensives in the region because they have the resources. The army chief said �ighting the NPAs in Davao is a “challenge.”

Terrorism In May this year, the President declared Martial Law in Mindanao after the siege of Marawi city by the Maute terrorist group.

With the declaration of martial law and the government campaign against Maute, the Maute clan escaped to other places.

The patriarch of the clan, Cayamora Maute, was arrested by a joint police and military operative at the Task Force Davao checkpoint in Barangay Sirawan, Toril District

in June.

Cayamora was the father of Maute leaders, Omar and Abdullah, whose group was tagged by the military as behind the September 2 Roxas night market bombing that killed 15 persons and wounded 69 others.

Also held for questioning are Norjannah Balawag Maute (Cayamora’s daughter), Kongan Alfonso Balawag (his second wife), Benzarali Tingao (son-in-law and husband of Norjannah) and driver Aljon Salazar Ismael.

Police operations The Davao City Police Of�ice (DCPO) countered efforts to maintain peace and order in Davao City. It launched Oplan Tokhang under Oplan Double Barrel and Iron City.

In January this year, the visited more than 26,000 houses in their Oplan Tokhang since the intensi�ied Double Barrel Project against illegal drugs was implemented October 2016.

The �igure is more than double the 12,000-house quota given by the Police Regional Of�ice (PRO XI) for the DCPO to visit until December 31, 2016.

In the same period, the DCPO also conducted a total of 122 buy-bust operations with 183 suspects arrested. Ten suspects were “neutralized.”

DCPO also has done cleansing of the ranks. Four policemen tagged in illegal drugs were placed on �loating status.

The city police also launched the neighborhood watch called IRON (Integrated Revitalized Operation of Neighborhood-Watch of the Mega City (Oplan IRON City), which aims for “a safer Mega Davao.”

Under Oplan IRON City, the police auxiliary unit as additional forces were reactivated to help the police in securing the city, said DCPO director Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum.

“We understand the importance of community empowerment,” Tagum said.

“If the local police will have no support in the community, then we are bound to fail.

All these initiatives by the military and the police have kept the city safe. (Rhoda Grace Saron/PNA)

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percent.

Volume for the day reached 712.83 million shares amounting to PHP7.29 billion.

Gainers led losers at 118 to 102 while 38 shares remained unchanged.

The peso ended the trading at 49.81, way better than its 49.93 close on Dec. 29, 2017.

Its latest close was the local unit’s strongest after its 49.63 �inish on June 15, 2017.

The trader said the peso bene�its from the positive outlook on the economy even as investors remain expectant

for more increases in the Federal Reserve’s key rates this year.

The peso’s strength showed early on after the unit opened the year’s trading at 49.80 from 49.90 in the last trading day of 2017.

It ranged between its opening level and 49.92 resulting to an average of 49.85.

Volume totaled to USD634.2 million, lower than the USD742.2 million.

The trader expects the currency pair to trade between 49.80 and 50.00 Thursday. (PNA)

For further transparency, the oil companies will also require their retailers to post what the products will be charged with Excise Tax and when it will be implemented.

Cusi said the DOE and other relevant government agencies would conduct random audit and monitoring

activities on the compliance with TRAIN, both in the depot/re�inery and the retail level or gasoline stations.

The DOE calls on the public to be vigilant and to report any violation to info@doe.gov. ph or to Consumer Welfare and Promotion Of�ice at tel. no. 479-2900 loc. 329.

offensives during the earlier peace talks.

“They committed terrorist acts that will justify in designating them as terrorist organization,” Ong explained.

The petition was expected to be �iled with the court within January, Ong said, explaining the DOJ was still waiting for certi�ied copies of incident reports on the attacks.

“Perhaps (it would be �iled) within the month, kaya na ito. So many incidents, im still waiting for the reports to come in, certi�ied true copies of the reports,” Ong said.

“We listed about 15 incidents. Baka i-zero in namin ito sa 10 or 12,” he said.

Ong said that among the attacks cited was the ambush of suspected communist rebels against two soldiers in a storm-hit village in Catubig, Northern Samar.

On December 17, two soldiers were reportedly injured when suspected rebels opened �ire on a military unit heading towards Barangay Hinagoyonon, Catubig to assist residents affected by �looding.

