Edge Davao 10 Issue 47, June 7, 2017

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

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EDGEDAVAO Sports

Patriarch of wanted Maute brothers in DCPO custody

By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

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HE acknowledged patriarch of the Maute family has been intercepted by a joint police and armed forces personnel along a checkpoint at Sirawan, Toril at 10 o’clock in the morning of Monday, June 6.

Cayamora Maute, along with other four members of his family namely Kongan Alfonso Balawag, his second wife, Nurhanna Balawag Maute, his daughter, Benzarali Tingaw, husband of Nurhanna and Aljon Salazar Ismael, the driver were on board a black Toyota Grandia van with a plate number MES 219 bound for Davao City from Cotabato City when stopped at the Sirawan checkpoint.

According to Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, Martial Law spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command, during the inspection of the vehicle, a person covered with blanket and his face covered with a pile of clothes drew the attention of the officers.

“Upon further verifications, the person resembled one of the wanted Maute group in our photo gallery which are displayed in various checkpoints all over Davao City,” he said before reporters on Monday afternoon.

When asked about his identity, the person presented several identification cards which fueled further suspicion on the part of the officers.

And to ascertain their identities, they were immediately brought to the Davao City Police Office for further verifications.

“The person confirmed his identity. We will have other identification procedures later on through his fingerprints and other scientific means of identification,” said Director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan of Police Regional Office XI.

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WANTED PATRIARCH. Cayamora Maute, father of Maute terrorist group leaders Omar and Abdula Maute, flashes a peace sign upon his presentation to the media during a news conference at Camp Domingo Leonor in Davao City on Tuesday. The elder Maute was arrested at the joint checkpoint of Task Force Davao and the police operatives in Sirawan, Toril, Davao City on Tuesday morning. Lean Daval Jr

Cavs to bench Smith in Game 3

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

UPDATES. Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan (right), together with Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) spokesperson Brigadier General Gilbert Gapay, give the details of the apprehension of Cayamora Maute, father of Maute terrorist group leaders Omar and Abdula Maute, in a news conference at Camp Domingo Leonor in Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr

House approves free use of sanitary facilities in terminals

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HE House of Representatives has approved on final reading a measure that seeks to prohibit the collection of fees from passengers for the use of sanitary facilities located in terminals, stations, stops and rest areas.

House Bill 725, authored by the late Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Dalog, aims to ensure the safety and comfort of the riding public by prohibiting the collection of fees from the passengers using comfort rooms in the bus terminals or stations, as well as rest areas.

Dalog cited the Code on Sanitation which underscores the need to provide for an adequate number of rest areas for passengers of private and public conveyances plying the highways to cater to the comfort and personal convenience and needs of travelers.

The lawmaker also pointed out that the maintenance of these comfort rooms and service facilities is part of the services for human care of common carriers.

“Thus, additional payment

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Rebels attack another Cafgu detachment in North Cotabato

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USPECTED communist guerrillas harassed a paramilitary detachment under the 72nd Infantry Battalion in Makilala town in North Cotabato around 8:30 p.m., Monday, an Army official said.

Lt. Col. Harold Argamosa, commander of the 39th Infantry Battalion, said the attack was the fifth since Mindanao was placed under a state of martial law and took place a day before President Duterte’ scheduled visit in the province.

Argamosa said the rebel attack in Barangay Kisante, Makilala lasted only five minutes.

“We did not reply to it. Our troops decided to stay put and did not retaliate. They knew it was just pure harassment,” said the Army colonel.

Makilala falls under the area of responsibility of the 39th IB but the 72nd IB built a detachment of the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in Kisante.

Argamosa identified the attackers as members of the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) Front 51 which operates in Makilala and in the towns of Bansalan and Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur. The attack by the NPA in Kisante was the fifth since May 22. (MINDANEWS)

Davao City to request battalion of soldiers to beef up security

By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

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HE Davao City Council will pass a resolution requesting President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to deploy an additional army battalion and two fast boats for to beef up security in the city.

Councilor Nilo Abellera, Jr. said that the army battalion is requested after two battalions from Davao city were transferred elsewhere following the assumption of then Mayor Duterte as Philippine president.

“Before, noong si President Duterte ay mayor pa natin, marami tayong battalion na andito. Noong pag pres-

ident niya, nakunan tayo ng dalawa. Yung isa, nabalik na.

So we’re still requesting for another one na sana mabalik na rin,” Abellera said on Tuesday, during the Pulong-pulong ni Pulong Conference.

Meanwhile, Councilor Abellera added that the pair of fast boats was requested by the City Peace and Order Council for the safety of the coastal areas, which could be a possible entry for lawless armed groups in the city.

According Public Security and Safety Command Center Head Ret. Gen. Benito de Leon, should the request be

granted, the battalion will be stationed in the areas where the city lacks security, particularly uptown and midtown Davao.

“We have divided the city into three geographical zones for the military purposes, uptown or the interlands of Paquibato, and adjacent barangays, midtown or the area in Lapanday and other open areas and downtown or the metropolitan city in which the Task force Davao has responsibility.”

Two more resolutions for strengthening the city’s security will be passed before the

city council. Councilor Abellera said that the two are still pending before the city legal office and will be passed in next week’s regular session.

The two resolutions are 1) ‘Enacting in behalf of the mayor to enter a Memorandum of Agreement with the 10th Infantry Division for the Philippine Army to organize, train and employ CAFGU active auxiliary companies in Davao City’ and 2)’An ordinance requesting the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police to conduct joint checkpoints for the safety of the constituents.’

proclamation of martial law in Mindanao.

The petitioners led by former senator Rene Saguisag former party-list lawmaker Loretta Ann Rosales, detained Senator Leila De Lima, former PhilHealth Director Alexander Padilla and law professor Rene Gorospe seeks issuance of a mandamus that would compel Senate and the House of Representatives to convene jointly to review the declaration.

The petition also included a list of over 300 lawyers led by

former solicitor general Florin Hilbay who signified their support to the petition.

“These acts cannot be considered compliance with the clear constitutional requirement for Congress to convene and vote jointly. They are ineffectual in relation to the Congress’ obligation to jointly convene and vote conssitent with its obligation under Article VII Section 18 [of the Constitution],” the petition for mandamus stated.

Petitioners said that the

President’s power to declare martial law and suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus are powers that could have severe consequences including potential suppression of the basic civil rights.

They explained that Congress, voting jointly to determine whether the proclamation of martial law and or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is valid or not is considered the “first line of defense” against

Lawyers group file 2nd petition vs. martial law

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GROUP of lawyers on Tuesday filed a mandamus petition before the Supreme Court asking to order the Senate and the House of Representatives to convene in joint session and vote jointly on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation 216 declaring martial law and suspending the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao.

This was the second petition filed before the high court to challenge the constitutionality of the President’s

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NEWS 3

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Reduced Maute Group resistance now being noted in Marawi City

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ANXIOUS. Parents wait at the waiting area for their children while they are attending classes at Sta. Ana Elementary School along R. Magsaysay Ave. in Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Initial meet on Marcos poll protest moved to July 11

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HE Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on Tuesday rescheduled the preliminary conference of the electoral protest filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo to July.

SC spokesman Theodore Te announced the directive was issued following Tuesday’s regular en banc session of the magistrates.

Te said the high court reset the preliminary conference from June 21 to July 11.

The SC spokesperson said both camps are also ordered to file their briefs at least five days before the date of the preliminary conference and serve the same on the adverse party.

“This is without prejudice to the Tribunal’s resolution of all remaining pending incidents,’ Te said of the decision.

The preliminary conference briefs contain the following: The possibility of obtaining stipulations or admissions of facts and documents to avoid unnecessary proof, the

simplification of the issues, the limitation of the number of witnesses and the most expeditious manner for the retrieval of ballot boxes containing the ballots, elections returns, certificates of canvass and other election documents involved in the election protest.

Earlier, Marcos has filed successive motions seeking immediate resolution of his election protest.

Last June 1, Marcos through his counsel George Erwin Garcia filed a motion to decrypt and print the ballot image from the Secure Digital (SD) cards and/or data storage devices from each of the 36,465 protested clustered precincts in the contested areas ahead of the scheduled preliminary conference on June 21 to hasten the process.

Garcia explained that the decryption and printing may be ordered by the Tribunal before the scheduled preliminary conference since the 2010 Rules of the PET allows any course of action that will expedite the proceedings.

“Rule 29(a) of the 2010

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Duterte committed to peaceful process over sea row --- Palace

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ALACAÑANG on Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to a process of engagement and negotiations in dealing with its maritime dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea, even while stressing that direct confrontation is not in the best interest of the country.

“The President and his Cabinet are working with the governments of all nations with legitimate interests in the South China Sea to ensure that our national interests are protected and the region remains a zone of peace,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said at a Palace briefing.

“Confrontation does not serve the interests of our country and that is why we are committed to a process of en-

gagement and negotiation that will ensure that our rights are respected and protected well into the future,” Abella said.

The Palace official issued the statement after Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the government was not doing enough to press our claims in the disputed sea.

“The President has respect for Justice Carpio, and he can assure the Justice and the people of the Philippines that the policies of this administration are not only directed at protecting the sovereignty of the Republic. They also directed that ensuring that our nation and our region remains conflict-free,” Abella said.

He added that President Duterte sees these two objec-

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LACKENING of fire is now being noted in the remaining Maute Group positions in Marawi City, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said on Monday.

He added that resistance among the remaining terrorists is now considerably less compared to the first few days of fighting.

The conflict in Marawi City started when government security troops tried to arrest Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, an ally of the terrorist band, last May 23.

“That (lessening of resistance and lower of volume of fire) means that they are low on supply, low on everything,” Padilla added.

Despite this observation, the AFP spokesperson declined to give estimate on the number of the remaining Maute Group terrorists and the timeline on when the lawless group will be totally neutralized and Marawi City cleared and ready again for civilian living. “(It) depends on the ground commander, its not on us, we will wait for the ground commander’s assessment of the situation,” he added.

As of this posting, Maute Group losses are now at 120, government security forces at 38, civilians executed at 20, 98 firearms recovered and 1,467 civilians rescued from the hands of the terrorists. (Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)

259 vehicles held for various violations

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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59 VEHICLES were impounded after the conduct of Oplan: Lambat Bitag Sasakyan here by the joint operation of the Davao City Police Office, Task Force Davao, Highway Patrol Group, Punlic Safety and Security Command Center, City Traffic and Transportation Management Office, Land Transportation XI and the volunteer

Police Auxiliary, on Friday.

The operation aims to clear the city from undocumented/carnapped and delinquent vehicles roaming around the entire Davao City.

The operations is not only limited to the Public and Private Utility Vehicles, it also targeted the motorcycles, tricycles and trucks.

The 259 vehicles im-

pounded by the authorities were apprehended from Toril to Panacan area from 1 to 6PM following the strict security measures of the city after the declaration of Martial Law. Among the 259 vehicles, 3 were Hilux pick ups, 4 SUVs, 3cars and 4 jeepneys, and 245 motorcycles were caught for serious traffic violations.

634 Temporary Operators

Permit were also issued to minor traffic violators during the conduct of the operation.

Prior to the conduct of Oplan alam at Bitag Sasakyan, authorities alread reminded the public that the they will implement stricter security measures, including the major road measures to ensure the safety of the city.

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PDP-Laban is the ruling political party headed by its chairman, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. It is the only major political party which espouses shift to federalism in its party constitution.

Piñol was inducted after Justice Secretary Vitaliano

Aguirre II, designated point person for Quezon province and Energy Secretary Al Cusi, party vice-chairman and point-person for Mimaropa Region.