“These are very recent incidents. The attack on the rescue operations ng military sa Catubig, Samar (during) typhoon Urduja,” he noted.

“We were able to gather incidents, they call it atrocities, tactical offensives, incidents of terrorist acts, but we want to focus in the incidents after the president assumed of�ice,” he said.

Ong clari�ied that the petition will target the organization and not its individual of�icials like

founding chairman Jose Mari Sison.

“But there are implications once the petition is granted and they are declared a terrorist group.

Under the Human Security Act, you can apply for judicial order for wiretapping against members of a terrorist organization.

You could also apply surveillance of bank accounts or freeze their assets,” he explained.

Section 17 of Republic Act No. 9372 (Human Security Act of 2007) requires the DOJ to �irst seek clearance from the court before an organization, association or group of persons can be declared as terrorist and outlawed group.

“The petition will also lay down their history.

There were incidents in the past that showed a pattern,” he said.

Earlier, Aguirre said he had formed a team of prosecutors to �ile a formal petition in court to legally declare the groups as “terrorists.”

Ong is head of the team created by Aguirre to draft the petition following President Duterte’s decision to issue a proclamation naming the CPP as a terror group.

“It has excellent chances (of being approved) because of the numerous supporting evidence we have (showing) that they are committing terroristic activities despite numerous initiatives of President Duterte to reach out to them,” Aguirre said in a text message to reporters on December 6.

Aguirre expressed con�idence that the lower court would grant the government’s request fol-

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018 lowing President Rodrigo Duterte’s proclamation naming the CPP-NPA as terror organizations.

Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the President has signed a proclamation formally designating the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.

Roque said the President signed the proclamation pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10168 or the Human Security Act. Roque said that under the law, af�iliate revolutionary groups of the CPP-NPA would now also be considered terrorist groups, and anyone proven to be �inancing them would be held liable.

Citing the pertinent provisions of RA 10168, Roque said that a designated person is “any person or entity designated or identi�ied as a terrorist, as one who �inances terrorism or a terrorist organization or group under the applicable United Nations Security Council resolution or by another juris-

diction or supranational jurisdiction and pursuant to the proclamation which implements the Human Security Act.” “Take note that the domestic statute and the UN Security Council prohibit the giving of funds to terrorist organizations. This will enable law enforcement agencies to run after individuals who will, in any way, provide �inancial support to the NPA now that it has been described as a terrorist organization,” Roque said.

In his proclamation, Duterte directed the Department of Foreign Affairs “to publish the foregoing designation of CPP-NPA and other designated persons, organizations, in accordance with Sections 3 and 15 of RA 10168 and its implementing rules and regulations.”

The proclamation was issued after the Philippine government terminated peace talks with the CPP-NPA after a series of violent attacks that the President said is against humanitarian law. (PNA)

no said.

Escano also bared that 97 percent of Abreez’s spaces have been leased out as yesterday, with the following coming in between November and Dcember, 2017 – Sunnies, Nailandia, Ccil’s, Blissful Nails, We Nail It! Pet

Soofari, New Era, Folded and Hung and Merlgen, He said the following are opening during the �irst quarter of this year: Exclusive NBA items, Gong Cha, Belgian Waf�le, Kitchen Aid, First Metro, Securities and Cebu Paci�ic.

immediate approval of declarations of 15 percent and above.

Under the previous system, the review and assessment of gross sales of business took two to three days, she said.

Aside from these, she said they also implemented the automated or computerized transfer and sharing of documents in all city government of�ices involved in the issuance of business permits.

Zamora clari�ied that the basic clearances required in the previous system still remained but are no longer required during the renewal and registration period.

She said business owners are required to complete within 90 days the necessary clearances such as those issued by the Bureau of Fire Protection, Of�ice of the Building Of�icial, Pagibig Fund, Social Security System and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth.

Except for PhilHealth, she said all local government and national government agencies issuing

the clearances would be available in the one-stopshop situated at the city’s Investment Center during the processing period.

The city government crafted the new BPLS with technical assistance from the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project for the initiative.

The city is among the current recipients of the $47.8-million SURGE Project, which aims to further enhance economic development in various key cities in the country.

The �ive-year project, which is a component of USAID’s Cities Development Initiative, “assists cities and adjacent areas to plan effectively, guarantee basic public services, reduce business transaction costs, promote competitiveness, support sustainable development, and reduce disaster and climate change risks while ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth.” (MindaNews)

ing team members who truly contribute in advancing business and communities,” Aboitiz

Foundation First Vice President and Chief Operating Of�icer Maribeth Marasigan said.