Piñol, former governor of North Cotabato, was named

by Pimentel as point person of

PDP Laban in his home province during an oath-taking ceremony.

Aside from Piñol, also inducted into the ruling party were Quezon City 5th District Rep. Alfred Vargas and Cavite Vice-Governor Jolo Revilla.

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Piñol 3rd Cabinet member to join PDP GRICULTURE Secretary Manny Piñol became the third Cabinet member to become an official member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) after taking his oath before party and Senate Pres. Aquilino Pimentel III.

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NOT ENOUGH. Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) head Benito De Leon says only 80 percent of the cctv cameras in Davao City are functioning as some are under maintenance. De Leon graced Pulong Pulong ni Pulong at Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

LTFRB checks on road worthiness of school buses

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HE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is conducting its inspection of school bus services until August in time for the opening of classes.

LTFRB Board Member and spokesperson Aileen Lizada said the agency wants to determine the roadworthiness of vehicles being operated by school bus franchises and to validate if these are 15 years or older.

The LTFRB has imposed a regulation for school transport service (STS) operators to replace school buses that are 15 years or older.

“The LTFRB wants to focus on the compliance of STS operators on providing a safe mode of transportation to students,” Lizada said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.

Some of these requirements are portable fire ex-

tinguishers and stop and go signages, first aid kits, body markings, among others.

“The safety of our children should never be compromised,” the LTFRB official reiterated.

Lizada related that the LTFRB is looking into 4,000 bus units across the country to validate if they have exceeded the 15- year age limit and need to be phased out.

She also disclosed that the board also has plans to provide a financial assistance program for STS operators to comply with the guidelines of the School Transport Rationalization Program similar to a financial package provided by the Landbank for public utility jeepney operators and drivers under the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program of the Department of Transportation. (Aerol B. Patena/PNA)

FILLING UP THE ORDERS. A lady vendor prints shirts while parents wait outside Sta. Ana Elementary School along Magsaysay Ave. in Davao City on Tuesday.

Lean Daval Jr.

Inflation eases in May 2017, bodes well for economy T T

HE National Economic and Development Authority stressed that the slower inflation rate in May 2017 bodes well for the country’s economy in the near term.

The Philippine Statistics Authority an attached agency of the NEDA, reported that headline inflation eased to 3.1 percent in May 2017 from 3.4 percent in the previous month.

This is lower than market expectations of 3.3 percent, and is within government’s target of 2.0-4.0 percent for 2017.

Slower price adjustments in both food and non-food commodities contributed to slower inflation in May 2017.

Inflation for the food and non-alcoholic beverages sub-

ECOP wants small biz exempted from bill increasing paid leaves

group eased to 3.8 percent from the previous month’s 4.2 percent. This is due to slower price adjustments in vegetables, fish, oils and fats, as well as sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery.

Slowdown in the prices of vegetables, in particular, was attributed to the resilience of crops in northern Philippines that withstood unfavorable weather and frost earlier this year.

However, other food commodities like fruits, meat and rice recorded faster price increases in May 2017. Rice inflation accelerated further to 2.4 percent.

“These trends bear watching, given the significant impact of food prices on the poor.

The amendment of domestic laws to reflect the expiry of

the WTO waiver on rice quotas should also be pursued,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

Meanwhile, non-food inflation also slowed to 2.5 percent in May 2017 from 2.7 percent in April. This was driven by slower price adjustments for clothing and footwear, furnishing, household equipment, health, transport, communication, and recreation and culture.

This follows the slower year-on-year increase in domestic petrol prices during the period.

Slower inflation was also recorded for unleaded gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and LPG in May 2017 relative to the previous month.

Pernia says that the country’s overall economic outlook

remains optimistic considering recent international and domestic developments.

“On the external front, growth prospects for the global economy have improved, and the expected recovery of international trade should provide ample supply of commodities to support domestic production,” said Pernia.

He added that, on the domestic front, neutral weather conditions are likely to prevail over potential recurrences of El Niño or La Niña, based on the latest outlook of PAGASA and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

This could lead to increased production of agricultural products, especially palay and corn. (NEDA)

investments in infrastructure, human capital and social protection for the poor and other vulnerable sectors.

This ambitious spending plan will require immense revenue inflows on top of the official development assistance that the government expects to get from other countries in the medium term, he said.

“The role of the Bureau of Customs is more than just improving revenue collection to provide government the wherewithal to fund public investments. We expect the Bureau to continuously improve its procedures and processes to facilitate trade. This is important in building an investments-led growth that will produce employment opportunities for our people,”

Dominguez said at the BOC’s Command Conference held at the Marble Hall of the Ayuntamiento de Manila.

Dominguez said agencies like the BOC and the BIR do not actually collect for the government, but “for the people of the Philippines,” with the State only allocating how the taxes and duties it collects would be spent.

“So when people are cheating and not paying their right taxes or duties, they are not cheating the government, they are cheating the Filipino people. So you are the guardians of that. You should keep that in mind, that these funds don’t belong to the government, they belong to the Filipino people. We are just entrusted to collect it and to allocate it

… You are collecting on behalf of the Filipino people,” Dominguez told BOC officials and employees.

Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon led the BOC officials at the command conference, which was also attended by Deputy Commissioners Natalio Ecarma III (Revenue Collection Monitoring Group), Teddy Sandy Raval (Intelligence Group), Edward James Dy Buco (Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group), and Gerardo Gambala (Management Information System and Technology Group).

The BOC has reported that it collected P104.9 billion in taxes in the first quarter of 2017, exceeding the P104.28 billion target for the period.

HE Employers Confederation of the Philippines wants small enterprises to be exempted from House Bill No. 5067 which aims to increase the service incentive leave to 10 days.

In its position paper submitted to the House Committee on Labor and Employee, ECOP said the group does not begrudge the granting of additional paid leaves to employees, but the group noted that the exemption to the bill should be extended to small businesses.

The HB No. 5067 aims to grant yearly service incentive leave of 10 days from the current five days.

Employees who rendered at least one year of service are entitled for the additional paid leaves.

But the bill exempts micro enterprises, which regularly

employs less than 10 employees, or establishments exempted from granting the benefit by the secretary of Department of Labor and Employment after considering the viability or financial conditions of the establishment.

Currently, paid leaves for wage and salary workers ranges from 19 leaves for male employees and up to 160 leaves for female employees.

Male workers are entitled for five-day service incentive leave, seven-day paternity leave, and seven-day solo parent leave.

Female workers, on the other hand, have 142- to 160day paid leaves which include five service incentive leaves, 60 or 78 maternity leaves, seven solo parent leaves, 10 battered women leaves, and 60 gynecological leaves.

Lapu-lapu breeders make BOC modernization crucial to government goals: DOF Sarangani Bay their home

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LONGSIDE its major role in improving revenue collection to backstop the Duterte administration’s high--and inclusive--growth agenda, the Bureau of Customs also needs to fully modernize its systems and processes to better facilitate trade, fight smuggling and bar the entry of illegal drugs and terrorists from the country’s borders, according to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Dominguez said the BOC needs to transform itself into “a truly modern bureaucratic organization,” given that the agency and the Bureau of Internal Revenue are the two primary revenue tools that the government relies on to support its growth strategy anchored on massive public

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IVE giant “lapu-lapu” (grouper) spawners have been released in the protected Sarangani Bay in a bid to boost the livelihood of thousands of small fishermen as well as spur tourism in the area, officials said.

Genia Genosa, production superintendent for Finfish Hatcheries Inc., said the giant lapu-lapu, which range in weight from 80 kilograms to more than 100 kilograms each, were released recently into Sarangani Bay to help replenish the grouper population in the area.

“One giant grouper can spawn 20 percent of its own body weight in eggs, meaning one of the spawning groupers can lay between 16 kilograms to more than

20 kilograms of egg per cycle,” she said in a statement Tuesday.

Genosa explained further that each kilo of giant grouper eggs can have as much as 1.2 million fries.

“The reason why they lay so many eggs is because the mortality of their fry is only around five percent but they lay so many and we hope that with the proper guidance, they can help repopulate Sarangani Bay with groupers,” Genosa said.

The giant groupers were released in nearby Maasim town in Sarangani by Finfish Hatcheries, a subsidiary of the Alcantara Group, majority owner of the 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant operated by Sarangani En-

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ECONOMY 5 Palace issues EO 27 to implement PH ANZ maintains BSP rate medium-term development plan hike projection for 3Q‘17 VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

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ALACAÑANG on Monday ordered the implementation of the country’s new medium-term development plan.

Signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on June 1, 2017, EO 27 directed all government agencies, including government-owned or -controlled corporation (GOCCs), and local government units (LGUs) to align their programs, budgets, and strategies with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and Public Investment Program (PIP) for 2017-2022.

The PDP 2017-2022 is the first medium-term development plan to operationalize Ambisyon Natin 2040—of attaining inclusive economic growth in the country and eventually transforming the

Philippines into a globally competitive knowledge economy.

On the other hand, the PIP 2017-2022 contains the priority programs and projects to be implemented by the national government agencies and instrumentalities, including GOCCs, that contribute to the goals and outcomes in the PDP and within the medium term. Formulation of the PIP is slated for completion in July this year.

Under EO 27, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), headed by NEDA Director-General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, will monitor compliance, assess outcomes, update outputs, and recommend policy directions for the implementation of PDP

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and PIP 2017-2022.

“The NEDA Secretariat shall work together with various implementing agencies for the prioritization and sequencing of identified strategies, policies, programs, and projects, including proposed legislation. The monitoring of outcomes and implementation shall be reported regularly to the appropriate NEDA Board Committees, existing Cabinet Clusters, and Inter-Agency Committees of the government,” the EO stated.

“All heads of departments, offices, and instrumentalities of the national government, including GOCCs, are hereby directed to submit to the NEDA Board, through the NEDA Secretariat, the agency performance / accomplishment reports with respect to the out-

comes and outputs identified in the PDP and PIP, in the format and frequency prescribed by the NEDA Secretariat. The NEDA Secretariat shall prepare the Socioeconomic Report to present the accomplishments of outputs and outcomes and recommend policy directions for moving forward,” the Order added.

As for the funding, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will identify the amount necessary to implement provisions of the Order. The annual appropriations, the EO said, shall be prepared in accordance with the regular government budget procedures and included in the budgets of the concerned government agencies under the General Appropriations Act. (PCO-Content)

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HE slowdown in the country’s inflation rate in May did not affect ANZ’s forecast for the adjustment in Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’key rates, which it expects to increase starting in the third quarter of 2017.

In a research note, the Melbourne-headquartered financial institution noted the drop in last May’s inflation rate to 3.1 percent from the highest so far this year of 3.4 percent last March and April.

This brought the fivemonth average to 3.1 percent, slightly higher than the middle of the government’s two to four percent target range for 2017 to 2020.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and oil items, mirrored the same path after it went down to 2.9 percent from last April’s 3.4 percent.

This was due to lower electricity prices and transportation cost, it said, citing that the drop is below market expectations, which are 3.3 percent for the headline inflation rate and three percent for the core inflation.

The report, on the other hand, noted that since average inflation has stayed above the middle of the target range due in part to stronger expansion of the domestic economy risks remain.

“The economy is still firing on all cylinders, keeping the upward pressure on headline inflation,” it said.

Impact of the House of Representatives- approved tax reform package, which is targeted to hike excise taxes on fuel and vehicles and cut in personal income tax, is seen to be “milder” compared to that of the original Department of Finance (DOF) proposal.