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DAVAO... FROM 10 current rates of their power supplier as approved and published by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). It will initially be available for use by utility consumers in Davao City, Cebu City and Metro Manila.

“Not too many people really give much thought about checking the accuracy of their meter readings against their actual usage”, says Xavier Eric B. Manalastas, President and CEO of Next BPO Solutions. “Based on my personal experience, the meter reader of my power service provider made an error in his reading which caused the bill for one of my meters in the of�ice to surge by as much as 150%! After submitting the latest photo of my meter when I lodged my complaint, the power company sent their �ield personnel to read my meter again. They ended up have having to issue a new bill, saving me thousands of pesos. This happened 3 times in a year”, Manalastas said.

“This mobile application indeed protects our power consumers from paying more than they should because of erroneous billings caused by erroneous meter readings”, says Atty. Teodoro

C. Pascua, Undersecretary for the Consumer Protection Group of the Department of Trade and Industry.

“Consumers can now validate their meter readings. Not only that, it will help people conserve energy as they will now be able to track their usage regularly.”

Atty. Pascua also said.

Other than helping electricity consumers, PULP Meter is also designed to provide employment for those in the marginalized sector of society. “We removed the automation option on the back-end by not using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software”, Manalastas said. Instead of using OCR technologies, PULP Meter is supported by Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and Out of School Youths (OSYs) hired as data encoders. To support the system’s back-end, Next BPO Solutions hires Deaf and Mute and OSYs who are especially trained to identify the approved meters for use all over the country and to encode the data they read from the pictures sent by the users. This does not only provide them with gainful employment but it also prepares them for possible growth within the IT-BPM industry.

EDGEDAVAO “The development and release of a worldclass mobile app like PULP Meter is another milestone for the ICT industry here in Davao City”, says Atty. Sam Matunog, President of ICT Davao, Inc. (IDI). “It is another testimony of the caliber of talents we have here in the city, proof that we can also compete globally” Atty. Matunog said further.

The development team of PULP Meter is now already working on the IoS version so that iPhone users can also download the application from Apple Store.

Additional features are

also being added such as Online Payment Options.

PULP Meter is also being eyed to be released for other countries in Asia.

About PULP Meter PULP Meter is a pioneering mobile application developed by XEM Tech Solutions, Inc. – a subsidiary of Next BPO Solutions, Inc. XEM Tech Solutions is a creator and reseller of new technologies that positively impact people’s daily lives.

Its focus is on IT-based security and consumer electronic solutions.

For more information about PULP Meter, visit www.PULPmeter. com

Code strictly implements breastfeeding in all hospitals nationwide, but the lack of available breast milk is still prevalent, particularly in government hospitals. He said that there are 11 milk banks nationwide and only four are government owned.

Private milk banks sell breast milk at P500 per bag, and a baby needs at least 3 bags a day. “So you can imagine how hard it is, especially among mothers from poor families. There’s really a huge demand but supply is limited. Couple this with lack of awareness and education so we came up with an application to

help for supply to cope with the demand because we know that saving lives is of importance,” declares Facun.

Thus, Facun’s team came up with “MilkTrack,” a mobile application that will facilitate the logistical and information dissemination concerns when it comes to sourcing breast milk. Among its key features are information focused on storage of milk, proper expression and others that aim to correct common misconceptions about breast milk, plus a breastfeeding location tracker through Global Positioning System (GPS)

MILKTRACK... FROM 10

NEWS13 that can zero in on government establishments, some malls and even academic institutions where breastfeeding stations are located.

Users can also use MilkTrack to sell, buy or donate milk or place an order as a bene�iciary, and have the milk delivered right at one’s doorstep.

“We follow the guidelines of the Philippine Human Milk Bank. Mother donors need to undergo a strict testing process on HIV and Hepatitis B. We also track the medical records of donor applicants. We started this in our area in Malolos, Bulacan that served as a pilot community.”

MilkTrack received a big break when it was picked as one of the top �ive winners of Globe Future Makers Program which seeks to in�luence and build a whole ecosystem of social innovators.

The program received 135 entries from individuals and startups from all over the country who want to make a difference in society through the use of technology.