This as the approved version cut excise taxes on vehicles and the disapproval of the proposed indexation of fuel taxes on inflation. ” Underlying price pressures remain in the Philippines on the back of strong economic growth. Thus, we still expect the central bank to commence its tightening cycle in Q3 and raise its policy rate by a cumulative 50 bps in 2017 and 75 bps in 2018,” it added.

To date, the central bank’s overnight borrowing rate is at three percent while the overnight lending rate is 3.5 percent and rate of the special deposit account (SDA) is 2.5 percent.

These three comprise the central bank’s Interest Rate Corridor (IRC), which is being implemented since June 2016 to help the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission.

(PNA)

Korea can retain top tourist market spot in PH: DOT

CLEARING THE STREETS. A City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) personnel drives and delivers a ‘payong-payong’ to an impounding area in Calinan, Davao City on Tuesday. Several ‘payong-payong’

were apprehended during the recent Oplan Lambat Bitag Sasakyan which aims to lessen the colorum and undocumented vehicles plying in the city’s streets. Lean Daval Jr.

Speaker warns of repercussions for OFWs amid Gulf crisis

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PEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday said the ongoing Middle East diplomatic crisis could have serious implications on the safety and welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Qatar.

The Gulf diplomatic rift was sparked by the decision of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain to break off relations with Qatar over alleged terrorism links.

In a statement, Alvarez said the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine Embassy in Qatar, should “remain vigilant and closely monitor the situation”.

He added that the embassy must adopt measures to ensure open communication lines with the Filipino community.

“Should the situation deteriorate, the embassy must be able to provide timely advisories to avoid possible panic and ensure the safety of our OFWs,” Alvarez said.

The House leader also urged the Philippine government to create a task force to draw up contingency measures to ensure the safety of an estimated 260,000 OFWs in Qatar.

Alvarez expressed concern over the reported panic-buying which could be a “prelude to a breakdown of peace and order”, and in turn, “may lead to a full diplomatic crisis”.

“The possibility that we might have to repatriate a huge number of OFWs is a daunting task by itself. Even more challenging is the need to provide them with ample financial sup-

port,” Alvarez said.

“It is imperative that at this point, our government and the private sector and NGOs should work hand in hand to ensure we can provide our OFWs in Qatar the appropriate assistance when the need arises. We must not wait until it’s too late to act,” he added.

For his part, Kabayan Partylist Rep. Harry Roque said the Philippine government should mediate to diffuse the escalating diplomatic tensions in the region, noting the huge number of OFWs currently in the Middle East.

“We have a stake in the political and economic stability of the Middle East as almost a million of our kababayans (countrymen) work there. It would be prudent for our government to mediate and try to

diffuse the tension, if only for the sake of our OFWs,” he said.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) data in 2015 revealed more than 900,000 OFWs work in the Middle East.

Roque also filed House Resolution No. 1067 in the lower chamber urging President Rodrigo Duterte to act as intermediary in the conflict.

“The Philippines may be an effective mediator in the conflict due to its genuine interest to resolve the conflict and relative impartiality among the conflicted nations,” Roque said.

Furthermore, Roque believes President Duterte could be an effective mediator considering the goodwill he built during his state visit to the region last April. (PNA)

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IVEN Korea’s history as the Philippines’ top foreign tourist market, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has no doubts that Korea would retain its number one spot in the country’s overall visitor arrivals by yearend.

“We look at Korea as a mutual partner in growth, in tourism and our Korean partners are convinced that the Philippines remains in fact a safe haven for foreigners,” DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said in a statement Monday.

Bengzon recently led the Philippine delegation at Korea’s biggest annual international travel event, the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA) in Seoul, which involved meetings with major travel agents and airline executives.

ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Kim Young-sun shared the same optimism about continued travel of Koreans to the Philippines.

“Philippines is close to Koreans and we will continue to explore cooperation and tourism exchange,” Young-sun, who has visited Manila at least four times, said.

During the event, the DOT-Korea office and DOT’s marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board, (TPB) set up a crowd-drawing exhibit.

Meanwhile, tourism officials held “fact-finding” meetings with Korean travel exec-

utives and Seoul-based media amidst security issues confronting international tourism.

Korean travel and tour and airline executives who met with the DOT include: Kim, Seong Hoon, sales manager and Kang, Hyuk Shin, country manager, Philippine Airlines; Kang, Yoon Ho, senior manager Cebu Pacific; Yong, Sun-Ok, senior manager and Jeong, Chan Woo, assistant manager, Hana Tour; Kim Jeong Tae, Manager, Mode Tour; Um, Jong Hyun, CEO, Yoo Han Travel.

DOT Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre, who was interviewed by Seoul-based media, assured them that the peace disturbance in Marawi City, Mindanao was an “isolated incident” and has been immediately placed under control.

Alegre stressed that placing Mindanao in a temporary martial law, meanwhile, enhanced the security measures against potential terror threats.

He pointed out the importance of disseminating factual information on the differing situations in the thousands of travel destinations in the Philippines and elsewhere.

“We are indeed elated by the strong interest in our tourist destinations amidst the challenges faced recently by our tourism industry, a major contributor to the country’s gross domestic,” Alegre said.

(PNA)

6 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Financing firm official 108 Indonesians in Sarangani killed in South Cotabato

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OTORCYCLE-RIDING gunmen killed an executive of a financing company in Banga town in South Cotabato on Saturday, police said Monday.

Police said Emil Soteral, who worked for Radiowealth Finance Company in Surallah town, died on the spot.

Soteral was driving his motorcycle on his way to Koronadal City when gunmen who were tailing him opened fire.

Senior Supt. Franklin Alvero, the provincial police director, said he had ordered an investigation into the motive of the killing.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the murder.

Recently, two gunmen killed three people in Tacu-

rong City in Sultan Kudarat province.

Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, the provincial police chief, identified the victims as Rebecca Ali, 39, from Cotabato City; Danilo Dasan, 48, from General Santos City; and Jose Michael Santiago, 38, of Santo Nino town in South Cotabato.

They were traveling on a pickup truck and heading to Cotabato City when the gunmen attacked them, Supiter said.

He said the victims were killed by the assailants inside their truck based on the testimony of witnesses.

Police have yet to determine if the truck had been hijacked and if the victims knew their attackers. (Rhoderick Beñez/MindaNews)

SC orders CDO courts to handle Maute cases

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HE Supreme Court on Tuesday designated the regional trial court of Cagayan de Oro to hear and try all cases against Maute group members who perpetrated attacks in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. SC spokesman Theodore Te announced the directive was issued following Tuesday’s regular en banc session of the magistrates.

Te said the order was the SC’s response to the request of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II for the high court to create special courts outside of Mindanao which would handle cases against members of the Maute terrorist group.

“The Court resolved to direct these courts to speedily act on all prosecutions and incidents arising from the Maute Group takeover of Marawi City, complying with the Revised Guidelines on Continuous Trial and all relevant Court resolutions and issuances designed to expedite criminal prosecution such as, but not limited to, the use of conditional examination of witnesses, depositions and interrogatories, and extended pre-trial proceedings to facilitate the trial,” Te announced.

“For this purpose, the Judicial Affidavit Rule is hereby expressly made applicable to all cases that may be filed,” it added.

Te said the high tribunal has likewise tapped the Court of Appeals in Mindanao, which is also based in CDO, to handle terrorism cases under Republic Act 9372 (Human Security Act).

Lastly, the SC has directed Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez to “coordinate with the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division stationed also in CDO to determine appro-

priate security measures for court personnel, prosecutors, lawyers and the accused.” ”Direct the Court Administrator to coordinate with the Commanding General, Fourth Infantry Division (4TH ID) stationed at Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City to determine appropriate security measures for court personnel, prosecutors, lawyers, and accused as well as appropriately secure detention facilities to be located within Camp Evangelista but under the supervision and control of the RTC of Cagayan de Oro City,” it added.

Sought for a comment, Aguirre said they would appeal the SC order which turned down its request for special courts outside Mindanao.

“It’s not ok with us because CDO is too near to the Lanaos and Marawi City. We will file a motion for reconsideration,” he said in a text message.

Aguirre reiterated that the special courts should be stationed in Luzon or Visayas in order to protect the judges and the judicial system from possible threats and acts of violence.

In a letter to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on May 29, Aguirre said the decision to ask for the creation of special courts came after he met with prosecutors from Mindanao who pointed out the security threats if the hearing would be held in the region.

At the same time, Aguirre asked Sereno to take the necessary measures for the protection of the members of the judiciary who will hear the cases against the Maute group members who will be captured or who will surrender to the authorities.

(PNA)

province ‘no longer stateless’ A

T least 108 Persons of Indonesian Descent (PIDs) living in Glan, Sarangani for years are no longer “stateless” after they were finally registered, an official said Tuesday.

Lawyer Ruben Fondevilla, Department of Justice assistant chief state counsel, said the Indonesians received their birth certificates in line with the provisions of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Fondevilla said the registration of the Indonesians is an offshoot of a bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia.

“The ministers of these countries believed the “importance of determining the legal status of the Indonesian descendants in Southern Philippines with the view of providing them better legal protection,” he said.

By receiving their free birth certificates and having their citizenship confirmed

by representatives from the Governments of the Philippines and Indonesia, the PIDs will finally be able to enjoy the full extent of their rights, Fondevilla explained.

With the global mandate of reducing statelessness worldwide, the UNHCR has partnered with the Philippine Government since 2010 to “promote as well as develop standards and operational responses in addressing the situation faced by stateless persons and people at risk of statelessness in the Philippines.”

The registration and distribution of birth certificates in Glan last week was the first of the series of distributions expected in areas in Mindanao where there are known Indonesian populations like Cotabato, Davao and Balut Island in Sarangani town, Davao Occidental.

Fondevilla stressed this initiative would provide PIDs with “legal protection” and eventually enable them

to “access the basic services that will be provided by the government.”

With over 2,400 PIDs registered in Glan, the municipality has one of the largest populations of PIDs in the country, according to the UNHCR in a media advisory.

“Glan and the Northern Sulawesi province of Indonesia are separated by 200 kilometres of sea travel, and migration between the two islands is not uncommon,” the UNHCR said. “However, because of the unfamiliarity with citizenship laws of the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as limited access to information about their rights, most of these PIDs are exposed to the risk of statelessness.”

The UNHCR said “civil registration is one way by which statelessness can be reduced.”

The Philippines is a signatory to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. It is also

the first Southeast Asian country to adopt international legal standard to keep stateless persons from falling into legal limbo. Since 2011, it has been working together with the Government of Indonesia and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in bringing legal protection to over 8,000 PIDs in Mindanao island.

In 2016, Glan Mayor Victor James Yap Sr. approved a Sangguniang Bayan resolution exempting PIDs from payment of civil registration fees, late registration of birth, and clerical correction of entries in civil registration documents that benefited PIDs who were not able to secure the document due to financial constraints, according to the Provincial Information Office.

This programme is also in partnership with the Bureau of Immigration, National Statistics Office, Local Civil Registrar, and the Public Attorney’s Office. (Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews)

OLD TRADE, NEW TOOL. Pedal-operated bolo sharpeners have been replaced by models than run on electricity, like the one used by this man in Malaybalay City on Saturday (June 3, 2017). MindaNews photo by H. Marcos C. Mordeno

Former drug dependents complete transformation program

A

T least 241 former drug dependents who submitted themselves to authorities in Compostela Valley completed their transformation process under the “Oplan Liwanag” program of the provincial government.

The provincial government on Tuesday announced that the 241 Voluntary Surrenderees for Reforms (VSR) were welcomed by Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy who also serves as chair of the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) in the province.