“We know that the award will take us to an even better place to help realize our dream. With the magni�icent partners at Globe, Ashoka, and Kickstart and their invaluable mentoring, we are con�ident that we will realize that dream,” Facun said.

“We believe in the advocacy of Milktrack and what they want to achieve.

Globe wants to build a better world and espouse the creation of social innovators and game-changers in order to create a brighter tomorrow especially for the next generation,” said Chelle Gray, Director for Globe Citizenship.

MilkTrack plans to put up its own facility instead of going to the nearest milk bank to have the milk pasteurized. “Other than selling the product, we wanted a modern-day bayanihan initiative because this concerns the lives of mothers and babies. Through crowdsourcing, we want this to eventually resort to a healthier nation,” he said.

Facun �igured its best to focus on his hometown �irst within 3 months but they are already eyeing Metro Manila since it has the biggest and greatest demand. The Philippine General Hospital alone, he said, needs at least 10 liters of breast milk per day.

Although MilkTrack primarily operates through its mobile app and website, Facun said there are also plans to establish a direct partnership with hospitals and doctors, with priority on Pediatrics and Obstetrics-Gynecology because they already have the network.

EDGEDAVAO

14 HEALTH

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Unremembered but not forgotten F

By Henrylito D. Tacio

OUR months after my grandmother, Modesta Tacio, turned 66, she started acting strange. She kept forgetting simple things: where she put her keys, if she had eaten lunch already, or if she had paid the electric and water bills.

“Don’t worry. Forgetfulness happens once in a while,” my aunt Lydia assured her.

But as months progressed, her forgetfulness was getting worse and worse.

She could no longer remember the names of her grandchildren. “What’s your name again?” she would often inquire.

During the 1998 Christmas, we came to her house before midnight as a family tradition. We sang Christmas carols and �ive minutes before it struck 12, we went to the table to eat. I was completely surprised when my grandmother asked me, “Who are you?”

As months passed by, my grandmother’s problem became more lucent. At one time, she went alone – without my aunt Lydia’s knowledge – to the public market.

She used to this since the public market is about one kilometer away from home. But on her way back, she became disoriented and was completely lost.

We went frantic when my aunt Lydia told us that my grandmother never came home that day. We searched for her all over the town but failed to �ind her. “Have you seen this woman?” we inquired. But most people we asked replied negatively.

Two days later, after a neighbor told us that he found an old woman in New Clarin,

a barangay some eight kilometers away from the town proper. We immediately went and sure enough, we found her sleeping under a mango tree. “I could no longer remember the road,” she said crying as she embraced my dad.

Because of this incident, we brought my grandmother to a doctor who referred her for special assessment by a team of doctors consisting of a neurologist, psychiatrist and psychologist. Certain tests were performed.

Their diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease.

Act u a l l y, de-

memory loss is always the �irst sign of the disease.

Such was what happened to 60-year-old Charito. In an interview, she admitted she has trouble with words and sometimes, simple physical tasks such as preparing the

table for dinner. Her memory troubles, however, come and go. “There are times when I don’t have any problem,” Charito said. “But there are also instances that I don’t know what I am doing at all.”

The National Institutes of

mentia is the name of the disease and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form.

“Alzheimer’s disease is seen more commonly in the older age group,” explains Dr. Manolette R. Guerrero, chairman of the Department of Nuerosciences at the Davao Medical School Foundation.

Forgetfulness or lapses of memory is, contrary to most belief, is not actually part of the aging process, although it strikes mostly adults. But

Health (NIH) of the University of the Philippines in Manila does not consider Alzheimer’s as normal part of aging.

“A l z h e i mer’s i s

not just a disease of old age,” it said in its website. “Up to 5% of the people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer’s, which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s. It worsens over time.”

But oftentimes, Alzheimer’s disease is equated with aging. Because of this, most of those af�licted with the condition go untreated.

“Family members of people with Alzheimer’s disease

tend to ignore the signs of the early stage of the disease,” says Dr. Grace Orteza, a neurologist and psychologist.

In the past, people died fairly of “old age” – succumbing to hardening of arteries, heart attacks, strokes and a

myriad of opportunistic diseases. But with advances in

medicines, the increase of life expectancy, more people are now growing old. And as a result, the Philippines is expected to have more people suffering from the disease. In fact, around 11% of older adults in the country have dementia.