Of the total number of VSRs who completed the program, 79 came from the

town of Montevista, 58 from New Bataan, 69 from Pantukan and 35 from Maragusan town.

“Oplan Liwanag is a community-based transformative intervention program for the VSRs,” the provincial government said.

The program is initially implemented in the four towns but the provincial government said it will be adopted by all the municipalities in the province.

The 241 graduates of the Oplan Liwanag program are now called as Reformed Voluntary Surrenderers (RVS).

They received their certifi-

cates as well as their National Certificate – II (NC-II) from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Other certificates were also issued by the provincial government and other partner agencies in the program.

Mario Angelo Sotto, action officer of PADAC in Compostela Valley expressed gratitude to Governor Uy and the municipal governments of the four towns for their full support to “Oplan Liwanag.”

Sotto also lauded the perseverance of the 241 VSRs who pursued to complete the two-month program.

During the period, the VSRs underwent weekly counselling, community services, family and marriage enrichment activities, like and skills training and dance exercises.

The PADAC action officer added that they are now finalizing programs and activities that will form part of the after-care program for the RVS or the reformed drug dependents.

The after-care program, Sotto added, will be implemented in partnership with barangay officials and spiritual leaders in the province.

(Alexander Lopez/PNA)

7 COMPETITIVE EDGE Region 12 schools accommodate PDIC raises P13.7M from public bidding of assets 169 transferees from Marawi T EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

A

T least 169 learners or students displaced by the continuing conflict in Marawi City have been accommodated by public schools in different parts of Region 12.

Dr. Arturo Bayocot, Department of Education (DepEd)-Region 12 director, said Tuesday the figure was based on the enrollment data received by the regional office for transferees from Marawi City.

He said the Cotabato City schools division reported the most number of transferees from Marawi with 50, fol-

lowed by Sultan Kudarat division with 35.

The remaining number is pro-rated to other areas, among them in Koronadal City and this city, he said.

As reported by schools that accommodated the transferees, some of them processed their enrollment last week and during the opening of classes on Monday.

DepEd-12 earlier said all public elementary and high schools in the region were mandated to accept all transferees from Marawi City, including those who were not able to present any school-re-

lated document or record.

“Our schools will accept these displaced children until June 30,” Bayocot said in a radio interview.

For other late enrollees, the official said they will also accept them until the end of the month, provided they have valid reasons.

He urged parents or guardians of learners who have not enrolled to process them within the week.

“They will miss a lot from their classes and lag behind in terms of their lessons if they will wait longer to enroll,” he said.

For the school opening on Monday, Bayocot said a total of 1,096,320 learners have enrolled and showed up for their classes.

Region 12, which has nine school divisions, has a total of 1,746 elementary and 499 secondary schools, including those offering senior high school programs.

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

HE Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation generated a total of P13.7 million from the sale of nine properties during the public bidding of corporate and closed banks’ assets held on May 16, 2017 at the PDIC Office in Makati City. These properties are located in Valenzuela City, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Sur, Cavite, Quezon and Legazpi City.

Total sales accounted for eight closed banks’ properties and one corporate asset sold, ranging from PHP10,500 to PHP2.8 million, for an aggregate value of PHP12.5 million and PHP1.16 million, respectively. These consisted of residential lots, commercial lots, and a generator set. The bidding yielded a premium of PHP3.4 million from the combined minimum disposal price of PHP10.3 million.

Proceeds from the sale of closed banks’ properties are added to the pool of liquid assets of these banks for distribution to creditors and uninsured depositors in accordance with the rules on concurrence and preference of credits. Meanwhile, gains from the sale of corporate assets are added to the Deposit Insurance Fund, PDIC’s fund source mainly for payment of valid deposit insurance claims.

The expeditious liquidation assets is one of the strategic directions of PDIC, as statutory liquidator of closed banks. To help ensure that recoveries from closed banks’ assets are maximized, PDIC sells assets via competitive biddings and auctions. After which, unsold assets may be acquired by interested parties via negotiated sale.

Interested buyers are encouraged to visit the PDIC website at www.pdic.gov. ph and use PDIC’s property finder for information on available inventory of assets for sale. Prospective buyers may also call the Asset Management and Disposal Group at (02) 841-4387 for inquiries on assets for disposal.

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) was established on June 22, 1963 by Republic Act 3591 to provide depositor protection and help maintain stability in the financial system by providing deposit insurance. Effective June 1, 2009, the maximum deposit insurance coverage is P500,000 per depositor. All deposit accounts by a depositor in a closed bank maintained in the same right and capacity shall be added together. A joint account shall be insured separately from any individually-owned deposit account.

UN Ocean Conference opens with call for global action to save planet

10 provincial schools receive Smart TechnoCarts

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EN public schools in Lanao del Norte, La Union, Benguet, Capiz, and Leyte are getting digital technology packages that can help enhance the education of their kindergarten students.

Smart Communications is donating units of the Smart TechnoCart, a 2x2 ft mobile laboratory which contains 20 tablets for students, as well

as a laptop, projector, and mobile Wi-Fi for the teacher. Each tablet is preloaded with Batibot, the first mobile application in Filipino that is aligned with the kindergarten curriculum of the Department of Education.

Teachers of the recipient-schools recently received training on tablet basics, as well as on child and curriculum development provided

by the Community of Learners Foundation (COLF).

In the photo are (from left) Milwida Guevara of program partner Synergeia Foundation; Mayor Ignacio Rivera of Tuba, Benguet; Mayor Mildred Joy Que of Dulag, Leyte; Feny de los Angeles of COLF; and Smart community partnerships head Darwin Flores.

Since the program was

Anhui Shenlong is a renewable resources company that manufactures trays, tableware and flowerpots made from recycled straw.

“People are interested in our products, especially the infant spoon and bowl,” said general manager Su Yali.

“Products made from straw are biodegradable, do not pollute soil and water, and are safe for consumers.”

Chinese farmers traditionally burn straw after the harvest and plough the ashes

into the ground, as they believe this fertilizes farmland.

However, the smoke causes air pollution.

As a major producer of rice, wheat and corn, Anhui also produces about 48 million tons of waste straw every year. Over the past 20 years, the province has increased efforts to recycle straw by using it as livestock feed and biofuel for power plants. It has also set up an environmental protection fund worth 1 billion yuan (about USD150 million)

launched in June 2015, Smart and kind sponsors have donated TechnoCarts to 40 public schools in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. These schools serve about 10,000 kindergarten students. Individuals and organizations wanting to help spread the benefits of digital learning to more public schools may email TechnoCart@smart.com.ph for more information.

Straw recycling expo aims to cut rural air pollution

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AST China’s Anhui province held its first straw recycling expo Monday, with the aim of boosting the industry to help reduce air pollution caused by straw burning in rural areas.

The two-day expo was held in Hefei, the provincial capital. It covered a total floor space of 23,000 sq. meters, with more than 200 companies displaying new technology and products ranging from floor tiles, vegetable and egg trays to biofuel.

to promote straw recycling.

“In 2015, 81.5 percent of the province’s waste straw was recycled. The figure is expected to exceed 90 percent by 2020, accounting for more than 43 million tons of straw,” said Deng Xiangyang, vice governor of Anhui.

At the expo, companies are expected to sign agreements worth 12.2 billion yuan, which will involve the recycling of some 5 million tons of straw annually. (Xinhua)

T

OP United Nations officials Monday urged coordinated global action to protect the planet when an international conference on the health of the world’s oceans and seas opened here.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned governments that unless they overcome short-term territorial and resource interests, the state of the oceans will continue to deteriorate, when he addressed his first major UN conference since taking office.

UN Ocean Conference opened Monday morning with a traditional Fijian ceremony at the UN General Assembly.

“Improving the health of our oceans is a test for multilateralism, and we cannot afford to fail,” the secretary-general said.

“We must jointly address the problems of governance that have held us back,” he said, calling for a new strategic vision of how to govern the oceans and marine resources.

One of the main challenges, he said, is to end the “artificial dichotomy” between jobs and healthy oceans. “The conservation and sustainable use of marine resources are two sides of the same coin,” he noted.

The UN chief called for strong political leadership and new partnerships, based on the existing legal frame-

work, and concrete steps, such as expanding marine protected areas and reducing plastic waste pollution.

Among other specific actions, Guterres urged governments to allocate their promised funding for the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris agreement on climate change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, as well as to improve data collection and share their best experience.

The United Nations is working to build partnerships with governments, the private sector, civil society and others to support those goals, and is also working with international financial institutions to allocate resources, he added.

“The time has come for us to correct our wrongful ways,” President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson told thousands of participants including heads of state and government, business people, actors, and ocean and marine life advocates.

Thomson spoke out against “inexcusable” actions such as dumping plastic into the oceans and destroying marine life through acidification and deoxygenation.

“We are here on behalf of humanity to restore sustainability, balance and respect to our relationship with our primal mother, the source of life, the Ocean,” he said.

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

A

Sign of the times

RECENT survey by the authoritative University of Mindanao Institute of Public Opinion revealed some startling realities on the younger generation of Dabawenyos or the millenials, so to speak.

They are the youth aged 13 to 24 years and the UM IPO survey reveals that almost half of this age category drink, smoke and engage in sex some with multiple partners as early as 15.

Not a very flattering fact by Filipino cultural norms.

The survey, which aims to describe the Davao youth relating to their association, preferences and influence, was conducted from May 24 to 30 and involved 264 youth respondents. The survey reveals 4 in 10 Dabawenyo youths smoke cigarettes. They started smoking as early as age 12 with the average starting age at 18. The biggest influence are friends (97 percent) and relatives (3 percent). Five of 10 drink alcohol with the earliest age at 12 years old. Youths drink once a week (71 percent) and their strongest influence is friends at 98 pecent.

Here’s more. 23 out of 50 Dabawenyo youths are into sex. A small margin indicated that they started having sex as young as 10 years old (1%). Most common age in having sex is 18 years old. Of those who had

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sex, 45% mentioned that it was not in a formal relationship. Average number of partners is 2.2 with a high of 15.

The times have changed radically. The younger generation are far liberal in their approach to vices and sexual activities even if the same survey bared that the youth maintained a high regard for family values. Faily remains a very high influence factor in how the young grow up these days.

However, times have changed. There are other influential forces that interplay within their development--technology, mass media, and digital information.

These are the factors that schools and parents will have to deal with in the rearing of children. The figures should serve our legislators well in crafting more relevant legislations especially in reinforcing the sale of cigarettes and alcohol to minors. It is surprising to note that despite the ordinances being enforced in the city, the figures show high incidence of tobbacco and alcohol use among children.

Something must be wrong somewhere, or are people just sleeping on these laws?

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

JIMMY K. LAKING Associate Editor PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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VANTAGE POINTS 9 VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017 EDGEDAVAO How much longer will Manilas political elite last? (first of two parts)

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HE political elite in the Philippines has basically transformed itself from the progeny of Spanish mestizos to two major factions: The conservative, business-oriented oligarchs, and the leftist intellectuals.

Of course, these two are further divided into smaller fractions, but for our purposes, we will consider the two as the significant divide.

Both exhibit similar traits, and hold in common three things: their monopoly of political discourse, and their limiting this to Metro Manila’s power corridors, and their real disgust for others not like them.

It is not difficult to see how their discussions fare in relation to many of us who are not based in Manila.

To them, our opinions do not really matter.

I

N the early part of the 17th century, Spanish religious missionaries founded a small settlement which was called Abre de Ilog (coming from the Spanish verb, “abre,” which means “open” and Tagalog noun, “ilog” for “river.” Later on, it was renamed as “Abra de Ilog” (its present name), a Chabacano-like terminology which is loosely translated as “bucana ng ilog” or “opening of the river.”