Data from the Philippine Neurological Association in 2005 showed 179,000 Filipinos having dementia.

“By 2020, it is expected to affect 334,000 and by 2040, as many as 832,000,” claims the Alzheimer’s Disease Association of the Philippines (ADAP).

In his book, “Doctors’ Health Tips and Home Remedies,” Dr. Willie T. Ong – with his wife, Dr. Liza Ong as co-author – said Alzheimer’s disease affects 5% of those whose are between 65 to 74 years, and 30% of the people above 85 years.

If in the old days doctors had a hard time diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, it the other way around now. In fact, doctors can now diagnose the disease with 90% accuracy, but proof can only be obtained by examining the brain of the patient after death. Unfortunately, many other disease processes can mimic Alzheimer’s disease such as thyroid imbalances, vitamin B12 de�iciency, brain injuries, tumors, and depression.

Health experts say memory is the �irst thing to go.

More precisely, it’s the �irst thing doctors consider in an evaluation. Generally, it

starts with subtle changes in memory function. “What comes �irst gets out last with the most recent memory getting lost �irst,” explains Dr. Simeon

Marasigan, associate professor at the department of neurology and psychiatry of the University of Santo Tomas.

In some instances, the patient may exhibit abnormal behavior. “People suffering from Alzheimer’s may be unreasonable,” explains Dr. Victor Chong, a neurologist with special interest in dementia from the University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur. “For example, a husband with Alzheimer disease may often accuse the wife of in�idelity.”

But as the disease progresses, language skills diminish, along with the ability to perform calculations or planning activities. A person who used to be very good at giving his opinions on certain topics, solving problems, and painting, may not be capable of doing them now.

Unlike in the past, doctors can now diagnose the disease with 90% accuracy, but proof can only be obtained by examining the brain of the patient after death. Unfortunately, many other disease processes can mimic Alzheimer’s such as thyroid imbalances, vitamin B12 de�iciency, brain injuries, tumors, and depression.

“Don’t delay; getting early diagnosis and going public with the disease is really, really important,” suggests Lorna Drew Ferrari, who cowrote the book, “Different Minds,” with her husband who suffered from the disease. “There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

However, there is no single cause of death associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Many sufferers die from problems related to the decrease in brain function.

“When Alzheimer’s is the cause of death, patients often die because of the complications related to the disease like as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and skin infection from pressure sores,” says Dr. Chong.

Alzheimer’s can run its course from insidious onset to death in just a few years, or play itself out over a period as long as 20 years. “Most people with Alzheimer’s live for seven to 10 years after diagnosis, spending �ive years under vigilant care,” says Dr. Socorro Martinez, head of the memory center of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Manila.

According to most health experts, the basic responsibility for management of the patient with Alzheimer’s rests with the family. “Alzheimer’s is a long-term illness that requires a lot of care and love from family members,” says Dr. Paul Pasco, a neurologist working with the Philippine General Hospital.

For someone having Alzheimer’s disease, the family is the microcosm of the whole world. The family has to become aware of the condition and how it is likely to progress. In the beginning of the disease, family members must choose among themselves who will be responsible for taking care of someone with the disease.

Actually, Alzheimer’s has two victims: the patient and the caregiver. In most cases, Alzheimer’s is more agonizing for the caregiver than for the patient. It is not only physically demanding but also emotionally draining. In most instances, a caregiver experience stress which usually manifest through denial, anger, social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, sleeplessness, irritability and lack of concentration.

Professor Kua Ee Heok, a consultant psychiatrist from the National University of Singapore, suggests that caregivers should be given a break by taking over caregiving responsibilities for a few days. “We sometimes advise the caregivers to bring those with Alzheimer’s to a day care center where trained nurses could take care of them,” he says.

“Every age has its own way of dying,” wrote Lev Grossman in an article which appeared in “Time.” “The 19th century had consumption, the 20th century had the heart attack, and the 21st century will be the age of Alzheimer’s disease.”

SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

15

Thomas shines in return

C

LEVELAND (AP) -- Isaiah Thomas had one last wait.

Sitting on the scorer’s table, Thomas could see the end of his seventh-month odyssey in front of him. And when the buzzer �inally sounded and the Cleveland crowd erupted for a player it barely knows, Thomas took the last few steps onto the court and completed a trip he hopes to never take again.