Abra de Ilog is one of the eight municipalities of Occidental Mindoro.

Although it is far from Davao City, I am highlighting it here since the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) conducted a coral mapping project, which the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute implemented. Davao region might be interested to know the findings of the study.

The projected did some “detailed underwater surveys and mapping in the shallow euphotic reefs and deep mesophotic reefs” of the town, according to Rose Anne M. Aya and Ronald Olavides, authors of the report.

Euphotic reefs are those corals found at 1-30 meters depth; they have been extensively surveyed by many marine researchers and conservation managers using conventional survey methods.

The mesophotic reefs, on the other hand, are corals located at 30-150 meters depth. They are considered at the “twilight zone” and among the least studied environment due to the technical limitations and personal risks involved in deep surveys.

“The project aims to document the occurrence and biodiversity of mesophotic reefs, provide detailed

This indifference is most glaring when you listen to their reactions to the recent Martial law declaration in Mindanao. Seeing the devastation in war torn Marawi ought to force us to pause and realize that they are Filipinos as well, who have been most left out of the Manila elite’s discourses.

These reveal a big folly in their collective psyche, when in the face of the thousands displaced in the Marawi attacks, and the 37 or so dead at the Resorts World incident, their first concern is whether and when “creeping Martial Law” will affect them.

Obviously, to the Manila elite, their interests and their sense of comfort come first in a raw pecking order before everyone else-who is excluded at worst, an afterthought at best.

MY TWO CENTS’ John Tria Consider the others discussed in their conversations: OFWs, call center workers, laborers and public transport drivers, farmers and the

families, lumads and “provincial” businessmen and entrepreneurs are all outside this political circle, expected to be grateful for whatever pittance they receive in state funds and attention, left to be content with the long lines at MRT stations and passport agencies, expensive freight costs and a neglect of important sectors such as agriculture.

In the first year of this new presidency, many of them, as expected, railed against the new dispensation, disgusted at the president’s speech, his manner of clothing, and seeing and picking every nit worth their note, which is to say trivial and mundane details.

In response they feebly organize themselves into social media groups (half of the population are just lurkers, I’m sure) and pour inane vitriol

on government programs, especially those that aim to do what its predecessors failed to- empower the countryside.

Perhaps the program that will have the worst impact on the elites is the tax reform program, and the desire to modernize agriculture. GO ahead and check the numbers: a bulk of governments resources over the last 30 years have been spent in Metro Manila. Little wonder why we all are forced to flock to the overgrown metropolis to find even decent opportunity.

Truth is, the previous government they tend to support underspent on necessary infrastructure.

With new leadership that seems to be changing.

For reactions: facebook.com/ johntriapage

unicornfish, angelfish and butterflyfish species also occurred,” the report said. “However, the lack of large predators like the groupers, snappers, trevallies and sharks is symptomatic of overfishing that places selective pressure on these high-value fishes.”

There are three major types of coral reefs, according to Dr. Angel C. Alcala, former head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. These are fringing type (those found on the edges of islands and which constitutes 30% of the country’s coral reefs); the barrier type (best exemplified by the Dajanon Reef of Central Visayas); and the atoll (of which the Tubbataha and Cagayan Reef in the Sulu Sea are ideal examples).

Unknowingly, corals are the dried and bleached skeletons of soft-bodied animals that live in the warm, sunlit waters of tropical seas and look more like plants and rocks than animals.

The main part of the real coral is the polyp – the extraordinary flower-like animal with a tube-like body and finger-like tentacles. “Coral polyps get nutrition in two ways,” explains Lindsay Bennett, author of globetrotter island guide, Philippines.

“They catch their food by means of stinging tentacles that paralyze any suitable prey – microscopic creatures called zooplankton – and also engage in a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae that live within the polyp structure.”

Coral polyps reproduce in two ways: asexually (by the division of existing individual polyps) and asexually (by combining egg and sperm from two different polyps). “This results in a free-swimming polyp that

will be carried by ocean currents to find a new colony and commence a new reef,” Bennet writes.

The coral reef is the world’s most diverse marine ecosystem, and one of its most productive. It is home to some 4,000 species of fish (approximately one-quarter of all marine fish species), along with a vast array of other life forms – mollusks, crustaceans, sea urchins, starfish, sponges, tube-worms and many more.

In the Philippines, for instance, more than 40 million people live on the coast within 30 kilometers of coral reef. Approximately, two million people depend on fisheries for employment, with about one million small-scale fishermen directly dependent on reef fisheries. The country’s reefs yield 5 to 37 tons of fish per square kilometer, making them very important to the productivity of fisheries.

“The Philippines is a major supplier of fish to the live reef food fish trade, a billion-dollar industry in the Asia-Pacific region,” noted Reefs at Risk Revisited in the Coral Triangle, a publication published by the Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI). “In 2007, the Philippines exported at least 1,370 tons of coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus), one of the trade’s most important species in terms of volume, which fetched an estimated retail value of about US$140 million.”

“Despite considerable improvements in coral reef management, the country’s coral reefs remain under threat,” said Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Coral reefs’ “twilight zone”

seafloor maps and hydrodynamic models,” the two authors wrote.

Abra de Ilog is among the first sites in the country that has been surveyed quantitatively for its mesophotic coral reefs and fish communities.

“The reefs surveyed were severely disturbed by sedimentation,” the report said. “Many dead and live corals were covered in silt. Live hard coral cover in euphotic zone was poor with 21% cover, and even more so in the mesophotic zone with only 4%.

Dead coral cover was 29% in the euphotic and 26% in the mesophotic.”

Despite this fact, the researchers found out that the place is teemed with biodiversity. “The area is surprisingly biodiverse, considering the poor coral condition, high turbidity, and heavy siltation,” the report said.

“These indicate that the mesophotic reefs should be included in conservation priorities and that they are also vulnerable to large-scale impacts like sedimentation.”

As they differ in depth, the kinds of corals thriving in both zones. Shallow reefs were dominated by boulder-like massive and branching corals while the upper mesophotic was home to flattened encrusting forms.

“There are more gorgonians, black corals, sponges, invertebrates, and fishes in the mesophotic that remain largely undocumented,” the report pointed out.

A total of 66 fish species from 15 families were recorded during diver-based surveys. Forty-one species from 13 families were found in the euphotic zone and 45 species from 15 families were in the upper mesophotic zone.

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

A total of 39 coral genera was also recorded, all of which were found in the euphotic zone, and 25 genera in the mesophotic zone.

“Despite poor reef conditions in the site, overall fish community biomass was high and averaged 54 metric tons per square kilometer,” the report said. “The mesophotic zone had six times more fish biomass than the euphotic zone: 92.5 metric tons per square kilometer.”

Target fishes and benthic carnivores were particularly more abundant in the mesophotic zone, the study found. Starting at the edge of the forereef, the most dominant fish species is the banana fusilier (Pterocaesio pisang). At 30-35 meters deep, golden damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) occurred in schools along with smaller groups of squarespot anthias (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia), which are iconic species in the upper boundary of many mesophotic reefs in the country.

“A flurry of wrasse, surgeonfish,

10 NEWS MAUTE... FROM 1 Initial investigation said that the persons of interest are on their way to the hospital to seek medication for the elder Maute who has been coughing incessantly.

Also recovered during the incident were P363,000 cash, several ID cards and other personal belongings.

Brig. Gen. Gapay said that Cayamora and the four others will be detained in DCPO and will be charged under Arrest Order No. 1 issued by the Secretary of National Defense for Rebellion.

“This apprehension of Cayamora Maute together with his companions is a big

blow to the Maute-ISIS terrorist group. As a patriarch of the Maute clan, Cayamora is considered as one of the brains of the Maute-ISIS terror group.”

Also, according to Gaerlan, Cayamora Maute also has a pending warrant of arrest along with Abdullah Romato Maute and 88 others for five counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention. His wife Nurhannah, was also charged for violation of presidential decree 1866 or illegal possession of blasting tabs and incendiary devices issued by the Regional trial court of 12th Division region, Branch 11 at Marabang, Davao del Sur.

for maintenance of these facilities should not be imposed on the riding public. In addition, the collection of fees for the use of comfort rooms and service facilities is an added burden to the riding public; hence, making travel within the country more expensive,” said Dalog.

The bill mandates that it shall be unlawful for the owner, operator, or administrator of land transport terminals, stations, stops, and rest areas to collect fees from passengers for the use of regular sanitary facilities.

In order to avail of the free

use of the sanitary facilities, the concerned passenger must present the paid bus ticket for the day.

Violators shall be meted a fine in the amount of P5,0000.

The entity concerned shall be liable with its employee or agent for the fine imposed.

Furthermore, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board shall review every five years the applicability and reinforcement of the penalty and shall therefore make corresponding adjustments upon the approval of the Department of Transportation. (PNA)

It may be recalled that 110 congressmen left their parties to join PDP-Laban to establish a super majority in the House of Representatives even as a coalition of 17 senators composed a majority in the Senate.

Pimentel said that it was PDP-Laban Secretary General and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (1st District, Davao del Norte) who was responsible for the mass influx of 110 congressmen.

Several local leaders,

among them governors, city and municipal mayors and prominent political leaders, have already expressed their interest to join the PDP-Laban, Pimentel said.

He explained that new party members are required to undergo a “Basic Membership Seminar” (BMS) during which the party constitution and bylaws, history and platform, among others, are discussed by party elders and lecturers.

(Azer N. Parrocha/PNA)

It expects to collect P468 billion this year, up from the 2016 level of P396.37 billion.

Dominguez said he expects the BOC not only to help raise revenues and facilitate trade but to likewise protect Filipinos from the entry of illegal drugs, substandard products and other harmful commodities.

“The Bureau occupies a primary place in our border security. Porous borders are the delight of all sorts of menacing elements: smugglers, drug traffickers, gunrunners, terrorists and the like,” Dominguez said.

He pointed out that smuggling, besides denying the government the potential revenues it deserves, also leaves the country open to the flow of illegal drugs and makes our borders defenseless against terrorists.

“In order to meet the many expectations placed upon the Bureau, we need a truly modern bureaucratic organization.

It is one that summons the powers of new information

technology not only to speed up processing but also to properly monitor pricing. Innovating our organization is an endless but fruitful pursuit. I hope you will be up to the task of constant innovation with a passion,” the finance chief said.

Dominguez said all BOC officers and employees play “an important and patriotic role in this government’s effort to liberate millions of Filipinos from poverty” as their ability to collect taxes “is important to ensuring fiscal stability as we embark on an ambitious strategy to bring our economy to a higher plane of growth.”

This growth strategy will provide the means that would enable the government to bring down the poverty rate from 21.6 percent in 2015 to only 14 percent by 2022, Dominguez said.

The Duterte administration also aims to transform the country into a high middle-income one by 2022 and to a high-income economy in one generation or by 2040. (DOF)

House... FROM 2

Piñol... FROM 3

BOC... FROM 4

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

ADDED INFO. Councilor Nilo Abellera II provides updates on the security situation of Davao City during Pulong Pulong ni Pulong at Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Lawyers... FROM 2

possible repeat of the martial rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

“Legislative review of the exercise of the martial law powers is therefore meant to provide democratic check or sanction to the exercise of such powers. This democratic checking or validating powers is for the protection of the people whose rights are placed at risk by the use of such powers,” petitioners said.

Petitioners believed that the constitutional provision on martial law imposes on Congress a “mandatory obligation” to convene in joint session.

“Whether the result of

such convening is a vote to revoke or support the exercise of martial law powers, the Constitution does not qualify.

What the Constitution requires is not so much for Congress to exercise its discretionary veto powers but for Congress to perform, in joint session, its constitutional obligation to review the act of the President,” they pointed out.

They explained that the language of the law was clear in making the congressional review on martial law as a “first line of defense” against a possible repeat of the martial rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos. (PNA)

PET Rules enumerated the items to be considered during the preliminary conference, which includes among others, such other matters as may aid in the prompt disposition of the election protest,” Garcia noted.

He added that such procedure will also “assist in the preparation for the recount proceedings and the presentation of evidence for the protest.”

The contested areas subject of the proposed decryption and printing of ballot images included the provinces of Cebu, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Masbate, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Del Norte, Bukidnon, Iloilo Province, Bohol, Quezon, Batangas, Western Samar, Misamis Oriental, Camarines Sur, Palawan, Albay, Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, Pangasinan and Isabela; Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Zamboanga City and the 2nd District of Northern Samar.

Garcia said the decryption and printing of the ballot images will be conducted and supervised by the Election Records and Statistics Departments (ERSD) of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

He was however quick to note the motion is without prejudice to the conduct of the Judicial Recount/Revision, Technical Examination and Forensic Investigation of the paper ballots and/or the ballot images, voter’s receipts, election returns, audit logs, transmission logs, the lists of voters, particularly the Election Day Computerized Voter’s List (EDCVL), and voters registration records (VRRs), and other paraphernalia used in the May 2016 elections.

The camp of the former senator had also earlier asked the PET to assign three hearing officers who will hear the three main issues in his election protest in order to fast-track the much-delayed proceedings.

Garcia, said that the designation of hearing officers will help the 15-member tribunal in ensure “an orderly, simplified and expeditious disposition” of his electoral protest which raised three main issues.

Garcia said it is most important that a hearing officer be assigned for each cause of action “so as not to muddle the proceedings” as they intend to present a specific set of witnesses and documentary exhibits per cause of action.

Initial... FROM 3

259 vehicles... FROM 3

DCPO Director Sr. Supt Alexander Tagum said that they have received reports that some suspicious vehicles are entering the city coming from the nearby towns.

“We have intel reports that there are suspicious vehicles who are about to enter

the city, those vehicles are from Marawi,” he said.

Tagum said that their conduct of activity was also in lines with the declaration of Martial Law in the entire Island of Mindanao.

He added that more operations will be conducted randomly.

tives as complementary and in the best interests of our country, pointing out that the current China policy of the administration has achieved

substantive progress in talks in Beijing, reduced tensions and expanded economic cooperation between the two countries. (Cielito M. Reganit/PNA)

ergy Corp.

Lopez said since the SEC jetty area is an environmentally protected seascape, catching the groupers, among other marine species, is illegal. Coal imported from Kalimantan, Indonesia is unloaded at the jetty.

“We will ask our Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to keep an eye on the giant groupers and help us make sure that they are safe,” Lopez said.

Former Sarangani governor Miguel Rene Dominguez, executive vice president for the Alsons Business Unit (ABU), said in the statement that “this is the first time he has heard that a private company is reseeding a marine protected area with breeders so that they can continuously produce.”

“It is a significant contribution because we are going to seed the marine protected area with grouper breeders so that they will reproduce here in the marine protected area and later on will become available for the fishermen to catch at the allowed fishing grounds,” Dominguez said.

He also said that “this is the first time in the country or possibly the whole world

where a private company is reseeding a marine protected area with breeders or brood stock so that they can continuously reproduce and make it sustainable.”

“We have been restocking Sarangani Bay with milkfish but we decided to take it a step further by putting (lapu-lapu) breeders back in the wild where they belong. Not only will it help in the sustainability of the bay, but hopefully, the giant groupers will become a big tourist attraction for Maasim as divers can swim with these giant creatures (because they’re) friendly,” Dominguez added.

During the event, Ruben Tungpalan, Sarangani Energy’s Corporations’ (SEC) Corporate Affairs Manager reiterated SEC’s commitment to protecting and preserving Sarangani Bay. “We are situated right infront of Sarangani Bay which means that we have the bigger responsibility of making sure that the bay is protected and preserved,” Tungpalan said.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos declared Sarangai Bay as a protected seascape through Proclamation No. 756, s. 1996. (PNA)

Duterte... FROM 3

Lapu-lapu... FROM 4

INdulge!

GOOD FRIENDS Sofia Sibala, Maizy Colleen Tan and Grace Uy are a group of triple threats who continue to reinvent themselves with various projects and business ventures. These young and talented creatives, who are still in their twenties, have already made their mark, individually, in the local fashion and beauty industry, and have always welcomed any possibility and opportunity to pursue their passions and advance their skills.

Together, they are a force to reckon with --and their recent collaboration proved just that.

Just a few weeks ago, Sofia, Maizy and Grace launched a capsule collection for a lifestyle brand they put together.

Wear To Next is a line of unique wearables which give new meaning to easy elegance and outdoor casuals. Born out of the trio’s love for fashion and travel, this exciting new venture takes inspiration and cues from hues and vibes found in distinct settings across the globe.

With their combined skills and eye for design, the ladies created their first set of original, limited pieces and unveiled them in an afternoon trunk show. They served up a refreshing display of sundresses and breezy separates in azure, citrus and greens --- fashioned with ruffles and amped with deconstructed, playful silhouettes. Checkered prints, colorful blooms and summer stripes take over their pattern play, while a rainbow of tassels make up their collection of handmade accessories.

Producing one-off pieces not only excited the fashion conscious

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

WOMEN

EDGEDAVAO

EASY

ELEGANCE Photos courtesy of Sofia Sibala and Maizy Colleen Tan

(who dread bumping into a clone), but also translated to quick sales for

the three young entrepreneurs. The trunk show was a sold-out success,

with not a piece on the racks left for online selling.

Unfortunately for those who missed the event, a new collection will not be available yet in the near future. It may take a while Sofia, Maizy and Grace to unveil another style collab, while they tend to their individual businesses and commitments. All we can do is to stay tuned, keep our eyes open for clues and news, and make sure not to miss out on their next fashion foray.

A2 INdulge!

EVENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Luscious flavours at the Damosa Food Fest IT FELT LIKE I WAS IN A COUNTRY FAIR. It was that good that you’d feel you are in a place other than the place you are in.

Spending time under the Davao night sky with friends at the Damosa Food Fest transports you in a realm that is both delicious and deliciously alive. In other words, a best cure for a hungry tummy is the Damosa Food Fest.

Three nights of aromatic grills and sweet treats, the Damosa Food Fest is actually a repeat. Yes! The clamour was too loud to

neglect. This time, they made it more of a fair than just a strip of foodie food finds and merchandise.

The best thing? You get to enjoy the many delicious Davao food finds with your family and friends away from the hustle and bustle of the city noise.

Chairs and tables were provided to make it even more like an affair than just a stroll in the park with food/s on hand.

More so, a live band made it even more lively with their rendition of today’s hits sung to the crowd’s delight. Music and food always, always go together.

Kudos to the organizers!

Participating restaurants included Yolks!, Classio Pizza, Gypsy cafe,Tita Rosita’s, D’Lish, Chucks Nachos, Tuna Corner, Chooks to Go, Steak ni Juan, Emo’s Kitchen, Master Sisig, Egg Waffle Davao, Teamoji, VietCafe, Snox and Zian’s Coffee to name a few.

The flavour combinations are endless, my preferred dishes includes Tita Rosita’s Blue Lemonade, classic margarita pizza from Classio, D’Lish’s colorful waffle, Yolks! succulent and perfectly coated chicken wings, the juicy steak from Steak ni Juan and my new fave, Egg Waffle Davao’s Halo halo Tops! Oh and don’t dare forget TeamMoji’s delish milktea with their cute emoji stickers.

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

The beautiful sound of good deeds NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION Indigent Children Educational Assistance (ICEA) Inc., recently held a fund-raising performance of “Mamma Mia” last May 13 at the CAP Grand Auditorium.

By KENNETH IRVING ONG

NOW SHOWING

June 7 – 13, 2017

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:

SALAZAR'S REVENGE Johnny Depp,Javier Bardem Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

PG

1:25 | 4:10 | 6:55 | 9:40 LFS

WONDER WOMAN Gal Gadot, Chris Pine Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

PG

11:00 | 1:45 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 10:00 LFS

THE MUMMY Tom Crusie, Sofia Boutella Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

R13

12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 | 7:30 | 10:00 LFS

THE LOST CITY OF Z / *BAYWATCH Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson/ *Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

R13/*R16

1:25 | 4:15 LFS / * 7:15 | 9:45 LFS

The highly successful show featured the talents of the ICEA Performing Arts Group as they sang and danced to the hit their own adaptation of the hit broadway musical. The cast was lead by Melissa Suarez playing Isabel and Jay Alferez as Fernando. Young talents Mary Claire Mosqueda and Jan Buenaventura played Angel and Andre respectably.

Proceeds of the show are used to fund the school needs of ICEA’s

indigent scholars. This endeavour is lead by the executive producer of the show, Conchita Suarez

who is passionate about music, allowing her to make a contribution to a noble cause.

Mamma Mia the musical was directed and choreographed by Christopher Lacno.

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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

11 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Saving the country’s bird icon “If Filipinos don’t get their act together for the cause of the endangered bird, it shall be doomed to die.”

– Dennis I. Salvador, executive director, Philippine Eagle Foundation

W

HAT if the Philippine eagle, our bird icon, is given a chance to speak. What would be his message? A booklet published by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) some years ago came up with these words: “I have watched forests disappear, rivers dry up, floods ravage the soil, droughts spawn uncontrolled fires, hundreds of my forest friends vanish forever and men leave the land because it was no longer productive. I am witness to the earth becoming arid. I know all life will eventually suffer and die if this onslaught continues. I am a story teller, and I want you to listen before it’s too late.”

During his administration, President Fidel V. Ramos seemed to listen to the pleadings. In July 1995, he signed Proclamation No. 615 naming the Philippine eagle as the country’s national bird.

Ramos said that the eagle is found only in the Philippines and as such should be a source of national pride. “If the national bird dies,” he pointed out, “so will all the country’s efforts at conserving its natural resources and treasures.”

In 1999, Presidential Proclamation No. 79 was signed observing June 4 to 10 as the Philippine Eagle Week. This year, the theme is: “Strengthening the hope for saving the Filipino heritage – the great Philippine eagle.”

In Davao, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) leads the celebration. Most of the commemorations is held at the annex building of SM City Davao, where a culmination will be done this coming Friday at 3 pm.

On Saturday, June 10, the Philippine Eagle Center at Malagos in Calinan District will be open the whole day for family day.

In the National Capital Region, the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) is holding a photo exhibit at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City.

According to the BMB

Director, Dr. Theresa Mundita-Lim, the celebration intends to strengthen the public’s commitment in ensuring the continued survival of the country’s national bird.

“We enjoin each one of you to become part of our crusade, to heed the call and work towards the conservation and protection of the country’s greatest living yet critically endangered Philippine eagle,” Dr. Lim reiterated.

She also stressed the importance of the national bird in regulating the population of smaller animals that could pose danger to human and destroy other living creatures.

“Undeniably, the Philippine eagle’s presence is an indicator of a rich forest ecosystem, which can sustain and provide for our needs,” she said in DENR’s website.

The Philippine eagles used to abound in the country.

Today, they are found only in Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.

Hunting has been blamed as a major culprit, and that is true enough. But it is the destruction of their natural habitat – the tropical rainforest – that is the principal cause of their rapid disappearance.