He was all the way back.

Thomas showed �lashes of what made him an All-Star in his long-awaited debut for the Cavaliers, who snapped a threegame losing streak by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 127110 on Tuesday night. ‘’It’s been a long journey for me,’’ Thomas said. ‘’I couldn’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel. For that day to come the �irst couple days of 2018, it’s going to be a special year.’’

It was a special night for Thomas, who scored 17 points and played 19 minutes in his �irst game in seven months, an impressive return to action for the dynamic point guard traded to Cleveland last summer.

He added three 3-pointers and three assists before leaving with 8:10 remaining and the Cavs up by 12.

Before leaving the �loor, Thomas got a hug from LeBron James and one from Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, who pulled him close and offered two perfect words. ‘’Welcome back,’’ Lue said.

James scored 24 points, Kevin Love had 19 and Jae Crowder added 15 for the Cavs, who were coming off losses at Golden State, Sacramento and Utah.

Damian Lillard scored 25 for the Blazers after missing �ive games with a hamstring injury. Jusuf Nurkic added 23 and CJ McCollum had 19 for Portland.

Thomas hadn’t played since May 19 because of a torn labrum in his hip that ended his 2017 postseason with Boston and threatened to derail his career. But the 5-foot-9 playmaker, who inspired the Celtics and an entire city last year by play-

P

ing in the immediate aftermath of his sister’s death, patiently stuck with his rehab.

And with 4:33 left in the �irst quarter, Thomas checked in to a loud ovation as fans cheered for a player they believe can help the Cavs win another title. ‘’It was a special moment,’’ he said. ‘’I haven’t played in a game and you would think I was here for a few years and playing and battling in the Finals with this team. But it was special for my family to be here, my wife and kids to see that, that’s genuine love right there.’’

This was the �irst chance for James and the rest of the Cavs to play with Thomas, who will sit out Wednesday’s homecoming in Boston. He’s not an enemy, but family. ‘’What I like most about him is he has a chip on his shoulder for life,’’ James said. ‘’That’s just who he is. When a guy’s got a chip on his shoulder for life, he’s never going to not work hard. Not going to never give it his all. Not going to never disappoint you.’’

The Cavs were unable to separate from the Blazers until Thomas and Dwyane Wade teamed up in the fourth.

Thomas knocked down a jumper and then �ired a pass toward the baseline to a cutting Wade, who made a reverse layup. On Cleveland’s next possession, Thomas spotted up in the corner and buried a 3-pointer to give the Cavs a 100-91 lead. ‘’This is obviously our �irst time playing together, but you can see moments where he added a dynamic that we need, especially if we want to get to where we want to be,’’ Wade said. ‘’Happy that he’s back on the court and glad he’s on our side.’’

MINUTE BY MINUTE Lue will keep close tabs on Thomas’ minutes over the next few weeks while he builds up stamina and con�idence. Initially, Thomas won’t play in any back-to-back games.

BOSTON BOUND Wednesday’s game will be

HE’S BACK. Isaiah Thomas fired 17 points in 19 minutes of action.

the second matchup between the Celtics and Cavs, who have developed a rivalry in recent years. ‘’It’s not one of 82 because they’re the No. 1 seed and we have some history with them obviously,’’ James said. ‘’But it’s

not more than that. We want to go in there and play well.’’

HARD CONTACT Thomas took a couple hard falls, good tests for his hip.

Driving the lane past Shabazz Napier, Thomas dropped in a left-handed scoop

Kerber downs Bouchard

ERTH, Australia -- Angelique Kerber has continued her winning Hopman Cup run, dismissing Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets at Perth Arena today.

Kerber put Germany 1-0 up in the tie against Canada with the 6-1 6-3 victory in under an hour.

It comes after a straight sets triumph over Belgium Elise Mertens on debut at the mixed-teams tournament.

The Canadian world No.83 went into the match with a positive 4-2 record against the dual grand slam champion, but struggled after a bright �irst service game.

Bouchard, 23, opened the match by holding to love. She then

had Kerber break point down in the next game before the German veteran steadied.

Kerber steamrolled Bouchard from there to close out the set in just 22 minutes.

The world No.21 broke the Canadian again in the second game of the second set, but couldn’t consolidate as Bouchard celebrated her �irst break of the match in the very next game.