The natural habitat of Philippine eagle consists mainly of old-growth forests from 100 meters to 1,000 meters above sea level. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization states that a pair of the bird needs 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of rainforest to survive.

Unfortunately, their habitats are fast disappearing due to deforestation. “Deforestation is terrible,” says Dennis I. Salvador, executive director of

“

“Deforestation is terrible.

The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because forest destruction has made it lose its natural habitat.”

-- Dennis I. Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation

the Philippine Eagle Foundation. “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because forest destruction has made it lose its natural habitat.”

According to the research, 90% of the Philippine archipelago was forested during the 1900s. Today, the original old-growth forest remains at 3-5%. This has caused a ripple effect in which water, air and other ecological services have been compromised.

“Small patches of forest may not be able to sustain the needs of the people and wildlife in the long run. What we need to do is to protect the large, contiguous forests and expand the smaller patches by rehabilitating the surrounding areas and developing forest corridors,” Salvador points out.

In the 1970s, the Philippine Eagle was declared an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Several laws were since passed prohibiting the hunting and collection of the Philippine eagle and protect-

ing its sanctuaries.

It is now on the watch list of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna which regulates and prohibits the commercial import of wild animals and plants threatened by trade.

The Philippine eagle is second only to the Madagascar sea eagle in rarity. In size, it beats the American bald eagle; it is the world’s second largest – after the Harpy eagle of Central and South America.

This bird of prey was first discovered in 1896 by English naturalist John Whitehead in Samar. He first called it the monkey-eating eagle because he thought it fed primarily on monkeys and gave it the scientific name, “Pithecophaga jefferyi.”

The scientific name came from two Greek words: “pitekos” (monkey) and “phagien” (to eat). Jefferyi was Whitehead’s tribute to his father, Jeffrey, who funded his expedition.

In 1978, the old name was

F ENVIRONMENT, 13

12 BIGGER PICTURE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Alarming levels of stunting robbing millions of Filipino children of their childhood: Save the Children report Philippines ranks 96th over 172 countries in best and worst places to grow up

T

HE Philippines has only made it into the top 100 in a global ranking of the best and worst countries for children to grow up, putting it behind regional neighbors Vietnam, Thailand and China, a new report from Save the Children reveals.

Launched to coincide with International Children’s Day, Stolen Childhoods report comes with an index that examined countries against 8 indicators that impact children’s ability to have a safe, happy childhood, including rates of child mortality, undernutrition, school drop outs and early marriage. The Philippines performed poorest on child stunting or chronic malnutrition, which affects more than 30 percent of children across the country.

The report’s index of 172 countries ranked the Philippines as the 96th best country for children to experience childhood, putting it narrowly ahead of Indonesia (101) and Cambodia (117) but behind China (41), Thailand (84) and Vietnam (92). Norway and Slovenia topped the index, followed by Finland, with Niger ranking last.

“The ranking is not so surprising when you look at the levels of stunting and undernutrition across the country. Undernutrition accounts for over half of the 95 daily child deaths among children under five in the Philippines,” said Save the Children Philippines Country Director Ned Olney.

Olney added: “Philippines has made tremendous economic and development progress in recent years but poverty rates have remained the same over the last few years.

Economic growth has been poorly distributed.”

“Disappointing statistics from the Philippines underscore the importance the first 1000 days of a child’s life, when they are most susceptible to stunting and most in need of good nutrition. This is an area that must be dramatically improved if the Philippines is to move up the rankings, and most importantly, ensure every child across the country

million children – and possibly hundreds of millions more – have had the promise of a full childhood brought to an early end.

can benefit from a safe and happy childhood.”

Children suffering from undernutrition or stunting have increased risks of contracting diseases like acute diarrheal syndrome, acute respiratory infection and anemia, while children, especially those with severe undernutrition, are more likely to die from illnesses caused by complications.

Children who are stunted in the first two years are also more likely to repeat grades, drop out of school and delay school entry.

Save the Children’s “Cost of Hunger: Philippines” study in 2016 put the cost of undernutrition or stunting to the economy of the Philippines at over 320 billion pesos a year –which is equivalent

to almost 3% of the country’s GDP. Save the Children is calling for greater investment in activities that prevent undernutrition and stunting. This includes more targeted nutrition support for the poorest and most marginalised groups and greater investment in nutrition interventions for pregnant and lactating mothers and babies in their first 1000 days.

“Our report clearly shows that poor nutrition levels which cause stunting is holding children back in the Philippines, and preventing them from having the childhoods they deserve and are entitled to,” Olney, said.

Globally, the report found that at least 700

The report also found that: • Every day, more than 16,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday • About one quarter of all children under five (156 million) have their growth stunted as a result of malnutrition • One in six school-aged children worldwide is currently out of school • Conflict has forced nearly one child in 80 from their homes • 168 million children in the world are involved in child labour – 85 million in hazardous work – which is more than all children living in Europe (138 million) • One girl under 15 is forced to marry every seven seconds • Every two seconds, a girl gives birth

Save the Children’s nutrition work includes training frontline health and nutrition workers on life-saving care for newborns and their mothers, promoting exclusive breastfeeding, managing community and schoolbased health and nutrition programs and promoting reproductive health to adolescents.

PROFILES OF THE SPEAKERS Ned Olney, Country Director, Save the Children Mr. Ned Olney is currently the Country Director for Save the Children Philippines, and during his tenure here has led emergency responses for Typhoon Yolanda, Typhoon Hagupit and the Bohol Earthquake.

With over 20 years of senior leadership experience with Save the Children, he has served as Country Director in Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Bolivia, and has served as Vice President of Humanitarian Response under Save the Children US, providing leadership for programmes in emergency preparedness and response.

Ned was also instrumental in representing Save the Children in important interagency bodies such as the InterAgency Working Group (IWG), the SPHERE Board of Directors, the UN World Food Programme and the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. Ned Olney is married with two children.

Dr. Amado Parawan, Health and Nutrition Advisor, Save the Children Dr. Amado R. Parawan completed BS Biology at UP Diliman, Doctor of Medicine at Xavier University, and Pediatric Residency Training at Children’s Medical Center Philippines.

He joined Save the Children in 1997 and is the Health and Nutrition Advisor since 2010 in-charge of its Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCH&N) Program and projects.

He has provided technical assistance on emergency health, school health and nutrition, MNCHN, and primary health care in Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Ethiopia.

Dr. Parawan was among the first to introduce CMAM (Communitybased Management of Acute Malnutrition) in the Philippines in 2009 during the armed conflict and flooding in Maguindanao and North Cotabato, and is a member of national technical working groups on CMAM, Infant and Young Child Feeding, Supplementary Feeding Programs, and Maternal Health and Newborn Care.

Rowena D. Cordero, Deputy Country Director, Save the Children Ms. Rowena Cordero is the Deputy Country Director of Save the Children.

She leads the country office’s program development strategy and provides support in developing and implementing its policy advocacy agenda.

Prior to this, Rowena served as the Country Director for various Save the Children offices from 2003- 2009. The first part of her professional life was devoted to working with children and families affected by armed conflict and violence in the Philippines where she served as the Deputy Executive Director of the Children’s Rehabilitation Center.

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

NEWS 13

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Sandiganbayan issues EDGEDAVAO HDO vs. Misuari, 7 others Serving a seamless society

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

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T

HE Sandiganbayan has issued a hold departure order (HDO) against former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chair Nur Misuari in connection with the charges over the alleged anomalous procurement of educational materials worth PHP115.2 million from 2000 to 2001.

In six separate orders, the Sandiganbayan Third Division directed the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to hold the departure of Misuari and seven of his co-accused “to preserve and maintain the effectiveness of its (court’s) jurisdiction over the case/s

and the person/s of the accused so as to render accused at all times amenable to its writs and processes.”

Aside from Misuari, the HDO was also issued against then Department of Education (DepEd) ARMM director Leovigilda Cinches, chief accountant Pangalian Maniri, Sittie Aisa Usman, DepEd ARMM accountant Alladin Usi, Commissioner on Audit ARMM resident auditor Nader Macagaan, and private individuals Cristeta Ramirez and Lolita Sambeli.

Misuari was charged with three counts each of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act”, and malversation through

falsification for allegedly conspiring with his co-accused in giving “unwarranted benefits, advantage and privilege” to the following companies for the procurement of educational materials: -- MBJ Learning Tools for an Information Technology package worth PHP31 million; -- CPR Publishing for a Multi-media Information Technology package worth PHP46.26 million; and -- White Orchids Printing and Publishing House for educational materials worth PHP37.59 million.

This, even though “no such materials were delivered,” the Ombudsman said. (PTR/PNA)

dropped and given its present name through Presidential Decree No. 1732 after it was learned that monkeys comprise an insignificant portion of the bird’s diet, which consists mostly of flying lemurs, civet cats, bats, rodents, and snakes.

A majestic bird, Philippine eagle stands a meter high, weighs anywhere from four to seven kilograms and has a grip three times the strength of the strongest man on earth, according to PEF. With a wing span of nearly seven feet and a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour, the Philippine eagle can gracefully swoop down on an unsuspect-

ing prey and carry it off without breaking flight.

Unlike men, Philippine eagles are monogamous. Once it has selected a partner, it is for keeps forever. “Once an eagle reaches sexual maturity – at around five years for males – it is bound for life with its mate.

They can be seen soaring in pairs in the skies,” PEF states. – According to PEF, the breeding season ranges as early as July to as late as February.

During the breeding season, the Philippine eagles do aerial courtship and mate in the nest or near it.

The eagle’s nest is approximately 80 feet above the ground (usually on tall trees)

in prominent mountain peaks overlooking a river or stream to give a good view of its territory.

The female eagle lays only one egg every two years, PEF informs. Both parents alternately incubate the egg for about 60 days, although the female spends more time incubating while the male hunts.

Upon hatching, the eaglet remains in the nest for about 5.5 months. Once it fledges, the parents will continue to look after the young eagle for as long as 17-18 months teaching it how to fly, hunt, and to survive on its own. The young eagle matures in about six years.

ENVIRONMENT... FROM 11

14 MOTORING EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Driving tips this rainy season S

CIENCE tells us that there’s been about the same amount of water on the earth forever – that it doesn’t stay in the same place or form but is constantly redistributed by volcanic emissions, cosmic radiation and the wind and sun as part of “the water cycle”. However, science obviously doesn’t reside in Sydney – where the universe’s water supply has gathered recently, in the form of rain.

In a perfect world, rainy days would find us with our feet up at home in front of the TV, nursing a cuppa. However, reality being what it is – you probably have to leave the house. So in this water-logged blog we’ll discuss how you can stay safe and sane in the rain.

The fundamental thing to realise is that fair and foul-weather driving should be approached differently – wet weather demands you drive much slower. Taking a few other precautions and using wet-weather driving techniques will keep you from ending up soaked on the side of the road, waiting for one of our helpful roadside patrolmen to save the day.

1. Exercise extreme caution if a deluge has followed a long dry spell During a dry spell, engine oil and grease collect on the road. When new rainfall hits, the surface becomes very slick. Continued rainfall will eventually wash away the oil, but the first few hours are the most slippery so bear that in mind.

2. Allow for more travel time Traffic will be moving slower. Your normal route might be flooded or jammed, so don’t blow a fuse if it is – everyone’s in the same carshaped boat.

3. Turn your headlights on… even in light rain. Not only will your lights help you see the road, but they’ll help other drivers see you.

4. Drive in the tracks of a car ahead of you Following another car’s tracks on wet roads can reduce the amount of water between the road and your car tyres.