Kerber saved another string of break points to get to 4-3 and then comfortably barely lost a point from there to seal it in 35 minutes.

World No.4 Alexander Zverev will now look to wrap up the tie with victory over world No.108 Vasek Pospisil.

HOPMAN CUP. Belinda Bencic serves for Switzerland against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenko.

Photo by NEIL BRAVO

shot while being fouled and crashed to the �loor. He got up and shook off the contact, clearing another important hurdle in his comeback.

BACK ON THE COURT Lillard played 33 minutes in his �irst game since Dec. 20.

He made six 3-pointers and had six assists, but was unhappy with seven turnovers. ‘’My conditioning was pretty good,’’ he said. ‘’My timing was a little bit off with some of my passes but everything else, I felt pretty good.’

Ayo leaves DLSU for UST

T

he year 2017 in college basketball ended with a huge bang as reports broke out that coach Aldin Ayo left the De La Salle Green Archers for the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

As the impact of the news spilled to 2018, the former Letran player turned to Twitter to speak about his side on this new development.

“The reason why I kept mum is because of an agreement not to disclose any information before the 1st week of January or until the school makes its of�icial statement. I am only breaking my silence since the news has come out earlier than expected and only after getting permission,” said Ayo in a

statement via the social media site on the second night of the year.

He talked on the mid-season report about some La Salle supporters expressing their concerns on how he coached the Green Archers.

“We have different views in handling the team. I’ve always done what is necessary,” he said.

Ayo thanked chief backer Danding Cojuangco, the team of�icials, and the La Sallian community for their support during his stint with the Archers, who won a UAAP basketball title under his helm.

“The two years I have spent with the Archers are two well-spent years indeed,” he said.(PNA)

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

PLAYFUL ROGER. World no. 2 Roger Federer of Switzerland playfully gets set to receive at the net during the Hopman Cup doubles match against Russia on Tuesday night in Perth, Australia. Federer teamed up

VOL. 10 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2018

with women’s no. 74 Belinda Bencic to topple Russia’s tandem of Anastasia Pavlyuchenko and Kharen Kachnakov. Photo by NEIL BRAVO

LOCAL SUPPORT GAB official at ringside for Ancajas fight

US FIGHT. (Right to left) GAB Commissioner Mar Masanguid, GAB Chairman Baham Mitra, former Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga, trainer-manager

G

ames and Amusements Board (GAB) Commissioner Mar Masanguid will be at ringside when Dabawenyo International Boxing Federation (IBF) world junior bantamweight champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas makes his debut �ight in the United States next month.

“I will be going there to give my moral support for Ancajas,” said Masanguid, who is a former barangay captain from Agdao, Davao City.

Ancajas (28W-1L-1D, 19 KOs), a native of Panabo City, Davao del Norte is �ighting Mexican challenger Israel “Jiga” Gonzales (21W-1L-0D, 8 KOs) on Feb. 3 at the Bank of America Center in Corpus Christi, USA. “We need to give our full

Joven Jimenez, IBF world super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas and Commissioner Ed Trinidad in a recent visit to Malacanan Palace.

support to Ancajas, who is now one of the only two Filipino world boxing champions,” Masanguid.

The other only Filipino world champion is Donnie Nietes of Cebu, whose stablemate Milan Melindo of ALA Stable was dethroned

by Japanese Ryoichi Taguchi by a unanimous decision last December 31 in Japan.

Melindo lost his IBF world light �lyweight title in his uni�ication bout to Taguchi, the reigning WBA super world light �lyweight king at the Ota-City General Gymnasium.

Together with GAB Chairman Baham Mitra and Commissioner Eduard Trinidad, Masanguid accompanied Ancajas when he paid a courtesy call to President Rodrigo Duterte at the Mala-

canang.

Ancajas, who is managed and trained by Joven Jimenez will be making his debut in the US under Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions.

He previously defended his title by knocking out previously unbeaten Irish Jamie Conlan in the 6th round last Nov. 18 at The SSE Arena in Belfast.

Ancajas has defended his crown thrice last year. He �irst retained it by stopping Jose Alfredo Rodriguez last January 29 in Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort in Macao.

Ancajas then fought in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn championship at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia to stop Japanese challenger Teiru Kinoshita via a 7th round TKO on July 2.