Also keep a keen eye on their brake lights so you can quickly anticipate their actions.

5. Brake earlier and easier than normal This increases the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you and lets the driver behind you know that you’re slowing down. Be extra clear when us-

ing turn signals, so that other drivers can read your intentions easily.

6. Keep an eagle eye out for pedestrians and cyclists Visibility is lower for everyone plus raindrops deaden sound, so the usual visual and audio cues for measuring car distances become obscured.

Pedestrians are also impatient to get out of the rain so may make rash crossing decisions.

7. Defog your windscreen Rain will cause your windscreen to fog up quickly.

Switch on both front and back defrosters/heaters and make sure the air conditioning is also turned on.

8. Avoid large puddles (if possible) Water splashing up into your car’s engine compartment may damage its internal electrical systems or a pothole under the water could damage a rim or knock your suspension out of alignment. If you can’t gauge the depth, try to avoid it. After you are across the puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water on your rotors.

9. Give trucks and buses extra distance Their over-sized tyres can splash enough water to block your vision completely. Avoid passing one, but if you must, do it as quickly as safety allows.

10. Traction and stability control are helpful on rainsoaked roads Traction control helps you maintain grip by putting the brakes on the tyre(s) struggling for traction, while a stability control system monitors your steering input, intervening with the brakes and/or reducing engine power.

How to manage aquaplaning if it happens Aquaplaning occurs when the water in front of your tyres accumulates faster than your car’s weight can push it away.

The water pressure causes your car to rise up and slide on a thin layer of water between

your tyres and the road. If you find yourself aquaplaning, don’t panic (though it’s scary!)

Don’t brake or turn suddenly as you may skid. Ease your foot off the accelerator and if you must brake, do it gently with light pumping actions. If your car has anti-lock brakes, then brake normally. The car’s computer will automatically adjust the brakes.

How to recover from a skid If you find yourself skidding, ease your foot off the accelerator, and steer in the

direction you want the front of the car to go. Be ready to turn the steering wheel repeatedly until the front of the vehicle is travelling in a straight line.

11. Don’t attempt to cross running water… …unless you are in an SUV commercial. A metre of rain water can wash a car away. Fifteen centimetres can knock a person off his or her feet.

worn tyres. Slow down when roads are wet, and avoid puddles to avoid aquaplaning. If you have any doubts about the wet-weather performance of your car’s tyres, check it out with your mechanic.

12. Keep your tyres inflated properly Don’t put off replacing

13. Make sure that your wipers are in good nick and functioning correctly If the blades are brittle or damaged, replace them before you’re caught in a deluge.

Some wipers are better than others, so ask us for recommendations.

Honda, it seems.

Speaking to Automotive News, Honda’s decision to cap the Civic Si’s power and torque was deliberate. Apart from price, Honda employees said that another main consideration was durability. Rob Keough, senior product planner on the Civic said: “Honda likes to build their engines to last hundreds of thousands of miles, so they’re working toward that target.”

This statement is echoed

by Honda engineers during

the same interview: “You can tune more power into it, but all of that takes away from the durability of the engine.”

The facts do speak for themselves. The Civic already runs a healthy amount of boost even in stock form. The regular Civic RS Turbo (EX-T in the US) already runs 16.5 PSI while the Civic Si ups it to 20.3 PSI. That’s a world of difference from slightly larger turbocharged motors such as the 2.0-liter WRX with a relatively relaxed 13.5 PSI of

14. In very heavy rain, stop When visibility is so poor that the edges of the road or other vehicles can’t be seen at a safe distance, pull over and wait for the rain to ease off. If you can’t stop at a rest area and the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible and wait it out. Keep your headlights on and turn on your hazard warning lights to alert other drivers. Be very careful to pick a safe spot to pullover as everyone’s visibility is dramatically reduced.

Honda Civic’s power gave way for durability

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HEN Honda released the power and torque figures for the North American market Civic Si, there was an air of disappointment. Though expected to slot in-between the regular Turbo and Type-R models in terms of power and price, everyone thought it could and should have made more than 205 horsepower and 260 Nm of torque (in comparison, the regular Civic Turbo does 173 horsepower and 220 Nm); everyone but

boost.

Although people tend to worry about this trend towards downsized turbo engines, especially when it comes to long-term reliability and durability, Honda seems to have taken that into consideration (unlike their Formula 1 and IndyCar efforts). However, this also serves as a caveat to those looking to push their Civic’s power. It might be easy to push that 1.5-liter mill past the breaking point.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

SPORTS 15

Cavs to bench Smith in Game 3 I

N Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals, Cavs guard J.R. Smith made 1 of 4 shots and finished with three points.

In between that and Game 2, coach Tyronn Lue said his message to Smith was to

“go out there and shoot.” He didn’t listen.

In Game 2, Smith shot the ball only twice, and missed both attempts, finishing with no points. As a result, he saw a dramatic decrease in minutes, going from 28 in Game 1 to just 14 in Game 2.

Iman Shumpert ended up with more minutes in the second game (22), and that will likely be the case in Game 3.

After watching how the players have performed, Lue and his coaching staff are considering a lineup change as the series heads back to Cleveland, according to ESPN. The move would insert Shumpert, a stronger defender, into the starting lineup, replacing the ineffective Smith.

In the Cavs’ 15 playoff games, Smith has reached double-digit scoring just twice, with his high in shot at-

tempts being nine. Compare that to his 2016 run when he took nine or more shots in 12 of Cleveland’s 21 playoff games, and you understand Lue’s reasoning.

The reason Smith is in the game his ability to get buckets. But if he’s not doing that, then Cleveland may as well put in a guard who plays better defense. Lue said as much after the game during his media session.

Pacquiao’s camp moves to war-torn Mindanao

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HO’S afraid of Martial Law in Mindanao?

Not a Mindanaoan fighting lawmaker out to cement his legend in the boxing world.

With less than a month to go before fight night, Manny Pacquiao’s Manila training camp comes to a close and they head to the Filipino boxing legend’s hometown of General Santos City for the remainder of camp.

With the Senate on break, Pacquiao can now zone in on his training.

At this point in camp, Pacquiao’s head trainer Freddier Roach says that pacing is essential in order for the champion to peak correctly for his upcoming WBO welterweight title defense against Austra-

BENCH OUND. JR Smith has been a non-factor in the first two games of the NBA Finals.

MANNY PACQUIAO (in file photo). Who’s afraid of Martial Law? lia’s Jeff Horn.

“We’re getting there,” Roach told ABS-CBN News in an interview. “He’s now good with distance and speed,

more combinations. We have enough time.”

Roach however added that sparring will increase before they begin to taper off a

week before the fight.

After recent events, the team’s security in GenSan comes into question, but the fighting senator says that there’s nothing for them to worry about.

“Wala naman tayong kalaban doon.” Pacquiao said.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn is expected to be the biggest boxing event to ever take place in Australia, with their hometown boy taking on one of the sport’s biggest names.

According to reports, over 40,000 tickets have been sold for the 55,000-seater venue, the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Team Horn believes that the former school teacher and Olympian has what it takes to shock the world and beat the legendary Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and Horn do battle on July 2, Sunday.

SBP pledges full commitment to Gilas T HE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the PBA will hold another round of talks in the presence of Gilas coach Chot Reyes to lay down the national team program for the next 12 months, including its buildup and participation in the Fiba World Cup qualifiers.

SBP president Al Panlilio and league commissioner Chito Narvasa said it is imperative for Reyes to be in the meeting to give both sides a clearer picture of Gilas’ timetable leading to the home-and-away tournament that kicks off in November.

“Kailangan talaga si Chot ang kausap. We have to include him para ‘yung programa niya maalign, kasi minsan baka mamaya may problem, at least manggaling sa kanya,” said Panlilio after attending the special board meeting on Monday afternoon at the PBA office to tackle the adjustment the PBA has to make for the Gilas program.

“At tsaka para mapaliwanagan din naman yung board because they also have questions,” said Narvasa. “Kasi minsan kaming dalawa hindi rin namin masagot.”

Matters to be discussed in-

clude the composition of the two Gilas teams to be sent to both the Fiba Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon, and Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, which will be held one after the other in August.

“Yun ang pag-uusapan namin kasi we need to know the level of competition to know the kind of lineup we will bring,” said Narvasa.

No schedule has been set for the meeting, which Panlilio said could be between the three of them with Narvasa and Reyes, but is also open to the entire board.

“We’ll try to meet him as soon as possible,” said Panlilio.

“At the very least kaming tatlo siguro but if anybody has time to join us, we will advise them kung kelan ang meeting and they are welcome to join.”

Adjustment in the PBA playing schedule will also be made, especially during the Fiba World Cup qualifier.

At the moment, what is clear is the initial round of the homeand-away meet which will be held sometime in November, by which time the league’s new season could have only just began.

(Spin.ph)

Some of the leading players seeing action in the 2017 Philippine Superliga (PSL) All-Filipino Conference which started Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan gesture unity for the sport during yesterday’s media launch at the Centrestage-Mall of Asia. From left are Djanel Cheng of Sta.

SNAPBACK... FROM 16

“Jeff is on track,’’ Rushton said.

“He is where I need him to be with still room to lift the intensity and to refine a few strategies.

“Pacquiao had better be ready for the fight of his life.’’

Not everyone is sold on Horn’s chances, though.

Australian lightweight

Lucia Realty, Carmela Tunay of Petron, Gen Casugod of Generika-Ayala, Aby Marano of F2 Logistics, Jaja Santiago of Foton, Mary Ann Mendres of Cherrylume, Jheck Dionela of Cignal and Cherylain Dizon of Cocolife.

George Kambosos has signed on as Pacquiao’s main sparring partner – part of a team of four – and after doing three hard rounds with the champ

in Manila on Friday declared that: “Manny will knock Horn out within six rounds. Horn won’t last.

He can’t get away from Manny’s shots.’’

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 10 ISSUE 47 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

SPARRING. Jeff Horn (left) sparring with Czar Amonsot ahead of his fight with Manny Pacquiao.

SNAPBACK Horn’s Pinoy sparmate says Pacquiao could be in trouble

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DAY after undefeated Australian contender Jeff Horn was dismissed as a goner by his countryman serving as Manny Pacquiao’s sparmate, it was the latter’s countryman to snap back for the Brisbane bomber.

Filipino sparmate Czar Amonsot said Horn

could get the Filipino boxing legend in deep trouble in their July 2 fight in Brisbane.

Lightning right-hand leads and vicious body shots – that’s what Horn is practising for his world title fight with Pacquiao at the Suncorp Stadium four weeks from now.

Horn powered

through a torrid 10-round sparring session with rugged Melbourne-based Filipino Amonsot on Monday as part of a 25-round gym session inside the mansion of trainer Glenn Rushton.

Amonsot, 31, who hasn’t lost a fight in 10 years, said he was

stunned by Horn’s speed of foot and hand.

Horn fights Pacquiao for the World Boxing Organisation welterweight (67kg) title in Australia’s biggest ever bout.

“Jeff is explosive,’’ said Amonsot, a veteran of 40 pro fights.

“His right-hand lead is fast and powerful.

That’s a punch that could give Pacquiao a lot of trouble.’’

Amonsot’s trainer Ray Giles, 73, has been involved in boxing since the days he helped the great Lionel Rose with roadwork in the 1960s, and was impressed with Horn’s speed and movement, calling him “a real

thinking fighter.’’

Horn said he had benefited from years of leg strengthening step-ups and skipping, something he believes will be crucial to making the Pacquiao bombs continually fall short of the target.

Horn’s form delighted his trainer on Monday.

F SNAPBACK, 15